Three designer inspired items I’m crushing on…

I always feel a bit naughty buying cheaper high street versions of designer clothes, but the truth is I’m never going to shell out £500 for a jumper that’s a one-season wonder, or blow £500 on shoes that I’ll only wear twice. If I had the disposable income to buy designer clothes all the time, maybe I would (I suspect I’d still love trawling the rails of Topshop, though). But right now, my designer purchases tend to be the things I know won’t date so quickly – handbags, coats, retro style dresses and so on. When it comes to trends and seasonal styles, I have to budget, which means fast fashion. I think so long as the items are designer inspired, not fakes being sold as if they’re the real thing, they only strengthen the brand they’re emulating by drawing more attention to the specific look or style. Besides, a lot of the designer pieces don’t hang around for long, and I’m sure Victoria Beckham isn’t sweating the fact a few cut-price retailers are selling low cost alternatives to her sold out dresses.

So on that note, here are three designer-inspired looks I’ll be sporting this season…

Window shopping: Top Summer sale fashion finds!

It’s Summer sales time, and this year’s bad weather means there are even more items to choose from as people are a bit cautious of spending too much on flippy Summer dresses and strappy sandals when most days are still spend in tights and coats! It’s a great time to stock up – particularly if you have a Summer holiday coming – so I’ve picked some of my favourite sale finds to help you along. There are loads of lovely shoes and some fabulous Summer frocks, and nothing on this page costs more than £35 (except one pair of fabulous Carvela shoes I couldn’t resist including). Personally, I’ve got my eye on a pair of fabulous wedges that’ll give height with a bit of added comfort, and a really nice bright 50s dress to wear for my birthday in August. What’s new, eh?!

A trio of New look shoe saves (finally!)

You’d be forgiven for thinking I’d given up on Shoeperwoman’s Shoeper Challenge, as it’s been ages since I’ve snapped myself wearing a pair of shoes from my collection and officially ‘saved’ them from being ditched when the challenge ends next Feb. But I am planning on sticking to my guns, I’m just rubbish at remembering to take photos when there’s any kind of natural light (you’ll see from the below pics how much my camera hates the soft orange light in my flat – fuzziness ahoy).

But I’m keen to get back on track and work my way through my hundred or so pairs of shoes as quickly as I can, starting with three pairs from New Look…

Big Girl tries Very.co.uk wide fit shoes

Regular shoes usually fit me fine around the foot, but I often struggle to fasten ankle straps because of my chunky ankles and high arches. And boots? Forget it. They all seem to be cut for women with insanely tiny ankles and calves. So I’m always impressed to see more retailers branching out into wider fit shoes and boots.

Very.co.uk are the latest to take the plunge, and they carry a decent selection of wide fit shoes to compliment their size 16+ So Fabulous! range. I was lucky enough to be sent a pair to try recently…

Fall in love with Dorothy Perkins ‘Luxe’ footwear

Shoes are the Big Girl’s secret weapon! No matter how much your weight fluctuates they’ll always fit, and an amazing pair of heels can add inches, make legs look slimmer and – most importantly – make you feel like you rule the world. High Street retailers know this all too well, which is why they’re continually upping the ante each season with more ostentatious offerings. Dorothy Perkins have just announced ‘Luxe’, a collection of premium styles named after some of the world’s top jet-set destination. I’m in love, and I bet you will be too!

Fitflops tried & tested: The workout while you work

I am a sucker for a new gadget, gizmo or wonder product. When I heard about Fitflops, my first thought was ‘what a load of rubbish’, but as usual I eventually got sucked in by the marketing, the good press, the celeb fans and the great reviews. What interested me more than the supposed toning / cellulite busting qualities of these new-wave flipflops, was the fact they were lauded as being so comfortable…