What I Wore: SIA loves Target spots & Milana animal

I love my clothes.

Even though I dont work in corporate any more and don't feel the need for designer loot, I bum around every day in really affordable pieces (read: brands like Target).

If I am meeting a client, there is also often one Target piece in the ensemble; because I like Target and it works well with high end stuff. I cant help it; I just like it. 

Today's ensemble was a total random. No planning. But it was the basis of a formula I use most of my casual days - boyfriend jeans, top, half tucked. And cute shoes. Always cute shoes. 

Top: Target, $49, polyfester with black polka dots.

Don't get me wrong - I love polyfester more than viscose/modal/rayon etc. These days it breathes & drapes well. Sure, you cant wear it in the height of summer, but any other time it works. 

The half tuck is key. Without any tuck I look sloppy & with a full tuck, my tummy just looks big. 

The reason I look sloppy without any tuck is that I bought the size to accommodate the girls on the upper half & so the bottom half is too big. 

I have seen this top on quite a few corporate girls, tucked into a pencil skirt. Always caught my eye.

Pants: Target Life & Style boyfriend jeans, $49

With subtle rips, I've found Life & Style jeans fit me well, so I buy everyone which they have made. This is the only one I dont have multiples of. Really like it, so wonder why. 

I also like the nautical trim on the turn ups. Subtle but nice. 


Belt: Witchery, $49

Witchery does a similar belt every season. This is a serviceable go-to. 

Jewellery: right hand

1. A pale grey leather scrunchie for wrists. Costume jewellery. 

2. A sterling bracelet from Attic in Woollahra; made by a woman who is Aussie but lives & works with silver in Bali. 

3. A matt silver sterling ring with a scare finish. $11 from Vinnies, last week. Engraved with "JH" but I am not sure whether this is the Asian inspired John Hardy as this doesnt look Asian. At all. 
  
Jewellery: left hand

1. Skagen watch, new from Vinnies Gladesville for $80. 

2. Men's rubber & stainless screw clasp bracelet, $10

3. Bean sterling bracelet also from Attik and made by the Bali women as bracelet on right hand, above.    


Necklace: Lovisa, sterling, $29

Despite the high neckline, the look still needed a necklace - it doesnt have to be fancy, just one layer to fill the neck space.

You can see it in the left hand jewellery photo. 

Shoes: Milana ballet flat leopard pony skin, $250

I bought these at David Jones a few years ago. I love the black grosgrain ribbon around the edge and vertically along the back.

These were what made the outfit a touch above "normal". What I mean by that is the print mixing. So much cuter than a black or navy ballet flat or loafer. 

You can get similar flatties anywhere and at any price point. Look around and I am sure you will find something you love. 

TIPS: 

Animal & spots always mix well. Just make sure the prints are of different scales and have at least one colour in common. Here the colour is black but a dark colour "mismatch" like navy or charcoal could also have worked. 

A reminder that animal & stripes as well as animal & florals also mix well. Just keep to the rules of one colour in common and different scales. 

Animal also doesnt have to be leopard. It can be giraffe, zebra, tiger stripes, python, lizard or even dalmations. 

I can't wear camel animals near my face, but below the waist & certainly on my feet. I love leopard.

You may also notice that the polka dot top is a very sparse print. Almost to the point that it becomes hard to print mix it. That's why I exposed the tan belt with the camel/tan shoes - they help to pull the look together.  

Bag: I will introduce my bag tomorrow. She got a bit camera shy today. Actually I forgot to put her in the photo! 

What were you wearing today?  

What I Wore: Furry hero jacket

The jacket

She looks furry. She is furry. And warm. And gorgeous. She is by Rena Lange, a German designer who I have mentioned on one of my first WIW posts. 

I bought her at a David Jones pre-sell many many years ago. She was in the serious four figures and I still love her.

Pre-sell in Australia is the process whereby the new collections are placed in a room & viewed by appointment only for a week or two, before they are placed on the shop floor. Think French bubby, finger food & serious presents if you spend even a dollar & everyone knows the cheapest item is seriously expensive.

They has a 38 & a 40 in this jacket. They were both sold on the first day. This is why I used to turn up on the first day as soon as the doors opened.

[If you hear the term pre-sell in the USA, it means a totally different thing...will explain in another WIW post].

Every colour of the rainbow is represented in this baby.
AND it is woven in bands of colour....easier to see at the back....when she is on, she looks like an ombre rainbow. 

And the fringe...massively wide...very striking. Most garments have a downside - the only one with this is that its hard to eat soup wearing her.  

She is 100% wool and unlined but the finish inside is as good as the outside.

For those of you with super powers of observation, the jacket covers my bum - but I have placed it too high in the photo and the bum looks exposed. Definitely a bum coverer. 

