"50" SHADES OF GREY AND MIXING PRINTS

Hi everyone,

There is an interesting thing about clothes:  you buy an item of clothing that is hot right now, wear it a few times and the next thing you know, it’s become old fashioned overnight; and, on the other hand, there are clothes that can outlast many trends and fabs and somehow never looked dated.  I am not talking about statement, timeless pieces such as a classic YSL smoking jacket or black pumps or a LBD, I am talking about simple pieces of clothing, in my wardrobe anyway, that do not belong to any particular era, fashion craze or trend, their style is unidentifiable and thus with the help of right accessories and other fashion elements, could be easily adapted to a current trend.  That is probably why, every time I think of saying goodbye to them, I change my mind because deep down I know they would come back and I would wear them again.

Case in point, the pants that I am wearing today.  They have been in my wardrobe much longer that I care to remember, I would say they are circa 2009 and yet here I am in 2016 modelling them to you. 

If you ask me to describe the pattern of the fabric they are made of, I would say it has a tribal pattern or I could say it has a very distinctive geometric pattern or its palette is a combination of strong, bold colours, depending on what the fashion magazines are calling hot right now.

They are held by a drawstring rather than a belt which not only makes them very comfy but also provides me with the option of adjusting the waist size depending on my current weigh that goes up dramatically while we are on holidays or after extensive partying.  That and the wrinkle free light fabric are the reasons that they were in my suitcase on our recent trip to Bali.  It is amazing how the colours blended with a beautiful Bali sunset.

They have that easy-going vibe and whenever I cannot think of what to wear; I instinctively reach for my “tribal pants” and some loose-fit t-shirt.  Today is not a hot day and so I needed to add a couple of layers to keep the chill off.  I also wanted to play with different patterns within the same monochromatic grey colour range.  And for that reason, I chose a scarf with big circles pattern in monochromatic hues.  My cardigan that I bought at Bondi Markets last season is also one of those loose-fit, non-descript garments that could easily be worn anywhere anytime.

I think these long bohemian-looking earrings are a perfect match to this outfit

A of ballet flats and aviator "sunnies" and I am off.

I am wearing:  pants - BCBGMaxazria , t-shirt - Boss Orange, shoes - Michael Kors, bag - Gucci, sunnies - Chanel, cardigan - Lounge, earrings - Bondi Markets

Linking up with:  It's all Fine.  Whatever Takes Your Fancy, Sydney Fashion Hunter, Two Peas in a Blog, Living on Cloud Nine

WHAT I WORE TO A GALLERY OPENING

Hi there,

A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail containing an invitation to view a new collection at the art gallery called .M Contemporary.  I had no idea of how they came in possession of my e-mail address but the invitation sounded rather nice, snippets of the artist’s work looked rather promising and even though we were not hunting for any art at the moment, we thought it would do us no harm to attend.

The work was of a South African artist, Michael Taylor, and my husband who is also from Cape Town was quite interested to see his painting and so we accepted.

I cannot say that I have been to many openings during my life and have never circulated in art circles but somehow I felt that some sort of an unwritten dress code was expected from the attendees. Due to my lack of exposure to this world, I was not quite sure what dress-code is required for such an occasion but I had a hunch that staying away from denim and sneakers would be a good idea.  I also didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard and so I opted for the world best known, all-time favourite, “cannot do wrong” every respectable woman’s staple – a black dress.

Ever since my daughter came from holiday in Europe and showed me some clothes she had bought from the store called Cos, I wanted to have some of it.  A quick visit to their web site revealed that unfortunately they were not shipping to Australia.  Until one day, they just came over to OZ and opened their store first in the Sydney CBD and later on in our local Westfield Shopping Centre.

Their clothes remind me a little bit of a Calvin Klein style:  minimalistic, monochromatic with clean simple lines and understated elegance.  And because of its “simplicity”, almost every piece on the rack is boundlessly versatile and with a little help from certain accessories can be easily transformed from the office attire into a night-out outfit.

My first purchase from them was the above mentioned black tunic dress. It looked quite simple when I picked it up off the rack with very little detailing except for two hidden side pockets and a thin white trim running along the seams but that is what attracted me to it.

Having such a simple silhouette as a blank canvas presents a lot of options on how this dress can be worn, depending on the occasion, the time of the day and the style of my look.  And once that is established, all it takes is to choose the right shoes, handbag and accessories.

ACCESSORIES HAVE THE POWER TO TRANSFORM YOUR LOOK DRASTICALLY WITH MINIMAL EFFORT

Going back to my story, I was after the style that could be described as subdued bohemian chic that I thought would quite suit the occasion and for that reason I chose a monochromatic black and white palette.   Using a scarf with huge black and white dots all over it as a necklace, I wrapped it around my neck so it looked like a collar and to match it, I put on an oversized cuff bracelet in white with a random black ink dots pattern (seen here).

Short blocked heel boots (seen here) added some edgy feel to my look and a long black coat completed the look but when I checked myself in the mirror, I felt that my outfit looked rather sombre for the occasion, so I decided to add an element of fun to it by mixing up different patterns and swapped the black coat for a knee high one in animal black and white print. 

Dress:  Cos

Boots:  Bianca Buccheri

Coat:  Jane Lamerton

Scarf:  High Tea with Mrs Woo

Cuff:  Dinosaur Designs

And so we went.  As quite often happens in life, when you don’t know what to expect, you end up having a great time.  We thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, the hostess was most gracious, we met a bunch of interesting people and we felt like we belonged.   We also like a couple of artworks by the other artists on display and I have a feeling that my husband is planning to get one for our upcoming wedding anniversary.  Time will tell.  It is in July so I will keep you informed.

Have you experienced a similar situation when you were invited to an affair out of your usual environment?  And how did you handle it?

