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Ding Dong Vintage, Durham

There’s been a plethora of lovely vintage shops that have sprung up across the north-east in the last few years and one of the true roses in these delightful gardens of yore is Ding Dong Vintage which can be found in The Gates shopping complex in Durham. It’s truly browse-tastic and chock-o-block

A Suit That Fits

A bespoke tailor and a website became friends and BANG, a convenient online and in-branch tailors was born. Hooray. There’s now no longer the need to worry about being ‘sartorially challenged’, or panicking about finding a suit that matches your cousin’s awkward wedding colour scheme; these are the professionals, armed with infinite style knowledge

Lacoste

When Lacoste polo shirts first came to the fore, Newcastle United were the champions of England. That’s a hell of a lot of history.

Anyone remember Le Shark? They were a wannabe Lacoste but with worse fabrics and, ridiculously, a logo similar to the Lacoste crocodile but one that depicted a shark: a green shark. Now imitation is the sincerest form of flattery -

HEY, BABY CHIEF PANDA

HEY, BABY CHIEF PANDA or HOT SHOP for short is the dwelling and selling place of two fine artists: Neesha Champaneria and Hannah Gillespie.

Blurring the lines between art and fashion, their Heaton Road hideaway is as much a live and fluid

COCOLOVE

There’s a certain swishness to gear available from COCOLOVE; a swankiness that meets a need deep within our sense of style. It’s a collection that has been pulled together by renowned stylist Jo Levy who clearly has one of the most discerning fashion eyes around. Taking in the full range of women’s clothing from dresses to tops, knitwear to accessories (and playsuits – yes,

Boulevard Rouge

Boulevard Rouge was set up by two local types. One of them is bang into 40s and 50s lifestyle and culture, the other a dab-hand at dressmaking and costume. “Hang about,” they collectively decided one day, “why don’t we combine our collective passions and then launch our vision onto the world through the medium of the internet?”

Toy Watches

What do Madonna, Michael Jordan, Robbie Williams and Oprah Winfrey have in common (apart from all starring in the stage version of Last Of The Summer Wine at the Little Theatre in Gateshead last Autumn)? Yep: they’re all proud wearers of Toy watches. And yes, I know that a celebrity endorsement from Robbie Williams is about as enticing as listening to

The Parlor Boutique

Summer festival season is here! Alongside pastel-pink wellies and a cute dress, something jangly, sparkly and unique might just make you stand out from the mud-splattered crowd. The Parlor Boutique is a perfectly formed and delicious-to-navigate online jewellery emporium run by County Durham resident and all-round stylish dame Lucy Adlington. Specialising in

Illamasqua: Body Electrics

Listen to this rubbish - “Body Electrics is inspired by the power of kinetic energy, the art of movement, the fluidity of the body in motion”. That’s press releases for you. Still, we like stuff despite the flim-flammery. And their latest range is make-up for the whole body!

Karinas Bags

Works of art or merely somewhere to keep your Nokia and Max Factor Lipfinity Lipstick? These bags are both, and each and every one of them is made by hand by Newcastle-based Karina from the environs of her own home. She’s won great acclaim for her efforts – with orders from around the world –

NEONBLUE

If you’re a cyber-type, a candy raver, a clubbing kid, a punk, a neon goth, or any combination of the above and you’re into t-shirts which take inspiration from comic books, anime, 80s pop culture, sci-fi, CGI, toys, Lego, hard dance, robots, cyborgs, graffiti, aliens, UFOs, Cosplay, video games etc etc then step right NEONBLUE’s way. The company have been up and running for nearly three years now, knocking out the kind of stuff that would make you

CocoRose Ballerinas

My feet are killing me; your feet are killing you; everyone else’s feet are killing everyone else. Too many pairs of high heels and wedges in the world, you see. They are to feet what Little Britain is to humour. Painful. These ballerina pumps from CocoRose are pretty good, though,

Ruby + Ed

We like Ruby + Ed. They kicked off a few years back, cobbling together (quite literally) the kind of rather lovely footwear that could make your heart take flight at the sheer “Ooh, I’ll have some of those”-ness of it all. Initially they concentrated on slippers (slippers!)

