MY TAKE ON PASTELS AND NEUTRALS

Hello everyone,

Hope you are all well.

If you are a regular reader, you know my love of bold prints and bright saturated hues.  Today, however, I have decided to steer away from my usual path and go in the opposite direction towards pastels and neutrals.

The reason behind the change of heart is quite simple.   This year we are going on holiday to, among other places, Southern Italy and I was reviewing my wardrobe to see if  I could blend in among the locals taking an evening stroll along the promenade in Sorrento.

Scrolling through my own Instagram feed, I’ve noticed that the majority of my outfits express quite an intense look due to my penchant for bright colours and bold prints that somehow may look a tad harsh under the soft September sun of the Amalfi Coast.

So I decided to break the pattern and discover a softer side of me and put together few looks that include soft pastels and neutrals which presented quite a challenge in itself since I knew that my wardrobe is quite limited in this department.  

Avoiding the impulse to run and buy any new clothes before the trip but determined to embrace the challenge, I decided to make do with whatever I could find in my closet and voila!

All the pieces of this outfit have been modeled on my blog before but usually paired with something of a more distinctive colour or print and not necessary all together.

The Pale Dogwood blouse, according to Pantone 2017 Colour Chart, was worn by me here, the Island Paradise block heel shoes from Max & Co - here and as I was throwing the dusty pink jumper (seen here) over my shoulders, I experienced a tinge of regret that I don't own one in pale yellow that would be perfect to make a full circle of a pastel palette.  However, since shopping while on holidays is part of the experience, I could buy it on the spot.  Meanwhile, the pink one will have to do.

As for my accessories, I chose a tan leather belt, my old off-white LV handbag and a scarf that I believe is expected to grace women's head or neck when they are in an open car driving along the  Amalfi Coast.  I settled for a scarf in a matching colour with my shoes.

I think it completed the outfit rather nicely.

As for my white denim jeans, you have seen me wearing them here, here and here just to name but a few.


When I checked myself in the mirror, I was genuinely surprised and pleased with the outcome.  Well, maybe technically not all the colours of my outfit can be described as pastels and neutrals but it was a start.

 Have you ever tried to wear something different to your usual style?

Until then,
Anna
xoxo

Linking up with Andrea from The Blended Blog, Nicole from High Latitude Style, Dawn Lucy from Fashion Should be Fun, Jacqueline from Styling in St Lois, Patty from Not Dead Yet Style and Rena from Fine Whatever Blog

MY FIRST CUSTOM MADE SKIRT

Hi everyone,

Hope you all have had a good week.

For this post I've decided to change gears and, for a change, to write about clothes that I didn't buy off the peg but rather had sewn by a tailor just for me, hence the skirt I am wearing.  I had it made for me when we were on holiday in Bali last year.  I don't remember ever going to a tailor in Sydney to have my clothes made to measure as quite often it is more expensive than buying ready-to-wear but it is quite customary for Australians to have our clothes made while on holidays in the countries like Bali or Thailand since it is only going to cost us a fraction of what we would pay back home.

My husband, for example, due to his non-conventional body build, always encounters difficulties when he is on the hunt for a new suit or a pair of dress trousers without having a serious and costly alterations and always looks forward to going to Bali, not just to have great time but also to have his wardrobe re-stocked with freshly made-to-measure suits, pants, dress shirts and sport jackets.  Many years ago on our first trip to Bali, we were taken by our driver to one of the many tailoring shops, Anika Taylor and have been going back to them ever since.  They provide  an excellent and highly professional service and their final product is always of top quality.

What else is good about them is that they work very fast and by the time your holidays are over, your newly made clothes are pressed, packed in plastic bags and delivered to your hotel or villa by their driver.

"

THIS SKIRT WILL GO PERFECTLY WITH A LOT OF COLOURS DEPENDING ON MY MOOD, TIME OF DAY AND THE OCCASION

"

We stayed in Bali for 5 days and on the day we were leaving my husband was packing a brand new suit, a pair of trousers, a sport jacket and a couple of dress shirts.

I on the other hand have no problems in buying clothes off -the-peg but when I spotted this fabric at the tailor's shop, I instantly became attracted to it and decided to ask them to make me a skirt out of it.  On a close inspection I discovered that this fabric is made of real silk that is smooth and very nice to the touch and  I liked that the multi coloured floral motif is printed on a dove grey coloured background that makes each hue stand out.

This means that this skirt will go perfectly with a lot of colours depending on my mood, time of the day and the occasion.  If choose to wear something bright,  I would pick up one of the colours from the print and pair the outfit with a nude or dark solid coloured shoes.

Alternatively, If I want to have some fun and I will opt for a bright coloured shoe like today, and then my top would be of a more conservative colour such as black or dark grey.

Not wanting to make things too complicated, I settled for a simple straight style skirt with not very high slits on both sides and let the print do the talking.

Linking up with Patti from Not Dead Yet Style, Cherie from Style Nudge, Jess from Elegantly Dressed and Stylish
Till next time,
Anna
xoxo

LONG LIVE PANTS TWO WAYS

Hi everyone, hope you are all having a good week.

