AUSTRALIAN SUMMER ESSENTIALS - LINEN SHIRT

Hello dear friends,

It has been a very slow start for me.  Just I recovered from the NY party’s hangover and was getting myself organised, I was tested positive for COVID 😢and we all had to self-isolate.  For some inexplicable reason, I am the only one in our family of three who was tested positive, however Australian health regulations dictate that not only do I have to isolate for 7 days👍(recently reduced from 14😨) but all other members of our household should too so here we are, I am locked in our bedroom in the grip of boredom while my husband and my daughter are trying not to strangle each other in the rest of the house.   To tell you the truth, the Omicron strain is not too bad health-wise, it feels more like a common cold and if not for the pandemic ranging across Australia like a bushfire, I would’ve totally ignored it and carried on regardless but these days one can’t be to careful or ignorant.

Luckily, in anticipation of my husband’s upcoming radiotherapy, we managed to stage a few photoshoots so I will be able to continue my blogging.

So here it is, my first post of 2022.  If you read my last one of 2021, you might recall that it was about Australian summer essentials (a long-sleeve dress).  Today, continuing with this topic, it is about a linen shirt.  Although hugely popularized and commonly associated with everything Italian, the linen shirt in Australia has a totally different life. 

Here is worn over a bikini on the way to the beach to protect us from the sun while providing a cooling effect thanks to the lightness of the natural fibers of the fabric.   And once you are done on the beach, you can just tuck it into your skirt or shorts and go straight to dinner.

But on a cool summer day and we reach for it again, this time to keep us warm without taking away the feeling of summer. 

When we were travelling in Japan few years ago, the summer temperature in Tokyo was at its peak, yet the locals looked cool as cucumbers.  On closer inspection, I’ve noticed that rather than wearing a t-shirt or sleeveless tops, instead they were dressed in long-sleeve loose fit linen shirts or blouses.

So when I decided to get one for myself, I followed in their footsteps and went to Uniqlo, a Japanese manufacturer and retailer of casual clothing. Naturally, I was stunned by the variety of colours and styles of clothes made out of linen.  I stopped at the huge counter heaving under the stack of women’s shirts trying to determine which colour should I choose.  After a quick deliberation, I settled for the button-down classic shirt in a dark grey colour.  I figured that while it looks casual enough to be worn to the beach, with the help of appropriate accessories and clothes, it could do well beyond it.

Today I am pairing it with white jeans from J-Brand, white and black monogrammed sneakers from LV, light grey Furla handbag and silver earrings by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany.

 

AUSTRALIAN SUMMER ESSENTIALS - A COTTON DRESS & MATCHING SUNGLASSES

 Hello dear friends,

It has been quite a while since my last post and alas, for a very worrying reason.  If you follow my blog on a regular basis, you might recall that a few months ago I had a skin cancer and had to have surgery to have it removed (more about it here).  This time this awful disease struck my husband and in a far more serious way.  Not only did he have to undergo massive surgery, he also needs to have six weeks of radiotherapy which starts on the 5th of January 2022😟.  So as you can see that fashion has been far from my mind.

Anyhow, he is almost recovered from the surgery and decided to have all the fun he can cram between now and the 5th, hence I put my foot down and asked him to resume his role as my photographer.

Funny enough but there is a direct link between skin cancer and my today's outfit.  It is well known fact about the harshness of the Australian sun🌞 and the importance of using sunblock 50+ (recommended), hats, umbrellas and long sleeves to protect our skin from exposure to UV radiation from the sun due to the depletion in the  ozone layer over Australia.

So it was no brainer for me that after having a skin cancer scare, I need to take serious precautions.  I now wear a hat 👒.  this is one accessory that I loath, simply because in all my life I haven't come across head gear that suits my face.  Also, the hat totally ruins my carefully coiffed hair which cause me a lot of grief.   Now that I have no choice and after trying gazillion of hats of different styles and colours, I settled for the best I can get away with -  a baseball cap. 

 

I was also told to keep my shoulders covered but I didn't mind that at all, especially since I just bought from Zara this light, tangerine-colour tunic which I really like.  And what's not to like about it? It has a chest patch and side in-seam pockets, an asymmetric hem and a button-up front.  But even before I discovered its hidden treasures, I was drawn to its happy summery vibe.  Besides, it matches perfectly my newly acquired sun-glasses from Valley which I bought simply because I love their 70's vibe and classic oversized shape of their pastel coloured frames.

