Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The Revival


The longer I delay the inevitable of spending money on clothing, the more creative I have to be with my wardrobe. It's not as though I don't like spending money its just that I really only want to buy quality and quality means $$$. So I have learnt to be inventive; for example the top is actually a dress and by throwing it together with my(ATM favourite)PVC jacket have created a different look.

If you are going for a simple colour palette, try playing with different textures. I love the dark plum and the different textures of this outfit.

I have never worn stockings with these(ancient)capri pants, but i love how the look just somehow works. I think if I wore opaque tights it would look a little odd.

I believe black capri pants should be a staple in any woman's wardrobe(just taking a leaf out of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Onassis's wardrobe).

What I have done differently this time is scrunch up the bottom of the pants (which usually fall halfway down my calf) under my knee to show off the thinnest part of my leg. To make this outfit a little different I have added fishnet stockings and for a little glam; patent leather stilettos.

If you feel like you are running out of things to wear; have a look at a few of your dresses and skirts and see if you can wear them as tops.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

HAT-TACULAR!

I went to see 'Hats an Anthology' by Stephen Jones exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery yesterday and so I thought it only appropriate to wear my favourite hat. This is not a classic panama hat, I only wish! I have tried a few on but they don't fit my head. One day I will go to a milliner and get a custom made panama hat but for now I think this hat will suffice. The exhibit was very interesting and showed a range of hats, dating as far back at the 17 hundreds; I particularly liked the hats made by Chanel and Dior, of course...

  • Hat from Supre
  • Dress from Thailand
  • Shoes from Thailand
  • Longchamp bag

Siseur..xo


Friday, April 9, 2010

OUTERWEAR

Another great way for me to create an outfit with what is already in my wardrobe is by 'layering'. In the case of today's outfit I have taken inspiration from 3.1 Phillip Lim, style.com. I have used his theme of 'outerwear' (which is really just coats, jacket, scarves and or cardigans) to create the outfit below.


I found the black jacket in the cutest store in Thailand, it is actually PVC and was practically melting from the D.E.T (80% insect repellent) i was wearing throughout the holiday. I also teamed the outfit with little black booties and bare legs. Although Lim used stockings throughout his autumn collection, it is just too hot to wear too many items of clothing in Brisbane. I cannot wait till the weather is cool enough for me to wear coats and boots. Although at this rate I could be waiting a LONG time. If I have given you any inspiration for what you can do with a black mini and a couple of jackets (like Phillip Lim) I would also just like to note that please always wear a mini with long sleeves, it just creates balance.




  • Black jacket from Thailand
  • Grey woolen cardigan by Morrissey
  • American Apparel black mini
  • Black booties from Topshop

Siseur..xo

Thursday, April 8, 2010

CORPORATE EMBELLISHMENTS



I work at a marketing display centre so I am dealing with the public all day. I have to dress smart but casual. Personally I cringe when I come to work and I see other colleagues wearing a plain polyester button up shirt (usually red or white) and a grey or black knee-length shirt. Although this is still a business we are in the marketing industry, to me CASUAL needs to be highlighted just as much as SMART when deciding what to wear that day.


Trying to dress equally smart as casual can be difficult for some, so I understand why we might always go for that button up shirt and knee-length skirt. Don’t get me wrong a button up shirt and knee-length skirt should be a staple in your wardrobe but perhaps try wearing them separately and with other items. Don’t forget to add some cute accessories like a waist belt or brooch or try wearing a silk blouse with the knee-length skirt.

So for today’s inspiration I have combined ideas from the Hermes fall 2010 collection (substituting the leather for just plain black) and Paz de la Huerta at the Runways New York Premier.

I have used the stockings, skirt and boots from the first picture and the jacket and cami from the second picture for inspiration. This is probably the most corporate I would dress to go to work but I think the lace cami and suede boots allow some femininity and funk, which stops this outfit looking overly corporate

To make this outfit my own, I have added the brooches and belt. I felt the ‘all black’ look to be a little plain without them. I have also used different textures like lace, suede, silk and probably a polyester blend (the jacket) to add another element to the outfit.


