It's not often that I have to find myself eating my words, knawing and taking big bites, but with COS (Collection of Style, H&M's higher-end/quality, minimal store), I have seasoned those words to perfection and I'm taking bites with gusto.  From being skeptical, to easing myself into it, to downright loving it, I've done a complete 180 and though I don't go in as often (blame the Regent Street location - AS nightmarish as Oxford Street I find these days so I'm hoping an online store will come our way soon...), going in today had me touching and stroking and basically wanting everything in the store. 

The irony of it is that I just don't look like a COS customer at all.  Wearing a blue floppy hat, ruffly cuffs and collar and sheer shimmer tights, tasteful Jil Sander/Dries Van Noten-clad Parisians/Belgiums in the store were probably aghast that I was even touching the clothes...

I think their SS08 campaign imagery shows the versatility of COS pieces though, in that because of their simplicity, allowing the all-important details to come forth and be highlighted, adding the odd styling touch such as the red bow, the various net skirts, works favour of the pieces.  Translation for Susie, paying the Topshop-prices for COS, is a better investment in the end as the opportunity to play them up up up are endless and of course wearing COS au natural, has joys of its own.

I spy a bow and structural corset top (it's actually a double layered top....)...

A black netted skirt is adding to the tulle ideas but this one is of a more simple yet effective nature...

Bare and unadorned works too...

Times UK has coined a phrase 'masstige' (as in prestige for the masses.... yes... it sounds stupid but works as a label...), makes COS fall into this category and whilst the article is championing the rise of the Jaeger/Jigsaw/Aquascutum/Reiss 'Go Brits!' lot, if I am going to be joining the supposed 'middle market' because I'm now getting older or quivering my boots about the recession and supposedly spending my money in a wiser way (these are all general trends that are supposed to be happening to us ppl...or so they say...) I'll be getting my fix of 'masstige' from COS.

COS I want it, COS I want it... (hopefully no one else GOT that Bille Piper song reference...)