Culture Most Wanted.
Whether you a singleton planning a night out on the tiles or coupled up and and manically pondering gifts…Culture Compass is here to help!
In the last few years Valentines has been one of my most dreaded days of the year, mainly due to my less than peachy (downright disastrous) love life. But for 2012 I thought I’d abandon the bitterness in favour of embracing this enforced day of romanticism. After all, they always say that happy, positive people give off certain vibes and pheromones that work well in luring potential mates… plus it’s pretty hard to ignore the shops and marketing campaigns which are completely saturated in the lovey- dovey stuff!
So rather than begrudge those in a position to give and receive gifts I thought I’d try and help you out….
First up is my miscellaneous selection of potential gifts for those lucky/unlucky enough to have someone expecting a tangible token of love.
I think I’ve covered the sensible but suitably romantic themed objects as well as ones of the saucy and cheeky variety….
Ipad 2 Case (Fuscia) £69
Heart shaped pasties with filigree lace £64
Notebooks £49 each
Valentines Cards £2.75
Aubade Boite a Desir Trikini £75
Love Letters of Great Men £6.69
Cashmere and Merino heart dressing gown £460
Nookis Adult Board Game for Couples £24.95
Je T’aime Black Sean – Black £7.99
When it comes to Valentines purchases I wholeheartedly believe it is about knowing your audience – although I hope you are buying for only one, rather than an audience of suitors.
After numerous chats with girlfriends I now have sympathy for guys when it comes to buying presents. Although I personally would be most pleased with a simple card an a heat-felt message inside, some of my rather more high maintenance friends expect quite a bit more, and put a large amount of importance on their loved-one picking the right gifts.
For girls that love bags, and trust me there is a rampant army of such women, here are some lovely examples in romantic hues.
£26.99 www.missguided.co.uk
£890 from matches www.bottegaveneta.co.uk
£250 from net a porter www.anyahindmarch.com
£895 from net a porter www.alexandermcqueen.com
£25 www.topshop.com
£32.90 www.eastpak.com
For footwear fiends, from tomboys addicted to the comfort of trainers, to glamour-pusses who get thrills from a substantial platform, there are plenty of options, catering to any budget, fluttering there metaphorical eyelashes to entice you to buy for February 14th .
If you are a singleton and don’t want to feel completely left out of things then there are many wonderful shoes in colours appropriate to Valentines… just in case you need to justify another shoe purchase!
£66.99 NIKE at www.office.co.uk
£30 www.asos.com
£40.99 www.missguided.co.uk
£35 www.boohoo.com
£90 www.underground-england.co.uk
Papped celebrities often use a motif/text t-shirt as a way of communicating how they feel, or their current relationship status. While I was looking for mushy, uplifting and romantic t-shirts I stumbled over a fair few that would successfully tell the masses of the wearers heartache, hatred for previous partners and rather more severe thoughts – pretty much declaring to all to only attempt flirting at their peril! I personally don’t want to go overboard on the whole romance thing this year, so I will probably just plump for girly and don a bit of pink on the day…
£60 each www.zoekarssen.com
£231 Equipment at www.matchesfashion.com
£178 at Matches www.soniarykiel.com
£6.99 www.newlook.com
£10 and £8 www.topshop.com
You need to tread a bit carefully if you decide to give your Valentine a present of the bling variety. Many view receiving jewellery as a big statement, one which suggests that what you have going on is of the serious nature – if this is not agreed by both parties, awkward situations ensue. Also, if one is given a necklace when one feels they are at the stage of the relationship where they should be presented with a ring this could also create further sticky conversations. It is also vital that personal style and preference is taken into consideration. Some people will only wear silver, others enjoy knowingly over the top costume jewellery, others never wear earrings, some have a treasured necklace which holds sentimental value, one they have worn for years which they will never replace with another.. and so on!
If I haven’t put you off entirely, buying a piece of jewellery can be extremely rewarding – particularly if a reaction is what you are after from your chosen present. When my first love gave me an engraved silver bracelet from Links of London, I will admit to welling up more than a bit. Ten years on, despite the fact we are no more, I still look at it fondly when I come across it in my jewellery box. I think it’s nice to have mementos that take you back to happy times and the people that created them, and if they are stunning pieces of jewellery… well that’s even better.
www.julianacassandro.com/home Starts from £170
www.thegreatfroglondon.com £95
www.lux-fix.com £80
www.asos.com £50
www.stolenthunderboutique.com £12
Good luck!!
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About the author
Sophie Eggleton
After finishing her Fine Art degree Sophie went on to gain experience within the fashion teams of UK magazines Eve, Glamour, Elle, First and Vogue . She then spent time as a stylist assistant for publications including NME and Easy Living, then combined her art background with fashion at Alexander McQueen, as an artwork assistant. She currently freelances as a Music/fashion journalist writing for online and print publications including The Guardian, Disappear Here, Bring The Noise, FASHIONMUSICSTYLE, Stylebible, Guestlist as well as LDNfashion twitter. North, South, East or West? South High Class or Common or Garden? In the middle of Common and High Class Clothes or Culture? Both of course! Visiting a gallery in your finest outfit for instance! My best night out ever made me feel... Like I was lucky to be alive...but that cocktails aren't always my friend
After finishing her Fine Art degree Sophie went on to gain experience within the fashion teams of UK magazines Eve, Glamour, Elle, First and Vogue . She then spent time as a stylist assistant for publications including NME and Easy Living, then combined her art background with fashion at Alexander McQueen, as an artwork assistant. She currently freelances as a Music/fashion journalist writing for online and print publications including The Guardian, Disappear Here, Bring The Noise, FASHIONMUSICSTYLE, Stylebible, Guestlist as well as LDNfashion twitter. North, South, East or West? South High Class or Common or Garden? In the middle of Common and High Class Clothes or Culture? Both of course! Visiting a gallery in your finest outfit for instance! My best night out ever made me feel... Like I was lucky to be alive...but that cocktails aren't always my friend
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