HOW I STYLED MY NEW SKINNY CROP JEANS

Hi everyone,

Hope you are in good spirits and are keeping well.  The last couple of weeks were hard for me, I lost my brother who had been battling Alzheimer's decease for the past 6 years.  It was a terrible loss for the family but probably a blessing for my poor brother.

The news about the corona virus has been exacerbated by the fact that our regular grocery shopping has turned into a hunt for survival doesn't help to lift my mood.  I swear, I haven't seen supermarket shelves so empty since I left Russia 30+years ago.  First to go were the non-perishables, like toilet paper and paper towels and basic staples like rice, pasta and sugar.  Now people are buying and freezing perishables, like mincemeat, sausages and cold meat cuts.  

And tough luck if you have a headache because all the non-prescription pain killers are gone from the shelves too.  Unbelievable.  I called my girlfriend in Odessa, my home town, and she offered to send me some toilet paper and whatever else I need.  If back then someone would've told me that one day our roles would be reversed, I would never believe it and yet here we are.

But enough of that, let's talk about OOTD 😃.  I have been a devotee of JBrand jeans for a very long time, there is something about the cut that even when I wear the most tight ones like these high rise skinny crop jeans, I feel very comfortable.  Up until now all the jeans that I bought from them over the years have been in one solid colour so this busy print is new for me.  I bought them during the summer season but it was too hot to wear them until a couple of weeks ago when the temperature dropped and I moved my shorts to the back of the closet till next summer.

I think that despite the fact that the print is quite busy, I can easily dress them up or down and wear them differently depending on the occasion.   Today's occasion supposed to be lunch in the upscale restaurant in the city where we were meant to meet my husband's friends from the USA.  Sadly, in light of the current state of affairs all around the world, this lunch as is their trip, went out of the window but "the show must go on".

You have seen me wearing this linen blazer before here, I am so pleased with it, I wear it with everything from jeans to silk skirts.

The top is quite new too, I couldn’t pass it for its sunny happy colour, it makes me smile just looking at it.

The D&G shoes, on the contrary, are so old that they might fall under description  "vintage" but I love them so much, I will wear them till they fall apart.  I wear them a lot, last time seen here.

The last but not least, please take a closer look at my earrings.  They are custom made from seed beads by a friend of mine who is extremely talented and everything she makes looks stunning.  I also asked her to make me a bracelet which I will show you when it's done.

Outfit details:  Blazer:  Massimo Dutti, top - Witchery, jeans - JBrand, shoes - D&G, handbag - Bulgari

Stay healthy, active and keep in touch with your family and friends. ☎☻

Anna

xoxo

This post was featured on Links à la Mode fashion roundup by Independent Fashion Bloggers.
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THINKING OF ITALY

Whenever I see linen, there is something about this light natural perpetually wrinkled fabric, that instantly transfers me to summer in Italy.  Italians, both men and women alike, are obsessed with wearing linen clothes and you have to give it to them they do it so well.  

This whole outfit, minus shoes, was bought when we were on holidays in Tbilisi last year. We were just walking along Shota Rustaveli avenue, a wide elegant looking main thoroughfare of Georgia's capital named after a medieval poet, passing one big department store after another until in one of the big front windows I saw a sign for Massimo Dutti and stepped inside.  

The reason that I did that was very simple, while we in Australia have the representation of almost every major world known brands, this one has never made it to our shores.  I came to like this brand when I first saw it at one of the airports while travelling around Europe a while ago.  Although Massimo Dutti originates from Spain, for me their clothes represent the true essence of Italian fashion and lifestyle.  Because we were in Tbilisi at the end of European summer, all the stores were having massive last season sales which suited me perfectly since it was the end of Australian winter and whatever I would buy now, will be perfect for our spring season.

My first choice was a pair of easy-fit linen pants in an off-white colour with very thin black stripes that don't show up well on the photo.  On the next rack I spotted a linen blazer in a slightly darker colour also in stripes and underneath it was a blouse that I liked too so I scooped all three items and marched to the fitting room to try them on.  

I actually liked the fact that the pants didn't match the blazer as I was not looking for a suit in the first place and I am sure each of them would work with other clothes in my wardrobe, i.e. for a cooler day a pair of jeans could be paired for with the jacket and a contrasting coloured t-shirt over linen pants will complete a summer outfit.

As for the blouse, I like its abstract print in deep blue with accents of browns and purple blotches, a-la Jackson Pollock 😊 and again, it will look great with a pair of blue, white or black jeans.

My handbag is a birthday gift from my husband from Furla.  I like this brand and now have three of their handbags because their leather goods are of high quality, stylish and affordable.  

As for my footwear, while the sneakers, predominantly in white, are going strong in Australia, somehow Italians, especially men, prefer loafers, so choosing a pair of them by Italian brand Tod's was fittingly appropriate.  

A quick update on a dining table front.  It is arriving this week so stay put for the images.  If you have no idea what I am talking about, it's all in my previous post that you can read here.

OUTFIT DETAILS

Pants, blouse & blazer :  Mossimo Dutti

Shoes:  Tod's

Glasses:  Valley

Handbag:  Furla

WHAT I WORE TO A HIGH TEA PARTY

Hi everyone, hope you are doing well

A while ago my husband and I received an invitation to a High Tea birthday celebration that was taking place at the hosts house and the dress code for the party was "smart casual".  

Well, the "smart casual" dress code is considered by many to be rather tricky as there are as many interpretations of it as is the number of people who have made an attempt to adhere to it.  My take on this code is as follows: "Avoid being over or under-dressed because either way you will be sticking like a sore thumb" and thus the recipe to succeed lies in finding a perfect balance between casual and smart elements of your outfit.  After careful consideration of the above, here is what I wore.

I started with the casual.  I think you would agree that nothing looks more casual than a plain jumper worn over a pair of tan slacks, worn with a linen jacket in a similar neutral colour.  I can't even begin to remember how long these slacks from Zara have been sitting in my wardrobe.  

I bought them in Europe many years ago when we didn't have Zara shops in Australia at all and unless someone who travelled to Europe and came back with clothes bought at one of Zara's boutiques, we didn't even know that such a label existed.  Interestingly enough, that after all these years, this slim straight silhouette of the pants hasn't changed much which reminds us that classic style is ageless. Same could be said about my linen jacket that I bought from American Apparel many years ago.

Then came the turn for the smart part of my outfit and to my strong belief nothing smartens any outfit like a pair of elegant leather shoes and stylish accessories like belts, handbags and scarfs.  My regular readers know how much I love scarves and wear them quite often.  

There are so many ways that you can wear them depending on what look you are trying to convey, they come extremely handy if you want to add a colour, texture or bit of  panache to your outfit.  And let's not forget how practical this accessory could be when you need to look smart and feel warm at the same time.  

My choice fell on the scarf that combines the colours of all other pieces of my outfit which linked them all together into a complete look.

Initially, I was thinking of taking a different handbag but then I realised that at this type of party you need both hands to hold your drink in one, and the food in the other and so it was only logical to take a crossbody bag instead.

The party was really lovely.  The rain had stopped, the day was sunny and warm, the food, beautifully presented, was aplenty and the hired barman knew his craft very well.  The hosts made a great effort in making sure that we all had a good time, that our glasses were full and we had food on our plates.

 As were among the first guests to arrive, I managed to take a few photos of the food before it was all gone.  Looks amazing, wouldn't you agree?

 This is the room where dessert was served.

What is your take on a "smart casual dress code".  Please let me know.

Until then,

Anna

xoxo