BLACK + WHITE WITH A SPLASH OF BRIGHT|HOW I STYLED BLACK JOGGER PANTS

Until last week, I had not been a big fan of the so called “Streetwear” trend – sweatpants and shirts, hoodies and singlets are not exactly my cup of tea, I prefer to wear garments with more shape-defined silhouettes and classier looks.  Then one day, while I was browsing through the racks of denims at the J Brand counter of David Jones department store, I spotted a pair of black jogger pants. 

They were not exactly what I was looking for but I thought, why not?  Every now and then you should get out of your comfort zone and do something you have never done before and here was my chance, so I paid the price and brought them home.

It was the time to figure out how I am going to wear the jogger pants.  Since it was my first close encounter with this style of pants, my initial look was quite obvious:  casual top, jogger pants and a pair of white Converse – nice and simple.  

However, true to my own style, I wanted my outfit to look more sleek and stylish without compromising the relaxed and comfortable feel. I kept the singlet and quirky sunglasses but ditched the sneakers for a pair of low-heel comfortable leather shoes in eye-popping red that together with a vibrant Hermes scarf (also worn here) pack a high-octane punch to my otherwise monochromatic colour scheme. 

LESSON LEARNT:  GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND DO SOMETHING YOU NEVER DONE BEFORE!!!

 My new Messenger bag from Furla (another gift from my beloved husband) was just the right accessory to polish the sport luxe look. 

ACCESSORIES IN EYE-POPPING COLOURS BRING A HIGH-OCTANE PUNCH TO YOUR OUTFIT


Jogger Pants:  J Brand
Singlet:  Zara
Shoes:  Chloe
Bag:  Furla
Scarf:  Hermes
Cuff:  Dinosaur Designs
Sunglasses:  Bondi Markets (worn here)
Watch: The Horse (worn here)

Linking up with: Style elixir, Not Dressed as Lamb, 40+ Style, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Blog Chicks

HAVING FUN WITH BRIGHT COLOURS AND PRINTS

I absolutely adore bright colours, I like to wear them and I like to have them in my home. The vibrant colours brighten up my world, they fill me with positive energy and joy and help me to get through the day.  Sadly, as I walked through the shopping mall the other day, the predominant colours in the shopping windows were brown, black and neutral and the more mature the clothes become, the darker the colour palette become. It made me feel sad because women of certain age, like me, should not be denied the pleasure of being dressed in bright clothes nor should they be put off from doing so.

Yes, I know, we are heading into winter (in Australia that is) but even so, bright colours help us to break up the bleakness of winter, elevate the mood and add much needed colour to our pale complexions. 

It is a well known fact that the choice of colours reflects your personality, therefore the bold bright hues are not for everyone.  However, if you feel that a little injection of a vibrant colour would do no harm but are not sure where to start, a good way to tackle this challenge is to start with something small like a colourful scarf, a handbag or a pair of shoes and go from there.  As your confidence and a love for brightness builds up, you might like to wear a blouse or a jumper of a bright colour that suits your complexion and keep the bottom garment, skirt or pants, dark. 

 

Like every other colour on the Colour Wheel, the bright hues have different intensity and volume which means that their vividness could be modified and toned down a notch so instead of a rich red, it becomes a light pastel pink or according to Pantone 2016 Rose Quartz  or a pale yellow rather then canary yellow and rather than a deeply intense electric blue, you can settle for a neutral ice-blue colour, again described by Pantone as the Serenity colour of 2016.

I, on the other hand, like them really vibrant as seen in my previous posts and this outfit which I wore the other day to a girls lunch is yet another proof of my passion.

Top:  Rag & Bone

Pants:  Glassons

Sneakers:  Converse

Cuff:  Hermes
Sunglasses:  Ray Ban

According to colour psychology yellow is uplifting and illuminating, offering hope, happiness, cheerfulness and fun and that is exactly how I felt that day.  I wanted to look young, careless and full of energy I hope that my outfit reflected my mood: a bright sunny sleeveless top worn with ankle-length floral prints pants and paired with white Converse sneakers.  I also recently become the owner of The Horse watch, thanks to my darling husband and I really like it.  It is fresh, cool, young, modern and and compliments my outfit to a T.

Watch:  The Horse

Bright colours are fun and I would encourage everyone to include them into your wardrobe, wear them with confidence and look fabulous.

Linking with Not Dressed as Lamb , Posh Class Mom

TIME OUT ON BONDI BEACH

It may sound strange to you but perversely I am quite relieved that the festive season is over if not for anything else but for the amount of food and wine consumed, hence the increase in waist size, which in turn led to two weeks of strict dieting and excessive exercising. This resulted in my being able once again to be able to wear my favourite shorts when we go to the beach.  On a windy day like today, I like to pair them with a crisp white shirt for a beach chic look

One of the biggest perks of living in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs is having Bondi Beach on our doorstep; arguably one of the World's most famous, popular by tourists and most loved by the locals, its beach and promenade are always packed with people bustling with various activities, even on the coldest and the wettest days of the year.

There are a lot of things you can do around here.  First and foremost is to have a swim between the yellow and red flags, followed by sunbathing under the hot Australia sun, surf the perfect waves or join a team playing beach valley ball.  If you are a fitness fanatic and want to have killer legs, challenge yourself by having a run for a couple of laps on the sand or along the promenade.

Ironically, both my husband and I are not big lovers of the sand and waves.  Our most popular activity is taking a stroll along the promenade joining the throngs of people walking their dogs, kids riding their tiny bicycles,  bronzed and toned fitness fanatics running past you with a swoosh and myriads of other activities that fall under the Beach Culture umbrella.  Watching the waves crashing on the rocks on the northern and southern ends of the beach always makes me feel calmer and helps me to clear my head.

Walking from one end of the boardwalk , you can't help but notice the stretch of the wall covered in graffiti which the local government regards as "helping Bondi to lead the way in being a vibrant and inspiring place that supports its diverse population, creative culture, enriching lifestyle and stunning natural features.”

Of course, beach culture is not just about the beach so for a complete beach experience head on to a vibrant, colourful joint with outdoor beachfront seating called The Bucket List  for a bucket of prawns or fish and ships washed down by a glass of crisp white wine or a quirky cocktail and watch the world go by.  

Young entrepreneurs trying to make some money in front of Bondi beach graffiti wall

Bondi Beach Graffiti Wall 

Shirt:  Uniqlo

Shorts:  Just Jeans

Watch:  The Horse

Bag:  Cape Town markets

Necklace: A gift from my daughter from South America

Glasses:  Bondi Markets

Link-up with Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, The Fashion Canvas, Style Elixir