How to turn Offspring Nina Proudman's style into MY style

Just a reminder about the oodles of Nina inspired tops on the high street at the moment. And the oodles of style possibilities.

Target - available now. 

Target, same top as above, available now. 

This is part of the Target thermals range.
It's 100% extra fine Merino wool.
Also available in black.
It's a more refined Nina look.
Available now.

Another Target top with a really
basic peasant styling
which can be dressed up or down.
Available now.

A more structured bodice provides
a more modern minimalist variation
on the usual Nina boho country look.
Target, available now.

A cleaner but still pretty look for those
who want less boho & more smart.
Target, available now.

Just because Nina loves white/off white & cream, doesnt mean you cant get away with a similar look in another colour.  The trick is to keep it soft. That means flowy & pastel/light colours.

Classic Nina, but in pale
pink at Target - available now.

This can also be classic Nina but note the
elastic ribbing on the collar, pocket &
cuffs and the elbow seams?
That takes it straight to the sports luxe category.
Add Nina accessories (scarf, long necklaces) &
you have a modern Nina look.
This is from Witchery & is available now.
 

How do I turn these tops into the Nina look?

With accessories of course....

1. Layer a couple of long necklaces - nothing chunky except if a pendant style

2. Add a long rectangle scarf (plain or print) 

wound once or twice around your neck 

3. A fine watch with a delicate metal band - no sports watches allowed

4. A fine pair of earrings, nothing too bold or too dangly.

5. Add a boho bracelet like a friendship bracelet or a leather band.

6. Suede tall boots

7. Slouchy boho messenger bag

What if I dont love Nina's boho pretty style & I want a different style?

I hope you've noticed the beauty of all these tops are simple, almost plain. That means you can dress them up or down with accessories. 

Even if you are not into Nina typical boho pretty style, every single one of these tops allows you to morph the look into MODERN, MINIMALIST or SPORTY look. 

The fastest way to do this is to:

*half tuck the top

*change the shoes

* Change the scarf from florals to plains

If you borrow sister Billie's leather jackets you can turn them into a TOUGH GIRL look.

Frankly I'd love to see Nina in a leopard
accessory to edge up her look...

Oops, here we changed the top to a tough girl tee,
added boyfriend jeans and black booties.
Nina would have a heart attack with this look. 

 If you want a CLASSIC look with these tops, then:

* add a traditional blazer
* and/or tuck in the top
* remove the pretty floral scarf and/or add a plain scarf
* change the shoes to almost anything other than those tall suede boots
* add any bag which is more structured and less tan than her messenger styles. 

You dont have to do every single one of these suggestions, but the more you do, the more effective & faster you will achieve your CLASSIC version of Nina look. 

Oops, here we changed the colour
of the jeans, added a collar to the jacket &
a simple sweater ...but it's still a workable
variation of the Nina look.
Think modern classic, not boho pretty.

What about my best metal colour? 

You can mix your metals, but I suggest whatever is near your face, should be the metal which is best for your complexion - 

* that's silver/gunmetal/grey for complexions with cool undertones (pink tones in their skin) & 

* yellow gold/rose gold for complexions with WARM undertones (yellow tones in their skin).

And the point of this is......

My underlying message here is about YOUR style. 

If you have loved Nina's boho pretty style before Offspring fashion fever took hold, then you'll know where & what brands deliver the Nina look. 

If that wasnt your style and you are say, over 25 yo, then are you SURE that buying Nina's identical pieces will work for your wardrobe and your lifestyle? Or will you end up having two closets - a Nina one & the other one. 

No guesses which of those closets you'll be wearing more. 

That's how women end up with a closet full of clothes & nothing to wear. Because their style (classic, tough girl, minimalist, sporty, modern etc) doesnt match up with the clothes they are buying when they follow a TV character's style. So celebrity style photos have alot to answer for in SIA's book. 

That's why is makes more sense firstly to buy inspired (rather than identical) pieces and secondly to wear them YOUR way rather than Nina's way. 

Random Witchery pieces - AW 2014

Just some Witchery pieces I noticed for AW 2014:

This is a cotton chalk stripe shirt. It is the same cut as a 2 tone chambray & a white they recently had alot of success with. 

However this shirt, in addition to having the chalk stripe print, has a mini jacquard stripe in the fabric - the result is that's unlike the other two, it's very hard to iron because the jacquard isnt a smooth surface. 

It's now reduced. I am not surprised it hasn't sold well - with the wrinkling, it looks like PJs. 

If you want a denim skirt but find the blue denims are everywhere, this is a nice one to try - in a faded grey, cotton with a bit of poly & elastene.

