Wee Birdy

Wee find: COS SS10

It’s no secret that my beloved COS, the elder (and more sophisticated) sister of H&M, is my favourite high street shop in London. The fabrics, prints and cuts are superior to anything you’d find in Hennes, but the prices are still extremely reasonable (around £30 for a top or cardie).

The line-up for SS10 is particularly fresh and feminine with a palette of neutral beiges, dove greys, palest blues and pinky-nudes, which softens the more utilitarian and sharply tailored pieces.

It's the unexpected details (likes assymetrical tucks, twists and ruffles) that make COS at once unique, non-high street and totally wearable, and I especially love the ‘craftiness’ of the apron detailing and oversized pockets in this season's collection, alongside the sportier acid bright neoprene pieces.

The children’s collections are always particularly well done, with A.P.C.-esque smocks, neutral basics and the most wonderful abstract prints, like this skirt below.

COS
222 Regent Street
London, W1
Tel. 0207 4780 400
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday 10am-8pm
Thursday 10am-9pm
Friday to Saturday 10am-8pm
Sunday Noon-6pm

All images courtesy of COS.

Sneak Peek: Anthropologie London

Terribly exciting: I just had a sneak peek inside the new Anthropologie store, which opens its Regent Street doors to London on Friday. For the full story, see this week's Time Out magazine. In the meantime, enjoy some of my snaps...

This hanging teabag installation in the window (above) reminds me of the Rockefeller store Christmas windows I blogged about when I was in New York last year.

Birdy door-knobs, above, and beautifully-bound Penguin classics, below.

The enormous dressing rooms are surely the most spacious in London. The end cubicle (if you could even call it that) resembles a small office. You could seriously throw a party in there.

And finally, the magnificent afternoon tea spread complete with a never-ending supply of cakes, tarts and biscuits. I mastered the fine art of hovering over the strawberry tarts...

Creature candles...

And the hand-stitched grand opening sign...

Anthropologie
158 Regent Street
London, W1B 5SW
Tel. 7529 9800
Nearest tube: Piccadilly
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday 10am-7pm
Thursday 10am-8pm
Friday to Saturday 10am-7pm
Sunday 12 noon-6pm

Something for the weekend

I've been a very bad (but also v. busy) birdy of late. Huge apologies for my lack of posts. I promise I'll be back on form next week. In the meantime, check out my personal highlight from Arcadia's A/W09 press day: the Beth Ditto doll, courtesy of plus-size UK high street brand, Evans.

I think every little girl should have one. Unfortunately the doll (made by Superdoll Collectables London) is a one-off, but check out those boobs and tummy! Ace hair, too. I'm really looking forward to seeing the full line-up from this exciting collaboration - if the monochrome dominoes dress is anything to go by, it signals a brave step by Evans in a brand new (and much younger) direction. Bravo!

London shopping: Westfield

As you’ve probably already heard, London is now home to the largest shopping mall in Europe. With over 265 shops, and 47 places to eat, the new Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush is sprawled over 9 different postcodes.

For me, it just doesn’t feel like London. Bondi? Yep. Birmingham? If you say so. White City? Just down the road from the BBC? Not really. I guess the sense of weirdness (tinged with sadness for “ye olde London”, whatever that is) will fade in time as it becomes an accepted part of London’s retail landscape. Not that I’ve actually had the opportunity to see the new shopping centre in person, as I’ve made a point of staying away from the opening week shenanigans. But I’m an Aussie girl - I grew up with a Westfield virtually on my doorstep, so it’s something that’s not entirely unfamiliar. It’s also going to make trading that more difficult for London’s smaller independent shops, especially in the lead-up to Christmas this year.

But it’s not all bad news. There’s job creation, for one, and surely it will do something to boost the miserable economy right now. And I’m actually pretty chuffed to see two excellent Australian fashion labels, Leona Edmiston and Mimco amongst a premium line-up of designers including Prada, Dior, Miu Miu, Twenty8Twelve, Joseph and Amanda Wakeley. Here are some looks from the latest Leona Edmiston collection for Spring/Summer 2008:

Her kids' range is very sweet, too:

 

The thing about Leona Edmiston is that she knows how to cut a supremely-flattering frock for grown-ups. I remember seeing her first range and thinking that they didn’t look like much on the hanger. But as soon as you slip on one of her signature jersey dresses, something magical happens as the fabric skims the bits you want to cover up, and clings to all the bits you want to show off. Talk about silver linings…

Westfield London
Wood Lane
London W12
Tel. 20 8600 9005
Click here for a Wee Birdy map
Opening hours
Nearest tubes: Shepherd’s Bush and White City

Birdy on a budget: COS statement necklace

I found this gorgeous Marni-inspired copper and resin statement necklace in COS recently. Since I'm yet to invest in any new Autumn/Winter purchases, the £10 price point was a good budget-conscious way to update my wardrobe. Mind you, I've got my eye on the rest of COS's splendid line-up for this season - the coats, the shoes, the shifts - ack, get me out of there!

COS
222 Regent Street
London W1
Tel. 020 7478 0400
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.