If you are a regular reader, you shouldn't be surprised at seeing me wearing yet another bold print outfit. 

While my fellow bloggers who live in the Northern hemisphere are looking for clothes that they can wear in Fall, we, Australians, can hardly wait for summer to arrive which is hopefully not to far away.  

So I would say it is high time for us to revise our summer clothes and make the necessary adjustments, in with the new, out with the old, hence these new Long Live Pants from Sass and Bide.

As my husband rightfully observed, I do have quite a few pairs of stripy pants in my wardrobe but I somehow managed to convince him that these are "the same, same but different". 

It is not just the bold print that caught my eye but also the way these pants are constructed.   The stripes are not just running all the way down from the waist to the hem but are interrupted by the chevron-style panels that are in turn divided into front leg splits generating movement within the wide leg design. They also fitted with an elasticated waistband that could come pretty handy after a couple of drinks or a heavy dinner.

As I always expect my clothes to be versatile and adaptable and I knew without a doubt that they would look great worn casually with a plain t-shirt and a pair of flat sandals, I wanted to see if I can get more out of them.  So I put them to the test.

For the first, summer look, I paired them with a white sleeveless top with a knotted detail at the front and a pair of Dolce and Gabbana slingback shoes in bright orange colour that have been in my possession for a few years but never failed to attract attention and have earned quite a number of compliments.   

In the last few weeks I have noticed a significant number of blog posts and Instagram images containing outfits and footwear in orange colour.  I think it just shows how many of us, present company included, love the presence of this vibrant hue in our wardrobes and rightfully so as this colour is associated with meanings of joy, warmth, sunshine and happiness.

You might heard me saying before that  good shoes can make or break an outfit and having a good pair or two of great shoes should be considered as an investment that over time will deliver you the best return.

In my second test I wanted to see if I would be able to up-scale the pants into the more elegant outfit  by adding a light touch of elegance and sophistication in the form of long string of faux pearls, a long sleeve silk blouse and a pair of DVF kitten heels and I think they did well.

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I think my newly acquired pants passed the test with the high score.  With a little effort I achieved two different looks that I will be able to wear on multiple occasion.  Both of them, however, have a a common link-  my fashion style and personality.

Which look do you prefer and why?  Please let me know

Until then

Anna

xoxo

Linking up with Fashion Should be Fun, High Latitude Style, Nancy's Fashion Style, Not Dead Yet Style, Style Splash

I AM GIVING A COLD SHOULDER

Hi everyone,

For a reason unbeknownst to me, I was not going to just jump into the trend of cold shoulder tops except recently, while walking through the maze of shops of  the Westfield shopping centre, I spotted this bright red blouse with a floral detail hanging in the window of  a Witchery store.

If you are regular reader, you know how much I love bright colours and boldly patterned prints and I just couldn't walk past this top and not at least try it on.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Made of a smooth fabric with a white oriental flower motif print all over and with a ruffle detail around the cold shoulder, there was nothing that I didn't like about it.

Moreover, what is so great about this blouse is that, while being a major trend this season, it is still so versatile that it will look great paired with great basics from my capsule wardrobe collection (read about it here) for the evening as well as with a pair of skinny jeans for an every day look like today.

I am wearing it with my new black skinny jeans and quite an old pair of red shoes for the pure joy of the colour impact however, if I am pairing it with something more elegant, I would choose shoes in a less obvious colour, black or nude should look nice.

Until then,
Anna
xoxo

Linking up with Fashion Should be Fun, Sizzling Towards Sixty, Not Dead Yet Style

ADD A COLOUR PUNCH TO A CLASSIC BLACK AND WHITE

Hi everyone,

I love shift dresses and this one is one of my favourites.  It has an easy feel about it, suits almost all body shapes and thanks to its strong monochromatic print does not require much accessorising.  Made out of thick cotton, it is perfect for Sydney's winter.  I usually wear it with thick black leggings under a warm winter coat.

Today the temperature has climbed up a little and I was able to ditch my warm coat in favour of a much lighter version and take a nice stroll through the park with my husband.

This coat is one of my favourites because of its print:  while its colour combo of black and white speaks of timeless elegance, its animal print carries a totally different message, telling the world that the women wearing this coat likes to have some fun with fashion.

Last Saturday while sitting in the hairdresser's chair waiting for the hair colouring to take effect and flipping through a home styling magazine, I came across an image of a beautifully decorated living room with the comment underneath saying:

"

START WITH THE TIMELESS BLACK AND WHITE, THEN ADD PUNCH AND PERSONALITY

"

 and although that comment was referring to a room, I can't see why it could not equally be applied to fashion.

Once I've read what I wrote, I  realised that this post is rather short but hey, sometimes a picture worth a thousand words, right?

I am wearing a dress from Zara, coat from Joan Lambert, boots by Robert Clergerie, handbag by Coach.

Until then

Anna

xo

Linking up with Shelbee on the Edge, Fine Whatever blog