Here at Cherwell Fashion, we’re finding little inspiration for coming trends. Navy has been done to death – it’s hard to miss it on the high street; walk past Miss Selfridges or Topshop, and there will be at least ONE stripey item in the window (however, check out this week’s shoot for our take on the trend). Pastels and nudes – well, again they’re everywhere and are set to stay for a very long time (chiffon dresses in Summer, yes please!). Even a hunt on UK vogue’s website only led us to the male model section (see last week’s Swot:Shop for more details!). But then we realised we were making the one mistake all fashion lovers do in their lives – we were following the trends just a bit too seriously and attempting to second-guess whether a sheepskin coat (à la Keira Knightley) is really fashion or just a resounding statement. So we’ve decided to take things back to basics: and you can’t get any more basic than Uniqlo.
For all those in the depths of fashion siberia, Uniqlo is a mainly – except for the London stores, of course – online shop full of basics. The brand has gone from strength to strength in the last year or so, and scoring Agyness Dean (last year’s model du jour) for their Autumn/Winter ’09 campaign has raised their profile amongst the young and fashion conscious. Their niche: it’s all basics. Don’t go looking for the latest trend (no anchor prints here!), but if you’re in want of something plain and often bright, hit http://www.uniqlo.co.uk/ and shop. The great thing about the clothes is the value: sale cardigans start at £4.99 and dresses are around £30. Also, as January still seems to be persistent on bringing cold chills, Uniqlo’s HEATTECH range has invested in ‘seven technologies’ to keep you warm, dry and not shivering in lectures. Our advice, stock up on your basics and get layering. Here are our favourite picks:
Ponte Dress, £24.99
Tailored Blazer, £29.99
Tapered Jeans, £19.99
Shawl Cardigan, £14.99
