Milla Fox Shops

Looking back on a fab week

2010-12-13T11:32:00.000+11:00

Hi kids. Apologies for my lack of blog activity over the last week. I can assure you it was nothing personal...I was merely catching up with some of my own favourite bloggers – do check out my blog list sometime its fabulous. I was also attempting to finish off the Christmas shopping, which I have to admit is not going well. There is only so much one can buy when one has inquisitive little people demanding rainbow biscuits every time I make a move! Thankfully I had no such trouble in the style department. In fact every time I ventured into the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world I came out looking like a pin-up girl for the latest flashy mag (if I don't say so myself) and I didn’t have to consult with the SATC 2 almanac once. Yay for me. Must have been my brush with Prada-on-a-budget the week before that ignited the latest fixation because suddenly I would accept anything less of myself than looking like a glamazon albeit in Sussan.

This was the first memorable outfit of the week. I wore it on Monday. I’d been somewhat mildly depressed over the demise of my favourite pair of jeans – the DKNY’s rom Filene’s Basement that I couldn’t bring myself to throw them out. I also really wanted a pair of knee length denims but promised Dr Love I’d make a concerted effort to pay off the credit card. Eep! So with the obligatory pair of ‘good scissors’ (every household should have one) and a needle and cotton I set about re-inventing my fav denims into the much wanted capris without having to spend a cent. The batwing top is somewhat of a shift in convention. I brought it last year during the post chrissie sales from Sussan. Usually I’d go with a block colour but every so often something flashy catches my eye and I have to have it. I love the shape of this blouse and the way it floats over all the bumpy bits making them disappear. The gold isn’t an exact match to my colour wheel but its close enough to get away with it. The shoes, would you believe spent nearly two years in a non-descript shoe box buried deep in the SWITW. I brought them from this amazing little shoe shop around the corner from Macy’s in New York. Can’t remember the name of the shop because I was too distracted by the quality of the sale inside. Full price Steve Madden for under $100!! These aren’t Steve Madden BTW but I love them anyway. The little wedge is perfect when you want a little bit of extra height. And the red picks up the colour in the blouse. Top it off with my favourite bangle combo – beige resin and black wood and I’m right to go.

Remember this ensem? I posted this photograph last week as part of the Vogue January review because it was the inspiration behind what I wore on Wednesday. Well actually it was the necklace that initially sent me leaping into the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world because I have one that is very similar. It was only by pure coincidence that by the time I’d finished working my magic that I realised I’d practically recreated the entire look only without the spots. Not that I mind spots. I quite like them actually but the SWITW is severely lacking in the spot-slash-dot department and I had no inclination to beat myself up over incidentals. Although Forever New was the initial inspiration for my look, I decided to do a Prada and channel Chanel for the day. I’d not long seen the flick, Coco Avent Chanel and was mildly obsessed. I brought the dress from a Jacqui E clearance sale for $50 a couple of months ago and yes, it’s black. But it is a classic and worn as a statement piece so it’s allowed. It’s probably a bit higher in the neckline than the E cups would like, but the empire waist and pencil skirt compensate nicely. My gorgeous orange shoes are new - shhhh! I brought them from the Nine West clearance store for $40.00. Every time I went outside however, I had to swap them for my flats – Chanel inspired of course, because it was raining and I didn’t want my flashy new clogs to get wet. What can I say, I hadn’t water proofed them yet. I topped it off with a cute bling ring – which I managed to get caught under baby cub’s car seat the other day and nearly tore my finger off, and my cut-priced Lucca bag from Strand Bags.

It was a tad cool on Sunday so it was a good excuse to show-off this gorgeous drape cardigan from Fenn Wright Manson that I brought at first site from the House of Fraser, and we all know how much I love the House of Fraser. I’m not kidding when I said I brought it at first sight, although I did have enough forsight to try it on first...then it was love at first sight. Whipped out the credit card without a second thought and haven’t looked back since. I teamed it with a pair of dark blue denim skinny jeans from Sussan that I picked up for $39 and a singlet also from Sussan. I topped it off with Chanel inspired flats and a pair of cute ear-rings I secured for $2 from an accessory store at my local shopping centre. Will admit my fabulous sister-in-law did enquiry as to my head-to-toe palette of neutral and psuedo neutral colours considering my recent anti-neutral rants, but what can I say? I don't mind wearing it from time to time, I just don't want to walk into every second store on the local shopping strip and have nothing but neutral for choice. Know what I mean?

OMG I love looking good. Wonder what this week will bring?

MFSxxx

It's been a while, but the review is back! Vogue...January 2011

2010-12-06T21:05:00.000+11:00

Compared with the December edition of Vogue; a cracking mag of over 270 pages of fabulous fashion fantasy and finds albeit completely out of my price range, I was a tad disillusioned by the January publication and for a split second considered not spending my hard-earned on a magazine that could barely scrap together 184 pages. It should be said however, that one should not be so hasty as to pass such severe judgement upon first glance and should instead sit down quietly over a cup of tea and peruse its contents before mouthing off. This gloss-pot boys and girls turned out to be a perfect and delectable example of quality over quantity. I really enjoyed immersing myself in perfectly presented pictorial montages and well-written prose and it wasn’t long before I was searching the net for a floor length silk caftan-style-cape in sky blue as worn by the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire on page 171. Sadly, couldn’t find one, which wasn’t an altogether loss...sky blue? Not really my colour.

A pregnant Miranda Kerr on the shiny new jacket was in my opinion a brave move. It stimulated a number of interesting arguments on the Vogue forum, which yours truly took part in for the very first time (long time reader, first time poster...can you believe I actually wrote that?) I will admit, I nearly didn’t recognise the latest edition owing to its foray into unfamiliar territory on the front cover but as one poster pointed out ‘pregnant women want to look glamorous too’ and let’s face...when it comes to Miranda Kerr you’ve got the best of both worlds. Personally I reckon I could have given her a run for her money when pregnant with the oldest of my little people. There was not one swollen ankle in sight. Not so with baby cub...I spent the first 18 weeks huddled over a toilet bowl and the next 22 trying to avoid it.

Will admit, when you break it down, I wasn’t so impressed with the individual pieces of apparel on display. Aside from the obligatory swim wear and odd sunglass, I couldn’t help but feel as though the fashion team had picked up the least wintery pieces from the Autumn/Winter catwalk collections and passed them off as high summer. Who knows, perhaps it was the rich shades of caramel brown that dominated the pre-winter scene in the UK and Paris or the plethora of long-sleeve, trench wearing celebs that tipped me off to the dilemma. The ‘anything goes’ spread on pg 150-156 did a reasonable job at hinting at what one might wear when one is scorching but on the whole lacked that summer feel. ‘Spose it is a bit hard when you are trans-seasonal to the fashion world and household names like Muiccia Prada who along with her esteemed friends made this gloss what it is, are whipping out the wool when-ever they get the chance. For my mind, the December edition did a much better job at capturing the current temps if you have a chance at a back copy.

Not that I didn’t find a treasure trove of inspiration for the coming months...I did and in the least expected places. The full page advertisement for Forever New (still not a good fit as far as advertising goes for my mind) had me running for the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world for a complete outfit that I intend to wear on Wednesday. Something I am going to have to get used to yet again now that I have decided to stop...gulp...spending for at least...sniff...four months. Please don’t say anymore...the credit card has spoken and I’ve already gone through one box of Kleenex in sympathy with myself.

In closing, if you can get over the questionable fashion finds then this is a great little publication in which to put up your feet and enjoy. The beauty, life and entertainment sections are all good reads and there are number of ripping articles to keep you well entertained. Vogue doing what it does best...only without the usual dominating pages of high priced fashion that those with a mortgage can only dream about.

I’d buy it. Oh wait, I already have...

Shop Your Own Wardrobe Pt 7: How to recreate Prada without really trying

2010-12-02T22:35:00.001+11:00

I have completely fallen in love with this Prada dress featured in the latest edition of Vogue – which, btw, is a ripping publication and quite worthy of a review if I ever get around to it. Now, I don’t know about you but Prada isn’t exactly something that is readily available or even optional within my budget. Rather than sit around in a snit for the next ten months because I can’t covet what I adore however, I decided to take a step back in time and shop my own wardrobe.

It’s been some months since I set about recreating a look from the contents of the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world. Then again the post-holiday, pre-Christmas credit crunch means a drastic cut-back on new acquisitions so I had little choice. If I wanted Prada, I was going to have to think Kamikaze and seriously get over myself. The beauty of using a high-end design straight out of the pages of the latest glossy is this:

1. The chances of procuring said high-end design are basically zero so it’s easy to look at it as an inspiration rather than an acquisition, and

2. I’m ripping it straight from the pages of the very latest and quintessential glammie mag, which means it a modern must-have and bang on trend.

Like our previous expeditions into our own wardrobes as enthused by the SATC 2 almanac, re-creating a look from a latest gloss-pot means taking into consideration all the various elements of your chosen best and adapting them to suit your shape, your style, your wardrobe, and in this case your season. This little frock is part of Prada’s latest autumn-winter collection and clearly for those of us living somewhat south of the equator the sun is well on its way to reaching its zenith. But here again lies the beauty of knowing how to shop-your-own-wardrobe. You not limited by the position of the sun or the occasion and can still be stylish without even trying.

For this project, I took into consideration the total look – printed dress with fitted bodice and full (or in my case with my thighs, A-line) knee-length skirt, classic pumps in a contrasting colour with a high heel and detail and co-ordinating head band with upswept, bee-hive hair as well as the lady-like silhouette of the glamorous and stylish 1950’s housewife.

Here is how I did it:

Printed dress fit fitted bodice and full knee-length skirt: What luck, I have a knee-length printed dress in hues of blue albeit in a floral design rather than geometrics. I brought it last year from Kamikaze for $100, but between you, me and your local Prada outlet any colour will do. I substituted the long-sleeve fitted bodice with an empire seam under the bust and thin shoulder straps because it was already in my wardrobe and its hot at the mo. The trick to recreating a look out of season and one which is more conducive to your body shape and wardrobe is not to get too caught up in semantics. The cut of the MFS substitute while not authentic to the original look still creates the same slim, feminine silhouette achieved by the archetype.

Contrasting yet classic heels: The heels in this look are burgundy patented leather with a black bow and diamante feature. While I do have a pair of merlot coloured patented leather mary-janes in a very similar style that I purchased while abroad, they feature a leopard print motif and will be a bit too busy for this ensem. This look calls for a simple but elegant pair of heels that add to, but do not detract from or confuse the overall appeal. Or in other words my fabulous fashionistas...block colour with a little bit of bling. I have choosen a pair of purple suede peep toe shoes with a chrome coloured buckle at the sides, which I brought from Betts for a ridiculous $27.

Headband: As we have already ascertained in a previous shop-your-own-wardrobe post (SYOW part 2: From Halston to Diana Ferrari; how you can do it too), I can’t do full head head bands because I have a flat head and they keep falling off. So I’ve substitute with a half band with black and silver bling that I brought a few years ago from a Myer sale for $5. I knew it would come in handy one day.
Tights: It’s hot so I’m not going to bother although if I did I would go straight for Ambra’s peeptoe pantyhose in nude which you can pick up from any major department store for $12.95.

Accessories: For this look, I would keep it simple. You really want the silhouette of the outfit to make the statement not the accessories. Add a classic but simple handbag in a neutral – in my case my new Lucca that I purchased from a Strandbags clearance sale for $14.

And there you have it...another guide to re-inventing your wardrobe and your style without spending a single cent. I love this so much, I’m wearing it work tomorrow. Bye MFSxxx

Memoirs of an English (and French) adventure...and then I shopped

2010-12-01T22:51:00.000+11:00

Ted Baker in Paris

Now that the great shopping drought of the holiday abroad was broken (ah the memories of the Selfridges shoe galleries) I was on a roll. We were one day away from spending five days in the most beautiful and stylishcity in the world so I was damned if I was travelling 40 meters under the English channel seabed looking like a tourist. I had a cunning plan that involved a carefully constructed list and whole lot of restraint. Unfamiliar territory for me really when I’ve got a wad of cash and credit card burning a hole in my back pocket. Anyway, prior to the big adventure and post pre-holiday hissy-fit over what I was going to buy (read more here), I did a reccie of the smallest-wardrobe-in-the- world and taking into consideration the sorry, dated and stretched state of numerous occupants, together with my current lifestyle needs – skinny jeans and pair of runners, I came up with the following list:

One, if not two pairs of jeans in a straight and/or bootleg cut
A good winter coat with a decidedly UK flavour
A new trench in a colour other than grey
A cashmere cardigan in ahem...neutral
A pair of navy blue converse runners;
Several pairs of shoes; and
A hand full of new tops

Now, it would have been completely irresponsible of me to purchase everything at once – refer to the pre-holiday hissy-fit for further information, so I decided to break it down into absolute French necessities and made a bee line for the Ted Baker jacket from my local John Lewis store that I’d been obsessing over for the past six days. As I've already blogged about it, you can read about it here.

My funky new runners...not that I run.

Next stop was the converse sneakers. I’d been considering procuring myself a pair of converse sneakers for some time now and was absolutely delighted to find they were a fraction of the price – I paid just $50 for them even with the exchange rate. As I’m rather partial to dark denim skinny jeans, then navy converse sneakers were my funky trainer of choice. I have no doubt that there are many stylists out there in the fashion jungle who will tell you that those of us with curves probably shouldn’t walk around in a pair of skinny jeans as they have the potential to make us look like Colonel Sanders southern fried chicken legs. I, on the other hand believe in making (some) current trends work regardless of body shape (thank you Gok) and always wear mine dark with extra length so the bunching around the ankle works to lengthen the leg and therefore make those problem areas magically disappear. Eat your heart out Harry Potter. Has anyone seen Hermoine’s new hair style by the way. She looks amazing. Anyway, by adding a sneaker in a similar shade I’m simply adding to the overall length of the leg making them appear ten foot long rather than the obligatory three! Who would have thought after 11 years, Dr Love not only noticed my shoes, but commented on them too. Well done Dr Love.

My jeans were Ralph Lauren, and although I didn’t set out to purchase Ralph Lauren no matter how many times I had dreamed about it in the past, once I tried them on – four days earlier, there was simply no going back! They had spoiled me for choice. In fairness to myself, I did attempt to find a suitable alternative for a much lower price – they were £90 pounds (eep) but nothing compared to cut or colour. It was as though they were made for me...the perfect denim dud with the much sought after but never previously experienced suitably straight leg. The dark denim (the flash on the camera makes them look lighter than they really are) and wisping around the zip and upper thigh is just perfect for girlie girls carrying their curves on their lower half. It breaks up the colour, which in block format could have the potential to make us bigger than we really are (see here for my past post on finding the perfect pair of jeans) and really, who wants that?

Girl about Paris

The last purchase for the day was a purple trench from Hobbs, another of my new favourite obsessions. I mentioned once before that Hobbs was a good comparison to Veronika Maine only with more purple and there is no doubt that it was the colour of the season. Lucky for me it is also smack bang in the middle of my colour wheel! Never be frightened to buy multiple items in the same colour or shade boys and girls if that same colour or shade makes your skin glow like the glossy cover of the latest Vogue and your eyes pop like diamonds. And no, black does not count!. Buying multiple pieces in the same shade shows that you know exactly what to do to make yourself look smashing and colour coordinating your wardrobe just got a whole lot easier. Take my favourite holiday outfit for example – Ralph Lauren jeans, converse sneakers, teal blue Stella top with empire waist/tie and blue cardi...it looks fabulous with the Ted for a sophisticated but slightly edgy glam look, as well as the Hobbs for those days when I just want to be classic and quiet girl around town...Paris town. Au Revoir

Memoirs of an English (and French) adventure...Puttin' on the Ritz

2010-11-25T15:33:00.001+11:00

B & G in London making sure we are not lost!!

I was born to take tea at the Ritz, I am certain of it. So when my cousin G suggested that my other cousin B, G and I partake in high tea at one of London’s finest establishments, I almost tripped over myself with excitement. I love high tea. There is something so decadent about leaving the little people with Dr Love, frocking up (I wore the 'outfit inspired by Grandma') and drinking as much tea as you possibly can in a short period of time in the lap of absolute luxury. We had now been in the UK for five days and had yet to visit the nation’s capital. I was also yet to buy anything since we had arrived and between you me and your local Lipton plantation I was starting to get a tad worried about myself. Suddenly after years of perfecting the art of parting with one’s hard-earned cash (and credit), I was reluctant to part with anything. What if I made a mistake and brought the wrong thing? What if I got so caught up with all the wonders on offer abroad that I forgot that red was not my colour and the E cups ceased to exist in favour of that double breasted woollen coat in teal green? Oh my god, it was Charlie Brown all over again.

The shoes B and I brought. Such good taste. Must run in the family.

Of course, once I stepped over the thresh-hold of the shoe galleries in Selfridges on Oxford Street I needn’t have worried. All the anxiety and self-doubt over my shopping prowess was immediately vanquished by how many pairs of shoes I could justify without having to resort to international post! In the end I settled on a single pair of navy blue patent leather heels with my all-time favourite mary-jane strap by KG by Kurt Geiger. B, who had avoided high heeled shoes for most of her life but who was also going through an image metamorphosis opted for the same pair, indicating her fabulous sense of style and impeccable taste in footwear! G, choose a simple but classic pair of round toed patent black leather court shoes by Office which worked so nicely with her ensom for the day that she broke them out of the signature yellow bag on the short black cab ride through town and wore them to tea.

B & G enjoying high tea at The Ritz

If any of us had built up any expectations of our impending experience with dainty finger sandwiches and miniature truffles, we were not disappointed. This particular shin-dig was everything it promised to be and more! Within minutes of being centrally seated in front of the gold gilded lead fountain sculpture of a reclining woman, we were soon snapping off random shots on the digital desperate to preserve the memory of how the other half lived and vowing to replicate the decor within our own abodes with a few chosen pieces from ebay. Oh wait, that was just me! As the tea poured endlessly from silver pots and the gentle tinkle of perfectly formed sugar cubes dropped from antique sugar tongs into fine china cups upon matching sauces, opulence was in abundance. Every day men and women from all corners of the globe adopted the airs and graces befitting the rich - pinkies in the air - and enjoyed the golden yellow ambiance of the centrally located Palm Court with its quintessential French furnishings and resident pianist. Even the ladies toilet was something of an experience with the narrow, plush pink carpeted stairway and free girlie products. It was a completely fabulous day for many different reasons, least of which was the final breaking of the great shopping drought. But for now, it was time to return home to Dr Love and the little people. Apparantly they had smelt blood and gone for the kill! So with our specially ordered cake secured in its blue box – we simply could not eat another crumb and just quietly, if I saw another cup of tea I might just cry, we bit farewell to the Ritz and all of its elegance and began the journey on foot through the beautiful open parks about town to Paddington station and home.

All the fabulous treasures and treats at the Ritz, which I'm determined to replicate at home. I love the Ritz. Ebay anyone?

Click, click shop!

2010-11-18T19:36:00.000+11:00

My FWM wrap dress that arrived today.

I am unbelievably super excited and surprisingly it has nothing to do with William or Kate or the impending royal knot and everything to do with the dress that arrived in the mail today! When I was abroad I fell in love with a brand of clothing called Fenn Wright Manson or FWM for short. I first discovered FWM at my new favourite fashion house-slash-department store, House of Fraser and haunted her racks every time I stepped across the thresh-hold. What attracted me to this particular brand was in the first instance colour! Whoever told Australian designers and buyers that one must wear nothing but blacks, greys and other assorted neutrals when winter hits has clearly never shopped in the UK on an overcast, cold and rainy day. Seriously, if I heard one more person try to justify the lack of colour in fashion houses down under as an acceptable reflection of the season pre-holiday abroad I was going to take a match to every neutral I could find in the smallest wardrobe in the world in remonstration. OK, so that’s a complete exaggeration. I would never do that to any of my clothes but you get my point. In a country renowned for its long and dreary winters stores all over the land were rolling out deep lush colours in every shade imaginable in protest of the darkened and colourless sky. As I’m sure you’ve guessed FWM was no exception. As luck would have it, the colour palette bore a striking resemblance to the more prominent shades on my colour wheel and understandably become the object of my obsession. The fact that it also comprised easy to wear, classic designs in everything from frocks to cardigans was a complete bonus. I’d been eyeing off this dress for the best part of four weeks hoping that would be reduced as had a number of other similar dresses in shades less flattering to my complexion. Eventually it was reduced on-line by a whopping 50 per cent. Imagine my excitement when I returned home to find that not only was it available in my size, but delivery to Australia was a scant £10 and as a non-EU citizen was completely void of the VAT (tax). Naturally I ordered it. It’s perfect. The kind of dress every girl should own. The only question that remains is whether I should have brought the brown one with the white dots too!

What I wore when I heard the news

2010-11-17T22:27:00.000+11:00

It would be completely remiss of me not to blog about the prospect of a royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. In addition to being obsessed with everything British, I am also a loyal royalist and have been ever since Charles whacked a big blue rock on Lady Diana Spencer's finger all those years ago. To put it into perspective, I was eight! Who could forget the majestic romanticism of that time when a dashing prince (ahem) pledged his life, or at least part of it to a young princess in a dress from which fairytales are made? Certainly not a little girl with a still existing scrapbook of memorabilia! Needless to say I rushed down to the nearest newsagent during my lunch break and picked up a new scrapbook and newspaper to start a new tradition for the little people. I can’t wait for the glossies to come out next week. I’m going to buy them all.

Perhaps I subconsciously knew something wonderful was afoot in the land of kings and queens. Just yesterday the biggest of my little people, big girl cub, presented an old Barbie doll of mine in a miniature replica of Princess Diana’s wedding dress for show and tell at Kinder. Plus, we have just come back from quite possibly the most fabulous holiday in the world where we soaked up as much royalty as possible. Just think, if we stayed for a little longer, we too could have been caught up in the hysteria and returned with a tackey souvenir plate in celebration of the pending nuptials.

From a fashion sense, this poor girl will be forever held up to endless public scrutiny by every fashionista who dared adorn a bit of must-have bling. Already she is being compared to her long-gone but never forgotten mother-in-law. Did anyone catch William’s reference to his mothers’ ring (and I paraphrase) “this is my way to keep her close”...oh my god...brought tears to my eyes. I loved her too. She was the princess of my childhood and the princess of my dreams. When I was 12, I envisaged myself as a budding fashion designer and created a whole line of clothes around my all-time favourite Diana dress. I’m still obsessed with asymmetrical frocks but strangely am yet to own one! Chalk one up to Kate though, she looked absolutely stunning today in a long sleeve blue frock.

What I was wearing when I heard the news

As if I wasn’t excited about what I wore today, then the news of the soon to be heard wedding bells ringing out from Westminster Abbey or whatever church the couple chose to pledge their troeth had me positively dancing in my new KG by Kurt Geiger shoes. I too was wearing blue, and considering two pieces of my ensom were acquired whilst in the UK, felt well qualified to be besides myself with delight. If ever a girl felt the need to be glamourous then a cascade of frills and well fitting empire blouse with pencil skirt will do it everytime. Let me break it down for you:

Blouse: french blue wrap top with frill around the neck line and empire waist tie. I brought this stunning and very versatile top – I wore it with jeans on the weekend, from Coast, a high street boutique on sale for £35. Very funny and successful shopping expedition actually. My cousin got stuck in a gorgeous navy blue dress that she had somehow managed to squeeze into backwards. Don't think I have laughed so hard or for so long in my life. Ah the memories.

Skirt: Black elastane pencil skirt purchased six years ago from David Lawrence. Every girl should have one.

Shoes: Airforce blue patent leather with Mary-Jane strap and round gold buckle from KG by Kurt Geiger purchased from Selfridges. More on those puppies later.

Bling: Cuff and ear-rings by Diva for $5 each.

You know, I think I’m going to like Kate. There is no doubt she has very big shoes to fill and the pressure of the saffire on her finger must be immense. But, as I watch the William and Kate special on channel 9, I am filled with a quite contentment that this young monarch to be is a refined beauty with an elegance that is both confident yet humble, friendly but reserved and above all, real. I wish them well and every happiness befitting a young couple in love.

Memoirs of an English (and French) adventure...the Royal Borough of Windsor

2010-11-16T21:44:00.001+11:00

St Georges Chapel. Resting place of many known Monachs
and English nobility including Henry VIII and his BFF Charles
Brandon. The little people liked it too...so many statues

Dr Love had picked up something nasty on the flight abroad and barely made it through the Oxford adventure. So the following morning, my cousins B and G, myself and the little people left him on the couch and set off for a fabulous girls’ day out at the Royal Borough of Winsor. Ah Windsor. A little town so entrenched in British royal history –I am almost obsessive when it comes to the British, that it almost made up for the fact that despite being in the UK for three whole days, I had yet to shop! So unlike me I know but there was so much to see and so many old buildings and castles to do that I was strangely content to bide both my time and my ahem...budget! Visiting Windsor and particular Windsor castle for the second time in seven years was just shy of receiving a Prada handbag at Christmas on the Richter scale of excitement. Not only was I walking the very same stones that were underfoot kings and queens a hundred times over and greeting the tombs of the known and not so known monarchs and their favourite nobility – hello Charles Brandon, I feel I know you so well - but there was a palace shop on almost every corner! And I love a palace shop nearly as much as I love a shoe shop! Go figure that one out!