Until then.

SUMMER ESSENTIALS - CAPRI PANTS

Hello again, everyone

I trust that you all had a fantastic Christmas and are gearing up for New Year!!!

Ours is going to be quite modest due to my husband’s heart operation which he had in September, we don't want to go anywhere which is remotely crowded or too noisy.  So we are planning to have a fabulous dinner with our friends at a restaurant called Monopole and we will watch the fireworks from their apartment overlooking the Harbour Bridge.

Now that Christmas is over it does not mean that we, in OZ, stop partying.  There is still New Year to come and as summer is in full swing in the Southern Hemisphere, we, Australians spend a great deal of time outdoors eating, drinking, swimming, sailing and generally having a ball.

And what is one the great fashion staples that is perfect for summer weather?  The answer is a pair of Capri pants.  I will be honest with you, I have never been a big fan of short pants.  I have seen so many women wearing these type of pants that did not suit them that I quite often felt tempted to ask why would they wear such unflattering clothes?  

Then one day I walked into a Trenery store and saw a pair of white linen Capri pants.  Actually, I was looking for regular white slacks but I saw these and decided to give them a go.  As is my common practice, I brought them home and then spent the next hour mixing and matching them with what was in my closet to see how they would work together.

Mixing and matching is a lot of fun, it is a great skill that becomes better with practice.  It helps to utilise the contents of your wardrobe to its maximum capacity.  Once you have mastered it, you will be surprised about how many different looks you can create and how many various outfits you actually own.  Not to mention that is a very practical way to save money and time so you don’t have to look for a new dress every time you received an invitation to a dinner party.

Following wise saying that, "a picture worth is a thousand words", I decided to take a different approach to writing about fashion and instead of just telling you what type of pants you should or should not wear, etc. (cyberspace is clogged with websites giving women this type of advice, so that there is nothing new left to add) but rather I will share with you some images of my take on Capri pants. I sincerely hope that they would give you some ideas and inspiration on how to wear yours.

However, if you have any questions to this post or any of my previous publications, please drop me a line and I would be more than happy to help.

On this note I wish you all a fabulous New Year and I will see you again in 2015!!!

Until then

Black and White is always trendy

Pants:  Trenery

Shoes:  Senso
T-shirt:  Sportsgirl

Sunglasses:  Ray Ban

Elegant shoes and smart jacket will change the look from casual to chic

  

Jacket:  Zara

Shoes:  Miu Miu (as before)

Bag:  Coach (as before)

With the help of an oversized tunic and contrasting shoes I am ready to rock 

Top:  Prada

Cardigan:  Sloane Society

Shoes:  Chloe

Keep it simple and let the accessories do the talking

T-shirt:  Trenery

Shoes:  ZaZou

ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES - SHOES AND HANDBAGS

Hi there, my dear readers,

Today I would like to share with you my thoughts on beautiful extras - shoes and bags.  They have the ability to transform your look drastically and with minimal fuss, from a casual day time look to evening glamour but try to reverse the scenario by pairing a swanky dress with plain casual shoes and the wrong bag and the result is a disaster.

As Rebecca Miller once said: “Like most girls, I understood from an early age that shoes are magic vessels”.  And I totally agree with her, I strongly believe that good shoes and handbags are the best investments that will carry you over many fads and trends always looking stylish and fashionable.  You don’t have to wear expensive clothes with good extras.  Better to wear higher quality shoes and a cheaper dress.  When the shoes and bag appear classy, no one ever assumes that the clothes are down- market.

Shoes speak volumes about your personality and your taste; shoes and bags in vibrant hues instantly spruce up your basics and take a muted monochromatic look into a completely new level of fun and creativity;

If you, like me, love to wear high heels, indulge yourself.  The added height lengthens you and gives your calves a toned look.

Whether it is to treat yourself or to simply boost your mood, buying an awesome piece of footwear is a fabulous thrill – and it will look great on any figure!!!

An awesome pair of shoes are girls' best friends

 

Shoes:  Dolce & Gabbana (I wore them here)

Shoes:  Ted Baker (I wore them here)

Shoes:  Chloe

Handbag:  Naomi Levi (I wore them here)

 Shoes and hand bag:  Luis Vuitton (I wore them here)
 

An injection of vibrant hues add new vibe to black and white colour scheme



One dress -  two different looks (accessories is the key)

HOW TO WEAR BLACK AND WHITE

My love affair with the dresses continues (see my earlier posts) From vibrant and exciting bright colors to a classic and sophisticated black and white monochromatic palette, I simply can’t get enough of these garments.  

Dress:  Zara

Boots:  Robert Clergerie

Bag:  Louis Vuitton

Monochrome is a trend that timelessly carries on from season to season, it looks marvelous on its own, works beautifully with an injection of a bright colour (colour popping is the term, I believe) is added and screams with confidence when mixed and layered with different patterns. 

Dress:  Zara

Boots:  Midas

Coat: Jane Lamerton

Bag:  Louis Vuitton

Of course, time of the day, an occasion or just the mood you are in right now should be considered when choosing the outfit and accessories but no matter what you opt for, choose the one that works for you and wear it with pride!!!

Pants:  Glassons

Shirt:  Zara

Shoes:  Repetto

Coat: Jane Lamerton

Pants:  Trenery
Top:  Sportsgirl
Shoes: Senso

Jacket:  Lovers
Pants:  Sass & Bide
Shoes: Repetto

Pants:  Glassons (as before)
Top:  Seed
Shoes:  Miu Miu
Bag: Coach
Necklace: Bondi Markets

Pants:  Sass & Bide

Top:  Marcs

Shoes: Midas

Pants:  Sass & Bide

Top:  Marcs

Shoes: Midas

Bag:  Georgio Armani

Jacket:  Saba