THE OLD FLATS

I succumbed to the Birkenstock! The anti-fashion, old-school shoe has truly made its way into AW13 trends - notably British Vogue's September issue (remember the Miranda Kerr editorial with the effortless styling of coats and the shoes in question?) Well, that was enough to make me order my very first pair (post Primary school anyway) and work them into my wardrobe for the transeasonal period we're in right now! The truth is, yeah they're kind of ugly, but when have creepers or flatforms ever been pretty either? I'm all for the new (old) flats! What do you guys think? Will you be trying them this season or avoiding them like the plague?

I'm wearing a Joseph sweater, Topshop Boutique silk trousers and Birkenstocks. 

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY...

...to start planning your Fall/Winter wardrobe when it's still 31 degrees outside.

Thing's to start investing in for the new season:

1. The perfect oversized man coat. If you haven't already seen the September issue of Vogue UK with Miranda Kerr in the best selection of such attire out there, then get to your news agent ASAP and find out what i'm talking about. I'm not kidding, you will want every piece including these very basic old school are-they-really-back-in-fashion Birkenstocks that complete the outfits to a tea. 

2. Get some Birkenstocks. If the inspiration from Phoebe Philo wasn't enough last season you will find these are most certainly making a comeback (for real) for FW13.

3. Berlingot's! The latest from Céline's eponymous bag collection. Much larger in size than you think; on the runway they acted as the perfect alternative to the normal leather under-arm clutch. The checkered version is set to be the print you will need across your wardrobe for the coming season. 

4. Fine Jewellery; the delicate likes of Matchsticks and Monica Vinader are replacing the chunky neon statement pieces we have seen up until now; mix your silver, gold and rose gold in a selection of dainty jewellery. The Monica Vinader ring is 18ct Rose-gold plated with diamonds and is super affordable.

5. The perfect crew-neck cashmere sweater; I am always on the hunt to build my collection of these. This navy one from Whistles is exactly the type of layering piece you will need for a truly reasonable price; it will also be coming in Grey and Black late September too. 

Another great brand includes Equipment's Sloane Cashmere Sweater that comes in a multitude of colours, as well as THE OUTNET's own label Iris and Ink who similarly stock a variety of colours and at an extremely affordable price. Finally, J. Crew is always on my list to search for any type of cashmere sweater; if you're not a crew-neck fan these V-neck Boyfriend Cashmere Sweaters are incredibly soft and definitely worth the price tag.

6. The ripped jeans; season after season the distressed-denim trend has only grown, and now proves to be a wardrobe staple. These Zara distressed jeans are the best on the high street, although i still swear by my J Brand 811's (Colour; Salem Destructed), and Rag & Bone do a great selection of distressed skinny jeans too. If you're in London, check out Selfridges Denim Room and you really won't be short of choices.

7. Round-frames; swap your square-frames for round! A great selection at Asos, these are the Butterfly style from Céline.

8. Little white shorts; If one could wear shorts with the Margiela coat and cashmere jumper, that would be street-style perfection. I'm always baffled yet in awe of the array of street-style shots during Fashion Week that involve probably the most anti-weather outfits out there. Where are these women that they can wear such outfits without chancing a good dose of pneumonia, or simply over-heating? However they manage it, it means they are open to far cooler outfit choices like the shorts and coat combo.

CÉLINE DETAILS, SS13

And just like that, I feel the urge to own a leather lunch bag and furry Birkenstocks.

If you hadn't guessed already, Céline is without a doubt my favourite brand. Not just because of the style, but because working and studying in PR has made me appreciate a hundred times more what Phoebe Philo has achieved for Céline's current image and representation. Each season I eagerly wait for Paris to see what she has created, and (although I don't normally post show reviews), I couldn't resist posting the SS13 show. 

Firstly, I love the use of less obvious colour choices for summer; monochrome, greys and navy, contrasting with the subtle amount of bright colours and nudes used in the accessories. I normally hate dressing for summer, the last few seasons it's been about scary neon prints and bright colours (which I can't do) so thank you Céline for providing us with another option. Moreover, the use of wafer-thin leather and draped silks kept the brand true to it's minimalistic look, but with a softer approach from the more structured materials we've seen Céline use previously.

Now for the accessories; the furry Birkenstocks. So many mixed reviews on these; not a practical option for sure (fur on the soles of your feet in the summer, maybe not) but I think they are kind of amazing. Even the fur heels, although insanely impractical and crazy, made the collection just that bit cooler (the yellow heels strangely remind me of sesame street.. in a good way, though).

The clutches were my favourite piece, I love how they look like leather lunch paper bags, even in the satin version too.
Oh and I really want to find a leather scrunchie-style wristband, immediately.

All images courtesy of Style.com