Messy Carla

Sub-headed “A Fashion Blog In Size 16” Carla’s site (she’s based in Hebburn, don’t you know) celebrates women of all shapes and sizes in a gloriously unfettered manner. At the time of writing she’s currently trying to embrace the soft pastel trend (“I’ve always worn bold or dark colours”),

marc-o-polo

The whole idea of organic clobber is bunkum isn’t it? ISN’T IT? Trying to put a green spin on clothing by saying that it is organic is frankly not going to wash with me (not even on a planet-friendly low heat cycle). The very fact that you are still consuming a new product – with all its attendant energy costs in production and transportation –

iheartfabrics

The constant strive for individuality often leads to unity. A lot of our ideas of an 'individual look' are often modeled on something we have already seen somewhere, or on someone. It's no mean feat to conceptualise your own 'look' without some kind of reference point, and therefore the strive for individuality often leads

Trickle

Newcastle-born Darryl Davison has spent a good few years in London and could often be found mooning around some of the more avant-garde boutiques of Shoreditch and Soho, bemoaning the fact that such establishments weren’t found anywhere in

Rose Blake

We love Talking Heads (the David Byrne fronted band, not the Alan Bennett TV series – although that’s OK too) and we love the illustrations of Rose Blake. So, imagine our delight at the prospect of a t-shirt that manages to skilfully amalgamate Talking Heads and Rose Blake

Retro Jet Bags

There’s barely a weekend goes past when we’re not jetting out to Reykjavik or Rimini or some such place for a Saturday night spent partying with some other knob-heads. And when we’re sashaying up to the speedy boarding desk we’re never without one of these beauties slung

Jesiré

We’ve just got wind of Jesiré’s spring and summer collection and if you want to know the truth, it’s a mighty fine proposition. They’ve banged out some really gorgeous new clobber in the shape of some quality dresses (check out their drape silk handkerchief sleeve tunic affair, and the silk jersey iris print kimomo

Edwin Jeans at Union, 69 Grey Street, Newcastle

Edwin Jeans are the kind of jeans that are never going to let you down. Consider the facts: Their new collection is divided into three distinct styles; they fit like a dream; and they’re longer lasting than Willy Wonka’s Everlasting Gobstoppers. And those styles in full? The Ed. Line (washes are ingeniously segmented

Northern Threads, 14 Ocean Road, South Shields

Now in its fourth year of business, the Northern Threads boutique in South Shields has managed to sign up more designer brands than you’re liable to find in a Premiership footballer’s walk-in wardrobe. With the likes of Fred Perry, Lacoste and local luminaries Barbour under their roof it’s not surprising that success has prompted them to open a sister store this July,

Sophie Pickard

How does this pic make you feel? It makes us feel a bit “yes please!” In fact you could say that we’re utterly taken by the fashion photography of Newcastle-based Sophie Pickard.

And this lovely picture is of brilliant rising local singer, Beth Jeans Houghton. (Note: there’s just one of her; she’s not some kind of female Jedwood. The effect has been achieved by something that we’re going to call

Rockport DresSport shoes

They are – fact fanciers – Rockport’s DresSport shoes which were originally introduced in 1983 but have just been re-engineered (or something) to make them even nattier and more comfortable. They’re incredibly lightweight, supremely cushioned and have breathable mesh linings

Doc Black

I went for a pint of milk the other day in my ‘alternative’ get up. Sporting a mohair jumper cut off at the midriff and spangly g-string, I got a few admiring looks from passers-by who were laughing along with me (and definitely not laughing at me) and my audacious look. We have a lot of ‘alternatives’ in the north-east

Ruby & Frank boutique

Ruby & Frank is a shop to take to your heart; a shop to treasure and hold and tell that “there will never be another”. In short: a shop to love. Why? They’ve pulled off that rare trick of being able to provide quirky, individual clothing

Client

Get this: Client are a brilliant band who make very cool electroclash synth pop which has had the likes of Karl Bartos (founder member of Kraftwerk) blurting out phrases such as: “Client is my favourite band because they combine music, art and attitude in their own, very genuine way”. And he’s right,

Cottonlove

Cottonlove kicked off back in 2003 when they specialised in a very delectable selection of vintage buttery soft American t-shirts but they’ve since unfurled their reach to now offer a rather fabulous, all encompassing range for both men and women. We’re talking everything from 1950s Savile Row tailored suits, Churches brogues, rare Adidas

Mes Footwork

What do footballer Djibril Cisse, the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart and Joe McElderry from the X-Factor have in common (aside from providing the backing vocals on the Moonpig advert)? Yep, they’ve all availed themselves of Mes Footwork and designed their own,

Sharpeye

I still get misty eyed over my cream and burgundy Duffer of St. George cardigan (with brass buttons) that I managed to bag for myself back in the day. Chic wasn’t the half of it. Duffer knocked out real quality clobber then

Red or Dead

British fashion institution, Red or Dead have launched a downright splendid new womenswear range, exclusive to high-street retailer Bank. The 35-piece collection is comprised of urban-inspired denim playsuits, gorgeous leather jackets

Boreal

Who the hell are Boreal? There’s three of them (Chris Barter, Stephen Gibbs and Sally Smallwood, fact fiends) and they’re based in Gateshead. They describe themselves as an “urban-chic art/fashion label” and they design and produce limited edition, bespoke, handmade wallets,

