Spring Festival!

The on trend look of the moment "festival" is all about strutting the streets as if you are en route to Glastonbury or Lollapalooza.

I love the festival trend.  But as I am not an 18 year old secretly applying Clearasil & my Cover Girl bronzer in between sipping Strongbow with my girlfriends, I need to adapt this look into an age appropriate form.


I always like the idea of mixing different outfits with the same accessories.  I maximise my accessory investments and I rarely ever buy a "trendy" item. I see the festival trend as a way to feminine up my look and have some fun with short length dresses & shorts, of course, distracted with fabulous shoes & jewels.


Here are my favourite festival trend finds and they are highly unlikely to be found on any actual festival attendee except perhaps if your name is Kate Moss or Kate Hudson!


The necklace, bag & shoes looks fabulous with the cut offs & silk shirt.  They look equally as fabulous with the cheap and cheerful Carmen dress from Sportsgirl (this is one that I could not resist purchasing myself!).


I recommend a visit to online stars Asos, Topshop, Forever New & Sportsgirl for the clothes.  The trick to the festival look is to spend on the accessories and save on the trend...it stops a 30+ woman looking like a tragic fashion victim.


Oh...and one final piece of advice: If you are 30+ and larger than a size 8, do not EVER wear short denim shorts under ANY circumstance! Steer clear, also, of any dress length that has you questioning whether your privates are flashing when you bend over to pick up your child's dummy..or whatever!

Alkemie 7 coin necklace (from my own collection) purchased from Husk Toorak

Cleobella Tiva small Zuni bag @ Shopbop approx $330

Pepe Jeans denim shorts $109.95 @ Asos

Stylestalker Blouse $169.95

Wide brim fedora @ Asos $18.95 (on sale)

Carmen Dress @ Sportsgirl $89.95

"SPLURGE!!" Chanel tan wedges @ Chanel boutique - POA

On Trend: The Jumpsuit

I love the jumpsuit. 

A 70's to now fashion icon, the jumpsuit is the ultimate in versatility from day to night, casual to formal.

I'd like to share two of my current favourite styles, the cheap & chic from Forever New (a steal at $99.95) and a pricier classic black jumpsuit by Theory (approx $300 AUD on net-a-porter).

I've styled both jumpsuits with exactly the same accessories that will take you from lunch to a bar and then for dinner & dancing!




Forever New




Theory @ Net-a-Porter



Kors by Michael Kors @ Shopbop



Michael Kors @ Shopbop




YSL Arty Glass Ring @ Saks Fifth Avenue




Animal Clutch @ Witchery



Currently obsessed with: Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent

It is no secret that I love fashion and I love shopping.  As I purchase quite a lot of my clothes online from the UK and US, I am constantly discovering new, fresh designers and subsequently falling in love...

My current obsession is US designer Cynthia Vincent.  I adore the fabrics and silouettes of her dresses, always so feminine but screaming "I am unique" which is a must-have in my world!!

Cynthia Vincent is a celebrity favourite and worn by some of my own style icons including Sienna Miller, Liv Tyler and Rachel Bilson.  Cynthia also designs gorgeous shoes and bags.

I want the entire current fall collection!

Here are my favourites:

The Flutter Caftan - perfect for champagne at sunset

Starburst Maxi Caftan.  Lets renew our vows!



Cami Dress...strolling in the sunshine on Acland St one Sunday afternoon...



The Palazzo Pant..

I am loving the Palazzo Pant by Country Road.

This pant is so versatile to be dressed right up or dressed down for a relaxed yet chic look.

Styling the Palazzo Pant:


Palazzo Pant - Country Road




Herve Leger V-Neck @ Shopbop





Cacharel @ Asos




Missoni



Vintage Gypsy Bracelet from http://www.thevintagedress.com.au/ 



Jean-Michel Cazabat Penny Haircalf Wedge Pumps



Cherry Popped!

As a girl that always has a splash of colour on display, I am loving the current trend towards bright cherry popping red!


