Can you teach an 'old' guy new style?

I've talked before about how guys don't 'get' fashion. This is particularly true in my workplace. I work for a manufacturing company and the guys there feel the same about fashion as I do about the knowing the inner workings of a car engine; couldn't give a rats and think even less of those that do. For example, at our last Christmas party, the invite said smart casual. The executive assistant who had planned it was wearing a LBD, a sparkly pink cardigan and heels. The factory guys were wearing stained boardshorts and ripped t-shirts, and not in a 'I'm a rocker, its on purpose' way. We were lucky they had gone home to shower first (and I'm not even too sure about that!).

Musings of a fashionista - Project 333, Can less really be more?

     Have you heard of Project 333? 33 items of clothing for 3 months . The general gist is you only have 33 
items in your wardrobe (including accessories, shoes and jewellery (!) but not including underwear, sleepwear, house clothes or gym clothes) and every 3 months you re-assess your stored items and select 33 items for the next season.Just the thought of it terrifies me. 

When I first heard about people having only 33 items in their closest I dismissed it straight away as crazy and not for me. I write a fashion blog, I have to have heaps of clothes right? Fashion is my thing, its what I do. Being minimalistic is just boring, surely. It took me a couple of days of thinking and reading the original blog post I had seen for me to start to consider it and ask myself some questions. Why do I have so many clothes but nothing to wear? Why do I put myself through the frustration and time-wasting of rummaging through huge piles of unwanted clothes to find an outfit? Why do I insist on putting quirky, ‘occasional’ pieces in my main wardrobe in the hopes that I will start wearing them when really they are just in the way and confuse me more?

Comfort vs Style

I love high heels. Towering, stompalicious, sculpted stilettos. The higher and sexier the better. Well... in theory that is. I love the look of them, what I don't love is the feel of them. I think I have high arches (or more likely, I'm just a sook with a low pain threshold) but I cannot wear the super high heels I love for more then a few tentative steps around the shoe-shop. Even in the high heels that I do wear, which are never over a 3-inch heel with a comfortable angle, I'm still generally complaining within the hour. My man has now taken to giving me an ultimatum whenever buying new shoes, "If you buy those, you better wear them and I don't want to hear you whinging about how sore your feet are!".

It's the same (though to a lesser degree) with clothes. If something is tight or scratchy or it rubs, I will be ripping my skin off in a matter of minutes. I actually left my sisters's wedding earlier then I would have otherwise as the synthetic lining of the dress I was wearing was sticking to my skin in the humidity and driving me insane!

So maybe it's just me? I think I have particularly sensitive skin, either that or once again I'm just a sook, but I need to make sure I'm comfortable before leaving the house for any lengthy period of time. Of course, there's a line, if I really wanted to be 100% comfortable I'd get around in track pants and ugg boots 24/7, and clearly I don't do that (not most of the time anyway)!

So where is your line. How much pain will you put yourself through for a great shoe or outfit?

Shoe Heaven, now I just need to learn to deal with the pain!

The upside of wearing an ugly work uniform

I really haven't been shopping in months. I have been a very good girl and have been saving my pennies and just living vicariously through blogs and magazines. I must say, since getting a work uniform a year ago, I haven't felt nearly as often that I have 'no clothes!'. I think that's because when you wear clothes daily and use your everyday clothes as part of your work wardrobe, you quickly become sick of them. I now find that I often think 'I love that and haven't worn it in ages' probably because I really don't have many opportunities anymore to create outfits. Which I think just makes me enjoy it more and put more effort into it when I do get the chance.

It also makes shopping a whole lot more fun. Gone are the days where I would scan a cute shop for things that would be work appropriate. I now can buy whichever fun and frivolous things I want. No dress codes or conservative bosses to worry about. How exciting!

This week though, I ventured to the shops 3 times in 4 days (!) and came out with some great finds that I will post throughout the week. As much fun as it is to discover new things in your existing wardrobe, it can't ever top the fun of a shiny new thing to take home with you!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Do you have any new buys or finds to share?

