A Girl's Girl

I have to be a girl I'm afraid and do at least one blog post on clothes, not because it's expected of me, but because I'm so happy!
As all females (and people with an inkling of style :p) should know, the one most important piece of clothing to buy, or at least to appear as if you've always had it, is the knitted jumper. Like I just said, it shouldn't look brand spanking new and should ideally have the perfect fit and most importantly versatility-you could wear it with anyyyything.

Now, I've been avoiding this garment a little bit whilst also being on a hopeful lookout because it's dangerous territory for me. You see, a jumper is a complex garment. As with so many chunky knits out there, and rightly so for they do look so adorable and nonchalant, if you're on the (dare I say) 'wholesome' side, that's exactly what it'll make you look. Once you've realised this and accepted it, 'we' must move onto to the next alternative-the finer knit. But there's always the very high chance of looking 50 with fine knits if you're not careful. And the next issue is the cut-very important! It should sit just right on your shoulders, back and hips. Ah, the hip. For the ample hipped among us (me) it should never sit on the widest part of your hips for obvious reasons, but also never too high up because it will make you look like a block of chip.

Phelan means business.

Practicalities aside, we must then consider colour, texture, pattern, cleaning instructions and then the price. If you had a couple of hundred quids to spare Vanessa Bruno, Nicole Farhi, Preen et al have lovely everything. If not, then all of the above factors must be put together, carefully checked and considered. Which was why I had avoided this, until now.
Topshop can be a place that can tip either way-you'll walk in and walk out in under 10 seconds or you'll walk in and develop yet another girl crush (the other being Bond girl Berenice Marlohe) because Kate Phelan has become its new Creative Director, and she is doing a lot of things right!

It now feels like a place I want to spend longer and longer amounts of time in, without feeling older and older than all the other girls. Of course I avoid the sparkling hot pants and the mesh panelled jumpsuits and the bright jacquard skinny pants that are supposed to channel this season's 'brocade', and make my way to the corner where the lovely jersey tops, wool trousers, bright skirts, well cut blazers hang, and the knits, oh the knits!
They have the perfect tone of colour-pale indigo with tiny pink threads running across, black, grey and tan threaded fine fine knits that sits juuust right but will still keep me warm, not so chunky 'chunky' knits that can be layered in colours of butter, the sky and damson. The length is exactly what I wanted-just above the thighs and not a cm shorter. And the prices are not bad at all-not the usual Topshop overpriced 'desinger' stuff.

Ok, I now realise this post has gone on long enough and must wrap up before people mistake me for a girl whose interest is fashion rather than interested in fashion. One last thing, never buy knits online-you have to feel the knit, weigh the whole thing in your hands and the all important length can only be tried on.