Shop your own wardrobe part 5: Bibbidy bobbidy boo!

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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Channelling Monochromatic Miranda...I can do that.

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.

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

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!

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!

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

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.

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

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.