The stroll up the hill and onto the Castle itself had us all breathless with the majesty of the imposing grey stones that towered and curved above and around us. If I was hoping for a leisurely stroll through the embellished and stately apartments that escorted us back to a time when heads rolled as often the fashions of the season, I was mistaken. The youngest of the little people, baby cub, had relinquished her pram at the cloak room upon admission and although was happy to be free from its restraints did not like being told where she could and could not run and oh wow, didn’t that gold gilded sideboard and big tall bed look inviting to an excitable dare devil! So, with screaming babe in arms it was a quick meander through the hallowed halls and a fleeting glance at Queen Mary’s dolls house and the centuries old portraits of monarchs for whom stories are told and television shows are made until we reached the end and could divulge ourselves of her not so pleasant nappy!

From the castle, we strolled through the pretty streets nearby searching for the Crooked House of Windsor; our chosen venue for an afternoon tea delight. Imagine our excitement when we found the tiny 16th century building right alongside the columned facade of the guildhall, the very place Charles and Camilla tied the royal knot five year before. Believe it or not the Crooked House really was crooked and once inside rather discerning to those of us climbing the narrow stair case to the upper level in order to partake in a spot of tea.

We had some spare time before our train arrived in the afternoon so we popped into a few of the shops that lined the station concourse; an exciting experience on its own. It was here that I first discovered Hobbs, a sophisticated high street retail heaven that offered classic cuts and elegant silhouettes for the chic fashionista in all of us. When I considered the closest Australian alternative, the best I could do in comparison was Veronika Maine, only more refined and colourful with a cascade of rich teals, blues, greens, reds and purples. It was fair to say that I was in colour wheel heaven and would return to Hobbs many times over the coming weeks.

The most under-rated item in any woman's wardrobe

2010-11-14T22:47:00.000+11:00

Check these out. These are my brand new walking shorts. I purchased them quite unexpectedly on Friday when I popped out of the office during my lunch break in search of a couple of pairs of magic knickers to replace the originals that didn’t quite make the trip home from the holiday abroad (RIP magic knickers). The acquisition was quite out of the blue but none-the-less on the list of required items that would supplement the smallest wardrobe in the world now that the sun has come out of hiding. I am a big fan of the walking short. I brought my first pair over seven years ago from a relatively minor yet rather pricey chain store that no longer exists. Every summer I tell myself that I should give them away (for no particular reason) and then end up wearing them more than any other item in my keep. Why? Because they look fantastic. They flatter my thighs and are cut in a way that they will never go out of style! Seriously, what was I thinking? Give them away! In my mind, the walking short – and by walking short I do mean those the end at or just under the knee - is the most under-rated garment in any girl’s wardrobe regardless of your size, shape or age. They are an excellent alternative to the skirt and although I cringe at the use of current the cliché – for the mum on the go – are a perfect and practical choice when one is required to navigate one’s way through a jungle gym in pursuit of your little one without showing off your Sunday best whilst still staying cool while one is at it! Add a pair of heels and suddenly your summer work wardrobe just got a whole lot better.

Like any piece of clothing (or accessory for that matter) let your body shape dictate the style that is best for you rather than the fashion of the moment. There appears to be an abundance of walking shorts on offer in stores at the mo – anyone seen the latest Sussan catalogue? But the vast majority of those I have seen in the last week appear to taper in toward and end just above the knee, which is no good for anyone! For most of us packing a few huggable curves around our thighs and bum or those with an apple shape look for a wide or straight legged short that end at or just under the knee. They will be even better if they possess a mid to high rise.

These little puppies are Yarra Trail and comprise 97% cotton and 3% elastane. Perfect for the summer months and even better for disguising the curvier parts of the post baby, chocoholic body. I brought them from a little boutique called Collage in South Melbourne for $75.00. I know, I know...it’s more than I would usually spend and what’s more they were full price. Shame on me. But based on the seven year life cycle of the original pair of walking shorts from the chain store that no longer exists, that’s an investment of just $10.72 a year! And besides, they looked so fabulous when I put them on and added a pair of t-bar heels from Diana Ferrari that I picked up from Mathers for $30 (reduced from $160), the sales lady was overtly delighted and couldn’t put a pair away for herself quick enough. Ironic really...I just sold a pair of walking shorts to the sales lady I brought them from. Need I say anymore!

Memoirs of an English (and French) adventure...the beginning

2010-11-12T23:15:00.000+11:00

The University Church of St Mary the Virgin.
The largest of Oxford's parish churches and the
centre from which the University of Oxford grew.

It is hard to believe that it has been nearly a week since Dr Love and I and the little people touched down on Australian soil, tired and grubby from a 21 flight from Heathrow to Honkers and home again. At least I looked good even if I did smell terrible! A complete turn about from the journey abroad let me assure you. I don’t know what possessed me to compromise my style whilst in transit en route to London all those weeks ago. I suppose I could have been forgiven for thinking trackie-dacks and a tee-shirt with runners was a reasonable combination in which to tackle such an arduous journey (remember the little people!) particularly after my rather public declaration that I would not succumb to my usual fashion concession as a tourist who walks a million miles from one hot-spot to the next in relative comfort aka a sensible pair of shoes. For some reason however, I spent the majority of the air journey in complete discomfort made all the worse by the realisation that discarded baby-food – and believe me when I tell you it was in abundance - lit up like the Christmas lights on the facade of John Lewis’s flag-ship store on Oxford Street when smeared upon black cotton. Thank god for the ‘most comfortable pair of jeans in the world’ and my new navy converse sneakers on the return. They got me comfortably yet stylishly through the English Channel when we travelled on the Eurostar to France and did not let me down 30,000 feet in the air. Needless to say the outfit of origin did not get another run in its entirety although the trackie-dacks got a reprieve in the evening because let’s face it; England in October is freakin’ cold.

Sheldonian Theatre. Build in 1668 from a design created by the
exceptionally talented Sir Christopher Wren.

Anyhow the memories from the family adventure to the UK and France are in abundance and there is plenty to share including what I wore when, what I saw and what I brought whilst over there (and when I returned home... don’t tell Dr Love). The capsule collection I put together to get me through the four weeks of fabulousness proved incredibly adaptable albeit mostly in blue – I’m going through a phase – and provided me with a rounded selection of everyday must-haves and special occasion separates. Knee length boots with a sturdy heel and trusty ballet flats provided acceptable alternatives (until I got the converse trainers) to adidas sneakers that between you and me and my local Athlete’s Foot have never felt right. While a selection of bling complemented the outfit of the day. I am sure if one ignored the back-pack and the camera one would never accuse me of being a tourist!

Where we went, what I wore and why I wore it!

One of the first places we visited, besides the local Slug and Lettuce for a meal on the first day was Oxford (day 2). I wore a much loved Stella camisole with empire tie in one of my most perfect colours, teal blue, to celebrate my second visit to one of the most beautiful medieval cities in the world. The last time I visited Oxford was late November in 2002 and I was dressed in a doona to ward off the artic blast. On this occassion, I teamed the cami with my skinny jeans from Sussan, knee length boots (which I left abroad for my cousin to enjoy and return at Christmas when she visits – god love family) and a cute little cardigan I picked up from Review a few weeks before departure for $41 - sorry, forgot to tell you about that one! This became a favourite ensome whilst abroad and I got plenty of wear out of it with varying substitutes. The camisole is a bit long for my body shape and risks cutting off my legs before they start. The cardigan however nips me in at the waist and hits me at the sweet spot just under the hip bone thus making my legs appear longer and counteracting the adverse length of the blouse. Clever huh! This was the perfect outfit for climbing in and out of the big red bus (tour) and walking the medieval streets enroute to Maccas to feed the little people who were getting a bit tetchy after spending over an hour on the top deck of the double decker. Great day had by all.

Blinded by Baker...Ted Baker

2010-10-27T07:44:00.002+11:00

Eight years ago Dr Love took me to the Europe for the very first time. It was unforgettable. So many sights, so many memories and so many fabulous things that I still to this day regret not buying. So when we touched down at Heathrow two weeks ago I vowed and declared that despite my modest budget, if I came across something so wonderful that I simply couldn't live without, then I was going to buy it. So I did. This is my Ted Baker jacket. Isn't it gorgeous? I saw it on my first visit to John Lewis (the David Jones of the UK) and fell instantly in love and really...can you blame me. It was a bright beacon, calling to me just as soon as the automatic doors announced my arrival. Blinded by it's oh so glamorous beauty, I made a bee-line straight to it and began searching out the price. Ouch...it was a tad pricey...£199 pounds pricey to be exact (approx. $320) and I was a bit shy on forking out so much money so early in the adventure. But oh how it haunted me. It was one my colours after all and when you find something in one of your colours you simply have to give it due consideration, even if it does bite into a big chunk of your budget. So after much consideration and irrational promises around a more concerted effort to reverse save, I brought it and I am so glad I did, because when I climbed onto the Eurostar enroute to Paris with my new Ralph Lauren jeans and navy converse sneakers, I looked fabulous. Au Reviour MFS xxx

2010-10-25T06:46:00.000+11:00

There is absolutely no doubt about it...I love a good bargain. I especially love a good bargain when I'm abroad and on a budget, which incidently does seem to expand by just a little bit each day. Shopping in the UK has been so much more exciting than I ever dreamed and now that I've managed to navigate myself away from the hissy fit of several weeks ago and get myself into a nice pattern of scoping out all the opportunities befitting the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world, I am having a fabulous time. I will catch you up on the all the wonderful and amazing purchases I have made over the last two weeks - has it really been that long - including my fabulous purple Ted Baker coat but in the meantime I simply had to share my latest prize. These Guess heels had been reduced from £80 to £55 pounds with an additional 20 per cent off the lowest marked price. A bargain already in anyone's book considering the price of Guess shoes down under. Imagine therefore my delight when I took them up to the cashier and found out they had been further reduced to a piddly £29 pounds. Oh joy of joys. I just love the UK. Take care MFS xxx

Four hours and counting....

2010-10-09T19:38:00.001+11:00

Make no mistake boys and girls, when I return from my much anticipated holiday to the UK and Paris, I will be bringing back at least three new pairs of shoes and a couple of handbags! And that, my friends, is being generous. We are only a few hours away from lift off, and so far everything has gone according to plan...at least it will if I can find the teeny tiny pink mary-jane shoe that has been missing since lunch time! I had fully intended on banging out a couple of pre-holiday blog posts prior to take-off but the week has been somewhat hectic and suddenly here we are. Sadly I won’t have time to impart my thoughts and feelings on compromising one’s wardrobe for the sake of touring the streets of some far off and exotic lands in comfort. Instead you’ll just have to trust my judgement and believe me when I tell you, tourist or no tourist I will not be resorting as I have on previous trips to pair of non-descript denims and runners! I will however endeavour to post as I go and share with you some of my finds and plenty of my adventures. Until then fabulous fashionistas...bon voyage.

Every dud knicker has a silver lining

2010-09-30T11:40:00.000+10:00

The jury is out on the super slim magic knickers by CLiO. Actually, they are so far out that they have left the building altogether. On a scale of 1-10, I would rate these at a lowly three. Despite being comfortable on across the thigh and bum, I have spent the vast majority of the day pulling them up!!! Very annoying. A magic knicker, once on, should not move and should certainly not leave an unsightly bump across the back as they roll down. Completely defeats the purpose. Not sure whether to throw caution to the wind and try Holeproof’s high waisted body-shaper, available for $24.99 from Big W or cut my losses and visit the Bendon outlet at DFO South Wharf for another pair of Naomi & Nicole. Decisions, decisions!

On a more positive note, I took nearly all the accessories from the 'Outfit by Grandma' last week – black tights, Steve Madden peep toe shoes with red mary-jane strap, resin and wooden bangles and dangly ear-rings made by moi’ and added this cute dress by Wish and Guess handbag for a whole new outfit. To be fair, I took this photo at the end of the day so I was looking rather dishevelled, and I really must remember to tidy my bedroom if I’m going to take photographs of myself in the mirror! On the upside, I’m very excited about this dress. I brought it three years ago for my cousin Kate’s wedding (of the Brady Bunch tee-shirt fame) and have only just been able to fit back into it despite the E-cups! By the end of the day the buttons at the bust were pulling just a bit, but nothing a couple of small press-studs can’t fix.

Have a great day

MFSxxx

Where does Milla Fox shop...today?

2010-09-27T16:29:00.000+10:00

K-mart! My super slim magic knickers were looking a little bit worse for wear and were in desperate need of an update. I can’t complain, I brought them nearly 3 years ago from the Bendon outlet at DFO Essendon for $39.90 and have been trying to squeeze just one last wear out of them for the last four months despite their plea for clemency. So, I popped down to my local shopping centre, perused the offerings at Bras ‘n things before trying my luck with a CLiO, a cut-price brand stocked by K-mart. I’m actually quite fussy when it comes to magic knickers and as I have tried a few different models over the years, feel well qualified to get into a snit when I can’t find what I want. For my mind a girl needs two styles...1. bust to knee (or mid thigh) and 2. Bust to bum. I favour the bust-to-bum model when I’m wearing jeans as long as they are seamless at the bum and thigh. You really don’t want an elastised gathering around the leg as they are more likely to dig into your flesh and create an unattractive VPL. Similarly, if you are packing some seriously huggable curves around your mid-section magic knickers with a mid-rise...those that stop at your natural waist line or just above can very quickly resemble the much maligned muffin-top and between you, me and your local retail outlet , they are extremely uncomfortable after a meal. A high-rise knicker that tucks neatly under your bra strap keeps everything nice and smooth and as an added bonus you won’t have any trouble breathing either. Brilliant. Now clearly they are not an attractive intimate so you probably don’t want to go flashing them around to your current or prospective partner, but if you are like me and like a nice fitted jersey top, such as this gorgeous teal green number from Review then for $19.00, you really can’t afford to go without, can you!

Check out these Wedges, aren’t they sensational. It’s been a quite a few months since I last pulled these out from the back of the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world, yet every time I wear them I wonder why it took me so long! You might remember that I brought them from Wittner for about $30.00 a couple of years ago and although I nearly fell off them a few times at first – I blame uneven grass, it didn’t take long to hit my stride. I wore them yesterday with high-waisted flares, Cue blouse and my new cardigan from Jacquie E. I was also inspired to show them off after reading about wedge boots on my second favourite blog Liberty London Girl. Don’t mind a wedge boot and have popped a pair on my ‘try and buy’ list bound for London. Wonder when I’ll wear them next.

Where does Milla Fox Shop?

2010-09-26T20:31:00.002+10:00

Today, Jacqui E and at 30 per cent off already reduced prices who could begrudge me such a bargain.

It occurred to me that in my entire bargain hunting-slash-shopping glory over the past few months, I have neglected to reveal my fabulous finds on the day I find them, as I had in the past. So, I have decided to re-instate examples of my shopping prowess under a new title...where does Milla Fox Shop so I can not only share the treasures that are out there to be had, but also disclose where to find them and at what price. Genius huh! I haven’t decided yet whether I should make this an exclusive MFS blog post, or utilise the MFS facebook page for fast fashion tips and shopping finds as they occur. Perhaps I should do both?? What do you think?

Anyway, I was only saying to myself the other day that I really needed a short-sleeve cardigan with a kind of camoflage-slash-animal print and it wasn’t as though it was an impulse buy. I went in, walked out and came back later. So what if I was contemplating a knee length denim skirt or ruffled blouse? Sometimes the best buys happen when you least expect them. AND, it was only $41.95 so I clearly needed to have it on principal. As we all know I do like a good Jacquie E, but have to admit the lack of colour and concentration on neutrals of late has driven me to distraction. On this particular occasion however, a good neutral is a smart find. I can practically wear it with anything. The purchase was also a good lesson in trying something on even if you don’t think it will suit your body shape. Normally I wouldn’t waste my time on anything that I thought would end at the widest part of my thigh, which as we all know will only make it wider. But the shape and cut of this cardi, particularly when left unbuttoned, highlighted all the right areas and cleverly disguised the others. I also love the three quarter length sleeves. Fabulous for hiding those budding bingo-wings when the sun comes out of hiding. This is the kind of outerwear that can be worn for myriad of occasions...with jeans, with a pencil skirt, with walking shorts (by the way Witchery have a nice selection of walking shorts albeit in black!) and even buttoned up with a belt for work. I’m wearing it to drinks with friends this afternoon.

For something completely unrelated...my floral arrangement my fabulous friend Chris put together for me. It's arranged using silk flowers in a second hand cermanic vase I picked up from an op-shop several years ago for $5. Dr Love and I both suffer hayfever so it’s an allergists’ dream and the best thing...will last forever. Chris has recently started her own little silk floristry business and sells arrangements priced from $35 up to $200+ depending on size and design. She will sell arrangements as made or make one up to your specification, which she did with mine. This one cost me about $75, which when you think about the cost of artificial flowers, its a complete bargain. I just gave her the vase, a couple of flowers and a fabric sample from my dining chairs and she worked her magic to perfection. I've got some photos of other arrangements Chris has crafted, which I will post at a later date, but if you are interested in more information just leave me a message or send me an email. As for my arrangement, thanks Chris...it's like having a little bit of the french province in my own home. I love it. MFSxxx

Vale Grandma...my style inspiration, gone but not forgotten

2010-09-24T22:16:00.000+10:00

Have you ever had one of those moments when you have no idea what to wear and then suddenly a flash of inspiration passes over you like a glossy vogue fashion spread and you find yourself launching into your wardrobe for a little bit of style heaven? No...bummer. It happened to me the other day. Wednesday. I was standing in the middle of the bedroom in my intimates considering the contents of the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world and feeling a tad sorry for myself. My grandma had died a week earlier and I had just returned from an unscheduled visit to Perth where amidst the support and love of my family I rode the gauntlet of emotion and memory. She was 91, although if you fancy yourself as a bit of ghost whisperer, pleased don’t tell her I said that...she really didn’t like anyone knowing how old she was except the year she turned 90, at which time she had a ripping party and told everyone who cared to listen. Gran, as most of us affectionately called her was a very big part of my life despite not seeing or talking to her as often as I should since I crossed the Nullarbor Plain all those years ago. Her influence on me however,...particularly the influence that involved those cute little lipstick samples from Avon (ding dong) has been and will be ever-lasting. The temptation in my sadness to drag a plain pair of brown-wide legged trousers and predictable shirt had been great. I was only going to work after-all, so what did it matter? So what if I vowed in public circumstances in January to glam it up for work, it wasn’t as if anyone noticed or cared (!). I even reached for those completely over-worn black patent shoes that had rather unwittingly become my staple AND by-passed the bling! I was tired... extreme emotion and a three and a half hour flight that arrived into Melbourne 45 minutes late and well into the night on my own with two grumpy and irrational children had done nothing to improve my darkened demeanour and the ensom I had chosen to wear that day was a clear reflection of how I felt. As I stood there fighting back tears, I thought of Grandma and was hit with a force of inspiration so powerful (remember the Prada handbag to the head), I practically ripped the clothing from my body and within two minutes (I had to leave the bedroom to retrieve the magic knickers from the suitcase in the dining room otherwise it would have been sooner), I stood in front of the mirror in an outfit that felt so glamorous it was almost a surprise to find out I wasn’t French!

Perhaps it was Grandma talking to me from beyond...we did share a birthday and Grandpa often remarked that we were very much alike. Come to think of it there were times when he said that, I’m not sure he thought that was a good thing ...usually when Grandma and I were paralytic with laughter over something he did not approve...AND she was a very stylish woman (even though she did insist on wearing her Australian-made inspired Avon wind-cheater and Fremantle Dockers cap when gardening). In her younger days, and believe me it wasn’t all that long ago she was always immaculately presented with a full face of make-up that was so skillfully applied you’d swear she wasn’t wearing any. She favoured top and tailing...her handbags matched her shoes and her clothes were always feminine, complimentary and coordinated. She loved belts...they were her accessory of choice and she sewed as though she was born cradling a Jenome in her slender hands. She had a walk-in-robe that my grandpa built for her...ah Dr Love??... which she always threw open whenever we visited for dress-ups and play and she would sit with me and my cousins and tell stories of years gone by as we went through her jewellery piece by piece. As far as my grandma was concerned, standing in front of one’s wardrobe regardless of size whilst seriously contemplating compromising one’s style because one was in a bit of snit simply would not do. So I took action, and here is what I did:

I took a black...yes black, but it’s a statement piece so its allowed, a-line Cue skirt with cleverly hidden pockets in the pleated waist band, which incidentally had received two last minute reprieves from ebay just because its Cue, and teamed it with my new orange and marble grey striped Veronika Maine jersey knit top with three quarter sleeves and neck detail. I added black tights...supporting statement piece (no pun intended) and patent black Steve Madden peep-toe heels with blood red mary-jane strap. My accessories consisted of a dangly pair of triple strand ear-rings with multi-coloured beads, which I made when making jewellery was the in-thing to do and two bangles in beige resin and black wood. To round it out, I added my burgundy Lucca bag and caramel coloured overcoat, also from Cue.

I call it my ‘Outfit by Grandma’...she was my style inspiration in so many ways for so long and although she may now be gone...she will never be forgotten. MFSxxx

Long lost shoes

2010-09-09T10:05:00.000+10:00

While I take a few days to get my head around my plan for shopping in the UK...what a melt-down, seriously you’d think I was an award-winning drama-queen rather than a budding style-queen... I thought I would have a little shop in the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-word and reacquaint myself with some long lost shoes. It’s always very exciting when you rediscover forgotten treasure, which to be honest isn’t hard when you own 57 pairs of shoes that are stacked in unmarked boxes on top of each other in three separate spaces. I will admit that 57 pairs of shoes is pocket change to many Imelda Marcos-types around the world, but let us not forget that I do quite possibly own the most ridiculous wardrobe in the world despite the ring-in from the shop around the corner so space is an issue. Plus, it has come to my attention (and nose!) that in recent times I have also fallen victim to the 90/10 rule... I wear 10 per cent of my collection 90 per cent of the time and the other 90 per cent only on the odd occasion. It’s kind of strange considering I do love a good shoe and have been known to advocate on more than one occasion that one can never have enough pairs of shoes. There are many reasons why one would deprive themselves of their collection of shoes...security blanket, uniform substitute, plain laziness to name a few but I probably should address it sometime soon because I’m betting that as you are reading this, you are nodding because it sounds familiar. Anyway, I was rather chuffed with the outcomes of my treasure hunt and couldn’t quite believe the jewels I uncovered...some of them, I suspect would even be on the verge of vintage if the cobwebs were anything to go by. Let’s check them out:

Luzia Mirnar denim heels with burgundy crocodile feature and kitten heels, purchased approx. 9 years ago. I was only saying to myself the other day that I needed a pair of kitten heels with pointy toes. Pointy toes are a great way of elongating a leg particularly when you have a thicker ankle and/or calves. Not really an issue in my case because I have hilariously skinny ankles. Pointy toes are also a great way of slimming down a thicker foot and making a shorter foot appear longer...this works well for me as my shoe size is a little small for my height so it helps to balance me out a bit more. Plus they look spectacular and at the end of the day, that’s what I’m after.

A pair of Micam muted hot pink pointy toe shoes with smaller kitten heels, purchased approximately 8 years ago from my first and only foray into Brand Smart. I discovered DFO not long after. If it’s one thing the Governor-General and I have in common is a mutual love of hot pink. Sadly for me it is not a colour that bodes well with freckles but put it on my feet and its whole new, fabulous story.

A pair of pretty printed fabric t-straps with cork heels, purchased from Harrods in London in 2005: When Mother Fox and I embarked on our mother-daughter adventure five years ago, I had but one goal, to purchase a pair of shoes from Harrods. Imagine my excitement when I discovered on the day of the said purchase, the department store of my dreams was having a clearance sale so I brought three pairs of heels not just one.

Another pair of printed fabric t-straps with leather lattice detail also purchased from Harrods in 2005: Every girl should have at least one pair of multi-coloured printed shoes for a bit of contrast when they are currently obsessed with buying and wearing block colours everywhere else. Ah Harrods... the memory of floating through a door, held open by an elegantly clad door man, while holding three green bags en-route to a black cab (right after I visited the Dodi and Di memorial) lives on forever. See you in October.

Blue heels with ankle strap, brought in New York in 2002: It boggles my mind as to why I only brought one pair of shoes on my first visit to New York eight years ago. I hit all the hot spots so it wasn’t as though I didn’t have ample opportunity. It must have been a storage issue....the six handbags I purchased on Canel Street clearly took up way too much space.

Enjoy!

Shop your own wardrobe part 6: Morning tea with the Governor-General

2010-09-06T15:37:00.001+10:00

A few years ago I was fortunate to par-take in a cocktail party at Government House when the 2005 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships came to town. I remember what I wore as if it was yesterday. A gorgeous black...yes black...I’d yet to really embrace Trinny and Susannah back then...silk blouse with cream embroidered lace detail, a stunning pair of cream coloured three-quarter length dress pants that didn’t quite do up because the BB1 baby-bump had popped out, and a pair of pointy toe sling backs I brought from goodness knows where! After the formalities were over, the then Governor of Victoria, John Landy, athletic legend, walked up to me...I was the closest, and introduced himself. As somewhat of an amateur sprinter in my younger days and completely familiar with the four-minute mile, I was so excited I teared up and ran outside to ring my mum to tell her all about it. I honestly didn’t think it could get much better than that until a couple of weeks ago when I received an invitation to a morning tea hosted by non-other than the Governor-General of Australia, Quentin Bryce. The mere thought of a potential meeting...it was a group thing...had me sprinting, John Landy style to the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world to find something appropriate to wear because let’s face it, not only is she one of the most well-known, respected and considering the state of leadership in this country, powerful women in the world, she also has impeccable dress sense. It was a lot to live up to.

