People watching musings at Bondi Junction mall

I did a few quick laps at the mall at Bondi Junction yesterday in the afternoon. I sat down for a late lunch at The Coffee Club (BLT sans dressing).  

Bear in mind that I live in the northwest – my locals malls are North Rocks & Carlingford (with a customer a few years older than me), Castle Hill (my preference by far) and Parramatta (I dislike this centre). Chatswood now has the Zara drawcard, but it’s too crowded for my liking. If I want to clothes/accessory shop I go to the city and Woollahra for very specific stores which are not found elsewhere in Sydney.

I don’t normally visit Bondi Junction unless I am in the area on business. I find all its special stores can be found in the city, along with even more options, so it makes more sense to go there instead.

So what did I notice at BJ mall?

That the people were dressed deliberately.

Without a doubt, by far, this was the most outstanding tendency.

I'll repeat that because it's important and I don't want you to miss it.....I noticed that the people were dressed deliberately.

It wasn’t that their clothing was expensive (although some were).

It wasn’t that their accessories were expensive (although some were).

It was that they took care to combine everything on their body with an eye for the details. Nothing is thrown on randomly or last minute – the pieces are planned. And when their looks sent an effortless vibe, trust me, it had taken effort.  

I am not talking any super human effort here – just simple things like:

*    Is my underwear invisible?

*    Do my clothes fit properly?

*    Do my clothes flatter my best features?

*    Do my clothes hide my worse features?

*    Do the colours I am wearing flatter my complexion?

*    Do my accessories look well taken care of?

The above concerns are what makes a well dressed person. You can do all of this by yourself or, if these things overwhelm you, you outsource it to someone else.

I can guarantee you that if you take care of what you wear and how you look, you will look better than if you don’t.

The other interesting thing was that the clothes weren’t necessarily streets ahead in the expensive stakes. Sure, there were regular sightings of cashmere sweaters instead of wool, designer jeans and silk scarves, but there were a lot of non descript basics which didn’t scream money.

What did stand out though, were the accessories. 

I'll repeat that, because it's important. 

The accessories stood out. 

Yes, there were a considerable amount of designer labels and there was a freshness about them – nothing looked war torn, like you see in the suburbs. It was these accessories which were selected & thought out well, to make the person look special.

In my world, freshness in accessories doesn’t mean buying the latest look head to toe – it means looking after whatever look you have chosen and having one piece that is current. Current can mean a colour, a shape, a silhouette, a texture or an actual item.

Just to be clear, even you'll nail the accessory requirement even if you accessories are old - as long as they are well looked after and somewhere in the mix, ONE piece nods to the current trends. 

In summary, that's two words:

Deliberate & 

Accessories (looked after & one current piece)

Just for good measure, here is a previous blog about dressing deliberately. 

http://styleintoaction.blogspot.com.au/search/label/deliberate

I wear a uniform

I wear a uniform.

I am not a nurse, a bus driver, a policeman or a firefighter.

But I wear a uniform.

This is my uniform.

I cant recall where I found this photo, but make no mistake, this IS my uniform.

I vary the accessories - the shoes, the necklace, the bag, the bracelets, maybe a scarf but essentially the base is always the same....

Stark white, 

Black (or navy), 

Loose top (or tank) or sweater covering my bum,

Nothing tucked in

Sometimes the pants are slightly wider

Very little colour & usually in the accessories

Very little print & usually in the accessories

The uniform is my casual daywear. I have another uniform for work & another for going out (separate posts on those later).

If you have a uniform, the chances are that:

1. You are older (dont ask me to define this!!)

2. You have a strong sense of (fashion) self, meaning you understand your body shape & colouring & dress accordingly.

3. You've been through fads & trends in your earlier years

4. You favour ease in getting dressed, meaning you generally have whatever you need to wear, accessible in your wardrobe

5. You feel comfortable in your uniform so you can get on with your life - you arent self conscious in your clothes

6. You have many duplicated pieces & they all get worn because you know what shapes & colours work for you.
If your duplicates arent getting worn, there is a chance your "uniform" is accidental/random/not deliberate - or you may simply be in a rut - see me later on this.