It's a pencil style and doesnt have those ugly fly fronts, making it more dressy than otherwise 

SIA is always a sucker for a black skirt which hugs the thighs then flips out. 

This one is the "Hi Low Flip" for $100 in polyester (think microfibre).
It's average length is 40 cm. 
Be careful if selecting on line - as the average length covers not only all the sizes (4-16) but the front & back too. 
If you are leg conscious, I'd be asking for a precise measurement of the shortest length in your best size.

This next one is the "Fishtail Peplum Skirt", again 100% but in a different fabrication to the hi-low.

Its average length is 44.5 cm. Again, take care in the measurements if you are conscious of your pins. 

Also notice how it looks almost the same length as the hi-low, but with a 4 cm length difference! It pays to ask questions. 

The next Longline Sleeveless Shirt, $90, looks fabulous on the page if you love white & dalmation prints. 

It's stated as 100% polyester, which is a good thing - fine breathable poly is a very hardy fabric which retails shape & colour. 

It's also stated as a "milky white", even though this photo looks white-white.

But when I saw this in store, I did a double take. 
It is pretty much white-white but it looks & feels like a rayon/viscose. Really cheap & thin in a bad way. Am sure it doesnt crease like rayon, but while I want cheap, I dont wnat to look cheap. 

I havent seen this next one in real life, but it's a clever top. 
Called the"Metallic Ombre Tee" its fabulousness is that the lighter band just under the bust creates a whittles torso in that area. Terrific to create an empire line for pear shapes. 

Unfortunately it's 100% viscose, so I am not holding my breath.

Below, the new generation flat pleat skirt is in store now & will be on line soon.

Like all its sisters, it's a midi length - about the least flattering skirt shape on the planet.

Plus pleats tend to create a heavy look, causing the eye to move down, adding to the heaviness and unflatteringness. Yes, when a garment is this bad, unflatteringness is a word. 

However there may be a saving grace. The diagonal seam joining the mesh tulle to the body creates a vertical line and the blush colour lightens the hem & helps to slow down the downward eye movement. 

The waist is elastic. 

It's dry clean only - not sure why as yet. 

The next studded blush shell top, $100 looks lovely if you suit warm tones. The studs look like silver, but they don't alter the warm tone of the top. The studs are only placed at the front. 

The only drawback - its 100% viscose - it may drop/hang very easily, flattening you at the front & cling to every lump & bump at the sides/back. 

The next knit has done very well for Witchery - in 100% babywool Merino, SIA still hasnt figured out what baby wool is other than maybe lamb Merino? It's called a "Step Hem Knit" & she isn't sure what that means either. 

Apart from the colours currently available (grey, black, camel, off white/marshmallow, it was also previously released in pale blue & pale pink. It's $100.

This sweater has a fabulous look & a fine feel. The only thing I dont like about it, is that the basque at the front, is stitched together at the point of the inverted vee - it isn't a continuous basque. Having that vertical seam there makes it look cheap IMO & I think the reason is that it was cheaper to do it that way.   

The next one is a wrap knit in 50% rayon & 50% wool. It has way too much fabric for a petite. It is $170. 

A good basic style, however it reminds me of Oroton's "Chalet" style, which they have been doing for years in either 100% wool or 100% cotton. Oroton's is $300 irrespective of fabric and available in cream, black, navy (it was a bright navy) & a few other colours. 

The only real difference is that the Oroton is short sleeved and shorter in the body. I find that works better for layering year round and for petites.  My money's on the Oroton - much better quality & you can usually score 25% off without much of a sweat. 

Here is the Oroton "Chalet" which I think is in direct competition with the Witchery cheaper version. 

See anything you like peeps?

Witchery skirt - you get what you pay for

Style into Action literally left skid marks today, heading for the Witchery shop, to try on the skirt circled above. 

After seeing it on the Witchery blog, it was a drop everything and think about nothing else until she had explored this. 

It was a fixed wrap (no adjusting 20 times a day & no accidental openings)

How could anyone not love this skirt?

In black (nuff said)

Wide band at the waist which keeps the tummy in (nuff said here too)

Angular lines (slimming)

Pleating/ruching at top but pencil width at the knee (perfect for pear shapes, or the always annoying hourglasses & due to the diagonal lines, it may work well for a rectangle too).

So, so, so, so nice...

Knee length - no unflattering midi proportions to deal with.

Leather waistband (a better look & a sturdier look as pleather rips easily on seams).

$150 - reasonable price, in fact, great price for a leather trimmed item

In short, it looked like the holy grail of black skirts. Hence the skid marks. 

