Chloë, For Purple, By Terry

Chloë Sevigny (love!) in Purple Magazine (love!) issue 14, shot by Terry Richardson (no comment).

Will The Real Isabel Marant Bobby Please Stand Up

I normally steer well clear of obvious designer knock-offs, firstly because nothing beats the real deal, but also because in almost all cases the original is the better design and of higher quality/construction (and perhaps because I’m a teensy bit of a snob?) - but I’m afraid I’m going to have to eat my hat, so to speak, and admit I’ve gone and bought a fairly blatant copy of the highly coveted Isabel Marant Bobby high-top, from legendary copycats Topshop. Gulp. But hear me out!

First and foremost, to purchase a pair of the real Bobby’s (which you usually can’t, for love or money, as they get snapped up as fast as lightening), it will set you back nearly £400 – that’s US$640, NZ$775, AUS$665, €478 – and that, for a pair of sneakers, is slightly ridiculous.

So while I really did kinda want them, I simply couldn’t justify the cost.

See By Chloe, Ash and Aldo all have versions, none of which quite hit the spot for me. A few sweeps of Ebay confirmed I wouldn’t be getting a more reasonably priced pair that way, so I resigned myself to missing out. (Wipes away tear).

But the Topshop gods clearly heard my plight, and created the ‘Aerobic’, I snapped up the last pair at the White City store, and the rest is history…

This version actually has a much less conspicuous heel/wedge than the Marants, which are a little lumpy to look at, and I can confirm they are pretty light and comfortable, once you get used to walking in them (while the hidden wedge has magical leg-lengthening powers and you get to be the same height as your boyfriend for once, it’s harder than you’d think and some tripping has ensued. First road test here.)

The height of the high-top is a bit of a cankle-maker, that is, they cut off just above the slim part of your ankle, so they’re best worn with cropped or super skinny jeans that don’t bunch around the danger zone, or with tights or bare legs.

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Brick Lane Weekends

We live less than ten minutes walk from London's legendary (notorious?) Brick Lane, and it's the perfect place to head for anything from coffee and amazing snacks (see my wrap - a chilli and cheese roti filled with garlic and spinach chicken, potato curry, paneer, mint and yoghurt sauce, pickled red cabbage and lettuce, yum) to vintage shopping and people-watching.

For coffee we like Super Pizza and Allpress on Redchurch Street, also paying a visit to Labour And Wait across the road for beeswax candles, gentlemanly incense, French soap cubes and sleek enamelware (love).

As good a place as any to try out the new 'hidden wedge' high-tops, with my old faithful ink-blue jeans, a slouchy oversized silk shirt and drapey kimono coat to keep the bite in the air at bay.


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Wearing: Zara kimono coat, T by Alexander Wang silk shirt, Topshop jeans and suede wedge high-tops, Alexander Wang Diego bag, silver rings by Stolen Girlfriends Club and Karen Walker, nail polish by Aaron De May for Lancome in Indigo Paris.

Photos by Michael Humphrey