Roxy J buys a hot pink Birkin at auction

Instructions:

1. Everything in this post is from SIA's perspective
2. Considerable effort has been made to list the facts
3. There will also be opinions, which are SIA's alone.
4. We would love to hear from you if you agree with the views expressed. 
5. We would love to hear from you if you disagree with the facts or the views expressed. 
6. Logical, articulate and well thought out the comments are preferred to vague opinions, swearing & personal insults. 

Here we go:

Fact: SIA went to a Shapiro luxury goods auction on Tuesday night. 

Fact: Roxy Jacenko arrived while everyone was being seated. She claimed four seats. Her seat was in front of me, two seats to the left. 

Fact: For the hour & a half she was there, I spent more time looking at her than looking at the screen of loot. Because of her loot obsession, I find her fascinating. 

Fact: She had a small frame; unassuming. 

Fact: She was perfectly groomed & coiffured as per usual.
She was wearing diamonds & gold on her wrists. I do not recall checking out her ears. She was wearing leggings as pants in a shades of blue, grey/black pattern. They had a slight sheen to them. The fabric looked like it was of very good quality. I think she was wearing a short sleeve tee & a navy sleeveless puffa jacket. I have seen the puffa a few times previously in out & about photos. I dont recall her shoes. But she was carrying a tiny orange Birkin, about 15 cm in width. Cute & tiny. 

Fact: All you have to do is google & you will see many photos of her run about outfit being leggings as pants, and a puffa or a sweatshirt.  

Opinion: Why does a woman decked out all the way in terms of grooming, hair & accessories wear leggings as pants? Not just occasionally, but often. It just doesnt make any sense at face value. 

Leggings as pants? 

Even if you have a lovely figure (she does), it's just an ugly combination.

Unless she is getting paid to wear the leggings. That's a hypothesis. 

Let's talk hair. 

Fact: I noticed that she has these soft waves all over her head. They are also visible in the above photo. Each wave falls in exactly the same way. Perfect. As I would expect. Until I realised that each perfect wave is actually a hair extension clip. Her hair under each wave is the same shade at the extension - good job hairdresser. But go under another layer & her hair is black/brown/dark. So as soon as hair parts, as she moves around, you see the dark head.  

Opinion: Not ideal. 

Let's talk the nose. After all, it was in my line of sight quite a bit. 

Fact: At the auction, I had completely forgotten she has her nose changed. It was due to a breathing issue. In the process, she made a cosmetic adjustment, as you do. 

Opinion: I looked at her nose & thought "nature does not give out noses like that". It's not that it's gorgeous per se, but it was just too thin & straight to be nature's gift. 

What did she bid on?

Roxy left soon after the Hermes bag part of the auction. 

LOT 124 followed her home. It was a hot pink epsom Birkin with palladium hardware.
Hammer price $9,700
Sale price $11,640

I think all the auction house's photos have been touched up - like Roxy! 

The corner on the right looks like it has wear. I did not examine this at the viewing.  

Fact: When Roxy posted her Instagram photo, she didnt disclose her new Birkin was via auction. 

Fact: She also bid on LOT 128A. This was a black shiny crocodile Kelly. It opened at $12K, she went to $19.5K but it sold to someone else for $20K hammer (sale price $24K).

This lovely is about 20 years old. 

Who was she with?

Fact: Soon after Roxy arrived, two girls joined her. They looked around mid 20s. Both were dressed all in black, had long dark hair & dark skin. They were not Roxy slim. They were both more animated than Roxy. 

Opinion: They didn't seem to be "Roxy clones" as per photo below. 

Roxy clones

Opinion: The girls seem more animated than Roxy. She seemed very quiet & unassuming. Not an alpha female at all. 

Fact: Just as the Hermes bag auction commenced, a man joined the girls - late 40s, heavy set. The girls made room & he sat next to Roxy. 

SIA hopes that this has helped all Roxy lovers have a terrific day. 

How to win Nina Proudman's white embroidered top

Hello lovelies,

Remember Nina's top in season 6, episode 1?

Well I found it at Zara in Sydney's Pitt St mall yesterday!

Exactly the same top.
I was in the queue for the change room & there it was on a rack. Pounce. It was a SS 2015 issue (southern hemisphere SS 2015/16).

Does it fit me?

Size on label: Medium
True size: Closer to the small side of medium
Pit to pit: 49 cm
Front length from centre top to centre of hem: 43 cm
Upper sleeve width: 14 cm
Measurements are laid flat, unstretched.

What brand is it?

First let's deal with the rumours about the brand of Nina's top.
Fellow blogger from Styling You claims it is an Isabel Marant - gorgeous French boho design. Their information comes from the wardrobe department of Offspring. 

With all due respect, their information is wrong. 
I have gone through almost 10 years of Marant runway and the top didn't do the walk. 

Yes, it's Marant-ish, but it's not an original by any means. It doesnt have the finesse & quality hallmarks of a runway garment (see below). 