At the store, this is what I saw.....on all of them. 

The finish along the top of the leather band was awful. I get goose bumps thinking about it.

Even though I loved the weighty stretch fabric & the style, the making at the top is horrible. 

I didnt try it on - there was no point. I felt icky looking at it. 

Extra horribleness was present if you tuck your top in, but just plain horribleness, even if the top is out. Mind you, in this style, most tops would need to be tucked in, otherwise they would compete with the leather band/pleats of the skirt and the eye would convulse trying to understand what is going on. 

Then the penny dropped: You get what you pay for. 

There is no way you can get a decently constructed piece with leather trim for $150 without some serious compromises. 

Don't expect otherwise & especially don't expect miracles from the high street. 

Sometimes you hope the compromises are small or not visible, but often they are big & visible. Like here. 

Even if the compromises are not visible, you still need to feel good about wearing the item - the moment you get that shivery goose bump feeling - run away - fast. 

Yes, I was disappointed about not being able to court this skirt, but if I listened to my preaching, I would have known better. 

I wouldnt touch this skirt in a gazillion years & frankly. In fact, this skirt helps to prove to me that anyone (like Tash, the brunette in the photo), who wears high end like Chanel on a regular basis, has got to be getting paid a decent rate to wear this item.  

Have you seen anything lately which you loved on screen & were disappointed with in person?

Reward programs - the nitty gritty they dont tell you about

This post is about two things.

1. How the Witchery REWARD system works in comparison to CASH or GIFT VOUCHER transactions.

2. A word of warning about reward systems, 2 for 1 offers or gift with purchase promotions. In fact, any store promotion which affects the price of goods apart from straight price reductions on individual items. 

I'll start off with the Witchery system  because that's what I encountered today.....

At Witchery, if you have REWARDS accumulated from a previous purchase (say $15), you have 30 days to use them. Lets say you find new goodies for $150 which you want to buy. As the store applies the original $15 of rewards, they reduced the cash outlay you need to pay, but they also reduce the value of the purchase for the sake of working out whether you qualify for new rewards & the value of those new rewards.

So the value of your purchase now becomes $135 and you dont qualify for the $15 new rewards because your goodies haven’t reached $150. You need to find another $15 of spend (clothes, accessories, make up, breast cancer ribbons etc) to bring the purchase value back up to $150. 

On the other hand a GIFT VOUCHER is treated as cash & comes off the total of your cash to pay, but doesnt affect the value of your purchase for the sake of the rewards system. So if the purchase was sitting at $150 and you had a $50 gift voucher, then you need to find $100 in cash/credit card/debit card. But you still qualified for another $15 reward because the voucher doesn’t affect your $150 spend value.

But lets say I also had my eye on another item (say an $100 sweater). Yes, my eyes tend to be bigger than my wallet!!  If I bundled it into today's purchase I wouldnt have needed to top up the spend by the other $20 item as above. All of a sudden, I have spent way more than I planned today. Make no mistake, that this was the intention of the store. Absolutely. 

But I would have had to find the cash to pay the extra amount. Duh!  If I don’t have the extra cash/card now, I have to wait. I dont know about you, but what I tend to do is wait for it to go on sale (yes, I do this alot where stores have multiple branches aka loads of stock). But the reward is only valid for 30 days & there is no guarantee that this will happen. So what is more likely to happen is that I spend the top up on the full price $100 sweater instead of getting the benefit of the sale. Make no mistake, that rewards are specifically worked so they dont last a long time for this reason. 

THE MORAL OF THE STORY (& I know a lot of you know this already, but just to be clear):

By offering loyalty rewards or programs like 2 for 1 or gift with purchase, stores may benefit in one of two ways compared to the situation of giving you an UPFRONT REDUCED PRICE:

1. You spend more money topping up to qualify for the reward system; and/or

2. You spend the money SOONER topping up for the reward.

The trick for you as the customer is to be careful about the top up items you buy - I hope that they will be what you LOVE, rather than something thrown in to reach a reward threshold. 

If you weren’t going to buy the top up items to start with, be very careful about whether you really are benefiting from the reward transaction.

After all, I don’t want you to have a whole bunch of ordinary things in your wardrobe. Let’s face it, top ups often are ordinary. I want you to have only what you LOVE.  

This post is not meant to have a go at Witchery even though I have used Witchery as the example. The principles behind store promotions apply to virtually every high street store which has any kind of loyalty program or promotion, other than simple price reductions for individual items.  