Some of the fun and frivolous things I could buy if I so desired. Not an office-appropriate blouse or court shoes in sight!

The anti 'classic' wardrobe - Wardrobe essential? Not for me.

I have spoken before about 'the classics'. Essential pieces that 'fashionistas' are always telling us we need. I don't know why, maybe I'm not stylish enough, or old enough or just doing it wrong but these pieces never work for me. I have a great classic white shirt. Since I stopped working in a corporate office? I haven't worn it more than twice in as many years. Tailored black pants? Ditto. Boot-cut jeans? Can't stand them. (It may be my body shape but I don't get how people can think normal jeans are comfortable, they are like torture to me. That's why I am so in love with my jeggings but more about that later).

A few years ago I did what I thought was a sensible, fashionably mature thing to do. I bought a lovely neutral trench coat. I really liked it and thought it was a great investment piece I'd have for years. I was right, I have had it for years. And hardly ever worn it. I don't think I get the point of a trench coat. They generally aren't very warm so don't work for serious coat weather and I think they look silly as a light trans-seasonal coverup as they are so long and serious. Wouldn't a cropped blazer, cute cardigan or denim jacket look more appropriate and just generally cuter?

When I first bought it, I loved it so much and didn't see the point of only wearing it from home to the work foyer that I convinced myself it wasn't outerwear, it was part of my outfit and as such I could keep it on all day. So I did. I wore it buttoned all the way up over jeans for casual Friday at the law firm I worked at. I remember one of the partners giving me a strange look as he asked, "Isn't that for outside". "No", I responded with all the self-assuredness of an eighteen year old who thinks she knows everything "It's part of my outfit!". But after constant comments all day (a lot coming form young, well-dressed females who really did know what they were talking about) I realised they were probably right, I did look ridiculous.

So, from that day forward, my classic, wardrobe-staple trench has sat in my cupboard only to be allowed out occasionally for a few minutes over a dress, from car to resturant. And I think a blazer would have looked better.




Question of the day: "Do you have an item of clothing you thought you should buy and then have never worn? What 'classics' do you think should be scratched off the list?"

They always look so go on the runway and in magazines

The downside of being a fashionista with too many clothes

There is a task all fashionistas must get around to eventually. Cleaning out the wardrobe. Or in my case a double clothes rack, a chest of drawers, 2 suitcases and half of my husband's hanging space. So you can see why it's not my favourite task. Still, I try to do this at least twice a year and at this time of year it makes perfect sense. The seasons are changing and with it the weather. It is no longer comfortable to get around in a thigh grazing sundress and beaded sandals at 7pm. And as those suitcases contain my winter clothing, stashed during the warmer months, I need to sort out my currently displayed floaty dresses and shorts (contained on my rack and in my chest of drawers) to make way for blazers and jeans.

So where to start? Let's start at the beginning, a very good place to...ahem. Sorry Julie Andrews, there's too much sorting to do. So, I just dumped the contents of my drawers onto the floor. I then sorted the clothes into 5 piles; 1)Keep 2)Keep but not for the public eye (ie gym clothes, pjs, singlet tops to slop around the house in), 3)Get rid of, 4)Store for next summer and 5)Wash then keep. I then went through my clothes racks, suitcases etc sorting them into the same piles. Once finished, I put my summer clothes and other items to keep but not for daily use (ie formal dresses) back into the suitcase for storage. I then put all the 'to wash' clothes in the machine including all those that had been stored over summer to freshen them up. I sorted the 'get rid of' pile into those to throw in the bin and those to bag to give away either to friends or lifeline. 

When all those piles were out of the way and I could see most of my floor again, I got to the important (and largest pile). To keep. I folded the basics; singlet tops, long sleeve t-shirts, leggings and work pants and stored those in the chest of drawers along with the 'not fit for public pile'. I then put all the items I wanted on display on hangers and hung them on my clothes rail with pants, tops, skirts and dresses grouped together. 

It now feels cleaner and more organised and by going through my clothes I have re-discovered some buried items and have some fresh ideas on how to wear them. So look out for some revamped outfit pics coming soon!

