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 COLLABORATION WITH MARKS & SPENCER

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Marks and Spencer and Shopping Links

It’s that time of year here in Australia when you want to wear clothes that add a bit of much-needed sunshine to rainy winter days. You want to feel comfortable, but not to comprise on quality and style - because life’s too short to not feel and look good all year‘round.

As part of the uplifting Marks and Spencer  “Life. Spend it Well” campaign, I was given the opportunity to pick out a few pieces from their current collection that inspire to cherish every moment of our lives and spend it well.

As I was browsing through the images I picked up quite a few items that just hit the mark (pun intended).  Did I mention that they now deliver to Australia? 

I love the print of this long-sleeveshirt dress, it’s easy to wear and would be flattering on any shape thanks to the detachable belt, so you can accentuate your waist or go for a looser silhouette. With such a multi-coloured print, you don’t need many accessories – I went with just a pair of simple earrings.  

Outfit details and shopping links:

Dress - Marks & Spencer 

Shoes - Marks & Spencer

The maxiskirt appealed to me for its easy-to-wear all year round vibe.  It looks great with a simple white t-shirt and sandals in summer but once the weather has cooled down, you can wear it with black tights and with the linenpin-striped bomber jacket with cute side pockets.

Outfit details and shopping links:

Skirt - Marks & Spencer 

Bomber Jacket - Marks & Spencer

Shoes - Marks & Spencer

I also chose a couple of very nice dresses and shoes but will save them for the next post

Until then
Anna
XO

Linking up with Nancy Fashion Style, Fashion Should be Fun, Fun Whatever blog, Over the Moon Link Party

WHITE JEANS AND A BLUE SILK BLOUSE FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH

Hello my dear readers and fellow bloggers and welcome to my blog.  

If you have been following my blog, you might recall that a few posts back I shared with you my new white denim jeans and promised that I would try to put together a few different looks by wearing them on several occasions to explore their versatility and diversity.  The occasion which I wore them for the first time was to a dinner party (you can read the whole story here).

Today I am wearing them on my way to a business lunch.  You might be wondering why I am wearing jeans to a business lunch but the reason for it is that I work in a creative environment and nobody expects me to show up wearing a so-called "corporate uniform", besides I wore them to a dinner party before and haven't been shot so no harm in wearing them for lunch, I recon.  I may describe this outfit as taking down a notch from the dinner version but still looking pretty smart.

There are a few ways that you can make your denims look smart, it is what you are wearing them with conveys the message.  For this occasion I put on a blue silk blouse that belonged to my late mother-in law but which she never wore.  

It came to me the same way as her extensive collection of beautiful scarves that I told you about previously and I am not the kind of gal who will pass on a pure silk blouse.  

"

YOU CAN MAKE YOUR DENIMS LOOK SMART, IT IS WHAT YOU ARE WEARING THEN  WITH CONVEYS THE MESSAGE

"

After spending $10 on an alteration, I am now in possession of lovely blouse that I am sure I will wear a lot.

Given that it was a lunch, I refrained from wearing high heeled shoes and instead selected a pair of smart looking block heels shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo worn previously here.

As for accessories, there were a few choices to consider.  First - the handbag.  I didn't want to carry anything that remotely matched the colours of my outfit, on the other hand it is should be of a colour that would harmoniously relate it to the outfit.  Since my shirt has an open neck, I also pondered over few options as to what to wear with it.  

Option one - a neck scarf, option two - a string of pearls or a smart necklace, however I was looking for something that would mirror my creativity so I discarded the former and instead took a skinny scarf that had pink and blue colours in its print and tied it up around my wrist.

After that, choosing a pink coloured handbag was a no-brainer.

I am wearing: white jeans - J Brand; shoes - Salvatore Ferragamo, handbag - Vivienne Westwood, blouse - Jobis, skinny scarf - Hermes.

Linking up with Shellbee on the Edge, Fine Whatever Blog, Beauty by Miss L, Fashion Should be Fun, High Altitude Style

WHO SAID YOU CAN'T WEAR RIPPED DENIM TO THE OFFICE?

Hello, my dear followers and fellow bloggers,

I remember the days when I used to work in an corporate environment and had to wear a so called "corporate uniform" five days a week because the "Casual Friday" policy didn't exist back then.

