HOW I WORE RED STRIPY CROPPED PANTS

Happy New Year, dear friends.
It has hardly been more than two weeks since we welcomed in 2020 but it already feels like an eternity, wouldn't you agree?    

Having had a lot of free time on my hands during the Christmas break, I took an honest inventory of my wardrobe and concluded that at this moment in my life I don't need any more clothes and therefore should stay away from all those crazy sales bonanzas temptations.  What we needed was new furniture for out dining room, so while most of the people were hunting for discount clothes and shoes,  so while most people where hunting for clothes bargains over Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day sales, we went to look for a new dining table and chairs but not necessarily for the two of them together. 

Funnily enough, a couple of months ago we came to the realisation that the leather on our dining chairs has worn out beyond repair and it was high time to say goodbye to them and went to look for new ones.  It took us quite some time to find the chairs that we liked but when we finally found and bought them, turned out that due to their elaborate style, their size by far exceeded the parameters of our dining table.  Lesson learned:  measure the item before you buy it and not after 😃.  Luckily, we fairly quickly sold them on-line and armed with the measurements, started all over again.  This time the chairs that we chose were quite the opposite, lightweight classic bentwood style in natural oak.  

I liked them until the moment we brought them home and put next to our dining table.  The problem is because our table is made from birch wood, it differs from the chairs in colour as well as in the wood grain.  It didn't work at all.  However, the table was also quite old, and we were contemplating replacing it too, so armed with one of the new chairs, off we went again to find a new table.  After looking at a few tables made out of wood, it became clear that it was impossible to match the colour and the grain of the wood.  The best solution in a situation like this was instead of trying to find a match, go for an opposite.  

At a BoConcept store which specialises in Danish furniture we found exactly what we were looking for:  a sleek looking table in black laminate with matte finish and black lacquered legs in total contrast to our light colour chairs, which sales assistance  described as "the ultimate piece of minimalistic furniture where it's monochromatic look and clean lines create an elegant frame makes it a perfect table for any home".   It will be delivered to our home by the end of January and I will share with you the before and after photos then.  I must tell you, I can't wait to have it in my home.

Only once, on my way to the gym, I popped into Zara store next door just for FOMO.  There while browsing among heavily loaded racks of clothes, I came across these red stripy pants.  I was not going to buy them at first, I just liked the vibe generated by their bright and bold look but when I put them on and looked at myself in a mirror, I was smiling, I had a feeling like I had no cares in the world and with that attitude I walked out of the dressing room straight to the cash register and the rest, as they say, is history. 😍

When one of the main items of your outfit has such a strong presence, the key to making it work, is to chose the other elements in a simpler style, preferably in one solid colour of a lesser intensity, like white or natural so when you put them all together in one look, they would look harmonious and not fight each other for dominance.  Today I settled for a simple button down white shirt sleeve blouse, but black or dark navy should work too.  When the time came to choose the footwear, I wasn't sure what will work better with these pants, the flat slides or the sneakers and  I tried both; the sneakers won hands down.

Outfit details:

Pants and top - Zara

Sneakers - old Converse Chuck Taylor

Sunglasses - Adidas

WIDE LEG WHITE PANTS TWO WAYS

Hi everyone,

Last week a work friend of mine and I went to attend the “2016 Designers Fair’ not far away from my home.  I like this type of events for a number of reasons.  First and foremost, it is a great opportunity to meet and learn from cutting edge designers, media gurus and the like, to hear them talking about upcoming trends in design and interior styling whether it is about colours, shapes or new materials.  It is also a great creative hub where you can find interesting ideas for your own home.  

There were plenty of stalls dedicated to fashion and all sorts of accessories so normally it is a full on affair and a place to see and be seen.  We all too familiar with the saying “Do not judge a book by its cover” and yet first impressions count as people, more often then not, perceive you by the way you are dressed way before they can form an opinion about what kind of person you are.

