Friday 30 May 2014

Friday night navy lace

Thank goodness it's Friday!! I didn't get a chance to take a pic of my outfit for work today, I had to dash out of the house at 7am! So I made a point of getting home in time to take a pic before we went out tonight :)

Tonight I put on one of my favourite casual outfits to head out for a drink and light dinner:

Top: Erdem
Pants: Country Road
Heels: Pierre Hardy
Clutch: LV
I adore this navy knit by Erdem. Erdem is one of my favourite designers. I bought my first piece from Matches several years ago, before he became really popular, and I still usually find one or two pieces per collection that catch my eye. This piece has stunning lace sleeves and a boat neck - it's classic with a modern twist and it always makes a great impact.

Navy top, navy skinny jeans, navy heels, topped off by the LV Sofia Coppola clutch in cobalt - it's head to toe navy - my favourite shade, swoon!!

Wednesday 28 May 2014

Crisp cream blazer

Hoping for a quiet-ish Thursday so I can work up some marketing materials we have pending:

Top: Witchery
Pants: Country Road
Blazer: Maxmara
Flats: Nine West
Bag: Anya Hindmarch

Skinny jeans, blazer and flats: my kind of relaxed work outfit. I especially love paring my Country Road navy skinny jeans with this gorgeous cream/ivory blazer from  Maxmara. I've had it for years. It originally had two buttons, which made the proportions a bit odd. Not to mention, the first button was right over the bust, which presented its own unflattering challenges.  I took it to a tailor and had them take out the top button, close the hole and also shorten the sleeves slightly. The single button is more flattering and makes the piece so much more wearable.

The look and colour combo is quite preppy, but the ballet flats and the zip detailing on the jeans keep it modern and clean.

Tuesday 27 May 2014

Grey sweater

This is a re-run outfit but I love it so much:

Top: Moschino
Pants: Country Road
Shoes: LK Bennett
Bag: LV

I have to walk a fair bit today so I wanted to choose something that would be warm (but not fussy or overloaded with a full coat etc), comfortable and still smart. These LK Bennett shoes are so great because the colour is quite whimsical but the shape is professional. The kitten wedge heel is practical for walking distances but not entirely flat (which always changes how you walk in an outfit, no matter which way you look at it).

I chose a different bag today, the tones of the Damier Ebene LV Speedy B suit the look more in my opinion than the Birkin did last time :) xo

Monday 26 May 2014

Peach Tuesdays

We're signing a very exciting agreement with new business partners today, a fabulous development we've been working towards for the past 3 months.  I wanted to look feminine but suited up:

 

Top: Chelsea Flowers
Skirt: L'Wren Scott
Jacket: Country Road
Shoes: Kate Spade
Bag: Anya Hindmarch
This peach silk top is new. I had to snip the original wrap stitch at the V-neck, because it was quite low and I don't put up  with pieces that reveal too much through nothing more than lazy design. Working women have the disposable income for fashion. In my opinion, designers should put more thought into how we wear our clothes and what is suitable for an office as opposed to a party or a fashion show. Simply moving the stitch up half an inch makes this top go from 'awkward boob-age' to 'feminine and flattering, but not distracting'.


Bag...iPad mini...car keys...ready to go!
I love the Albion tote from  Anya Hindmarch. It's one of the few fashion bags that I feel completely comfortable putting loads of stuff in. The Albion can handle it!

Sunday 25 May 2014

Monday meetings

Happy Monday everyone!

I have a very busy week coming up, meetings and interviews with numerous candidates for a couple of positions we have available, plus finance reviews. All in all, I need to be quite corporate in my aesthetic this week.

Top: Country Road
Pants: Country Road
Jacket: L'Agence
Heels: Pierre Hardy
Bag: Hermes
The top and pants are both Country Road, very clean and simple but chic. I have a thing for suede pumps (who doesn't?) and these Pierre Hardy heels are actually navy, with a great wearable heel height so I don't feel like I'm teetering.

It was quite chilly this morning so I popped this jacket by L'Agence over my top and pants. It's a lovely piece that I bought on sale from Matches  - happy face! It's a mix of sapphire and corn flower blue and the material is almost like woven ribbons - in combination with the lightly frayed hem and round neck. It's a perfect cover up that makes any outfit look smart.

