today i love... zips

If you've been following my "today I'm wearing" posts, you'll probably have noticed that I really do rather like a zip. From my black ankle boots to my leather shorts and red cropped jeans, I have a lot of clothes emblazoned with the little metal fastenings, so much so that I often have to refrain from wearing them together for fear of looking like one giant zip (or just a bit silly). Part of the reason I bought my zip-free ASOS leather shorts is so that I could wear them with zip tops or jackets, which I can't do with my zip-tastic Topshop ones. Anyway, there's something I just can't resist about zips, whether they actually lead to a pocket or not. They add a little bit of edge and interest to absolutely any item of clothing, be it a leather jacket, a bag, a shoe or a jumper. They're not too girly, like cutesy buttons, but they're also not too fierce, like studs: they strike a happy balance in between. When I assisted stylist Priscilla Kwateng at the Guardian (very lovely and very stylish), I remember being astonished when she told me she didn't like zips. I couldn't understand how she could be immune to their charms (but it's true, you'll never see zips on the Guardian Weekend All Ages page). To this day I've never met an item of clothing embossed with zips that I didn't love. The selection below shows some of my current favourites on the high street. Some of them are just simple items with a zip fastening; others put zips centre stage. I particularly love the cream leather ASOS dress, the simple Zara sweatshirt with standout zip sleeves and the chunky navy River Island jumper. I also thought the Schuh boots were a pretty good substitute for the sold-out Topshop Ambush ones. Anyway, I recommend you add a few more zips to your wardrobe: in my opinion you can never have too many.