Which fashion labels are you loyal to?

I’m curious as to where most people buy their clothes from.

Personally, I’m going through a phase where I only shop from three labels: Cue, Veronika Maine and Country Road. (And I would say I buy half of my clothes from ebay now.) I don’t even bother looking at other stores because I know it’s all crap.

Of course I shop on a student budget but if I wasn’t shit-poor I might look elsewhere. I’m really not into surf/street wear so that excludes half the fashion labels right there.

It’s really embarrassing when I go into Veronika Maine now (because I’m always there) and I can tell which stock is new and not. You know you’ve got a fashion addiction when you can recall the stock better than the staff can.

The Country Road Duffle Bag – An Aussie Classic?

My BFF made the comment last week that lately the CR Duffle Bag is everywhere and most importantly “is still in style”. My friend made a great comment that they do virtually no promotion for the duffle bags and they still sell like hotcakes (mmm… hotcakes). How come?

Now I don’t major in marketing, but from what I remember from my Intro to Marketing course last year, these bags could sell themselves. I’m assuming they would cost little to produce as well:
1. They only come in a few colours (black, navy, red/pink), so the materials cost would be substantially lower than other items to produce.
2. They are probably made in Cambodia, which always helps to save a few dollars.
3. The bag never changes – it’s basically the same one they churned out a decade ago.
4. Advertising costs appear to be nil, which is always good.

They definitely seem more common for your average uni student and I would say that I see them every time I go to class.

Being the Country Road fan that I am, I see that they have reintroduced the pink colour back for the duffle. Nice.

And FYI: If you like their stuff then do yourself a favour and become a CR Card Member (it’s free, click here for their website – and no, I’m not employed by Country Road).

Also, has anyone noticed that they employ the most beautiful men to work at their stores? I totally have. It kinda makes you wanna shop there all the time.

This Hair Is Beyond Wrong

Even if this "hairstyle" (dare I call it that) was first-thing-in-the-morning hair, it would still be tragic. It kinda resembles a wig actually. I'm noting this fashion faux pas as yet another incident of 'Money Doesn't Buy You Style'. I could probably do my thesis on this topic.

I think I have this same beanie

Although mine is Country Road and David Beck's is probably Gucci (and made from some exotic wool). What exotic wool is, I do not know - but it's out there alright.

And the Award for Miss Slutty goes to...

Drum roll please.

Xtina!

In true Christina Aguilera style, she left the house in this little number. But the question remains, how does one leave said house like this in the first place? I swear celebrities need round-the-clock minders to monitor every single thing they wear, do, and say.

Enormous Panties Not Just For Bridget Jones

Ahh… the control tops, the granny undies, possibly the best invention ever, or whatever you want to call them. And guess who’s wearing them? None other than Katie Holmes.

My fave spinster and role model Bridget Jones would be so proud. Are they sexy? Probably not. But everyone knows they work wonders.

Considering the Mrs Tom Cruise is looking fab after her baby, maybe the enormous panties were donned out of fear of doin’ a Britney – who decided to go starkers ‘down there’ a few times.

Holmes appears to be significantly more style-conscious these days.

Designer Water

Six months ago toting around a banana in Australia was huge news. Now bananas weren’t decorated in Swarovski crystals or anything, but basically you were “someone” if you could afford one.

Companies are now cashing in on our obsession with water of all things. The growing trend to be a health nut means sugar-filled soft drinks are out and the natural resource (aka water) is in. Apparently people like being ripped off by paying $5 for a stylish looking bottle.

The surge in water has also opened up the market for bottled water for our pets. Yep, PetRefresh now has a line specifically designed in mind for the furry kind.

Consumers (myself included) are such suckers for image. Madonna is apparently a big fan of Voss Artesian Water, while Penta boasts Cameron Diaz as a fan of theirs. Glaceau Vitaminwater has linked Kelly Clarkson with their kiwi-strawberry flavour and 50 Cent has inspired Formula 50 – “Roll with 50 (per)cent of many of your daily requirements.”

And then of course there is little Lindsay and her vodka “water” bottles.

Since we’re in a drought and all, there has been a lot of talk about having to drink sewerage water. Now there’s a flavour I’d rather miss.

Mobile Phone For Prada

Fashion labels must be the absolute best at marketing and branding their products. Prada have decided that producing luxurious sweaters is not enough, and that a mobile phone is in the works.

The mobile will be developed along with LG Electronics, already a leader in mobile communications. Apparently, “the result is a unique, sophisticated and elegant phone, with an advanced touch interface which eliminates the conventional keypad.”

No word of how much it will cost, but expected launch is early this year (for UK, France, Italy, and Germany). But will this phone really be different to the other thousand models of phones we already have saturating the market?

If I had one of these phones, every time it rang, I would be like “Ooh, that’s my Prada ringing.” Of course people would probably look at me like I was one of those spoilt brats from MTV show “My Super Sweet 16”. Please tell me I’m not the only one who is irritated from those types of girls? They are utterly embarrassing... Not that I would ever watch that show or anything. *Grabs remote and changes channel*

Naomi Campbell Really Does Beat People

British supermodel slash superbitch Naomi Campbell has pleaded guilty to third-degree assault for doing “a Russell” and throwing a phone. Campbell threw the mobile at her housekeeper Ana Scolavino last March and as such will spend five days doing community service.

This is nice deal for Campbell considering she could have faced a seven-year jail term on the original charge of second-degree assault.

Campbell was ordered to attend a two-day anger management course as well. Will two days really help? Who throws a phone anyway? She must've been mighty pissed off.

OK, I Forgive Pink (sorta)

If you read any of my earlier posts on Pink, you would know I was fired up over her comments about boycotting the Australian wool industry. Well, she’s now retracted part of her comments, admitting that she failed to do enough research on the issue.

Pink, who appeared in a video for PETA on animal cruelty, in which she described sheep mulesing as “sadistic”, now admits that she was misinformed.

"My message was, in my mind, boycott animal cruelty - not an entire industry, not Australia, obviously, because it's my favourite country.

"Then going back, I was speaking without thinking and I actually did say ban Australia, which is bulls***. It's not something that I can agree with,” she said.

I suppose this is a fairly decent apology. I will inturn also withdraw my own comments that I would boycott Pink’s music and never download it again.

PETA’s boycott on Australian wool saw some American and British retailers on side. However, leading clothing retailer Bennetton realised it was a load of crap and refused to lend their support to the campaign.