BEFORE - THE DISASTER ZONE

AFTER - ALL NEAT AND ORGANISED

Cracking the (dress) code - what to wear to: a wedding

So you have to go to a wedding and you are wondering what to wear. "Oh, I know" you think smugly to yourself "I'll just wear a dress. One item of clothing, Easy. Done. Right?" WRONG. Have you BEEN dress shopping lately?

The choices fall into 3 categories: A] Ball-gowns and wedding dress (best not to look like you're trying to upstage the bride dear) B] Casual summer dresses, either hippie maxis or cotton sundresses (jeans would look formal next to these, maybe not the look you were going for) OR C] Butt-flashing, shiny, garish clubbing dresses. Hmm, options not looking quite so hot anymore.

Thus my dilemma when looking for an outfit for my sister-in-laws wedding. I spent an hour in a dress shop trying on everything in sight. Every dress failed miserably. Too much white - can't upstage the bride. Too much black - this is not a funeral. Too much knicker-flashing action - Grandma will be there, have some respect (and some class!). Too much crushed taffeta and teal - this is a not a prom, leave that to the bridesmaids. Hmm, no more dresses in the shop. Fail. Back to square one.

Slightly disheartened and annoyed that my shopping prowess couldn't unearth even ONE gem in that hideous shop, I rallied and moved on. One step through the next shop-door and there it was. THE ONE. Love at first sight, marry me now. Just please PLEASE don't be $300! Check price tag - $79, do-able. DONE! And what was it that had me reaching for my wallet without a doubt in my mind that this was THE dress before I had even tried it on? The magic dress, wrap twist dress, convertible dress... call it what you will its pure-genius. A stretch jersey, knee length floaty skirt with two giant triangle pieces on top to do with what you see fit. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen? Well with a bit of practice and imagination (and a quick search on youtube) you can have dozens of dress options at your fingertips, all without a degree in origami. The best part is that I had another wedding to go to a couple of weeks later and I knew that, with a different type of wrap and a change of shoes and hairstyle, I would have a completely different outfit all without spending another cent or another torturous afternoon scouring the shops! I've definitely found my dream dress. I think we will be very happy together.

When I grow up....

There’s an advertising rep for a radio station that keeps popping in to our office and trying to convince us to buy ads. She is officially my new girl crush. She always looks perfectly polished in wide leg high waisted tailored grey pants and feminine but polished floaty tops and blouses teamed with sky high heels, a slicked back bun and flawless makeup. She’s the ultimate career barbie. She looks perfect and untouchable but at the same time friendly and approachable. I wanna be her!

You know the funniest thing though, when I mentioned it to the guys at work, they all said they weren’t that impressed by her. This once again shows just how differently men and women perceive attractiveness. I don’t care though, I still want to dress like her when I grow up!

Bye bye black, hello colour!

The unthinkable has happened. I think I must have amnesia. Or a new personality. Gone is my urge to try on and buy everything black, white, grey and denim. Instead, I now walk past anything that isn't a solid jewel tone. Hooray! Colour has arrived! The fashion world has finally decided to let us be bright and colourful and fun! In the past I really wanted to buy something that wasn't BLACK but I honestly couldn't find any colour in stores that wasn't red or aubergine. Yuck, they don't count as brights, just are just different versions of neural in my opinion (probably because I'm not very fond of either colour).

But with colour blocking on trend this season, I have managed to buy lots of gorgeous brightly coloured pieces of clothing and shoes (oh the shoes!). I will post my various coloured outfits bit by bit or you may all have colour overload and go have an fit from all the flashing colours!

I have had a lot of fun mixing, matching and clashing my outfits and I think I've had pretty good results (most of the time). And as I have so many neutrals in my wardrobe already, I have lots of basics to pair my new flashes of colour with!

This outfit is one of my favorites. Especially the shoes (shooooeessss!!). I have also paired this skirt and shoe combo with a royal blue top and it looked great.

So keep an eye out of my colourful posts (you won't be able to miss them if you try!)

