Storing rings - tips & tricks

Truth be known, I love wardrobe organising more than I love shopping. Figuring out how to place loot so it makes your life easy and looks pretty is just the most fun you can have. Apart from then just watching your results.

SIX BASIC RULES in LOOT ORGANISATION:

There are SIX rules in closet organisation that are immutable. Closet in this context includes clothes, shoes, accessories, jewellery.

We all know that you wear approximately 20% of your closet 80% of the time. Bad statistic. Really bad statistic. Bad for the planet, bad for your wallet. So the basis of these rules is that we want to increase the 20%. Alot. 

Rule #1:
The more visible the loot is, the more it will be used/worn. 

Rule #2:
The more accessible the loot is, the more it will be worn/used. 

Rule #3: 
If you need to wear/use it more frequently (eg: for work), than other loot, then it should be more visible & more accessible than the less frequently worn loot. 

Rule #4:
Items which are functionally similar (ie: worn/used for similar occasions/situations) should be placed together. 

This means that suits need to be broken up so the jacket is with the jackets & the skirt is with the skirts. A necklace with matching earrings needs to be separated. Certainly bags & shoes need to be separated because you don't want to age 10 years by wearing them together.

Rule #5:
By all means, cull if it's getting out of control but what Marie Kondo does not understand is that if you love fashion, you become a collector of loot you love to wear. Especially if you've hit say the right side of 30. Duplicates of your favourites is not a crime as long as it's not stressing you.

Rule #6: 
When arranging everything, keep the supporting stuff consistent. 

So keep the hangers the same in style & colour. Keep your storage tubs the same style & colour. This makes everything look less messy & more inviting hence more likely to be used/worn. 

So, why this post?

I have recently started a clean out of, well, everything called loot. That's what's prompted this post. 

As far as jewellery goes, I am just focusing on the ring overhaul here. My previous "system" (using the word very loosely) was a disaster in that more than half my rings were in plastic bags hidden by other stuff in loot tubs. The olive tray worked well, but it only displayed a fraction of what I own. 

Here it is/was:

I picked up the acrylic drawers from (where else?) TKMaxx for $40. 
I lined the drawers with felt in a pale colour so it wouldn't interfere with the colours of the loot. 

The felt also stops the rings from moving around, as they would if I had lined it with paper. 

                                                                                                Then I filled it. And there is a method here. A method to the ring madness. I placed related rings together. That's rule #4. 

Top left: The plain but chunky silver rings which I love because they are chunky & at least one, often two, are worn every day.

Top right: Designer names (their boxes have been stored) like Holly Ryan, Chanel, Bouvier, Gem Kingdom (eyeball), Jan Logan, Lawrence Oppermann, YSL, Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester & Bottega Veneta. I will pick one of these every day.  These are all brands I wear in clothing and frankly, it's not unusual to gravitate toward same brands in jewellery as with the clothes. 

Middle left: Every plain silver ring which isn't chunky. 
This one's crowded but it doesn't make my heart skip a beat. They are just fillers. Most of these are from op shops. 

Middle right: The rubber ones, modern arty styles, balls & circles. Love these too. 

Bottom left: A bunch of delicate gems which I stack & a whole lot of silver which are ornate but delicate. 

Bottom right: Colourful chunky silvers incl Dinosaur Designs. 

Most are sterling with a few gold, either plated on sterling or plated on base metal. 

                                                                                                  My favourite without a doubt is eyeball. Then I like everything Bottega Veneta (the woven ones). 

I should have done this ages ago. It's such a good idea to have everything accessible & in view.       

                                                

The only thing I didn't do was cater for growth! 

I am going to do another one like this for earrings. Watch this space. 

Have you been re organising your closet lately? 

Hunters - from fashion to floods

I wouldn't be able to make this up. 
So here are some photos. 

About 4-5 years ago, Myer used to hold a $99 on all boots for a day at the end of each winter season. Sometimes there were exclusions. Hunter was excluded sometimes. But not that year. 

So I bought them even though I am not a boot girl. 
I have 3 pairs of boots excluding the Hunters. I have over 400 pairs of shoes. Definitely not a boot girl. 

My intention was to wear them as fashion items. Skinny tucked in jeans, jacket, cashmere turtleneck. Too easy. 

