Cheap Skates: Affordable Summer Sneakers from GAP

GAP is SO good right now. If you haven't seen their latest high summer collection which plays with Americana and the brand's denim heritage, head down to a store soon - new designer, Rebekka Bay (formerly of COS), has brought some serious fashion cred to the US chain.

I've had my eye on these babies since I saw them at the GAP press day a few months ago. They're everything you could want in a summer shoe - they're cute, cheap (£29.95 full price, £24.95 for sale designs not pictured but just as sweet), and comfy; they're easy to slip on, go with pretty much everything and are in the undoubted style of the season, the Skate Shoe.

I can't decide which ones to go for so have settled on all three. Oh, and a matching leather bandana-print pouch because I'm a sucker for a bit of matchy-matching.

Buy in store or online at www.gap.co.uk / www.gap.com now.

Spot On! Paige Denim Polka Dot Skinnies

WANT WANT WANT and in all three colours please. In a new twist on the printed denim trend, Paige have just released these brilliant cropped leg skinny jeans with a fun, all over spot print, available exclusively from Selfridges and www.selfridges.com for £220 each *gulp* 

Charlotte Free Hair Envy & Jeremy Scott x Adidas Originals Hot New SS12 Drops

Jeremy Scott, Adidas, Charlotte Free, trainers with wings - these are a few of my favourite things and here they all are, together, topped off with some awesome star spangled banner hair. It's like my birthday list come to life.

NB. It's my birthday next week folks, so if anyone fancies having a whip round, I'll take any or all of the below. All available from www.adidas.com CHEERS! :)

Left: Adidas Originals by Jeremy Scott stars and stripes swimsuit, £65 

Below: Charlotte Free and her wicked stars and stripes sprayed hair, models the Jeremy Scott x Adidas Originals Jukebox dress, £280 (place your bets now as to how long it'll take for Katy Perry to be photographed in this - not long I'm guessing...)

Top left: Denim JS Wings, £140 (also available in kids' sizes, £72), 

Middle: Super fan tongue Jeremy Scott x Adidas Originals Instinct Hi's in yellow, 

Far right and bottom:  Adidas Originals x Jeremy Scott Wings 2.0 USA, £155 (£72 for kids' sizes)

Below: It's that hair again... Graphic Jeremy Scott x Adidas Originals dress, £85, worn with pink workboots also from the Spring/Summer 2012 Jeremy Scott for Adidas Originals collection.

PRINT JEANS - SO RETRO, SO NOW

These wicked new print jeans have a great late 80s/early 80s vibe.  I particularly love the Current/Elliott leopard print skinnies in pink or mint (above, £200 from Net-A-Porter) which give you a 2 for 1 on the trend front thanks to their bang on SS12 ice cream colours.  If only I could still fit in my rose print pastel jeans from M&S that I had in school, from the days when I bought clothes by age rather than size... (blurry old pic complete with Dash sweatshirt and German exchange student, below!).

High waisted chain print boyfriend jeans, £40 from ASOS.

Monochrome geometric print 90s style super skinny jeans, £40 from River Island.

Tripp NYC leopard print skinny jeans, £60 from Urban Outfitters.

Sass & Bide 'The Archetype' feather print skinny jeans, £215 from ASOS.

Roberto Cavali Python snake print purple jeans, £480 from Selfridges.

Pink floral rose print skinny jeans, £40 from River Island.

Superslim animal print jeans with ankle zips, £19.90 from Mango.

And a very blurry old pic of me (second left) in my favourite old M&S rose prints...

YES PLEASE! JEREMY SCOTT X ADIDAS S/S 2012

He's not everyone's cup of tea but Jeremy Scott totally does it for me.  next installment in the quirky LA-based designer's ongoing collaboration with Adidas Originals includes the now iconic JS Wing trainers which  have been made over in a faded 90's style denim with gold stitching (above) for Spring / Summer 2012.

The furry teddy bear trainers loved by the likes of Lil' Wayne and Kanye have gone feral with aggressively cute gorilla heads or leopards with tails this time - an interesting development for the leopard print trend! 

Retro hip hop fat (phat?) tongue hi tops have more of a mainstream appeal while the stars and stripes winged hi tops for all the family are just too cool for school.

These preview pics, courtesy of Sneaker Freaker, may show shoes that aren't available for another 12-18 months but personally I'm pleased cos it'll take me that long to save up for them all!