REISS SELINA JUMPER TWO WAYS

 Hello dear friends, hope you are well

This jumper was originally purchased for our trip to England that we were planning to take in earlier this year, sometime around April.  As we were just about to pay for our tickets, the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla was announced and we immediately cancelled the trip.  We knew that it was going to be a mayhem over there what with the multitude of people going to London, the rise of hotel prices, the security, the crowds etc.  We are hoping to go next year.

One day when I was scaling through the Reiss website in search for a perfect jumper that not only would keep me warm but also look stylish during our holidaying in Britain.  Typically, the price tags for their clothes is quite high but during the sale period you can score a really good bargain.  

So far, I managed to acquire a woolen dress, a wrap around dress, a blouse and a pair of pants, all were on sale at one time or another.  As I was scrolling through the images, one particular item caught my eye.  It was a loos-fit cashmere jumper with a high roll-neck in a happy coral colour.  The price was very reasonable and I ordered and paid for it.  

When my purchased arrived, it looked even better in real life than on the screen.  It is soft, warm, its high neck would give me the necessary protection from the wind and the cold so I don't need to wear a scarf and when I don't need to be all wrapped up, the neck could be easily rolled down.

We were rather upset that we had to cancel our British holiday but on a flip-side as our winter this has been quite cold so far, the jumper is on a high rotation in my wardrobe and I am very pleased that I have it.  

And one more thing that I love about it is that it looks as good worn over black tights and sneakers for a Sunday casual look as when I am wearing it over a silk skirt and court shoes when I am out for drinks or in the office.  

According to my sources, this particular jumper has been sold out, however there are plenty of similar looking items are on the web that are on sale at the moment.  Check them out here and here.  

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo

WINTER WHITES OR HOW TO LOOK STYLISH IN A PUFFER JACKET

Hello lovelies, how are you?

Our winter has been quite cold from day one, which is quite unusual, especially in the mornings.  The chill factor makes things much worse, sometimes I feel that my face is about to freeze and fall off.  The puffer jackets are flying off the racks like hot cakes and given that most manufactures stick to the colour black, we all now look like universal soldiers 😄.

As you can see from the previous post, I also wear a black thick jacket and it provides me with warmth  and comfort.  However, this winter I wanted to break away from the mainstream colours of winter such as your blacks and browns and explore other options such as shades of pale.  I started looking for a jacket that would not only be warm and cuddly but also helps me to retain a sartorial look.  I found my solution in a Uniqlo store when the jacket in a light tan colour caught my eye.  

It became my starting point and I went from there.  There is some unspoken rule saying that you only wear your whites in warmer months but I wanted override this misconception.  I believe that there is nothing wrong in wearing light colours on a winters day if you follow a few quite simple rules such as:

Avoid being dressed in white colour from head to toe.  If, for example, you choose to wear white denims, make sure that the other elements of your outfit are not.  Choose a soft neutral palette in tan, cream, nude or off white in soft warm fabrics and cosy styles.

Layering your clothes is a good idea for keeping you warm and mixing up different tones and textures.

We tend to wear less accessories during the cold months, so don't hesitate to go bold on sunglasses, handbags, thick scarves in interesting patterns could always add a pop of colour and interest to your sartorial winter look.

Have a great day, dear friends

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo

WINTER CLASSICS

Hello dear friends,

Contrary to the popular belief that we Australians live in perpetual summer, we do have winter and it does feel cold.  And that is coming from me, who used to live in Russia where for three solid months of winter the temperature would fall below zero.  Surely, in Sydney at least, this is not the case, however you do need a puffy jacket or a good warm coat, a scarf and a couple of thick jumpers to get you through the winter months (June-August).  

The thing that struck me when I first arrived here 28 years ago and still continues to fascinate me after all those years is that lots of Australians are dressed in a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and a pair of thongs (flips-flops) in winter as they do in summer. Sometimes, as a concession to a cold air they can tie a jumper around their waist.  That is about it.  I think they are in complete denial!!!

I, on a contrary, love to have a couple of warm jumpers, skirts, scarfs and coats in my wardrobe that will help me to go through winter feeling warm and looking stylish.  Case in point, my new cashmere jumper from COS.   It is soft, warm and very gentle on the skin due to a high-quality yarn it is made of.  It was not cheap, as good quality clothes should not be, but I treat it as a good investment that will last me many years.