Oxfam Boutique, 12 Elvet Bridge, Durham

I sympathise whole-heartedley with guys who like to shop at charity shops. It’s not easy for you. To start with there’s the overpowering floral smell liberally applied to all items of clothing which lingers long after washing. Crockery sets, silk flowers and handbags line the shelves. Then there’s the jumble bumble mash of clothes

Viva La Frida

Named in honour of the artist Frida Kahlo, Viva La Frida should be your first, second and third port of call if you’re in need of some Latin American style and glamour in your life. They are the primary specialist stockists for traditional Mexican oilcloth in the UK with a wide range of colourful designs taken from traditional Mexican patterns

20th Century Fashion, Taschen

Beginning in 1900 with a rush of ads for corsets and Louis XIV heels and taking us right up to the 1990s with young people lounging around saunas in their Calvin Klein underwear this is a comprehensive overview of 20th fashion

Adidas Trimm Trabs

Ah, the Adidas Trimm Trab: trainers of the gods; how we have longed for thy return. It has been too long since we have been able to caress your nap and sooth your sole; too long since we have been able to pull our bootcut jeans over your

Mango

Sporting more leopard skin that a South African colonial lodge circa 1880, Scarlett Johansson is the new clothes-horse for Mango’s Autumn/Winter range. Blimey.

Apparently the Spanish outfitters have chosen Johansson for her “extraordinary personality, which embodies the ideal of the urban, enterprising, daring women that Mango targets.” And to demonstrate this extraordinary personality

Little Bazaar, Grainger Market, Newcastle

To say that Little Bazaar is well stocked is a bit like saying that Jordan is well stacked. Once you get a gawp, you’ll realise that it’s an exercise in stating the obvious. Little Bazaar is absolutely chock-a-block with stuff. In fact it makes Aladdin’s Cave look like, well, an

Skirt Boutique, 19 Highbridge, Newcastle

Whenever someone mentions “green fashion” to me I immediately think of knickers that have been made out of tree bark or something (culled from a sustainable forest). In short: I know very little about green fashion. But I do know this: the ‘Where are you now?’ range by Josie has been put together by travelling the world sourcing materials, fabrics and ‘pre-loved’ pieces (second-hand to you and me)

MiH Jeans

The press blurb for MiH Jeans spouts that they are known for their bum enhancing and leg lengthening properties, but that’s press blurbs for you. Like an increasingly irritated partner who just wants you to hurry up and get ready, they’ll say anything to make you feel like you look ok. But these jeans

Refunk Your Junk

I love happy endings and Refunk Your Junk is full of happy endings for old, unloved furniture. This smart green initiative takes donations of household items and then they are transformed by craftspeople and artists into glamorous objects of desire. Their view is that second hand shops are not always inspiring places

missguided

Everyone from Marc Jacobs to Matalan have hammered the nautical themed prints and shapes for ‘09, and normally by now we’d be sick of it all, but that was before we clocked missguided.co.uk . Cascading with red, white and blue as well as the obligatory stripes and gold buttons –

Marc O’Polo

Can colours make a comeback? In the heady (read: ridiculous) world of fashion, yes, of course they can. “Grey” has successfully returned to the spotlight more times than Les Dennis (and to continue that analogy, it’s a hue currently languishing in a post Family Fortunes dip) and “green” always disappears for a few years

Natural Beauty, Bede’s World, Jarrow Sept 12-Oct 30

Imagine a world in which corsets, crinolines and corsages collide with willow, wool and woad. It sounds an incredibly fanciful sort of world, but, nevertheless, a world which has been made flesh (not literally) with Natural Beauty.

Max Merch, 19 Newgate Centre, Newcastle

You don’t chuck away band t-shirts, do you? Witness the faded amount of AC/DC and Smiths t-shirts you spot around town. Binning a favourite band t-shirt would be like binning a favourite album (i.e. sacrilegious). So, it’s important

End Hunting Company

Yep. Since it opened a few years back, End have really come up trumps with two floors of top-drawer urban gear and casual sportswear which have left style puppies across the region literally panting with joy (note: not literally). And due to their success one

Vintage Handbags

The Bible is a book which people consult in times of need, or maybe for comfort or indeed to glean some moral guidance. Vintage Handbags is a new book which is just like the Bible but for people who need vintage handbags, take comfort from them,

Naked Bodycare

Naked bath and body products are designed to rejuvenate, replenish and re-hydrate tired, dull skin in time for the summer. And what’s more, they’re ecofriendly, made with 97% natural ingredients, and come in some rather swanky packaging. Enjoy the really coconutty Coco De Mer Sensual Skin Foam Bath

Wonder Women Bathrobe

The press release for this lovely bathrobe begins: “Ok, so Wonder Woman’s a fictional character and surely nobody’s that perfect, but real-life wondrous women with all their abilities can often make us question the existence of super powers.” Three things occur to me:

Hummel

It’s not very often outside of the Adidas range, that we see a new pair of trainers and think: “Hang on. We can actually imagine wearing those. Perhaps in public.” These new fellas from Hummel

magpie swop

Clothes swapping has come to Whitley Bay in the shape of a new store, magpie swop. It’s like wife swapping, but without chlamydia.
Actually, it’s nothing like wife swapping. This is a not-for-profit enterprise

Street Shirts

Your residency couldn’t get any clearer even if you had your postcode scrawled on your forehead, and why not? New Yorkers have been parading their “I heart NY” t-shirts since the dawn of cotton, but now Street Shirts is giving you the power to customise your threads with a dedication

Glamour Bunny

When it comes to nabbing the title of Most Divine Person On TV award, there can only be one claimant. Step forward (or rather wiggle pneumatically) Mad Men’s killer-queen, Joan Holloway (as played by Christina Hendricks). Set in the early 60s, Joan sports an array of hour-glass dresses that seem to redefine the very nature of what a curve is. But it’s a shame they didn’t have the internet back in the 60s,

eVe

Outfit: check. Make-up: check. Shoes: check. Jewellery… ah why can’t you just wear something that goes with everything? Don’t fret! There is light at the end of the tunnel with eVe who stock a delectable range of cult favourite, Pandora. What makes Pandora so

Union Clothing website

Luke have got some great jackets out at the minute; and we’re also liking the look of J Lindeberg polo shirts; and then there’s Junk De Luxe cardigans and Nudie t-shirts, not to mention Edwin jeans and some smart trainers from Hummel.

Illamasqua

Illamasqua is a new make-up brand which says “No!” to the grit of Grim Britain and promotes the adornment of your face, your alter-ego and everything else along the way. What is more recession defying is that it is to continue its world domination

Invisible Inc

According to the Invisible Inc website the idea behind their t-shirts is to: “look beyond the surface and to take a spiritual feel to Premium Clothing

Jeep

The folks at Jeep, who are possibly better known for making big posh motors, have decided to design a new range of backpacks for the more discerning person with lots of stuff to cart about. The stalwart of ramblers, mature students and festival-goers has been given a bit of a facelift and is now available in a variety of sleek, colourful designs.

Toni & Guy

It’s hard to find an off-the-peg suit that fits just quite so. The jacket’s always a bit boxy and the trousers often resemble cast offs from Aladdin. It can be the same with glasses;

Electric Press

Set up only two months ago, this canny little website is the brainchild of Newcastle-based student, Amar, who’s initial aims were to supply special global garments otherwise unavailable to UK buyers. With an emphasis on ‘quality over quantity’

Fashion Really Does Rock, Newcastle University, 26th Feb

Is it a gig or is it a fashion show? Well hang onto your hosiery: it’s both! Fashion Really Does Rock takes elements from both disciplines (i.e. clothing and live music) and combines them into one delectable whole - and all in aid of a charity supporting and improving primary education in Africa.

Sole Heaven

It’s shaping up to be a good year for fans of the training shoe (say hello to Adidas Kegler Supers and Adidas SL72, both getting a welcome reissue). And then there’s the onward and upward rise of the website, Sole Heaven.

What Katie Did

Whenever I find myself clad in seamed stockings, sheer French knickers and a bullet bra I can’t resist the urge to bend myself slightly at waist, raise a finger to my half-open mouth and cock a look over my shoulder with an expression that suggests both surprise and delight.

The Libertarian

While you’re staring at old biros, old records and any amount of other bits of old muck and tat, thinking: “Is that all my life amounts to? If I die now, is that all I will leave?” Jayne Elwell is on a different plane entirely. She’s thinking: “Those biros are just the ticket for a necklace and that old Adam & The Ants album

ethic boutique, 151 Park View, Whitley Bay

I had a vague notion that ethical clothing involved underpants made of old bits of tree-bark, but apparently this is partly, if not wholly, false. ethic boutique (lower-case shop names still cutting it in ’09), deal in superb fashion items which adhere to the following:

The Gant Duffle Coat

Do we care that Britney was recently spotted wearing one of these fine coats? I’m sorry, but that’s a ‘no’ from me. (Not unless she was miming wearing it; I wouldn’t mind that at all.) No, I’m more interested in its glorious past

Fly Folk Footwear

Trainer one-upmanship is still being fought on the streets with exclusivity being key, and they don’t come any more exclusive than these one-off shoes from Tom Brayley (aka Tombee).

Did I really say ‘fought on the streets’? I’m talking arrant nonsense of course, but there are those around to whom the training shoe is a window to the soul.