When you are wearing a dress of this simple easy-fit style, the best footwear is a pair of flat sandals, open toe shoes or sneakers.  Since the day was quite warm and we were on the way to have lunch, I opted for the open toe shoes.  It happened to be a very hot day but I didn't feel that at all👍😎.

And on this bright note I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!🎄🎅🎉

Until then,

Anna 😄😄😄

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

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A PERFECT POST LOCK-DOWN SUNDAY OUTING AND JACKARD BEACH DRESS FROM SEAFOLLY

 Hello my dear friends, hope you are all well.

Armed with our newfound freedom of movement, my husband and I are jumping at every opportunity to take a drive way past our 5 km former lockdown zone.  Every Sunday we choose a different destination for our traditional lunch date and a nice walk before and after.  Last weekend we decided to take a drive towards the Northern Beaches  with a lunch stop at Newport, which is about a one hour drive from our home in the Sydney's East.  

It is one of the many coastal suburbs of Sydney and loved by the locals and tourists for its stretch of sandy beaches, surf culture and a multitude of alfresco dining and drinking venues.  We searched the net and found a nice restaurant called Lovat and made a booking.  Just a few years ago such a trip would take over two hours and a lot of traffic lights along the way but now thanks to recently built high speed tunnels, you can get there in under an hour.  

My mini length dress for this outing is from Seafolly that I bought on-line during the last lockdown.  I like its simplicity and how effortlessly you can put it on and off you go on your errands or for a lunch with your girlfriends or a just a nice stroll along the boardwalk.   It is made of 100% pure cotton for a soft and breeze feel which is what you want to wear on a warm day when you live close to the beach.  The long puffy sleeves are ideal for letting in the breeze and protecting my arms and shoulders from the harsh Australian sun🌞.

We left home soon after breakfast allowing us plenty of time to make a stop at the Baha'i Temple which we have driven past many times but have never been inside.  It was built in the mid 20th century and is  considered Sydney's fourth most significant religious building constructed in that era.  For those who is not familiar with Baha'i Faith, below is an a brief summary but if you want to learn more about this Faith, please follow the link provided above.

The Baha’i Faith is a worldwide religion based on the teachings of Baha’u’llah, the most recent in the series of Divine Messengers who founded the world religions as part of the progressive revelation of God’s guidance to humanity.  A central theme of the Baha’i Faith is that humanity is one family bound together in a common destiny: a global society.

Key principles of the Baha’i Faith:

• equality of women and men
• harmony of science and religion
• abolition of extremes of poverty and wealth
• elimination of all forms of prejudice
• equal standard of human rights for all people

The Temple is a prominent landmark of the Northern Beaches and it is impossible to miss.  As we drove through the gates, we couldn't help but notice how blissfully peaceful this place is.  The Sunday sermon was over when we arrived and the grounds and the Temple look absolutely deserted so we could take a good look around.  I was immediately attracted to the beauty of the grounds surrounding the Temple and the variety of flowers in full bloom, bushes and trees that were masterfully planted around the Temple.  

Back in the car, we sped off to our lunch destination.  Lovat's food menu is described as home-style dishes focused on locally sourced fresh seafood, excellent steaks and home-made pasta and we were looking forward to taste it.  Every dish on the menu sounds delicious so we decided to spoil ourselves with entree, main and desert washed down by a couple of glasses of my favourite Sauvignon blanc wine 🍷🍷🍷.  

I was hoping that after lunch we would walk along the beach and take some photos but it was pouring cats and dogs so we just got back in our car and went home🌧.  Luckily for us, ten minutes the later the downpour stopped and we were able to get out of the car and take a nice walk and get some pictures along the way 👍.  

After three months of lockdown, we almost forgot how to have a good time and enjoy ourselves and it was so nice to have this feeling back again 😁😁😁.

WIDE LEG PANTS AND A SLOUCHY JUMPER

 Hello dear friends, hope you are well.

Our freedom is gathering momentum, the restrictions are disappearing at an alarming speed and the places and spaces become more and more crowded.  I find myself in two minds lately.  On one hand it feels so good to be free, on the other – people are becoming complacent, it’s amazing to see how quickly we forgot how this nightmare has started.   

