Tights, Camera, Action!

As someone that lives in skirts and dresses, tights are a daily wardrobe staple. Usually at this time of year there are a few updates to my (and fellow tight-tastic people's) rotation of tights. There are two reasons behind this:

1. Thicker tights are required to combat the cold, and 

2. Fancier tights are desirable in anticipation of the Christmas parties

Point 1 is a no-brainer, last winter it was freezing and if it wasn't for Primark's Super Cosy microfibre tights with fleecy lining (a godsend and only £3 - bonus) I am sure my legs would have snapped in half like a pair of ice poles (the blue ones, obviously). Normally I am firmly in the 'cheap tights are a false economy' camp, but these ones do last pretty well and are cheap as chips so I am more than willing to make an exception.  With loads of other affordable thick tights on the high street, there's no excuse for cold legs!

Recently I treated myself to some new 'dressy' tights for the party season. A while back I blogged about La La Land, a local boutique in De Courcy's Arcade which has quickly become one of my very favourite West End shops. At the time I had spied a very awesome pair of pink tights by Les Queues de Sardines, but at £35 I didn't get them. But! Good things come to those who wait - I got them at the weekend for £20, result! And I love them, they make me feel like a superhero:

Disco Zeus tights, £20 (was £35) by Les Queues de Sardines at La La Land

They will add a pop of colour to my LBD and I can't wait to show them off. Speaking of Les Queues de Sardines, Tatty Devine now have a selection of their cult tights available on their online store. My favourites are the Bouba Bear ones (£40), bringing a whole new meaning to 'bare legs'. In a similar vein, Scotland's own Tights for Sore Eyes have a brilliant range of quirky designs.

Gold by Giles at New Look have a range of pretty tights just in time for the party season. I really like the leopard mock knee high ones - they remind me a bit of the excellent House of Holland for Pretty Polly ones - and at £7.99 they won't break the bank:

Leopard Mock Knee High tights, £7.99, Gold by Giles at New Look

Will you be dressing up your legs for Winter?

Shops: La La Land

One if the best things about living in the West End is the shops. You won't find too many chain stores up this neck of the woods, and shoppers feel well and truly spoiled for choice with so many unique boutiques, vintage stores, gift shops and cafes to choose from. On the other hand, it can be hard to stand out in a crowd of offbeat and exclusive retailers who all try to offer a break from the norm. De Courcy's Arcade on Cresswell Lane is home to a handful of independent stores, and La La Land has quickly become my favourite store of the bunch.

La La Land opened in September 2010 and occupies a bright ground floor shop at the entrance of the arcade. The store specialises in selling clothes, accessories and gifts by cult labels and Scottish designers. After visiting the store I had to write about it, as I was blown away with the selection and cute displays and frankly wanted to buy almost everything myself!

Some of the cute jewellery displayed in-store

I recognised some of the labels on offer such as old favourites Tatty Devine and Lazy Oaf, as well as pieces by lesser-known labels like Brat & Suzie and the ever-amazing comic-strip style headbands by Janine Basil. The store displays were extremely eye-catching and quirky, such as a selection of rings and brooches on a cake stand and necklaces being displayed on coat hangers:

A selection of jewellery and accessories displayed with a La La Land twist

What sets La La Land apart from most other West End Boutiques is the attention to detail and selection of designers. There aren't many other stores that support Scottish independent labels as passionately as this one and although the store started with the aim of exclusively stocking Scottish designers, they now hand-pick unique smaller designers from all over the world. This initiative gives new talent without the opportunity for retail a platform, and La La Land are still on the lookout for new designers. The shop is run by the multi-talented Sarah Graham, who has a background in vintage retail, fashion journalism and styling. Sarah - who is also the Editor of the rather excellent Coveted Magazine (known as 'Scotland's first and only fashion magazine dedicated to supporting & promoting The Scottish Fashion Industry') - decided to open La La Land to offer a change from the busy and predictable high street, to support Scottish design and to stock the cult labels that she (and so many others, myself included) loves.

Accessories and headpieces available at La La Land (including my favourite POW! Comic-strip headbands by Janine Basil)

La La Land offers independent fashion at affordable prices - from just £3 for a set of Lazy Oaf badges, to mid-range (about £25 for a hand printed Brat & Suzie tee) and the most expensive item in store will set you back £180 (a gorgeous handmade jacket made from luxurious fabrics such as wool and mohair). The customers that walk through the door can vary from young girls to students, to the more mature customers, and even though the products sold cater predominantly to les femmes, La La Land hasn't forgotten about the guys with their 'Token Men's shelf' attracting boyfriends and hip dads alike!

Clothing includes tees by Brat & Susie, £25 and other independent designers

Sarah specially selects her stock from smaller original brands and the shop has a selection of unique pieces you will struggle to find in other stores. I chatted to Sarah about the pieces in store and she showed me her current favourites, cameo necklaces made by the super-talented Untamed Menagerie. These beauties are priced at £25/ £28 and are delicately crafted with slogans such as 'Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History' and 'Carpe Diem':

A selection of necklaces by Untamed Menagerie, £25-£28

I also enjoyed looking at other items, particularly the well-made and eye-catching tights by Les Queues de Sardines, which at £35 I may have to save for a pay-day treat:

Lightning bolt and Winged design tights, £35 by Les Queues de Sardines

La La Land are official stockists of cult labels and at times even exclusive stockists - colouring books (£7) and paper dolls (£10) by I Love Mel won't be found anywhere else and make great gifts. The store also exhibited designs by fashion illustrator Shona McGuiggan and now stocks gift cards by the designer. The shop is also open to collaborations and keeping local talent involved and there are projects and events planned for the near future. An upcoming project involves designing the shop window, and local artists specialising in fashion illustration/ patterns will be commissioned to design a display for it (which has a prominent placement on Cresswell lane). The store will also be launching its Spring/ Summer 2011 collections very shortly and the sale featuring items from Autumn/ Winter 2010 will continue for the rest of this week.

As previously mentioned, La La Land are always interested in new designers and you can get in touch with Sarah by email (please include photos of your work) or just by popping into the store in person.

Be sure to visit La La Land on your next trip to Cresswell Lane, I promise you won't be disappointed by this brilliantly cute and quirky store.

To learn more about La La Land, or to shop online visit the website
Designers/ contributors can contact the store directly at: info@livinginlalaland.co.uk