Now you all know that I love a good frock with a splash of colour, and lord knows my new BFF Diana Ferrari has provided those in quadruplicate. It would have been easy for me to throw on my tried and true burgundy number with the bishop sleeves and neck frill or brave the weather with a lovely short-sleeve brown piece printed with cherry red poppies (you have to see it to appreciate it, isn’t that right Mel? She has one too.) No, this particular shindig called for something chic, something elegant, something...neutral! So with the SATC 2 almanac in hand...don’t worry I completely by-passed the yellow and green striped tee, leopard print heels and the asymmetrical all-in-one with the harem pants and instead focussed my attention on the effortless white Ralph Lauren dress, Hermes purse with snake skin Manolos and boater hat that adorned SJP on her return from Abu Dhabi. Pity for me that I do not own a Ralph Lauren dress, Hermes purse or snake skin Manolos although I did once lay claim to a white boater hat that I am fairly certain found its way into a Mother Fox garage sale. But, how fabulous for me in that I know how to shop my own wardrobe and re-create a look with a whole new and different approach. Don’t you just love having a skill? Here is how I did it...

Simple dress in neutral colour: In lieu of not having a simple white dress, I decided on a classic black...yes black...here we go again... pencil skirt that has been sitting in the SWITW for over a year awaiting a new zip. This particular skirt, which I might add should be a staple of every girl’s wardrobe, has been a favourite of mine for a good number of years. I brought it from David Lawrence about six years ago as part of a suit and it is one of those classic pieces that will fall apart before it dates. It has a very cute pleat detail at the bottom hem at the back.

In keeping with the unbiased colour scheme, I teamed the skirt with my favourite new blouse from Witchery. You know the one...just scroll down a few posts to refresh your memory. I had every intention of wearing a cream cami underneath, but shock horror, there was a stain that looked remarkably like baby drool smack bang in the middle of the bust line which could be seen, and so I went out on a limb and contrasted the sheer cream silk with a fitted black cami instead. SJP eat your heart out.

Grey snake skin Manolos: To add a touch of colour to the en som, I whipped on a pair of Ambra peeptoe panty-hose I picked up from Myer for 30 per cent off the lowest marked price, and my favourite pair of Steve Madden Mary-Jane sling-backs. I love these shoes. I can practically wear them with anything. I brought them in New York a couple of years ago from what was quite possibly the best shoe shop I have ever had the privilege of spending within. What a shame Dr Love didn’t quite share my enthusiasm.

Boater hat: Instead of head candy, I went with ear candy so accessorised with some dangly ear-rings with burgundy sparkles I picked up from Diva on a four for $10 deal and two wooden bangles from Bardot that cost $5 each.

Hermes bag also in neutral: This is where I broke from tradition and added a touch of MFS to an elegant SJP in the form of a burgundy tote from Strandbags. It’s not quite Hermes but it looked fabulous and contrasted well with the neutral theme and red mary-jane strap on the Steve Maddens.

Although it wasn’t quite the hot pink woollen suit with leopard print clutch worn and carried by most lovely and warm Quentin Bryce...yes I did get to talk to her and she is a very lovely...I’m sure she liked it too. Check it out:

Recent posts you might have missed:

I have a plan
And as for Sunday, I wore a neutral
So, what did you do on Saturday?

I have a plan

2010-09-02T21:41:00.000+10:00

It’s been nearly two weeks since my last post and I have no excuse other to say that I have completely blow up my reverse saving budget and have been drowning in my own guilt. I even tried to hide the evidence from the latest spend (Tuesday) but Dr Love found it (Veronika Maine bag), which to be quite frank wasn’t very hard...I left it sitting on a chair the back door. What was I thinking?...I have a lot of clothes...he probably would never have noticed the new stuff! I know I’m weak. I know I have no staying power and even less self-control, but I simply couldn’t help myself or wait the remaining 37 days until I hit the UK and high street heaven. But it’s not all my fault. I blame Stacey and Clinton too. Really I do. I’m still catching up on the 30 plus episode marathon of TLC’s What Not Wear...there is a new ep everyday and I desperately needed to re-stock the upper-half of the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world with something other than tee-shirt material because without the magic knickers tee-shirt material clings and I need suitable backups that float away from the body! I know my wonderful friend Mel understands. She went through something similar before her own holiday to New York earlier in the year and between us we firmly believe it’s an illness. Both of us are sick of not having anything to wear! I know, I know. It was failed attempt at humour but I couldn’t resist. The problem with spending money before you go on holiday during which you are sure to shop some more...Hello Zara, so nice to make your acquaintance... is that you have less with which to spend and more opportunity for credit card guilt. That said however, I have assured Dr Love that I have a plan, and if it’s one thing you can always guarantee about me...it is I will always have a plan. No kidding. I even had plans to give up smoking 11 years ago that included graphs and pie-charts (thank you to Lovely Lynda from Lilac and Lavendar for that long forgotten but amusing memory). I am to plans what Dr Love is to lists...he practically makes them in his sleep and it drives me mental. Anyway, my plan is this...

...if you (me) are a tad short on cash and bit long on buyer’s remorse (even if it was on sale) and you (me) lack suitable suitcase space in which to spend large because you remember you are also required to pack and shop at Gap Kids for the little people, then make a list...yes Dr Love, a list... of things you really want to supplement or replace in your existing wardrobe with and stick to it. Take the Calvin Klein jeans for example. They are a bit outdated and look sad, so on the list goes a new pair of bootleg jeans. I also would like a couple of good quality cardigans...cashmere in fact...dot point two and dot point three. Get the idea? It’s easy, right? Wrong! I am completely freaked out over the prospect of stifling my shopping prowess. What if I blow the list in the first three days? Then what? Three shop-less-weeks with two female cousins dying to experience an MFS experience? I don’t think so...! Right, quite clearly, I need to go back to the drawing board and think about this some more. Talk to you later...MFSxx

And as for Sunday...I wore a neutral!!

2010-08-23T20:37:00.001+10:00

I have a few minutes while I wait for the little people to drift off to sleep and the tea to draw from the bag, so I thought I would continue from where I left off earlier in the day and talk about Sunday. What a lovely day. It was Dr Love’s mum’s 80th birthday party so drove over the Westgate via the Cheesecake Shop to celebrate with the in-laws. I deliberated widely over what I was going to wear for said celebration and the brand new witchery top that I purchased with a ton of guilt last Tuesday came up trumps from the contents of the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world. Have to tell you a little story about this top actually, especially considering my recent rant against neutrals! Truth is, I popped down to my local Witchery store last week after being sucked into their current ‘boarding pass’ promotion. The boarding pass, which I secured out of the latest edition of InStyle, contained an unknown dollar amount that would only be revealed after a minimum $40 purchase. Being the sucker that I am for a good bargain and free discount voucher, I bundled BB2 into the Honda and drove the distance reasoning with myself that I needed a new pair of bootleg jeans because the Calvin Kleins that I brought for a song in the USA two years were way to out of date and I simply couldn’t wait until London in October. Anyway, cut a long story short I had absolutely no luck on the bootlegs although I did try on a pair of straight legs that were a little on skinny side. They weren’t all together a bad jean except the size 12 was way too tight and the size 14 way too big, which meant they kind of sucked and it was time to move on...straight to tops that were on sale. I had told myself a number of times of the last few weeks that I was sadly lacking in a blouse that was made from something other than tee-shirt material and that it was time to branch out and buy some silk. So I did and I’m so completely in love with it that I’m thinking of wearing it every day for a week. Despite it being a neutral.

It absolutely fabulous with my dark blue pair of skinny jeans from Sussan, and the cream coloured ear candy and turquoise blue bangle for a touch of colour floated seamlessly out of the jewellery draw to join the party. Now all I needed were the shoes. Hmm, dilemma. I was the habit of only wearing ballet flats or boots to family affairs...all the better to chase the kids around the house but I really wanted to break out of the norm and try something different. The thought of whacking on a pair of sky-scrapper heels however, were a little less than pleasing on a relaxing Sunday with the rellies. Enter the Fluevogs, which I must admit despite looking sadly worn and torn still manage to attract a crowd. I was introduced to the Fluevog in 2003 by a work colleague with an impeccable sense of fashion. In fact, it was because of said work colleague that I am now the fabulous fashionista you read today...if not for her I may still be stuck in Big W hunting down a five dollar bargain before moving next door to Best and Less for a little bit more...not that there is anything wrong with that. I completely adore my Fluevogs. They are the perfect glam alternative for running after little ones because they have a strong and sturdy heel with rubber soles yet haven’t adored my tootsies for at least three years, which is really kind of Stupid on my behalf because every time I wear them I get comments. See Dr Love, I told you people look at your feet! Now all they need is a touch up and they’ll be good as new. As for the party, we had a fabulous time and so did the mother-in-law. Happy Birthday xx

If you are interested in a little bit of Fluevog, then you buy them from Sole Devotion in Prahran and Melbourne in Victoria, and Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. Click on the link for more information.

So, what did you do on Saturday?

2010-08-23T14:12:00.002+10:00

I had every intention of banging out a post or two this weekend, but I just never seemed to find five minutes to sit down and string more than a few words together. So now I’m playing catch-up on my recent round of style shenanigans, albeit with a difference. You see, I didn’t actually do anything startlingly fashion forward over the weekend, but I had such a fabulous couple of days, I thought I’d tell you all about it starting with Saturday. It began with a couple of hours with my little people in our PJs in front of the TV on Saturday morning before I nipped off to the Estee Lauder counter for a make-over courtesy of a free August promotion. I just love free August promotions, don’t you? If I had not stopped off a few days earlier to pick up a new pure colour eye-shadow that I simply couldn’t live without; I probably would have missed it. Berry blush with a sassy shimmer, isn’t it divine? While I was there having my make-over, I also procured a new tube of peach-coloured lip gloss to add to my collection. Very smooch-a-licious.

Next stop was the local community centre to vote. I had no idea who I was going to give my preference too, not that it mattered. The country is still in turmoil with a hung parliament and people grappling for power. Thank goodness for honey joys, which I favoured over the obligatory sausage sizzle on the way out. The local senior citz put on a fine cake and bake stall and I picked up a tray of half-a-dozen giant joys for $3.50. This is them right after I taste tested one and immediately before I tried another. They were a big hit with the little people too.

For lunch, I stopped at the local supermarket for some value-packed honey ham, and freshly baked croissants and dinner roles from Bakers’ Delight. I do like a good croissant and they make a fabulous lunch-time alternative despite all the added calories. Luckily it was official ‘pamper day’ for your friendly style-queen-in-training so I gave little thought to incidentals...like my waist line! This was a ham, cheese and tomato combo that I prepared for Dr Love right before I popped it under the grill and burnt it to a crisp! Probably shouldn’t have spent so long admiring my make-up.

After lunch, it was off to the hair-dressers for a new do. I’ve been growing my hair for months, did I tell you? I’ve had really short hair for about 11 years and attempted to grow it out at least three times. In case I haven’t told you already, hair is the ultimate fashion accessory and you should give your locks as much attention as you would give your wardrobe, regardless of its size. Cut and colour can make a huge difference to your ‘look’ so knowing what works best to flatter your face shape and bring out your eyes and skin is just as important on top of your head as it is below. I am absolutely stoked with my new cut, but then again I do have the best hairdresser in the world, so I’m not sure why I should be surprised. She can navigate big hair and flat head better than anyone else I know, and she loves my colour wheel. Makes her job so much easier.

Then just to round out the day, I picked up these oh so cute pair of ear-rings from Collette, a new cut-priced accessories store that recently opened up at my local shopping centre. They were $2.00, reduced from $3.99. Bargain. I’m a little bit partial to baby-bling these days. Not that I have anything against ear accessories that may be on the larger side. I’m just like any other SQUIT who is yearning for a bit of dangly glam but for day wear at the mo I prefer something more subtle and less likely to be grabbed by the inquisitive fingers of my little people! Besides, I lack ear lobes so the sake of style and comfort...the smaller the better.

So, how about you? How was your day?

Shop your own wardrobe part 5: Bibbidy bobbidy boo!

2010-08-19T21:17:00.000+10:00

I love a little bit of glam. So, when the occasion today called for something serviceable and dare I say it, sensible, I leapt at the chance to reacquaint myself with a little bit of SJP magic. My inspiration for today’s edition of shop-your-own-wardrobe was two-fold:

1) I was out and about with my little people so I had to be smart. I had to be comfortable and most importantly I had to, if the situation arose, be able to run so fast I would give the Bionic woman a run for her money. And trotting around a pool deck in an asymmetrical floor length number by Lanvin, no matter how much I desired it, would have been completely impractical.

2) I am so completely bored with everything in the smallest-wardrobe-in-the-world I want to beat my head against the ring-in from the shop around the corner (refer to previous post It’s not the size that’s important. It’s what you do with it for further explanation)! Truth is, I am desperate to pop down to my local shopping centre and do some damage, but I am completely guilt-ridden over my recent spends in the last couple of weeks – two tops and a layby – bye bye budget, so I had little choice other than to re-consult with the SATC 2 almanac and attempt to turn a pumpkin into a coach. Working once again with my check list, here is how I did it!

1. Blue skinny jeans: This is a no-brainer for me. I have three pairs of skinny jeans – one washed out black and two blue – one with wisping around the zip and top of the thighs and one in a block colour. I went with the washed out black because they are my favourite jeans of all time and go with everything.

2. Jacket with detail – As luck would have it, I have a gorgeous brown hip length blazer with floral detail that extends from the bottom hem of the jacket just like this white one adorning our favourite shoe-addicted-fashion freak. Sadly it is a tad tight and as I didn’t want to put myself through the torture of putting in on only to take it off again, I went with my trusty suit jacket in rose-brown with the faint pin stripe. Remember this is one-half of a suit and can be worn as a flexible and fabulous separate.

Now this is where I get a little tricky and if I don’t say so myself, a little impressive:

The white jacket with detail featured in this look is a statement piece. It contrasts with the block colour of the tank and jeans and therefore draws attention to SJPs seriously spectacular mid-section while adding a touch of glam to an otherwise bland ensom. I chose to go with a plain blazer, so using the same principal applied to the original, I did this:

3) Tank: I opted for a long tank in a cream colour with a statement motif and sequined detail because if I had gone for another block colour, I probably would have died of boredom. The main splash of motif sits right over the top of my mid section - two kids remember, and keeps it cleverly disguised. The length of the tank elongates my torso, making it appear longer and leaner, which is further emphasised by the shortened hem of the fitted blazer, but also ends an inch above the crutch. This is turn keeps the leg length in proportion with the rest of my body.

I know, I know...sometimes I am so brilliant I surprise even my myself.

Vintage shoes with bling in a colour that contrasts with the trio of neutrals: As it was the day of little people, I opted for a pair of sparkly gold flats. Although technically another neutral, the glammy nature of the flats stood out in contrast with the washed out black denim of the skinny jeans. As I have had these shoes in my wardrobe for nearly five years, they are, in my world considered old enough to be vintage.

For a little bit of glam on top of the glam, I added a single string of translucent peach crystals to give the tank an extra pop and the MFS signature piece...a Diva bling ring.

Some would call this outfit an ‘MFS’ special...whilst others would call it something quite different...isn’t that right Dr Love? So glad you approve! How about you?

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Long live the LBD...does it come in teal too?

2010-08-17T22:18:00.000+10:00

There are many reasons why I like my friend Anna, and her latest introduction to Sacha Drake is just one of them. Now, as we all know I am a bit of a main-stream-chain-store-big shopping-centre-retail-type of girl because I’m far too busy for my own good and on the odd occasion, rather lazy. Every so often however, I take the time to step out of my own comfort zone and check out something new. For those not in the know, like myself, Sacha Drake is a Brisbane based designer with a super snazzy website that allows you to search from a collection of fabulous frocks based on your body shape, and we all know I love a good body shape. Imagine my excitement when I realised all I had to pop in a few measurements and wallah...instant glamathon. Despite my recent tirade on all things neutral – kind of weird actually considering I did go into Witchery today and came out with a simply spectacular silk blouse in cream with little black spots reduced to $49.95 courtesy of my ‘boarding pass’ discount (remind me to show you that sometime and yes, before you say anything I did go over my fortnightly budget!), Sacha Drake can be forgiven for doing most things in black...apparently she is the queen of the LBD so in this instance its allowed particularly as many of her frocks are glammy statement pieces and not your usual run of the mill apparel.

It’s fair to say that Sacha had me with the Antigone asymmetrical black dress at $249.00 (pictured above). If you are going to splash out and buy yourself a LBD then you really want it to look like this one, don’t you because let’s face it, if you wore that dress you could pretty get whatever you wanted out of life. Isn’t that right Dr Love? If that wasn’t enough however, she sealed the deal with the teal florian dress for $175.00. Teal...what luck, that just happens to be smack bang in the middle of my colour wheel. It also comes in red and black. I absolutely love this website for its feminine appeal and if you are like me and love a good frock, then you are going to have an absolute ball perusing all this lady has to offer. There is definitely more colour in some of her newer designs and her range broadens to include cute little wrap dresses, 1950s silhouettes and gorgy evening wear. Most of her designs are adaptable for a number of different body shapes and waist-lines courtesy of cleverly placed belts and wraps. I do like a cleverly placed belt and wrap, don’t you? There is a snazzy little guide to locating a friendly stockist and if that fails you can order on line.

How fabulous. Then again, what would I know...I’m reverse saving remember!

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Channelling Monochromatic Miranda...I can do that.

2010-08-14T22:45:00.002+10:00

Back from Sydney and really not sure what I was worried about...my wardrobe came together on the day as I knew it would courtesy of the burgundy DF dress I forgot I was picking up from my local dry-cleaners on the Wednesday before take-off. If I had just sat back, stayed calm and trusted in my SATC 2 almanac, which has never let me down, I could have saved myself the wardrobe massacre of the previous day. Silly me. I was hoping to post whilst I was away, but alas, my fabulous room at the Sydney Marriott at Circular Quay was not used for anything but sleeping, showering and dressing such was the bulging agenda over the two days I was interstate. And as for worrying about whether my idea of corporate was corporate enough for the corporate world, I shouldn’t have bothered...I found out pretty quick that a little injection of colour, even in Sydney, went a long way in a familiar sea of black!

So this is my dress. Isn’t it adorable? I know my wonderful friend Mel will concur because she has one exactly the same. This means of course, we need to ring each other before we arrange to catch up on the train, just in case people think we are indulging in a little bit of ‘single white female.’ Originally I had placed it on lay-by at Diana Ferrari when it was on sale for a very reasonable $69.95 (50 per cent off the recommended retail price) but managed to pick it up for a ridiculous $49.00 courtesy of an additional 30 per cent off sale items. Usually once you have put an item on layby, additional reductions don’t apply, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get and let’s face it...I had been there numerous times over the previous couple of weeks and dragged a couple of very valuable buyers along for the ride. I had developed relationships! Anyway, I fell in love with this frock at first sight, partly because of the colour – not exactly in my colour spectrum but pretty close and partly because it had my name written all over it. I’m not kidding, you put an empire waist on top of a knee length pencil skirt and add a bishop sleeve and you’ve got yourself a sale! A bishop sleeve by the way (courtesy of Wikipedia) is a long sleeve that is fuller at the bottom than the top and gathered at the wrist by a cuff. I will admit that I was a little unsure about the frill despite being a sucker for a key-hole button feature at the neck and back tie. There have been many instances in the past where frills and E-cups have been a complete disaster despite my best intentions and had I not taken the time to try on this fabulous frock, I would have missed out on something quite special. My E-cups love it!

To complete the look, I added a pair of egg plant Leona Edmiston stockings with detail – also brought on sale, and to-die-for metallic Wittner heels I picked up for a bargain at $50. Seriously, why do I not do bargain for a living??

As far as jewellery went, I kept it very simple. These are the triple-strand beads I rescued from the Mother Fox garage sale I have mentioned previously. They are more closely aligned to my colour wheel, which was a spectacular way of making a colour that was not quite right, more attractive to my skin tone. You can just imagine my horror when I discovered they were bound for a 50 cent box, can’t you? Really woman, what were you thinking!!! My bling-ring was another Diva purchase and a good contrast to the mix of burgundy and purple, and my ear-rings, which are not photographed because they are a tad small and the close up was scary, were a delicate vintage creation in black chrome I picked up from Noni B...yes, Noni B...don’t knock it...it’s not what it was 10 years ago...for 50 per cent off the lowest marked price, which means I paid about $4.95.

I decided, in wearing this dress that I would channel Cynthia Nixon from SATC 2. I been so absorbed in replicating SJP for the sake of illustrating the benefits of shopping your own wardrobe, I almost forgot how much I adored the costumes that adorned the monochromatic Miranda - except the halter-pant suit because that was just nasty. It is really not worth launching into a how-to on this outfit, because my check-list would really only consist of the following:

Knee length dress in one colour – Yes, and its burgundy, what luck.

High-heeled shoes in variation of one dress colour – Yes. Again, luck; and

Accessories to match – yes, yes and yes.

Doesn’t really get simpler than that!

Oh yes and this is my favourite tea-cup. It fitted into the well matched colour scheme, I thought I would add it the post. Just for fun.

Taking photos of oneself in the middle of a fashion crisis is not easy!

2010-08-09T22:43:00.000+10:00

In two days time I’m flying to Sydney for a two-day conference on gender equity and can’t find a single thing to wear. I’m serious...I’ve just spent two hours fossicking in the smallest-wardrobe-in-the world and come up blank. It’s just awful and I’m not quite sure what to do with myself. Even my trusty SATC 2 almanac hasn’t helped. Perhaps its stress related. It will be the first time I will be a part from both of my little people for more than one night and I’m leaving them at the mercy of Dr Love’s questionable fashion sense. Last time I left Dr Love in charge he sent one off to day-care wearing her pyjamas and the other to kinder in a spencer he thought was a top. I’m not kidding; it took me days to get over it. So, rather than put myself through any further fashion torture – I’ve got no shoes either, I thought I would take pictures of myself – let me tell you what an art that is! wearing my new scarf. Cute isn’t it.

I brought this scarf from a cute little french-inspired boutique/gift shop in downtown Williamstown, whose name has completely escaped me at the mo. As we all know, I don’t often do street side boutiques, french-inspired or otherwise because I’m a bit addicted to major chain-stores. Every so often however, when the opportunity presents – usually when I’m child-free, time rich and up for a browse, I break ranks and pop into a little-known shop and for a look ‘round. As this occasion proved, I should really do it more often because as we all know from my last post; I quite like a bit of French and Williamstown does them in spades. Not only that, but I also came up trumps with a weekend scarf that just happens to be in one of my signature colours. Oh yay for me.

Complete impulse-buy of course, I am after all reverse saving but with a 30 per cent store-wide promotion it was well within my fortnightly spend of $30. The colour – egg plant, was definitely what attracted my attention. It practically screamed my name from among all other scarfs that were draped against the back wall. I remember Angela telling me that once I became aware of my signature colours I will start to attract them and she’s not half wrong. It was like a beacon of light in a sea of darkness and I simply had to have it. So I did.

Clearly it’s not an accessory that I would wear in a glammy moment. With the tartan-inspired weave and fringing, it’s more a run around the park with the little people or trek the UK country-side in October kind of accessory. Nor does it really go with my forest green Abercrombie and Fitch tee! Even if I was just playing around to ease my tormented I-don’t-have-anything-to-wear-in-Sydney mind, what was I thinking? Much better with my marine navy Copper Street blouse with the empire tie. Think I might go get changed.

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Its not always about the clothes...I like to buy homewares too

2010-08-09T10:16:00.003+10:00

As strange as it might seem, shopping for clothes, shoes and accessories is not my only passion. I know, weird huh! I also like to shop for fabulous things for my two little people and buy French inspired home-wares. When I’m not in a position to buy French inspired home-wares, I buy magazines that talk about them. Country Home Ideas is my particular fav and with a regular 2-for-1 deal, its value for money you don’t find anywhere else. Except maybe Diva! Anyway, as far as I’m concerned style is not limited to what you wear but extends seamlessly into how you live your life, and as your resident style-queen-in-training I feel it is only fair that I share with you my life-style obsession at home, albeit it, still in progress. This is my dining chair, Dr Love and I purchased it as part of a suite from ebay about 12 months ago.

The suite was exactly what I wanted; a round pedestal table (with extension) and six chairs – two of them carver chairs, with cabriole legs as per Louis XV and all the for the bargain price of $320! My original intention had been to go for Parisian-broke and slap on a couple of coats of antique white paint as I had done with my Gran’s antique hand-me-downs, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The red-mahoney stain on the smooth round surface was so spectacular that every time I walked past my new table, my finger-tips reached out to it in hopeless affection. Even after Dr Love’s fish and chip debacle that left a nasty white mark and a few minor incidents with excitable little people playing with forks, I still can’t do it! Despite my proficiency with a $4 brush from Bunnings and pot of acrylic off-white there was no way I could do its beauty, however currently worn and torn, justice. It was pretty clear from the onset that the chairs were not spawned by said table, but rather lovingly adopted. They were a little on the low-side for the height of the table – hello spare lounge cushions, and the wood was too dark to be a perfect match, but I didn’t mind. I’m a bit of mix-and-don’t-really-care-if-it-matches kind of girl, so I liked the fact the chairs were a bit of a ring in.

Lucky for me, with their dull brown velvet coverings, they were also in dire need of an MFS make-over. I brought the fabric from Spotlight for about $12 a metre and then re-cycled the original caramel brown trim to hide the world’s greatest number of staples I used to hold the backing in place. I don’t envy myself having to pull those suckers out again when I need to recover.