Lebeado, 9 Acorn Road, Jesmond

There’s already a Lebeado (for that is its name) in Durham and Newcastle now has its own bead emporium all of its own. They stock a bewildering (in a good way) selection of over 5,000 different beads alongside jewellery, old beads

Atelier LaDurance jeans from Union

If you know your denim, then you’ll know Atelier LaDurance. Know them and love them. The company are obsessive about that most enduring of materials, developing limited runs of products at a traditional atelier

Office, 136-138 Grainger Street, Newcastle

Heels: thankfully they’re just the type of practical footwear we need to negotiate those tricky banks around town when it’s nice and frosty during the party season. And I’m never one to pass up vertiginous fun when it presents

Mckenzie Denim

Check this chap out. He looks like he’s lost a tenner and found a fiver (in a pool of tramp’s piss). We’d advise him to let a half-smile play round his chops smartish, as he’s clad in the sort of jeans which we can only describe as having a ‘more urban aesthetic,

Electrik Sheep, 20-22 Pink Lane, Newcastle

New York, London, Newcastle – that’s the three places where you can get hold of the kind of stuff you’ll find in Electrik Sheep. The brainchild of graphic designers, Reluctant Hero, the fab graphic design store and gallery also has a range of clobber which is bold,

Wholly Cow Clothing

Lisa Germaney has a passion for chic design which is just as well as she’s the brains behind Wholly Cow Clothing, a very swish range of unique designer clothing with all of the garments hand-crafted in the north of England.

Leaf Clothing, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle

One Green Elephant is a label hailing from Japan and, as all aficionados know, Japan is where it’s at when it comes to denim brands that you can file under: ‘Much Sought After’. They specialise in the advanced manufacturing technique of ‘baked’ denim

Cheeki, 76a Skinnergate, Darlington

The brainchild of 23-year-old mad about fashion, Laura Ward and her mum Bridget, Cheeki is a real labour of love. Laura wanted an eye-catching logo for the boutique and the leopard print, day-glo pink, love hearts design she created herself certainly stands out from the fashion pack.

Dower and Hall at Fenwick, Northumberland St, Newcastle

Most married couples can’t even decide what tiles to decorate the kitchen with, let alone design jewellery together. Here comes the exception: Dower and Hall. Husband, Dan Dower, and wife, Diane Hall, have transferred their passion

Satins and Silks, Newcastle Handmade Arts & Crafts Market

We could tell you about Satins and Silks. We could tell you that they are a young, energetic and successful local business offering hand crafted skills. We could also tell you that they offer

End Clothing

That’s got to be just about the worst summer since, ooh, 2007. It feels like Autumn started at around March of this year and has never let up. Naturally, the fashionistas see it differently,

Best Vintage, 14 High Bridge, Newcastle

Sadie Frost does it. Gwen Stefani does it. And Russell Brand and Stella McCartney swear by it. Yep, they’re all leading players in North Tyneside’s ‘Duty Free Re-enactment Society’ whereby they all get together to act out scenes from the popular 1980’s sitcom

Karina's Bags

We first reported on Karina and her delectable bags around a year ago (‘reported on’? Who are we, CNN?). Anyway. Since we first told you about what she was up to,

80s Casuals

Is it possible to love – actually love – a cagoule? Of course it is, and we’re after more than a fling with these beauties.

Neal’s Yard, 19 Central Arcade, Newcastle

When it comes to beauty products, everything is going organic. And if you’re intrigued or want to know more then you should head down to Neal’s Yard where their therapists and holistic experts

Kitsch Kaos

Local lass, Sophie Henderson, has a dream and that dream is one day we shall all be sporting deliriously fantastic accessories. And by golly, she’s doing her bit. A professional milliner by trade, she formed Kitsch Kaos in order to use her considerable skills to hand-make

Stella May Bags

Whatever next? Trousers taking their cue from marrow-growing? Waistcoats fashioned with shove ha’penny in mind? Whatever – we’re totally flipping for these accessories from local designer, Stella May, who has juxtaposed the heady and largely masculine-led northern sport

2true

Why is make up so expensive? It’s made of things that can readily be found in kitchen drawers and old beeswax. Ridiculous. But if you’re feeling the credit crunch breathing down your neck,

Olympic Bags

What is the enduring legacy of any Olympic games? World records? Charred doves? The continuing lunacy that tries to convince us that walking is a sport? No, no and no. The best thing to ever come out of the Olympics is the graphical prowess that goes into capturing a time and place – namely with the

Tatty Devine

Tatty Devine was born from the minds of London-designers, Rosie Wolfenden and Harriet Vine. They are to jewelry what Harrison Ford is to Indiana Jones, and they are set to replace crystal skull-frenzy with Angel of the North-mania.

Juicy Couture, Van Mildert, Durham

I wonder if Juicy Couture have got a ‘philosophy’? Designers usually do. There’s usually a bit on their website entitled something like ‘about us’ or ‘our aims’ (or yes, sometimes, ‘our philosophy’) and it usually runs thus:

sunglasses, Marc O'Polo

It’s great when people put oversize sunglasses on a dog or a baby isn’t it? At least the dog or baby isn’t trying to be cool; they’re having coolness forced upon them. When people consciously wear sunglasses – at the point when they actually put them on –

Northern Threads

Yep – Northern Threads have been up and making the running for nearly two years now but are they resting on their laurels? The short answer is: no. The long answer is: no, definitely not.

