Latest news with #qualityfashion
RNZ News
a day ago
- Business
- RNZ News
$10,000 coat could help more customers access quality clothing
A coat worth $10,000 is out of reach for most of us, but a Wanaka-based design label has come up with a creative way to put quality goods in front of more customers. It's selling the coats, designed by Liz Mitchell, to help subsidise a further 20 items on the rack. The aim is to help put quality New Zealand woollen items with reach. Instead of their true cost of $690, the items' "gift" price drops to $189. The idea belongs to Precious Collaborative's founder Claire O'Connell. She says in the era of fast fashion, nothing is made to last. Even quality second-hand goods are hard to come by, as fast fashion items now dominate that market too. So will the idea take off, with those with the means support it? She joins Kathryn to talk about about how creative ideas are needed to help both New Zealand's wool and fashion industries. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
How we get dressed for less than £100
What is the secret to shopping on a strict budget, when you're looking for quality and value for money, as well as a snippy price point? The truth is most of us mix it up in our wardrobes all the time, combining pieces we've owned for a season or two with new purchases, so we seldom go shopping for a full head-to-toe look. However, the challenge from one of our Telegraph readers – How would we put together an outfit for £100 or less? – was one we wanted to address. Of course, there are always great high street finds out there, if you shop with discernment. Even supermarket own-brand clothing ranges have come on in leaps and bounds. The rise of resale platforms and the proliferation of modern, well-curated charity shops on our high streets mean that the stigma which was once attached to second-hand shopping no longer exists (as you can see, me and my Telegraph colleagues took to Vinted in a bid to eke out our shopping budgets). Interestingly, I've looked at the shops slightly differently since researching this feature – call it a renewed sense of purpose seeking out pieces that truly justify the price tag, as well as an openness to different fashion hunting grounds. Just this weekend I was in my local gift shop (Susan Wainwright in Hampstead, since you ask), where I noticed cute own-label pyjama shorts sets, made from Indian cotton for just £45. Too good for bed, they looked like perfect beach holiday co-ords to me. Just add a pair of spaghetti strap Teva sandals as worn by Mary-Kate Olsen for £35, and voila: a vacation outfit with change for £100. Let us know what you think – we would also love to hear about your under £100 fashion tips. Sarah Bailey Total: £95.85 Straight leg jeans, £35, Uniqlo Cotton T-shirt, £14.90, Uniqlo Jacket, £16.45, Slingback kitten heels, £29.50, M&S The way I dress is very high/low – I'm always pulling things out of my closet that I have kept for years. When I add to my wardrobe (whether a high street find or a special designer piece I've saved for) I want the things I buy to be keepers. For this challenge, I wanted to put together an easy day look that I would feel confident enough to wear to the office, without compromising on personality. I planned to eke out my budget with a couple of basics, and hopefully bring in a little pizzazz with a vintage find. I started at Uniqlo with these JW Anderson collab jeans. If I'm honest the straight leg cut felt a little basic, but for the bargain price I could hardly argue. The Uniqlo Airism T-shirt though was a revelation – I loved the modern, boxy cut, and since I have now bought two of these I am happy to report that they wash brilliantly. I'm a confident vintage shopper. I've scoured second-hand shops for years, so I felt sure that I could find a statement jacket on Vinted if I looked hard enough. I typed in various search terms – 'boucle', 'tweed', 'Chanel-type jacket', 'vintage' – and eventually hit the jackpot with this Betty Jackson beauty in pollen-yellow textured tweed with sweet, black lace trim. Shoes? I knew that would be the hardest part. I was drawn to the design of these M&S woven kitten heels – a snippy bargain for sure, but they seemed to slip off when I walked. If I were to repeat the experiment, I would finish my look with spaghetti-strap black Tevas instead. Sophie Tobin Total: £95.60 Cotton T-shirt, £14.90, Uniqlo Pleated Cos skirt, £21.70, Leopard block heel shoes, £59, M&S I buy most of my clothes from Cos, so the first thing I did when given this challenge was to search for a Cos skirt on Vinted. The seasoned Vinted pros search for specific brands and items to narrow down the offering, which can be overwhelming if you're a relative newbie like me and can't face hours worth of scrolling. I know what size I am and the pieces that suit me in Cos so hit gold with this pleated skirt that was on offer for only £21.70, a good chunk off the original price of £65 and in perfect condition. I've paired it with one of my T-shirts from Uniqlo, choosing a boxier shape with split hems to complement the shape of the skirt. Uniqlo's staples are great quality and the T-shirts have a good thickness to them despite their low price point. Growing up, it was drilled into me that shoes should be supportive and durable (no trendy ballet flats for me in the school yard) so I was wary about the flimsiness of high street shoes. I was impressed with these leopard-print shoes from M&S and they added some much needed interest to my two-tone outfit, but I think I'll stick to something sturdier considering how much walking I do. With a few extra pounds I would like to add a jacket, and have been inspired to find a second-hand bomber that would make this outfit work for cooler temperatures – I've got a leather option from Cos that I've set alerts for on Vinted, so here's hoping I can track it down. Jessica Burrell Total: £97.48 Mesh beaded skirt, £44.99, H&M Cotton poplin shirt, £22.99, Zara Bow ballet pumps, £29.50, M&S Putting an outfit together for less than £100 was more of a challenge than I expected. The key, for me, was finding a hero piece on the high street: an embellished skirt from H&M, which I think looks more expensive than its affordable price tag. It's the kind of skirt I would love to stumble across in a vintage store or find online after hours of scouring second-hand platforms, but unfortunately I can rarely find the time for such endeavours. The H&M piece is a good alternative, and I've worn it a lot with an oversized white shirt from With Nothing Underneath. The problem with that outfit is that the shirt alone would have surpassed our £100 budget, so I swapped in a cheaper option here. To be honest, I think you can tell, and the issue with scrimping on staples is that the quality just isn't there – the shirt felt see-through and didn't have the relaxed silhouette that you get from investment options. Nor did some of the others I tried from other high street stores. The rest of the outfit convinced me, especially M&S's brilliant 'ballet teacher pumps' – as we've christened them on The Telegraph Fashion desk – which I've been wearing for months. It's little surprise to me that we all opted for M&S shoes for this challenge, as they feel like the best on the high street this season: comfortable, on-trend and, crucially, reasonably priced. Hansveni Dave Total: £84.90 Woven ballet flats, £45, M&S Textured white Massimo Dutti tank, £4.90, Sample black linen skirt, £35, Alchemy London I typically splurge on my basics, as I see them as investments, and keep everything else high street, so I wanted to find those brands I indulge in on Vinted. One of my most-purchased-from brands is Massimo Dutti, so I turned to the second hand app to hunt down the brand for a fraction of the usual cost. I came across this white vest top, something I see as a good-quality wardrobe staple, and I paired it with a Alchemy London maxi linen sample skirt. Alchemy London does some of my favourite trouser and waistcoat co-ords, but I opted for this linen skirt from one of their sample sales. While I do love apps like Vinted and Depop, my favourite way to find incredible pieces for a lower price is scouting out sample sales of my favourite brands. The trick is to follow the brands on Instagram; they tend to only announce their sample sales on socials or sometimes through their mailing lists. I know, signing up to these emails can lead to a bombarded inbox, but those sample sale emails are so worth it to me. Some may find the idea of going to a sale daunting or stressful, however I find it thrilling trying to track down the best items – it always makes for a fun Saturday activity. This task reaffirmed my love for a sample sale over apps like Vinted, as you can go and actually see the products and try them on instead of taking the risk with a second hand app. Although that's not to say Vinted isn't amazing for finding items you have either already tried on or brands you know your size in.
