IT IS A JUNGLE OUT THERE - HOW I WORE MY ANIMAL PRINT TROUSER SUIT

 Hello dear friends, hope you are doing well.

Two months of spring already behind us but the air is quite fresh and I won't leave the house without a jacket or a jumper to keep me warm.

I bought this animal print pant suit from Zara at the beginning of Spring but haven't had a chance to share it with you.  This style is totally sold out but there are plenty of similar prints are still on offer like this animal print blazer and trousers . I was worried that I will not wear it often enough before the weather really heats up but I was wrong.  

It's 100% linen and we all know the multiple benefits of natural fibers.  The print is quite bold and busy as you can see, so not much embellishment in terms of accessories is actually required so I chose a simple black satin camisole to wear underneath the blazer and just a pair of simple silver earrings.  

Of course, I could've gone all monochromatic but it is spring and I wanted to have fun so I chose red platform shoes that I also bought recently on a whim.  I was in the shopping centre in a gloomy mood and when I saw those shoes through the window of Edward Meller shop in a happy red colour I felt irresistible urge to bring this feeling of happiness home.

The heels are quite high but they are balanced by the thickness of the platform which levels the height and makes them feel very comfortable.  Honestly, I can't even remember when the last time was that I bought high heel shoes, it must've been years.

I recently read an article about what makes French fashionistas look so effortlessly stylish , one of them being that French women prefer not to match their footwear with their handbags, but I like my version of matching accessories so the red shoes and a handbag it is.  

Where do you stand on wearing matching accessories?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo

FLARED WHITE JEANS AND ANIMAL PRINT COAT

Hi everyone, hope you are all well.

The end of August has heralded the official end of Australian winter and with this came the urge to refresh the spring wardrobe.

I didn't mean a total wardrobe overhaul but I wanted a fresh pair of white jeans and maybe some shoes.  From reading the posts of my fellow fashion bloggers, I gathered that a lot of you also love white jeans and wear them quite often.  Last year I purchased a pair of white skinny denims from one of my favourites, J Brand, which you've seen me wearing here and here.

This year I was on the lookout for something different.  Once while shopping at our local department store for something else, I spotted a pair of jeans from J Brand that have some interesting details that made them stand out from the rest:  they were cropped and raw hemmed with flare bottoms that were split on the sides.

I have previously purchased a couple of pants from this brand and I like what they make for good quality, fresh style and perfect fitting.  In fact, in my last post the cargo pants I was wearing are also from J Brand.  They come at a price besides it was in the middle of winter and I was not in the mood for spring shopping yet so I left them hanging on the rack.

A month later when I decided to begin my spring shopping, the main stock was sold out but there were a few odd pairs, the ones that I liked among them, left hanging on the rack marked "Sale" at a dramatically reduced priced tag.  My hands trembling with excitement, I checked them for size.  When I saw that they were my size, I knew that I had to have them, it was meant to be.

While I was thinking of summer outfits that could revolve around these pants, an opportunity presented me with a reason to wear them much sooner.   Sometime ago friends of ours asked us if we would like to join them to go and see a concert called Hits of Motown, the show that "celebrates the most influential era in pop history in a big night of back-to-back Motown hits that will leave you breathless". 

To be perfectly honest with you, I had no idea about Motown is but the idea of going out, seeing your friends and having a good time sounded very appealing and we agreed.  If you, like me, don't know anything about Motown, it is American record company behind the voices of  soul superstars like Diana Ross, Steve Wonder and Michael Jackson to name just a few.

After what I read about this era, I decided that the my new jeans would be perfect for such an outing.  I wasn't sure what top should I wear them with but then remembered that I have a simple boat-cut black top that will be not only will go well with the pants but my newly acquired oversized so called Portrait earring will look perfect against the open neck and shoulder of the top.

I bought them from Gorman, a label very much loved by Australians for its whimsical signature prints and distinctive colour palettes.  While I find the clothes a bit too quirky for my taste, I do like their footwear and overtime have bought a couple of pairs of shoes from them.  The store's window display always draws attention from passers-by for the abundance of colours and prints, myself including, and it was during one of my window shopping moments that I spotted these funky earrings.

 I have never ever owned nor wore anything remotely looking like them before and that was probably the main reason that I bought them.  I finished my outfit with an animal print coat and a fresh pair of shoes in gingham print that I recently bought at Zara.

This print has been one of the most popular prints seen all over Instagram and in blog posts for quite some time and by the look of it, its popularity is not going to abate soon so I am planning to get a good wear out of them.  Besides, the heel is of a very reasonable height which means that I could easily wear them all day long and thanks to the pointy toes, they look elegant enough to be worn to more formal occasions.

As I hoped, my outfit was very well suited to the mood of the concert which, by the way, was thoroughly enjoyable.  A couple of songs that were performed brought back some nostalgia but that did not stop us letting our hair down and we had a lot of fun clapping, tapping and singing along with the people on stage.

Until next post,

Anna
xoxoxo

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

WEARING ANIMAL PRINT PENCIL SKIRT|WIDE SLEEVE TOP AND HIGH HEEL SHOES

I can’t believe it has taken me so long to get back into writing mode.  I have two good excuses though, one - I was away for ten days on a holiday and two – a few days after we got back, I fell quite ill and it took me more than a week to shake off a nasty cold but I have since run out of excuses, so I thought that I’d better get back into it before I totally lose the ability to write something more exciting than a comment on Facebook or Instagram.

As the seasons change, I usually go through my clothes trying to establish my options for the upcoming season:  what will be good, what should be changed and what is this old dress is doing in my closet?  I like to be prepared because as is happens quite often, one day the weather is still cold and you need to wear something warm and the next morning you wake up and it is so hot that you can’t wear yesterday’s clothes any more and you panic thinking, OMG, I have nothing to wear!!!

It is during one of these inspections, that I noticed that the number of multi-coloured skirts and pants in my wardrobe far outnumber the amount of solid coloured tops and I need something preferably in neutral colour that can be worn with almost everything thus utilising my existing wardrobe to the max and I decided to rectify the situation immediately and went shopping.

This time of the year, I am talking Australian spring, the shops are full of new season’s clothes representing all trends and fads possible which makes the process of choosing very difficult and sometimes borderline impossible.  I like to have a clear vision of what I am after, otherwise I would come home empty-handed.   What caught my attention, while wandering from store to store, is the strong presence of warm caramel and earthy tones of neutral colours.  Not only are they very gentle on pasty skin tones (the result of being out of the sun for the last four months) but what these hues lack in intensity and volume are greatly compensated by the richness of textures of the fabric, in the unfinished hems of dresses and tops and thick seams intentionally turned inside out.  

I also noticed the new trend in sleeves:  almost every blouse or top have flared or bell-bottom like shape (just like the jeans I used to wear).   And while the latter looked very hot right now, I was leaning towards something more moderate and more adaptable to my working part of the closet.

Today I am wearing it with my animal print pencil skirt that I wore here.  As for accessories, I find a way to make simple looking clothes look more interesting is to adorn it with strong statement pieces like oversized necklaces, thick chains or bright scarfs.

My choice of shoes for today's outfit is Louis Vuitton high heel shoes that I bought while on holiday in Paris few years back.  Interestingly enough but somehow a pencil-skirt-flats combo does not work for me, hence high heels.

Skirt -  Witchery (as before)

Top - Country Road

Shoes:  Louis Vuitton (I wore them here) 

Handbag:  Louis Vuitton (as before)

Necklace: Gala Curious
Ring:  Uterque

Linking with High Latitude Style, Birdie Shoots, Shelbee on the Edge, Style Nudge, Over50felling40, Not Dressed as Lamb