Hot on the Highstreet Week 41

The days of natural fibres are long, long gone... and the highstreet stores are cashing in on cheaper, more versatile materials – goodbye cotton and silk, hello nylon and viscose. And as prices continue to rise, quality takes a tumble. I can’t stand wearing clothes made from synthetic materials, I find them itchy, hot and sticky and aesthetically incomparable to the real thing. Washing-wise they are usually easier, but are prone to shrinking and changing shape, leading to disappointment.

It breaks my heart to see so many tacky materials filling the rails in popular stores like Topshop and French Connection, and while others may continue to waste money on their unnatural garments I refuse to. Okay, rant over. While browsing for shoes in Topshop the other day I came across a gypsy yellow silk shirt, made from, believe it or not... real silk! Faded and delicate, with sweet tassle detailing - I instantly adored it.

Overjoyed with my unique find I rushed to the nearest mirror to try on the beauty (see picture above). I sampled different sizes but decided the largest 14 would suit my needs best: I could wear the shirt as a loose summer top, perhaps over a bikini or with denim shorts. Assuming it would fall within the usual £30-40 price range, I took the shirt to the till, ready to forgive Topshop for all its viscose sins.

“That will be £70 please, would you like a bag?” Horrified I turned away, I just couldn’t justify spending £70 on a shirt in Topshop, no matter how pretty and soft. So that’s where the dream ended, and I left Topshop empty handed. Weeks later I am still dreaming about that pretty shirt, impressed that Topshop have at least one naturally made garment. Not worth the price, but a beautiful top if you do feel like splashing out on a highstreet treasure.

Buy here.