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Shop your own wardrobe part 4: to skinny or not to skinny or not at all

2010-08-07T21:57:00.000+10:00

After going on my 30-ep bender of TLC’s What Not To Wear, I decided to take the advice of my favourite new fashion BFFs and try a jean alternative. A what? I hear you ask and I can’t say that I blame you. The notion of wearing something other than my denims on days I have free reign of the smallest -wardrobe-in-the-world was completely foreign to me too. I love my jeans, all six pairs of them to the point of obsession. They are my main-stays regardless of the shape and size – skinny leg, bootleg, wide-leg and flare. You name it, I have it (except light denims or tapered legs because they are nasty) and I simply adore them. I can dress them up with a pair of sexy heels for a glammy night on the town; pop on a pair of flats to run around with my little people; or simply add a pair of warm fluffy socks and hang out with them on the couch. What I didn’t realise however, until Stacy and Clinton pointed out was that my obsession had actually become some more than just a main-stay...they had become a fall-back for everything and that I had, unwittingly turned these fabulous creatures of comfort and style into a uniform. A daily uniform! So, when the wonderful Mel and I arranged to meet for breakie last weekend, I decided to break the denim clad addiction and launch myself into the you-know-what for a touch of retail therapy.

1. Jean alternative – I had planned on wearing the wide-leg denims I purchased from Target not long after BB2 was born. So, I substituted them with a pair of wide-legged winter pants in black and white tiny tweed. Wide-legged pants are fabulous for anyone with thighs as they skim the widest part of the leg and fall straight to the floor. I have had these slacks for about seven years. I brought them from Portman’s for about $69.95 and paid nearly $60 to have them fitted and shortened so I could wear them with flats. I made my money back the same year and more than justified the extra spend. These babies will never go out of fashion and after considerable wear and tear, they still look brand new.

2. Top – my rule of thumb is if you have width on the bottom you need to have a fitted silhouette on the top. For this en-som I chose a trusty short-sleeve tee in airforce blue which I purchased from Jacqui E four years ago. It has a cross-over neckline which creates a deep V at the chest and empire band under the E-ups. There is also gathering along the seams at each side which create some ruching, which in turn helps to disguise any lumps and bumps.

3. Layering – I’ve been watching the fourth season of the Tudors on Foxtel and am completely besotted with the fashion at court, so to give the outfit a little bit of Anne Boleyn (with her head on) I snuck a antique white tee with ruffled neckline under the Jacqui E top. I left a little bit peaking out the bottom for some contrast and a better blend with the black and white weave

4. Jacket – In keeping within a complementary colour palette I added a very simple A-line cut trench in olive green, which is not pictured because my camera battery ran out!. I brought it from Chelsea design over four years ago and wore it alot when preggie with BB1. Interestingly everytime I did wear it, I felt sick! Wonder what that was all about???

5. Shoes – following eggs and bacon we were headed to the park down the street, so I wore a pair of Chanel inspired off-white and black flats from my friend Diana Ferrari.

6. Jewellery – Kept it simple with a little black and crystal necklace I created during my jewellery making days, Tudor inspired ear-rings in black and black metal - also not photoed because of said battery debarcle, and an orange plastic bangle for fun, and finally...

7. Hand-bag – what can I say...it was a pink Hi-5 back pack.

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2010-08-06T23:09:00.011+10:00

Inspired by a photograph of Corto Moltedo clutch bags that was posted by my blog idol, Liberty London Girl a few days ago, I decided to drag out of the storage space on top of the smallest wardrobe in the world all my clutches and post them for your viewing pleasure. But, after posting my last blog on my frustration over neutrals, I clearly need to have a good long hard look at myself. Despite this oversight in my clutch buying exploits, I love a good clutch. There is something so chic about holding a delicately adorned and fashioned mini-bag in the palm of your hand en-route to a night out with the girls or super soiree with Dr Love and you don’t have to pay a fortune for them. I didn’t. I love everything about them despite the fact that once you’ve squeezed your iphone in, you have no room for anything else!

My first clutch purchase happened about 7 years ago. Up until then I was completely clueless and used Dr Love’s suit pockets to carry all my night-on-the-town wears! It was this gorgeous, vintage inspired oblong heavily adorned with silver sea-beads (Milleni). As you can see, it’s taken a beating from the years from use with broken threads and lost beads. But I still love it and will when I get around to it, will repair it so it can shine in glory again. I’m fairly certain when they are old enough BB1 and BB2 will thank me for my endurance.

This little brown satin clutch is a classic and something everything girl should have in her wardrobe (Olga Berg). I brought this to wear to a fashion parade function three years ago. It was my first night out with the girls since swapping my 35 handbags for an oversized nappy bag. For this particular occasion, I glammed it up with a monochromatic look in chocolate brown. The bag complimented a choccie brown dress which I wore with nude coloured peep-toes and a cute pair of brown-burgandy crystal ear-rings. Sadly, this is the only reminder I have of that particular outfit.

This little gold sequins pouch is an absolute cutie and has that often sought after vintage appeal (unknown) . Funny story surrounding this little number actually...I was on the Gold Coast (poor me) attending a conference as part of my day job and realised I’d forgotten to bring to clutch for the congress night-life. Clearly it was something that I needed to have so I nipped into the hotel based store and picked myself up a little gem. It was the only time I had to dip my hand into my purse for the entire trip! Aren’t I lucky?

I’d been eying off this dusty coral pink clutch in my local Jacqui E for weeks but simply could not justify the spend. I know, a little weird for me don’t you think? Truth was, at the time I was after a little red clutch to complement a lovely post-preggie dress I had purchased from Leona Edmiston for a work function with Dr Love and as I was not working then felt as though I should try and show some restraint at the very least. Lucky for me I found it three months later at the Jacqui E clearance store at DFO South Wharf reduced from $59.95 to $14.95. Restraint over, it had to be mine.

Every girl should have at least one red clutch and this is mine (Kate Hill). Would you believe it is the only one I could find in the whole week leading into the gala dinner Dr Love and I attended. I don’t mind it, it’s cute but it also has a few wine stains on fabric that I can’t remove. I knew I should have brought that hard, faux crocodile leather covered little cube from that random boutique I spotted at South Bank. It would have wiped clean.

I can’t for the life of me remember what the hell I brought this clutch for, but it’s the kind of mini-bag that every girl should have (Olga Berg). Smart, sophisticated, classic and in a pretty shade of champagne gold that goes with anything.

These classic fabric clutches were both gifts last Christmas. The black was given to me by my very stylish sister-in-law Carol two years ago after we attended the races together and she was appalled to find out I owned not one black clutch nor one with bling. The other I purchased from Jacqui E on behalf of Dr Love to give to me last Christmas. It was designed to glam up a day dress but I haven’t had the chance to use it yet.

This was my most recent clutch purchase. I brought this clutch on complete impulse because I had fallen in love with it at first sight. There it was, perched precariously on the edge of the Jacquie E clearance store counter at DFO South Wharf screaming at me to take it home and give it some love, and give it some love I have. It is my favourite.
Don’t you just love it?

Milla Fox; on my soap box. No more neutrals.

2010-08-06T21:45:00.007+10:00

Despite the fact that I am supposed to be reverse saving in preparation for the family holiday to the UK, I have been perusing my local fashion outlets of choice and am absolutely appalled and disgusted over the recent lack of colour in many main-stream retail chains. Actually, I was having this same conversation with the most amazing Angela Vrettas – founder and owner of Scent of Life and colour consultant extraordinaire - just the other day and one that I have repeatedly with my wonderful friend Mel as we lament over the fabulous colour choices offered from our new favourite on-line fashion store, Anthropologie as seen here. It seems as though that someone, somewhere decided that as soon as winter sets in no other colour combination other than black, grey, white, beige and muted variations of whatever colour designers choose to ‘pop’ should be found. Well to be perfectly honest, I’d rather grind rocks with my teeth than blend, lifelessly into the background! The neutral-only notion that dictates what we shall wear and when – Melbourne is particularly notorious for this crime - first came to my attention a good 18 months ago. My fabulous and most excellent cousin Glenda was in town and looking for a new handbag for the up-coming winter season. Despite carrying a perfectly fine black bag over her left shoulder, she immediately began to discard anything with a hint of colour and instead concentrated on anything in shades of tar! Eventually she held up said black bag and asked me what I thought. I thought, I told her, it looked like a black bag. Why did she need another black bag? Why not a red bag, or a blue bag? Because she told me, it was winter, she needed a black bag! Now, we all know that I have nothing against black... I have quite a few pieces of black in my wardrobe – remember the Cue suit. Nor do I have anything against any other neutral. Neutrals are important and everyone should have some because after all, we do not what to look like a circus clown do we? But neutrals should not be the only colour option on offer (are you listening Jacqui E? Witchery?) and excuse me for saying so but a ‘pop’ of colour does not count. I don’t want a ‘pop’ of colour, I want to choose from a whole freakin’ rainbow!

By denying us a variety of colour options, fashion houses no matter how main-stream and budget friendly should not dictate what colour they think is appropriate during any season of the year. Nor should we allow them to turn us into little beige, white, black and grey clones of each other. Colour promotes individuality and adds light to an otherwise sombre winter day. Trust me. If you’ve caught the train into the city during the week, you will know what I am talking about. Sadly, the expectation that we will conform to the neutral hue of the season is not limited to the weather. There are also those who believe that your greatest chance to secure your job of choice is to throw on a neutral and blend into the background. But really, who said we had to wear a black suit and white shirt to an interview? Add a white towel over your arm and you might as well bring your prospective employers the cheque. Why not a well fitted, well presented dress in magenta or green? Or, satin shirt with billowing neck tie in a rich plum? Surely my personality, capability and experiences are best complemented by my ability to put together a professional yet glamorous outfit that screams confidence and self-belief in a colour other than a sunless sky?

In thinking about this issue I remembered a branding exercise I coordinated last year on behalf of women in local government. I asked 250 women who worked in the sector how they would dress local government if local government was a woman. The majority of answers were sadly unsurprising - shades of neutral, mostly black and navy with the odd ‘pop’ of colour for the more ambitious. Sound familiar Country Road? So, the next time you reach for that black winter dress or grey suit with white shirt ask yourself this...are you really trying to blend into the back ground because some said you should or are you stuck in pattern of comfort and convenience because the store you are in actually gives you no other choice?

Milla's Hot Tip: Ok, so despite our frustrations over the abundance of non-colours on offer, the vast majority of us continue to shop main-stream retail chains because we are over-committed, always in a hurry and sometimes have one or two little people hanging off our skinny jeans who are one more store away from throwing a monumental tantrum. But that still doesn’t mean you should compromise your potential or bow to the design whim of your most convenient style house. Once you work out what colours bring out your most fabulous facial features, the world is your oyster. Just as long as you can find the bloody thing. Here are a few stores that I’ve visited lately that offer a plethora of colour choice to start you on your way. Please feel free to add others, and in the meantime enjoy a colourful taste of what could be courtesy of Anthropologie.

Diana Ferrari
ReviewCharlie Brown
Espirit
Sportsgirl (if you are under 35)
Retail chain clearance stores(multiple season discards make for many colour options!)

Breaking up is hard to do...

2010-08-03T21:19:00.003+10:00

I never thought I would ever – and I stress the word ‘ever’, hear myself say move over Trinny and Susannah because Stacy and Clinton are in town! Hi everyone, been a bit under the weather lately and despite a record number of days in trackie-pants and long-sleeve tees, you’ve never been far from my thoughts. Now, for those fabulous fashionistas not in the know, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly are the hosts of the TLC’s What Not to Wear, the American version of BBC’s hit little style show that launched the infamous dynamic duo Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine, the latter of whom by the way, allegedly snogged the Viscount Linley when canary yellow power suits and bedazzled shoulder pads were first in vogue. Seriously, I got straight from the opening chapters of the ‘Palace Diaries.’ OMG, can you imagine the shock! Anyway it is fair to say that the glam queens of the British high streets were single-handedly responsible for dragging your favourite and friendly style queen in training out of a black den of cheap and nasty fashion iniquity and into the light, and for that I am greatly indebted. As such, when I sat down to watch the first showing of the nasty style wannabes I was determined, out of principal; I was not going to like it. An hour later however, I was head over heels in love with my first big crush since discoving Fluevog Mary-Janes, and breaking off a six year relationship that endured a multitude of fashion faux pas. Who knew that I would be so captivated by the savvy saviours of American apparel and their entertaining, and often humorous blend of style know-how, touching compassion and down-right style sarcasm that they would surpass my best buds as style icons of choice!

What I like most about Stace and Clint - I’ve been on a TLC WNTW bender since embarking on a 30 episode marathon courtesy of Foxtel IQ and feel as though we are now on a shortened first-name basis - is the common sense approach to getting on with your life whilst looking smoking hot. The shows are jammed pack with great advice on not only what you should buy for your body shape but why! There is less emphasis on magic knickers and a perfectly fitted bra, which is OK for people like me who have been well and truly indoctrinated into the wonderful world of a good pair of Triumphs (but not so good for the clueless), and more talk about doing things differently. Like jeans. Apparently, when you are not working or frocking up for a dazzling night on the town with Dr Love, jeans are not your only option!! Really!!! Stace is also big into walking shorts – which basically are well tailored knee length trousers that look positively scrumptious with flats and heels for the yummy mummy on the go. Just so happens that I am a big fan of walking shorts and have a pair that I will never part with despite my many affirmations to the contrary. Where T&S openly concentrate on apparel and then role out their newly put-together glam queenettes complete with hair and make-up, Stacy and Clinton are ably supported by hair-dresser Nick Orojo (earlier eps, I haven't seen the new guy yet) and make-up artist, Carmindy who has provided little moi' with a brand new aresnal on making the most of my favourite and not so favourite facial features.

And the best bit...you can buy the DVD.

Stacy and Clinton, check them out. I dare you not the love them too... http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/what-not-to-wear/

Its not the size that's important. It's what you do with it!

2010-07-21T21:19:00.003+10:00

I was standing in front of my wardrobe yesterday contemplating my work-from-home-attire when it struck me that maybe...just maybe...no-one actually believes it really is the smallest wardrobe in the world. If it was, I hear you ask, how you do continually roll out outfit upon outfit upon ensemble with reckless abandon and still lay such a claim? Simple, I tell you. It just takes good planning, fabulous organisation that you will not see replicated in any other part of my house (or life, seriously I’m so aesthetically relaxed it’s beyond ridiculous!) and a lot of sharing with Dr Love! You see, my wardrobe measures a paltry 99cm (39“) from wall to wall and only half of that allows for hanging long garments such as dresses or jackets. I also own 57 pair of shoes. Not many by Emelda’s standard, but still takes considerable amount of storage space never-the-less. Now I will admit that because Dr Love has storage issues of his own, we splashed out last year and acquired a little two door locker from the shop around the corner. This has afforded me another 43cm (17”) of hanging space which I reserve for my dresses, and room for approximately 10 pairs of shoes. Oh yes, and there is also the built-in single wardrobe in BB2s room, which Dr Love and I share with BB2 in a collage of winter coats, evening dresses, miniature frocks and smocks and other baby-type paraphernalia that is no longer in use. Even with a combined total of 172 cm (98”) it is hardly appropriate for a budding style queen from the suburbs, but what is a girl supposed to do? This...

I store all of my shoes in boxes, so I can stack them one on top of the other, although it does mean sacrificing long garment hanging space in the main storage area, affectionately known as the you-know-what. Flip flops and other summer sandals with little substance are thrown (with great care) into a basket that sits on top of the shared cupboard from the shop around the corner. All of my shirts, blouses, tops and cardigans that cannot be reasonably folded into the one draw that is currently operational in the shared cupboard hang off slim wooden coat hangers procured from the reject shop for $2.50 for a bunch of 5. I don’t do wire or plastic hangers because they are nasty. Trousers and skirts hang off double metal clamp hangers in a two-for-one kind of way, and jeans and trackie pants and tops are folded and sit on top of the little set of built-in draws which allow for approximately two sets of bras, three knickers and a hanky such is their relevance! Day dresses I hang in the shared space alongside scarves. A few months ago I purchased three French inspired coat and hat hooks that I attached to the side of the shared space, which provide a fitting home for my in-use handbags, a few hats (that I never wear) and the fabulous winter coat I brought from Cue for 50 per cent off the lowest marked price. Other handbags and clutches hang out in second storage space above TSWITW together three pairs of boots, which all require the kitchen ladder whenever I decide to use them. Belts and necklaces hang from an over-the-door rail also purchased from the reject shop for $2.50 and socks, tights, stockings and gloves are stored in a wicker cube with lid that I brought from target about six year ago that also serves as a door stop and mini table for a book and box of tissues!

But that’s not all. I’m a huge advocate of seasonal storage and three years ago began to pack up all my anti-seasonal attire that cannot be realistically accommodated in the varying degrees of hot or cold weather. A simple suitcase stored under a bed is a perfect solution. Storing your fluffies when it’s hot or your next-to-nothings when it’s cold is a great way of forgetting what you have and then getting excited when you find it again. It is also a fantastic way to help you part with something you should, but can’t like those favourite pair of jeans or the Alannah Hill cardigan you spent a fortune on that faded, stretched and unravelled in the wash despite following all instructions. Put it away for a few months and when you eventually pull it out, you wondered why you kept it in the first place.

So, there you go. It’s not the size that matters but what you can do with it!
Happy organising.

Shop your own wardrobe 101 part 3: From urban limo to desert camel. What are the odds!

2010-07-19T14:05:00.005+10:00

It is fair to say that I do not own a pair of skinny jeans embellished across the bottom with row upon row of diamante-bell-bling. But, my sojourn into the smallest wardrobe in the world over the weekend was so successful that even without a friendly bedazzler, I very nearly didn’t come out! I’m not kidding, I had such fun and created so many outfits I wouldn’t be surprised if I broke the record for the world’s longest glamathon! It all started Saturday night when in the middle of the dishes, it occurred to me that not only had it been over a week since I’d had the chance to post on my blog but the whole reverse saving thing I’m putting myself through is pure torture. Made all the more unbearable by the discovery of the on-line Anthropologie store that delivers to Australia for a small fortunate as introduced to myself by my wonderful, if not evil friend Mel! It was either hit the wardrobe or bust, and with a couple of fabulous friends popping over tomorrow it was a perfect excuse to frock it up for a long overdue chin wag. So I hit the shop...I mean wardrobe with the SATC 2 almanac in one hand and a supportive glass of wine in the other.

I had an idea of what which outfit I wanted to create in my new favourite fashion fantasy...SJP stepping out of a white limo en-route to a camel in the middle of the desert. The overall look is laid back glamour with a zesty infusion of Arabic inspired bling consisting of a kaftan or frock in chiffon over trousers with a peep-toe heel and blazer. Nothing really matches but looks good anyway. Bit of a stretch for me really. I’m a throw back from the 50s and bit partial to top and tailing where my accessories or garments on the top match my accessories on the bottom. Open yourself up to the possibilities of rag-tag with non-mix non-match however, and you’ll be kept blissfully busy for hours. Just ask Dr Love.

Let’s break it down:

Skinny trousers/jeans with ruching and embellishment: Skinny jeans that bunch around the ankle are a great substitute for what I consider to be the signature piece of this look, and far more readily available than the bedazzler.

Tunic or dress in partly transparent fabric: I was completely spoilt for choice with this part of the outfit. As luck would have it, I have a blue tunic in almost the exact same colour and texture. What are the odds! Granted, it’s a left over from my maternity days but it has such a lovely cut and empire detail that I simply could not part with it and well to be honest... if I didn’t tell you...you wouldn’t know. In lieu of this particular gem however (I accidently pulled off one of the ties in my excitement and it requires mending), a gorgeous thigh length tunic dress brought on sale and worn to the opening night of SATC 1, is a fabulous substitute and helps to personalise the look away from SJP and toward MFS.

Blazer: I have three blazers in various shades of brown that I could have used for this look, but you can substitute whatever colour you have at hand. I went with a soft muted brown with a faint pin stripe, which is one half of a suit. Instant ensemble to wearable separates. What a way to make the most of your wardrobe.

Peep toe platforms: The original peep toes as worn by SJP were a stunning pair of ivory Giuseppe Zanottis with diamante heels. Nice! I substituted with a dark purple suede pair I purchased from Betts for $30.

Clutch: Easy peasy Camp easy...I have a selection to choose from and went with the black satin with vintage inspired jewelled clasp my fabulous sister-in-law Carol gave me for Christmas. What a good woman.

Silver cuff: I don’t have a silver cuff, so I decided to match up with the black satin clutch and put a black wooden bangle I brought from Bardot for $5 together with a beige plastic bangle I purchased as part of a set for $20 from a funky little boutique in Anglesea whilst on a mum’s group weekend away. Ah, the memories.

Fan: Yes, you read right. SJP has a fan and guess what? So do I courtesy of a pre-wedding honeymoon to Madrid in ’03. Not that I need carry a fan in this weather, but what the hey...I’ve got it so I might as well use it.

Pendant: For a colour contrast against the blue fabric of the tunic, I went with a gold and burnt orange accessory I purchased from Sussan for about $10.

Lime green hanky with red trim poking out from the blazer pocket: I opted out!

Check it out...I included both variations on the tunic for your viewing pleasure. Love it so much I’m wearing the light blue variation to work on Friday. Doesn’t it look glam!

I went shopping today and didn't spend a cent!

2010-07-07T22:20:00.004+10:00

A funny thing happened on the way to the smallest wardrobe in the world today. That scrumptious monochromatic look that adorned SJP on arrival in Abu Dhabi that I replicated on Monday suddenly morphed into a completely new and fabulous outfit without me breaking a single nail. Not that I should be surprised...my nails aren’t that long and more importantly...it’s what happens when you start to shop your own wardrobe. Inspiration floods your otherwise disregard for anything that isn’t new, while visions of glamour grandeur unexpectedly pop into your head and you can’t get home quick enough to frock up and brag about it to Dr Love. It all started with the brown empire dress from Diana Ferrari. I was lamenting over the weather and how long it would be before I could step out in style in my fabulous new outfit, when in the safety of my style obsessed mind, the dress hooked up with the dark denim skinny jeans I purchased from Sussan a few weeks ago for $39.95. I used to be a huge advocate of the frock-over-the-pants kind of look. Very forward thinking of me if I don’t say so myself because it would be another five years before I discovered Trinny and Susannah from What Not To Wear and learned it was a particular favourite of theirs when dressing those of us with good old fashion child-baring hips. Somewhere along the line however, I lost my frock-pant mojo thus denying myself and my thighs the Trinny-esque pleasure of a lengthened leg until a couple of weeks ago, when I pulled on said pair of skinny jeans under a teal wrap dress because let’s face it, it was frigging freezing and a pair of tights was simply not going to cut it. I added a pair of gorgeous DF shoes that I have been stalking ever since re-discovering the Notebook magazine several months ago, and picked up that week for the grand sum of $28 when all I was looking for was a bunch of semi-ripe bananas and pack of sausages. Go figure! Suddenly, my Moroccan inspired gold cuff (diva special) joined the party as did a pair of plain hooped ear-rings and fail-safe Guess handbag. For a bit of extra warmth I grabbed my banana yellow cardi with the three-quarter length sleeves that I brought for $12 from one of those disposal stores on the ground level of my local shopping centre and for all my shopping efforts, I didn’t spend a cent. Who says you can’t have style in the suburbs on a budget!!!

check out the close-ups:

Shop your own wardrobe 101, part two: From Halston to Diana Ferrari, how you can do it too

2010-07-05T11:08:00.004+10:00

I decided to play around with turbans today in honour of SJPs gorgeous little pink do on arrival in Abu Dhabi. Rather brave of me actually because I have a flat head. I’m not kidding, I inherited it from my mother , the back of my head is almost completely flat so anything that interferes with my big hair is a recipe for absolute disaster. Lucky for me, I know that when you emulate the outfit of one of the world’s most famous and fabulous fashionistas you do so knowing how to adapt the look to suit your own body shape, and your head people, is no exception. This was actually a fun and surprisingly easy look to imitate despite the fact that I do not own an asymmetrical kaftan and have said flat head. The trick with shopping your own wardrobe is not to replicate an exact outfit – seriously, do you know anyone else who owns such a number other than the fine folk from SATC 2? It is to reproduce the ‘look’ by substituting the individual pieces with items that you already own. In this instance, we are replicating a monochromatic outfit (meaning an outfit comprising of pieces in different shades of the same colour) where the central piece is a silky floaty dress, accessorized by a head scarf, or if you are the proud owner of a normal head, a turban. Here is how I did it:

Checklist:
(1) Floaty silk or satin dress in one colour – no problem, I just brought a gorgeous chocoloate brown satin knee length frock with empire waist from my new favourite store Diana Ferrari (sorry Sussan, sad but colourfully true). It was a complete bargin. Reduced from 169.95 to $40.00.

Now, it is important to note that as a busty hourglass – remember the E cups, a trapeze dress or kaftan – one that falls from the shoulder or neck in an A-line cut, such as the one that adorns the oh-so fabulous bod of our good friend CB, no matter how much I wish it, will look simply ridiculous on my curvaceous frame. Those of us with curves, need shape through our frocks to emphasis our teeny tiny waist, which may be high or low, or we will end up looking as though we have chowed down on an African elephant over brunch. Not a good look by anyone’s standards. This type of frock best suits those with limited curves, or those girlie girls with an inverted triangle shape as it evens out the widest part of their body – usually the shoulders with their lower half. An empire cut will show off an hourglass or pear shaped body’s smallest area (beneath the bust) and by keeping it soft and floaty will make a perfect substitute for the real thing.

(2) Vintage turban – now that we’ve established my deepest darkest secret, a turban is not going to work with my flat head. But if I wrap my Sussan scarf in shades of blues, black, ivory and beige so it crosses over at the crown and then tie it an inch or two behind my left ear, I am free to boof out my big hair and continue to keep the world in the dark. The colours of the scarf, as with this look are in contrast to the brown frock. As with the frock, I have tailored this particular accessory to make the most of my finest assets. Big hair.