And, welcome to summer :)

The non-classic classics

You would be hard pressed to open a fashion magazine or read an interview with some sort of 'fashion authority' without hearing that worn out phrase 'fashion classics'. Generally these include; Boot Cut Jeans, Crisp White Shirt, LBD and in recent seasons the Black Leather Jacket.

BORING. Yes they have their place but a) we already know, you've told us a thousand times and b) so does every other woman on the planet and we don't want to look like clones!

The solution? The non-classic classic. How about slim black pants or skinny cargos instead of blue jeans, a little royal-blue or red dress instead of black (again), and ANYTHING in the place a crisp white shirt! (Which by the way, is an oxymoron in itself. How long does a Crisp White Shirt actually stay crisp after you put in on? All of about 5 seconds!)

The point is, I think people should start to use their imagination a little and step out of their comfort zone. Fashion is nothing if not for fun! I myself have to work at doing this as it is so easy and comfortable to stick with basic black and grey, and jeans and t-shirts. Last winter I was looking for a leather bomber jacket to be my new fashion go-to. I was planning on doing the sensible thing and buying a black one that would go with everything but when I set eyes on a pale-pink cropped leather jacket, all sensibilities flew on the window and I knew I MUST have it! So I bought it and wore and it and loved it but would only wear it in with outfits specially designed around the jacket (read: boring denim and black).

The beginning of this season as I started looking for winter options, I found myself wishing that I had bought a black jacket instead that would be more versatile and I could just throw over anything. Then I thought to myself, suck it up, you've paid good money for this jacket and you love it, stop being such a fashion scardey cat and just wear it! I so I have. I have worn it over a blue and green floral print dress, blue tops and lots of things i 'shouldn't' and its looked great. Or so I thought, and mine's the only opinion that really matters anyway!

Shop outside the square

Do you ever get sick of finding the same thing in EVERY shop you walk into. Or at least a very similar version. I have actually found identical tops in two shops in the same shopping center, one twice as much as the other. Which proves it definitely pays to shop around. But this fashion incest has more impact then over-inflated prices. It means that you see the same items on everyone and you also get sick of the 'trends' very quickly. The remedy for this? Try shopping in somewhere you don't expect. I actually found the best black shorts I have ever bought at Best and Less for $22. Bargain, and no one would ever know. Other great places to try are op shops (as previously mentioned!), and markets. Last Friday night I went to the Southbank markets and found some great buys in the few stalls I went to (I got there just as they were closing, otherwise I would have gone to ALL the stalls, I'm sure my husband was glad we ran out of time!)

My first find were 50% silk dresses in a one size fits all, long draped style, belted at the waist with a coloured ribbon. The colour and print choices were gorgeous, much more exciting than my usual black, grey and denim colour pallet. Then on to a stall that stocked retail brands but really interesting styles. I wanted to buy everything there! Maybe it was the yummy Turkish food in my belly, the warm summer night or the tiredness brought on by it being 10pm at the end of a long week but I bought something I swear I never would. I bought a playsuit. Not that I don't like them. I have often looked longly at butt-flashing strapless cotton playsuits and figure hugging jumpsuits but convinced myself they wouldn't work for my body type. I have obviously found a magic one. It may be the dark colour (yes, it is a black base, I'm sorry!) or the vertical print but it actually hides my stomach and is quite flattering. And I think I look very cute (I'm just avoiding asking males and non-fashionish females for their opinion at risk of smashing the illusion!) Judge for yourself, and remember to shop out side the retail square.

Dressed to impress ... who?

So who are we dressing for? Males, other females or ourselves? For me I'd say a little column B, a little column C. True, I am married so I don't really need to impress the boys but that doesn't mean I want them to think I'm a boring old married woman either. The main reason that I dress for other women and myself (as I have always done even when I was single) is that guys don't get fashion. You may think you look amazing in a sharp shouldered jacket, harem pants and chunky wedges but they probably think your stuck in the 80's with those shoulders, hiding a nappy under your floaty pants and wearing some sort of podiatrist ordered foot apparatus. Not exactly the look you were going for. So why don't they get it? Because men are primal creatures and if they had it their way we would all walk around al-la Eve, and in lieu of that, wish us to wear as tight and as few clothes as possible. Case in point, the only time I ever asked my husband to take clothes somewhere for me I ended up with a too small, WAY too short denim skirt I only ever wore around the house, and this was to wear at his parents house! Needless to say I stayed in my work clothes.
Example number two - yesterday at work when one of the guys from the factory told me the pleated shirt dress I was wearing made me look pregnant. Gee, thanks.
So what are the options? Either give into their desires and walk around in corsets and hot pants or stuff them, wear what we want and look FABULOUS (If only in our own minds). I know which one I'm choosing.