Today was the first day I wore them. Because the back yard was flooded, almost to the back door and I wanted to try & check if some drains were blocked. Calf deep water. Perfect for Hunters despite the more noble intentions I had for them at the start.

So I put them on. 

That's when I noticed the following:

The right boot was a right foot.
The left boot was a right foot also.

It gets better. 

Each boot was a slightly different style. One has the strap on the back. The other has the strap on the side. The toe caps differed. The tread differed. The left right foot was slightly greyer than the right right foot. 

The left was a 39.
The right was a 40. The box was for the 40. 

Oh dear. 

For their first outing in the flooded back yard, they did fine although my left big toe was rubbing & wasn't quite happy. 

What killed me was taking them off. It took a few minutes to do the right foot, but I was fighting with the left foot (the left right foot) for half an hour. 

So I got a scissors & cut it open. 

What a complete mess. Crimes against Hunters.  

HINT: If you have something for 4-5 years, unworn, own up to the mistake & get rid of it. 

      

Pattern placement makes or breaks

This post will challenge you to identify the best version of a printed garment for your colouring & body shape based on how a print is placed on that garment. 

When you buy high street, usually the print pattern is placed differently within a style & within a size.

Why? Because doing it this way they use less fabric instead of waiting for the pattern to repeat on the fabric roll before cutting more units.

Expensive garments can afford to use more fabric to place the pattern in a desired spot for each size within the style and even between sizes.

Pattern placement will affect where the eye goes when you are wearing the loot. That means it will affect whether you look taller, shorter, thinner, fatter etc. 

Does the eye go to your face? your waist? your arms? your hips? your legs? north- south? east-west? diagonally? where else?

What do you want to highlight? What do you want to hide? Does the pattern work with you on this or against you?

The colours near your face should be the best colours for your complexion. This one is not negotiable. Ever.

SIA has photographed 11 of these tops with a view to having you assess which is the best for you and which is the worst.

You don't have to like the top or its pattern to do this. 

If you want, do it imagining the print in your best colour, then in your worst colour. Also consider the background colour.  You also need to consider the pattern & its placement waist down. 

Don't worry about sleeve lengths, neckline widths, hem lengths or whether it's lop sided on the hanger. Just focus on the pattern placement of the front.  

The best way to handle this is to compare the first two. The winner is then compared to the next one on the list. The winner here is compared to the next one. And so on, until an ultimate winner is found. Then do the same to find your worst pattern.

The beauty of this is that there is no copping out. Because every print placement is unique, you cant say that they are the same. There has to be a winner & a loser.

This is really important stuff - if you want to be well dressed, it's in the 101 category. 

Meghan Markle in Karen Gee

It's no secret that in the past SIA has given fails to most of Meghan Markle's outfits. 

It's always the fit that goes wrong - she doesn't seem to have any alterations to her clothes, unlike Kate, Mary or Melania. 

The latest Karen Gee white dress is no exception. 

There are two big picture things wrong with the Karen Gee dress. And I haven't even started on the midi flatters no one. 

1st - a rectangle body shape will never find her best look in a straight up & down sheath. Even if it had a belt, the answer is the same. A rectangle body will look like a rectangle in a straight up & down sheath.

2nd - the fit is very poor.
It is rippling & bubbling all over at the slightest move she makes. That and/or she is wearing bad foundation garments. 

Personally I think that it is too big for her, but that's just a theory. 

In the past when her clothes haven't fitted her well, in a dark colour it's hard to notice. But in light shades like white - everything stands out. 

This is a big fail for SIA. 

It looks marginally better with the trenchcoat because the skinniness is hidden but when you have to cover up the figure, it's not the best pass in the world either. 

The back split

On another note, the dress is $1,800 being made with the Karen Gee Premium fabric. Fair enough. But the back split is edge to edge. These splits are quite easy to split. A better split would be the overlapping one. 

So what could have been better?

A dress that has interest at the top & the bottom, creating a waist. The interest can be with colour, print, a dark contrast, pattern, zips, buttons etc. A boatneck or a fit & flare style could have also detracted from her rectangle style. If she wanted a sheath, then a Roland Mouret style with curves & flounce would have been a big improvement. 

SIA cannot comprehend who dresses this woman. 

Tents flatter no one.

Let's assume your goal is to look taller & slimmer. 
I am not suggesting that's a good goal or a bad goal.
It's just a goal. 

