Top Five Current Season Winter Coats...

I think it's fair to say that the summer days are now well and truly behind us, and as the nights draw in the bitter cold means only one thing... Jack Frost will soon be nipping at our doors and we need to show him we mean business with a super-stylish, brand-new, current-season coat! But which one do we choose? The high street boasts a plethora of catwalk copycats in a range of prices, most of which really don't break the bank and those that do are so lush they're totally worth us scraping the bottom of our over-drafts for! Here are the coats I've been dreaming about recently...

The Detective-Chic Cape

I believe it's time for us to channel our inner-Sherlock this winter with an effortlessly cool cape-style throw-over. I've actually purchased this one a couple of weeks ago and it can be seen in my most recent Haul Video. This Dorothy Perkins coat which retails at £69 is made of a thick black wool-cotton mix (perfect for those chillier evenings). Having said that, the fact that there aren't specific arm holes means that the occasional breeze can result in goosebumps, not to mention it can be quite difficult to carry a handbag... I usually wear it when I don't have many other things to carry, or if I can wear a small cross-body bag. It's really cool though, and tons of people look at me when I'm wearing it! I especially love the sheepskin hood detail and the brown fastenings around the neck. I feel a bit like a movie star in disguise in this! Definitely a vital purchase for the season!

The Teddy Boy(friend) Blazer-Style

I love the style of this masculine tweed coat. It will set you back £85 in Topshop but the fabric feels so luxurious that I would totally be prepared to push the boat out... if there wasn't four other coat styles this season that I'm crushing on! Plus, I kind of feel a little like I'm too short to pull off a coat like this as its length hits just between your butt and the back of your knee... Not sure I could wear it without heels which automatically makes it less versatile than some of the other coats in this list. And yet, it's just so chic and snuggly-looking (just like wearing your boyfriend's coat on a chilly night because he loves you SO MUCH that you're worth him shivering throughout the New Year's Eve fireworks) that it might be worth having to wear a pair of super-sexy killer heels... I think so! Might have to put it on my Christmas list. And go to some New Year's Eve fireworks :)

The Glamorous Hollywood Faux-Fur

I've always been a massive fan of faux-fur coats (one of my favorite winter fashion items is a leopard-print faux-fur coat from H&M... I've had it for three years and I'm NEVER getting rid of it!) but this year there's something different. Leopard spots have been switched for dalmatian spots a la Topshop Unique and Cruella de Vil and I'm preparing myself for the fact that I may have to pass over my previously fave faux! River Island's version is perfect and looks just as great over a pair of black skinnies and flats as it does with a body-con dress and platforms, and at only £60 I really have no excuse not to buy this cosy, comfy, cute coat.

The 70's Tan Sheepskin

Honestly, at first I totally didn't get the whole shapeless-coat-with-extra-sheepskin-padding-in-a-dull-suede-tan-colour. That is until I spotted this bad boy on ASOS! I love the toggle fastenings and the pocket details add something special too. Plus, whilst maintaining the 70's straight shape, there is a little cinch at the waist which would work well for people with a bigger bust like me, wishing to be forgiven a few too many mince pies! At only £65 Vero Moda have a potential buyer in me... especially now ASOS offer a 10% NUS Extra student discount.

The Nerd-Girl Duffel

This has to be the best value coat of the bunch... currently on sale in Miss Selfridge for just £42 this mustard-coloured duffel would look PERFECT with my university satchel and boots. Not only a warm and 'practical' coat that even granny would approve of, this coat is a very striking colour and really works the scholar-yet-chic look (one which I'm totally going for this year... it's the final year of my degree after all!) Don't have time to rave much more about how much I love this coat as I need to snap it up immediately!

So what will you be using to stay warm this winter? Have you been intelligent and lucky enough to purchase any of the coats featured in this blog? I might have to hunt you down and steal it because of jealousy...

Let me know what you think and be sure to tell me if I've missed out any majorly beautiful coat styles which are IT for this Autumn/Winter!

Love as always

gabriellasofia

x

How I'm Wearing the New Season's Trends...

It's been a nightmare so far this autumn trying to decide what to wear each day as, here in England, the weather has been so remarkably unpredictable... Some days it's been so warm I've been able to go out without tights on or a jacket, whilst others I've been throwing on knits and waterproof jackets! At least you're about to see A LOT of outfit diversity. Let's get on with the fashion show :)

In the photo to the left I was off to visit my boyfriend and meet his family for the first time in Cambridge so I wanted to make a good - respectable - impression... I think I achieved it. I've got on a sharp-looking blazer from Forever 21! I picked it up in the States this summer, and think it's perfect for that androgynous look that's been all over the catwalks for Autumn/Winter 2011. I'm just wearing it with a simple black t-shirt as it was relatively warm that day, and you can also see I have no tights on. Nonetheless, I couldn't bring myself to totally summer-it-up with gladiator sandals, so went for a more season-suitable flat; the black brogue again in-keeping with the slightly masculine trend. Offsetting that, I incorporated a bit of femininity with this cute floaty mini-skirt with a pink, lavender, black and peach watercolor print. Many of the pieces in this post can be found in my Fall Haul video posted on YouTube a few weeks back. If you missed it, then check it out by following this link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=4dTbp0uQL6s

Next up is an outfit which I wore for my mom's birthday meal out. As you can see I've done a cheeky repeat of the jacket (I'm all for repeats... we're living in a recession after all!) However, this time I wore the buttons open and teamed it with a navy, chiffon skirt with cream lining as a nod to the nautical trend of the summer (it was still hot weather, so I figured this was permissible!) I wore this cute little wine-colored cotton vest top tucked in, cinched at the waist with a brown woven belt and my matching Miss Selfridge platform wedges.

