sample sales are shopping fails

now, don't get me wrong, i love a bargain as much as the next person - particularly when it comes to fashion. i love tk maxx - always have, always will. it's the thrill of the rummage, filled with hope of finding a one-off gem amongst the mountains of poorly displayed tat. it's no frills shopping at it's best and what really sets it apart from primark and the like is that you can purchase quality fashion at a reduced price which you are unlikely to see everyone from your 13 year old cousin to your great aunt sporting in the same week. this is the same reason i adore charity shop shopping - it's the thrill of what you might find. amongst my favourite charity shop finds are a brand new black versace cocktail dress for £11 (british heart fund shop, st andrews) and a handmade purple evening dress for £2 (oxfam, dalston).

and so it was with this in mind that i thought i would have found this morning's french connection sample sale thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding. after all, i'm a big fan of french connection - i like the combination of modernity and femininity which is central to their designs but often find their price point is just beyond what i'm willing (or able...!) to spend on regular wardrbe refreshment. having started a new job last week, however, i am keen to expand my 'smart/casual' collection.

with this is mind, i set my alarm and got myself along to french connection's camden offices bright and early on this bright and cold saturday morning. and i wasn't the only one hopeful of grabbing a bargain at the brand's sample sale. the queue snaked around the building and luckily i was there reasonably early and so only had to wait for around twenty minutes before getting into the building.

to say the sale was a disappointment would be an understatement. it's not that there wasn't plenty of choice, because there was. and the reductions were significant - not jaw-droppingly so, but significant nonetheless. instead of the exciting, treasure hunt-style shopping trip which i'd imagined, the whole experience was pretty rubbish.

despite the fact that we'd been standing in the freezing cold for the best part of half an hour, we had to leave our coats in the cloakroom. which would have been fine, except the sale took place in the building's studio, which was pretty cold too. clothes were strewn everywhere, signs and staff enforcing the 'no trying on' rule were in full force and there were way too many security guards for my liking.

i fully understand that managing and staffing the sample sale for such a popular brand must be seriously difficult and this being my first sample sale, i don't think this negative experience would be particular to french connection.
i do think, however, that for such a brand, the humble sample sale just goes to show how many other factors influence purchase decisions. i generally love shopping in french connection - their stores are spacious and well-lit, the clothes are always displayed nicely and attention to detail is clearly always paid when it comes to in-store publicity and packaging. strip these elements away, and there is no way i would consider paying full price for these garments. and obviously this is how a sample sale works. and i did buy a couple of garments which i had previously admired in store but found the spend difficult to justify. i bought a nice navy jumper for £20 and the above tee for £10. in retrospect, perhaps my decision to buy this top was representative of my feeling at that precise moment in time...!
and while i am happy with these two purchases, i don't think i'll be hurrying along to another sample sale anytime soon - at the end of the day, you're simply buying out-of-season high street garments at a slightly cheaper price. but you can't try it on first. and you can't exchange or refund the garments under any circumstances. in my view, shopping shouldn't come with so many conditions and snags.

give me the rummage at tk maxx or oxfam anyday.

florence is a machine

last night had the pleasure of watching florence + the machine play to a tiny audience at london's club 100 - possibly the teensiest gig venue i've eve been in. as ever, florence's vocals were stunning and her performance nothing short of amazing. snf the outfit? a black sequin batwing top and leather shorts. perfect.

this makes sense

"you know you have arrived when you have forgotten the discomfort of the journey"

there's a first time for everything

so last night i did something i've always wanted to do but never had the opportunity/courage, and that's go to a gig on my own. sure, i've watched headline acts at festivals alone (notably kasabian who were announced as last minute headliners of a teeny tiny tent at t in the park about 4 years ago), but the atmosphere at a festival is so friendly, so all-encompassing that you don't notice you're alone. everyone is consumed by the music, and has consumed so much cider that there is a real sense of affinity and belonging in a festival crowd. you're a part of something that's happening right there, at that very moment in time, and you're sharing it with those around you. and i realise that this is sometimes the case at gigs, but more often than not going to see a band/artist on tour is more like a night out; an experience you share with the people you go with rather than everyone there. for starters, crowds at gigs are so divided. while a festival crowd is levelled by the fact that no-one has showered for days and everyone is passionate about the music and excited to be a part of it, there exists many divisions in venues beyond the obvious seating vs. standing.

