Thursday 17 December 2015

shades of blue


What else is there to do when you have heat dehydration, from getting too sunburnt and not drinking enough water, and are stuck in bed for the day, than to write a blog post!

I could do a big december post on what a great year it's been but you could probably read that on every second blog out there. So I've decided to do another colour crush. This month I'm going to go with a shades of blue, but very specific ones. 

limpet shell blue, serenity blue, snorkel blue, indigo blue

These shades of blue all sound ridiculous but they do put an image in your head of the exact colour. agreed? I mean we could just keep going and say 'IKEA bag blue' or 'Mitre 10 blue'...

Blue has that feeling of relaxation and calmness and during the silly season it's the best time of year to take some time out to relax and regenerate.

So next time you're out Christmas shopping keep an eye out for different shades of blue. Let me know if you come across of any other shades I should know about. 

Also a side note - have you noticed that you rarely see any blue cutlery or crockery? Apparently it is because blue is a de appetising colour so it sends your hungry feelings away (well so they say)!








ps: now go and drink a big glass of water because being dehydrated sucks.

Monday 30 November 2015

victorian blouse


So the word 'blouse' is not a word that we regularly hear, or if we do, we imagine something very old fashioned. This is now not the case. The Victorian blouse is making a comeback - and so is the word 'blouse'!

This trend particularly refers to the white blouse. Key words with the victorian blouse include 
- frills
- collars
-buttons
-sleeves
-cotton
-linen

The Victorian era is typically from 1837 - 1901. Ending with the death of Queen Victoria herself. This type of look became popular in Britain during her reign, and I've noticed that it has been making a resurgence. I expect we will be seeing more of it in 2016.

Everyone can pull off this look you will just need to add some personal touches to it. Whether its ripped jeans, over the knee boots or just some statement jewellery. Up to you. 

Enough with the history now lets some see some photos:







Monday 26 October 2015

tile print



So as the warmer weather has begun and we have all panicked and forgotten everything we wore last summer, it is time to start again and this is what I'm loving for the coming months.

The sort of print I'm crushing on is the 'tile print'. You know the one - Portuguese - Italian - Pomegranates - Mediterranean - Lemons... these key words ringing any bells? There is just something about this particular pattern that I'm really attracted to. I think it's because the inspiration for these clothes comes from little seaside towns, warm weather, Mediterranean fruit and it just makes me want to go travelling again.

Brands like Tigerlily and Dolce and Gabbana are all known for their patterns and tile print. If you still don't know what I'm talking about then look at the photos below.

This summer it's time to forget those denim shorts and cropped tanks (thank baby jesus), and make room for printed shift dresses and big flowy tops - well that is what will be in my wardrobe anyway. This really is the time of year to embrace colours and patterns. I know we all have those safe little black and white dresses, but I think it's time to make them plan c. Buy that patterned maxi, or those aqua floppy shorts - you know you want to.

Colour gives you confidence. It is a conversation starter and you will stand out. Trust me that the people around you will be annoyed at themselves for wearing their 'old faithful' when they see you looking banging in your green tessellated jumpsuit.






















Thursday 3 September 2015

pumpkin orange


So Spring has sprung and I'm in the mood for a little bit of colour.

It has been an exciting past few weeks as I finally left the nest and moved out! I've moved away from my family home into an apartment in the city with two girl friends. My list making obsession really paid off and the pros definitely out weighed the cons. I never thought I'd become so excited about rubbish bins and kettles!

But that aside - when I transferred my clothes from A to B I noticed that everything was basically black white or grey. I love colour and I even surprised myself that there was so little of it. So a new colour crush has slowly been brewing and I've called it pumpkin orange. It is basically just orange just less fluro and more well.. pumpkin

It looks amazing with white and even better with denim. Definitely going to be a dominant colour in the coming warmer months. It's actually really easy to wear because everyone can do it, even if it is just that fluffy pom pom on your handbag.

