pink panther

Here's one of the outfits from a shoot I did the other week with the lovely Gabby.

This dress is seriously killer with its beautiful, vibrant printed silk and draped Tarzan-style skirt. It needs only to be worn with the bare minimum of accessories and a whole lot of attitude.

[Friend of Mine Rocketman Dress Pink Panther & clutch]

stay in school

Now this is a massive call, but I'm prepared to make it; this shirt is undoubtedly my best online purchase. Ever.

Consider, will you, the sheer scheme of this statement in light of the thousands of dollars I have spent on clothes, shoes and accessories online over the past 3 years (before which I did not a) own a debit card, or b) been introduced to the devil that is Asos), this shirt is the most perfect lightweight, washed cotton, boyfriend-style shirt in the history of mankind. And it cost me a measly $24.

From the glorious fantasy land that is Korean online store Style Nanda, it may just be the most confusing/annoying/cute/madness-inducing website I have ever visited but there are some serious gems hidden amongst the bad designer rip-offs. Now I know the Australian retail industry is going down the gurgler, and I'm not helping, but we really need to step up our game if Korea can churn out these ridiculously lovely articles for next-to-nothing!

The shorts are also NANDAAAA (to be pronounced in a squealy voice whilst making 'peace' signs with both hands), the combination of which made me look like a legitimate schoolboy. This is a just-for-fun, comfort-of-my-own-backyard, oh-shit-there's-someone-at-the-door-quick-get-changed-don't-let-them-see-me kind of outfit, but considering there is pretty much nothing that won't go beautifully with this shirt I can guarantee it won't leave my body until the threads start to unravel.

[wearing: Style Nanda shirt & shorts, Target sports bra]

elements

Simple things are good things. Clean lines, basic silhouettes and good ol' black and white is all you need sometimes. Although I'm not completely convinced I'm ready to bare half of my particularly squishy side bits (thanks winter hibernation!), this top from Stylenanda is exactly the season transitional piece I've been after and looks so good paired with high waisted jeans or shorts depending on the thermometer.

[wearing: Stylenanda top, Asos velvet trousers, DIY copper choker]

cadillac

I haven't been able to wipe the smile off my face all weekend due to my most recent acquisition of this glorious jacket. It was hands down the best thing ever when, after talking myself into the Midnight version of Friend of Mine's Cadillac jacket, I stumbled upon a smaller sized black one (in a 6 - not even a plausible option originally) and miraculously it fit like a dream! I was quite relieved really, considering I have so many black clothes in my wardrobe and I'm not the biggest fan of navy blue and black worn together. Pure silk with leather lapel and pocket trim- this is a ridiculously perfect jacket that will no doubt become my staple dress blazer for many seasons to come.

wearing [Friend of Mine Cadillac Jacket / Nobigtruth blue ombre skirt / DIY silk tank / Asos boots (old) / DIY copper jewellery]

Also, apologies for the recent absence, life's crazy busy at the moment and it's causing serious blog neglection :(

heavenly knits

These two pieces are the most recent additions to my wardrobe- the Lafayette knit dress and Smith sweater by Friend of Mine. When I saw this incredible knit, slightly metallic spun yarn that creates an amazing texture, I knew I had to have some. And what's better than one sweet knit? Two! I know it's a little OTT wearing them together but they're so perfect for each other I couldn't resist.

[wearing: Friend of Mine Lafayette knit dress & Smith sweater, heels from iOffer, choker from ebay, DIY perspex cuff]

leather love

I was traipsing around my wardrobe, still thinking about bomber jackets from my last post, and came across this leather one I've had for years. It was a big chunky bomber with a hideous belt and all around frumpy shape when I found it at my favourite op shop in Preston, it wasn't until not long ago that I found this pic on a street style blog of a girl in leather jacket with a curved cutout back and decided to try and replicate it with my manly bomber. I took the sleeves in, chopped the belt off and cut a semi-circle into the back and I think it's a pretty good makeover to be honest. It's still a hard piece to wear everyday so I've tried to put together something with a little of the badass attitude it deserves.. A very short skirt and my new 'Wangs'.

Now I know people are extremely opinionated when it comes to fakes, and I thought long and hard about how I'd feel wearing these phony heels, but when it came down to it I came up with these excuses; I currently am not in the position to afford real Wangs, these are extremely well-made/genuine leather blah blah blah, and I love the style (the Joan) so much that that is what mattered most. It's not like I'm going to go around telling people they're real, because that is totes not cool (totes wang?!) and I would feel like a genuine idiot. So thank you iOffer and the dodgy factory in China that produced these beauties! They will be sexing up lots of outfits for a long time to come :)

[Wearing: thrifted/DIY leather bomber & skirt, Sportsgirl tee, heels from iOffer, DIY copper jewellery]

key lime

Staying true to my vow to take a more colourful approach to winter wardrobe, here's some pics of my latest Asos purchase. I had been deliberating over this one for so long, leaving in my saved items for what felt like a century, that when it miraculously went on sale I almost cried. Not that it was expensive to start with, but that was just the thing to push me into it. This shirt is definitely not the same colour in the pics on the website.. a lot more blue-green than citrusy, but I am definitely not regretful. It is the loveliest silk, just the right weight, softness and transparency you need in a silk shirt. The watercolour effect is kind of strange, but gives this shirt character that means it will lift any outfit out of banality.

The shoes are another newbie from Siren. They were heavily discounted (still on sale at the moment) and I was seriously in need of a proper 'grown up' heel so these seemed like just the ticket; super simple with the sweetest little ankle strap. As you can see it was seriously windy today so taking photos was a big struggle. I didn't have a lot to choose from as most of the pics were affected by a little blurring and a lot of hair-in-faceing! I ended up doing a couple of indoor close ups which turned out a lot clearer (not to mention warmer). I think I'll have to do a whole lot more indoor posts if this chilly wind keeps up.

[wearing: Asos silk shirt, Cheap Monday jeans, Siren 'fallen' heels, DIY copper twist rings]

white out

I've never been a white girl. I mean, yes I'm incredibly 'white' in both my skin tone (thanks winter) and culturally, but I'm not a big wearer of the shade. Maybe it's Melbourne's influence or there's simply not that much good white stuff about, but I thought I would give this whole sporty/crisp/luxe business a go.  So from the VERY few white clothes I have in my closet I put together this outfit. The sheerness (nonexistence?!) of the tee really helps to break up that blocky, sterile feeling that makes full head-to-toe white hard to wear. Skin is good, and white just so happens to give the illusion of slightly tanned flesh which is very handy in the middle of winter. I went minimal with black boots and bag, no jewellery and slicked hair (wet not greasy!).

[wearing: thrifted shirt and reworked jeans, Asos tee, Witchery bra, Office London boots, Life with Bird bag]