Fashion

VERY CUTE

a brit fast-fashion chain invades america with ’60s staples.

by faran krentcil

The term "British Invasion" was first used on TV by Walter Cronkite. It was 1963, and he was describing The Beatles' startling success on the pop charts - and the teenage screams that followed. We've gotten lots of Brit Pop infusions since then - The Rolling Stones, The Clash, Annie Lennox, Kate Moss, Kate Winslet, Simon Cowell, Emma Watson, Morrissey, Robert Pattinson, Alexa Chung, Madonna in the early 2000s - but the original Sixties vibe remains youthful, iconic, and something we still want to worship. That's why we're so psyched about Very.com, a massive UK shopping site that's open to Americans starting this week. Nestled among the thousands of outfits is a capsule collection by Fearne Cotton, a British TV presenter who's like a weird hybrid between Gwen Stefani and Luna Lovegood. (Although unknown in America, Cotton's been a boldface Brit since her teens, when she won a contest to host London's version of The Mickey Mouse Club. Her most recent TV gig was covering the Royal Wedding; she also reports entertainment news for The BBC.) Cotton's current heap of Very.com items are very Carnaby Street, circa the Help! album. There are tons of graphic mini-dresses, tweed capes with nearly obscene hemlines, sweeps of chiffon, and little heeled booties. There's also Cotton herself, posing in velcro-curled blonde bedhead with vinyl-colored cat eyes. We're sort of in love with the entire clump of clothes on the site, and since they're all - all! - under $120, we might be able to buy a few pieces without worrying about a trend overload. On that note, to avoid looking like a Hard Day's Night costume assignment, you might want to pair these clothes with a modern topknot or ponytail and Doc Martens... You can also just break out the white eyeliner and Kinks records and go with it, as long as you promise not to start saying slang words like "bird" and "bloke" and "minger." ("Fetch," it goes without saying, is also completely off limits.)

Shop the collection online!