(3) Strappy heels – I only wish I had a pair of strappy Manolos, but alas the smallest wardrobe in the world cannot brag such a coup. Unfortunately for me, nor do I own a pair of brown strappies so I have made an allowance and gone with a cute pewter pair for good luck. For a slightly original look, I could also use my chocolate wedges that I purchased from Wittner for $30 two years ago but between you me and the back fence, I am getting a little tired of teetering on platforms and could do with a break.

(4) Thin gold cuff – again, no go on the cuff, but I do have a vintage oroton bracelet I rescued from a Mother Fox garage sale. Really woman, do you remember you have a daughter with a fashion obsession!!

(5) Gold necklace with sparkles – As I have opted to go with silver – not my colour but one can compromise, I have matched my bracelet with a silver necklace with miniature bling. Nice touch.

(6) Sunglasses – I only own one pair...and I call myself a style queen in training!! So it’s the bargain Basques brought for 50% less the RRP during the post-christmas sales whilst on holiday in Perth, which incidentally has a silver blingy bit on the side...what luck, and finally

(7) Handbag – an unusual little brown number created from a placemat made from twigs, which I brought from a market on a whim several years ago. Forgot I had it actually...as therein lies the beauty of shopping your own wardrobe.

Enjoy!

Shop your own wardrobe 101: part one - what I wore on wednesday

2010-06-30T22:40:00.004+10:00

Ok boys and girls before we get started let’s get one thing straight. After two babies and a world class chocolate addiction that immerged victorious from a bittersweet battle with my local Fernwood, it is highly unlikely that you will ever see me parading downtown in a knotted shirt that exposes my mid-drift despite what Dr Love might think! But, this is the look that surprisingly inspired the very first lesson in Shop Your Own Wardrobe 101. I’m not quite sure what it was about this look that sparked the most recent surge of fashion creativity, there was after all, not a single vintage turban in sight. Perhaps it was the straight forward and uncomplicated pairing of a simple shirt with an ever-day pair of jeans that caught my attention. Whatever the reason when I waltzed out onto the street in my own version of this en some today, I looked and felt spectacular, and now you can too. So let’s get started.

1. Getting started – the key to shopping your own wardrobe without activating world war three with your own Dr Love who simply does not get it and probably never will, is to flick through a couple of magazines for inspiration. Take it from me going into your wardrobe cold turkey is a daunting experience and before you know it, you’ll be back at your local shopping centre giving your poor credit card a complete bashing.

What I did: Substituted mags for the SATC 2 almanac that I picked up from K-mart for $35 because I’m secretly in love with Carrie Bradshaw and thinking of changing my name to SJP.

2. Identifying the look – chances are you are not going to have an exact copy of a particular piece of clothing in your wardrobe or possess a similar body shape to your muse, so to avoid the melt that will follow these realisations, consider the entire “look” rather than the pieces of clothing that comprise the “look!” (that comes next).

In this example, it is a casual pairing of a shirt and jeans (or pants, don’t forget you can substitute depending on the occasion) with a pair of high heel shoes, bag and one simple but colourful accessory.

3. You’ve got the look, now what? – Now, break the look down into individual pieces in their most basic format and make a check list.

My checklist: (1) Light, almost neutral pair of skinny jeans (2) short sleeve shirt with collar (3) high heel shoes with embellishment (4) highline bag (5) wrist accessory.

4. Shop your own wardrobe – Using your check-list find items in your wardrobe that can be substituted for the originals to create a similar look, but one that is suited to your own shape, style and occasion.

This is how I did it:

(1) Jeans/pants - I don’t own a pair of light coloured skinny jeans and anyone with an hourglass or pear shape figure probably shouldn’t either (seriously people they will just add unwanted weight to your already weighted area), but I do own a pair of taupe coloured skinny trousers that I purchased from Wittner six months ago for $15 at DFO South Wharf (check one).

(2) Shirt - Ditto with the checked shirt, but my burgundy short-sleeve shirt from Cue will look fabulous worn on the outside of the pants and the front tie feature is a great substitute for the knot around the mid-drift (check two)

(3) Heels – my wardrobe is full of fabulous high heels shoes, but my classic black Marc Jacob heels with coloured leather dots are the perfect addition to this outfit and emulate a simple pair of pumps with some embellishment (check three)

(4) Bag – As I wanted to tailor this look for work purposes, my new light burgundy ‘Lucci’ bag purchased from Strand Bags for $34 a couple of weeks ago will do the trick, and

(5) Wrist accessory – take your pick, bangle, cuff or even a sweat band alah SJP if you have one on hand (no pun intended) will do. To finish off my look, I teamed a cute faux leather cuff with Diva diamante bling that I purchased during a 4 for $10 sale and set of bangles from Sportscraft that had been reduced from $59.95 to $22.50.

As it was a bit cold today – understatement of the world, I added my black tuxedo Cue jacket to ward off the arctic blast. As the jacket is one half of a fabulous suit, albeit in black and therefore helped to adapt the look to a work environment, it is also fitted at the waist, which kept the original silhouette of the look in place.

Check it out:

Shop your own wardrobe...let me and the girls from SATC teach you how.

2010-06-29T22:18:00.001+10:00

Hi kids! MFS has had a style makeover (don’t you love it) and so have I, but not in the way you might think. You see, I caught up with some fabulous friends recently and our conversation touched upon our respective wardrobes – mine of course being the smallest...in the world...and what to do when you are desperate to restyle and restock but lack the funds to shop. Ahhh, I know it's ripping a bandaid straight from your skin. Ouch! The obvious solution of course, is to shop your own wardrobe. Not a new concept, nor an original one. I’ve been harping on about it for years, but suddenly it struck me - a little bit like that Prada handbag in the head I’ve often talked about - what exactly does it mean, and how do you go about doing it without throwing everything you own into the toilet in a major style-crisis hissy fit because you have absolutely nothing to wear. It's all well and good me telling you to ‘do it’ really isn't it, but it is high time I actually showed you how and lucky for me I have the perfect motivation. My credit card! You remember the credit card don’t you? It was the one I voluntarily gave to Dr Love late last year because I could not be trusted. Well I have it back now, and guess what... I really can’t be trusted. So with an European holiday on the horizon for inspiration – hello H&M, so nice to meet you - and some serious attempts at reverse saving, I have decided to spend the next few months shopping my own wardrobe by re-creating the fabulous looks from Sex and the City 2 with nothing more than what I own and what I wear (supplemented by a tiny allowance of $30 a fortnight because seriously people, I’m not that strong)!. I start tomorrow with What I Wore on Wednesday...stay tuned, you are going to love it.

Sunday night review on Tuesday...Shop Til You Drop July '10

2010-06-15T22:22:00.007+10:00

Ok, I know it’s not Sunday but I really wish it was...what a day! At least I looked good. I’ve got this working from home wardrobe down to a fine art and there was not a trackie dack in sight, although I am some ways off from flouncing about in a full length day gown alah SJP from SATC 2. Truth be told, I had a hard time motivating myself to write a review for the latest Shop Til You Drop. Partly a reflection on the mag itself – I found very little by the way of fashion that aroused my style sense, and partly because after the excitement of all things shapes and sizes that was June– required reading for anyone who dares cross the threshold of their local shopping centre - the July edition of STYD is a return, somewhat disappointingly, to the norm. Took me by complete surprise actually. It started off with all the right fluff and glitter - Alexa Chung, former sidekick from the first series of Gok’s Fashion Fix lounged on the front cover in all her edgy-glam-grunge glory against a back drop of all my new favourite purple-plum shades, whilst words like “how to splurge smart”, “work in fashion” and "426 of winter’s sexist buys” leapt from the page in embossed and appealing delight! Even the light and bright contents page with its glam jewelled bling, killer heels and must have electric blue chairs shouted promises of fashion, lifestyle and beauty like no other. Yet, as I flicked through the pages on the first run I began to realise that there was little that tempted and teased my heighted need to bolt out the door to find the perfect outfit for the lastest girl’s night out. In fact it took me a good two or three determined, never-say-die read-throughs before I found anything that floated my boat. The latest edition of STYD, while still trying to stay true to the tried and fabulously tested method of delivering how-to on a budget – the “how to get the looks for under $50” really do excel against a backdrop of fashion spreads that are almost way out of my age range let alone price range (!) - featured just a little bit too many high priced items for my usual liking and went a long to camouflaging the treasures that did exists even if in part. This is evidenced by a 12-page dedication to the Australian Fashion Week (Sydney) and all things run-way (pg48-59), and a return to buying “luxe” items – now that the GFC has apparently drifted away on a not-so-still breeze. There was for my mind, an over-concentration on pants in this issue. Now don’t get me wrong, I rather like a good pant – actually I love a good pant, my teeny tiny wardrobe is full of them, but the majority of those that graced the pages of the Shopping Spree feature (pg80-89) were rather scary and I really don’t care what anyone says...I can’t see myself in a pair of jeggings anytime in the near future (hmmm didn't I say that about skinny jeans once...something about Colonel Saunders and southern friend chicken legs!) As for leopard print pantaloons – never going to happen!

In fairness, by the third go-around, I found plenty of information and tid-bits that redeemed in part the quality of this likable little fashion mag. In fact, I’m even thinking of subscribing so-as to save myself $31 a year – that’s a half a Vogue subscription right there!! Oh yeah, and to be in with a chance to win a $1000 worth of clothing from Pepe Jeans London. Editor Justine Cullen offers an interesting insight into fashion week – not so glamorous when you are forced to stand for 16 hours in five inch platforms girlies, and I loved the two page tribute to the glam girls from SATC 2...stay tuned for my own take on how to ‘get the look.’ Sadly, I just had to hunt a little bit too hard to find them. Oh well, you can’t win them all. Would I buy it if I was you...yes if you are a true STYD fashionista because like me, you will keep reading the bloody thing until you hit fashion pay-dirt. If not, borrow it from a friend. You still might like it.

Milla’s hot tip: If you decide to pass on the July edition of STYD, then make sure you grab yourself the August publication on sale July 12 for your chance to win hundreds of pairs of shoes – now that floats my boat so much I'm practically flying. To get your hands on a pair of high-end, high heeled glammies (or flat and fabulous cheapies) all you have to do is follow the STYD team on Twitter to find out in which secret locations these little gems have been hiding. Alternatively check it out on www.shoptilyoudrop.com.au.

What to do in a wardrobe crisis

2010-06-12T21:38:00.006+10:00

My wonderful friend Mel is having a wardrobe crisis, and as someone who has suffered a number of such crises over the years my own wardrobe bleeds in sympathy. Any sufferer will tell you that a wardrobe crisis is no laughing matter. Dr Love! It can turn even the most creative and stylish of us into a sobbing, heaving mess on the bedroom floor with our body image hovering somewhere near our suddenly over-large ankles. Nothing fits! Everything looks old, worn and so last season. Even our skin has morphed into a canvas of dry, cracked and peeling paint and as for our hair. Well...paper bag anyone? Shopping loses its glossy appeal. We can’t find anything we like. Everything we try on makes our arms look like tree trunks from the Enchanted Forest, only without the fairies and no matter what we do, we still look as though we swallowed our grandmother’s feather bed...ah the memories.

Lucky for Mel, I knew exactly what to do. I had been on that very brink only a few months before and managed to bring myself back from beyond without so much as a single kleenix. The solution was simple. It was time for Mel to bid farewell to her nearest and dearest, and find herself some new stores in which to shop. You see, as humans we are creatures of comfort and by comfort I don’t mean a big, soft cosy couch. I mean, we seek situations, people and places that make us feel safe and comfortable and without realising it, our lives become repetition. For the vast majority of us, we will shop in the same stores, and seek the same look because it makes us feel safe and in some situations, accepted. Our favoured stores and much loved jeans rarely let us down. We have always found what we’ve wanted, or at the very least an acceptable compromise and in turn we’ve been able to go about our business without detriment or drama. For the most part we resist change for any number of self-justifiable reasons - how many times have you got up in the morning determined to wear a dress only to find yourself walking out the door in your trusty denims because nothing else fits?? Then one day without realising it your whole world explodes. It’s a little bit like the time you ate nothing but toasted cheese sandwiches for breakfast for five months, then in the sixth months you burst into tears at the slightest smell of a bit of cheddar because your body craved something else. Same principle. For me, the turning point was the day I had my colours done. All of my favourite stores – Sussan, Witchery, Country Road, Jacqui E...need I go on were full of blacks, greys and white and the odd pop of whatever colour was hot off the runway that season. It occured to me then I needed to change not only the way I shopped, but where I shopped otherwise I would condemn myself to a life of neutral compromise. So I began to look for colour first and then shape and style and suddenly a whole new and glorious world of fashion appeared before me; a world that I now will share with my wonderful friend Mel.

As I text her back to sooth her fashion fears, I was reminded of a great story I once heard (and now paraphrase) about a man who fell down a hole in the middle of the street. He called out for people to help him, but no-one came. Then one day another man appeared at the edge of the hole and asked the first man what had happened. “I fell down the hole,” the first man said. “Can you help me get out?” “Certainly,” said the second man and jumped into the hole. “What are you doing?” said the first man in panic, “now both of us are stuck down the hole.” “Yes,” said the first man, “but I’ve been here before, and I know the way out.”

So Mel, when are we going shopping?

Milla’s hot tips:Ok, so you get the whole new-store-old-store concept but your budget doesn’t allow for a generous or short-term shopping spree. What do you do? Simple...you grab yourself a friendly style queen in training and shop your own wardrobe. You will be amazed at the number of new en sems you can create with a new pair of eyes. Make sure your SQIT (style queen in training, don’t you just love it) is someone you can trust to be honest. You need someone that will help you decide what goes with what and what looks best for your body shape. If in doubt, immerse yourselves with a couple of fashion mags and set about recreating some of your favoured looks. While you are at it, grab a pen and start to make a list of items you would like to buy to complement your new wardrobe then next time you are out, look for that item – colour and shape...you might be surprised where you end up. If you are still not sure about colour, experiment. You'll soon work it out...

Gap coming to Melbourne

2010-06-08T17:10:00.003+10:00

Hot off the Shop Til You Drop press (July edition, stay tuned for review on Sunday) Gap is finally heading down under with the first store expected to open at the Chadstone Shopping Centre in July/August. I'm so beside myself, I may have to save...again!! More later, it's time to bath the kids. xx

Fashion fantasy of over-embellished proportions...love love love it!

2010-06-07T22:08:00.006+10:00

Watched Sex and the City 2 last night and loved it so much I’m thinking of glamming up in a sequined frock and popping down to the nearest karaoke bar for a spot of power singing in celebration of what can only be described as the ultimate chick flick part 2. From the opening credits, the second big screen instalment of HBO’s fashion phenomenon promised to deliver way more bling and glitter than your average over-dressed Fifth Avenue fashionista. If anyone expected this much anticipated release to be anything more than an exaggerated version of its previous sensational self then they clearly have never had the urge to do the SATC tour when they last visited New York, such is their interest. This flick was nothing more than what it was supposed to be...a fashion fantasy of over-embellished proportions that follows the lives of four Manhattan women with fabulous if not at times slightly weird and scary dress sense, interspersed with exotic locations, hilarious one-liners and adored memories of times gone by...if those teal Manolos from SATC 1 ever appear on ebay, I’m buying them!! Among the glitz and glamour that exploded from the psychedelic mind of one well-known P. Fields and her team of style gurus, various fashion statements (please note that I did not refer to them as clothes, one would never dare) appeared at times a little costumesque. I mean really who does a full-length asymmetrical shirt with hoop and train to a middle-eastern market. Seriously! Rather than detract from the believability of the film, the girls and their circumstance however, the choice of the over-the-top added too the overall site-splitting fantasy that manifested into the new decade. Undeniably one of the strongest style elements that no-one, not even the most cynical of budding fashionistas can deny...is the intimate knowledge of what colour and which styles show off four of the best known bods in the modern world and you – yes you, should take note so you too can look like a Hollywood glamour queen of the new decade. For my mind, Miranda was the ultimate stand out, and my wonderful friend Mel will concur – she saw the flick on Friday night and sent me a text well before my eyes opened the following day. Her outfits, Miranda that is not Mel (although she is looking mighty fabulous of late...love those skinny jeans) were elegant, timeless and so drop-dead gorgeous that Mel is considering having a couple of them made and I’m thinking of joining her! Oh except the paisley pant suit with halter-neck on arrival in Abu Dhabi, not such a fan. If I were asked to share with you one negative in a wardrobe of drool-worthy positives then it would be Carrie crossing over to the red side and ditching her signature Blahnik’s for the latest shoe must-have, Christian Louboutin. Now far be for me to diss a good Louboutin, but ever since I saw a local lass trying and failing to strut her stuff in a pair of red specials at my local supermarket, the big C has well and truly lost its gloss. Then again, I do understand her desire to change...I haven’t been into a Sussan store in weeks.

SATC 2, go and see it. It’s fun, funny and fashilious.

Check it out: Love the movie, love the fashion but have about as much chance of owning any of the en sems as being on the receiving end of an all-expense paid holiday to the new middle east courtesy of a dashing sheik, then pop down to your local K-mart store and buy the book. For $35 you could be the proud owner of the complete gloss pot of style as seen on SATC. This fabulous fashion almanac features all the girlie glamour in 2-day glory plus individual breakdowns of Carrie’s most unforgettables – trackie dacks and long-sleeve tees no longer cut it on the couch people! Buying mine tomorrow and then hitting the smallest wardrobe in the world for a little bit of SATC 2 of my own. See you on the sequined side.

P.S. I would normally advise you to go onto the SATC 2 website - it's got a shop, but quite frankly it's a bit annoying so don't bother.

Diana Ferrari...Apple Queen

2010-06-05T20:54:00.004+10:00

Took my fabulous and much loved cousin Glennie B shopping the other day. She is visiting from interstate and we have been counting the days until we hit the stores with mutual gusto. Such was my excitement; I even saved for the occasion. Unbelievable! Glennie B is from the same side of the family as my young cousin Kate only without the Brady Bunch tee-shirt. Glennie B was on the hunt for a frock for a friend’s forth coming wedding and it was my job to not only discover the much-sought after said frock, but also to accessorize. I had a free reign to run the fashion gauntlet in record breaking time. I was in heaven. Glennie B is your classic apple shape; rounded on the top with drop-dead gorgeous long legs and a high small bum. Apple shaped girlie girls are quite possibly the only body shape that look super sensational in anything cut on the bias and usually have the rest of us – particularly the hour-glass and pear shaped varieties gaping in awe, groaning in despair and silently wishing they would sprout horns and a tail because we too want a bum just like that, why don’t we, it’s not fair!! Dressing apple shaped beauties however can be rather difficult. For the most part their bodies are more disproportionate and they often suffer with an undefined waist, short neck, tummy and rounded shoulders. For Glennie B, we needed to look for something that widened her shoulders, lengthened her neck, shortened her torso, created a waist, hid her tummy and evened out her lovely legs. Or put more simply, pop a granny smith into an hourglass and add a pair of heels.

We had just over an hour to accomplish this task and both of us were up for the challenge. Dr Love assumed control of BB1, BB2 and the remote control and we hurried off to indulge in a little bit of late night shopping. We spent a few minutes playing around so I could re-familiarise myself with my muse then got serious. There was only one store I wanted to play in that night and she called herself Diana. Diana Ferrari. I’ve dappled on and off with a little bit of DF in the past and will admit have found her a tad hit and miss for the asking price. When I had my colours done however, I began to appreciate this well-known icon in a different light. Literally. Whilst the majority of main-stream fashion moguls continued to subscribe the well known palette with a dollop of colour on a canvas that drowned in neutrals (Witchery, Jacqui E, Country Road...you know who I mean), Diana embraced the rainbow in all its kaleidoscopic beauty and instead presented a collection of elegantly constructed classics for the modern girl and all her glory in a myriad of lovely and varied colours. There was a dress I particularly wanted to put Glennie B into...a classic knee length silhouette with high empire waist embellished with bling and wide shoulder straps in a striking and rich teal blue (dolce vita dress). The fabric floated off the body in all the right places, and excess fabric pleated at the bodice and over the tummy created a stunning hour-glass shape by filling out the cleavage, creating a high narrow waist and cleverly disguising a problem mid-section. A thoughtful and quick thinking sales assistant handed over a pair of mid-high black satin peep-toes adorned with diamantes and we watched as this girl lost two sizes and grew ten feet in the space of a few minutes. We hit the jackpot and had this budding stylist in tears of delight. One can't help but wonder though...is it good form to upstage the bride on her wedding day??

Milla’s hot tip: If you want to experience superior customer service and be spoiled for choice then you need to slip into your ballet flats and race down to visit Diana Ferrari at Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong. It is a shopping delight for any shape, silhouette or occasion. The helpful and friendly sales staff are unobtrusive and all-knowing. They will pop your garments of choice into the French inspired and might I say, well lit change-rooms, hand you a pair of shoes to complete your look without pressuring you to buy, then suggest additions and add-ons that complement your style. I will admit, there is some inclination to accessorize everything with black – black shoes, black boots, black clutch, black coat, black cardi, so think outside the square and experiment with the gorgeous colours on offer – you are spoiled for choice. I put Glenni B in a stunning purple satin pencil dress that spoke volumes of Hollywood glamour and added a knee-length woollen blend frock coat in deep fuchsia (with waist tie – you should see it with jeans). Our excited sales assistant jumped on the band wagon by complementing the look with a pair of muted burgundy satin peep toes, and we added a vibrant clutch covered in violet sequins. Marilyn Monroe anyone?

Check it out: Glennie B left DF that night with the teal dress, black shoes AND the fuchsia coat. I’m talking her into the purple number with the shoes. www.dianaferrari.com.au.

Sunday night review (it's back!)...Shop Til You Drop, June '10

2010-05-23T22:43:00.005+10:00

The June edition of Shop Til You Drop is all about shapes and sizes, which when you cop a look is really rather apt. It appears that the good people at ACP Magazines – home of the famed STYD have trimmed down this fabulous little fashion bible for the financially challenged into a smaller and more convenient version of its former self without compromising on style. Fantastic news for those who are guilty of regularly attempting to stuff our latest glossies into oversized handbags that constantly bulge with the can’t-live-without-daily-must-haves. Of course, I very nearly missed it when perusing my local supermarket shelves earlier this eve...not that it would be the first time...those magazine racks make hundreds and thousands on a fairy-cake look organised. But once found, twice excited not only for the $35 Samantha Willis gift card (have you seen the gorgeous turquoise ring on page 36 – talk about must have!) but also for the content. As we all know, I’m big on shape and better on sizes and this edition is jammed packed with advice on how to dress your shape and show-off your style regardless of your size. Now, I’m not going to lie to you ladies and gents, despite my excitement at the fashion forwardness of this latest gloss-pot in catering to those of us with the beginnings of bingo-wings and bums, the featured fashion is not what I would consider to be among its best. The Love That Dress feature (pg46 – 55) and La Dolce Vita spread (pg59 – 65) for my mind where both a little bland (and excuse me for saying so, a little ill-fitting!!) and definitely did not have me scrambling out the door blowing kisses to BB1 and BB2 en-route to the latest sale. The sound advice and savvy style sense for every shape and size that is woven throughout the full-colour images of subsequent pages however, are true testament to the well known adage – forgive and forget, because by the time you flip over to page 69 and the infamous ‘How-to’ feature you are well on your way to fashionista fantasy. This section is a cracking read and offers a bounty of fabulous suggestions and recommendations at realistic and easily affordable prices for every, silhouette, dimension and occassion – even if you do have to layby! Never one to be drawn into the hype around celebrity style icons, I found myself desperately wanting to look exactly like burlesque beauty, Dita Von Tesse (minus the black t-shirt) on p77 then nipping into the bedroom and reworking the smallest wardrobe in the world to replicate the capsule collection over the page (p78). While you are in the vicinity, check out the jersey dress from Big W on p80. Who would of thought! Although word of warning girlie girls...if you are tempted by a fitted jersey then you absolutely must ensure you are wearing the right underwear...if not then walk away! Trust me, jersey dresses and VPLs are not the way to go.

Now that the cold weather has knocked the sun aside for the most part you will not want to go past the Winter Warm-up shopping spree (85-94) for toastie solutions for your fingers, feet, head, neck and legs. My fav pages are those that titillate with gorgeous scarves (p90, but seriously why would you want to go past Sussan for a fabulous scarf. Even better at a fraction of the price) and sexy tights (p92 – where were those red Ambras when I needed them last week. They’ll look gorgeous with my purple Leona wrap dress and new suede peep-toes from Betts). Not to be outdone pg98 – 104 offer 50 steps to style confidence beginning with a not so subtle suggestion that one may want to nip down to the nearest Borders and pick up a copy of Trinny and Susannah’s The Body Shape Bible, while pg 106 – 111 tell you how to shop for your shape without breaking out into a sweat. Pgs 115 – 117 introduce us to a lively little piece entitled one dress fits all which is followed by a must-read size guide for buying on-line. The Cheap & Chic feature on pg129 – 135 should be cut out, laminated and stuck to your wardrobe for future reference (Oh please can I have that Katherine coat on p130!), and just in case you missed it on the first read, flip back to p32 of the Reporter section and have a squiz at the must-have options for your intimates. You and your own Dr Love will not regret it!

To buy or not to buy is always the question, but for my mind this is one edition that you really should not go past. Not for its guide to the latest essentials (let us not forget the Samantha Wills ring and Katherine coat however), but for its smart, savvy and oh so extraordinary advice on how to look, feel and smell fashion forward regardless of whether you are a buxom babette with smouldering E cups or a elegant waif that send the rest of us into an insane spin of envy. For the most part, the June edition turns back time and offers a greater selection of affordable fashion for those of us with too much to buy and not enough means to spend. Who needs Yves Saint Laurent when you’ve got Betts?