anyway, all this aside, i have always wanted to go to a gig on my own. not that it's something i imagine i need to be able to do for any particular reason, but rather because i want to know that i can do it. like going to the cinema, it makes sense to me that one can enjoy a gig alone. after all, you're there to see, watch, listen, enjoy the spectacle - none of which you need a companion for. so it was for this reason that i accepted a last minute offer of a ticket to see rihanna play brixton academy last night, in a one-off launch event organised by nokia. honestly? i'm not the world's biggest rihanna fan but i do enjoy her music and knew she would put on a good show. which she did. wearing a black leather leotard and fabulous grey leather glove complete with cuff, the starlet performed songs from her forthcoming album alongside chart hits including 'please don't stop the music', 'disturbia' and 'take a bow'. oh, and she was joined onstage by her mentor and hip hop hero jay z for 'run this town' and 'umbrella'. the music and performance was so stunning that i really didn't notice that i was alone.
okay, so obviously when i first arrived, i felt a little uncomfortable - should i buy a drink? should i stick to a corner spot or get further in in order to blend into the crowd? should i dance or just nod along? and what do i do with my hands...? but really, as soon as rihanna came on stage, i realised that no-one cared what i was doing there and why i was there alone. everyone else was enjoying the music too much to wonder about me. and i was enjoying the music too much to wonder about me too.

so i didn't buy a drink. i got myself a good spot within the crowd. i danced my socks off. and i didn't do anything with my hands - except clap and put them up, as per jay z's request.

all these things i've done

i've been so, so busy of late that sadly i've neglected my blog somewhat. with a whole week off ahead of me, today feels like the first time in a long time i've had time to get my life in order. first up : tidying my room. my room is a reflection of my lifestyle and right now it's messy, clothes are scattered everywhere and there are remnants of the past month scattered everywhere, in various guises. tickets, bags, cards and discarded party dresses depict my recent activities better than words ever could so i've taken some photos this morning and below is a brief history of my last month, according to the 'things' i've accumulated...

met ppq's percy parker and became the proud owner of this amazing carrier bag from the british design outfit. this bag is so fabulous, the picture just doesn't do it justice! i adore the playfulness of ppq, their designs are always so bold and they never shy away from colour. i particularly love the tribal vibe of their s/s 2010 collection and was impressed by their decision to use only black models in their catwalk - a fantastic way of ensuring their show made the headlines the next day.

worked on a one-off event for fashioin targets breast cancer at camden's proud galleries. read all about it here :

http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2009/11/04/party-alert-fashion-targets-breast-cancer.htm

now don't get me wrong, i like a good queue as much as the next brit, but i could never imagine myself queuing for hours in the novemeber chill to get my hands on the latest well-marketed must-have from a high street giant. lucky for me then that my lovely friend went to the gq party to launch the jimmy choo collection for h&m. and brought me a goody bag. no shoes, but i do now own a men's studded cuff which i'll wear to toughen up outfits.

became the proud owner of a beautiful lulu guinness charm bracelet - this has to be one of my favourite gifts ever. it's gorgeous and is definitely something i would have chosen for myself - the sign of a thoughtful gift-giver! thank you, thank you, thank you.

went to the company fashion awards, which were held in camden's gilgamesh. here my friend and i drank cocktails, chatted to henry holland about our favourite spice girl, discussed vodka with company editor vic white, sang britney on singstar, met two lovely ladies from the joy press office and went home happy. our goody bag contained a copy of the december issue of the magazine (with leona on the cover), along with lots of lovely beauty products from brands including pixi, nivea, carmex, mister mascara and o.p.i.

got myself a new job - the book above is a clue as to what industry i'll be working in... and i can't wait!

left the job i moved to london to start. i've had an amazing year and a half working with this company and made great friends and fabulous memories along the way but it's time for me to start something new, which i'm truly passionate about. so friday the 13th was my last day in the office and the team gave me a lovely little send off (which ended in a karaoke bar in clerkenwell with me and my colleague murdering sean kingston's beautiful girls with gusto). in these cards are kind words which make me sad to leave but at the same time confident and excited to start something new.

went to wembley for the first time ever to see coldplay, supported by jay-z, girls aloud and white lies. girls aloud were disappointingly average, jay-z was phenomenal and coldplay completely exceeded all expectations.