Boys are made of slugs, snails and..Air Nike Max's

Leaving London Bridge station and striding into the murky underworld of the Borough the other night, I was confronted by a gang of young boys blocking the pavement. Feeling pretty street savvy I simply nudged my way through the barrier of hoodies until stopped by their tiny leader. I glared at short stuff and he glared back, then he squeakily piped up with 'got a fag'. It wasn't exactly a question. 'Er, no' was my equally intelligent reply... and then short stuff shoulder barged me. I was so mad at being accosted for fags then shoulder barged for lack or unwillingness to part with them that I turned round and gave him a mouthful Gordon Ramsey would blush at. With my dignity in tact, my next actions were to run from fear of being stabbed!

A week later, I am in my local supermarket with the boyfriend and out of the corner of my eye, I spy a short stuff look-a-like swaggering down the row towards us. Just as I'm about to hide behind a passing trolley, short stuffs evil twin gives the boyfriend a once over, then while maintaining his saunter, he gives a Fonzie-like 'eyyy' and simply says 'nice Nikes'.

I'm sorry what? Its obvious my shoes are not street worthy and my credibility 'wiv da kidz' is taking a nose dive from my poor taste in footwear. Perhaps I should let Boris know about my new found discovery, could solve all the knife crime in London.

So I have consulted with the bf on good sneaker shops/websites and decided to share the love so you can mostly look good but also be stab free :)

Size is an awesome shop for cool sneakers and trainers, from Converse, Vans, Treetorn, Nike, Addidas etc but Office is good for prices. This is my favourite pair- introducing the Nike zoom Blazer Mid women's shoe in blue/white with white leather detailing and woven suede and turquoise blue on the side, around £59.99 at its lowest price.
Also http://www.sneakerfreaker.com/ and http://www.crookedtongues.com/ do original different versions of old classics.

Get your pegs out

If like me you hear the word 'peg' and your mind jumps to Rolf Harris huff puffing the words; 'I'm Jake the peg, diddle, diddle, diddle-dum'...and then you hear the word 'Hareem' and you have a mental image of the living quarters reserved for wives and concubines and female relatives in a Muslim household, then your fashion knowledge is in dire need of being updated!

'The Peg' is this seasons trouser silhouette, cinched in at the waist, billowing out in tailored lines at the thigh and then nipping back in at the ankles, flattering it can be, hard work it is. Although the peg isn't exactly hot fashion news, it was shown on the catwalks a year ago with YSL and Marc Jacobs revealing peg-heavy collections.

However, the average shopper has tentatively been picking up high street versions in Topshop, Oasis and Warehouse, and realising that unlike the skinny, the peg generously allows you to eat three healthy meals a day, bend over without fear of crack flashing and let your blood circulate to your legs! This pair, above, is from Oasis and is priced at £45.

The peg has had a re-style for designers A/W 09 collections, and 'The Hareem' has been flouncing down the runways. The Hareem is different from The Peg as its crotch is slightly dropped lower, in softer, lighter fabric, and with a drawstring waist, giving the wearer a hippy, laid back style. This pair is from Warehouse at £44.50.

A few points to bear in mind when you are over joyously pulling on your new trousers with love for this new design (which is rumoured to amazingly solve the eternal issue of the English pear shape) and then gasp, reeling at your reflection in the glaring changing room mirrors as you look like the gay love child of David Bowie and Ali Baba. Take a breath, it is wearable and it's not just you, these trousers just come with rules. Wear with tops tucked in to define your waist, and like Ashley Olsen team with a sharply tailored jacket and most definitely wear with sky scraper heels.

Jobs a good'un!

Who shimmered at the Golden Globes?

Obviously it's not just about the winning but the taking part that counts, and these red carpet dresses did all the talking for the actresses who attended the star studded night at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in LA.

Hot trends of the night were strapless and one shouldered dresses and a pale or gold colour palette.

My favourite has to be Maggie Gyllenhall, who wore this one shouldered dress by Lanvin, as she manages to make what should be a tacky leopard print look elegant and tribal rather then Pat Butcher in a sofa throw!

Eva Mendes wore Dior and teamed it with this beautiful turquoise necklace.

Sit tight or put up a fight?

I cannot apologise enough for my lack of presence since the 29th Dec 2008! I wish I could say it's been because I have jet setting about the globe attending luxurious parties etc! No, no I have been staring at a computer screen finishing a project for my first day back at LCF. Being amongst interactive human beings again has almost been a shock to my virtual reality hibernated hedgehog self!

Another big kick in the post Christmas pants is how expensive London is and realising how irretrievably we are now in the deceptively tasty breakfast cereal sounding economic disaster, known as the credit crunch. What a mouthful! And probably the only thing that is full, have you noticed how the January magazines are much slimmer due to advertising not being needed and also how new stock in shops is being held back at the moment?

Anyway I am going to dish out my own crafty tips to help deal with this pinch on your wallet, so that your ride through recession/generally being a bit skint is more smooth sailing then titanic tragedy.