Check it out: www.shoptilyoudrop.com.au

14 hours and counting and I still haven't packed

2010-05-15T19:38:00.004+10:00

Going interstate for a four-day conference tomorrow and I haven’t packed yet. Oh my god, the pressure! It’s like being crushed by a container of latest Prada handbags...what a way to go! This 300 people plus soiree calls for nearly every dress code known to man, I mean woman (let’s face it, men can do anything with a well fitted shirt and good pair of pants). I’ve found myself staring at the smallest wardrobe in the world on more than one occasion convinced it was smaller than usual, which if you tossed out all the colours that no longer fall into my fabulous colour spectrum, it probably is. Sadly for me, I have neither the means nor the time to replace them – 14 hours until take off - and besides there is nothing a good scarf can’t fix right? Hmmm, maybe I can fit in a quick trip to the shops if I....!! Milla stop it!

Ironically, I recently participated in a “travel light” interview series with my fabulous fashionista friend ‘An Affair With Fashion’ (check it out) where I strenuously advocated planning around a capsule wardrobe to maximise space and minimize the chance of frequenting your local physiotherapist because you put your back out lifting your suitcase into the car. What a shame I can’t take my own advice. I’ve had months to plan for this shindig and yet, here I am sitting in my dressing gown convincing myself I really do need three dresses, four pairs of pants, a pencil skirt, three shirts, six pairs of shoes and four clutch bags and avoiding the whole thing! Not only that, BB2 is coming with me so BB1 can spend some quality time with Dr Love and I haven’t even begun contemplating her wardrobe yet. Luckily for me her attire is far less complicated. Help!

Milla’s hot tip: So, it’s just you and your suitcase, glaring at you as it dares you to fill it full to the brim with endless possibilities and yet, you still have nothing to wear. What do you do? Start with an outfit that you simply cannot live without and then build a wardrobe around it. I have a gala dinner on Monday night, so my starting point will have to be a champagne gold George Ermis dress I brought for $50 from a clearance store at DFO South Wharf (Its pictured above with accessories worn to a wedding a couple of months ago). Ok, so it’s an occasion dress but I have decided to team it with a new pair of purple suede peep-toe shoes that I recently picked up from Betts for $30, which indecently will go very well with my black tuxedo suit from Cue. Because I’m not supposed to wear black around my face, I can team it with an ivory camisole with a pretty frill around a scoop neck and purple three-strand bead necklace I saved from a potential Mother Fox garage sale. Actually, if the weather is warm, I can substitute the black jacket for my short sleeve charcoal jacket also from Cue, which looks fabulous with my charcoal pin-stripe pants, which in turn looks simple scrumptious with my new long-sleeve teal top with the cowl neck I just got from Diana Ferrari. Lucky I picked up that funky black hip belt from Sussan this arvo. Righto girlie girls, now we are on a roll! I'll keep you posted.

To buy or not to buy...that is the coat.

2010-05-07T22:12:00.002+10:00

So. I had completely psyched myself into a major spend this week in the form a woollen Charlie Brown trench. I was fresh from my colour session and completely confident that I could nail this colour kaleidoscope on its techno-tinted head. The coat was a purple beacon under bad lighting and every part of my stylish senses screamed that I had to have it, even if it did cost $479. After a fortnight of doing sums and dropping unsuccessful hints in Dr Love’s direction I had almost resigned myself to the fact that the coat, like the gloss-pot favourites in the latest Instyle mag were way out of my current league when BAM it hit me in the head like a Prada swinging hissy-fit...30 per cent off! But not only that, Charlie had also added another colour to his already vivid collection, one that was more suited to my colour wheel of choice, caramel. Suddenly, my dream coat seemed easily justified as a smart investment less a few dollars because it would look absolutely fabulous with my ancient nemisis, the freckle! I headed for the first full-length mirror I could find and tried it on. Blinded by the price it was love at first sight albeit a little tight. I quickly arranged to have the next size put on hold for me so I could return later that evening , then made a bee-line for the exit.

By the time I returned to Myers later that evening, I was practically skipping down the mall in delirious delight singing “I am getting a new coat, yay for me” when I danced past Sportscraft and was seized by indecision. There in the window was another coat. Very similar to Charlie but this one single breasted, not double and therefore more friendly to the E cups. Oh oh! Banishing all thoughts of the stylish wanna-be from my mind, I marched determinedly toward Myer as planned. The next size up was too big, so I quickly revisited the caramel in 12 but my previous excitement had flown the change-room and the double-breasting suddenly seemed to inflate my chest toward a whole new frontier. Visions of the other coat danced in front of my eyes. Apologetically, I raced into Sportscraft, but the guilt of cheating on Charlie was too great, so I raced back. This coat was everything I had been searching for over the last two years and surely the uncertainty over the seemingly more enormous than usual E cups were akin to an unsure bride on the night before her wedding day.

Hardening my resolve I took it up to the cash register and handed it over. In one short swipe of the credit card it would soon be mine when I saw a pull in the fabric at the back of the skirt. Noticeable to anyone with a couple of eyes and fabulous fashion sense. Sensing a loss in sale, the young and perfectly lovely sales assistant who probably shouldn’t wear black dutifully ran off to ring her friends in the city and secured me another size 12. It would be here Sunday would that be OK? Yes it would. Slightly disappointed at not being able to parade my new purchase in front of Dr Love, I continued about my business with an unfamiliar thought nagging at the back of my mind. By the time I hit the check-out with a bunch of bananas and latest copy of Vogue light dawned in shades of blue teal and gold. I didn’t want it! The coat that is not the bananas! I had been so excited at the prospect of finding a coat in one of my colours and having the means in which to buy it, I had totally compromised on the cut. I’d turned a blind eye to a situation so obvious that it was very likely that I would put that coat onto its wooden hanger in the smallest wardrobe in the world and it would never see the light of day until I decided to sell it on eBay 3 years later. So, I did the only thing that seemed right. I walked away! Oh my gawd...can you believe it?

Excuse Me? Do you have this in eggplant?

2010-05-03T21:41:00.003+10:00

Eggplant, teal blue and banana gold! Who would have thought that the average, freckled faced-mother of two from the burbs who truly believed she looked ghastly in yellow would emerge beaming from a colour spectrum that included not one, but three signature colours from a kaleidoscope of delicious tints and shades that had me positively drooling over my sparkly flats. Hello everyone...so nice to be back...again. As you all know I was off to have my colours done a couple of weeks ago. I was ridiculously excited almost to the point of foolishness. Not only had I stopped shopping – yes, stopped shopping! But I was insanely jealous of my wonderful friend Mel simply because she was having her colours done a week before mine. Unbelievable! I psyched myself up for the big day by deliberating on what I was going to wear. I wanted to make a good impression and live up to my expectations as a stylish, in-the-know-fashion queen who could navigate her way around an apple green. The pressure to perform was immense, and if I was completely honest absolutely ridiculous...I was about to spend an hour with an expert colour consultant who could not only identify a peach melba from one hundred feet, but then explain the psychological attraction to only wearing it on a Sunday! She was going to correct my past mistakes – of which there have been many, and fix me up with a good-looking purple. What did she care if I turned up looking like a pumpkin? It was her job to transform me into a magnificent coach whereby the magic lasted well beyond the last strike of midnight (forgive me, BB1 is obsessed with Cinderella and after proofing that sentence, it appears, so am I!). Anyway, after some minor deliberation – apparently my natural hair colour or what you could see of it (thank goodness for regrowth!) contained a decent amount of ash, a colour usually associated with cool tones and not the warm hues previously identified during the group session - it was confirmed. I am indeed a ‘warm’ or to be more precise ‘dusty warm deep’, or if you prefer late spring to mid autumn. I can wear anything bridal – as long as it’s not to minty, pink or blue, which is fabulous news considering I spent a fortune on everything peach from country road’s autumn collection last year, and all the lush muted shades of a warm autumn day in the park – teal blues and greens, eggplants, aubergines and burgundies, terracottas, raisins, cocos and greens – moss, forest, bottle and olive. I can even wear grey as long as it’s charcoal, green-grey, muted grey and grey flannel. Thank goodness for that...with all that charcoal grey in their winter and autumn collections I reckon Jacqui E and Sussan thought they’d nearly lost their most valuable customer. Ha, no chance although Veronika Maine might give them a run for their money – I want that Ocean Mist coat!

In addition to identifying my colour wheel and handing over 48 colour tags all within my range, I also learned what colours brought out my eyes, made my skin glow and hair shine. I also learned how best to apply eye-shadow, what colours to build my wardrobe around, and what to use as accents and accessories. What I can’t wear, what I must stay away from and what I have known for some time but chose to ignore is black and well to be quite honest, says Angela colour consultant extraordinaire. Why would I want too! Why indeed...clearly she hasn’t seen the brand new tuxedo suit I just purchased from Cue. What do I now do with that???

Milla’s hot tip: If you have been considering or not considering having your colours done then I have only this to say...“GO!” GOGOGOGOGO! DO NOT STOP. DO NOT COLLECT $200...actually, if you can collect $200 then do it because I can guarantee you, the first thing you will want to do when you walk away from what will be the most liberating experience of your shopping life, is go shopping. You are practically guaranteed to make your money back on the first day.

Check it out: www.scentoflife.com.au.

Cardigans and colour...your new best friends

2010-04-15T22:41:00.004+10:00

OK, so this is not the I love Sussan #5 finale – I am going to save that for another day because the blouse I plan to feature in that particular ensem. is hiding out and waiting for a wash. No, this is an extra special Sussan bonus that magically transformed my usual hurried gait into a saltry strut about town. The jeans were featured in the Weekend in Paris catalogue (most of which is currently on sale people, so don’t delay) and the cardigan from its follow up, The Great Escape. The cami, whilst a personal favourite is from Country Roads’ autumn 2009 collection AND can be had at 40 per cent of the lowest marked price from your nearest DFO. Check out the cuff – it’s actually a skinny belt that I’ve hoarded for years, looped around my ridiculously skinny wrist several times; an idea that came courtesy of Gok Wan’s Fashion Fix. Love that man! Yay Gok! I wore this gorgy outfit to a barbecue recently and hit the “I feel fabulous” jackpot, and it was all due not to the most perfect jeans on the planet but to colour and more specifically cardigan colour.

Yes, people my friend the wonderful Mel and I followed the example set by the fabulous Sarah and her gorgeous pal Jess and enrolled in the CAE’s colour course for the ride of our wardrobe life. For four fabulous hours we embarked on a journey of colour history and philosophy. Together with eight other gorgeous fashionistas-in-training we learned about signature colours, talked about feelings and discussed and mused over reflection and harmony. We were shown a montage of colours and asked which one we could smell – yes smell...for me it was the soft metal and stone...calm colours, zen colours, quite clearly I-need-to-calm-the-heck-down-and-find-some-peace-from-buying-all-this-black-kind-of-colours. Then one by one we stepped up to the mirror, anxious in anticipation, giggling with excitement and somewhat embarrassed because we were mostly all wearing black, except Mel, she looked fabulous in choccie brown and beiges, as we learned what colour to wear, and what colours to not!

Now, I am a deep dusty warm ...oooh! Doesn’t that sound fab? I suit autumn colours...you know oranges (of which I have none); forrest greens (also of which I have none); brown and pink burgundies (nope); and lovely tomato reds (huh?). I least suit navy (whoops, country road jumper dress!), dark grey (oh oh, trench coat), pale rose pink (doh) and black (know it, but lately can’t stop buying it!). It was ever so exciting and motivated me to nip home, drag the new bright red three-quarter sleeve, double breasted jacket I had just picked up from the great WIP catalogue and take it back. You heard me, take it back and I am oh so glad because in its place I picked up this the most scrumptious cardi ever churned off a Sussan production line. Just look at it, isn’t it gorgeous – three quarter puffed sleevess and drape front that hits the sweet spots in all the right places. But even more important, it’s bang on colour and my freckles love me for it. Yours will too.

Check it out: Reside in Melbourne and want to follow in our stylish, mistake free-from-now-on footsteps then log on to www.cae.edu.au and search colour coordination in fashion (course code DNS22302). The next course in on Saturday, 22 May from 11am – 3.00pm, and cost is $99 per person. Trust me; you’ll make that back on the same day!

But don’t stop there: Sounds a little bit like "but wait there’s more, a set of steak knives" really doesn’t it! Anyway, for an extra $150 you can follow up with a personal session where the lovely Angela will identify your signature colour, advise you of the right make-up colours for day and night, accents and hair colours. AND you get your very own key-tags complete with all your very best colours that will have heads turning toward your direction at 100 feet. I’ve got my session this weekend, so I’ll let you know how it goes. Cost is $150...oh thank you Dr Love...happy birthday to me.

Strutting my stuff to the "I love Sussan" song

2010-04-08T21:16:00.003+10:00

What do you get when you cross a pencil style tulip-skirt with flesh-coloured fishnets (with back seam) and black patent heels? One hot mamma who is strutting her stuff to the “I love Sussan” song. Check it out, this is my ILS outfit # 4 and it’s smokin’... Yeow! So before I begin, I must tell you that I am still partially affected by the great hard-drive debacle, but determined to shop on so I brought the skirt on Monday from my local. I nipped in for a quick squiz on route to the supermarket and nipped out again with a new acquisition at 20 per cent off the lowest marked price. Even mummy fox, the original shopping queen was impressed at my ‘look what I found on sale when I was looking to buy bananas" prowess. Even better, this little baby only cost me $39.95 and it was worth every double point. What I love about it is its take on last season’s hottest must have - the tulip skirt...you know the one? Rather short and balloons out from the waist then nips in at the hem. Absolutely adorable for the slender Gen Ys, but leaning toward the ridiculous on those of us with decent child bearing hips on the downward slide to forty! The dynamic designers behind the scenes at big Sue’s have created this spectacular variation for the more mature fashion connoisseur like little old’ moi. This particular number has a wide yoke with a zip feature and dips to a point above the left hip, which breaks up the wide expanse of colour, thus making those of us with the hot mamma moniker even hotter. Front pleats and faux front wrap create the tulip look but keep the puff to a minimum around problem thighs. I teamed the skirt with a fitted latte coloured singlet to make the most of the knock-em dead-eat your heart our Marilyn Monroe hour-glass figure (don’t forget the magic knickers) and long sleeve, long line cardigan to ward off the wind. Love this cardi! So soft and fabulous and only cost me $30 courtesy of yet another $50 VIP voucher. OMG, I love double points. Keeping up with the neutral theme, I added new wooden beads - $4, thank you very much Diva and gold hoop ear-rings. Va va voom fashionistas...why don’t you try the look.

Check it out:
Sussan skirt reduced to $39.95 on a 20 per cent of lowest marked price sale
Sussan singlet, full price at $24.95 purchased over 12 months ago
Sussan cardigan from the new collection, $30 after the $50 VIP voucher
Fishnet stockings with back seam, $5 from a Myer 50 per cent of lowest marked price sale
Black patent wedge heel, Wittner reduced to $30 two years ago
Dive wooden beads, $4
Ear-rings, can’t remember-had them for years, but they were under $10.00.
Total cost under $143.90

I love Sussan outfit no. 3...my hard-drive died...how rude!

2010-04-02T21:12:00.003+11:00

Hi kids. It’s been a long time between Sussan outfits hasn’t it, and I have only this to offer as an excuse...my hard-drive died...eep! Can you feel my pain? It was terrible. I had so many fantastic fashion secrets and memorable shopping moments to share with you – oh my gawd, where to start...and no way to share them; a fashionista’s worst nightmare. Seriously, even trying to do justice to this magnificent little outfit up against ugly green carpet pales in comparison. I was so perturbed; I nearly threw out three pairs of perfectly fabulous shoes in frustration! Thankfully they survived to tell the tale, and so did I...so let’s get started...

Let me introduce you to the belated, but official I love Sussan outfit number 3! Isn’t it gorgeous? I will admit that it really was hard to do it justice on the carpet because of the shape and texture of the fabrice, but the lady who ran up the street to ask me where I got my shoes – Wittner, where else! – thought it was fabulous and quite frankly so do I, so you might just have to take my word for it. I wore this to work on casual Friday two weeks ago. As a rule of thumb, I would not normally team floating fabric up top with billowing fabric down the bottom. It is the quickest and easiest way to lose our shape particularly when we pack some killer curves. The cinch belt would usually be our best friend in this situation, but it was a stinking hot day and the thought of three inch elastic glued to my rip-cage was a kin to having a quick dip in a hot pot of boiling clag. Ew! Lucky for me, this particular trapeze blouse has a natural empire cut to its shape via the slim fit across the bodice and front yoke. By tying this gorgeous silk scarf into a big bow around my neck and drawing attention upward, I salvaged the hour-glass silhouette underneath. Don’t you love it?. ..Sussan scarves are so under –rated. Now the trousers – harem inspired pedal pushers, were purchased from my back-up Sussan store just prior to Christmas. I must admit, I did exactly what my wonderful friend Mel’s DH warned against! I brought the price not the item. They had been reduced from something ridiculous to $30 and out of principal I had to have them. Of course it didn’t matter than I had not long earlier purchased a similar pair of charcoal silk duds from Country Road, or that ¾ tapered trousers with front pleats are an absolute no-no for anyone with a bum, tum and thighs...they just make everything look bigger, except your legs, which in this case look shorter!...they were $30 dollars for goodness sake! While the length of the top did an exceptional job at hiding the front pleats, to make them really work I pulled the bottom hem to just under my knees to elongate my legs and circumvent the tapered effect which really would have made my bum look like that launching pad for the 747 I spoke of in my welcome. I added my absolutely spectacular Wittner platforms – the very ones that had a complete stranger sprinting up the street and I’m thinking of having bronzed when they can no longer be worn, threw on a couple of favourite little bangles and grabbed the failsafe pewter handbag by Guess. Really, how can you not love Sussan??? Check it out...

Sussan cotton trapeze blouse, reduced to $29.95 and paid for via a $50 VIP voucher (Free)
Sussan harem inspired pedal-pushers, reduced to $30.00 during a 20 per cent off the lowest marked price sale
Sussan silk scarf, reduced to $14.95 during a 50 per cent off the lowest marked price sale
Orange plastic bangle from Diva, $5
Black wooden bangle from Bardot, $5
Wittner platforms, $40 from DFO outlet
Guess handbag, Christmas present from Dr Love
Total price: $95

Check it out: Following on from Sussan’s oh-so magnificent Weekend in Paris catalogue, Sister Sue’s “The Great Escape” does not disappoint. This convenient hand-bag sized little booklet will have you nipping down to your local during your lunch break just so you can nab yourself some luxurious knits in scrumptious neutrals, stunning salmon, brick and dark plums! Yummy. Check out the look on pg 3. I’ve just scooped up a ¾ length sleeve cardi in this exact shade and am going back for the scarf. The streets of Paris by day and French country-side by night...I want that bag on p4. Its double points for all your Sussan VIPs...don’t delay...your next $50 voucher is only a cardigan or two away.

Click Click Witchery...sale of the century! Check it out online...

2010-03-18T22:17:00.004+11:00

Ok boys and girls this is a quickie but a goodie, and if you haven’t already made a bee-line for your local Witchery store then what are you waiting for? I jumped on-line last night for a bit of a look-see and could not believe my eyes...bargains galore from as little as $3.95 and all of them screaming my name. Oh. My. God! I’ve died and gone to budget shopper’s heaven. I must warn you though, what you see on-line may not be available through cyber-space, so if you find yourself a look that has you waltzing through the front door in a hot pair of heels en-route to your next night out with the girls then you better Run Lola Run! Whilst I have no doubt that some of you will gasp in horror and question the sanity of your favourite stylette I am rather partial to the tie-died all-in-one with smocked bodice that has been reduced to $13.95. I’ve already styled it up with my fav big black belt with the patented faux leather panels from Sussan and Wittner platforms, and styled it down with silver and gold sandles also on sale from Witchery, a cream coloured trilby and some chunky jewellery. Unlucky for me it’s not available on line, but lucky for me I spotted it just recently at the outlet store at DFO South Wharf. You might just also be lucky enough to scoop yourself a Witchery loyalty card that rewards you with a $30 credit just for saying hello! I’m not kidding, my gorgeous friend Tanya put me onto it a couple of days ago and we couldn’t through the door quick enough. While you are there, pop into Jacqui E and try on a pair of duds and score yourself another $10 voucher. Yes, my fabulous fashionistas, its shopping heaven out there at the mo. Not only is the next round of mid-season sales in full flight – another 50 per cent off anyone? But retailers are doing what they can to get you to spend your money...even going so far as to pay you!!! Does it really get any better than that?

Check it out: www.witchery.com.au

P.S. Yes I know, I’m way way behind on my I love Sussan appeal but wait until you see what I’m wearing to work tomorrow. You are going to love it!!!

Sunday night review (on Monday)...Vogue April '10

2010-03-15T20:53:00.006+11:00

I am absolutely amped by the April edition of Vogue magazine. I’m seriously considering having it framed and hung shrine-like on my bedroom wall in testament to what could be the publishing world’s realisation that fashionistas around the globe are evacuating Paris-end Collins Street and flocking instead to low-end DFO South Wharf. I kid you not! Gone is the over-infestation of sky-high prices that smacked the average girl-on-a-budget in the head with a $4000 Balencia bag. In its place is an exquisite blend of Prada meets high street that appeals to all the right budgets.

I knew something was different about this month’s fashion fix when I happened upon a full page advertisement for Forever New (p87)...the inexpensive alternate for the girlie-girl who cannot afford an Alannah Hill frill no matter how much coffee she forgoes for the sake of a serious fashion spend. It was just a hop-step-and-jump from the advertisement to a two-page spread of Forever New budget shopper delights (p110-113). Flick a bit further and you’ll cash in on Vogue’s newest fashion feature, More Dash Than Cash. It’s a nine-page montage of what the Brits lovingly refer to as high street fashion, and filled with labels that you know and can afford; Witchery, Portmans, Dotti, Forever New, MinkPink and Sportsgirl etc. What’s more, editor Kirstie Clements is inviting readers to tell her if they would like to see more high-end looks at low end prices on a regular basis. Oh. My. God. YES! I am so in love with the Satin frill tank at just $49.99 on p110, I could cry, and if I was not host to the infamous E cups, I would team this scrumptous strip of satin with the ruffle-front suede jacket (p111, $229.99), Sussan denim skinnies and Angora bow cloche, otherwise known as a woollen hat (p113, $24.99). But, alas these babies are not going anywhere so the tiered two-tone mac for $139.99 or Manhattan jacket will have to do!

But it does not stop there. Throughout this month’s mag you will find cheaper and more affordable items lovingly fraternizing with the rich and famous. The In Vogue (pg48-54), Vogue View (pg57-60) and Vogue Fashion (various from p62-98 ) features are feminine, fun, flirty and fashilious with plenty of tips on what is hot and how to get it. My current fav is the Boy Wonders page (p98), which encourages you to borrow something from “his” side of the wardrobe. Thank you very much, don’t mind if I do...oh yes, I already have! I will admit there is still a generous representation of bibs and bobs that are way on the pricey side, but Vogue wouldn’t be Vogue without them. By the time you hit the double denim spread (p74-75) however, you won’t care because you’ve already got the feeling something is different and different is good. Like the gorgeous Boss Orange chambray shirt for under $200 (g74) and David Lawrence and Trenery cotton trenches for under $300 (p82). Just on denim, if blue is not your colour...then denim shirts and jackets are not and will never be for you. Sorry! Damn!

What I really love about the April mag is its return to accessible style. There were plenty of low-priced options throughout the various fashion spreads that nullify the depressing in-your-face thousand dollar must-haves that plagued the previous months. They also enable you to return to the dreamlike trance of Vogues of old and enjoy pouring over the high-end fashion without crying into your Kleenex because you are never ever going to even come close. The re-introduction of the realistic and affordable added to the overall Vogue experience front to back and I found myself submerged into a number of interesting and thought-provoking articles, reviews and how-tos without really trying. I even marked several pages of looks I love including the Hugo Boss red tunic (p18) and Dior en-som (p25) and worked out how to replicate them with what I already have or what I have seen. Dior be damned, we’ve got Forever New. Vogue April edition. Buy it, you’ll like it.

Check it out: www.vogue.com.au

Hot tip: If you reside in Melbourne, then you will know that the annual L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival is officially underway. Log on to www.lmff.com.au and have squizz at all the wonderful treats you could exposure yourself to over the duration of the next week. If you are on a budget and would rather eat than check out the latest looks off the runways around the world, then do not despair. There are numerous freebies for you to enjoy including the Sidewalk series in Federation Square. If looking after the kids while Dr Love is committed elsewhere, working, studying and writing brilliant and humorous articles for your style blog are chaining you to the kitchen sink, then be there in spirit and use this week to inspire some glamorous looks and feels from within your wardrobe. Why not start with Sussan. Enjoy.

