Autumn Rose…Sweater

Well, that’s the colour of the sweater, autumn rose.

A little bit of sunshine means it’s mandatory to gt outside and get some photos. So the Fashion Mister and I drove out to Clunes to take advantage of some of the lovely old historic buildings as a back-drop for this photo-shoot before stopping at a cafe for lunch.

It’s a little modern, a little retro and all about the autumnal colours.

Visiting Historic Clunes

History Repeating

Autumn Rose

Vintage Layers

Finding the Sun

Looking a little Retro

Which era is this look from?

Many layers of Vintage

The Look: This look not only has layers but it also has layers of pieces from or inspired by different decades! At the core, 80s bronze coloured skinny pants – just a little disco. On top a vintage argyle sweater. It looks like it could be from any number of decades but the beading really made me think 40s. It’s probably far more recent than that but because I purchased it from my favourite op-shop, I’ll pretend it has been around a lot longer.

Autumn Rose Sweater

Finding the Sun

Bronze coloured pants and leopard print shoes!

Accessories – Autumn Rose

Classic vintage Accessories

The Accessories: Continuing with the many decades theme, I have my red/burgundy 20s-40s style cloche hat. My 50s alligator skin handbag (my first Australian Vintage purchase from years ago), and my 50s inspired Diane Ferrari leopard print kitten-heel pumps.

With the shine and sparkle of the pants and the beading on the sweater, I really didn’t need a lot of jewelry so a few bangles and classic charm bracelet finish off the look.

I’m dying to know what you all think? Is it too much for a winter weekend? Has this autumn rose bloomed and faded?

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Minty Fresh – How to Wear the Mint Trend

You’ll remember from my posts about the fantastic pair of 100% silk Ralph Lauren pants that I recently purchased that I have been working on how to wear the mint trend and am on a mission to get this minty fresh fashion piece doing overtime in my wardrobe.

Minty Fresh – Ralph Lauren Pants

Minty Fresh: Mint is a new colour for me. I don’t wear much green and barely own anything in the green family so adding this minty fresh colour to my wardrobe has been a bit of a challenge. However, I think I am getting the hang of it. Of course this fantastic open-shouldered t-shirt makes it pretty easy. And the big confession, it’s another $13.95 purchase from that previously thought to be a granny shop…Millers!

The day after I purchased the pants, I passed a Millers in Melbourne and saw a lady looking at this shirt and it stuck in my head as a good option to go with the pants. Plus if you follow along, you know I have a thing for the cut-out shoulder look. It’s just a little sexy without being in your face. So when I stopped by the local Millers and they had my size, on sale, I had to have it.

How I’m Wearing the Mint Trend

Mint Condition

Mint Condition: I really do like the casual summer elegance of wearing the silk pants and a pretty t-shirt together. With a few great accessories and a little attitude this look can be anything from boho to summer chic.

Freshly Minted Accessories

Freshly Minted: Again I have opted for fun, and maybe a little extreme accessories. The turquoise Samantha Wills bracelets from the Fashion Mister, are a perfect match when used with the pink bracelet from the trio of bright bracelets from The Fashion Sister From Another Mother. The pink just plays off the hint of pink in the t-shirt. My $5 mesh op shop clutch keeps the look a little more polished and my floral Jeffery Campbell platform wedges add a little bit of whimsy to the look. You should know by now that I like some part of my look to make a statement. Plus I love these shoes and these pants are one of the few pair I have that are long enough to wear with these extreme wedges!

Now that I have a couple of ways to wear these minty fresh silk pants, I really think I am getting the hang of how to wear the mint trend!

What do you think? How would you style these pants? Or this colour?

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Pastel Trend – Mint Condition

It’s finally happened.

With the purchase of my gorgeous silk trousers by Ralph Lauren, I have succumbed to the pastel trend and done it in mint condition!

The Arrival of Mint

Minty Fresh

Minty Fresh: Aren’t these 100% silk pants by Ralph Lauren heavenly?! You know from my post about buying them that there was no way I could pass on purchasing them after missing the robin’s egg blue ones last year. Even though they are the usual fantastic fit of Ralph Lauren, the problem with adding them to my wardrobe is as you may recall, I don’t wear or own much green. Not even of the pastel, mint shade. My way to fix the problem…add a lot LOT of other colours and make a new, inexpensive, purchase.