This may sound ridiculous but when was the last time you visited your local library? Membership is free, DVD hire is uber cheap, they even have magazine subscriptions! Plus what was that comfy knitted cardigan perfect for if not the library!

On a more fashion-esque level, if your wardrobe is completely dull and needs some fresh items, you should swap or make a temporary loan with a friend of a similar size! I'm very fortunate as my sister is my size, though you should borrow with their consent as mad raging sisters/friends can be a bad consequence!

Beauty products always hurt the pocket and yet are always so necessary, however you should try these alternatives such as using olive oil (for dark hair only, it stains fair hair) as an intensive one off hair conditioning mask or mixing your moisturiser with your liquid foundation to make it go further.

Otherwise there is always the feisty approach to thrifty shoppers out there, unleash the Del-boy inside and bargain in shops! This bartering style of shopping is more for electrical goods shops and I wouldn't recommend going into your local Topshop and saying, 'I'll give you a pound for this jacket...it's my best offer!'

Put a knot in it

Knowing the weather forecast is part of an informal curriculum taught to all British citizens alongside maths and English. And since this chill is not predicted to ease off until well after the New Year, Jack Frost will be nipping at more than just your fingers and your toes if you give him half the chance!

Make like a pig in a blanket (the tasty and 'wrapped up' sausage in bacon side order to your turkey dinner, not to be confused with the Sarah Palin look of 08, known as the pig in lipstick) and invest in some classic silk scarves. Not only do these square shaped handkerchiefs come in a variety of patterns but they can also be knotted to your neck or head, in a number of ways.

If you want to achieve the elegant scarf tied around your bonce, reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn in 'A Roman Holiday' rather then the less coveted washerwoman wench look, you will find its all in the choice of fabric, pattern and colour palette. Cotton fades whereas silk looks vintage and will keep your ears toasty warm and the paisley print is pretty but quirky designs of horse riding gear or nautical illustrations are more interesting.

Now there are a number of ways to tie a scarf round your neck, the most effective is folding the scarf in half to make a triangle then keeping this section at the front, wrap the other corners round your neck and then knot at a jaunty angle to the side. Or if the scarf is longer, try the droopy bow knot.

Although you can pick up these scarves new from places like asos.com or Topshop, the cheapest and most unusual ones you will find are hidden amongst mint imperials in your granny's handbag or in your local charity shop!

Scarves are also nice to decorate ones handbag with or to tie up boys to bedposts, (wink, wink, nudge-nudge) just get knotting!

Paris is worth every (weakening) pound

I have recently got back from a mini break in Paris and I am seriously in love.

I confess that I am head over heels for the Parisian style of dressing and their general attitude to fashion! In the Beauborg quarter, which is situated on the right bank, people were sporting a number of looks; from the truly odd in red wigs and 50's style tea dresses to the truly fashion forward in over sized specs, Doc Martins and low drop crotch trousers.

In this quarter there was also a number of second hand and vintage shops secreted in the winding streets. These shops were stuffed, more than your dad after his Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, with absolute retro bargains and even though the Pound is being sat on by it's fatter sister the Euro right now, there was still some gems to be found.

My favourite finds were some 80's mohair jumpers embellished with patterns of sequins, diamonds and sparkly appliqued designs for an eclectic take on this season's woolly must haves. Though static hair and stray fluff in the eyes/nose did make it a challenging wear!

I also came across a fantastic Aladdin's cave of a shop on the hill of Monmatre; it was impossible to get round from all the piles of fur coats, puffed sleeves and random bowler hats, there was a definite smell of mothballs and your eyes were straining in the dim lighting to make out the labels. Perfect conditions for a valuable find! If only I hadn't needed to catch my plane home I would have snapped up more than a pair of silk scarves!

More than just a close shave

Although all eyes have recently been on Lilly Cole, Daisy Lowe, Agness Deyn and model of the moment Jordan Dunn, I think the most refreshing face of 2008 has to be Alice Dellal. For those of you who aren't familiar with this live wire, she is the daughter of Brazilian model, Andrea Dellal, and granddaughter of the British real estate mogul, Jack Dellal. Oh and if that hasn't sealed her glamorous credentials enough, her Godfather's Mario Testino, the prestigious photographer for Paris Vogue!

Dellal has a punky/grunge style of dressing, often spotted in beaten up old leather jackets, vintage rock tshirts and of course her daring shaved hairstyle. It's the tough looking boots she puts together with lacey stockings and belly skimming tops that give Dellal an interesting edge, almost reminiscent of Madonna's 80's style from her Desperately Seeking Susan days- all that side swept wavy hair and tough attitude, though don't include the bows and glam rock styling!

In a recent Vice magazine shoot, a model named Zoe was photographed sporting the Dellal look. Although it looks very fetching on elfin faced, jutting cheekboned young things not sure it's going to be the 'Rachael' cut of the naughties.

Other than being Mario Testino's muse, Dellal has modelled for Burberry in 2006, appeared on Vivienne Westwood's A/W 08 catwalk, is the new face for Agent Provocateur and Alexander Wang loves her with a capital L. Talk about the cat who got the cream!