I am not the only one with a uniform.
Check out the following babes...

                                                          The Queen has a uniform

The Late Princess Diana had a summer uniform

                                  & a winter uniform

& an evening uniform.

 


Sienna Miller has a (boho country) uniform (although she is deliberately
changing it in the last 12 months or so)

                          Eva Mendes has a very distinctive summer 

                                                           uniform of floral dresses

                       Jessica Alba has a very consistent uniform of jeans,

                                                                  top, jacket & scarf

                         Jennifer Aniston has a uniform of jeans, dark jacket & neutral solid tops.                                

As the weather lightens, she removes the jacket & softens the top

Or she may wear cargos or a spot of colour. 

But the uniform remains the same.

The only bad thing the uniform can be accused of is that its boring.  But no-one that has a uniform & works it well would agree with this.

The uniform saves you money - because all your pieces are interchangeable & you can get more mileage from everything (cost per wear goes down).

The uniform saves you time.

Do you have a uniform?

Is there a celebrity whose style you admire? Chances are they have a uniform. Google their clothes & see if their uniform could be your uniform.

If you cant figure out what their uniform is, just ask me!

Jacqui E - 3 piece suit offer $199

The above Jacqui E advertisement recently caught my eye. It was on the back cover of one of the Sunday Sydney newspapers style magazines.


I could not locate a PDF version on Google or on the company site, so I photographed the back of the magazine & uploaded it....where there's a will, there's a way...



Basically the offer is a 3 piece suit for $199AU - so that's a jacket, skirt & pants.



However you cant just choose any Jacqui E suit - the offer applies to suits from a selected range - which seems to be the "Ariel" range. 


The pre-offer prices of the Ariel collection are:
jackets - 230
pants - 120
skirts - 120 
total = $470


Wow! Now the offer sounds terrific - that's about 60% off (without a calculator!)



Now, Jacqui E arent stupid - they're running a business to make money and they arent going to give away their best quality wool suits at such a crazy price. In fact, the Ariel range looks to be a polyester/viscose/elastene blend. So if you treat this suit harshly, my bet is, it wont last long looking fabulous. As a lower priced suit, you have to be more careful how you treat it, than if you had invested in a more expensive suit.

So how do you make this $199 suit look like a million bucks (well, figuratively speaking)?

1. Dry clean all the three pieces together, so you dont get the fabrics of each piece fading at different rates.


2. Use Jacqui E's alterations place to make sure the sleeves end just below your wrist bone. There is nothing more obviously unfinished than cuffs tucked under with pressing seams trying to keep them in place.



3. Use Jacqui E's alterations place to lift the skirt hem to the best length for you, bearing in mind the official and unofficial dress code of your office. 


4. Never wear the pants or the skirt two days in a row as this places too much pressure on the seams & doesnt give the fibres enough time between wears to relax and fall back into place. 


5. Try not to wear the jacket more than two days in a row for the same reason as # 4. 

Spend some time thinking of how other things in your closet can substitute for the jacket, for the days when the jacket has a day off. This is shopping your closet.


6. When you take if off at the end of the day, hang all the pieces up (dont leave them draped over a chair or lying flat)...hanging them will ensure the creases fall out faster.


7. When you are deciding on the size to purchase, if any aspect of the jacket is pulling over your body, go up a size and have alterations take it in. Each piece should have enough room for you to insert a finger between the garment and your inner layer.


When you are deciding on the size to purchase, bring the typical inner layer you will wear with it, for the above purpose (eg: skivvy, blouse, sweater)

8. When you look at the skirt, you'll notice the back vent is overlapped, not edge to edge. That's a terrific feature that helps to keep the split well, unsplitted....nice one Jacqui E!

In case you're wondering - you'll recall that I constantly talk about cost per wear (CPW) and to always buy the best quality you can afford for core pieces (like suiting). Well, in case you cant afford to spend more and you do take advantage of this offer, I dont want you flogging this suit - be kind, be gentle and that's how this one will last the distance.

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.

Being deliberate is being well dressed

Many years ago, someone said something to me about being well dressed and I have never forgotten it.

Interestingly, I have forgotten who told me, but the comment has stuck with me like glue.