One skirt, four ways

What do you have nothing to wear but can’t really

afford to buy new clothes? My advice, step away for the shopping center, put down your wallet and have another look in your wardrobe.

The key when creating your wardrobe is to buy pieces in neutral colours that can be worn in various ways. That way you can use one item to create multiple looks. This may take some time and creativity but that’s part of the fun of fashion.

I have a long stretch black flowy skirt that has a band

that folds over at the top. Because of the stretchy nature, it can be worn in many positions, across the ribs, at waist height, on the hips or even as a strapless dress. This makes it extremely versatile and it is always fun making up new combinations of pieces and different ways to wear them. My favorite way to wear it is with a cami tucked in and belted at the waist. I also recently knotted the bottom of the skirt to add interest. This season, maxi skirts are hot so I will also be wearing it lower on the hips maybe even with a baggier knit over the top.

So by looking in my wardrobe, I have created 4 new outfits all without a shopping trip, or a guilt trip.

The go-to dress

I was chatting with a guy from work at my Christmas party about the dress I was wearing (poor guy, how'd he get dragged into that!) and he commented that his sister often tried on a lot of outfits trying to get ready for a night out but when nothing was working she at least always had her go-to dress to fall back on. Slightly distracted by the fact that a straight male was actually having a conversation with me about women's fashion, I laughed at him then asked him to elaborate. Turns out his sisters idea is true, I had just never thought of it that way.

We all need that little dress in our wardrobe that will work when we have 'nothing to wear!'. Not too casual and not too dressy, the go-too dress can take you anywhere and always looks great doing it. Simply change your accessories, shoes, hair and makeup to change your look to suit the occasion and you'll fit in anywhere.

I have just re-discovered a dress that had been buried in the back of my wardrobe and it has immediately become my go-to dress. In fact I have already worn it 3 times in 2 weeks and have felt great in it every time. So when everything in your wardrobe makes you look like a bag lady don't go to the shops, go to your go-to dress.

Magic Shoes

Magazines often advise you not to buy anything that you don't fall in 'love at first sight' with but I tend to disagree. Many a time I have bought something I just HAD to have then have taken it home to find it doesn't fit well or the colour clashes with everything I own. Other times, I have ahmed and ahhed and have finally decided to buy something and it has become a 'can't live without it' item.

Case in point, for my sister's 40th birthday bash, I was looking for a pair of heels to go with a strapless, floaty white maxi-dress. I dragged my sister around the shops for hours trying on peep-toed pumps, stomalicous crazy-high platforms and even high-heeled desert boots. I kept coming back to a pair of low-heeled, tan gladiator-style lace up peep toed shoe-boots. I wasn't totally convinced as they weren't a style I normally went for but they looked good with the dress and were comfortable so I decided to go for it. Now, 4 months on, I wish I had bought two pairs!

I have dubbed them my magic shoes. The heel is low so it is actually possible to walk in them without shooting pain with every step (shock horror, heels you can walk in!) but somehow they still miraculously manage to give your legs that high-heeled boost rather than looking like an old-lady wedge. They are also the most versatile shoe I have ever owned. I have worn them with the above mentioned floaty dress, above-the-knee cocktail dresses; a black high-waisted maxi skirt and floaty white top combo; skinny cargo pants and even a fitted knee-length strapless denim dress. And to make it better, I get compliments almost every time I wear them. I went to buy another pair the other day and they were only $20(!) but they only had size 10's left. Tear.

So the moral of the story is, don't judge a shoe by its cover.

