United Colors of Mmmm...

When I hear the name Benetton the first things that pop into my mind are spotty French exchange students and the UN…neither of which particularly makes me want to buy their clothes, and I feel I’m not alone.  UCB don’t have a great profile here in the UK; when it comes to comfy basics most of us head straight to GAP or Uniqlo, and we have the likes of Topshop and Zara for our affordable on-trend pieces, so it’s hard to see where Benetton with their goodwill-to-all-men-cotton-crew-necks fit in.  Get ready to eat your colour-pop berets though, because UCB are under the new Creative Directorship of ex-Levi’s man You Nguyen, and their AW12 collection is about to challenge all your preconceptions.

Just take these rainbow sandals for instance; tonal colour-blocked, chunky heeled sandals, with a slight platform and a midi-heel – bright and fun, they’re true to the Benetton brand whilst also being utterly delicious and bang on-trend.  They’d look absolutely brilliant with a chino or pajama pant, and super-cute with a pair of socks.

Now, we all know times are tough, and with no sign of summer on the horizon it doesn’t exactly feel like the perfect time to treat yourself to a new pair of summer sandals (especially not ones involving suede), but here’s the thing: At £79.90 these babies are an absolute steal, and what’s more Benetton have a special promotion (called ‘use your head’) on from the 11^th – 20^th May, where they’re giving away a free pair of headphones (see below) with every UCB Adult purchase over £60.  So basically the hard decision is not whether or not to buy them, but which colour to choose….