Accessorizing Mint

Accessories: Because the pants are SO long I knew I would be able to wear some of my highest heels, which meant it was time to bring out the turquoise wedges from The Iconic. They obviously aren’t a perfect match, which is exactly what I like about mint and turquoise together. The bracelets were a Christmas present from my Fashion Sister From Another Mother and are what inspired the use of my vintage 90 Day Haul pink handbag. And all of that led to my inexpensive purchase.

Minty Fresh Summer Confection

Feather Soft and Minty Fresh: I do really weird stuff sometimes. In this case, I get a wild hair about wanting to wear my insanely expensive Ralph Lauren silk pants with something from the other end of the spectrum. So I head out to a shop that here in Australian that is known more for its “mature” style clothes…Miller’s. It’s totally crazy, because when I first moved here, Miller’s was well shopped by the grey haired set and I would never have thought that I would be shopping there. But I have. Twice in the last 3 months!

**This is where you all need to leave me a message saying that this shirt does not look like something a granny would wear! PLEASE!**

I loved that this summer shirt was a little big and causal but what drew me to it was the use of colour and how my Christmas bracelets would be a perfect match. It also didn’t hurt that the price was $13.95 on sale! My thinking is if you all tell me it looks horrid I can always donate it to the op shop.

Now that I have finally gone for the pastel trend, I hope you think I’m in mint condition – not old and worn.

What do you think? Does it work?

 

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How to Wear Pink if You Aren’t Barbie

Pink doesn’t have to belong to little girls and Barbie. In fact, if you know how to wear pink even if you aren’t Barbie, it’s a great way to explore your feminine energy.

Pink and Barbie

I hope you understand that there is a huge difference between being feminine and being a little girl.

For a long time I wouldn’t wear pink. I thought it was too “girlie” for “someone like me” to wear. After all, I had been in the Air Force, worked in male dominated industries and pretty much didn’t like to be thought of as weak. Funny thing, now that I am older…and probably a lot more confident…I like LOVE wearing pink! And guess what? It’s a great colour to wear because it adds a bit of rosiness to my complexion.

Spanish Rose

Almost Chanel Pink

Pink for Any Season: I also like that you can wear pink in any season. In the summer it looks great with white and fun with orange. These days with pastels so popular it’s also nice to mix with other pastels like mint or yellow. For the winter I like to tone down the pink a little and wear it with blacks and grey. In fact gray in pink is such a classic combination for adding a little colour to a drab grey suit.

Vintage 40’s Hawaiian Print Dress with Pink Accessories

Vintage Pink: I fell in love with this 40s vintage peplum dress because of the hint of pink in the Hawaiian print and matched it with some bright pink accessories to liven it up a bit.

Pink Graphics

Graphic Pink: These newer purchases from ASOS.com put a fresh and modern twist on pink. I especially love the kind of “dark romance” feel of the skirt with the pink, burgundy and black pattern on a white background. The pale pink peplum top goes really well with things that are tailored, both skirts and pants and still looks professional when worn to work.

Pink Polka Dots with Grey and Silver

Pink Polka Dots: This pink polka dot shirt shows exactly how fantastic the colour pink looks with black, white and grey. Of course accessorizing in silver adds to the glamour.

Professionally Pink

Professionally Pink: I do recommend wearing pink with a neutral, especially if you are going to wear it to work. Another tip for pink at work is keep it tailored. That way you can still look feminine in a very much non-girlie way. I love wearing this vintage blazer that I got for $5 with my black Ralph Lauren pants because when paired together the pants keep the bright pink of the blazer and shoes from becoming too Barbie.

Relaxed Pink

Sitting Pretty in Pink

Pink After-glow: Pink around your face is great for adding a bit of a glow to your cheeks…of course the wine in the last picture can do that too!

I want to thank my blog friend MistyMidnite for asking me to join her in talking about Pink. She is doing a couple of posts on “What is it about that colour pink” that talks more about decorating with, and the psychology of, pink. Click on her link and check her out!

Don’t be afraid to wear pink and show your feminine side. Once you know how to wear pink if you aren’t Barbie, you’ll find everything coming up roses.

