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

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.

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

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

I really need to go shopping

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!

Going going gone...the mischief of on-line shopping

It’s gone! That cute little white dress with the blue geometric print on p42 of the latest "Shop Til You Drop" mag has gone. Never to be repeated. None, zilch, zero. I am gutted, how did this happen? I had already resolved in the early hours of this morning that the very minute I settled BB2 down for a nap and put BB1 in front of the big screen, I would log onto shoptilyoudrop.com.au and buy it. I was brimming with excitement about my impending purchase. I had already decided where I would wear it first – lunch with the girls, how I would dress it up - my favourite elastic cinch belt with the faux black patent leather trim ($39.95 from Sussans) and new t-bar platties from Wittner, and how I would dress it down – cream ballet flats and turquoise gypsy pendent I purchased at a steal ($5) from Ritual at Harbour Town, WA. But, not only could I not find the dress, I could not find Alibi, the on-line boutique from which I was to buy. It wasn’t where it usually is... under the eboutique section of the STYD website – although I did find a couple of other cute little eboutiques you all might like, but that’s for another day, and I was fast becoming frustrated. I was about to reach for the phone and give my favourite new publication a piece of my thwarted mind. Fancy teasing us with such a stylish wonder at an affordable price only to deny its very on-line existence. Thankfully in a excellent show of self-control, I dialled the number printed on the promo instead and was delivered the bad news. Nooooo....

In a desperate attempt to suppress my disappointment, I spent the next half an hour scoping all my favourite e-boutiques’ in the hope I would find something that would come close to bringing such joy that I know this frock would have brought. Until my three year old screamed at me that she wanted a tissue that is and wanted it now! It wasn’t until I tore my frantic fingers away from my keyboard that I realised no matter how many flashy fashion sites I visited that all boasted cut-price options with one click, none would extinguish the grief I felt at losing my new best friend, and that perhaps BB1s tantrum was a blessing in disguise, lest I found myself checking out with something that was only ever going to be second best.

So, my advice to you is if you see something you really like, don’t delay. Don’t stop to ponder how fabulous you are sure to look and then wait for an opinion from your loyal readers. Log-on immediately and buy it. It is far better than losing it and spending your hard earned coffee money on a poor replica that you are sure to dislike the moment it arrives.

HOT TIP: There is nothing quite so exciting than buying on-line and receiving your package wrapped up with a smile from the postie. But beware...you are clearly buying what you see in one-dimension only, and usually hanging off a super slim glamorous supermodel. In order to shop successfully on-line particularly if you are going in for high-end bargains, then you MUST MUST MUST know your body shape, so you can take one look at the happy snap of your next big purchase and be confident that it is the right look for you.