I also got a 20 cm length of fringe & a 10 cm square of fabric  for repairs. 

Mind you I cant close the buttons these days, but because the front edges are slanted, its hard to see that she is too small.

So what is worthy of this baby?

The top

Why a Coles Mix tee of course!!!!

The jeans

The Not Your Daughters Jeans I wore yesterday - in an indigo wash.

The necklace

Why Lovisa of course. For a price of around $20.
perfect match for a Rena Lange! heheheh

You've seen this necklace previously - its a Dries Van Noten copy in a mixed metals. It has the stretch to mirror the jacket's presence.

& I completely forgot to do rings today - feeling a bit naked, but warm. 

The shoes

The navy Choos from ebayland, which I wore in yesterday's outfit. High but with a stacked heel, so solid. And pom poms.

Has anyone noticed that today's look is just another look of the same formula I love? Hero jacket, one strong piece of jewellery & the rest is very non descript. I do that again & again. I do have more versions of the pants & jeans I have shown you so far, but no one notices them - because the hero & the jewellery always takes over.

See you tomorrow when I hope to show you the real value of buying similar pieces and hence being able to throw things together in a heartbeat. 

What I Wore - Winter means cashmere

Winter is definitely here.
The sun may be out, but its cold.
Its time for cashmere.

Five times as warm as wool, never scratchy, it lasts forever (with gentle washing in wool wash). 

I never dry clean my cashmeres as dry cleaning solvents are bad for the fibres - they harden them & change their colour over time.

The scarf

A Luciano Barbera, Italian of course, 100% cashmere and a mens brand (& scarf). A classic design - rectangle, with cashmere rolled fringe ends. 

Bought from a designer warehouse in the Sydney CBD called Voi. I think I paid $150 and its worth every penny. Toasty & baby soft.

Inspired by this purchase, I then looked & found the same thing in a ladies brand - in black. 

The jeans

Not Your Daughter's Jeans in a dark grey. 
I think I got these in New York. 

TIP: To stop your grey or black jeans looking too "westie", dress them up - jewellery, heels, smart bag.

The sweater

This Giorgio Armani "Classico" sweater is 18 years old and is 100% cashmere in a varying width ribbing all over. It has short sleeves. It has never fit me previously (too big), but I hung onto it due to the fantastic quality. Fits like a glove now. 

I had purchased it from a designer recycled store in Double Bay which has notorious mark ups on its international labels. I would never even walk into that shop now, with the advent of ebay & on line buying opportunities. The only reason I bought it was because, back then, there was no secondary market available other than via bricks.

TIP: If you're buying Armani on ebay, the age of an item will help you to assess its value. In my experience, the older the item, the more chance there are issues (which the seller hasnt disclosed due to ignorance or deviousness). Hence to more likely you need to be on guard, ask questions etc than if you were buying a younger piece. 

Alot of sellers have no idea about age - but a brand fanatic will be able to determine the approx age not just by the style but by the tags on the item.

This narrow "Giorgio Armani A Milano Borgonuovo" tag which this top reveals its age. Also GA hasnt done anything in the "Classico" range for about 18 years.

The jacket

I bought this at the Sydney boutique for a hideously expensive amount of money. It is 70% cashmere and 30% silk. 

It has a wavy grey and navy stripe with the navy being  a pointelle type knit.

I tended to wear it to work with a navy pleated skirt as it has a school blazer feel about it. For some reason, as conservative as it was, I still got loads of compliments on it. I credit that to Mr Armani.

As far as the detail goes - & I am all about the detail - I love the functioning cuff buttons.  I also love the knitted bound button holes & how the binding is in navy & lines up with the navy stripes...too divine!

TIP: Even if you are not in the market for high end fashion, by examining high end clothes, you can get an understanding of the hallmarks of good design....and then look for some of those hallmarks at a lower price point. 

If those expensive stores intimidate you (& sometimes I think they go out of their way to do so, to keep that exclusivity), then take someone with you who can navigate the sales people for you - like me!!!

Its kind of like "reach for the stars so you'll fall in the sky".

Neck party

A Lovisa glassy/antiquey gold chunky necklace.
$25.
Normally I dont wear gold near my face, but this one called out. Plus the antiquey nature of the gold takes away from the yellow undertones to some extent.

The (gay) nurse at the hospital complimented me on this yesterday. Dripping in Armani, but he is a magpie & noticed the $25 necklace.

TIP: When trying on statement necklaces, jump around on the spot in the store to ensure it sits & stays flat. If not, you will spend time adjusting it & the look will be diminished.

Arm Party

A silver/gold plate necklace I got in India. 
I was stuck in the only large city without runway designer clothing (unless you call Esprit, Sisley & Ted baker designer), so I got to know all the boutiques which sold interesting jewellery very well.