So I've decided that I need more pumpkin in my wardrobe and less in my risotto!








Wednesday 12 August 2015

the leather jacket


This is something that has been on my 'to find' list for a few months now and as I’ve been told I can be pretty impatient (especially whilst driving!) so finally finding this was very exciting. As you can probably tell from the title I’m talking about a leather jacket.

When I went to Europe in June I thought perhaps I would find it in Spain or Italy, but their styles were too plain Jane and weren't what I was looking for. I was after a motor bike style but with less chunky detailing. 

Everyone definitely needs a leather jacket in their wardrobe and I can't believe I haven't owned one before now! The more I ask around I notice that majority of my friends own one and wear them all year around. They are the perfect transitional piece from day to night, from winter to summer, from jeans to a dress.

Now you're probably assuming that my jacket is black... and you're right! I do love the tan ones and even the dark green ones but well black is black - also black is boring said no woman ever!

So I went to Melbourne last week to surprise my Aunty for her birthday and of course as you do in Melbourne, you do a bit of shopping. I found my jacket in Nique. It's a gorgeous soft buttery black leather with black hardware. Nique is also an Australian brand based in Melbourne, so I think its always good to support local buisnesses. I do love the West 14th ones and the Nicholas ones, but they are right up there in price and when you’re just about to move out of home like I am, those jackets are literally 2 months rent! 

I think it was meant to be - me finding this jacket - because it was the last one there, in my size and it was on sale and then I found $50 in the pocket (the last part isn't true!). 

So lets cut this short - here are some of my favourite ways to wear 'the leather jacket': 









Sunday 12 July 2015

navy and green


I have a new favourite combination and no it's not vegemite and cheese but that stuff is truly wonderful!

It's the colour combination of navy and green (but not just any green, it has to be a vibrant or emerald green, not khaki green because nobody has time for that colour anymore..). This is actually really easy to wear because everyone already owns something navy and then just add a green clutch or even a scarf to do the trick.

Now I'm sure you are probably wondering how I came across this splendid combo. Well as you might not know but last month I was travelling around Europe and short story short I bought a dress in Cos (see below) and ever since I've noticed these colours popping up around the place.


This was such a good purchase, I basically wore this dress every second day (I did wash it I promise!) An A line t-shirt dress with a pop of colour is ideal for evening or day time - the perfect dress really! It did come in white as well, but I thought that might be a little risky, even my napkin trick couldn't help me!*

So these are some of my favourite navy and green combinations:







*the napkin trick is where you tuck one corner of the napkin into your top and then the bottom of the diamond shape underneath your plate and viola you have a little dip that catches all your food. Yes I am aware - never do this on a first date, my friends have told me!! But then again isn't that better then a pasta stain on your pants... shut up Stella. 

Thursday 25 June 2015

traveling trends

So this is exciting because I'm writing a blog post from Spain!
As I'm away for the whole month of June I didn't want to skip a post so I've decided to write about the trends that I've noticed from each country I've been to. 

In Ireland the first thing I noticed was how well dressed all the men were! Compared to back home anyway. For me shoes are a deal breaker (always judge a guy by their shoes) and whether they were desert boots or some form of Nike or Adidas sneaker or a boot, they always looked presentable. 
Everywhere we went there was about 5 men's shops to 1 women's shop and as a result the women looked pretty damn plain!

In England we were only in London and to be honest we probably didn't see that many locals because London in the summer is probably 80% tourists! We went into all the main shops but I can buy much of the same brands at home or online. What was huge was 70s suede flare style and denim, lots of denim. It's interesting the first time but then after 15 shops of the same stuff it is frustrating. And with the pound being double the Aussie dollar it really wasn't worth it. 

We then went to Paris for the day as usual the women all looked very well presented. Lots of short bob cuts and espadrilles.

