The Fashion Feed: Coco Before Chanel Special

With the release of Coco Before Chanel at cinemas nationwide celebs are going crazy for the fabulously understated look that Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel championed so much in her designs. Of course not all of us are on a Girls Aloud pay packet so I've hunted down some cheaper versions of the real thing so you can celebrate the release of Coco Before Chanel in style! My first cheaper than cheap top pick has to be this lovely black quilted chain bag from Asda. It only costs £5 and will add a touch of Chanel class to any outfit. I think this bag would work particularly well as an evening bag as it would give a nice edge to your LBD.


Following in the quilted footsteps of the Asda handbag are these gorgeous pink contrast detail court shoes from Asos. Originally these little beauties would have set you back £74.00 but now you can pick them up for £33.00 and look as cute as Coco herself.


Without a doubt however my favourite Chanel-esque budget buy has to be this gorgeous black bowler hat which literally screams chic. Perfect for the coming autumn/winter season this hat will go beautifully with black dresses and suits to boot. It will only cost you £22.00 from Topshop so there's absolutely no excuse for being yellow-bellied about this rather bold fashion move.

The Fashion Feed: Tell Me About It, Stud.

Carrie Bradshaw Searching for Her Stud - by BradshawsCloset on Polyvore.com

If we're honest, 21st Century studs are few and far between, at least if we're talking about men they are. Thankfully finding a man to live up to the mantle of "stud" will be the last thing on your mind when you see the studded treasures up for grabs in all your favourite shops this month.

This glossy studded bag for example is very similar to the Chanel Tote Carrie was touting about in Sex and the City the Movie. It's fully lined with a black glossy finish and is big enough to squeeze all your on-the-move beauty essentials into. This bag is on sale at Forever 21 for a paltry $34.80 so you can achieve the designer stud look for much, much less.

One of the top must-have accessories at the moment however has to be the black studded belt. Belts are big news and are currently being sported by all the top celebs over cardigans, coats and evening gowns. You can pick up this chunky black beauty at One Poster and it will only cost you £9.99. It would team up beautifully with the Forever 21 tote and give a modern edge to jeans and a white shirt or a Carrie-style shift dress.

If you feel that the silver studded look is a bit too agressive you may want to opt for a piece which is studded with coloured gems instead. We love this gorgeous turquoise ethnic look bangle from Fantasy Jewelry Box. Turquoise is just as big news as studs are this month so you'll still be right on trend if you do go for the subtler approach to finding the perfect stud.

Can A Woman Really Fake It?

As you are reading a post from Carrie Bradshaw's Closet and not the lastest issue of Cosmo, you won't be surprised (although you may be disappointed) to learn that the title does not refer to orgasms. We think Meg Ryan made the case for womankind in When Harry Met Sally when it comes to that rather sensitive question. What we're more concerned with is whether or not you can easily and cheaply fake a designer look without being found out.

A few blogs ago (Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue) we were lamenting the fact that the deal breaking Manolo Blahniks in the Sex and the City Movie cost many a pretty penny. And in these hard times, it's unlikely you're going to break the bank for a pair of shoes, even a pair as beautiful as those. This got us thinking, why not just create a replica pair? There are currently some very cheap blue satin shoes, complete with pointed toe, selling on ebay. Handily you can also buy some suitably shimmering diamante buttons to stick or sew (depending on how much attention you paid during textiles lessons) onto your new pair of shoes. The result? A pair of shoes that look the real deal but actually cost you under £25!

We suspect that in these hard times the ability to customise clothes and shoes is going to be the way forward. The pros of this little venture are that whilst you're customising the clothes you already have you're not out buying new ones and racking up major credit card debt, when you're finished you'll have a one-of-a-kind item and you can get replica designer wear at a fraction of the original price. The cons - it's going to take you a little bit of time and effort.

For those of you who really can't face picking up a needle or a bottle of superglue, you can still fake it but you will be doomed to spend your Saturday afternoons trawling the jumble-sale likes of TK Maxx and Matalan Discount Stores. There's nothing wrong with their products but it will probably take you an age to find what you're looking for!

Because we're nice, we've found the perfect item to start off your faking-it collection. This gorgeous quilted white bag from Dorothy Perkins screams Chanel and even comes with a designer look gold chain strap. It will only set you back 12.00 and will look a million dollars. Besides a man who means what he says and a free shopping spree at Prada what more could a girl want?

Patent Leather: Cheap and Tacky or Chic and Classy?

Patent leather has come back to reinvade the high street like never before but is this necessarily a good thing? I have to admit that my gut reaction was...no. Patent leather can often look really cheap (even if you've paid a lot for the item in question) and the last thing you want is to look tacky. Patent leather however does have a certain retro charm and if you use it correctly it can be perfect for giving an otherwise simple outfit a bit of an edge.

I picked up these red patent leather sandals at my favourite discount store: Peacocks. They cost £15.00 and are going to work a treat with wardrobe staples such as jeans or a little black dress. The likes of Fendi, Chanel and Dior have all included patent leather bags in their new collections but since we're not all on a millionaire's budget you will be pleased to know you can pick up patent leather bags at slightly more modest prices at DestinationFashion.Com where prices start at £14.99.

Patent leather is a great material for anyone wanting to emulate Samantha-esque chic but whatever you do never wear more than one item at a time. You just end up looking like you've been shrink wrapped before coming out and people will assume that you simply can't afford to buy real leather and are settling for a cheaper looking alternative. Even if that's true, they don't need to know that so keep it minimal and you'll look both with-it and worth it.