HOW I STYLED MARCS CAITLYN SHIRT DRESS

Hello dear friends, hope you are all well

Here is an interesting coincidence.  While we in Australia are stocking our wardrobes with summer clothes, the Northern Hemisphere is bracing itself for the cold months ahead but what makes us united is the fashion forecast for the trend colour of the upcoming summer/winter season (depends in what part of the world you are living) and it is RED.  We are saying good bye to Barbie pink, (to be honest, I wasn't into that one anyway) but am very happy to welcome the strong bold red colour into our wardrobes.

Every time the fashion wheel turns over and puts LRD (little red dress) back on a radar, it reminds me of our 2007 European honeymoon.  One day while exploring Rome, we came across a museum called Ara Pasis.  

Neither of us ever heard of it nor it was on our to do list but what caught our attention was a giant cube in red coloured glass with a white rectangular plinth underneath with the words Valentino A Roma plastered over one side of it,  placed in front of the museum's entrance.   Inside the cube we could see a mannequin clad in a beautiful red dress. Still not knowing what to make out of it but thoroughly intrigued, we bought the tickets and went inside.

As we stepped inside the museum, we were faced with a row of mannequins draped in white dresses flanked by two groups wearing red, Valentino's favourite colour. 

Further on we saw a group of mannequins wearing black and further on the last group were in multi-coloured dresses.  I have never seen anything more beautiful than this collection of sublime high-couture dresses. I was fascinated by the design, shape, the masterful skill of draping that Valentino is renowned for, the sheer elegance of every exhibit and his genius vision that he so artfully was able to transform into these marvelous creations.  I think I can honestly say that it was my first fashion moment.  If you have a moment, please read the whole account of this event covered in The New York Times Magazine .

Sixteen years ago there were no iPhones nor iCloud storage options, all the photos that I took,  had to be downloaded from my Canon camera into my PC.  Since then I have changed my PC twice but always made sure that I backed-up all my photos onto the hard-drive first, they are very precious to me and bring back such sweet memories.

Speaking of red dresses, let me tell you about mine.  I was in David Jones department store browsing through the dresses when I reached the Marcs section and saw it.  The first thing that draw my attention to this dress was its rich, bright and deep crimson hue.  I  also liked the shape of the softly puffed sleeves and the snap button front fastening.  The fabric belt helps to create a definition of the waist while an above the knee A-shape skirt visually slims the hips and elongates your legs.  The moment I put it on, I fell in love with its gorgeousness, it felt like it was meant for me.

On the way back to my place, I started thinking of what kind of shoes I should wear with it.  I definitely didn't want to try it with sneakers as I knew they will make it look too casual.  I needed the shoes that will complement the dress without taking away its centre stage.

  

In the ended I settled with a pair of low heels updated version of the classic Mary Jane style black suede shoes with a cup patent toe by Edward Meller.  They have quite an unusual detail -  the strap does not have a clasp and is made of two pieces - most of its length is leather with a short piece of elastic attached to it which allows you to slip the shoe on or off effortlessly.  The elastic is hidden behind a large faux pearl that adds to the shoe that instant uplift like a cherry on the cake🍒.

My accessories are quit simple: black hoop earrings and a ring and I chose to carry an off-white handbag rather than black one as I didn't want them to be too matchy-matchy.  

What is your take on a red dress.  I know that the prime red is not everyone's cup of team, however there are so many different shades of red that it is just a matter of  choosing the right hue that suites your skin tone, body shape or hair colour but most importantly is to stay true to your taste and aesthetic and look fabulous.

HOW TO STYLE YOUR CASUAL OUTFIT FOR THE OFFICE

Hello my dear friends, trust you are all well.

I feel that I have to acknowledge the current situation which our world is currently facing a very dangerous disruption of peace and we are all holding our collective breath and praying that this crisis will soon be resolved with the least amount of loss of human lives.  I am not intending to use my blog as a political platform for a discussion about who is right and who is wrong I just think that we as human beings cannot stick our heads in the sand and pretend that nothing has happened. 

Having said that, let's talk about fashion.  With more and more people now returning back to their respective offices, it is becoming a big challenge for some of us to shed off our track pants and slippers and don a corporate uniform and uncomfortable shoes.  So today I would like to share with you my vision on how to make a simple casual look more office appropriate.

Luckily for employees, the post-Covid dress code rules are much more relaxed and lots of offices let people wear their casual outfits for work.  That said, it does not mean that your outfit should look sloppy and baggy but with a few little tweaks you can make your casual outfit look stylish and office appropriate.