We then made our way down to Spain and I instantly saw a difference in the shopping. Especially in Madrid there are many more boutiques and local shops. Sunglasses are everywhere in masses. There are no cat eye shapes anywhere (I know this because that shape suits my face), so I've had to settle for round ones which I actually really like. There are lots of mirrored styles which I personally dislike but they look groovy on the right person. They are also quite small so anyone with a big face might need to opt for a different style. 

We then went across to Portugal and to be honest I didn't really get a good chance to go shopping as we were on a tour but we didn't get stuck in a rain downpour and had to run into an accessory shop (how convenient) and there is the usual tacky crap but also cute tassel necklases and dainty woven pieces. Another good thing about this area of the world is the markets. Amazing baskets and mosiaics, a little awkward to bring home but definitely worth it if you have the room.

Our next stop was Tangier in Morocco. The thing that stood out to me (apart from the seedy staring men) was Birkenstocks. They were everywhere and all the kids were wearing them in a range of colours from orange to lime green. I should have bought mine in Tangier they would have been much cheaper!

Our next stop is Italy so I'll have to keep you posted on the Italian trends. We need to be ahead for this summers trends. 

Ps: sorry no photos xx

Monday 18 May 2015

travelwear

'Travelwear' aka Airport style. Yes this is a thing.
For me travelling has always been a favourite, not just for the destination but for the experiences in between. Yes I'm talking about the free eye mask and moist towelettes.

In exactly 14 days my friend and I will be jet setting off to Ireland, England, Spain, Portugal and Italy. For the past 2 months I have basically been thinking and deciding on what to wear on the aeroplane. My work friends will tell you that everything I buy is "for the plane".

The airport is one part of travelling where you can't look like a local. So one must adopt their own style and follow the trends and tips for 'travel wear'.
Which I believe are as follows:

1. Wear your heaviest or biggest shoes on the plane. No, I don't mean those clogs or flatforms but your  sneakers or boots.

2. scarf will be your best friend. It will fulfil your every need. It will do its duty as a scarf and also act as blanket when wrapped around you. Then rolled up it will take the form of a pillow. It will also catch all that falling food from the pathetic plastic excuse of a fork. It will act as a light switch when all you want is some darkness. It will also take the form of your perfect man and I'm just kidding but fly without a scarf and you won't be laughing.

3. You WILL need comfy pants. Under the umbrella of comfy pants comes - nike leggings (or any leggings for that matter black or grey. None of this printed tie dye shit). - attractive track pant (preferably a dark colour because good luck getting that greasy chicken stain off light pants when that turbulence kicks in). - baggy jeans (seriously don't wear skinny jeans).

4. Layers will be your new favourite word. From leaving Tasmania to arriving at your destination you will experience multiple temperature fluctuations. Getting on the plane is normally a hot flush as you're excited but trying not to bump the person in front of you. Then when you finally work out if you have a window or aisle seat you will need to take your first layer off as you don't want to be all caught up and flustered, and you will want a spare layer for when you have a cold flush (which will be after the first meal and you feel settled enough to watch a movie but you're half way through and you realise that you don't even like the movie and that you're cold). Then you sit down and realise that you want to set yourself up, so first you unpack your magazine and water and put it in the seat pocket in front, then you want to get your book out as well and then maybe some lollies and oh wait maybe some gum too. Then you put your bag back under the seat and start to play with the screen in front of you *oooh it's free, oh wait - there's the credit card slot, oh but the guy next to me seems to be listening to music how did he do that? Oh wait that's from the arm rest*. Then you will get the "excuse me, I think you're meant to be sitting in 15A not 15D." So yeh you will need layers for your hot flushes.

5. You will also need the biggest handbag/tote bag you can find. This will be your second suitcase. You will put your valuables such as electronic equipment and a spare outfit just in case your suitcase goes missing. I don't even want to imagine the consequences.

This seems to have been a long blog post so I'll stop there and show you some of my favourite 'travel wear':