 

Jungle January – Animal Instinct

Anne from Pretty Grievances has asked me to provide some input on Jungle January, so I went with my animal instinct and said “YES” of course! Anne is encouraging her followers and friends to get a little wild and find the purr-fect animal print for their lifestyle.

I too have succumbed to the jungle fever and thought about all the animal print in my wardrobe and how I wear it.

To keep this post from getting too long, I have not included anything reptilian. Only warm-blooded animal prints made it into this post…well not actually warm-blooded animals (no animals were harmed in the creating of these looks)…just prints inspired by warm blood animals.

As much as I love animal prints, I’m not quite brave enough to do a full on look in one and find that although I have a fair few purr-fect prints at my disposal, they are all in accessory form. Which I think is a great way to add a little personality to any look.

Leopard Print Scarf with a Plaid Skirt

Leopard Scarf and Shoes with a Black Dress

Leopard Print Scarf for a Country Outing

Leopard Print Scarf: All three of these looks have the same leopard print scarf in common. The first look from The Plaid Trend – My Way where I added a bit of the tribal trend to the plaid trend and came up with this 70s inspired look. Look two comes from the early days of my blog and 7 Looks x 7 days – LBD Challenge. I went with the thought that if mother nature puts blown and black together on leopard then I could mix the two colours together and tie it all together with a leopard print scarf! Plus I got to wear an adorable pair of leopard print kitten heels with this look. The third look is from attending a friend’s birthday at a local hedge maze and was part of a Town & Country look. I wanted a little more animal instinct in the look so decided to carry my fantastic Mulberry handbag in a black and white leopard print..

Tribal Animal

Mulberry White Leopard print Bag

Leopard Print Kitten Heels

A New Leopard Print Scarf

Letting out the Animal Inside: As I mentioned, I’m not quite brave enough to wear a full-on animal print look but I find working with accessories in animal print lots of fun and a great way to share a peak of personality. These 4 hints of leopard are varied from, Tribal, Town & Country, Office and Casual looks that I wear regularly. Which shows just how versatile a little animal instinct can be.

Not Your Standard Animal Print

Not Your Mother’s Animal Print: Just to show that I’m not all about the classic leopard print accessories, I also find myself with these two great animal prints. No need to always be conventional with your animal prints, sometimes a horse of a different colour is just what it takes to make a look new and fresh. I find this grey and blue leopard print scarf fun to wear with grey, white, black and indigo. Good for when you don’t want to be classic. I have had the 9 West pony skin/cow print heels for nearly 10 years and they are still classic. Perfect when wearing something conservative. I especially like to wear them with a tailored pair of Black pants so they just peek out when I am walking or sitting. It’s a little hit of visual interest with a black suit.

So it is possible to embrace “Jungle January” and your own animal instinct without being on the prowl if you use animal print accessories to add a purr-fect finishing touch to your look.

Do you have Animal Instinct? Or have you found the cure for jungle fever?

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A Visit From the Ghost of Christmas Present

Today we are having a visit from the ghost of Christmas Present.

As you know, I am originally from the US but have been in Australia for almost 11 years now. And I have recently shared with you how hard it was to adjust to Christmas in the summertime. However, I think from the following pictures you may see I am giving it a good try! In fact on this weekend before Christmas the weather is nice and warm. 28C to 32C in the lead up to Christmas. That’s 90F to 100F for those of you up north!

Many of you will know me well enough to know that I push the boundaries of professional hospital management attire, especially on the weekend…and in the summer it gets worse!

Summer Work wear

Ghost of Christmas Present

Ghost of Christmas Present: I had the Fashion Mister take these photos in the far back yard before I went to work. I have a hammock stretched between two gum trees back there. It’s a little space that is a bit ragged looking but is secluded thanks to the gun trees and the wall of plants behind me (by the end of summer they will be a fantastic pink colour). It’s a great spot for the hammock because with a breeze blowing in the trees I can pretend I am at the beach.

