THREE WAYS WITH SHELL TOP AND DENIMS

Sometime around September last year (the eve of the Antipodean summer), I was looking I was looking for a simple top that I could wear with my denim shorts when I am off to the beach or just popping into local shops, nothing fancy. Browsing the racks of my local Sportsgirl shop one day, a printed shell top caught my eye.  It looked great with my ripped denim shirts and I wore it quite often during the summer months.

But once the temperature began to drop and shorts were packed away till next summer, I started experimenting with my autumn clothes to see if the top could be incorporated into my cool wardrobe and thus would serve me for few more weeks.

As it turned out, not only it looked great with my dark denims and flats during the day, but once I put a blazer over it, replace the accessories, put on killer hills and a grab one of my fashionable handbags, it was immediately transferred from a simple casual good for beach top into an integral part of a smart looking ensemble fit for an office or a dinner party.

BLACK LACE UP SHOES|PENCIL SKIRT|BOMBER JACKET

If there is one item of clothing, or I should say, footwear, that has taken the fashion world by storm this season, it would be lace-up shoes.  I love this new re-incarnation of ballet flats, they are cute, sexy and boundlessly versatile.

While flats are great with jeans or mini skirts, the heels look absolutely gorgeous with a pencil skirt at the office or with a LBD at night. 

The choice is quite extensive and if you can’t make up you mind whether you should get heels or flats, pointy toes or round, suede or leather, black or nude ones, then what you can do is what I quite often do when in doubt.  Providing that the shop offers a full refund on a returned purchase, buy one or two pairs in different styles, bring them home and see how they would mix and match with your clothes. 

Whether you are a woman who likes to wear comfortable shoes no matter what or the complete opposite who never compromises stilettos over comfort, will help you to choose between the flats and the heels.

Being a woman, I also couldn’t resist getting myself a pair of these super trendy, sexy, simply adorable pair of shoes.  It took me a while to work out what type of shoe would work for me and in the end I settled for a pair of block low heel closed toe shoes from Zara.

And it seems that I got the best of both worlds, they are extremely comfortable to walk around in all day on errands, yet look elegant enough to be paired with a pencil skirt and dressy jacket for a night out.

Today I am trying something a bit different: pairing a floral print skirt with a bomber jacket. Usually, more often we see people wear bomber jacket with a pair of jeans or utility pants with a pair of boots, sneakers or other types of sturdy sensible footwear but since this jacket is quite delicate and due to the use of sheer fabric it looks very feminine, I thought it would be a good idea to mix it up with the mid-knee straight skirt and lace up shoes to get this urban look.

Linking with Fine. Whatever, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish

COLOUR BLOCKING

Colour blocking is not one of the hottest trends in 2015 but I still like experimenting with it. 
Firstly, I just love bright colours in clothes and secondly, I also get a lot of fun experimenting with them. 
By definition  "Colour blocking is a method of wearing multiple solid colours, called complimentary colours, together in a single outfit".  

Looking at the colour wheel, you will find them sitting right opposite each other like blue and yellow, for example or purple and green and their vibrancy and brightness are vital if you want to create stunning and strong fashionable statement.

If you feel that this colour palette is too strong to your taste, you can always take it down a notch by settling for less intense hues, known as "analogue colours".  Those are the colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel and belong to the same colour family such as orange and yellow or blue and green.

Simpler still, choose one bold vibrant hue for one item of your clothing and pair it with one of the neutral colours (black, grey, beige or white).  Knowing what works best for you will help you to decided what to conceal and what to attract, for example:  wear a bright jacket and no one will notice your hips or thighs.

Choosing the right silhouette is very important in colour blocking.  To make this combo success, stick to simple shapes and classic silhouettes such as pencil skirts or shift dresses.
Shoes, hand bags and other accessories also play an integral part in this creative process.

Choose your colours, have fun and simply, look fabulous.

Blouse:  Equipment

Skirt:  Karen Millen

Shoes:  Dolce & Gabbana

HOW I STYLED BLACK AND YELLOW STRIPED PALAZZO PANTS

Hi everyone,

They say that you can tell much about a person by the clothes they wear, so if you want to know more about me, look no further because this outfit provides the answer.

Have you heard the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words”?  Well, I think that my palazzo pants in black and yellow strips are a classical example of this proverb.

I do, however, believe that it is worth mentioning that when one piece of your wardrobe makes a strong statement by way of colour, pattern or shape, then when wearing such an item, the other piece should be of quite a neutral colour and simple in design to accentuate the impact of the stronger piece.

Another point worth mentioning it that the accessories should be kept to a minimum and thus allow the palazzo pants to be a highlight of the show, so to speak.

Linking up with Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Fashion Should be Fun