My friend Jacqui

It’s been 16 days since the biggest annual event on the shopping calendar - the post Christmas Day sales, and I know what you are all thinking. Where is Milla? Well, I’ll tell you…shopping, where else! I have been out and about perusing stores, checking out change-rooms and rating what I consider to be the pick of the bunch for those of us who are trying to look like we are living like champagne on a beer budget. Kudos to the fashion buyers of the well known chain-stores. In the face of the GFC, they’ve bought up a storm over the last two seasons so that most of the brands affordable to those of us with mortgages and/or dependents are brimming with post Christmas bargains at ridiculous prices. My pick of the bunch is without a doubt, is the lovely Miss Jacquie E. Jacquie Who, I hear some of you more prone to high-end brand names saying in aghast. Jacquie E…she’s pretty, she’s affordable and she is so overflowing with massive reductions that you should shop there just out of principle. What I like best about Jacqui E, is her adaptability. It doesn’t matter what size, shape or age you are…this sexy, sophisticated little lass will deck you out in her finest for half the price. Dresses that retail in season for over $120.00 have been dramatically reduced…some by 50%, others by 70%. My fav (and one I’m trying to find in my size such is its popularity!!!) is a knee length drape dress with beaded detail around the neck in white and orange. Team it with a pair of beige, taupe or black gladiators and you are going to look hot! hot! hot! Or, whack on a pair of thongs and ridiculously large straw hat and glasses and meet the girls at the beach for a decaf soy latte and bit of a chat.

For the more professional, pencil shirts (PS) and shirts and blouses take on a whole new look with daring reptile or geometric prints and pretty frills and flounces. They can be had from as little as $20 (reduced from $80), although depending on your professional style, don’t discount the white and orange number…I want that dress. I fell particularly in love with a classic white PS with beige reptile print and skinny hip belt, but with my thighs…it was never going to happen. Not worry, I was spoiled by choice because that is what Jacquie E does…choice! Just remember to grab as much as you can in one go, and try it all on…preferably as ensembles, not as singles…leave that for another day. My cousin and I went mental just a few days ago and nearly sampled the entire store, much to the sales lady’s delight. Which leads me to another thing…the staff. Always very nice and very helpful, but still in it for the sale. So take a friend.

HOT TIP: If you are lucky to live by a DFO or harbour town then my advice is to skip the regular retail stores and make a bee-line for bargain heaven. Most of the clearance outlets stock the latest discards so you won’t miss out on what was just hot!

CHECK IT OUT: While you are there suss out Jacquie E’s answer to the short-sleeve jacket. It is style heaven for any shape or occasion. It sucks you in in all the right places, gives you cleavage if you don’t have it, and softens it if you do. Button it up for day or night, or leave it open with a tee and a pair of jeans. It is on sale for $99 and worth every penny.

24 outfits for under $300; I'd like to see that!

Took my fabulous young cousin Kate shopping a couple of weeks ago. She’s a great girl and I adore her, but her taste in clothing - Brady bunch tee-shirt anyone? - was clearly not from my side of the gene pool. Kate was only in town for a couple of days and desperate for a new wardrobe before she embarked on her first big career as a primary school teacher. Her wants were simple: to stretch her budget of a couple of hundred dollars give or take, as far as possible without compromising on style and value.

Easy.

Now, we’ve all heard of the term “capsule collection” right? It’s been around for a while, but probably made all the more famous to us mere mortals when Stella McCartney caused a frenzy with her said collection in Target a couple of years ago. A capsule collection by my definition consists of a small number of items, usually 8-12 that can be inter-changed with other items to create a greater number of outfits. For Kate's CC, we took ourselves to DFO South Wharf and the Table Eight-Barkins clearance store - a small warehouse sized treasure-trove of discount priced everything of reasonable quality befitting a young, hip teacher. We had already brought a circle skirt in white, purple and grey, and contrasting singlet the day before, but it was half an hour later when we really hit pay-dirt:
Two knee-length pencil shirts (a summer tweed weave in chocolate, and a gold satin with paper-bag waist line*) / a dark lavender blouse with vertical ruffles down the front and side zip, and white short cap-sleeve shirt with grey pin-stripe and waist tie / one pair of grey cotton knee-length jodhpurs / one short-sleeve, grey jacket with middle button; and one black cinch belt.
To this we added a sleeveless jacket vest in cream with golden undertones, brown elastic cinch belt and some bling from Jacqui E. Plus a short faux leather biker jacket - also in grey - with ¾ length sleeves for good measure. We had triumphed in a way, neither of us had ever triumphed before. Twelve items (minus the bling) and over two dozen different outfits for a variety of occasions, and only one of them, the cinch belt, in black. Wicked!

CHECK IT OUT: Paper bag waist lines apply to very in, very now skirts, shorts and trousers that look as though they’ve been cinched in to create a paper bag gathered effect above the waist band. Not great for everyone, so try before you buy.