I love Sussan outfit #2

2010-03-12T22:02:00.003+11:00

This is one outfit that I couldn’t bring myself to layout on the floor; the green carpet would not do it justice so Dr Love and I played model and photographer in the backyard this morning while the kids ran riot in the kitchen. It’s probably the only time I’ll post of a photo of myself like it, because as I am sure you can understand from my posts, I’m the shy and retiring type! Anyway I couldn’t believe how fabulous I felt in this look. So fabulous I really am going to wear it to bed tonight because I never want to take it off! For some unknown reason I’d completely avoided the whole 198Os-boyfriend jacket revisited. I had distinct visions of looking like a card-board box in shapeless polyester until I found myself some killer jeans and a knockout tank from Sussan and suddenly I am queen of the world. As I did not own a boyfriend jacket, I took the meaning to its literal level and swiped Dr Love’s jacket from his side of the smallest wardrobe of the world on the promise I would return it as found so he could wear it to work on Monday. No problem, as long as he doesn’t mind smelling like Coco Mademoiselle! Clearly he did not purchase this particular jacket from Sussan, and well I’d be a little worried if he did, so I cannot attribute its fabulousness to my current goddess of glamour. Everything else to do with this outfit sans the sunnies, shoes, bling ring and intimates can, and if the looks from the street are anything to go by then I’ve hit the chic nail right on its stylish head. What do you think about that you little snippet from behind the sketchers counter, I look pretty damned hot huh? The jeans are the same pair of skinny jeans from yesterday’s casual affair, but with a good airing out overnight. I love how these babies hold everything together. They are just like magic knickers only longer. I can bunch them slightly at the ankle which helps to balance out my KFC thighs and hips and together with the black patent heels – an item every 30 something glamour puss should aspire to own, make my pins look as though they go on forever. Eat your heart out six foot tall supermodel. I added a grey cotton cami with lace details under the tank just to lengthen my torso and keep the whole rack in perspective. You remember this tank don’t you? It’s the one with the twist strap over one shoulder and drape neck that I wore about six weeks ago with an antique white drape cardi (also from Sussan I might add) and gold satin pencil skirt. It is so versatile that I thinking of having it stuffed and mounted when it finally falls apart from over-use. I picked up the necklace last week on sale for $14.95. It’s a fabulous length for any E cup and a great diversion for BB2 when she next attempts to launch herself at my ipod. A simple pair of sunnies and bling-ring just top it all off. Let’s check it out...

Boyfriend jacket borrowed from Dr Love
Sussan tank with twist strap over the shoulder and drape neck, $59.95
Sussan skinny jeans, $99
Sussan necklace, on sale for $14.95
Diva bling ring, $5
Wittner shoes, $30 brought on sale
Basque sunnies, $35 at 50 per cent off
Total cost $243.90

Milla’s hot tip for wearing the boyfriend jacket: If you’ve got curves then my hot tip to looking scorching is to keep it simple and slim underneath to balance out your bod and keep those curves upfront and forward, particularly if your BFJ is a little on the loose side and resembles that cardboard box I talked about up top. My muse Sussan lays claim to a number of fabulously stylish BFJs in the current collection but if your budget doesn’t allow for a new addition to your wardrobe then pop into your favourite op-shop and get shopping. The men’s section is likely to be just as fruitful as the girls. Just remember that the same rules should apply to cut and colour for cast-offs. Enjoy.

I love Sussan outfit #1

2010-03-11T19:24:00.004+11:00

I absolutely adore this outfit. I felt so fabulous today I considered leaving it on all night just so I can wake up in the morning and continue to shine in its marvellousness...tomorrow is casual Friday after all, so it’s not as though I’d need to change; shower, wash and possibly iron, but not change. I’d had my eye on the stretch knit t-shirt with French navy stripes for what seems likes months. I’d even gone so far as the change-rooms on more than one occasion, only to return it reluctantly to the shelf after reasoning with myself that the colours were maybe were not quite right when teamed with my vast array of freckles. But the shape of this blouse is every obsessed Francophile’s dream. It has a wide scooped neckline and draping upper bodice that transforms from an empire waist, into well fitting fabric that clings to curves in all the right places. Imagine my excitement when I walked into my local Sussan store recently with a voucher in hand and found it reduced from $59.95 to $19.95. Freckles be damned, it was brilliant! Teaming it with this checked fringe scarf was a marriage of impulse. It would never have occurred to me to team stripped navy with pinks, purples and off-white checks but as I stood mesmerized by the kaleidoscope of colours on an accessory high, it just kind of jumped off the shelf and yelled “buy me”. So I did. The jeans were a purchase from a week ago. You know the ones...my perfect jeans...the ones I didn’t expect to find anywhere but a Bettina Liano store. I adore them. They have just enough contrast stitch in the washed black denim to make my chicken legs look like a six foot tall super model, which is technically an exaggeration but you know what I mean. The bag was a bargain at $10 during a Sussan 50 per cent off the lowest marked price not so long ago. It must have been a favourite of store staff because whenever I go into visit, they always comment on how fabulous it is and leave me feeling so happy I usually end up buying something else. Hmm? The bling-bling earring were a purchase from Equip on the weekend. I first spotted them when I was shopping with the wonderful Mel at DFS South Wharf but instead of bling walked out with $130 worth of Abercrombie & Fitch!! I went back the next day and scooped them up. Actually if I’m not mistaken, all I have to do is swap my trusty flats, which desperately need replacing (phew!!) for a pair of fab boots and I’d look pretty similar to the Hiliary Duff look in last month’s Shop Til You Drop. I don’t hear anyone calling her “mumsie” do you? Check it out...

Sussan top reduced to $19.95
Sussan scarf at full price at $29.95
Sussan jeans at full price, $99.00
Sussan bag, reduced from $79.95 to $10
Basque sunnies, $35 at 50 per cent off
Equip earrings on sale at $6.50
Diva ring on sale at $5
Wittner flats that desperately need replacing (phew!!) full price at $109.00
Total spend $314.40

What is style? Where you brought it, or how you wear it?

2010-03-10T21:18:00.008+11:00

Sorry to keep harping on about Sussan, but I simply must tell you this story. You see, I was shopping with my lovely friend Anna on the weekend and she mentioned to me she had been the recipient of a very thoughtful gift in the form of a personal stylist; a real life living breathing, did-not-exist-on-the-latest-40-inch flat screen personal stylist. Wow! I was in awe. I devoured these gurus of style as they worked their magic on TV every day for breakfast; Trinny & Susannah, Gok Wan, Tim Gunn, Rachel Zoe and the downright scary but fabulous Patricia Fields to name but a few. It’s the latest must-have vocation for under the 25s, far surpassing the power-suit dressing days of the budding trainee accountant of the early nineties and aspiring public relations spin-doctor of the new millennium. Although still fitting into the aforementioned categories but somewhat older than the new trendy young fashionistas, I rather fancied myself a member of the style team as I navigated my way through my family's wardrobes and defective fashion genes. But, I had yet to meet anyone that had actually procured the services of one who did not exist in a one-dimensional format. I asked the lovely Anna a million questions and soaked up every tasty morsel, until she got to the part where she was banned from ever buying anything at Sussan ever again. The romanticism of life on the other side of the smallest wardrobe in the world vanished like raspberry Clinique lip-gloss on the rim of a decaf soy flat white. What? Why? What was wrong with Sussan? Had this mysterious but idolised woman not seen the Weekend in Paris catalogue? What was going on? First the little snippet behind the counter at Sketchers and now the personal stylist! Was it a conspiracy, or were they related to each other? Excuse me for saying so, but isn’t style about the outfit you wear and how you wear it, rather than the store you purchased it from? Personally with my mortgage, the only time “the store” or more recently “the brand” should rate a mention is if they are having a sale; a very, very big sale.

So in Sussan’s defense I am going to dedicate five outfits over the next week to the I love sussan appeal and by doing so, prove to the doubting self-imposed stylettes of the fashion world that style is not where you brought it from or the label stitched upon it, but how you wear it. Starting now, check out I wore it to work today...I had planned on revisiting the black shift dress and burgundy blouse from a couple of weeks ago, which is why I didn’t bother with ‘What I wore on Wednesday’ but changed my mind at the last minute. Don’t you love it? The skinny pants and jacket represent the new tuxedo suit I purchased from Cue recently for a ridiculous $156. More importantly check out the gorgeous teal blue trapeze top underneath (albeit a bit crumpled from the day's wear), silk and bead rosette and silk scarf adorning the handbag. Guess where I got them from?...Yep, Sussan! Let’s take a look...

Cue suit reduced from $440 to $156
Sussan trapeze stop on sale for $30
Sussan silk and bead rosette, $19.95
Sussan silk scarf, on sale at 50 per cent off the lowest marked price, $7.95
Necklace from Ritual, Harbour Town WA $10.00
Bling-ring from Diva $7.50 (not their best work, it broke and won’t be worn again!)
Wittner heels reduced to $30 two years ago.
Guess handbag, gift from Dr Love, nil.
Total price: $261.40

Check it out: Before you say anything, I know...the outfit as fabulous as it is mostly black. Normally I wouldn't advocate wearing so much black and my style goddesses of all time, Trinny & Susannah would probably roll-over in their exceptionally incredible wardrobes because I've mixed it with a bright colour, but the cut of this suit is so incredible that I simply had to have it and had to wear it. Similarly, the pull of the fine teal fabric was too great to resist even for me. Sometimes your clothes just talk to you, and when they do you should listen!

OMG! I love to shop...and all for under $200

2010-03-08T21:35:00.004+11:00

I had every intention of telling you to rush out and buy the latest edition of Vogue – far be for me to take credit for a complete about-face on the hysterically high-end bells and whistles in favour for the much more affordable (not kidding, review on Sunday), but I had such a cracking weekend of shopping, I simply had to share. Now, everyone who knows me understands that I love to shop. It’s practically emblazoned across my forehead in thick black texta and when I die will be embossed on my headstone; here lies Milla, wife and mother who loves to shop. I can spot a sale at 100 feet and smell a bargain up-wind. When I get it into my head that I could do with something new the line between need vs want evaporates like perfume in an over-heated change-room that’s usually not much bigger than the smallest wardrobe in the world. And so I found myself at DFO South Wharf on Sunday with the wonderful Mel at my side. Nothing unusual about that except I was also there on Saturday helping my lovely friend Anna find a rocking outfit for an impending gig that would turn her from mum-on-a-budget into uber-edgie glamour puss.

Anyway, Mel and I had a hankering to find ourselves some half-price bling and spent a fabulous couple of hours wandering around our favourite stores. We hunted through bargains and marvelled at sales and spent 30-minute indulging in Veronika Maine with some of the most beautiful day dresses ever known to gorgeous girl-on-a-budget. Don’t you just love 50 per cent off sales? Ironically, neither a day-dress or bling-ring was in sight when we concluded our expedition, but I did acquaint Mel and reacquaint myself somewhat excitedly with the all-American icon of casual wear Abercrombie & Fitch, available at Frat House; a clearance store for the American-obsessed laid-back fashionista-at-home just like myself. I first fell in love with A&F and its little sister Hollister two years ago whilst on holiday to the USA. The 5th Avenue store in New York is something to behold with its night-club layout, lighting and pumping music and 20-something male models wearing nothing but a pair of low-slung jeans and an open jacket. Six-pack means a whole lot more than a few tins of beer when you are standing in line to secure yourself some style heaven!! As I don’t do ‘just around the house’, casual wear for me, as it should be for you is as important as what I wear on the street. Only with a lot less bling! Twenty minutes later I emerged with two, three-quarter length tee-shirts, one brown and one forest green, two lacy singlets in grey and brown and two tank tops in burgundy and blue. The latter of which I secured for a fabulous $5 each. Each item went a long way to fill the void created by the great cull that followed the birth of BB2. So satisfied was I by my purchases that I declared to Mel that I was ready for home! Two hours later however, I wandered into Sussan with a $50 voucher burning a hole in my pocket and walked out a pretty cotton teal trapeze top, french inspired striped and fitted tee-shirt with bat-wings and a checked fringe scarf. As for the bling, I brought it today...a simple but bedazzled pair of ear-rings, and black and gold square cut ring from Equip.

Hot tip: With A&F it is all about the layers, and this is the tip to looking uber-cool in a casual about-the-house kind of way. By adding a touch of lace and colour, you can style-up a day that would be otherwise be spent scrubbing the toilet and washing the floor. Add some bling and a big pair of sunglasses and you can walk out the door without worrying about what to wear next. The added advantages of any A&F purchase is most of their tee-shirts and singlets are long-lined and can be bunched about the waist to hide the post-baby belly, and the quality is fantastic. Feels like silk and rarely loses its shape even if you do wear it when you are nine months pregnant. Love it!

Sunday night review (on Thursday...oops!)...Shop Til You Drop March edition

2010-03-04T23:16:00.004+11:00

I can’t believe I’m about to say this but shopping is really getting in the way of my blog. I kid you not. I’ve had so many fabulous fashion experiences and style treats to share with you, but I’ve been so busy visiting my friend Sussan and paying my respects to her friends and enemies that I’ve barely had time to put fingers to keyboard. I so wanted to chat to you about the March edition of Shop Til You Drop, which I know is a little on the late side - the April edition is about to make its appearance on the supermarket shelves, but for the sake of helping you decide to buy or not to buy, it’s only fair I share. So here goes....

My new friend ‘An affair with fashion’ – oh my gawd, I love that name...why didn’t I think of it?...mentioned to me that like so many other glossy fashion mags, STYD is slowly and surely migrating to the dark side. Where there was once a concentration of low to mid looks that appeased our budget conscious desires, we are now teased with an over-abundance of high-end get-ups and glitter that we are never going to consider much less afford. Whilst the Feb edition could be excused for its OTT prices in favour of feeding the kids, its over-all look and feel in all the right places made me want to rush to the shops without passing go to replicate the next big fashion spend. On the surface, the latest glossy lacks the avant-garde flamboyancy of its previous month’s counterpart and requires a strong fortitude to search for the buried treasure that exists. But it does exist. You just need to get past the Roberto Cavalli bag ($2595) and Ralph Lauren shoes ($1195) on p25 of The Reporter to get to the plethora of bargain basement gems you oh so desire, starting with a Hilary Duff inspired en-some on p20. Just make sure you read the fine print otherwise you will miss it.

Despite the latest obsession with everything that has a couple of zeros behind it - it was a good 12 pages of Top ten buys and ‘latest must haves’ before anything remotely within my price range makes an appearance, this a bib necklace from Sussan for under $50 (p32), this magazine offers some cracking advice on what fabulous fashion treats to look out for and how to wear them at very reasonable prices. It also takes a high-end look with more brands than a LA housewife and teaches you how to replicate it. In fact it’s a little bit like a text book only not so boring or expensive. Case in point; the cutsie China doll spread (p48-55). Its vibrant colours and clashing prints are way to exy for my budget, but I discovered I could create a much cheaper version of the yellow Marni dress ($1995) and red Trelise Cooper military coat ($895) on p48 from the Barkins catalogue stapled to the spine at p66 for only $140.00. Do check out the Tony Bianco suede ankle boots ($189.95) however, I’m so in love with them, I want them now!

There is a ripping feature on bras and knickers on pg72-81 that everyone will love, and the Shop Style feature (p84-92) provides great advice on what looks are hot this season and how to wear them. The secret to making this section work for you is to ignore the featured items of apparel which are way to pricey and find your own. It won’t take as long as you think. By the way, just on bras and knickers, this is one area of fashion I try not to skimp on and if you’ve got E cups as famous as mine, neither should you. Take it from my mum who got a right ticking off when I realised she was still wearing bras from the 80s that were at least two sizes too small...a good fitting bra will change your life AND your wardrobe! You’ll find more affordable goodies throughout the Cheap & Chic (p103-116) although the fabulous people at STYD might want to re-think the opening image...as far as myself and anyone else is concerned a lolly-pop pink leather jacket that retails for $599.95 is not cheap or chic! To finish it off, The Accessories Guide is the best thing ever invented since they whacked a DFO at South Wharf(p129-149). There are so many fabulous and affordable delights featured across this section that I may need to re-mortgage the house, starting with the blue suede ankle books for $149.95 from Siren Shoes (131).

So, as April is nearly upon us, my advice is this...if you are a STYD fan but have been feeling less than satisfied from your recent spend...stick with it! At least until the Devil actually does start wearing Prada. The secret to this fashion bible for the budget shopper is to use it as a guide to finding the best looks for the best prices. Most of the higher-end pieces can be replicated simply by sifting through the glamorous glossy pages and marking your fabulous finds. Who needs the bally ankle boots from the opening credits of the last Vogue...you’ve got Siren!

Oh yes, it also comes complete with its own little mini-mag for men with Robert Patterson on the front. If he was into fashion, which sadly he's not (cough cough) I'm sure Dr Love would like it. He'd just have to prize it from my fingers first!

Check it out: Ok, so you’ve got your latest STYD and you’ve found a look that you absolutely love but cannot afford or reasonably justify hiding from your husband in the wardrobe for six months. What do you do? Start sifting, and by sifting I mean pouring over each and every page until you find similar pieces that recreate the whole look for a whole lot less. Cut them out and stick them in your look-book if you must, but give it a go. It’s not going to be exact but it will be close enough and you might even surprise yourself by realising its better than the original because you put it together all by yourself and didn’t have to mortgage the house to do it. It’s the easiest and best way of ignoring what’s not in your price range and rediscovering what is and why you loved STYD in the first place. Enjoy. www.shoptilyoudrop.com.au.

Un week-end à Paris avec Sussan

2010-02-24T21:24:00.005+11:00

I fully intended on sharing with you the wonderful fashion festival that was the wedding I attended on the weekend before I was distracted with the latest Sussan catalogue that had arrived earlier today. I’m a big fan of catalogues. I love pouring over the luscious pages and being tantalised by the stylish promises of what awaits on the other side of the store door. I also love Sussan. Have done for years and contrary to what the young snippet behind the counter at the Sketches out-let store believes, it’s not “mumsie” at all! Quite the opposite and wash your mouth out for being so profane! I purchased my first notable outfit from Sussan when I was just 16 years old. It was a pair of fawn pleat-front, knee length shorts with a row of tortoise-shell-inspired buttons down the front and navy, fawn and white striped polo-neck skivvy with shoulder pads. I looked super sensational in it, and if I still had it, I would probably add a pair of neutral peep-toe heels and still look fabulous – even though I’ve long since given up on navy skivvies – clashes terribly with my freckles and pleat front anything.

I had just mentioned to my wonderful friend Mel, that I had been a bit disappointed on my last visit to my local store. Despite my best shopping intentions, nothing jumped out at me and demanded me to take it home. That was until I opened the 24-page Coco Chanel-Parisian inspired masterpiece and fell breathtakingly and irrevocably in love with each and every look, including those that I know by looking at them won’t suit me at all. If you have not yet received your copy of “A weekend in PARIS” - conveniently mailed to all Sussan VIP customers of whom I am one, then you MUST join now and procure one of your very own. Or better yet, go shopping. Aside from potentially winning a shop-a-holic trip of life-time to Paris that includes $2,000 spending money AND a $500 Sussan gift voucher, the latest and most dazzling collection promises pure perfection for the elegant Francophile style. I am particularly enamoured with the look on p14 consisting of a three quarter length sleeve jacket in bright red ($119.95), skinny black pants ($69.95) and black and white long-sleeve tee ($29.95). Unfortunately with my E cups the tee is never going to work, but I do have a long-sleeve tee in charcoal purchased from Sussan last year and the cute little striped top with drape neck feature on p6 would be a wonderful substitute. The boyfriend jacket over the cute little striped top is also adorable ($129.95) and the red and charcoal checked scarf on the same page ($39.95) is a definite must for those cold days. Even the weekend tunic ($79.95) and leggings ($49.95) on the next page has me walking dreamlike along the Champ de Élysées the arm in arm with Dr Love (such a better nickname than DH don't you think?). Not sure that’s going to be my kind of top – I can’t see the collar, but I love the way it’s glammed up with a chunky necklace. There is an adorable little coco jacket, albeit in black, on p8 that reminds me of the chanel-phase that whipped through Target a few years ago. I had two said jackets, a black and a cream one and I threw them out... silly MILLA! I’m thinking of hitting Savers to see if anyone else had the same idea. I’m also loving my new best friend, the jean ($89.95) and the glitzy ear-rings on p19 ($19.95). To finish it off, have a look at the stunning new white romance sleepwear line. No-body does sleepwear quite like Sussan.

You know what? If I was still a teenager I would cut out my favourite looks from this delectable little publication and paste them on my school file. And yes, that is me in my younger days in my favourite Sussan outfit!!! Don’t I look divine?

Check it out: http://www.sussan.com.au/

What I'm wearing on Wednesday...lovely Leona

2010-02-23T21:16:00.004+11:00

In order to make this fabulous frock simply spectacular, all I have to do is add a pair of rich chocolate opaque tights and a pair of patent leather Wittner wedges brought on sale for $30.00 during an 80 per cent off sale two years ago. Who says you have to pay retail for anything! Not me, even the frock was purchased three years ago from one of Myers fabulous “75 per cent off the lowest mark price” promotions and I have worn it religiously ever since. Deciding what to wear on Wednesday was a complete no-brainer this week. I had already decided it was the purple Leona wrap-dress or a pair of trackie-dacks and considering I left my trackie-dack wearing work days behind me – I kid you not, I have worn trackie-pants to work...long story...it was allowed...it is the frock or bust. You might remember me describing its glorious versatility a few weeks ago when I realised in horror that my new grey pin-stripes from Cue were suddenly way to big around the mid-drift! I chose my new white gladiators that day to give it a bit of an edge, but since finding a similar frock in a late 2009 edition of Vogue that paired stunning satin with dense nylon and a pair of statement clogs, I was sold. I just love the rich colours and contrasting textures and can’t wait to try the new mix in the morning. Strangely I had no idea what sparkles to add...so not like me I know but I didn’t want to detract from the overall gorgeousness of the on-som. Then again I wouldn’t be me without the bling so I grabbed a simple pair of bangles – one plastic and the other wooden and she-bang! Simply gorgeous. I added my Olga Berg bag my cousin gave me for my birthday last year for another play on contrast and because the frock is satin and will show up every lump and bump, will pop on the magic bust-to-knee knickers from k-mart for a smooth finish. God, I love those knickers. Let’s check it out...

Leona dress, purchased for $30 during a 75 per cent off the lowest marked price sale at Myer
Wittner wedges, $30 during an 80 per cent off original price sale
Olga Berg bag, gift
Chocolate tights, $6.95 from K-mart
Plastic burnt orange bangle, $5 Diva
Black wooden bangle, $5 Bardot
Super slim knickers from K-mart, $20
Total cost $96.95

Hot tip: The best way to rejuvenate your wardrobe is to find a new way to wear what you already have. And easiest way to execute this fabulous fashion experience is to start flicking through your favourite magazines of choice, find a look you must have then launch yourself, shoes and all into your wardrobe and don’t come out until you’ve had success. Obviously if your post baby E-cups are somewhat of an obstacle, don’t despair just pick up another edition and try again. Easy right!

Sunday night review (on Monday)...InStyle March '10

2010-02-22T21:34:00.004+11:00

If you love InStyle for its breath-taking and carefully orchestrated fashion spreads, expert advice and can-do attitude then you won’t be disappointed in the latest edition. If you are like me, however, and love to gush over each page so you can bookmark your next fashion spend then brace yourselves for a shock. March InStyle is pre-occupied with high-end fashion and increasingly expensive brands – more so than usual and it’s leaving the suburban stylette-on-a-budget at home in its wake. Long after it passed to the dark side, I continued to worship my fashion magazine of choice. I could always find affordable treats and treasures throughout the glossy pages that now seemed fit for the super rich. The beauty of InStyle was its ability to make even the more expense fashion trends seem accessible, if only in theory. March is a different story. It’s hard on high and light on low and even the most imaginative of us are left overwhelmed.

While it still follows the same fabulous formula of regular features and how-to creations, the fashion element of this edition lacks the dream-like elegance of the previous months. It seems harder in some ways, unattainable and less...perfect with a high concentration on getting the "right look" rather than the look right (see New Essentials (p74-79) for clarification. No-one looks that good in pleated front pants with tapered legs and how many people do you know that own or want a woollen corset?). Don't get me all wrong though there are still some fabulous finds throughout the gloss including an Instant Style white combo on p64 for the Alice in the Eve blazer ($139.95 at General Pants Co) and Portmans cotton-denim duds for $79.95. The witchery trench on p68 is a good spend at $199.95 if you need a smart, go-anywhere outer layer for under $200.00. You Can Do (pg 70-71) is a good resource for wearing draped skirts, but again most pieces are too pricey to indulge. We would all love a Jayson Brunsdon silk jacket, but are more likely to pop into Witchery and save $550. Just on the drape, if you have hips and a booty then find a skirt with a drape down the front otherwise the excess fabric will make you look bigger than you really are. I also love the peep toe glass necklace on p79 ($149). Check it out at www.peeptoeshoes.com.au. Shop it (p81 – 88) is the new home of Hermés cuffs that cost more than my monthly mortgage. But,Diva are still in favour with affordable bling for any look and birdsnest.com.au have a pair of Karen Millen knee-length silk pant look-alikes (p82, $345.00) on sale for $59.95. Do check out p92, it’s a budget shopper’s dream. I just adore that little Jacqui E sequinned-silk tank for $109.95 and studded hip belt from Country Road for $59.95. Its just a shame that some of us have to buy the whole mag for just one page!

Thankfully the non-fashion aspect of the mag remains largely intact. There is still too much emphasis on celebrity-style for my liking, but some nice looks out of the AFI Awards. My picks are Kate Ritchie’s J’Aton Couture look on p120, Rachel Ward’s frock and hip belt (not the shoes!) on p121 and Asher Keddie’s Yoejin Bae gown on p127. The annual 101 Best Beauty Buys as voted by a panel of Australian experts makes an appearance on p168. Sadly, I don’t use any of the feature products but can absolutely recommend the Eco tools range of make-up brushes. They are available from K-mart (and probably most leading department/variety stores), are affordable and are encased in environmentally friendly bamboo. SMS your full name and address to 1997 5555 and you could win the lot. I also surprised myself by really enjoying Elaine Lipworth’s feature article about Courtney Cox and advise everyone to spend a few minutes and get to know this million dollar-an-episode editorial about a friend. She is brilliantly identified as a loving mum and business woman who, like the rest of us works hard to maintain a happy marriage and just happens to be loaded. To round it out, the latest edition features a 45-page wedding special. Still worth a good look – you might pick up a couple of good ideas for a cocktail dress or two, even if nuptials are not on your agenda any time soon.

