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The Pros and Cons of Buying Topshop Online

Fab Community — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:22 -0800

Check out what Emily EMS has to say about her online Topshop experience in our 24/7 Go-To Fashion Guide group.

I always knew they existed - I have seen their chic dresses, sexy heels and cool tops. I am talking about Topshop. I got even more excited when I found out they opened a store in NYC, although I live in Denver, Colorado. I must say, things come around a lot slower around here, and don't get me wrong, there are nice stores here, but it's not to the point where they satisfy my fashion cravings.

This is when the beauty of online shopping comes in handy. My friend Sophie loves to shop online. She says that it's the best because she can buy things anytime, even at two in the morning, not have to worry about driving to the mall, (and not finding anything at the mall!), and in most cases, there's no sales tax, a small shipping fee, and usually, the return and exchanges are easy.

I must say, I was never comfortable with buying clothes online. Shoes and bags, I'm OK with. With clothes, things are different simply because every brand has slightly different sizing and all. Topshop was no exception. It's from the UK, and I know sometimes the equivalent of those sizes can be confusing - look at H&M!

One day, as I was looking through tons of pictures as always - new trends, jackets and coats for Fall and Winter. And there it was. I fell in love with this striped knit jacket from Topshop. I looked at the price, and fell in love with it even more - it's only $80!

I had to go to the store - but wait, there is no Topshop here in Denver! As I envied those folks in NYC, I went online. I quickly navigated myself to look for the jacket and there it was! I want, I want! Pause. What is my size?

Suddenly, I was lost. I usually wear a 2 or 4, depending on the brand. I also have jackets and tops that run rather small or large. While all those thoughts kept going around my head, I looked up on the sizing chart. Hmm . . . I think I am 4, but I don't want it to be too tight since it's a knit jacket . . . oh well, let's just order 6 in case, and if it didn't fit, I'd just exchange it. Before placing an order, it suddenly dawned on me that in case this size didn't work out, I better check on the return policy. Just in case. I'm not sure if that was a sign of something, but I looked. And I discovered many things I did not know. At first, I did not know Topshop's merchandise all ship out from UK. Thus, $15 shipping charge makes sense. Then I realized another thing. What if I wanted to return or exchange something? Sure, you can either return it in person at their stores but that is not my option. According to their website, if you wanted to return or exchange an item, you have to ship it back to their UK warehouse at your own expense. Hmmm . . .

Now I'm determined to make my purchase more "oops wrong size" free. I certainly don't want to go through with shipping the item back and forth till I get it right. It's not only time consuming, but also could end up being costly. I carefully studied the sizing chart, I realized, I needed some real people's opinions. Of course, the chart gives you the idea to narrow down which size you could possibly be, but just in case, to double check it, I did my own research.

I googled the "Topshop sizing review" and voilà! There were a few out there, but one forum was particularly helpful - Facebook. People with the same problems come together and discuss the sizing. Some argue Topshop's sizing runs smaller. Others disagree.

In the end, I ended up getting a 6 - I figured if it's bigger rather than smaller, I could live with it. I haven't gotten the jacket just yet, because I just ordered yesterday, but I'll keep you posted on the sizing. I must say the forum, like the one Facebook, did help me tremendously, sometimes a sizing chart won't do justice. Real people's opinions really do count.

So will I shop online again? Yeah, sure. But do some research beforehand, and read the fine print in case you don't like it, or it's too small or too big, or it's not what I thought it would be, or whatever the reason may be. As for me, for now, I'm waiting and hoping that all the research and reading will pay off.

There are already a bunch of groups you can join and explore, and please - start some new ones! Here's a helpful guide to creating in case you need some clarification.

Selfridges Host a Charity Garage Sale

FabSugarUK — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:30:39 -0800

Selfridges got in to the festive spirit early this weekend as they hosted a charity garage sale to raise money for Mothers4Children. Plenty of celebrities lend a hand sorting through the clothes and getting involved in the event. Louise Redknapp, Jodie Kidd, Yasmin Le Bon and soon-to-be-Mum Denise Van Outen were amongst those offering help. There was an 800 strong queue waiting for it to open and a pair of shoes once owned by Shirley Bassey went for £100. Seems like red antlers are going to be a hot trend throughout the festive season!

To see more photos from the day, just keep reading.

Do Tell: What Are the Worst Male Fashion Offenses?

TresSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:28 -0800

A popular nightclub in Australia has decided to ban "metrosexuals" in an attempt to curb violence. Apparently a certain style of dress is enough to start a bar fight.

On the list of forbidden clothing items you will find low-cut v-neck t-shirts, skinny jeans, pointy white shoes, popped collars, and Ed Hardy tops. I think many of us would be happy to go to a bar with this type of restrictive dress code.

When trying out fashion trends, men can come off as trying a little too hard. The power jeans trend - the tendency to pair expensive-looking jeans with a blazer for an "I'm hip!" vibe - is another example. Which male fashion fad would you like to ban?

Fab Read: Prada

FabSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:22 -0800

Prada is jumping on the designer-book bandwagon. The Italian house has unveiled a 706-page book, titled Prada, that highlights the house's 30 years of fashion, art, and more. "For Prada, fashion, luxury and style go beyond producing an infinity of clothes and shoes, so the book wants to illustrate the various aspects through which Prada expresses itself," said Patrizio Bertelli, chief executive officer of Prada Group. The tome, which retails for about $150, will hit Prada stores, select bookstores, and Prada.com.