Knowing this only too well, I decided to put some thought into my outfit.  For quite some time I was on the hunt for a pair of white pants for the upcoming spring and summer but couldn’t find anything that I liked.   All I saw where two extremes:  skinny jeans or wide-legged pants and at the moment I am not crazy about both.  I already have the former, as for the latter, every pair I’ve tried; the legs were so exaggeratedly wide and totally unpractical to wear.   I am guessing that this trend will not be around for long and I wanted something more classic.

Then one day I stepped inside “Maison Scotch” store and the first item I saw was a pair of white wide -leg pants with thin black and a little bit wider, light blue stripes.  I loved them immediately.  Not believing it was my lucky day, I took a pair into a dressing room but even before I checked myself in the mirror, I knew that they were made for me.

The weather that day the fair was held was coolish and sunny, perfect for my new purchase.  I didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard to make an impression and since it was a day-time affair, nor did I want to look too serious but yet stylish.  So as a top, I chose a plain black button down shirt.  We all know that it is almost impossible to go wrong with black and white combo.  For fun, I chose a long string of faux pearls that went around my neck a la Chanel style. 

When deciding what to put on my feet, I had to compromise style for comfort, hence my flat sandals.

We had a great time, but true to my word (read here), I was very good and stayed away from the temptation just enjoying the creative atmosphere around us.  My friend, on the other hand, indulged herself to the fullest.

I couldn't resist the temptation to take this photo next to this cute red Vespa

Next day for a casual lunch and a stroll around the park, I wore the same pants paired with a white loose-fit top and white Converse shoes.  Very casual, very relaxed, that is a Sunday for me.

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Beauty 101 by Lisa, Fashionista Momma, My New Happy, The Blended Blog, Posh Classy Mom, Fine Whatever, Style Nudge

WHITE SKIRT AND SNEAKERS FOR WALK ALONG BONDI BEACH

Living in Sydney, near the beach, is such a blessing, especially if the beach in question is the iconic Bondi Beach.  It is so much easier to withstand the summer when the sea breeze delivers much sought after relief from the heat and the fresh smell of the sea is so wonderful.  My husband and I thoroughly enjoy our brisk walks along the boardwalk in the mornings or a leisurely after dinner stroll in the evening.  It has become our "adult" time, where we can talk about things or just simply enjoy each others company.

Every day Bondi beach attracts hundreds and hundreds of visitors.  The warm weather and the proximity of the beaches play such a fundamental part in what is known as "Australian Beach Culture" which also dictates the beach fashion or as I jokingly call it, "A Bondi Beach Dress Code", which for the young generation of beach goers comes down to two obligatory parts of clothing:  minuscule shorts and tiny crop tops. 

And I could help but notice an fascinating change in the the national Australian footwear that was dominating the beach market for over a decade, i.e. Hawaiian thongs.  This season, for no foreseeable reason, they have been finally pushed away and replaced by white Converse shoes.

Being a woman of a certain age, as much as I used to love wearing mini skirts, I have to accept that the days of mini skirts are gone. But I don't despair, all I need to do now is compromise a little and find the type of clothes that is playful and helps me to look young while still appropriate to my age.

And this white linen skirt from Country Road is the exact illustration of my thoughts.  It sits right above the knees in a flattering A-line shape and I like that the clean lines and the white crisp linen give it a minimalistic look.  For an ultimate beach feel, I paired it with white Converse shoes and a singlet in nautical stripes.

Surely, this style of clothing is not for everyone, especially if you, like me, are a woman of certain age, but don’t despair. 

If you are not into tight fitting t-shirts, short skirts or high-cut shorts, there are plenty of other options you can find in the department stores and shops that are offering a beautiful range of summer clothing suitable for all shapes, sizes and age groups and preferences such as Caftans, maxi shift dresses, loose fit shorts or Capri pants.  The variety of colours, patterns and all sorts of beautiful embellishments of these garments are astonishing and they look absolutely gorgeous on every woman I know.

I believe that having confidence in the way you look is one of the perks of our age and we should use it to our full advantage.   So, why don’t we all make it our motto: “Dress the way you feel and look fabulous”?