Siseur..xo

A LOVE AFFAIR WITH VINTAGE



I found these pants in a Sydney clothes market. I actually went with my mum and to be honest, couldn’t think of anything worse than digging around other people’s used clothes. Just as I was about to give up looking through the ‘well rounded’ Women’s rack, I stumbled upon a pair of Chloë, silk cream pants. I could not believe my luck! (And have never been this lucky again rummaging through old clothes). The only problem was they were a size EUR 42 (which I am not)(WHAT IS EURO 42 CONVERTED INTO AUSSIE SIZE?). I grabbed them anyway thinking maybe my mum could fit into them. I don’t know what I was thinking because she is not that much bigger than I, but 70 bucks later I decided if I couldn’t wear them out in public, I could at least sleep in them- they are Chloë after all.

It turns out that I didn’t need to sleep in them – I could wear them out and about in public! After a much-needed coffee and debrief with my mum, we decided to take them to a tailor and see if they could work some magic… obviously they did and I have worn them ever since. It is quite amazing what a tailor can do to a piece that you thought would never fit.

Although I have no idea when they designed these pants, the fact that they are high waisted and wide leg, tells me they are reminiscent of the early 1970s, and by definition; VINTAGE!

While perusing through Chloë this morning on style.com, I found this picture and of course automatically I thought of my Chloë, high waisted and wide leg pants. So I have drawn inspiration from the photo below to create the outfit above. Although my chosen colour palette is cream and not camel, I still think the outfit works.




By now you might have gathered that I am not very tall. All my life I have had to get my pants taken up.I have been working for a few women lately, helping them sort out their wardrobes and create better outfits. Through this process I realised that a lot of these women (albeit taller than me) would throw out a jacket, shirt or pants because they no longer liked the style. I explained that if we could taper in the waist, move the buttons around on the shirt or crop the pants we have re-designed the clothes making them more versatile.

If you find something that is totally beautiful and at an affordable price but the wrong size just consult a tailor; you never know they might just be able to help you.

NB Just be wary of clothing that have a lot of detailing, ruffles or difficult seams although a tailor maybe able to re-size the item it will probably cost you a bomb and on top of what you have already spent.

UPDATE

ATM (at the moment) trends: animal print and square bags with a long strap.

http://www.style.com/trendsshopping/stylenotes/040610_Tommy_Ton_Fall_Streetstyle/

Oh and also you might not be able to see but the platform shoes I am wearing are a zebra pattern.

P.S. I think now that I have uploaded my third blog I should apologise for the poor quality photos. iPhones look great with any outfit but the features are not always the highest quality.

  • Aldo shoes
  • Chloe pants
  • Saba top
  • Peter Lang belt
  • i santi bag

Siseur..xo

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

CASUAL EMBELLISHMENTS

Thanks to Style.com and J Crew, I was able to find something to wear in a wardrobe that seriously needs some money thrown into it! What I loved about J. Crew's collection was the quirky combination of heavy woollen clothes and sparkly, feminine accessories, a sort of fashion oxymoron.

In this case the feminine tights and sparkly jacket 'casually' thrown together with a large, 'wrinkled' shirt and boy shorts works because of the colour palette. I absolutely love the fur wrap, I just wish it was cold enough in Brisbane! Shame... The fur will just have to wait till I go skiing!




The way I was able to interpret J.Crew's outfit with what is in my wardrobe was by following the principles in the above picture. Combine large, 'wrinkled' shirt with shorts (although not boyish they are all I have!) and dress the outfit up with a sparkly jacket and feminine tights. I was going for a relaxed look but with a bit of flair. I constructed this piece around the stockings and following J Crew’s 2010 fall theme of embellishments; I added the headband and necklace, which perfectly compliments what would have been plain out fit.

Although I have a lot of accessories, I think it works because I have stayed true to a few of my rules...

Short pants with a long top
A lot of accessories: cardigan, headband, bag, necklace but a simple colour palate.

When I first tried this outfit on I had rolled up the sleeves and had the cardigan open, but half way through the day the sleeves kept un-rolling so I rolled down the sleeves and thought I would taper in the waist a little by closing the cardigan. I felt more comfortable with the second version.

Fashion for me always has to look good first and foremost but if I leave the house with an outfit slightly uncomfortable (in this case the loose sleeves) I will eventually change the outfit until I feel just right; After all if your not comfortable then your not confident!

I would love to hear your thoughts, fashion rules, styles of choice or how i could have made this appropriation better, so I welcome you with open arms but with a critical eye...See you tomorrow!

  • Topshop boots
  • Agent provocator stockings
  • Shirt from Thailand
  • Hand made necklace
  • Fame cardigan
  • Jimmy Choo bag
  • Sports girl headband


Siseur..xo