My office also jumped on this band-wagon  and has fully embraced the casual dress code and I find myself liking it more and more.  In the beginning of the "return to the office" era,  I was reluctant to succumb to it, I was missing my office clothes and was desperate to shed off the lycra tights and running shoes but gradually I began to appreciate the appeal of  casual clothing, especially on the days when straight after work I drove to pick up my granddaughter from school and her little brother from day-care and stay with them until their parents came home from work.  And for that reason I decided to update my casual wardrobe and went and bought myself a new pair of Levi's 312 black jeans, and a couple of plain t-shirts in different colours from Zara that I can easily glam up with the help of good jewellery or an expensive silk scarf.  

I also would like to share with you my new Sullivan leather bag from Proenza Shouler from their White Label collection that was a birthday gift from my husband.  It has a classic bucket silhouette and is crafted from smooth leather and can be carried either in the hand or over the shoulder.  Despite its size (which comes handy when you need to bring some fruit and snacks for the kids) and metallic fixtures, it is very light and soft and I enjoy carrying it around.  

The last but not least addition to my wardrobe is a pair of thin three-strap mules with a curved block heel in mint green from Alohas. that I like to wear them paired with black jeans when I go to the office and with sneakers or slides on my days off.

I had never heard about this brand before.  I came across it while scrolling an on-line sale of Australia's most fashionable David Jones department store.  Apparently, the brand was founded in Hawaii, hence its name, and is known for its sustainable and artisanal approach to their range of women's shoes.

My accessories are also of different hues of green including my oversized antique pendant that can be worn as a brooch, earrings and a couple of bangles.

If you follow my blog, you might know that I love scarves and wear them all year round but the day when I was wearing this outfit was too hot for it but I definitely will wear it around the office if not for style but to keep myself warm from the chill blaze of the air-conditioner😄.

What is the dress code in your working environment?

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo

ZODIAK ASTROLOGY STARS MOOD SILK BLOUSE TWO WAYS

Hello my dear readers, how are you all?

Today I am sharing with you my new Zodiac Astrology Stars Moon silk blouse from Zara.  

I was immediately attracted to the unusual print and the colour scheme.  I love the injection of turquoise blue over the black background with the different celestial bodies, stars and constellations spread all over it.  The other feature that appealed to me is the wide white and black border running along the cuffs and the bottom of the blouse creating an impression that all the images have been framed together.

What came as the surprise were two facts:  one the blouse was 100% pure silk and two - it had rather high price tag in comparison with other items I've purchased from this global brand over the years.  Yet, the price was still reasonably lower than if I was buying it from a more upmarket store, so I didn't mind😉.

It is obvious that this blouse will be the focal point of my outfit and all other elements will play second fiddle, hence I paired it with my recently purchased black slim pants from Reiss seen here and my long black coat.

However, not wanting my outfit to be too somber, I decided to wear my old Mary Jane style shoes in turquoise to highlight the print of the same hue on my shirt and make the outfit look more cohesive.

As for my accessories, I've chosen silver earrings and rings, and added my old cocktail blue ring from Swarovski.  

I was just about to press "Publish" button when my husband asked me to join him on his walk around the neighbourhood.  That gave me an idea to try and give this blouse a test of versatility and wear it with a pair of jeans and sneakers?  Turned out, it passed the test.  What do you think, my lovelies💖? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo

FOLLOWING CHERRY BLOSSOM TRAIL IN AUBURN BOTANIC GARDENS

Hello dear readers, how are you all?

Here we are again talking about transitional and change of seasons clothes.  While those of you who are living in the Northern Hemisphere are packing your summer clothes away, we, here in Australia, are busy doing back burning to avoid, as they predicted, the worst bush fires at the same time impatiently waiting for the warm weather to arrive.

Officially, the end of winter in the Southern Hemisphere ends 31 of August and that’s often a cut-off time to visit national or private parks to admire the splendour of winter colours before they close the gates till next winter.  The other attraction that you can only witness towards the end of Australian winter is blossoming of cherry trees.  

We just made a beeline to see the last blooms at Auburn Botanic Gardens.  Sadly, we left it to the last minute as the delicate pink flowers had started to fade, wilt and fall to the ground making it look like a magic carpet but it was still a beautiful sight for the eyes.