I'd curled all of my hair with my curling wand by

Babyliss. As for my make-up look, I sported a pretty, soft, neutral eye with lashings of mascara, a super-groomed brow, rosy cheeks and a Pinot Noir colored lip thanks to MAC! This has been my daily make-up look so far this season.

Ok, so this outfit repeating is getting a bit out of hand now, I know... but as a self-confessed Recessionista who is in love with her blazer-cute-skirt-combo, I can hardly resist! What does it matter anyway?

It's not like I don't work it out by changing up the accessories, right? So, this is what I wore for the Inspire and Mentor lecture with Marie Claire about How to Get Into The Beauty Industry... I did a blog review of the event which can be found if you just click on this link; http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/2011/09/marie-claire-inspire-and-mentor-how-to.html Anyways, as you can see, this time I wore the outfit with a pair of granite-colored opaque wooly tights which I just love (it was getting a little nippy out!) And my heeled tan brogues to give me some height among all those glamorous magazine-types. I accessorized with gold jewelry like this gothic cross necklace I picked up at Forever 21 this summer, plus a dainty gold bracelet I was given for my 15th birthday... Unfortunately, you can't see the bracelet :(

Now, the weather was getting chillier, and yet the sun was shining to its heart's content, so I wore warm-ish clothes to go mooching around the shops, whilst keeping the fabrics relatively cosy.

These cute cord mustard shorts were bought this summer from Delia's and they have these adorable little flowers on the cord in autumn colors like jade and deep pinks which matched perfectly with this slouchy jumper and ribbed tights! I wore my cross necklace again because I love it, then put on these little shoe boots that are super comfy, courtesy of (you've guessed it...) Forever 21.

One weekend a couple of weeks ago, my boyfriend came to visit and we went for a walk around a lake near to my house. The weather was cold and looked pretty rainy, so I decided to layer it up, big-time. I wore this black flowery dress with my biker-boots bought in my local market for about £15 last winter (bargain!)

I chucked on an old denim shirt I found on the Topshop sale the January before last. Due to the rain, my mom forced me to wear this uber-cool (SARCASM) rain-jacket over the top, and I added her black pashmina as a scarf because it really was quite cold. As before, I cinched the shirt with my woven belt, kept my legs warm with grey tights and carried my vital belongings - lipstick and other necessary things for a lake-walk - in my slouchy black Topshop handbag.

On one of my days out in London I really wanted to dress warm, but also, fashionable! So I gave the teddy-boy trend the 'old college try'. I paired this plaid green shirt with my shoe-boots from before as the colors are ever to similar. Then again, I sported the trust grey tights, plus this tan skirt with a orangey-brown belt which almost matched perfectly in color with the button down vest whose collar I had poking over the top of the outer shirt. This was a decision I made simply because of how cold it was outside, but I really liked the double collar look and as collars are set to be diverse this season (Peter Pan collars, fur collars etc) I figure it was a cool new take on the trend! My make-up was kept pretty simple with a neutral lipstick in Rumour Has It from Topshop and a dusting of blusher, and my hair bun was similarly fuss-free, but again this look should be quite familiar as it's been in mags all season!

As for outerwear, I threw on a faux-fur gillet I got in Topshop last A/W and my leather jacket bought for a steal at $20 in Papaya during a family holiday a couple of years back but I couldn't track down any pictures of that :( However, here's another London outfit I wore that weekend with the same faux-fur gillet and leather jacket combo, and the skirt is in cord from Topshop... How cute is the pattern? Who says florals are for summer?! Not me.

Again, I am an ITEM REPEATER with the shoe boots and plaid shirt, but with these rust-colored high-waisted peg-legs and my sisters Topshop cover of a Barbour jacket, I loved this blokey look! I think it would look better if I was a little taller, and yet I think I look a bit country - in a good way - like, a farmer's chic daughter who is dating the handsome stable-boy perhaps... Oh, to dream!

Finally, at the train station on the way to uni the other day, I looked down and though, dang, you look like a little rock chick! So I asked my lovely uncle who was visiting for a couple of weeks to snap this shot and honestly, I strutted around uni more confident than ever before... the rock chick look is really quite empowering - who knew? The shorts are from Forever 21, the little T-Shirt is from Topshop and so are the biker-boots with a little heel. I actually love these shoes so much that I got them re-heeled instead of buying a new pair as they are no longer in stores (I've had them at least two years now...) As usual, I'm rocking the leather jacket and grey tights look... perhaps I need lots and lots more clothes! Haha. If only my student loan would allow it, eh?

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my little How I've Been Wearing the Trends post! Let me know what you've been wearing so far this season, I could always do with some new ideas :) Take care and tell your friends to follow please!

Love

gabriellasofia