Roundup: Wonderful Wardrobes

CasaSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:30:03 -0800

A friend of mine is moving into a bedroom in a new apartment which is closet-less. She will have access to two hall closets, but considering the miles of clothes and shoes she owns, an additional wardrobe may be needed. So, I decided I'd hunt some down for her. Are you in the market for a new wardrobe? Luckily, there are some at every price point, from only $45 to over $11,000. In particular, I think the CB2 Harmonica Wardrobe ($499, reduced from $799) is really sharp. Take a peek at a few others below!

Whitney, Olivia, and Rashida Choose Choo With the Hiltons

PopSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:30:28 -0800

Jimmy Choo designer Tamara Mellon brought together some friends in Hollywood last night to celebrate the launch of her new collection for H&M. Stars like Olivia Wilde, Rashida Jones, Whitney Port and the Hilton sisters posed for photos with Tamara on the carpet before heading in to see a special performance from MIA. Jimmy Choo is known for their shoes, but this line will also include Tamara's first-ever clothing collection and many of the stars were sporting her designs for their evening out.

To see more from the event, including Cat Deeley and Diablo Cody, just read more.

View 35 Photos ›

Images include: Kate Walsh, Cat Deeley, MIA, Tamara Mellon, Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton, Hayden Panettiere, Whitney Port, Diablo Cody, Stacey Dash, Sheryl Crow, Maggie Grace

Emma Thompson Tells Trafficked Woman's Story in Art

TresSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

Academy-award winning actress Emma Thompson was so moved by the plight of a Moldovan woman who survived being trafficked for sex, she decided to create an art installation that would help viewers to put themselves in Elena's shoes and bring attention to this growing problem.

"Journey," which will be exhibited in New York City Nov. 10 to 16 in Washington Square Park, tells the story of Elena, a woman from the Eastern European republic of Moldova who, at age 18, was promised a secretarial job in England. Instead, once she got there, her passport was confiscated and she was forced into prostitution.

"Journey" consists of seven shipping containers. Each has a keyhole through which the viewer can peer to see a chronology of Elena's story. The first shipping container depicts Elena's childhood and the loss of her father. In another, the viewer can see Elena approached in a Moldovan marketplace and offered work.

Thompson personally curated one of the more disturbing of the shipping containers which depicts Elena's forced prostitution in England. She had Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell design the clothes she was forced to wear, and when the viewer looks into the keyhole, she sees her face superimposed onto the body of a woman in prostitute's clothing. They wanted the viewer to have an experience of what it meant to lose one's identity. Thompson said that even men "didn't laugh or find it funny. They understood absolutely what it meant."

Thompson met Elena while doing work with UNODC (United Nations Office on Drug and Crime) to help raise awareness about the practice of trafficking women, and it sounds as if she's not only telling her plight, she's giving Elena the voice that was taken away from her. In the last shipping container, Elena tells her story on tape.

Steve Madden's Fresh Clothing Venture

FabSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:22 -0700

I heart Steve Madden. Not only are its shoes rad, but reasonably priced, too. You can imagine my excitement when I found out the brand has teamed up with L’Koral Industries to create a fresh clothing collection. “They really understand my design aesthetic and the Steve Madden brand identity,” said Steve Madden. Like his footwear, the clothing line exudes fun and flirtation via an array of floral prints, zippered skirts, boyfriend blazers, and adorable ruffles. Launch details and price points are to be determined . . .

To see more from Madden's debut clothing collection, read more.

View 3 Photos ›

Source

Look of the Day: Into the Wild

FabSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:50:22 -0700

Candydoll stepped into the wild today donning a leaf print minidress, cozy cappuccino shawl, and strappy tan sandals. Her warm hues are ideal for autumnal weather and I like her eclectic accessories. Welcome to the urban jungle . . .

Here's what she has on:

Clothes: All from Japan
Shoes: Possibility
Accessories: Unknown

Congrats to candydoll!

Everyone else, join the Look of the Day group, then submit your looks. I might feature you on FabSugar!

Two New Celebrity Footwear Collections on the Horizon

FabSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:22 -0700

On the footwear front today, the unstoppable Nicole Richie has released exclusive images of her Spring '10 House of Harlow footwear collection. The shoes, set to debut in January at My-Wardrobe.com, stay true to her bohemian aesthetic featuring chunky platforms and Navajo-inspired detailing. Prices are to be determined.

In addition, rumor has it Victoria Beckham will be adding a footwear collection to her covetable VB clothing collection. "Victoria is tired of promoting other brands. If she wears Christian Louboutin or Hermès people go and buy it. She thought, 'Why can't I do this with my own line?'", said a friend of Victoria Beckham. Of course, hottie husband David Beckham supports her new venture offering to build her a design workshop. Tell me, would you be interested?

To see more from Nicole's shoe collection, read more.

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Harmonica Wardrobe - $799.00	Best-Dressed Wardrobe Rack & Hangers - $69.00
Martha Stewart with Bernhardt Bali Coast Armoire - $4,999.00	Aspelund Wardrobe With 2 Doors - $179.00
Sniglar Wardrobe - $45.00	Morrum Wardrobe/ Shelf Unit - $179.00
Belvedere Armoire - $299.00	Oeuf Sparrow Wardrobe - $1,160.00
Hosle Wardrobe With Sliding Doors - $79.99	Vinstra Wardrobe With Sliding Doors - $699.00
Anthologie Quartett - superbox wardrobe by ettore sottsass - $11,515.00	Engan Wardrobe With 2 Doors - $179.00
John Kelly J-36A Amoire Wardrobe -4 drawers - $6,525.00	Cynthia Wardrobe - $999.00
Odda Wardrobe - $299.00	Aneboda Wardrobe - $99.99
Cadet Wardrobe - $649.00	Aspelund Wardrobe With 3 Doors - $199.00
Brave Space Design Planar Wardrobe - $4,275.00