Monday with the Kooples

Wednesday 27 June 2012
The weather wasn't that bad on Monday so I broke out the legs again and donned my Mango shirtdress.  I thought it looked okay until Ben said "what are you wearing mummy?" to which I replied "it's a dress Ben".  "Is it?" came the response.  "Yes, why, don't you like it?"  "It's a bit strange".  "How is it strange?"  "It's got holes all over it and it's a funny colour". "Oh".  Isn't it funny how a 6 year old can cast such doubt upon your sartorial choices?


This is the dress in question.  A purple grey (aka funny colour) broderie anglaise (aka holes) Mango shirtdress.  I was quite chuffed when I picked it up last year in the ASOS sale for the princely sum of £17.  Same price as a Chanel nail varnish.  But bigger.


Mango shirt dress (SS11)
Office Namesake Boots 
Russell Bromley Messenger Bag (Ancient)


Holey dress and tatty bag

I did originally don my Kurt Geiger boots but these were too dark so I stuck with the Office Namesake boots - these are proving their worth and my prophecy of being a perfect summer boot.  And then I rediscovered my Russell & Bromley messenger bag.  Yes - I did buy it that distressed looking but please don't tell my mother - she wouldn't understand why I would pay good money for something so tatty looking.


Please note that Russell & Bromley did not name it the tatty bag.  I did.


I had another return to do so I nipped out in to Leeds.  I decided this morning to make a point of visiting the Kooples store.  I've been past a couple of times and it's always empty apart from the scarily trendy looking sales assistants.  Today was no different but there was only 1 assistant and he was a man.  First of all I tried on the black wedge sneakers which I've been curious about.  I fancied black as I was thinking of the winter months ahead and a suitable shoe for the school run.  No harm in planning well in advance.  The sneakers were there and they had my size but they didn't work for me for some reason.  I think the front of them looked a little short on me and I like my shoes to look a little longer in the vain hope that they add an inch or so to the length of my legs. Warped reasoning I know.  




I found a number of tops I liked and I politely asked the young man if I could try them on and he showed me the changing cubicle.  Not room.  Cubicle.  Padded at that.  With no mirror inside.  Only outside. On the shop floor.  Not good.  I faffed around a bit with the loose hanging hook before I asked if they had any cubicles with mirrors in.  No they didn't. Bearing in mind, I had a dress on, there was no way I was going to come out of the changing cubicle with a dress wrapped round my knees to have a look at a top which might potentially look very silly on me.  So I said I'd leave it and handed him back the tops.  And for some reason, I couldn't resist pointing out that the hanging hook in the cubicle was loose and about to fall off.  Because I'm like that.  It just made me feel better.  




          Zip Slub T-shirt                  Vintage Broderie Anglaise Top
  
For anyone interested, the above were my chosen few if I'd been able to try on.


I have to say I do actually quite like the Kooples clothing , their advertising and their campaigns.  However, I dislike equally their changing rooms sited on the shop floor with no mirrors.  I think they lost some business yesterday - their clothes were affordable in the sale and I would have been tempted by the yellow sports tee had I been able to try on in the comfort and privacy of my own padded mirrored cubicle.  I thought we'd moved on from the days of changing room terrorism.

16 comments

  1. Hello Susie. Found you via the lovely Marlene.

    I really like your dress, despite what Ben says.

    I also tried the Kooples trainers last week on Marlene's advice. I couldn't get them to work either. I find the trick of the eye with them a bit disturbing and they made my legs look funny. But on everyone else they look great and omg how comfortable! Also I thought they wouldn't really last till next year as they're too trendy.

    You're a very funny writer by the way. I mean in that you make me laugh, not that you write strangely!

    Glad I've found your blog x

    PS do you know how I can comment without using one of the profile listed? I'm self hosted and can't put in my blog name! :(

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    1. Hi Annie, pleased to meet you and I've been reading through your blog too as introduced by Marlene. Thank you for the compliment on the writing - I'm pretty quiet on the whole but I think the blog is a way for me to waffle to my hearts content. You take beautiful pictures - I'm being exposed to a world of wonderful photography out here in blog land but I can only just manage my happy snap camera and I have to photograph myself which is really quite difficult - so many bad head shots that I just took the option of removing the head from the photos - makes it much easier and no double chins and weird face pulling. I'm afraid I'm pretty new to the Blog world so I don't know much about profiles and pictures - I just keep stumbling across things and that's how I learn. I'm quite surprised I got this far. Send a word out to Marlene - she might know?

