When my baby's walking down the street ...

Warm the cockles of your little heart with toasty shades of red.  The perfect colour to brighten up your day and your outfit.

Left Side Story

If you taste is a little to the left of mainstream fashion, then this post is for you.
No words today, just pretty pictures of some of my favourite local stores and labels.  Enjoy x

Click this image to visit the Leonard St website

Click this image to visit the FAT website

Divine Dior

I am a massive fan of 1940's & 50's fashion, so naturally I have a bit of an obsession with Christian Dior.

Today's post is not about giving you a fashion history lesson, but instead I thought I'd take a moment to enjoy and celebrate the enormous influence Christian Dior had on both fashion and me!  Sometimes it's nice just to sit back and be inspired by people who are a whole lot more talented than ourselves.  Agree?

Want to visit the official Dior website?  Click here.

Dior's debut 'New Look' collection was launched in 1947.  Given that the 'ladylike' fashion trend is nigh, this is the perfect starting place if you need some style inspiration.

John Galliano has been head designer at the house of Dior since 1996, and has maintained the rich tradition of femininity, theater and drama.  Just look at the latest breathtaking Haute Couture collection that was shown just a little over a week ago in Paris.  I dare you not to fall in love.

Want to know more about Christian Dior?  This short trailer gives you a quick overview of the man and his influence. Enjoy x

images sourced from WWD.com / Style.com / vogue.com.au

No Gunn Punn

As much as I love to read, I rarely make the time for this pleasure.  I think this is mainly because when I get into a book, I really get into it, at the detriment of working, eating or sleeping!  Over my mini summer break I picked up a book I've been meaning to read for a few months -  Tim Gunn's 'Gunn's Golden Rules'.

You may know Tim Gunn as the mentor on the US show Project Runway.  He also had his own makeover fashion show called Tim Gunn's Guide to Style.

The reason I like Tim Gunn so much, is that he comes across as a very genuine, kind and thoughtful man.  He has extensive experience in  he fashion industry and has an unpretentious approach to style.

Here are some  quotes from the book that resonated with me ... maybe they will with you too?

"When we look good we feel better.  That's true for everyone.  

You feel better able to tackle the world.  It's not a good feeling going into 

an exam without having prepared, and it's not a good feeling leaving the 

house without having dressed to be around people".

"It's great to look around and find people in movies or books or 

pop culture whose style you want to emulate.  

It's helpful to think of your icon when you are constructing your own personal style."

"You can wear anything as long as you wear it well.  it just comes down to silhouette, 

proportion and fit.  At every age.  You can be in jeans and a t-shirt, 

but you'll look good if you're paying attention to the shape and size that's right for you.  

I purchased this book on amazon.com.  It would make a perfect gift for the fashionista in your life.

Australia Day = Australian Fashion

What better time to share with you my favourite Australian brands / designers than Australia Day.

I say fly the flag and support your local talent!   

Have a great Australia Day everyone x

Thurley

Leonard St

Limedrop

Obus

Gorman

Directory:
Thurley - www.thurley.com.au
Leonard St - www.leonardstreet.com.au
Limedrop - www.limedrop.com.au
obus - www.obus.com.au
Gorman - www.gorman.ws


Do you have a fave local brand?  Why not leave a comment or send me an email and let me know!

Be a Lady

To stay on the nostalgia theme, one of the big trends you will see in the stores and magazines this coming season has been dubbed 'ladylike'.

This trend takes it's inspiration from the 50's & 60's fashion era where women dressed very neat, tidy and well ... ladylike.  And we can thank the popular show Mad Men for this fashion influence.

Do you watch Mad Men?  I watched it recently to see what all they hype was about.  I think I like the sets and the fashion more than the show if I'm honest.    Regardless of my viewing taste, it is fantastic to see normal sized and sexy women on television (especially Christina Hendricks).

To draw inspiration for this ladylike trend, you can go no further than some old sewing patterns from the early 60's.

If you sew, Vogue have some great vintage patterns that will be fun to make and get you right in amongst this trend.  If not, then watch the stores which will be brimming with options very soon.
You can choose to take this trend literally, or as I like to, spin it with your own personal style.  Either way, we are in for a well dressed autumn.

If you are a fan of Mad Men, you may like to make a 60's avatar of yourself like I did here.

Click here to make your own Mad Men avatar

Spring Layering

My sister has style issues when it's 21 degrees.  


She knows what to wear when it's cold and she knows what to wear when t's hot, but she NEVER knows what to wear when it's 21.  


She has resigned herself to the fact that the either goes to work feeling cold or comes home feeling hot.  So my dear Sis, this post is especially for you!


The key to trans-seasonal style is layering.  Being able to layer up or peel layers off as needed, so you always feel 'just right'.