At the end of the day, it is still a good fashion mag and does what it does best...creates luscious fashion experiences that if your imagination allows, can be recreated to support your paling budget. If this is what you want then don't hesitate to add it to your current collection. If you are after a style resource that points you in the right direction next time you go shopping however, then you might want to leave it on the shelf and borrow it from a friend. MF xx

Check it out: www.instyle-australia.com

What I wore on Wednesday

2010-02-17T21:26:00.004+11:00

Don’t you just hate it when your real job gets in the way of your blog! I have been so busy trying to squeeze in a few extra working hours over the last two weeks – most of which have been spent glued to the home computer in a pair of blue velvet trackie-pants and teal blue singlet from target. Yes, even I have my off days - that I have completely missed sharing my numerous fabulous fashion moments with you, and believe me...there have been many. Like Friday for example, when I finally got to wear my gorgeous short-sleeved grey jacket with deep lapel and skinny-leg tuxedo pants from Cue. So for the sake of maintaining my infamous reputation as the average women-on-a-budget-with-two-kids’ stylette about town, What am I wearing on Wednesday has temporarily become What I wore on Wednesday, and I think you will agree that what I wore is so fabulous I am considering wearing it everyday!

The knee-length tunic dress was a Jacqui E sale item purchased for $59.95 when BB2 was just a few weeks old. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t advise myself or anyone else for that matter to shop for a frock like this just after giving birth – the E cups and maternity bra just couldn’t cope, but it was on sale and the perfect replacement for my poor old Katies frock that was starting to see better days. It’s a gorgeous little dress with a most flattering empire bodice and knee-length pencil skirt with matching pleats on the sides. It’s a little bit too saucy in the cleavage department to pass for a behind-the-desk type of attire, so the short-sleeve burgundy shirt from the Cue ‘In the City’ range is a perfect compromise, and I just adore the tie feature at the front. As you know, I promised myself when I returned to work in January I would glam it up, because there is simply no sense in spending over eight hours a day dressed in something that resembles a well used door-mat. I’m afraid I don’t subscribe to the theory of saving your best...if I did that then the smallest wardrobe in the world wouldn’t be a problem, and really, where is the fun in that? Anyway, the shirt was part of my five item haul from the post-chrissie sales at the Cue outlet in Harbour Town WA and purchased for a very respectable $50. So respectable, I brought two more! The t-bar platforms from the Wittner outlet at DFO South Wharf were a perfect alternative to a more traditional black pump, and my fail-safe Guess handbag added a splash of colour. A couple of bangles from Bardot and Diva, both purchased for $5 and my favourite pewter flower bling ring, also from Diva provided the finishing touches. Oh, and you might have noticed I included my iphone, which incidentally was one of the many return-to-work pressies I brought for myself, as an accessory. I had a meeting across town and had to catch to three trains to get there, and two trains and a tram to return. Having just downloaded Stephanie Meyers’ New Moon as an audiobook, it was attached to me for the most of the trip. A justifiable addition to any outfit I say. Let’s check it out:

Jacqui E dress 50 per cent off at $59.95
Cue shirt, reduced to $50 from $80
Wittner t-bars, reduced to $40 from $169
Guess handbag, $95AUD from Macys in LA
Chrome bangle from Diva, $5
Wooden bangle from Bardot, $5
Bling ring from Diva on a 2-for-1-sale, $7.95
iPhone from Telstra, $2.82 per day
Total spend $265.72

Hot tip: If have a tunic dress in your wardrobe that you think is a bit shapeless then whack on a cinch belt to create an empire line then spend half an hour admiring yourself in the mirror, because I can almost guarantee you, you will look fabulous. Plus, it will breathe new life into a piece of clothing you thought you could no longer wear. Do play around with different styles of cinch belts, because like anything different styles will suit different shapes and different outfits. For reasonable quality belts at an affordable price check out stores like Jacqui E, Sussan or Forever New. They do a good job for about $30-$40. If you can afford to go higher and invest in a piece of wearable art then head straight for Cue. In my mind, they have the whole cinch belt game completely covered. You won’t be sorry and neither will your daughter. MFxx

Sunday night review...Vogue March '10

2010-02-15T21:18:00.008+11:00

Let’s talk Vogue. It is the Chanel of all fashion magazines. So exquisite in its compilation and imagery, many a women have clasped it lovingly to their bosom and sung the sigh of a teenage girl in the throes of her first romance. It is a magazine that solicits visions of style grandeur that the majority of us are never going to afford, but can somehow dream about, if only in our well made replicas. So then why have the last three editions of this ultimate style masterpiece been in my mind, so terribly, terribly wrong? I sat down last night with the latest edition – March, hoping to get to the bottom of it. An hour and several flick-throughs later, I realised I had to first navigate my way through 58 pages of advertisements relieved by only nine pages of stop-start content to get to the first feature - Vogue View, that was not permeated by more ads. Even then it was a bohemian-beach-meets-graffiti-art montage of images best suited to a 20 year old, than a mother-of-two from the burbs. Disappointment flooded me because at this stage, I was too exhausted and uninterested to discover the fabulous delights that lay beyond. Yet, this format of top-end advertising is not new. I went back to an old edition – October ’09 - an edition I had marked for repeat readings, but somehow for some reason the more recent publications have lacked that joie de vive I have come to expect. Have I become far too removed from the sleek and sophisticated existence of the world’s wealthiest fashionistas that I can no longer imagine myself strutting about in the latest Bally ankle boots on page 19? Or, has the best known and most adored publication on the fashion map launched itself so ardently out of the noughties and into tens that it is akin to a Jean Paul Gaultier show-stopper, rather than a working mother-of-two’s dream-catcher?

I persisted in my endeavours and was brought somewhat back to the fold by the Celluloid Couture article on p66. There is no doubt that the eminence of writing in Vogue, more than matches it’s ethereal style quality, and soon I was wrapped up in the opulence of fashion and the silver-screen epitomised by Hepburn and Givenchy and Tom Ford’s A Single Man. If you are resilient enough to make it that far, mid magazine is by far full of the best treats. I went on to discover another appealing article by Natasha Inchley about “fashion falling out with fantasy” entitled Reality Bites p84. My favourite Vogue moment is the Vogue Fashion feature on pg 106 -111. It is here I felt the stirrings of my latent imagination as I fell in love with the Coach tote and Marni acrylic necklace (p107), and wondered where I might find a Nina Ricci inspired anklet boot for under $100 (p108). I will admit the Alexander McQueen platforms on p111 are a tad frightening. I have seen them before in other publications and can’t stop thinking Edward Scissor hands is missing a finger. RIP Alexander McQueen, your brilliance will be missed, but your legacy remains. Oh, and check out the Open Seasons article on p114. If you are into social networking and fashion blogs, which I am, you will love it.

The back half of the mag is more substance in style, lifestyle and beauty. Far be for me to talk up advertising at this point, but I am a bit partial to the Harry Who and George Gross promo on pg 119-121. Their clearance centre at the back of their main store on High Street, Armadale (VIC) is spectacular and well worth a visit or three. The Talks aspect of Vogue (p125-134) leads in with everyone’s favourite Mr Darcy, Colin Firth, and will whet your appetite for film, theatre, music, and the arts. The pre-eminent fashion spread on p164, from which the front cover is derived, introduces us to a new fashion concept - scuba chic. It’s a little bit on the young side for me, and quite frankly I’m not a big fan of anything inspired by deep sea diving. But you might like it! And finally, if you like leather, than you’ll love the spread on p208 which begins with a stunning Hermés number that those of us in the real world can only dream about.

Oh Vogue! Maybe one day I’ll again clutch you adoringly to my breast like Carrie and passionately defend your breath-taking beauty and poetic rhetoric to my own Alexander Petrovsky, but for now I’ll be quietly disheartened, yet financially loyal as I wait for April. Check it out!

Hot Tip: Log onto www.harrywho.com.au or www.georgegross.com.au (P.S. It’s the same website) and win yourself a $3000 fashion pack including a $1000 to spend on the current GG / HW collection, $1000 to spend on Samantha Willis jewelery and $1000 to spend on shoes at DioDato. If you do happen to win, do let me know so I can be as green as that Jimmy Choo clutch on p60. Oh, and tell them that Milla sent you.

I really need to go shopping

2010-02-13T22:12:00.006+11:00

There I was, lying in bed last night contemplating the smallest wardrobe in the world when I turned to DH and said “you know, I really do need to go shopping!” I could almost hear his eyes rotate in his head and a deep sigh...or was it a moan?...emanated from his lips. Ok, sure he’s heard it all before. But seriously, I meant it this time. It had come to my attention that a good number of my clothes ceased to fit over the post-baby E cups. Yet, I continued to keep them in rotation when all they really did was mock me every time I attempted to embark on my next big fashion experience. So, armed with what I considered to be a guilt-free budget...I brought that jacket from Cue like I thought I might...and ripping excuse to drive across town to Chaddy – a friend is getting married and in need of a present, I loaded BB2 in the car and shot off to my destination with excitement running through my veins. I make no secret of the fact that I love Chaddy. It was my home away from home when I first moved to Melbourne all those years ago. I was still somewhat of a style disaster back then. All the best intentions but seriously no idea beyond big W. Thank god things have changed. After I had completed the very important chore of choosing something fabulous from the bridal registry and arranging delivery, I hit the shops. Or more importantly, shop – Myer. It's actually a bit dangerous to turn left out of David Jones because that leads you into the new high-end extension and when you are a limited resource fashion addict like myself, walking past Prada is a bit like eating a toasted cheese sandwich when you are lactose intolerant.

Anyway, I do like a good Myer. They stock all the right budget conscious-yet fabulously stylish brands in the comfort of the same venue - I’m a little bit lazy like that, and they also have the best "50 per cent off the lowest marked price" sales in the world...how else do you think I got those gorgeous Mark Jacob heels for $125 reduced from $560 several years ago. Which, reminds me I spied the same pair on eBay recently for $30 and it just about broke my heart...I love my Marc Jacobs and have just paid $50 to have them re-soled! It was just my luck that they had said sale on now. Jackpot! A little over an hour and several scary hyena altercations later...what is with women and a sale? I emerged victorious with four fabulous tops from Cooper St, Piper, Country Road and Basque – none of which was priced over $37.50, to rejuvenate my poor tired little wardrobe. The most glamorous of the haul is without a doubt a steel blue satin empire top with three-quarter sleeves and front detail. It is cut to perfection. It’s pictured above with my Mark Jacob shoes, which I threw in to show off. I really didn’t think my complexion could support the colour, but apparently it can. I’d barely got it on before I’d made up my mind that I had to have it. It was reduced to $37.50 from $129.00. I'll post piccies of the other items over the next few days. I'm a little bit tired now and poor forgotten DH really wants me to go and sit on our brand new chaise lounge that was delivered today, which incidentally perfectly matches the new Cooper St blouse. I know, what a week.

Check it out: My wonderful friend Mel's DH was quoted as saying recently "are you buying the item, or buying the price?" and when it comes to a sale, he's got a very good point. When buying any item of clothing during a "50 per cent off the lowest marked price" sale - or any sale for the that matter, the same shopping rules should apply to full-priced items...know your shape, recognise what colours work for you, and don't buy it if you already have twenty of the same in your wardrobe. It might be a bargain at the time, but if its sitting in your wardrobe gathering dust alongside twenty other bargains you never wear because they are all wrong for you, its a lot of money down the train that could be better spent on pair of Bettina Liano or two!

I found the perfect outfit...and didn't buy it!

2010-02-09T21:55:00.004+11:00

Have you ever accidentally stumbled across the most perfect outfit you have ever seen and had no means of buying it? No, well welcome to my world. There I was, innocently checking out the new autumn range at Country Road and trying to decide how best to spend the $30 gift voucher I had received from my friends at CR for being such a valued and loyal customer. I had debated my options on the drive to my local shopping centre, and had decided that I would invest my hard-earned bonus on a new pair of skinny jeans. I would save my Bettina Liano experience for a pair of curvy fit bootlegs, which when you think about made sense. Why invest $249 on a pair of denims if they aren’t absolutely perfect and with my thighs, it’s really bootleg or bust for that amount of money. After finding nothing I really liked or that would fit these curves in the country road store – really CR Maribyrnong, how many people do you know that actually wear a size 6? I ventured into Myers and immediately picked up two pairs of suitable skinnies priced at a reasonable $99 – a simple, plain dark denim and a pair of black wet-looks. It just so happens that in order to get from the CR section to the fitting-room, I was forced to by-pass Cue and the 70% off discount rack - remind me to tell you about my love affair with Cue another day – where I grabbed, out of interest you understand a couple of frocks for under $100.00. Bargain. Saving the dresses I had no intention of buying to last, I shimmied into the jeans. To my surprise the wet-look number looked fabulous. Well, as fabulous as a pair of skinny jeans on a person with chicken legs looks can look...it’s all in the shoes and length of top you choose to wear with it really, and I do have to admit, I was rather chuffed...I really didn’t like the plain dark denims...they were a few weaves away from resembling a pair of faux denim leggings, which in my world should be outlawed. Anyway, I realised that I was running a tad late and needed to pop into Woolies to do a spot of grocery shopping so I threw on the first of the frocks over the top of the jeans to save time. It was a pale blue asymmetrical taffeta number. Gorgeous but no go over the E cups, so I reached for the cream strapless tulip dress with black trim and Oh My God, booty-licious! The gorgeousness of the whole on-som hit me in the head like a fisbee...I was half-way to my next girl’s night out in that outfit! Even with ballet flats it was fabulous, so imagination how glamorous I would look when I added a pair of patent black heels. Hubba, hubba! There was no question about it, I had to have it. Just as long as I could put it on lay-by and use my voucher as the deposit – I’d spied a pair of skinny tuxedo trousers at the Cue store earlier reduced from $209 to $62 and had already ear-marked them for my purchase en-route to Woolies. But, there was a problem...Myer don’t lay-by heavily reduced sale items for Cue, and no, I could not use my voucher as a deposit. It was clearly written in the fine print. Noooooo............So I reluctantly returned my two items to their racks and walked sadly to Cue, heeding the valuable lesson I had just learned. Never voluntarily give your credit card to your DH...it just doesn’t end well!

HOT TIP! You can find the most amazing outfits that will knock everyone over with your gorgeousness even without looking for it...even in your wardrobe! Ah hah...so the next time you find yourself in the same position as me, why not go home and try and find something similar in your wardrobe. Unfortunately for me, the only dress that would have worked – a gorgeous aqua blue, long sleeve shift doesn’t fit over the post baby boobs, but I did rediscover this gorgeous royal blue frock from Cue that I haven’t worn in three years. It's pictured above with my mum's vintage crystal brooch and sexy slingbacks from Wittner. Isn't it fab!' It too is a bit snug up top, but looks gorgeous on, and will make a fabulous work alternative.

CHECK IT OUT! I’m going back to Myer this weekend and if that dress is still there...I’m buying it! Or, the tailored tuxedo jacket from Cue reduced from $350 to $90. I haven’t made up my mind yet.

Its casual Friday...chirp, chirp, chirp!

2010-02-04T21:45:00.006+11:00

Ok, so temptation got the better of me and I splurged on the All About Eve tee from everyone’s favourite new on-line boutique Birdsnest.com.au. I know I shouldn’t have, I am after all trying very hard to sacrifice coffee for that luscious pair of curvy fit Bettina Lianos, which I have since discovered also come in a bootleg and as everyone knows, if you have hips and a bum then you can’t go past a bootleg! But, the temptation got the better of me and besides, the lovely birds in the nest kindly gave me permission to pop their logo on my blog so you have direct access to on-line shopping heaven, it was the least I could do. It arrived last night - just two days after placing my order, beautifully wrapped in white tissue paper and sealed in a handy re-usable carry bag bearing the birdsnest.com.au logo in all its lovely crimson glory, which was very considerate as I was just thinking I needed a nice new re-usable carry bag to take on the train tomorrow. But that is not all...inside the parcel was a customer loyalty card proudly advising me that I would receive a hand-picked girlie treat for every $500 I spent...oooohh...and a hand written note welcoming me to the nest! Really, does it get any better than that? No it doesn’t but for a moment there, I thought it was about to become a lot worse!

After charging into the bedroom for a trial run I was immediately gutted! It didn’t fit! How did this happen...it was supposed to be perfect but instead it struggled to sit over my shoulders and arms without causing my E cups to become H cups and threaten to take over the world. I sought solace in a text message to my wonderful friend Mel who quite appropriately responded ... “Bummer!” What was I going to do? I had already committed this tee to casual Friday and it was late to back out now. So, three story-books and a couple of songs later I was back in front of the smallest wardrobe in the world determined to make it work or dislocate my elbow trying. Who would have thought that after much tugging and pulling and readjusting it would be the hairstyle that would make all the difference...I kid you not! Turns out a bit of fluffing and flouncing up-top transformed the look from pimple on a mountain to luscious stylette with some killer curves! The neck-line is probably a little bit higher than your average E cup – or even D cup, should wear but throw some dangly sparkles around your neck and dark skinny jeans to draw the eye down and dare anyone to tell you otherwise. The long-line length of the tee with its gathered side sat beautifully folded around my hips to hide that post-baby budge, and wedge mules from Kmart that I forgot I had – don’t you just love it when that happens...topped it all off. Thank you birdies...you’ve made my casual Friday complete. I love it!

Check it out!
All about Eve tee, Birdsnest.com.au $39.95 reduced from $49.45
Postage, $10
DKNY skinny jeans $40
Kmart mules $29.95
Purple glass beads as per “What am I wearing on Wednesday” $14.95
Diva bling ring from the Melbourne airport store, 2 for 1 sale, $5
Fridge shoulder bag from Sussans, $10 reduced from $79.95
Total spend $149.85

HOT TIP: It’s never a good idea to try on your new clothes after you’ve spent the previous 14 hours on your feet running around after the kids, your boss and your DH, who is still feeling a bit poorly, poor love. Even the most glamorous of garments is going to look hideous and have you running and screaming from your room in fright claiming manically you need to the go the gym and you need to go now! When buying or trying on anything new take a few moments to relax. Do your hair, have a wine and wipe the dark smudges from the day’s make-up off your face. Try where possible to ensure that you have the coordinating items such as your jeans, sparkles and mules on hand to give your new acquisition the best possible chance of booking a berth in your wardrobe. And don’t be afraid to adjust. It doesn’t always work but if you don’t try, you’ll never know what you may miss out on. Oh, and do add a cami underneath, particularly if you have E cups and a drape back. Unless your name is Carrie Bradshaw or you are dressed by Patricia Fields, the exposed bra strap is never a good look...on anyone.

What am I wearing Wednesday

2010-02-02T22:19:00.005+11:00

After a day spent working from home, which involved several outfit changes because really what do you wear to work from home so you can still feel glamorous, and once again I’m excited to be back at work tomorrow with yet another excuse to embark on my own personal weekly fashion experience. To be honest, I didn’t think my proposed style expedition would eventuate. DH came home from work early feeling a tad poorly and BB1 and BB2 conspired with each other to stay awake for as long as possible, which totally threatened to derail my end of evening goal...discovering what delights I had waiting for me in the smallest wardrobe in the world. Luckily an old episode of the original Trinny and Susannah and two tiring children who decided to take pity on their frazzled mummy did the trick, and I quickly got to work. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather at how quickly this outfit came together. Equally, I was completely bowled over at how the top half combo of singlet and drape cardi from Sussans could easily go from casual affair to sexy, smart professional in one tiny clasp of a cinch belt. The singlet, in case you are interested has a twisted strap on the left shoulder which causes a subtle drape affect across the cleavage...gorgeous. Anyhow, my cousin Kate, you know the one with the defective fashion gene and over-sized Brady Bunch tee shirt is sure to love this look. The skirt is identical to the one we purchased for her during our capsule collection experience at the table eight clearance store at DFO South Wharf. It’s gold satin with a touch of mustard and I loved it so much that I brought one too. At $14.95 it was a complete bargain. If she looks close enough, I think Kate will also recognise the belt - $10 from Jacqui E also at DFO South Wharf and also identical to one she procured on same said shopping expedition. I know what you are thinking – fashion stalker! But no, we are related...it’s allowed. To top it off I added a set of purple crystal beads I brought from Myer a couple of years ago at 50 per cent off the lowest marked price and my fabulous taupe coloured peep-toes from Steve Madden. The very same peep-toes I might add, I nearly wore with my purple Leona dress last week that I thought hurt my feet. Turns out, if you remove the heel cinchers that were put in the very first time you wore them they don’t hurt anymore. Brilliant! I also popped on a purple flower ring from Diva and after some debate added a spark of colour with an Olga Berg bag in tones of red, metallic pink and purple suede. I just love this outfit...let’s check it out:

Singlet from Sussans with a twist strap, full price $59.95
Drape cardi also Sussans, $39.95 reduced from $99.95
Skirt from Table Eight clearance store, $14.95 reduced from $39.95
Cinch belt from Jacqui E, $10.00 reduced from $29.95
Ring, $5 Diva
Steve Madden peep toes, $21 reduced from $129.00
Olga Berg handbag, gift from cousin
Necklace $14.95 during a 50 per cent off lowest mark price sale at Myer
Total spend: $165.80

HOT TIP: The twisted strap singlet featured in this look is currently on sale at selected Sussans stores for $29.95. It’s fabulous. I’ve worn it with my wide-legged jeans from target and ballet flats for a casual look and my skinny jeans and witchery taupe pants with cardi and heels for a more glam effect. Now I’m wearing it to work with a gold satin pencil skirt and peep toe heels. $59.95 well spent, don’t you think?

Sunday night review...Notebook, Feb '10

2010-01-31T21:22:00.008+11:00

Show me a women who does not pack a notebook in her handbag or several scattered about the house and work to record all those life choices...frozen peas or new handbag? and I'll show you genuine Prada on ebay for under 20 dollars.
Milla Fox, Feb 2010

There I was, completely psyched by what was sure to be a rather controversial review of the pinnacle of all fashion mags, Vogue, when out of the box shot a relatively new-comer for the modern woman, aptly named Notebook, and knocked the crème de la crème off the top spot! Ok, so not technically your average fashion magazine...actually not really a fashion magazine at all, but it is, as my wonderful friend Mel says, a “thinking woman’s magazine,” gloriously free from the montage of celebrity heads who try and convince us they are just like the rest of us (!), so it can concentrate on the most important style icon in your life, you!

This mag is more than a style choice, it is a life choice.

It first appeared on the supermarket shelves some four years ago. It was OK, nothing to write home about except it really did resemble an oversized notebook that would needed an over-sized handbag or whole bedside draw to accommodate its bulging pages. It was the first and last edition I purchased until I found myself browsing through a recent publication at my gorgeous friend Cheryl’s house and nearly tripped over my ballet flats in an attempt to scoop up a copy of my own. What I love about Notebook is how in sync it is with the average woman. The Feb edition features over 178 gloriously fabulous pages of nearly every aspect of one’s life in a collage of sophistication, beauty, reality and genuine joie de vivre. The romantic images and graphics appeal to the Jane Austin in all of us, while the content is stunningly real, relative and at times, raw.

What could become my new favourite mag is divided largely into four essential segments – fashion and beauty – but of course, your life, home life and fabulous food – which I do like to read, but am hopelessly inept at executing! This month’s fashion and beauty features a fabulous spread on my current fashion fav, the working week. Love the Lucca bag on p87, and the Diana Ferrari heels on p79 – in fact love the whole look on p79 so much, I launched into the smallest wardrobe in the world and came out with a pretty similar look I didn’t know I had – pity the David Lawrence jacket I purchased in a huff because I couldn’t find what I actually wanted (!) is all wrong for me really.

Those of us not likely to tie the knot anytime soon will still enjoy pouring over ‘Bride on a budget’ (p88) with all its pretty neutrals and sparkles. My lovely friend Lynda will just adore the Supersoft slingbacks on p91 and check out the Simona dress on p89. Oh Vanessa (Warrington) where were you when I got sucked into the traditional-needs- a big-hooped-petty-coat-underneath-cost-me-a-fortune-frock, when I had previously convinced myself I wanted a simple dress that I could wear more than once? Hey Hon, let’s get married again...

The home life section, found toward the back half of the mag is a style delight for the whole house. I’m a big fan of the white washed walls and floors, and adore the clutter free, well worn lived-in look...damn you green carpet and ugly couch. Whilst the whole publication is a treasure-trove of delight, my fav part of the mag is ‘your life.’ This section is truly, madly, deeply style for the soul with inspirational and can-do articles on “Making a change” in your career, finances, health and life. Former managing editor of Elle magazine, Caroline Mead (see her blog style-mate-cheatsguide.blogspot.com) takes us on an easy-to-do journey to “Reclaim your style” (not that you need it...you've got me...hehehe) and we meet five completely amazing women who threw caution to the wind to embark on their life-long dreams of owning and operating their own business...anyone want to join me for tea in Collingwood? Mel, you've got to see these Chistina Re tee-shirts, I want them (p53). This month’s edition also features “sew pretty projects” with Cath Kidston, and a host of interesting comments and reveiws. Do yourselves a favour people. “Notebook!” LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Check it out: notebookmagazine.com.au. You could win a Mitsubishi Colt!