What we wore|Forever 21 fashion bloggers event

Take five fashion bloggers and two fashion PRs and you’d except some pretty cool outfits right? Well that’s exactly what I found last Saturday at the London-based event to celebrate the opening of first Forever 21 in Manchester. Check out all the looks below and read about the event here – the store opens today.

Penny from Fashion-Fade

Dress and suede blazer, Topshop; studded boots, Office; sheepskin bag, River Island.

Emma from Kisses and Cross Stitches

Skirt, vintage; t-shirt, American Apparel; boots, Clarks; leather satchel, Greensitts Satchels in Afflecks Palace.

Sarah from Fashion Dotty

Kimono, Prophecy; top, French Connection; trousers, Topshop; shoes, Acne.

Katie of The Quick Red Fox

Jacket, vintage army surplus; shirt, American Apparel; cut-offs, Levi’s; boots, Topshop.

Katie (that’s me!)

Jacket, Mango; t-shirt, skirt, tights and boots, H&M; hat, Portobello Road market.

Sarah from Shine Communications

Dress and tights, Forever 21; jacket, Kooples; bag, Sara Barman; shoes, Urban Outfitters.

Molly from Shine Communications

Coat, Zara; bag, Mulberry; jeans, Forever 21; boots, Topshop; hat, eBay.

Forever 21 is heading up north

The US retailer will open its first store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre this weekend.

When Forever 21 opened its Oxford Street store last year, shoppers in London got pretty darn excited. I know that for certain because the amount of hits Helen’s blog post about the opening got – the traffic stats don’t lie people! A year later and business is still booming, with three London stores now trading and the sixth jewel in Forever 21′s UK crown (in addition to Birmingham and Dublin locations) due to open in Manchester this week. The 20,000 square foot retail behemoth will open it’s doors on Saturday 21st July at 10am, but listen up Mancunians, I’d get there earlier if I were you – the first 300 customers in line will receive free gift cards to spend in store or online.

To celebrate the new store up north, the lovely folks at Forever 21 took a group of five Manchester-based fashion bloggers and I to visit the Oxford Street flagship last Saturday for a taste of what’s in store for the Trafford Centre. Having not ventured into Forever 21 since I did my Christmas shopping last year I was pleasantly surprised by how calm and collected an experience I had in comparison. But then Oxford Street in December is basically like the apocalypse isn’t it?

Anyway, I picked up some great items: a cream fitted blazer (I’ve wanted one for aaages); a very authentic looking distressed denim shirt (‘Are you going to the rodeo?’ asked my bitchiest gay friend when I wore it the next day); and an adorable white jumper with a moustache on it (I’m hoping that by wearing it I can attract a man with a moustache. I’m all about the facial hair you see.) But probably the very favourite thing I took home was a little gold whistle pendant necklace. The great thing is, it actually works when you blow it. Do you know how much fun you can have on a night out with a whistle? After Saturday night I can tell you the answer is: a lot.

I’m sure I’ll be showing you some of my Forever 21 finds in subsequent #TodayImWearing blog posts. Stay tuned as well for a style post featuring my fellow bloggers Penny, Katie, Sarah and Emma and their outfits – as you can imagine, they were a super stylish lot.

Forever 21 opens at the Trafford Centre, Manchester on Saturday 21st July 2012. Visit the Forever 21 UK website.

Not So ‘Forever’ 21? | US Giant to downsize store

Have you heard the gossip?  US superstore Forever 21 is already seeking to downsize its debut store located in Birmingham’s prestigious Bullring shopping centre.  It has been there 18 months, and while more recent times have seen the chain jump at every opportunity to bombard us with their fuchsia pink plastic bags and provide every 14-year-old with short shorts and pleather jackets, by opening up three story developments at Westfields and on Oxford Street, it seems maybe Forever 21 didn’t foresee its own downfall.  With plans to sub-let part of its store in Birmingham, could this be an omen for the shiny new stores down South?

Personally, having been to both London stores on various occasions I have struggled to find anything apart from the odd piece of costume jewellery to seduce my purse strings.  All 3-floored filler, no killer you might say.  And I always leave feeling rather disappointed.  With prices points so cheap as to rival Primark, it does make me a tad melancholy that a store so shiny and inviting has barely any decent products on offer.  That said, having visited Forever 21 in America, I came away with some of my best-loved items (a leopard print cover-up, some killer pendants, and some amazing tees) that are still regularly worn nearly a year on.

So why can’t the UK stores deliver?  Or is it just me?  While Forever 21 might be on the verge of clawing back square feet in order to save face, it seems its biggest rival, and the store which was most scared of Forever 21’s aggressive push on the UK high Street, is going from strength to strength.  H&M’s designer collaborations are stronger than ever (Versace, Marni etc) and they have now announced 2013 will see the opening of their new, slightly more up-market, stores, to be called ‘& Other Stories’ (rubbish name).  The other brands owned by H&M, e.g. Monki and Cheap Monday, also have their first bricks and mortar stores which opened last month in Carnaby street, and are by all accounts doing extremely well.  So, I guess what they say is right, hey Forever 21?  Nothing like a bit of healthy competition, eh?

What we can expect from & Other Stories? A dress from the H&M exclusive Glamour Conscience Collection

So dear readers, please do enlighten me if you do in fact enjoy shopping in the uK Forever 21 stores, and your best finds as well would also be appreciated!

Forever 21 Store Launch: Oxford street’s newest offering

Last week saw one of the U S of A’s biggest chains open up its new British flagship on Oxford Street.  With Bip Ling fronting the advertisement campaign, it is kind of obvious the type of people they are hoping to attract i.e. not your mum.

And with over 500 stores worldwide, and already having opened their first UK branch in Birmingham’s Bull Ring last year, you would assume from all the hype this is the start of Forever 21’s ascent to becoming Queen of the High Street.  Well, they’ve already started jumping into HMV’s grave, giving Forever 21 their final break into the West End’s high street….

The store itself is actually mighty impressive.  Spanning three floors and keeping quite a modern layout, the Visual Merchers have done somewhat of an awesome job.  However, the clothing does seem a tad ‘glorified Primark meets H&M’ and I cannot say I wasn’t devastatingly disappointed.  I was day dreaming of an American Apparel meets Urban Outfitters super store.  Mind you, some of the footwear and accessories weren’t bad, and prices are ever so low (perfect for the discerning shopper).  The problem is, is there even room in the UK market for this type of store?  And is our ‘Great British High Street’ somewhat drowning in a tidal wave of American brands at the moment?  Just don’t get me started on Hollister…