Pants are a great option for trans-seasonal dressing.   A lightweight shirt, cropped jacket and peep toe shoes will get you in the spring mood, and the fabulous trench coat that you bought during winter is perfect to wear in the morning to keep you toasty until the sun comes out.

1. Witchery - Cropped Blazer $189.95
2. French Connection - Flight of Fancy Shirt $149.95
3. Portmans - Wenzel Sateen Skinny Leg Pants $79.95
4. Wittner - Randy $159.95
5. Mimco - Stand Off Zip Top $399
6. Diva - gold bangles $12.99
7. Elk Accessories - Short Plate Necklace $30
8. Marcs - Drop Sleeve Trench $199

Spring ... Are You Ready?

As the seasons change, one thing is on many of our minds ...  what on earth am I going to wear!?  I mean we've just got into the swing of winter dressing and have our layering down pat ... now we have to think about taking it all off and showing off our *gulp* skin!

If you are fashion focused and want to be on trend this spring, look out for these trends:

• Military - everything from pants, tops, jackets and accessories.  Military is also about colour, look for moss greens, eucalyptus and dried herb.  Choose a style that suits you and march off into the sunset.

• Nude - soft shades are definitely a must have this season.  Check out my earlier post Rudie Nudie to see what shade of nude suits you best.

• Shoes on Steroids - the higher the better!  Wedges or clogs are a great option if you have stability issues.  

• Feminine Details - such as draping, ruffles and soft fabrics.  You will find a lot of these styles in great nude shades, hitting two tends at once.

• Crisp and Clean - structured pieces, feminine yet minimalist.  A great trend for those of you that are not so girlie and not loving the ruffles (like me).  

Here are my tips for transitioning into Spring:

1. Raid your wardrobe and pull out everything you wore last spring/summer.  Assess what you have, what fits, what looks great etc.
2. Make a list of items you will need to fill gaps / compliment / enhance what you already have.
3. Search through magazines for some spring shopping inspiration 

If all this sounds too hard, you can always enlist the services of a stylist (me) to do this for you!




Clothing aside, there are a few things we can do to help the transition into the warmer weather. 

1. Look after your skin.  Moistuise & exfoliate regularly in the lead up to spring to ensure your skin is smooth and supple.
2. Feet treat.  Those dry old cracked hoofs need to be sandals very soon, so treat your feet to some TLC in the coming weeks.  Try exfoliators, moisturisers or industrial strength sand paper!
3. Kick off spring with a soft shade of fake tan to give your skin a sun kissed glow.  This will also make you feel a lot better about revealing your arms and legs.
4. Be yourself!  Whatever your shape or size is perfect.  Don't feel the need to crash diet or do a gazillion sit ups .. unless you want to.

Don't Capsule Me In!

Although I like the idea of a capsule wardrobe, the thought of actually only having around 24 items of clothing to mix and match into 40+ outfits scares me to my very core!!  


Capsule wardrobes are great in theory.  I agree with the basic premise that most items in your wardrobe should mix and match with others to provide versatility.  Sadly I adore clothes way too much to limit myself to just 24 or so items ... I mean you're talking to a girl who owns 26 pairs of jeans for goodness sake!  (and .. am in the throws of eying off another pair)!

click here to view product details

(And yes - now that I have put this capsule wardrobe image together, I want everything in it *sigh*)!


Instead of limiting the number of pieces you have, I believe it is far more important that the clothes you have 'work' for you.  For example:

• Each item you buy should be able to be worn for at least 3 out of the 4 seasons.  

• Each item should be able to be worn at least three ways or with at least three other garments.

• Never leave items for 'good' unless they are obvious evening fabric or styles.  Wear  everything!  That dress you think is for 'good' will look great layered with a long line coat and boots!

By making the most of your clothes, you can increase your wardrobe versatility and look like you have a different outfit on each time you leave the house. 

Here's a question for you ... How long can you go without wearing the same outfit twice?  

(Rules: You can wear the same item/s, but not in the same combination).  

My sister's record is 6 weeks.  (Would you expect anything less with me as her fashion boss)!

What's your record?  Let me know via comment or email.  I'd love to know.

Even though I'm not a capsule wardrobe fan, I do , however believe in a capsule wardrobe for basics.  In a future blog, I'll cover all the basic items that I think every woman should have in her wardrobe




Today's Tip:
Never wear the same outfit to work more than once a week (unless of course it is a uniform).  If you are limited with your clothing choices, and have no option but to wear the same pants and jacket more than once a week [for example], then ensure the overall look is different each time.  


The easiest way to do this is with different tops and accessories.

All prices were correct at the time of posting and were sourced from both the web and in-store.