Secondly, this post outlines some general rules. There are exceptions. However if you think you are the exception, you may not be. Exceptions are rare. 

If your closet is full of these types of clothes & you want to lose weight, then get out there & change your shopping strategy. 

Assuming that taller & slimmer is your goal, all these pieces are not your friend. 

SIA calls it fattening fashion. 

It was randomly selected at a Sydney TK Maxx. All except the orange is made in Italy & either silk or linen. In theory lovely pieces but maybe not lovely on the body which wants to look slimmer.  

1. Stripes

The myth: Only thin women can wear horizontal stripes. 

The reality: When you are carrying extra weight, you may not need to avoid horizontal stripes in the area of extra weight. Just make sure they are narrow in width & not highly contrasting. 

If you are carrying extra weight all over, then don't highly contrast the horizontal stripe area with the rest of your body. 

2. Peasant tops

The myth: Peasant tops look good on women carrying extra weight.  

The reality: Yes it may be pretty, but all it does is hide what's underneath. Like a tent. Tent looks are never flattering. 

Notice the curved lines, the gathers around the waist/bust area & the general fullness? Tent. Tent. Tent. No. No. No. 

Your best bet is fabrics with body which skim not cling your form. 

3. Loose flowy dresses 

The myth: Not sure what the myth is here.
The reality: The best way for a loose flowy dress to be flattering is to fit at the bust & to flare out below it. Like an A line. 

Loose & straight up & down is never flattering if you are carrying extra weight. 

4. Big flowers on a loose flowy dress.

The myth: Big women should wear big prints.
The reality: Not if the overall look is a tent. 

This dress has raglan sleeves (which are easier to fit & cheaper to make, but make you look more rounded) & a high neckline (not great for a big bust). It also has an up & down cut. An A line which starts under the bust would be mush better. 

You can still engage your passion for florals with a more structured garment which skims not clings. No tents please.  

We want cheap but we don't want to look cheap.

Importance of this post: Very

Sydney's Double Bay has always had at least three designer recycled stores, for at least the last 30 years.

Very crowded, loot often not just a few years old, but dated (even though they all claim to only accept loot younger than 2 years) & overpriced (but able to price that way due to pre internet & the isolation Aust had when it came to getting good loot).

A few years ago, a new player emerged - Appartamento 57.
This place looks like a boutique. No pre love here. They dont just list high end brands & hope they arrive. Their base brands are Balmain, Gucci, Prada, Lanvin, Chanel, Dolce, Wang, Stella, Dries, Bottega & the like. To fill some gaps, they have J Brand or Rag & Bone, Vince, Moschino etc. 

Here's the kicker. Or two of them.

1. The prices are reasonable for the quality. Very reasonable. 

2. The loot looks new. It took me some very close looks to find signs of wear on many leather items and clothes & I notice every detail. 

They also have some artwork & housey things - all exquisite. 

Now this isn't a plug but feel free to look at their Insta page. 

SIA saw a sterling bracelet (hinge & screw closure) for $225. It was exactly the kind of thing my wrists love. Unbranded but heavy, solid, etched, good size. 

Here is the strange bit. I was in there wondering whether I should spend $225 on this thing.

WAKE UP CALL SIA. 
THE ANSWER IS YES. 

Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten & this thing was so stupidly cheap anyway. 

Plus when you wear something out of the shop, it's a real give away that it was the right decision to allow it to follow you home. 

But here is the good bit. 

A few days ago, I landed in a suburban David Jones in the clothing clearance area. I walked out with a scarf, a few blouses (Wite), a tee (Ping Pong) and a couple of (duplicate) shirts in the DJs home brand. 

I look at this photo & cringe. Seriously. What was I thinking even if Ms 925 hadn't come into my life. 

Buying hauls is fun, eh? Unless you do it in a refund for change of mind umbrella, it can be more painful than fun once the high has worn off. 

1. All this loot was "nice" but I bought it because it was cheap. When you are price driven, purchases rarely turn out to be your best because you compromise on quality because it's cheap. 

2. I would have never considered buying any of it at full price.  That's the other test - don't waste your money on anything you wouldnt have been prepared to buy at full price. 

3. Plus I already have much nicer versions of each of these things. So if you already have substitutable items which you would love more, then leave it at the shop. 

