Perks of the job

One of the perks of the fashion editor's job are the endless goodie bags, parcels of beauty stuff in the post and the discount cards & vouchers given out at pre-season press days that are meant to entice you into stores & boutiques. Some of these are more useful than others: 25% at Chanel doesn't really go that far, but 40% on the High Street does. The most sought after is Topshop's 250 card. They give out just 250 (funny that) 40% cards, and are scrupulous about ID-ing purchasers. (Not that that is any bar to lending/borrowing said card, everyone knows to just rock up with fistfuls of cash and the 250 card owner's business card).

I've hammered my 40% New Look one over the years, buying cute metallic flats, trashy jools, organic cotton Ts, and surprisingly well-cut skinny & wide leg jeans. Coast's gets borrowed by non-fashion girlfriends looking for party frocks, but Karen Millen's 40% & Laura Ashley's 30% have, so far, remained unused.

Finding inexpensive fast fashion in Manhattan is practically impossible, so last Wednesday when I had a couple of hours to kill before I got my flight back to NYC, I took myself off to Oxford Street to see if I cld actually spend some of the Press Day vouchers I've had kicking around for ages (in Sharon Millen's case, at least four season's). I failed to find anything in Schuh (too remedial, round toed, granny-style for my taste), so that's £50 for my sister to try to spend, & drew a blank in M&S (I guess I'll spend those vouchers on houmous next time I'm back) but I struck gold in Sharon Millen, Gap, New Look & Oasis. Pics to come!