Oh and if you find something you can't live without, buy two!

I can't wear that it's just not 'me'

I can't wear that, its just not 'me'. How many times have you heard someone say that? I don't want to try that dress on, its not 'me'. Or, you can have this top, the colour just isn't 'me'.

True, some things just aren't suited to us, and its good to know which styles and colours work and which don't but if we are honest, isn't it sometimes just a fear of being out of our comfort zone?

Some people get so caught up in a certain look or style that they think suits them and then that's it. One look for always. Doesn't that get boring? Fashion is something to have fun with. Yes, its great to have failsafe outfits for days when you press the snooze button a few too many times or just can't be bothered caring (which I have to admit is pretty often for me!) but its also important to make sure you don't get in a fashion rut.

What we wear has a big impact on how we feel about ourselves, whether we think we are 'into' fashion or not. It can even impact our moods. For example, I have a certain sister (not mentioning any names :p) who can't bring herself to wear black or a lot of dark colours as it makes her feel sad. True story. If you open her wardrobe you will see white and light gray for as far as the eye can see with maybe a few bright colours thrown in, in an attempt to break up the white!

So if a dark colour can make you feel depressed, surely wearing the same outfit day in day out can have an affect on your self esteem. So why not mix it up a little and step out of your self-imposed uniform once in a while. Who knows, it may just change your life.

Matchy Matchy

I remember as a child my mum dressing me in a top and bottom made out of the same fabric, which at the time, was totally normal. You often bought a top and skirt that matched. But those days are long gone. Nowadays, the only acceptable way to wear two pieces of a set at the same time is when its a suit. Everybody realises this (mostly) and you would be hard pressed to find a matching set these days outside of an op shop.

However, another type of over matching has come to my attention which is almost as bad and actually more obnoxious on the eye. And that is colour matching. For example, I recently observed a lady wearing black cropped pants and black platform heels with a bright orange top and matching bolero, orange hoop earrings, orange bangles and deep red lipstick. Colour overload! It was quite startling to look at.

I remember a time in my teens when I was really into bright colours and used to do the same - hot pink top, pink shoes, pink earrings AND hot pink eyeshadow?! Everything had to match. But I was 15 and could pull off looking like a candy store because I was... well 15. I now realise that less is more and have become so comfortable in my neutrals (black, gray, white, silver) that I have to make myself put on colour. From one extreme to another I suppose.

So I think the moral of the story is, there's nothing wrong with colour, but you know what they say, everything in moderation. At the very least, use a few different colours to break it up. Or risk looking like Paris Hilton.

Oh maxi dress, my faith in you is restored!

Since the maxi dress became 'huge' (literally and figuratively) last season, the trend has been going downhill - fast, at least in my eyes.

The retail world and general public obviously disagree. In fact, you can hardly find a store these days that stocks a dress that doesn't either flash your knickers to the world (micro mini) or become a makeshift street sweeper without your consent (maxi).

However like all trends that finally make it to the masses, after a season or two it has been interpreted in so many ways and so many 'cheap and cheerful' (read: just cheap) fabrics and styles it becomes totally overdone.

Such is the current situation and the reason that, despite loving my maxi dress last year, I now recoil whenever I see ANOTHER ONE one in a store or, gasp, on an actual person!

Sorry to those that are still wearing said dresses, but unless it is a very rare and tasteful maxi (these are usually lovely evening dresses that because they are floor length get tainted with the 'maxi' brush), I always feel that people wearing them look worse then unstylish, they look unimaginative and they never seem to match the dress code, whatever it is.

Today however, the impossible was realised, I found the last remaining fashionable maxi dress! It is from Idego (who coincidently are having a sale, you should get yourself there pronto) and is a white, grey and black abstract print. The thing that sets it apart from the 50 billion other maxi dresses out there is the style of the top. Instead of the masses of shirred strapless, triangle or halter neck varieties available, this is racer-back with thick straps. The racer part is open in the middle and buttons together at the back of the neck. Simple, stylish and best of all, different.

So don't mock me and my maxi, we'll be at every party this season.