Did you notice that the metal on the jacket (the buttons) was silver? All the other metal I wore was gold. To bring the two colours together, it helps to have one piece with mixed colours.

Enter bracelet.
It was very well priced despite being silver. 

Hand Party

I cant go without my rings.

On the bottom, a YSL dots ring in lapis & gold. I got this on ebay & stupidly paid more then RRP.

TIP: If there is anything I have learnt from Hermes scarf collection via ebay, its "watch, dont pounce" as everything comes around again & often at a cheaper price. 

On the top, a ManiaMania ring from The Corner Shop in Paddington. Reduced to 40% off. I just love how huge it is - serious dome weapon. 

BTW, here are the two YSL rings that have dominated the costume ring market in the last 5 years....they are available in many colours.

These babies are not mine unfortunately - taken from a web photo.

The shoes

Too lazy to find alternative shoes today.
These are See by Chloe and I got them from the Fitted for Work sale shop for $30. 

The reason I chose them for this outfit was because the zipper flowers have an antiquey gold look which complements the rest of my metals.

They also feed my need for height which comes from a sturdy heel

So has this inspired you? Given you some tips?
How would you change it to suit your style?

Copy Nina Proudman's (Offspring) style

Confession: I dont watch Offspring
Confession: Nina Proudman's style is not my style (at all!).


Before you shoot me, though, I have pulled together some photos and tips, so that if Nina's style is YOUR style, you can feel more confident replicating it.

Nina’s look has a ’70s-inspired boho vibe. Its earthy but with shots of soft colour with consistent layering and use of bohemian inspired accessories. Case in point....


& she loves her maxi print skirts....

And again.......




Notice in this one with hunky doctor one of her accessories is a skinny knit scarf?This is a Nina favourite.At the high end, Missoni does this like no other brand......d-r-o-o-l.....
(mind you I have bought one in shades of pink from ebay land...)

But you can get this type of scarf at any price pint, including cheap as chips at markets & the like.


Here she is sporting a green skinny knit scarf again....note she doesnt tend to wear large cotton/pareo type scarves - instead she favours soft thin one that falls vertically.

This also has the advantage of creating a slimming line for your body & hence taking off a few kilograms. Woot, woot!



The cardi above is Scanlan & Theodore, the jeans are True Religion, belt & bracelet are Fossil.
and more layering & a skinny scarf with a long maxi skirt......








another long scarf, Rodeo pants (masquerading as a boho skirt) & a  very relaxed cami.....

Next we have a pale cardi (Little Joe) and top with the long scarf & bag slung across the body.....everything is neutral except the scarf.

& who doesnt have a denim jacket, a coloured tee, a tan belt/bag and a long skirt in their wardrobe already.....


Mention: The scarf & bag are an amazing Aussie brand called Nancy Bird - this brand is available at at boutiques Australia wide and on line.

The brand is known for interesting & detailed accessories with a boho feel.


http://nancybird.com/

In my album, "Shop Radar" I have posted about a store in Crows Nest Sydney, that carries a very large selection of the Nancy Bird range. The store is called Giftica.


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=324078730991261&set=a.324077714324696.76481.145520518847084&type=3&theater

Giftica is worth visiting if you are a Sydney girl as there is no substitute for feeling and seeing the product before you buy.



Oops, getting distracted.....back to Nina....


More layers (clothes & jewellery), with a paisley jacket (in hand) and funky sailor pants......



The jewellery she wears is generally gold (she was warm undertones in her skin) & its often fine pieces, layered. You can replicate with items from Diva & Lovisa in Australia. You dont have to go high end to find pieces like this.


This next one is quite "loud" for Nina - namely the zebra pants and the shark's tooth necklace. But she "earths" it with dove grey and peach.





Pretty in layers with broderie lace and layers in the jewellery......





A funky beaded vest for cocktails....this is Camilla (Aussie caftan queen)....





A little black dress - this isnt 70s boho, its more 60s glamour a-la Marilyn, especially with the hair up & slick. But she carries it off well & everyone is allowed to veer off their typical style occasionally!


The dress is Wheels & Doll Baby but you can find something like this at any price point and in many styles (less body con, thicker straps, shorter, longer etc)





So, what's the trick with Nina's style?

Firstly, the trick with Nina's style is that it is very understated. No item on its own is a strong statement piece, yet the outfit together makes a statement. All items have a softness and flow about them. The fabrics are complimentary, not clashing.

Secondly, Nina's outfits always have many elements that individually are “off balance” – that look like they are just thrown on. However her looks are very carefully thought out & that’s why any overall Nina look is very balanced. A lot of effort goes into looking this effortless and that what her wardrobe department is responsible for.