This botanic garden like many other in Sydney, spread over a big square of land which is mostly covered by the local flora, except one corner where the gardeners planted cherry trees and transformed the surrounding landscape into what looks like a Japanese garden with its traditional attributes such as blue water lake with Coy fish swimming in it, the light wooden bridge painted in a bright vermilion  colour thrown over it and artfully placed stones and boulders.  There was even a miniature waterfall.  It looked and felt very Zen.

One aspect of this trip that we didn't enjoy, was the sheer number of people who, like us, left it to the last minute.  As a result, the park was rather crowded, especially as people would stop to take multiple photos so we had to wait for our turn.

In some areas the pass was quite narrow so if you wanted to take a photo, an attendant would ask you to step aside to keep the human traffic flowing.

But even if it was busier then we hoped, we did manage to have a good look around, take some photos and generally had a good time. I even spotted a male peacock in the bushes with its tail shown in its full beauty.

We ended up having our lunch at the Japanese food market where multiple stalls were cooking various Japanese dishes.

Luckily for me, it was quite a heavy overcast day so I didn’t need to wear a hat to protect my nose.  I talked about this in my previous post but in case you missed it, I had to have plastic surgery to remove a cancer spot from my nose and need to be extremely careful, especially during the time of healing, to protect it from the sun.

All and all it was a lovely day and we went home feeling refreshed and recharged.  What is your idea of a good weekend?

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo

WHAT I WORE FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY DINNER

Hello my dear readers.  Hope you are all well.

This is post is long overdue as we celebrated our wedding anniversary on the 29 of July.  Sadly, the following week I had to go to the hospital to have a surgical procedure on my nose.  It was BCC (basal cell carcinoma), the most common form of skin cancer and the least dangerous but if left untreated it can turn nasty.  

A few years ago my skin doctor had removed a similar BCC from the right side of my nose but this time the lesion was bigger which involved skin grafting and I was referred to the plastic surgeon.  As a result, my nose is scarred on this side and as you can imagine, does not look attractive at ll.  I was told that the healing process might take up to 4 months, so I am not sure how I am going to take photos for my blog without scaring readers away.  Perhaps, I might just pose sideways, that’s a thought 😊.

Anyway, back to the topic.  A few months ago my older daughter showed me this glamorous looking jacket made out of jacquard fabric and asked if I wanted it.  I was not entirely sure if I needed it but said "yes", just in case.  Since then it has been sitting in my closet waiting for the occasion; it is not the kind of jacket that I would wear for my every day chores or to work.  In the old days people used to differentiate their wardrobe between what they wear everyday and for special occasions and although it sounds rather old-fashioned, I adhere to this notion. 

This way getting dressed for an occasion makes it feel really special. It does not have to be a major event like a wedding for example, it could be just a night at the Opera or theatre or a dinner party at an upscale restaurant.  I read somewhere that the ambience of the place depends as much on the interior decor as on the way the patrons appearance and we should make an effort to dress accordingly. My husband and I totally agree, if fact when I think I am overdressed, he always reassured me that it's better to be overdressed then underdressed.  

I like to start planning ahead on what I will wear with what and which accessories, shoes and a handbag would work best, it kind of builds anticipation for a good time ahead and fittingly, our anniversary dinner was one of those occasions.

I wanted the jacket to be the focal point of my outfit so all other elements should be of less impact as not to distract attention and since the background of it is black, I chose it as a base colour for all my clothes for the night except the shoes.

The slim pants I am wearing are also new.  They are my latest purchase from Reiss.  Those of you who read my blog, might remember that I absolutely love this brand and follow its sales religiously.  I appreciate the brand for its fashion style, high quality fabric and the craftsmanship of the execution.  The top is quite old Zara purchase but comes handy when I need to wear something black without any frills.

As for shoes, I am so happy that the singback pumps are back, here in OZ at least.  I haven’t worn these beauties for quite some time and am looking forward for winter to end so I will be able to give them a full workout during the worm months.

And that is that.  We spent our anniversary night at the Spanish wine bar called Bibo Wine Bar. It was our first dinner there but we passed it many times on our walks and loved the way it looks:  dark painted wall, flickering candles, people drinking, eating, laughing - obviously enjoying themselves.

It turned out exactly what we expected, the food (modern Med) was very tasty, the staff was exceptionally friendly yet highly officiant and knowledgeable and we had great time.

Do you separate your wardrobe into everyday wear and a special occasion or you just wear whatever takes your fancy?   Please share your thoughts in a comment section below.

Outfit details: Jacket - Minkpink, Top - Zara, Pants - Reiss, Shoes:  Hugo Boss, Glasses - Prada

Until then

Anna

xoxoxo