4. Basically, if you buy just "nice" you end up with a pretty ordinary closet. Anything you buy needs to look fabulous. Nice doesn't cut it. Don't get me started on "it'll do". 

I hear alot of you are scared to apply this standard to your purchases because you are afraid you will never find anything amazing. Keep looking. It will find you & you'll know instantly. Kind of like the romance stuff. 

So I took everything back, tipped the bags on the counter & asked for refunds. $260. The whole time I was looking at my bracelet smiling. 

BECAUSE WE WANT CHEAP BUT WE DON'T WANT TO LOOK CHEAP. 

Minaudieres - you get what you pay for

This is a story of three different qualities of an evening fish clutch and which one to buy. 

A few days ago, SIA spotted the following Olga Berg minaudiere at TK Maxx for $80. The original was $500.

Hhmmm. 

So the research commenced to decide whether it was worth acquiring. 

The bag is a copy of the Judith Leiber koi fish minaudeure which has been done in many colours and has a retail of approx US$6K. 

Note that Leiber has done a number of fish styles & I believe a number of koi fish. The discussion in this post is only about one of those koi fish. This one. Sometimes it is called the Dora style. 

If you are curious, here is another Leiber koi worn by Blake Lively. It is the Ginrin Kohaku koi fish.

Attending The Age of Adeline premiere in April 2015

In Monique Lhuillier and Lorraine Schwartz jewels,
an overall vintage Hollywood style to which
the Leiber clutch gave a quirky contrast.

The shapes between the Dora Leiber & the Berg are not the same especially toward the middle & back of the fish. But as the high street would say, they are similar. 

The Leiber is completely encased in crystals unlike the Berg version which has "holes" in the casing, which are partly covered in "crystals". 

Leiber bags always use Swarovski crystals. Always. However for some reason, none of the retailers nor the actual web site mention this. They simply call the beads "Australian crystal". Must have something to do with legal restrictions. 

Leiber has an astounding sparkle to its crystals. The Berg stones are sparkly and the photo above does them no justice, but they are chalk & cheese with the Leiber stones. 

Leiber is made in Italy. Berg is made in China. 

Leiber is a brass base. Berg is probably a base metal. It is quite heavy, so I doubt that it is plastic. 

Leiber has a nappa leather lining, usually black, gold or silver. Berg has a felt fabric inner, in black. 

Leiber has a gold tone push button clasp.
Berg opens by flicking the dorsal fins - you can see a break in fin which is the opening. 

Both have removeable shoulder straps. 

The crystals on both Leiber and Berg are hand glued. 

Leiber has smaller outer measurements but Berg's internal measurements are not much larger than Leiber's internals. It's the Berg back fins which make up alot of it's outer measurements without providing storage room. 

Then I did some more research. You have to really love it when your job allows you to call online shopping research.

I found a version of the koi which is coming out of China & is being used by alot of high street brands. In terms of quality, it seems to sit in between Leiber & the Berg, obviously closer to the Berg than the Leiber.  Here it is. We'll call it the middle child.

And here is another colourway. In fact, there are a gazillion colourways of this one. 

This version seems to vary in price from US$100 to around US$400 give or take, the latter being the Natasha Couture price. 

It has more fins than Berg, hence more detailed crystal work. 

It opens via the dorsal fins like Berg.

The inner is generally polyeurethane.

It is not completely covered in crystals but like the Berg, has "holes" in the casing, which are partly covered in "crystals".

I've noticed alot of middle children state they are made with Czech crystals, but I am sure the quality of the bling varies.  One of the possibly dodgy sites calls the crystals "diamonds", not "diamond like", but "diamonds" with no inverted commas.

Aliexpress calls the crystals "crystal diamond". Yup. 

The main indicator of this middle child is that each fish scale has three rows of crystals. In contrast, each scale on the Berg has two rows of crystals. If you flip between the photos & look at this specifically, you will see that it is a serious contributor to the apparent quality differences. 

Based on photos from the more reputable sellers, the middle child looks like a better quality than the Berg but I have not seen it in real life. 

Summary 

Do I buy Olga Berg?
Not yet. 
For the price, it's a decent high street version, although if I could see the middle child, I think I'd feel more comfortable with its quality. 

FYI, Leiber minaudieres generally start at US$6K. 
It's definitely a case of you get what you pay for. 

Judith with her bags