Anyway, back to what I am wearing! You may remember the shirt from one of my thrift shop hauls with The Fashion Sister From Another Mother. It’s silk and I managed to pick it for $8 at one of my favourite thrift shops. Although I am wearing shorts, they are Ralph Lauren linen shorts, so I think that makes them good enough to wear to work. I’ve added in some bright jewelry, a cobalt blue bag and a really cute pair of Rich Waters flats from Reef a fantastic Australian brand.

Bright Colours for Christmas Present

Christmas Present Brights

Christmas Present Brights: The necklace was made by one of the talented girls I used to work night shifts with in ICU. It may end up being the only Emerald green item I have in the wardrobe in 2013 so I thought I should get used to wearing it now. The three brightly coloured bangles are from the Fashion Sister From Another Mother, we already exchanged gifts this year.

Rich Waters by Reef

Cute Summer Flats

Christmas Present and Christmas Presents: There are a few things I love about these cute Rich Water flats by Reef, 1) The colours are fantastic, 2) Reef is an Australian company, 3) the shoes are not just cute but comfortable and most importantly, 4) they are part of Reef’s “We Heart” project which helps support communities in developing countries. Which means when you buy a pair you are helping to give a present to a developing country and being a good part of the global community! And that is the kind of Christmas present I want.

Yes, Christmas in the summer is something that can take a bit of getting used to, but after a visit from the ghost of Christmas Present…I think I’m getting there!

**Thank you to Reef for sending me this fantastic pair of rich Water flats. Pretty sure they will be showing up a fair bit during this summers looks!**

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Casual yet Classic Style

Sometimes it can be quite hard to pull together a casual, yet classic style. When I first went back to work after our fantastic trip to Spain, I wasn’t in the frame of mind to be corporate. I still wanted to be on holiday! So I used a couple of my new Spanish purchases and a couple of my most comfortable existing pieces to put together a casual, yet classic, preppy style that I felt was appropriate for work.

Spain purchases from Seville

Spain Purchases: You may recall this oxblood cardigan with the leather elbow patches and the neutral coloured Oxford flats from my post about what I bought in Seville.

Casual, Classic, Preppy

Casual, Classic & Preppy: The leather elbow patches on the cardigan and the Oxford flats just scream preppy to me. So I went with the vibe, rolled up the legs on my  cotton pants to show off the shoes, and wore a simple white t-shirt. Jewelry is kept simple, my Marc Jacobs rose-gold watch, a simple bangle and instead of a necklace I have wrapped a leopard print scarf around my neck and tied it to hand down the front. A little neutral coloured clutch and even though I am still in holiday mode I can go to work!

A Little Comfortable and Classic Look for Work

The Classic Preppy Look

I love the casual vibe of this look

You can see that the cardigan is light-weight enough that it is perfect for wearing on those cool mornings or evenings. It was a great option for work where the air conditioning can sometimes be a little cool, and as I am either starting at 7:45 am or finishing at 10:30 pm it’s just what I need to get to and from work without a chill.

How do you do a casual yet classic style? Are you ever too old for preppy?

 

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What I Wore – Dining at Asador Extebarri

Even though the rain had caught up with us on this trip, I wanted to be sure that what I wore when we went to Asador Extebarri for dinner was something nice. I had packed a number of nice things that I still hadn’t been able to wear. Luckily the weather let up long enough that I could dress up for dinner. After all, we were celebrating our anniversary!

What I Wore to Asador Extebarri – October 2012

What I Wore to go to Asador Extebarri – October 2012

What I Wore: I was really glad I had a chance to wear this pair of palazzo pants from Feathers. I love the abstract graphic print and the fact that they are black and white. It makes them perfect for print clashing. I had purchased the shirt from a shop here in Australia that is typically a little too nana/granny for me called Miller’s. But when I saw the top I knew it would look great over the Spring and Summer with these pants. Because it was a little cool I also wore my light weight black cardigan to keep my arms warm and finished off with the neutral coloured ballet flats and to add a bit of spice, my big red Guess handbag.

What I Wore – The Asador Extebarri Look – October 2012

Hidden Bonus: Because we ate so much a dinner – the full 11 course tasting menu! The hidden bonus is that these pants have an elastic waistband! They will be perfect for any dining experience where I plan to have a massive feed!

