Tag Archives: primark

Spring is in the Air

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We love this time of year so much, its mighty beautiful and its perfect for lazy afternoons wandering about town, window shopping, nipping out for coffees and catching up with whats happening in town. Pretty in PinkPretty in Pink pink

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Spring time is here and all the pretty pink flowers are out in bloom. Sunny days are filled with little sun dresses and delicate tones. This dress was purchased from Primark on a budget shopping trip recently. Primark is the place to visit when you need a little treat without breaking the bank. This dress was just £10 and at that price you just have to pop it in the basket. It comes with an elasticated back so it fits like a glove.P1130844

pinkStyled here with Ray Ban sunnies (available soon), Vintage Christian Dior perfume disc turned into a necklace (used to be my mothers and I had it restored to its former glory) , Zara Jacket (Here is one similar), Stuart Weitzman heels, Louis bag and an old western belt.

Visit www.slbstyle.com for more fashion and tweet me @sarahbacchus

High Street Finds

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Primark are really pulling out all the stops this season and we are all loving the floral, vibrant and fun items in store. This fantastic jumpsuit is only £11 and looks and feels amazingly comfortable deliciously flattering and perfect for a casual day off or worn with a crisp white shirt at the office. This little number could even be thrown in a suitcase and worn with flip flops on the beach as a cool cover up. Perfect wardrobe must have for this season.

IMG_2882IMG_2887IMG_2914IMG_2892IMG_2902IMG_2908IMG_2917Styled here with a  basic Primark T-Shirt, Stuart Weitzman nude court shoes, Ray Ban folding sunglasses, (available soon) Guess Ladies Mini Exec Watch W0403L3 a pop of pink lipstick and white gel nails.

For more fashion take a look at www.slbstyle.com and tweet Sarah @sarahbacchus

Hazardous Chemicals Revealed In Children’s Clothing

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toptipskidsbathtimefunChildren’s clothing and shoes by brands including Disney, Burberry and adidas have been shown to contain hazardous chemicals which could pose risks to adults and children when released into the environment, as revealed in a study released today by Greenpeace East Asia. [1]

Tests were carried out on 82 items sold by leading clothing brands including adidas, American Apparel, C&A, GAP, H&M, Li-Ning, Nike, Primark, Puma and Uniqlo and the findings revealed in the the report entitled “A Little Story About the Monsters in Your Closet”.

Chih An Lee, Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia said:.

“As the starting point of the global clothing supply chain, the world needs to be aware of the dangerous corners being cut in manufacturing processes in regions like East Asia. Parents in particular should know the risks these brands are posing to future generations as they use and release these toxic hazardous monsters into our environment.”

More than half of the products tested contained nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), a group of chemicals that break down in the environment to form toxic, hormone disrupting nonylphenol (NP). High levels were found in products made by brands including Burberry, Disney and American Apparel. Meanwhile, every item tested specifically for per / polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) was found to contain one or more examples from this group of chemicals. [2] For example, an adidas swimsuit contained the highly persistent, PFOA at a concentration higher than the brand’s own limit in its Restricted Substance List. [3]

Though all products tested were intended for children and infants – a group particularly vulnerable to exposure to hazardous chemicals in the environment [4] – there was no significant difference between the range and levels of hazardous chemicals found in this study and those in previous studies looking at adults clothes [5].

“We need the brands to take a good hard look at their supply chain and the monsters they are using to make our children’s clothing. We also need people to recognise the power they have in bringing about change, by joining the growing movement making the industry Detox its supply chain and clean out clothes”, said An Lee

China remains the world’s largest textile producer and chemicals consumer and Greenpeace is calling on the government to help stop the use of hazardous chemicals in the textile industry. It is critical they publish a chemical blacklist to be acted upon immediately and urge factories to disclose chemical information, in order to facilitate chemical elimination and supply chain transparency and create a level playing field for the industry.

 

Frost Shopping Challenge: Finding The Perfect Jeans

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buying perfect jeans. Selfridge jeans loungI hate shopping. It is so stressful and I find it hard to find clothes that fit me. It is pretty stressful too. So I teamed up with Sure to do the Sure Maximum Protection heat fresh challenge. Using their Everyday Fresh fragrance in their Sure Maximum Protection range. I went to find the perfect pair of jeans from Selfridge’s fancy denim section.

Selfridges denim section is jean lover heaven. A range of jeans from £9 to £260 is available, and there is also an interactive section where you can search for jeans and even put price range and style in. It makes the difficulty of buying jeans easy.

I don’t want the £9 Primark jeans so that is already out. I also don’t want to spend over £150 on a pair of jeans as that just seems obscene. It is pretty stressful to find a pair of reasonably priced, good-quality jeans.

I scour the shelves and look at every pair. I go to the interactive section and they only have a number of jeans in the colour (black) and style (straight) that I want. This is becoming stressful. Thankfully, I don’t break out into a sweat. I see an American Apparel pair of jeans. They are black, £69 and skinny. I have a mixed relationship with skinny jeans. Not everyone looks good in them and I think I might be one of those people. I head to the American Apparel counter and try the jeans on. The staff stand outside the changing room and ask my endless questions. I feel uncomfortable but still have not broken a sweat.

beauty review, beauty, magazine, sure maximum protection, magazine

I try the jeans on and, finally!, a pair of jeans that look good quality and they fit! They are proper skinny jeans but thankfully all of the stress of moving and the no sugar diet I am on has worked to my benefit.