I came across a great pair of cherry red skinny jeans in Witchery for $129.95.  Best to get in quick as they have almost sold out of all sizes Australia wide!


My styling tip for wearing this bright shade is to keep the rest of the outfit neutral.  Red is the feature and focus of the look so other items should only compliment and not take away from the fabulousness of this colour regardless of day or night.

I am loving the leather trend (that I don't think will ever date), always obsessed with a bit (okay, a lot) of leopard print so this look is my favourite of the moment.  It's an easy style to achieve and I have mixed some reasonably priced chain store items with Jimmy Choo & Yves Saint Laurent, of course!


J Brand also do a great pair of cherry skinny's '811' style for $175 USD @ shopbop.com 


What do you think?

Witchery Aug 2011 $129.95

Witchery Aug 2011

Witchery Aug 2011 $499.95

House of Harlow Aug 2011 @ shopbop.com $139.95 AUD

Yves Saint Laurent Butterfly Sunglasses Aug 2011 @ shopbop.com $399.95

Jimmy Choo 

Drooling through the September Issue...

I've just spent the morning drooling through pages of the September 2011 issue of Vogue Australia.


Here are my favourite looks (Emma Watson is so grown up now!), trends (love a polka dot or 100!), must-haves (that Gucci hat is going to be MINE!).  


I hope you enjoy as much as I loved photographing and sharing!

Vogue Australia - September 2011.  What a gorgeous cover!

Model - Katie Fogarty

Stella McCartney

Wolford

Styled to perfection! The necklaces, the clutch, the hair, the shirt, belt & skirt.  I'm breathless..

Trend of the moment now & forever...layered yellow gold jewellery

Bvlgari

Emma Watson in Tom Ford, Assin & Louis Vuitton

I'm heading to Gucci for this one!!  It was MADE for me :)

It's been a CHIC week!

I just wanted to share my terribly chic week!  Ordinarily I can be found happily shopping locally in the boutiques and chain stores.


This week I had two fabulous shopping experiences and one was extraordinarily fabulous!


After years of lusting after the coveted and classic Cartier Love Bracelet, my darling husband took me for a visit to the Cartier boutique in Melbourne.  It took just fifteen short minutes for my wrist to become adorned with the 18K yellow gold Love Bracelet, all locked and ready to rock any and all of my looks for the rest of my life!


The opportunity to engrave was suggested by my sweet husband but after that final screw was locked in place, I knew that this little baby will NEVER again be removed from  my person.


Cartier, being Cartier, do not discuss price.  The bracelet came with a certificate of authenticity, a gorgeous velvet jewellery box and of course, it's screwdriver.


LOVE!

I took a trip to Zara in the Bourke Street Mall this week.  It was my first visit since the store opened this year.


I visited the Sydney Zara in May this year and was decidedly unimpressed.  So many of the exact pieces that I cited in France, Italy and Dubai last year were hanging on the racks many months after I had first seen them.


I am happily here to report that Zara Melbourne is the very same Zara that I fell in love with last year in Europe.  The store is overloaded with on-trend, classic fashion for girls and women of all ages.  The prices are on par with the European stores and I absolutely had a ball!


Arrived at 11am in the morning.  The store was busy but not hectic.  I was able to select 4 items (all in my size!), get to the change rooms (the gorgeous Zara girls entertained my kids) and pay within 20 minutes.  This would be quicker than some of my experiences in Zara overseas!  When I left the store, it was starting to get hectic.


Tip: Shop before 11.30am in the morning!


My finds?  The classic Zara double breasted blazer in white, as seen on Pippa Middleton in cobalt.  I also purchased the trend of the moment snakeskin in 3/4 capri pants.  My two favourite purchases are pictured below: Striking blue suede kitten heels (you better not dare step on my blue suede shoes!) and the colour-blocking metal belt...just as on trend as one can get but with a classic, tran-seasonal twist.


I'll be making a stop to Zara every four weeks..the next time being during the Vogue Fashion's Night Out in Sydney on 8 September.  


ZARA?  LOVE!