ok, so this annoyed me

After getting bored within 10 minutes of being conscious this morning I started looking for ways to spend my hard received Xmas cash. Looking in the accessories sale on asos (for a neckerchief and mittens) I found this Ralf Lauren tote bag in the sale with a whopping £39 off it's RRP! Wowzer! you may say, but hold that sentiment until you hear that the RRP was £110! One hundred and ten. Pounds. For a fucking tote bag. An expensive tote bag goes against everything a tote bag is meant to be; cheap, utilitarian and semi-disposable. I can't possibly understand how this has sold badly?

I'm sure this thing is well made and has plenty of pockets to stuff-your-stuff in but seriously you spend £110 on a pair of shoes and get a nice tote bag for free, the only explanation why you would spend £110 on a tote alone is that it is lined with the labial skin of vestal virgins. But lo, our lord asos spoke thus:

* - Cotton tote bag by Polo Ralph Lauren
* - Vibrant embroidered logo front detail
* - Oversized style with twin handles

At straws, clutching- no? Twin handles on a tote bag is a feature as much as ink is to a pen.

This has to be one of the most prolific examples of shameless branding on a shoddy product I have ever seen, you are truly paying for that berk on a horse and nothing else. What's more I fail to see how anyone with more than two brain cells to smash together isn't going to think you a cunt for you buying such a monstrosity.

If you want a really good designer tote bag get down the market and buy a knocked off one, they are always cooler, funnier, cheaper and you can walk around in the knowledge that you -in your own small way- are sticking it the THE MAN.

Happy Birthday Jesus.

i love a working man

I've not blogged about fashion for a while. I guess I've been too poor to bother with it, plus in the summer you don't really need any clothes, but I've got to say I'm loving this autumn's look: The Working Man. I've always been fond of utilitarian looks, mostly because if I wear anything too fancy I fuck it up (please see the brown leather brogues I had on my feet less than 3 hours before destroying them wrestling in gravel.) Another reason I love the working man is because I'm already half way there owning a whole wardrobe of checked overshirts and, because I get mega discount at work, far too many pea coats (five). Now all I need is some footwear, Vans are ok but you end up in the realms of surfer with them and desert boots are a bit Mod, which wouldn't be a bad thing if they weren't also far too broad for my skinny legs. What I really need are some work boots and as usual I need them cheap.

Luckily I've managed to wangle a 25% off discount code for asos bringing the cost of these (asos own) boots down to £41.45 including shipping. For own brand stuff asos is pretty shit hot, it's cheap and though you're not getting hand crafted Italian leather they will stay together through the winter, which is more than I can say for other budget brands *cough* Primark *cough* H&M. I've bought asos own Chelsea boots before now and after wearing in they were plenty comfy, sadly the sole did wear through quicker than I would have liked but after having them re-soled at a small expense they have been bullet proof.

Also asos has managed to avoid the trap that most budget clothing companies fall into; over design. Splattering your already cheap apparel with even cheaper print, logos, glitter and paint fools no one into thinking they are expensive. The attention to detail (or lack of it) and the absolutely bang-on-trend design is what makes asos an absolute gem floating around the electronic bargain bin.

Seriously, if you're after some cheap footwear give asos a go- unless you want these work boots, then you can ef-off because they're mine.