They are talking about opening international borders for travelling by the end of this year but as much as my husband and I do love to travel, neither of us is keen to travel overseas now or even in 2022.   We might take a couple of long road trip within Australia instead.  We shall see. 

We are two months into our antipodean spring, but the weather hasn’t settled yet, one day we are all at the beach sweltering under the hot Aussie sun, the next day you reach into your closet for a jumper to wear over a t-shirt, so the transitional outfits are still a look “do jour” like the one I am modelling for you today.   This jumper is made of cotton so it’s not as warm as my winter ones but still provides enough comfort against the light chill of the early morning or after sundown.  

Thanks to its soft natural colour, I can wear it in so many ways.   It is slightly longer than my usual style but the rib on the bottom is quite tight, so it fits quite well around my hips, providing this casual slouchy look which goes so well with loose fitted casual linen trousers or palazzo pants.  I picked them up in the last days of the summer sale last year at H&M and haven’t had the chance to wear them yet.  They are very light and extremely comfortable thanks to the elasticised belt and have pockets which I love and are very versatile.  I am thinking of pairing them with a white oversized blouse or a simple t-shirt in.  It should work 😊.

Today is our first official outing.  We are off to have lunch with our friends whom we haven’t seen for over three months 👍👍👍.  The café that we are going to is described as up-market, so I engaged the help of my accessories to smarten up my outfit.  Since the colour of my top is grey, I decided to wear silver.  

I am wearing my new earrings from Elsa Peretti for Tiffany that was a gift from my husband on our wedding anniversary.  They called High Tide earrings and are “Inspired by the ebb and flow of the sea, this design emphasizes the simple beauty of nature where graceful curve echoes rippling waves”.  Sounds so romantic, I totally adore them.  The bottle necklace is also by Elsa but it has been in my possession for quite some time now.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you probably remember that I love scarves and wear them a lot and today was no exception.  They have this unidentifiable quality, a kind of “jeno se qua” that allows them to transform a simplest outfit into a fashion statement.

As for the shoes, the sneakers seem to be the best option possible.  And there you have it, my new casual transitional outfit with a touch of elegance.  What do you think?

Until next post

Anna

xoxox

THE SHACKLES ARE OFF OR HOW I STYLED BLUE, BLACK AND RED STRIPE SKIRT

Hello dear friends,  hope you are all well.

I have a bundle of good news to share with you: first - our three month lockdown is officially over and we can do anything we want, almost.  We can go and visit other people at their homes and have them over at ours, restaurants, bars, shops, hair salons etc will be open, though with some restrictions.  

We can travel beyond the five kilometer limit and have other freedoms that we used to take for granted.  There is however, one catch - you have to be double-vaxxed.  I am not going to enter into any discussion about the pros and cons of vaccination but if you an anti-vexxer, you would not be allowed inside a movie house, a restaurant or bar, hair salon, gym etc until the first December.  Oh well, as they say "each to their own".

I can't wait to get a proper hair colour and a cut as for the last three months it was DYI jobs for both of us.  It was easy to cut my husband's hair but when it came to mine, I had to fiddle with the mirrors in our bathroom to find the right angle where I can see what I was actually cutting at the back of my head.  Honestly, judging by my photos, it looks liked did a pretty good job 👍👍👍 😁.  

Also, my birthday is coming up in the last week of October and we can go out and have a proper dinner at a nice restaurant.   I am so looking forward to wearing fancy clothes and shoes again, putting make up on and enjoying dinner that was neither cooked by me nor delivered by Uber Eats in a cardboard box😉.

We have made few plans to travel further afield but I don't want to go into the details prematurely, in case they will go awry (one of many Russian superstitions that I follow to my husband's annoyance) 😏.

All this good news has obviously made an impact on my mood and my choice of clothing.  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you might notice that the main representation of colours in my outfits in a last couple of posts were mainly black and grey (here & here).  

Now I feel that an injection of bright hues little is in order, hence this multi-colored skirt and a scarf with the addition of extra dark and light blue in the shape of my Salvatore Ferragamo shoes.

As for the top, it is quite old but I love it for it has a boat shape neck which is my favourite.    

On this high note, have a great week ahead, dear friends.

Until then,

Anna

xoxox