Love Child

The world’s first girl group, The Supremes, were just as well known in their heyday for their sharp sense of style as their sweet harmonies….

In tribute, London’s V&A museum is getting down with the Motown this summer, showing more than 50 of the band’s stage outfits

Adidas Forest Hills

They’ve been up and running for over thirty years now, but Forest Hills are still doing the biz. Maybe it’s because they’re one of the most comfortable pairs of trainers around that keeps them popular,

Attention Jewellery Junkies

If you love jewellery then you’re going to positively drool over the unique hand-made stuff that Shangri-la in Heaton currently has on offer. For not only does the shop sell an amazing array of vintage handbags, dresses, accessories and furnishings,

Using Their Heds

The days of working up a gleam whilst you gambol to glitter beats are set to be something of the past, like videotapes and Rick Astley, because Hed Kandi is releasing its own range of beauty products from body sprays to hair appliances.
Each product is kissed with the company’s self-certified lavishness, so you can look and feel like the cover of their latest “Disco Heaven”

Fly 53

Hmm… These jackets by Fly 53 are known as ‘Rumpstakes’. I’m not that well up on jacket types, but is that a proper name for a jacket or did they just think it sounded edgy. No matter – we like ‘em. Functional and with that classic blocky colour vibe, they look great whether you’re heading out to buy a pint of milk, going to the football or simply promenading.

School-trip Chic

School-trip chic is undeniably the hottest ‘look’ this season with the most clued-up style-puppies steppin’ out in some of the nattiest cagoules we’ve seen in many a year. These come courtesy of K-WAY, a brand that was formed in 1965 on one rainy day in Paris

Edible cosmetics? NOE way!

Sixty percent of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your body. Obviously, that doesn’t include vests or other clothes or we’d have to rethink the whole dressing thing. No. Just body lotions, moisturisers, shampoos and the like.

Unique Boutique

Blaspheming toys anyone? The Bohemian Boutique has got them in spades. Cute little critters embroidered with the words ‘crap’, ‘fuck’ and ‘poo’. Ah… But if you like your cuteness on the wearable side then you’ll swoon for Caren Hartley’s double-flower rings (pictured).

Mod Lashes

Why do people point and stare at blokes in the street wearing false hair (i.e the humble toupee), while it’s perfectly acceptable for women to don the most outrageous false eyelashes? Answer:

Irregular Activity

Hailing from Newcastle, Emma Bell, has been something of a wow amongst the style press and now she’s about to launch her debut womenswear collection for Irregular Choice. We like it.
Lambert and Butler smoking boys working on fairground waltzers, bingo halls, shellsuits, Korean lunchboxes,

Aveda

It’s not everyday that we get to cut loose and write about shampoo and we’re certainly not going to let this chance slip by without lobbing a few scalp facts your way. Men’s scalps are thicker than women’s. There’s one.

Retro’s Heaton Up

The Vintage-store Stalk has flown over the north-east again recently and has dropped its latest offspring, “Shangri- La”, off at 114 Heaton Road, Newcastle.The décor of this bundle of joy mirrors the products; kitsch yet contemporary.You can hit the digital radio where it hurts and purchase a much desired-rather-than-required retro radio to accompany your collection of general bric-a-brac.

Halo Sailor

Chloe Corkhill on some nautical and nice jeans from the original British denim brand: Made in Heaven.

Who could say no to high-waisted sailor style denims,replete with chunky brass buttons, also available as calf flattering culottes? Not this seafaring, plank walking style slave...Or how about a pair of super skinny jeans cut from deliciously soft denim in baby yellows and powder blues? Maybe

La VIDA Loca

Terri Eaton checks out VIDA and likes the cut of their cloth.

VIDA is not only elevated in its location above the regular high street, but also in its stock and service. The second floor designer menswear boutique

You’re not going out like that!

For no good reason, let’s laugh at the worst fashion disasters of 2007.

Never knowingly underdressed: Robert Meddes.

Jermaine Jackson’s jeans
The racist bullying of Shilpa Shetty on last year’s Celebrity Big Brother helped the public forget about Jermaine Jackson’s jeans. Embroidered with the names of his brother’s they were – in short – fucking stupid. We should have learned that his taste barometer was knackered when he called his son ‘Jermajesty’.

Sienna Miller
Arrived at the premier of Factory Girl - her film about Warhol superstar, Edie Sedgwick – wearing black tights over big black knickers. Less Edie Sedgwick circa ‘67, more Max Wall circa ’77.

