Runway Look For Less: Burberry April Showers 2011

"Tut-tut, it looks like rain!"

Just in time for the first rainy day in Spring here in Hong Kong. These visuals mark the second year since Burberry launched its April Showers campaign. Once again, bright and vibrant colors are confirmed to be on the hit list this season.

First off, I'd like to say I'm digging the white pants - they definitely made raining look less gloomy. The waterproof fabrics also made the outfits light and breezy. Another take-away from this campaign is to limit your outfits to only three colors to keep things simple and chic.



Topman has this purple trench coat which I find to be along the same vein as the April Showers campaign (especially the blue trench in the second picture above). It's now available here, retailing at £110.00. The styling isn't perfect - would've preferred the buttons to be black and I wouldn't pair this with brownish pants (unquestionably I'd go with white) - but then when the Burberry one costs £395.00, this one from Topman will have to do for now. No?

Photo credit: Topman

Photo credit: Burberry via DesignScene

Runway Look For Less: Shearling Leather Aviator Jacket

Saw something on the runway you absolutely adore but can't afford? Don't worry, you're not the only one! As a poor, meager student, my means are extremely limited. All the expensive textbooks, plus my Starbucks lifestyle don't exactly leave me with a runway fashion budget for every season. Fear not. That's what Zara and H&M are here for!

So I'd like to introduce you all to the first of a recurring segment called "Runway Look For Less", where I'll be showcasing fast fashion retailers' takes on the latest trends and seasonal must-haves.

Photo Credit: Burberry Prorsum

To name thee one runway piece that I'm absolutely and completely obsessed with this season would be Burberry's Shearling Leather Aviator Jacket. I don't know what it is, but the mixture of shearling and leather has created some sort of fashion aphrodisiac for me and I've been in love with this look ever since I first saw the Burberry Prorsum runway photos earlier this year. However, a look at the hefty price tags - for the one on the left: £2,995 (roughly HK$36,988) and the one on the right: £2,295 (roughly HK$28,238) - brought me back to my humble reality.

All is not lost though - after getting my haircut the other day, I saw THIS at the Zara in Times Square, Causeway Bay:

Photo Credit: ModeMan

Maybe I'm biased (since I snatched it right off the rack the moment I saw it and now it's sitting in my closet waiting for its debut), but I'd say the Zara version shares a, what, 90% similarity with the Burberry Prorsum one on the right? All that is missing are the two leather straps on the collar - which I briefly thought about fixing by getting two leather bracelets from H&M - but this is something I am willing to overlook, because the Zara version is only retailing at HK$899 (roughly £73)!

I know the Zara one doesn't even come close remotely in comparison to Christopher Bailey's divine creation, but it'll have to do for now!