The comment which was made to me was that "being well dressed requires one thing & one thing only - "to be deliberate about your appearance, from top to toe".

First lets clarify what this means & then I will give you a great example which recently came up.

In this image industry you are always hearing about wearing the right colours, knowing your body shape and dressing for it, knowing your style type and dressing for it, blah, blah, blah. These guidelines are all well & good, but ultimately if you want to summarise the "blah, blah, blah" into one phrase its "be deliberate about your appearance, from top to toe".

Being deliberate means that as long as you have thought about what you are wearing/how your hair/make up looks etc, then you ARE presenting the most appropriate "you" and this is what being stylish is all about. The knock on effect is that if you are well dressed, you will give the appearance that you care about "you" and others will respect and care about you too.

In the alternative, if you dress without putting any thought into your clothes, hair, make up etc etc, you will present sloppy and unprepared, like YOU dont care about "you". If that's the impression you choose to give out, how is anyone else going to care about you or respect you?

I certainly dont want the latter scenario going on in my life! Do you? I didnt think so.

Example

Lets look at the example I found recently - here is a recent photo of Elizabeth Olsen, the 23 year old aspiring actor who is the sibling of the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.




She is wearing:

Jacket - Chanel
Dress - The Row (MK & A's high end label)
Shoes - Chanel

When I posted this on my Facebook site and asked for feedback, readers came back with comments like:

- too old
- she should stop wearing The Row
- too boring
- a dont

No one posted anything positive.

Today I was in the city & having forgotten my camera, I had time to think about all sorts of things. This photo came to mind - random, yes I know, but its better than thinking about it in the shower, eh?

Nothing in this photo looks deliberate.



OMIGOD! Yes, that's it.

1. The hair isnt wavy & it isnt straight. It just looks unstyled.

2. The jacket and dress dont look co-ordinated - dont get me wrong - I am not talking about matchy-matchy - I am talking about having added an element to pull them together (even though they are separates) - maybe via some jewellery, a belt, something.....

3. Her neckline looks like she forgot something - jewellery perhaps?

4. The jacket looks too big.

5. The shoes, well they are lovely alone, but are cutting her off at the ankles.

6. It looks like she has put on a jacket, dress and shoes & walked out the door without even checking in the mirror.

7. Hey I wonder if she even put on any undies - oops, lets not go there.

This photo shows a classic non deliberate look. The "image" she is projecting is neither here nor there. It looks like she is in fashion no man's land.

I realise being deliberate in the way you dress does take time & effort - achieving anything good does. But considering how important your visual impression is, isn't it worth the time spent to be deliberate about your appearance?

Tips for being deliberate

1. Plan your clothes/accessories/look from the night before (especially if you work).

Frankly, this is my favourite part - I have collected so many beautiful things over the years, I deliberately think/rotate (especially my jewellery) so I dont forget anything.

2. Make sure the pieces you need for tomorrow are available, dont need mending & are not still sitting in the dirty laundry basket.

3. If you have worn an outfit in the past and it worked well, take a photo and place it on the wardrobe door, so you dont forget the elements that made it special. for next time.

4. Always keep a spare pair of hose at work (if you tend to wear hose).

5. No visible panty lines (VPL), no bra fat & get fitted for a bra every 2 years or if you have had a major body change (like gotten pregnant). No exceptions here.

6. Before you walk out the door, take a look at "you" in a full length mirror. No exceptions here.

7. Being deliberate applies to men as much as it does to women.

Where to from here?

Yes, I am making sure you dont miss this part.....

Of course being deliberate requires you to know what impression you want to make.

I have posted many times about "know thyself" - by knowing who you are and what you like, what you need and what you are comfortable with, you can then easily decide what impression to make. This is SO crucial to the big sartorial picture folks - I cant underestimate this enough.

If you happen to be uncertain about your "look" - perhaps in a bit of a fashion no man's land? - let me know - I can help you with this.

Once you know what impression you want to make, the next phase is to learn to use clothes/grooming to make that impression. I can help you here too! That's where body shape analysis, colour analysis etc comes in.

...and we'll cover this type of analysis in future posts too.....until then.....ciao