Of course, before you make a purchase in any store, make sure you understand their promotion. If they have gone to the trouble of going blah, blah, blah in their Terms & Conditions, then maybe you should go to the trouble of reading the blah, blah, blah. 

Caveat emptor.

What I Wore: Little pops of colour

Another casual day.

The jeans

Not Your Daughters Jeans

The top

A cotton sweat top from Witchery.
Apologies for the creases - I hadnt laid her flat from wearing her....

When this top came out, I wrote about it, saying I wouldnt buy it because the shade of grey is too yellowy and it was thin & flimsy. That was at $80. 

Now its $50 it became more appealing & since I am usually scarf city, the colour of the scarf is more important than the shade of grey under it. I just love its sloppy easy factor, but in the contrast sleeves & the side splits it is cool sloppy. Which is exactly the kind of sloppy you want, eh?

Interestingly, the day after I bought it, it was reduced even further to $40. I wouldnt put it past me to buy & return to take advantage of the additional price reduction....hhmm...

The scarf

A Ralph Lauren 100% wool scarf from Birkenhead Point store. $140 from $300. 

Its a men's scarf so its a chunky but the knit is even & it rolls inwards. I loved the pop of colour on the ends. 

STYLE TIP: Dont try this at home unless you have a long neck & are reasonably tall. Otherwise it will swamp you.

The necklace

This is the fun part.
Its actually two identical necklaces, long & in black rubber made up of many pieces, knotted together. With coloured tips. Kind of like matchsticks, but in many colours. They just sit all messy & cute.

I bought these from a store at the Rocks, Sydney many years ago. The store has since re-located to Woollahra I think each strand was $40. 

The bracelets

A bunch of random black bracelets - since the grey was quite light, I felt I needed some black to ground the look.

On the other wrist, a cheapie bunch of beads. $10 I think. 
I normally hate logos & words on my things - so this was an unusual buy. I think if it was any more than $10 it wouldnt have been worth it for me.



The rings

A giant silver Russian wedding ring & a chunky one with a horn insert. The chunky came from a Hunt Leather warehouse sale where they had a jewellery lady displaying her wares. $50.

The shoes

My $30 See by Chloe babies which I scored from the Fitted for Work sale shop. Love. They love me back. So comfortable. 

See you tomorrow.

What I Wore: French tailored jacket loves cheap boyfriend jeans

Another formula day for me - a jacket, tee & jeans. 

The jacket

A Louis Feraud wool jacket from about 8 years ago, bought on sale at David Jones. Not cheap, even on sale. The pattern? Window pane checks! Yes, that's formula for me!

Its one of the shortest jackets I own and its a bit snug these days, which means it looks like everyone else wears their garments these days.

Plus it has a gorgeous nipped in waist - Feraud tailoring is always special.

The top

A Witchery tee in black, fitted & flared through the waist with these rabbit ear things on each side hem which extend past the hem at the centre front  & centre back. It just flaps around and makes the top a bit more interesting.

The jeans

I got these at a store called Simone Louise in North Rocks, which has since gone out of business. They are an Australian brand called Philosophy which tends to cater for an "older" market in clothes. These jeans fit me to a tee and are high waisted with wide legs. 

In the old days we called wide leg jeans, "carpenter style". Now, if I roll up the legs, they become boyfriend jeans. I was really pleased to have found a way to make them look modern.

Dont do this at home if you are on the short side. There is alot of fabric rolled into the hem & unless you're tall, they can swamp you.

The necklaces

I layered a few gold toned strands. 

A jade colour pendant from Lovisa (or Diva!).
Two tassel strands from a store in St Ives Shopping Village for $5 each.
A gunmetal chain with black wood beads from The Corner Shop which mixes in with anything.

The cuff

Recycled, Hermes tan cuff, $99 from The Frock Exchange, Balmain.

The bag

My 3.1 Phillip Lim is my everyday bag & doesnt normally get a look in here (because it is always the same). But today is special because she asked me to wear a bag accessory. The only bag accessory I have is the pom poms.

The pom poms are by Hermes, 100% wool with a leather string & I love them dearly. They were a product which was introduced and then didnt sell well, so they were discontinued. I think they were around $300 which I think is cheap for the quality. 

I am still pining after the one that got away - lime, chocolate & deep purple....

Here is a side view of the bag - the top & bottom of each side  has a flap with a zip...to make the bag smaller, you join these flaps by joining the zips so she looks squashed at each end. 

The shoes

Very old Ferragamo Mary Janes in nappy leather, black.

Paid a bomb, but worn steadily for the last 10 years. 

Made to last, just the way I like them. 

See you tomorrow.