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    2. Seeing that I'm only literate in the world of telco (though I'm sure my knowledge is now obsolete), err...I wouldn't have a clue how to work out the blogger thingy.

      Hey! I'm going to have a pretty big head seeing that you guys keep calling me lovely Marlene. Must remind the family that whenever they feel like they need a slave (aka me) to knock around.

      I can't make The Kooples black shoes to work on me. They make me look like I've got stumps for legs. Too bad that they didn't work out for the two of you. I get a lot of comments on mine. Even today. The shaft is pretty narrow so I think that'll only work on people like me who have teeny tiny ankles and feet. At least that's one positive to owning smaller than average feet.

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    3. The black is a little harsh and cut your legs off but I was hoping to team with black skinnies and elongate. But it just didn't feel right. Ah well. Money saved.

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    4. I find that the black ones only look good with black skinnies. Other than that, they make us shorties even shorter. Too bad about the lousy service at The Kooples. I went to the one in Bath and the other on King's Rd, London. The service in both places were exceptional.

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  2. ok, 1. i like the mango dress. a lot. dunno what my kids would say though, ha.
    2.the trainers look like they would make your legs look short/ funny, no no, we don´t want that. i´m wearing my hogan wedge sneakers today and i love them, every italian woman in rome was wearing them and i´m still with my mind in rome so...that´s why i´m wearing mine today. and because they´re comfy and pretty (cough cough) and light as a feather...
    3. what you said about that store: i feel you, hate that too. there should be a rule or a law that there have to be mirrors in changing rooms, even zara has mirrors! pfff

    can´t stop looking at the picture of you in that mango dress, it´s so pretty... and the bag is perfect to wear with that dress, sigh

    xx

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    1. Thank you Dorota - you're so sweet. No, my legs are short enough that I don't need anything to make them look even shorter. I'm not blessed like you so I have to be careful. My dress would look wonderful on you and far funkier but the knitted dress you wore when you went to Panella - that's just too cool. And the changing rooms thing - that was just bad. Like you say - pfff!

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  3. Haha! Don't listen to the munchkins - that dress is nice and it looks good on you. I hate any store with dressing rooms like that, too - I seriously don't want to be at the mercy of some sales assistant since we always know more about what looks good on us than others do. There is something nice about those Kooples sneakers but I honestly just won't let myself be part of the wedge sneaker trend since I definitely think it will be gone next year. Les Anti-Modernes does a good list of classic, affordable sneakers and I took a page out of her book with the Onitsuka Tigers: http://www.lesantimodernes.com/2012/03/foundations-stylish-sneakers.html

    Happy blogging, you're hilarious...

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    1. Good advice Rachel - what does the munchkin know about fashion anyway - he's only 6! I've followed Les Anti-Modernes on Bloglovin for a little while now and I know the sneakers you refer to - she does look super cool doesn't she and the discipline she exercises is commendable but utterly unachievable by me - I can't resist the quick fix splurge and the immediate gratification achieved by a cheap buy. I'm just weak :o)

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  4. I love this dress and the whole outfit on you. Also love the Chanel nail polish comparison!

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    1. Just thinking the Paradoxal shade would be the perfect compliment to the dress wouldn't it? Thank you .... I did seriously have doubts about the dress after Ben's comment though - they can do that to you, you know, these small people!

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  5. I really like Aubin & Wills but the hemlines, oh! I may be small but alas too old for mid thigh frockage now.

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  6. I love the dress and I love actually Mango in general! I got a very nice jacket on sale from them last week!
    thank you for a lovely comment on my blog. I like your blog too!

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    1. Hi - thank you for popping over. Have to say, I'm enjoying reading through your past posts. They tickle me :o) and I can relate to a lot of it! I'm not alone!

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  7. I like those trainers - it's clever how the wedge is concealed inside (presumably) so they appear to be normal (flat) soles. Will investigate - thanks!

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Susie So So