I have also poured over the Nina photos & compared them to the top I have in my hand. The two look identical. Zara isn't in the business of creating identical. It waters down design, trim & especially fabric to make the loot cheap & saleable. So if they are identical, they can only be Zara. Both of them. 

Nina has worn Zara over many episodes - this top coming from Zara is nothing new for Nina wardrobe wise.

What label is it?

You know from my previous quality rants that the Zara brand consists of a number of labels which vary between them in quality (& hence price). The best quality is Zara Woman, the middle child is Zara Basic & the worst quality is Trafaluc or TRF. TRF is aimed at a younger market; a market which has less money to spend so its prices are low and the fabrics, trims & stylings are the cheapest of the bunch.

This top is actually TRF.  In particular, the quality hallmarks which give it away as TRF are threefold. First the mesh on the upper part is not as smooth & soft as I would like. Secondly, the fabrication is 100% modal which is code for rayon which is code for viscose. Yes, more environmentally friendly than say cotton or linen but weak when wet & likely to break down quite easily. The fabric feels thin & cheap. Thirdly & most importantly, the embroidery is made up entirely of satin stitching but it was very widely spaced. So it would be faster to make that way. Unfortunately, widely spaced means the threads will pull & snag easily. I'd be surprised if it lasts more than one summer without looking ratty. 

Do you still want it?

If so, keep reading. 

What body shapes does it suit?

All the basic rules apply here. 

1. Light colours make things look larger than they are.
If you are top heavy, not the best idea especially with a dark bottom. 

2. High necklines do not flatter big busts. If you have a large bust you will always look better with a lower neckline (think decolletage not cleavage). The see through mesh look generally doesn't do alot to counteract this. 

3. If you have cool undertones in your skin, cream will rarely suit you. Hopefully you already know whether cream is a good colour for you. Note also that the top is cream and not off white. Also if you wear a scarf in your good colours, it may be too busy with a top which has such detailed embroidery.
You may want to try a contrast colour cami underneath but that is unlikely to counteract the extensive creaminess.

4. If you have a tummy, raising your arms slightly will cause that tummy to be exposed. This goes hand in hand with the fact that the top is from the TRF label - think youth market, think cropped style tops.  

Do you still want it?

OK then, keep reading. 

SIA isn't a big famous blogger so she doesn't have alliances with retailers/manufacturers etc. In fact, alliances may be sexy but they impair your independence. That means that if they give you freebies you are obligated to spruik them & the brand. All of a sudden you reduce your spruiking of labels you genuinely like because they dont give you an income stream.

This means that SIA had to did deep to buy this top. Really deep. It was $A35.95. Reduced from $A49.95. SIA's generosity knows no bounds, eh? 

Did you also know that the top is on ebay at the moment? I think the bidding is at $A250 odd. Crazy people? You decide. 

Despite the fact that SIA couuld make a small fortune selling the top on ebay, she chooses to offer it to her lovely readers instead. 

Do you still want it?

Lordy me, keep reading. 

What do you have to do to WIN it?

If you would like to win the top, then tell SIA how you would style it. Is there something you would team with it or a bunch of things? What? How? Do tell. 

You do not have to style it in a Nina way to win this - after all, I dont want you to be a copy of a fictional character. 

Instead, SIA wants to enjoy how your vibe & personality will work with the top. Yes, how your personality is vibing with the top as Jimmy would say.

Place your response as a comment on this blog post or on any Style into Action Facebook post about the top. No private answers please.  

Any questions?

Just ask.

Up for grabs: Nina Proudman embroidered top

Look at what's on my dining room floor (carpet, clean carpet):

Does it look familiar?

Think back to this week's episode of Offspring, season 6, episode 1. 

Since cream makes me look positively ill and Nina's style isnt my thing, I am going to put this top up for grabs. 

If I had any sense, I'd sell it to the highest bidder (there is one on ebay atm where bids are at $250!).

Over the next couple of days I will post the size & measurements as well as what body shapes it suits & doesn't suit. 

What you need to do:

In the mean time, start thinking about how you would wear this; how you would make it your own. What other clothes would you wear with it or what accessories would finish it off. It's all up to you.  

Forget how a fictional character wears this & think about how YOU would wear it. 

Then wait for the next installment......it won't be long.......

The Skinny Scarf - how to wear

Guaranteed to SKINNIFY you, the skinny scarf is a MUST for winter 2016.

And on the runways: 

Chloe AW 2015/16

Chloe AW 2015/16

Prada AW 2014/15

Will you be trying this trend?

What's your style?

Within the confines of the streets of spring 2014 fashion week, we find all the tribes of style.

None of these photos represent 100% of the tribe. They are just guidelines and subjective at that. 

Which tribe is mostly you?
Do you have a secondary tribe too?

Classic

Classic with a twist

Sporty

Whimsical

Romantic

Grunge

Rock chic

Dramatic

Minimalist

Which is your primary tribe?

Which is your secondary tribe?

Understanding your style helps you shop - it helps to make buying decisions which will go with the rest of your closet, hence saving you money & time. It makes getting dressed easier.  And who doesn't want that? 

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?