Just because Nina is a character, working for a TV station with a wardrobe department, doesn’t mean that YOU cant replicate her style. Maybe not the exact identical pieces mind you, but similar styles/shapes/colours of dress & accessories.

The bonus with Nina is that her clothes area rarely designer – in fact, you can replicate a lot of her pieces from those cheapie Asian stores in a lot of the Aussie shopping centres and from jewellery stores like Diva & Lovisa. Cheap & cheerful.

Have fun with it and feel free to post photos on the Facebook page of any looks you create.

Designer look accessories on the high street

I'll be honest. I hate, loathe & detest fakes. All those "Gucci" or "LV" or "Calvin Klein" or "Rolex" sitting on sidewalks all over the world, whether they are sunglasses or hand bags or whatever - I hate them & I hate their peddlers.

I hate them because they dont last for more than a heartbeat & cause normal people to think less of the real thing (even when that person realised they were a fake) and I hate them because they are made and distributed by the lowest forms of life - people who are linked to organised crime, child prostitution, child slavery, inhumane working conditions and terrorism.

This post isnt intended to clue you up on how to spot fakes - if you want a post on that, just let me know - its easy for me to do.

This post is intended to show you how you can use the web to examine the top of the line clothes and accessories and use that as a guide when buying on the high street. After all, we all buy on the high street - I dont know anyone who only buys high end designer.

Lets get this clear - it is illegal to be selling those blatant fakes on the high street in Australia (& in alot of the developed countries). Blatant meanining with all those obvious logos or with deliverately misleading spelling of logos like "Prado" or "Dolce & Gabana" or "Cuggi". If only the high end retailers had the resources to chase these down.

However with the advent of the world wide web and instant live footage of fashion weeks in London, New York, Paris & Milan, it becomes easier & easier to produce something fast & similar (lets call it "inspired") even without the logo or without the deliberately misspelt logo.

In fact I use the runway footage to check out trends in clothes, jewellery, shoes, bags & belts so that when the high street has the inspired version in every second store, I can better look for the one that I think is most suitable for me & my wardrobe.


My examples as follows:

Just Cavalli
Spring Summer 2011
Agate jewellery

I loved these agate necklaces & the first place I spotted them was Milan Fashion Week SS 2011.
I have extracted photos of the purple, blue and green versions on the left below.

On the right (of the blue and green) is the inspired version.
The blue was from Lovisa reduced to $12 from $20
The green was $24 from Diva.
Both are long and adjustable, however I have pinned them short for the photo.
The green was offered first, then the blue was released. The green is a better quality in the cut and the polish/finish. I bought both for colour flexibility, as you do (at those types of prices).

Both of these stores have versions in rings, earrings etc and a combination of pieced both in real agate which is a semi precious stone (like mine) and synthetic versions.






Note: Lovisa and Diva are related stores in Australia which translate runway trends very very well at very affordable prices. I will pop in most weeks to see the new arrivals and they have a wonderful on line site.

Here is an agate rack at Myer (taken last week)



Dries Van Noten
Spring Summer 2009
Chunky metal necklace

I adored this whole collection but couldnt justify the prices.
The chunky necklace alone was $2.5K in a Sydney boutique.

Again, runway photos on the left, my loot on the right.







I found the inspired necklace (on the right) for $30 reduced from $40 in Lovisa.
Sure it isnt the same as the original & doesnt have the balls, but it has a lovely take on the ball bearings and I am happy to wear it.

In fact, they decided to mix the gold tone and silver tone into the one necklace (unlike Dries who kept the metal tones in separate pieces).....in fact, I kinda prefer mine as I have more flexibility to mix metals (especially in my chunky rings)....

I also found the original jacket on ebay for $199, oops, still has the Neiman's tag on the right side at the back...Note to Self: Snip that off.



Chanel
Spring Summer 2011
Dipped silver look metal/burnished gold metal jewellery









I picked up a necklace copy by Iosselliani (an Italian brand) at Barney's Co-Op in New York late last year for $350. It was available on line until a few weeks ago when it (finally) went on sale.

I normally wear it with a higher almost crew type neckline - this Witchery top doesnt do it justice.

But I love, love, love the fact that it has mixed metals - whilst gold isnt my best metal, the gunmetal helps to correct that and allows me to mix it with other jewellery of both tones (kinda like the Dries inspired piece above).

That sort of flexibility = more mileage = more wearing = lower CPW = happy!







The interesting thing about this is that I found the Italian version before Chanel released its collection - we wont go there.

All runway photos are from style.com

My conclusion: Use the on line runway facilities to better understand what may end up on the high street. Then look around and select the best inspired versions you can find. Trust me, they'll be there by the droves. Just do me a favour and stay away from the blatant logo copies which dont promote their own brand on the packaging the item.