Apart from essentials, I rarely shop for fashion items these days. As someone who used to work in fashion and a shopaholic, I accumulated so much ‘stuff’ over the years that I simply ran out of room(s) to fit them all.
Then one day, I decided to sell all my unworn and barely-used fashion items on ebay and it really changed my life. Not only did I discover the joy of selling but also the joy of consuming less.
Nowadays, I would buy my fashion essentials from Uniqlo, Muji or Cos, though occasionally would treat myself to something special… mostly during the sales period. Since I discovered F-Troupe two years ago, an independent British brand for footwear, I couldn’t resist the temptation and have bought a few pairs of shoes from them ( great bargains during the sales). I like their designs because they are quirky, playful, original with British historical and functional influences. In their A/W 2011 collection, they launched a Harris Tweed collection of shoes and boots called “Glorious 12th” that are hand woven from pure virgin wool in Scotland.
I love their website, their fun shoe boxes as well as their store that looks more like a curiosity shop near Carnaby Street! These days, it’s not easy to find fashion brands that have strong identities and are not heavily influenced by trends, and F-Troupe stands out because they are not trend-followers.
Last week, I saw these patent leather burgundy boots in their store and just fell for them, not sure how practical they are but I just couldn’t resist…
Sales are still on in store and online:
33 Marshall Street, London, W1F 7EX