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

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

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.

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!

What I wore on Wednesday

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

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

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.

Best laid plans don't always work

Oh crap crap crappity-crap. My fabulous new pair of pin-striped slacks from Cue was way too big around the waist. How did that happen? I only brought them a week ago. Must be all those veges. I tried to work my magic with a belt, but there was just too much gathering, puckering and excess fabric and quite frankly I looked ridiculous. So, it’s off to the tailor and a quick trip into the smallest wardrobe in the world for a new outfit! Luckily, I had my trusty purple satin Leona (Edmiston) wrap dress on hand from two seasons ago (no photo yet, but wait). All I had to do was re-coordinate my bling with a purple flower ring from Diva and sparkles from Ritual, re-apply my make-up and re-load my fail safe Guess handbag from “Casual Friday” then hit the road. The gladiator shoes looked pretty hot with this frock, and gave it the kind of funky edge I’d never tried before. How fabulous! I did nearly opt for a pair of taupe patent leather peep-toes, but they hurt my feet. Sorry Steve (Madden), sad but true. The jury is still out on the Lulu handbag by the way, and I'm not seeing anyone offer any suggestions. Perhaps if I give it away...

HOT TIP: If you have to cinch your trouser or pencil skirts in with a belt, and let’s face it, those of us with saddlebags and big bottoms usually do, my advice to you is don’t! It can make you look bigger than you really are because it bunches the fabric around your waist or hips and creates a balloon-like affect. Not attractive and very uncomfortable. Do yourself a favour and get them tailored to fit you properly, but be careful. A lot of tailors will often just run a new line of stitching down the back seam, which can completely change the shape of the garment. Ask your tailor how they intend to alter your prized procession and then discuss the options. If they won’t budge, shop around. If you are not sure where to go, ask the store from which you brought your clothes to refer someone. They are usually more than happy to help you out. Like me really.

What am I wearing

Back to work tomorrow and actually looking forward to it! I know, can you believe it! Since deciding to glam it up for the office, I’ve created my very own weekly fashion experience and am reveling in the chance to throw myself into the smallest wardrobe in the world and come out looking like I’ve been dressed by Patricia Fields. Ok, maybe not Patricia Fields because that could quite possibly mean denim hotpants with bum ruffles, which would get me fired, but you know what I mean. This week’s outfit combines an old favourite – turquoise cami with empire tie by Stella, and short sleeve grey jacket and slacks from Cue. I added more accessories than I would normally wear – turquoise necklace & bling ring from Diva, ear-rings from Ritual and last week’s gladiator purchase from Wittner. God, I love Wittner. Not completely sold on the belt – which I do adore by the way. It was a pre-peggie purchase from Kamikaze for $39.95 and I’ve been dying to wear it - or the bag (Lulu Australia). I’ve had the handbag for years, but feel it might be a bit dated. Perhaps I’ll opt for the pewter Guess bag DH brought me for Chrissie, what a thoughtful man.

As per usual, every item was brought for a bargain:
Cue jacket – half price at $119
Cue pants – half price at $60
Stella top – half price less 20%, $35
Wittner shoes – bargain, $50
Belt, full price, but still a steal, $39.95
Earrings, $ 5 from Ritual
Necklace and Ring from Diva, $10
Handbag, can’t remember it was so long ago, but the Guess bag was a present so it’s free!
Total spend $318.00

CHECK IT OUT: Putting together a suit-styled fashion statement does not mean everything has to match. I’ve teamed a lighter grey jacket shot with silver, with a pair of charcoal pin-striped boot-cut trousers – which look absolutely fabulous on anyone with saddlebags, then thrown in a pair of cream coloured platforms for good measure. What are you wearing?

Whoops, I nearly did it again!

There I was on my way to the local supermarket to restock on bananas when I happened to by-pass one of my favourite ready-to-wear chain stores. With time to spare I wandered in for an innocent look when I came across a cute little white business shirt with purple pin-stripe and waist belt for the bargain price of $19.95. With much excitement, I crammed myself, BB1 and BB2 into the pint sized changing cubical with business shirt in my grasp and began the almost impossible task of shimming out of my clothes and into my potential new purchase whilst keeping up a continuous monologue about how good girls get chippies lest one of us launch ourselves into a major meltdown. As I further engaged BB1 in a game of ‘how pretty does mummy look’ and continued to marvel at the heavily reduced price, I suddenly remembered that I had purchased a new business shirt barely two weeks earlier. Three of them in fact. From Cue, and lets face it, did I really need another business shirt especially as I had yet to wear the ones I had just bought. I know, I know…this from the girl who was frequently quoted as saying “Need? Want? What’s your point?”

Well, my point is, how many of us have been so blinded by a bargain that we’ve completely forgotten what wonders lay within the depths of our all-too crowded wardrobe. Moreover, how many of us have been so blinded by said bargain that not only have we completely forgotten what lays within our wardrobe, but also forgotten how many of those wonders still have their tags attached to their collars!! Guilty? Yep, me too. So, what you do about it? Easy, follow Milla's guide to restyling your wardrobe and let the fun begin. Stay tuned!