Marc my Words

Some deem their 40th birthday as a time of reflection; some see it as a starting point of their mid-life crisis. Not Marc o’ Polo. The fashion brand has just launched a new and sophisticated website to celebrate its 40 years in the industry, making it easier than ever to get your mitts on Marc. It’s stylish, it’s interesting and it’s easy to understand, much like the brand itself. If you’re planning to fill the Christmas stockings with Mo’P this yuletide, you won’t be pulling your hair out trying to do so.

Get Conned

Fancy giving Adidas and Nike a bit of rest? These rather fetching pair of trainers from Converse will suit your needs.

Clean, uber functional, and with just the right amount of detail, we’re digging these Converse Perfs. Whether it’s those subtle dots

Go for green

Ethicalsuperstore.com is just the place to create yourself a green little Christmas. This Newcastle based online store removes the confusion of saving the planet by selling a massively varied array of goods passing the tests of eco-friendly, fairtrade and organic.

Caine it!

Starring Michael Caine in one of his most iconic roles, Get Carter remains one of the UK’s best gangster flicks. Set on Tyneside in the early 70s, the best of the supporting cast was played by seven storeys of reinforced concrete; namely the Gateshead car-park. Fancy this exclusive litho print of it?

Special K

We swooned – yes swooned – when we first clapped our eyes on Karina’s delectable handbags. She’s local, she has her own website and yes, has bags of class. And they don’t just look fantastic either.

Words and pictures

John Clark takes pages from books and inks over then with some striking imagery. The results have pure text appeal.

We wouldn’t normally advocate book defacement, but we’d quite happily let John Clark scrawl all over our first edition copy of Sense and Sensibility if he came up the kind of glorious artworks that can be seen on his esty website (a site devoted to handmade items to buy and sell). Clark takes his inspiration from film noir, graffiti, comic books, mystery novels,

Get your freak on

Chloe Corkhill on t-shirts to make you look freakin’ lovely.

The phrase ‘nation of shopkeepers’ took on new meaning the day a skint graphic designer recognised that the net is nothing more than a huge T-shirt shop with billions of shirtless customers all clawing their way through virtual sales racks.

Star turn

Can you get luxury street wear? What is street wear anyway? Clothes you wear walking along the street whilst being all cool and urban? Whatever it is, G-Star ‘do’ street wear and they ‘do’ it with a luxurious bent. The brand is well known for its preference for raw materials, deep passion for denim and the kind of architectural perspective on tailoring that would have even Norman Foster hankering after one of their overcoats. They’ve just opened a new store in Eldon Square which has been designed and developed by the G-Star interior design team meaning it’s as natty as their jeans.
G-Star, Unit 2, Eldon Square, Newcastle.

What’s the story?

Blue Bella Story: a female focused collection of loveliness from Wrangler, the good people who brought you cowboy jeans, stetsons and chewed straw.

Cushty cushions

It’s not very often that the humble cushion has us lurching for the smelling salts, but these little beauties had us coming over all feint.There’s a terrible 1987 film called Mannequin which features a hapless dork falling in love with, yep, a shop dummy. Goodness knows what he would make of these glorious silk cushions which...

Ar-gen-Tina! Ar-gen-Tina!

Oh lordy lordy. After being buried in the mists of time since the early ‘80s, one of the true greats of the trainer world, the Puma Argentina, is back. Kind of…

Just have a look at these beauties. When I first clapped eyes on ‘em again recently, I felt the same welling of emotion that so consumed young Jenny Agutter when she was reunited with her father at the end of The Railway Children. First released by Puma in 1978 they were issued to commemorate Argentina’s memorable World Cup victory that year...

Designer stuff

Designer I.D. in Newcastle’s recently opened New Greenmarket, has some top-drawer designer gear at prices that are going to having you positively cooing.

The Greenmarket has moved; kind of lurched round the corner from where it used to be beside those luxe-bars, The Black Garter and The Lord Collingwood. It can now be found at the bottom

Swap shop

Hey you! Fashionista! Fancy detoxing your wardrobe while nabbing a whole new outfit for only a fiver? Yes? Fashionista Swap-a-Festa is what you’re looking for.

Sterling work

We’ve not met Paddy, but if we did we’d tell him that he’s missing a trick. He makes limited edition wallets which are emblazoned with the most incredible graphics with his latest collection culling imagery taken from the atomic civil defence and public information films of the 1940s-1970s. And the missing a trick bit? Well he could easily charge ten times the amount

Cotton on

As part of the Dazed and Confused vs Andy Warhol exhibition at BALTIC, trendy wendys, House of Holland (confusingly from the UK), have launched – yes launched – a couple of rather striking t-shirts
Warhol vs Dazed and Confused, eh? That would have been a boxing match I would have paid to see. No matter. These natty t-shirts have been produced by Henry Holland who has been officially ‘catching the eye’ of style puppies the nation over with his clobber.