I have my jeans and I am happy. I love my new jeans and have been wearing them to death. And thanks to my review of Sure’s Everyday Fresh fragrance I was cool when the heat was on.

Sure Maximum Protection is twice as strong as the leading antiperspirant. The new Everyday Fresh fragrance is out now, lasts for 48 hours and is available from Boots and other leading retailers. £5.10 approx. The antiperspirant lasts for ages and it really works. The best antiperspirant I have ever used.

 

Fashion Fabulous Party | Social Diary

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I went along to the launch of the third edition of the Fashion Fabulous book. I was joined by actor/director Jack Bowman and his wonderful girlfriend Mary Burt. I also met the team behind new blog The London Index, Joseph and Leah-Jade. Check them out. Some of their photos are below.

I had a flick through the book and it is brilliant researched. I talked to Tracy and she said that she goes to every single shop and restaurant. Everything is checked to make sure it is of the highest quality. Tracey is also a hat designer and the hat she was wearing was spectacular.

Tracey and Russell Rose fabulous 086 fabulous 079dsc_0689

Sarah Eckersley + Leah-Jade Verasammy + Mary Burt + Jack Bowman + Guest + Catherine Balavage

Frost editor Catherine Balavage with actor and director Jack Bowman.

Frost editor Catherine Balavage with actor and director Jack Bowman.

 

Fashion Fabulous London returns with new guide for 2013

  • The results of an extensive mystery shop uncover the capital’s Top 200 retailers.
  • London’s best shopping districts revealed. Shoreditch and Shepherd’s Bush among up-and-coming areas pushing North Kensington out of the top 10.
  • Customer service in Prada rated equally to Primark.

 

London’s number 1 independent shopping guide, Fashion Fabulous London launched its new guidebook for 2013 on the 24th of April, and it is out now.

 

The third edition of the consumer guide picks out and reviews the top shops in London. The shopping equivalent to the Michelin Guide, the new edition of the book is a must-have for the style-conscious London shopper.

 

Fashion insiders Tracy Rose and Russell Rose have once again compiled the book by making mystery shopper visits to one thousand retailers across the capital. This year’s updated guide highlights the best shops visited by the couple with in-depth reviews of the hottest outlets.

 

This year’s Top 200 retailers named in Fashion Fabulous London include new entries from designer-run boutique Antoni & Alison in Farringdon and rising vintage outlet Emporium in Greenwich.

 

Once again, the West End tops the list of London districts with the most retailers in the Top 200, but new neighbourhoods have arrived in the Top 10 shopping districts.  Shepherd’s Bush, boosted by the presence of fashion destination Westfield London, now sits in the Top 10 ahead of Camden and Islington. Shoreditch has cemented its position as a fashion hotspot by ousting North Kensington from this year’s Top 10.

 

The changes in the guide’s Top 10 shopping districts reflect the increasing spread of quality retailers across London. Tracy Rose comments, “The West End remains London and the UK’s retail heart. However, we found from our visits across the city that lavish outlets and high-end service is far from limited to the boutiques of Bond Street and Savile Row. We are finding that retailers further afield in the capital are increasingly improving the quality of the customer experience, even in the current economic climate.”

 

Shops that offered a personal touch to customers were highly commended by the pair. Tracy states, “We particularly enjoy the experience offered by designer-run boutiques, where the customer can meet the creators of the items on sale. Being myself both a fashion designer and an avid shopper, I appreciate how much consumers value knowing about how their clothes were made.”

 

Each of the top retailers reviewed in Fashion Fabulous London receive a rating out of 5 shopping bags on choice, service and wow factor.  Every store was re-evaluated this year with many receiving new ratings: In service, Bond Street’s Prada store lost its five shopping bag rating while Primark on Oxford Street improved on its one shopping bag rating – both now having two shopping bags in the 2013 edition.

 

Readers of Fashion Fabulous London will discover personal accounts from Tracy and Russell from their visits to each outlet. Tracy recounts the story of a showdown with shoppers in the Alexander McQueen store, with one envious customer snatching a shoe from her grasp. In another review, Russell gets to know Camden’s leftfield Cyberdog shop by trying on a yellow laser print ‘Talk to the Hand’ T-shirt.

 

Russell Rose comments, “We hope that this year’s guide will be the perfect companion for fashion-lovers looking for either high-end or high street shops. Whether you’re looking for shoes or handbags, we’ve taken the leg work out of finding the best stockists.”

 

Fashion Fabulous London will be on sale from 30 April 2013 at leading retailers nationwide including Harrods, Selfridges and Waterstones, and online from Amazon.

 

Top 10 London shopping postcodes

The top 10 districts in London ranked by the number of Fashion Fabulous London’s Top 200 shops in each district.

2013Rank Postcode District 2012Rank
1 W1 West End 1
2 SW1 Belgravia 2
3 W11 Notting Hill Gate 4
4 E1 Brick Lane /Spitalfields 3
5 SW3 Chelsea 6
6 E2 Bethnal Green 7
7 WC2 Covent Garden 5
8 W12 Shepherd’s Bush =11
9 N1 Islington 8
=10 EC2 Shoreditch =11
=10 NW1 Camden 10