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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

Cardigans and colour...your new best friends

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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...Vogue March '10

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.