Sunday afternoon drinks

A beautiful Sunday afternoon, heading off for a glass of wine at our local:

Top: Witchery
Pants: Country Road
Flats: Nine West
Scarf: Gucci
Bag: Dior


I love this scarf - the blue tones work so well with my wardrobe, I get a lot of wear out of it, it really dresses up a basic outfit into something classic and chic.

Friday 23 May 2014

Lanvin and Laksa

Friday night calls for relaxed dinner out - tonight was at a nearby Malaysian restaurant called Ipoh Laksa:


Absolutely delicious!
 It wasn't too cold tonight, so I didn't need a coat. I paired my Country Road navy skinny zip jeans from the day with a classic white Witchery tee and a lovely blush pink scarf by Oroton.

Top: Witchery
Pants: Country Road
Flats: Lanvin
Bag: Chanel


I love the neutral tones of the Chanel (a classic double flap in beige caviar) and the Lanvin flats, while the soft pink scarf pairs beautifully with the navy pants.

Thursday 22 May 2014

Blue on Black

A mix of monochrome and navy/blue tonal elements today:


Top: Kors Michael Kors (black and white)
Jeans: Country Road (navy)
Biker jacket: The Row (black)
Shoes: Sergio Rossi (petrol)
Bag: Hermes (black)

I officialy love these petrol colour heels from Sergio  Rossi. Classic suede pumps are such a  great way to add colour and pop to an otherwise fairly simple outfit. They take these navy skinny jeans from  Country Road and definitely dress them up.

I put in a special accessories beauty shot because the full length pics didn't show off the fabulous colour of the shoes:


Gorgeous colour, no?

Heading out for an early dinner tonight at a Malaysian restaurant my friends rave about, then have made arrangements with M for a movie date on the couch with  a glass of wine :)

Have great weekends everyone xo

Wednesday 21 May 2014

Black cream and red

A beautiful Thursday morning with brilliant blue skies and bright sunshine (if slightly cool temps) calls for a crisp work outfit:

Top: Balenciaga
Pants: Country  Road
Shoes: Valentino
Bag: Hermes
How gorgeous are these red pumps by Valentino? I love the squashy rosette detail and the colour is of course superb. Whenever I wear them, I get a lift :)

This Balenciaga top is definitely one of my favourites. Surprisingly perhaps for such a directional cut and (admittedly quite conservative dresser), I get a lot of wear out of it. I also have it in black - gaaah, multiple buying! It has a cape-style back and is made in a divine crepe which, together with the fabulous Technical Pant by Country Road, makes for a lovely warm outfit without the need for a jacket!

It's the perfect outfit for going out after work for dinner or a glass of wine with friends without actually looking like I came straight from work ;)



Tuesday 20 May 2014

Roland Mouret - Duck egg blue

To celebrate the 5th birthday of TheOutnet, they launched a limited-edition collection of re-issued designs from favourite brands.  This Roland Mouret dress (the 'O'Hara') was one of the pieces and I was lucky enough to snap it up!!

What fashion lover doesn't adore the magic of a well-cut, feminine dress? Dresses are one-stop dressing, just add shoes and a bag. I love them as an option for corporate wear under a tailored jacket, like so:


Dress: Roland Mouret
Blazer: Witchery
Shoes: Bally
Bag: Louis Vuitton
I have important meetings today and the weather is still pretty warm (though cool enough for a jacket) so I made a last minute decision to ditch my initial outfit (black tailored trousers etc) in favour of this gorgeous dress. I paired it with a classic black blazer from Witchery and my favourite camel pump/bag combo.

Monday 19 May 2014

Navy blouse and dark denim

I bought this navy MIH blouse (and the same again in ivory) for an absolute steal and it arrived yesterday so naturally I spent the evening playing dress up :) When I get something new, I always want to wear it straight away.


Top: MIH
Jeans: JBrand
Jacket: Country Road
Shoes: Bally
Bag:: Hermes
It's quite blouson and loose-fitting which makes it an unusual purchase for me in a way. I tend to avoid loose tops because of my bust as it tends to make me look one size all over. After the success of the skinny jeans from  Country Road however, I felt emboldened and took the plunge!

I love it. Navy is one of my favourite shades and the fact that this shirt is in a soft silk, it flows over the body (unlike a traditional stiff cotton business shirt) and the soft rounded collar adds to the femininity while avoiding pussy-bow fussiness. (Please note, I'm not against pussy-bow blouses per se, it's just with my bust, I know what's good for me and what I  need to learn to say no to ;)

The jacket also nips everything in nicely at the waist, so yay for Country Road again.

