The Resurrection of the Kick Hi's

The Stone Roses - (Image credit)

Lately I've noticed a trend resurgence for Kickers. For me, this brand rekindles memories of many pairs of well loved and well worn school shoes. Out of all the Kickers I had, there was one pair of chunky black buckled heels that I was particularly fond of. However, the Kickers shoe of choice now is the legendary 'Kick Hi' boot.

Kickers 'Kick Hi' boots in Red | Kickers 'Kick Hi' boots in Tan

Kickers is a french brand founded in 1970 and the first 'Kick Hi' boot surfaced in 1975. It has become famous for its musical connections. Being worn by the likes of Roger Daltrey of The Who fame (below). It later became popular amongst the acid house scene before becoming synonymous with the 'Madchester' and Brit Pop scene in the 1990s. Kick Hi's have always made me think of The Stone Roses because of their Fools Gold video. Hence my poor attempt at a Stone Roses reference in the title of this blog post. 

Kickers advert featuring The Who's Roger Daltrey - (Image Credit)

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker - (image credit)

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker is also a notable Kick Hi fan. I saw him at Sheffield train station the other day and I didn't say anything too him - I got too scared! I am kicking myself now a bit as Jarvis Cocker is one of my heroes. However, I'm sure I would have made a bit of a tit of myself by having a verbal vomit about how much I love 'Different Class' so perhaps its for the best that I did not approach him!

Lazy Oaf x Kickers collaboration - (Lazy oaf website)

Kickers also did a collaboration with a long time favourite of mine... Lazy Oaf! I have been a fan of independent clothing brand Lazy Oaf since their days based at Superette just off Brick Lane when they shared shop space with one of my favourite jewellery brands 'Lady Luck Rules OK!'. Sadly the latter is no more but Lazy Oaf have gone from strength to strength over recent years. Kickers is just one of the big name brands they have collaborated with in recent years. The collaboration also included a fab pair of Kick Hi brogues but I believe the whole collection has now sadly sold out.

Kickers 'Kick Hi' in Black Pink - £75 -  Office

I saw a girl wearing a navy pair with black jeans in manchester last week and that what got me thinking about Kickers. As great as the navy pair were, I spotted these black Kick Hi's in Office recently with the pink stitch detail and laces so if I was going to invest in a pair (and lets face it, I probably will) then I reckon these will be the ones. I am a complete Dr Martens devotee but I think Kick Hi's are a bit easier to wear for those who find DM's a bit fierce!

An Ode to the Tartan trouser

I recently wrote about my soft spot for big ugly shoes. Well, on a similar 'necessities' theme I thought I'd divulge my affinity for all things checked and tartan. For the last couple of years I've been loosely on the search for the perfect pair of tartan/checked trousers after I spotted this image on tumblr:

Original Tumblr inspiration image

(L): Asos / (R): Topshop

Its funny how style and tastes evolve as I'm now not quite as mad about the Tumblr ones as I once was. I found my first pair in Topshop last year and then my new ones from ASOS were originally spotted in the ASOS magazine feature about Brit Marling a few weeks ago. They're quite a loose fit but they're considerably more comfortable than the Topshop ones - I couldn't wear those to a big meal or a day of lectures! I popped into River Island a few days ago and spotted another pair (thankfully I restrained myself and didn't buy them but they are fab). I'm reluctant to include a photo of them as the website picture does them no justice at all. In reality they're a deeper red and have really nice black detailing. These Topshop boutique ones are also lovely and, like my ASOS checked trousers, are available as a full suit. Obviously I'm aiming to dress these kind of trousers down a bit so I'm not really interested in matching jackets but these could look amazing as something a bit more alternative to a formal event or as work wear. I'll probably leave them as I've got a couple of other pairs of printed trousers and I have to be realistic about my student budget.

Topshop suit trouser 

Last year looking for a pair of tartan trousers was like looking for a needle in a haystack. But after Fall collections from the likes of YSL, the high street is inundated with them. Mango, Zara, and River Island are notable for their punk inspired collections this autumn. However, I think you have to be careful with tartan trousers as for many people they incite images of badly dressed punks and old ladies - definitely avoid the ones with copious amounts of zips, safety pins, and straps! If you aren't feeling the trousers then I think there are many alternative ways to work tartan and checks into your winter wardrobe.

Saint Laurent F/W13 - Image credit: style.com

Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent (still struggling with the name change a bit!) collection,  with its juxtaposition of gentle feminine fabrics and textures against metal and leather, was fantastic. Usually the term 'grunge inspired' incites an eye-roll from me but I do see elements of it in this collection. (It could be argued that high fashion can never be grunge, but thats a blog post for a rainy day.) It got me thinking of different examples of how to work tartan and checks. I liked how delicate black lace slips were paired with tough black boots and oversized checked shirts and cardigans. You can also find plenty of tartan tea dresses on the high street which are great if your tastes are more on the gentle and delicate side.