Skirt Boutique

Since opening a few years ago Skirt, on Highbridge, has established itself as the number one destination for ladies who prefer to look beyond the pages of Glamour for their fashion inspiration. Selling the wares of both old favourites

Parlor dames

All the savviest girls are buying their jewels at online boutique The Parlor. As the Spider said to the fly, get yourself in.
The Parlor is a dreamy emporium of whimsical jewellery, sparkling with colour, alive with feminine loveliness and betraying just a smattering of kitsch thinking. A delicious range of dainty bits and bobs with which to adorn the best areas of your person. Fat bottomed ladies with pretty wrists and plain girls with creamy décolletages rejoice.

Bag it

Just take a look at this baby and admit to yourself that you need a holiday - if only to get the thrill of sashaying through the airport looking like Britt Eckland circa 1974.

While Topman is still trying to push its rather uninspiring ‘lads-on-the-
morning-after-a-stag-do’ look, Topshop have usually been doing the biz for lasses. And it’s Topshop you should turn to if you’re hankering for some retro travel bag chic.

Amazing feet

Just when you thought that sandal technology had reached its apex, along comes the Dopie, a whole new ball (of your foot) game when it comes to revolutionary footwear.

Lady love your luck

Stocking some of the funkiest – yes funkiest – jewellery we’ve cooed over in a long time is Lady Luck Rules Ok. Their website is laden with wearable pop-art.
Necklaces titled Miss Hoot Hoot, Ray Gun and Robot Lover; bracelets going under the monikers of Heart of Glass, Gobstoppers and The Twizzler; earrings answering to the names of Happy Hoops, Tropicana and Atomic Rocket…

Farah ‘nuff

The rehabilitation of fallen labels continues apace this summer with the reintroduction of Farah which is looking to do what is known in the industry as a ‘Lyle & Scott’.

As I recall, there were two types of people who were drawn to the Farah brand. One group consisted of cool kids at school who stood manfully betwixt second generation mods and casuals; and the other was made up of civil servants named Brian

100% Cotton

It’s a mad, mad world. Only last week I noticed that there’s something rather lovely about Dot Cotton’s dress sense. All those prim twinsets, the pencil skirts, the magpie flashes of bold colour; she’s a quirky Desperate Housewive after a 40 year, 60 a day tab habit. But what do you know? Someone quicker than me has noticed this beacon of style too and stuck her on a tote bag. And why not? What could be nicer in June than a cotton canvas 100% organic tote bag with your favourite soap character’s face emblazoned across it?

Four Store

One of our favourite clothing emporiums, Four Store in Durham, has just celebrated their first birthday and are building on their reputation as one of the freshest shops around.

Aertex for Aertex sake

Aertex is back and back where it belongs; on the backs of every right thinking gadabout looking forward to those long(ish) summer nights.

PE kits these days, eh? What with your Nike this and Adidas that and a colour scheme lifted straight from Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow, kids are running round looking for all the world like day-glo goons. Back in the day, it was never thus.

Grooming lovely

A new book shines a light under the tidy bushel of the well-dressed chap. It’s entitled The New English Dandy and by rights should have a neat side-parting.

The cult of the ‘dandy’ began with ‘Beau’ Brummell back in the late eighteenth century. Here was a cove who eschewed the accepted sartorial norms of the days (wigs, powders and arch-foppery) for sharper, cleaner lines. His influence can’t be overstated (he ‘invented’ trousers for pity’s sake),

Kan do

Kanadia is an online platform (HQ in Saltburn by the Sea) who trade in some of the hottest t-shirts we've seen this year. They've got funky art and music, too. Brilliant.

You can't not love these t-shirts. The Mountain Rescue range comes in a range of cool colours with silhouettes of bears, antelopes and moose emblazoned across them

Fight poverty by shopping

Retail therapy often comes with a price usually portrayed by your bank statement! However The UK’s leading fair trade organisation, Traidcraft, has the solution to relieve your conscious by allowing you to spend your hard earned pennies and at the same time help people all over the world. Traidcraft are launching their Spring 2007 collection featuring over 400 products that will make you the trendiest person on the high-street.

Izzy Lizzie...

...let's get busy - checking out the clothing range at Lizzie Doyle - a website offering very swish clothing for women sized 14 and above.
00 sized clothing: what's that all about? It's an arbitrary figure which sounds like one size smaller than the smallest size that you can actually get (a bit like Spinal Tap's amplifier being louder than any

Tee’s up

t shirt arteest

A young designer in Middlesbrough is brewing up tees in the Kitch-en.
Shop and gallery Kitch-en opened last July in Middlesbrough and a style hungry public devoured all they had to offer. Now, one of the gallery’s founders, Arteest, has launched his own range of exclusive upper body garments. Or T-shirts. Arteest is just his urban street name, if you see what I mean.

All your Base are belong to us

Best foot forward with Base London who've come up with a spring collection of footwear worth stepping out for.

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