I am sure that the corporate dress code still dominates the majority of offices but not for me anymore. A few years ago I quit my boring office job and joined the throes of creative unconventional thinking individuals doing something I always wanted to do but never before had the chance to do it.   And although the environment I am working in now is a polar difference to the one I used to work in, in almost every aspect and a lot of the boundaries are very vague, yet I still cannot bring myself to wear raw hemmed jeans or sneakers to the office.  Partially because the habit of differentiating between my Monday to Friday and weekend wardrobes has been instilled into me quite deeply or because my jeans are almost torn in half around both of my knees and could be a bit too much even in a hip environment such as mine.

I did, however, venture as far as wearing a ragged denim skirt to work the other day.  I was very cautious in selecting the other items of clothes and accessories for this outfit so I would not be mistaken for going to a picnic rather than to the office.

First, I selected a white crisp shirt.  This classic wardrobe staple is an absolute bullet proof and
always looks right, besides the white colour adds some luminosity to the skin and thus makes women my age look younger.   

I paired it with my navy tuxedo-looking blazer with black silk lapels that counter-balanced the frivolity of the skirt rather nicely.

The shoes that I chose to wear were a birthday gift from my husband that I haven't have a chance to model  to you yet.  Made by Salvatore Ferragamo, these mid heel pumps are simply adorable. What is particularly great about them is that they are extremely comfortable thanks to the low block heel, yet the spherical ornament and the detail on the heel make them look rather playful.

As for the accessories, while I settled for traditional white pearl set consisting of a pair of earrings and a ring to match my classic white crisp shirt, I tied a bright scarf around my neck to add some panache to the outfit.

Linking up with Shelbee on the Edge, Fine. Whatever, Sydney Fashion Hunter, Glam Adventure, The Pleated Poppy, Colour and Grace, Fashion Should be Fun

,

WHAT I WORE FOR MY BIRTHDAY LUNCH

Hi everyone,

It was my birthday the other week but I was so preoccupied with other things happening around us that it is only now that I have the time to tell you about it.

 It fell on a Sunday and as I had to be in the office early on Monday, my husband decided to surprise me with a birthday lunch just for the two of us.

  

As much as I love being surprised by my husband's actions, I sometimes like to have more information of what lies ahead for two good reasons: number one - to satisfy my curiosity and two - to have some idea of what should I wear for the occasion.  However, as much as I tried to extract more details about the upcoming lunch, the only bit of information I was able to get from him was that the place to which we were going was casual but not too casual, which, as you gathered, was not very helpful.

Luckily, I had just the right outfit for "when in doubt" situation or as I call it "In case of emergency"  - my old time favourite, a wrap-around dress by DVF whose famous quote:"I design for the woman who loves being a woman" always resonates with me.  Even though this particular dress has been in my wardrobe for quite some time, it has never failed to perform its duty.  There is something nice and simple in its silhouette that makes me feel at ease every time I wear it, which fitted the brief perfectly.

Not knowing where we were going, I sat back and relaxed and let my husband drive us through the city until we passed the entrance gates to Ku-Ring-Gai National Park and we were driving along Hawkesbury river, its waters sparkling under the bright sun.  Shortly after we reached the marina and my husband parked the car.

As I looked around, I spotted a restaurant sitting on the edge of the wharf with huge bay windows overlooking the marina, the bobbing boats and the park beyond.  It was called Pilu at Acuna Bay and although I have never been there before, the name of the chef is very well known to both of us - Giovanni Pilu, a Sardinian born owner of the two-hatted restaurant Pilu at Freshwater, loved by Sydneysiders for the bold strong flavours of his country of births.

The restaurant was very simply furnished, so not to distract the diners from the breath taking view in front of them.  The food was absolutely scrumptious, the champagne - cold and bubbly and all and all I had a splendid birthday.

Even not knowing where we were going, I think my low block heel shoes were a perfect choice for the occasion and the venue.

I recently inherited a very nice collection of vintage scarfs and when I don't wear them around my neck, I like to decorate my handbags with them.

And last but not least, my new twin rings that I bought at a shopping mall in one of the accessories shops for the staggering amount of $5 for two, just for the sake of getting a bargain, but when I put them on, they turned out to be a "perfect match".

  

My outfit details:  dress - DFV, shoes - Chloe (seen here), bag - Vivienne Westwood (seen here), scarf - vintage Christian Dior, rings - Accessories

How do you like to celebrate your birthday?  Do you like surprises?  

Until then

Linking up with Fashion Should be Fun, Shelbee on Edge, Nancy Fashion Style, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Fine Whatever, Not Dead Yet Style, Not Dressed As Lamb #willwearwhatilike