I'm hoping to pair this top with a pair of blush pink zip jeans I have later in the week or at the weekend - I love navy and pink together, it's such a gorgeous preppy combo. And I hate to say it, but since my foray into skinny pants, the silhouette of these jeans is starting to annoy me a little. Not badly, I'm just not loving the look as much as I once did. I'm going to go on the hunt for a couple of fresh pairs of JBrand's cigarette leg jeans (814s) when they replenish their sizes on the website.

Wednesday 14 May 2014

Navy and white

It's Thursday!!

Ok, the reason  I'm quite excited is because this week, Thursday is my Friday because I'm having a day off tomorrow - happy dance!!  We're going to go down the coast and go fishing. We've both been working really long hours for the past month and we need a break :)

I threw my skinny jeans back on today:




Top: Country Road
Pants: Country Road
Jacket: Country Road
Shoes: LK Bennett
Bag: Hermes

Would you look at that: save for the shoes and the bag, I'm wearing Country Road head-to-toe. I never think of myself as consistently buying any one particular high street brand, but I suppose across enough seasons, I obviously have accumulated quite a few pieces from there.  Feel like I discovered something new about myself today :)

Have lovely weekends everyone xo

Freebie jeans!

This may be the most unusual thing ever said on a fashion blog: I have never owned a pair of skinny jeans.


Insert elevator music here while we digest that sartorial revelation looking calmly at calming water...
I assumed as a curvy person, with definite hips, that this was a style option denied to me.

However, I recently managed to correct this deficit due to a retail offer from Country Road: I bought two pairs of their Technical pants (gorgeous, do check them out online) and they offered me a free item. I chose their skinny zip detail jeans in navy:

Top: Witchery
Pants: Country Road
Jacket: Country Road
Shoes: LK Bennett
Bag: Louis Vuitton
The verdict: surprisingly wearable! I am actually loving them, totally unexpectedly. I have worn them in both casual and work contexts and each time, the silhouette is modern, pared back and chic.

I honestly feel like a bit of a doofus for neglecting skinny jeans as a possibility for so long :)

Black and Balenciaga

It can be hard sometimes to reconcile the vast majority of fashion editorial and imagery to life in our climate in Australia. When international publications and blogs are all showing women walking to the shows through the Tuileries dressed invariably in head to toe black, it can be difficult to try and put together an outfit that reflects that severe chic in view of the blazing sunshine outside.

Top: Balenciaga
Pants: Country Road
Shoes: Kate Spade
Bag: Louis Vuitton
I bought this Balenciaga top in both black and ivory. I love the directional cut and I wear them both frequently for work. The top is one of those pieces that isn't necessarily the most physically flattering (given my generous bust) but that still gives confidence because of the spectacular design and quality of the fabric.

Grey Wednesdays and catch up!

Ok so I know that was naughty - I dropped out from blogging again! I feel terrible, but work has been more demanding (actually, let's be honest, work is always demanding) and I sometimes do get a bit down by how busy things get. It makes me feel like I don't have time for myself - sad face!

I shook myself out of it and started taking pics again. It's become deliciously cool here all of a sudden. We don't really have four distinct seasons in Queensland - it's more a case of hot one day, cold the next. I always enjoy winter in Queensland because the weather tends to stay lovely with clear blue skies and sunshine, but the temp (and more importantly, the humidity) drops so we can indulge in all the lovely cold-weather fashion staples the rest of the world gets to wear most of the time!

Something old and something new here today:

Top: Moschino
Pants: Country Road
Shoes: LK Bennett
Bag: Hermes
This top is really old. I bought it because of the whimsical rosette detail on the shoulder. I love how there are always pieces in every fashion lover's wardrobe that you come back to again and again because they just work perfectly. This top is quite unassuming but I always gets compliments whenever I wear it :)

I've paired it with Country Road Technical pants (still available online). I ordered these pants on my mother's recommendation - she is the queen of black pants!

My shoes are a fabulous new addition and I was so excited when they turned up last week - LK Bennett is a UK brand (favoured by the Duchess of Cambridge no less!) I found these kitten heel wedges in patent pink saffiano and thought they would be perfect both for work and play. The proportion is interesting, as the shape is undeniably professional and work-suitable yet the heel height keeps things comfortable. The same proportions work to make casual weekend outfits that little bit dressier. I love them and I think I'm going to get great cost-per-wear :)