It was nice to be a little dressed up for dinner. It made it actually feel like we were celebrating our anniversary and because most of the other people in Asador Extebarri seemed to be tourist, they were predominately casual. Which made the Fashion Mister and I feel even more special on our special night out.

Well, that’s what I wore for our anniversary dinner at Asador Extebarri. What do you think? Do you like it? Would you wear these pants?

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I Love Spring Racing

Yes, it’s true. I do love the Spring Racing Carnival and in fact, Spring Racing in general!

I had never attended a horse race before moving to Australia, however once I attended a country race day, I was hooked. Not on the betting, mind you I do like to have a little flutter or two, but on the whole spectacle of it all. The Fashions on the Field, the gathering of friends and especially the racing. For me one of the most impressive sounds is when you are standing on the straight and the horses come thundering by. It’s exhilarating! And if your horse happens to win, even better!

When the Fashion Mister and I got engaged we decided we were perhaps a little too mature aged for the crazy and wild “bucks or hens parties” (that would be bachelor and bachelorette parties for you in the US). What we decided to do was get a group of our friends together on a bus for a day trip to one of the local country race days. It was great fun! We had champagne and trivia on the way to the races, and had hired a marquee and provided nibbles at the track. Everyone had a great day and didn’t have to worry about driving.

The Punters on the Way to Avoca Cup

Over the years the Fashion Mister and I have attended a fair few country races and have been making a point to get to at least one of the Spring Racing Carnival either lead in races or races during the week.

We have been lucky enough to see Black Caviar race 3 times, thanks to attending the Cox Plate race day a couple of years. I have also attended Oaks Day and last year the Fashion Mister and I went to Emirates Stakes Day, where we also saw Black Caviar win her race.

 

Black Caviar at Emirates Stakes Day 2011

Emirates Stakes Day

The Hat: I had a really boring, basic black hat that I pulled apart and changed up a bit to create this hat. It’s probably one of my favourite hats that I have worn to the races. I used a little hot glue and purchased a flower, the rest had been sitting around for years in the wardrobe.

Emirates Stakes Day – The Look

The Look: I wish the dress had been a little longer (I’m not a fan of my knees) but I love this dress by Cue. Orange, abstract graphic and a chance to wear one of my pairs of orange suede heels, what’s not to love?!

We arrive back from Spain today, I will be home to at least watch the Emirates Stakes races tomorrow. Unfortunately I didn’t get to attend any of the races this Spring Carnival…a small price to pay for spending the month in Spain! I have informed the Fashion Mister that I am planning on us attending Caufield Cup (one of the big lead in race days) and maybe even Derby Day next year. So I will spend the coming year with keen eye on fashion so I can start planning my looks!

I love Spring Racing!

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Spring Fashion in the Hood

Yep, I said Spring fashion in the hood. Nope, it may not be what you think. Although if you are a regular follower, you’ll understand this post isn’t about inner city urban fashion but how it has influenced generic suburban fashion that a wider population wears. It’s my “Ode to the Hoodie – Life in the Suburban Jungle”.

It has even influenced me, a “mature aged” woman living in suburbia. In a subtle way you will see it in todays look.

Suburban Hoodie Fashion

Spring Fashion in the Hood: There are a number of ways I think this piece pays homage to more urban fashion or inner city life. First and foremost would be the hoodie. The staple attire of so many youth. Typically worn with the hood up by the younger, urban crowd. I’m wearing my hoodie under a vintage Jag denim jacket that was given to me by The Fashion Sister From Another Mother. I’ve even gone denim on denim by wearing this with the basic blue jeans. To complete the urban youth homage I have on my high-heeled, open-toe runners from Wittner. Yes, I love these shoes because they are so comfortable…but hey, they are pretty cool too!

Urban Homage to the Hoodie

I’ve also used my leopard print Mulberry bag to honour the Urban Jungle!

Hoodie – The Suburban Jungle

 

Suburban Jungle – Ode to the Hoodie

Suburban Jungle: A few of these items are pieces that you would find in many suburban wardrobes these days. Most people seem to have some version of the hoodie and with wedged runners becoming so trendy right now, I’m seeing them on more and more women even in my conservative part of the country.

What do you think of this look? To cliché? Too young? Or not too bad for spring fashion in the hood? That is if your hood is in the suburban jungle!

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