Despite my love for colours, I am quite happy with my choice of soft neutral grey which I can accessorise anyway I like depending on the time of the day, activity or simply the weather.

And don't you forget about scarves, they are not only keep your protected from the wind bur also great accessories.  This season my two most popular ones are one that has black big and small dots on a white background fringed with alternate coloured tassels and the other is with white dots on a light grey background.  I am demonstrating both today, please tell me which one you prefer.  

A short string of pearls and onyx beads is another option when I do not want to wear a scarf and add a bit of glamour to my outfit.

The maxi skirt I am wearing is from last season.  The fabric is quite thick so I only wear it during the  winter months but I like its classic pencil-like shape with a split on one side that allows me to walk in wide strides without being limited by the skirt's circumference.  When the weather will warm up a bit, I am planning to wear it with my leather biker jacket.

Classic clothing is timeless and is a perfect base on which you can build your whole wardrobe.  It speaks of elegance, good taste and will never go out of style.

What is your take on the classics? Please share your thoughts.

Until then

Ann

xoxo

 

MY WINTER BASICS

Hello dear friends, hope you are all well

Just wanted to share with you a couple of staples that I bought for myself for our Australian winter.  People often tease me about how cold the winters were back in Russia when I complain that I feel the  cold.  True, it was freezing cold, as it is in the most of Europe and the US in winter but we were wearing weather appropriate clothes and the houses were properly heated and insulated while here, the Australians are in total denial, they strongly believe in perpetual summer and that's why you can see people wearing shorts, t-shirts and thongs (flip-flops) all year round.   

It is also true that on the coldest day in most of the country the temperature is always on the plus side and it never snows, but the weather still bites and you need a decent coat, a woollen jumper and a pair of boots to survive it. I love feeling warm and comfortable and always prefer to be dressed according to the season.

It is all about layering as quite often a cold morning turns into a nice warm day and if I want to shed a layer or two so it is important to get the basics right starting with a skirt.  I bought this maxi skirt at the same shop at which I bought my black slip-on dress (worn here), Natalie Alamein.  As I mentioned previously, the bulk of her clientele are the millenials, however I managed to score quite a few pieces from her store that I feel quite comfortable wearing.

I am all for colours and fun prints but when it comes to basics, my choice always falls on black and neutrals as they act as a blank canvas that allows you to express your taste in accessories, shoes and other embellishments of your choice.  

"WINTER CLOTHES IS ALL ABOUT LAYERING 

SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE BASICS RIGHT"

This maxi pencil skirt with a side split is another gem that I found on the rack marked "Sale".  It is made out of very soft and warm woven fabric and hugs my contours rather nicely and I am sure I will be wearing it a lot, to and after work.

My other purchase was a neutral colour v-neck jumper. The main feature that attracted my attention was its long oval shaped back with a split detail that adds a contemporary twist and a sense of fun.  Although it looks thin, almost transparent and feels very light, its made of pure wool and is very  warm.  I bought it during the Christmas sale from Sass and Bide.

My first look is how I dressed for a day in the office.  I was about to wrap a thick woollen scarf around my neck but changed my mind and instead settled for a lighter one in silk that I don't have to take off once inside, with black and orange print that added a colour punch to my neutrals and some urban panache to my look.

A pair of tall black boots and a black handbag completed the look.

Later that day I was about to meet a few friends for midweek drinks at one of our local wine bars.  I normally stay away from drinking during the week but our weekend already looked quite busy and we have not seen these people for a while and didn't want to postpone our get-together much further.

Besides, my teenage daughter was giving me hard time and I welcomed any excuse to get out of the house.

Not wanting to look like I just stepped out of the office, I swapped the boots for a pair of shoes in bright red (previously seen here) and fishnet stockings (I just love the fishnets and wear them as often as possible).

I left the scarf behind and instead put on a pair of long shiny earrings from Swarowski and a matching cocktail ring (no pun intended).

A red patent bag from Louis Vuitton (seen previously here and here) and a swipe of bright lipstick and off I went for a much needed drink.

I look  much happier afterwards.

Both pieces work very well together, don't you think?

Your comments are greatly appreicated

Anna
xoxo