I had a great response to my last 'Go To Outfit' so, I thought I would do another... I feel very awkward posting photos of my clothes and of MYSELF - eep! But, this is another outfit that got quite a few comments and it made me {again} realise that looking good does not have to dent your credit card. Some clever shopping and patience really pays off.
I had also just come from the hairdresser, so it was a good chance to have some 'what my hair is SUPPOSED to look like' shots.
Firstly, here is the outfit...
Cute huh?
Now the breakdown... Ready?
I am so glad I grabbed the skirt when I did. I had seen in it LifeLine and thought that $12 was simply too much to pay at a charity shop. But, I couldn't get it out of my mind, it had original tags on it and the lady at the store said she dated it to be early 80s. So the next day I went back and bought it. I like that it sits on the waist, not on the hips. It is also quite full and has pockets in the sides, which is nice. The fabric is cut on a bias giving it a very nice swishy feel {this is where I should tell you what kind of fabric it is, but I haven't a clue! It does require ironing, so there must be some cotton in there.}
The t-shirt was bought at a factory outlet shopping centre - in the middle of winter. Everything was 50% off and then they had a mad dash sale of another 25% off. I walked out of the store with 2 t-shirts, a singlet and a denim skirt for under $20. What a steal!
The total cost of this outfit is $22.95. How is that possible!? I like that this skirt can be dressed up with a cute shirt and some sparkly shoes or dressed down with a t-shirt and some flats.
Where would I wear this outfit? Well, I wore it to the hairdresser! I would wear it shopping or if I was going out for lunch, coffee with friends or the school run if I was feeling like dressing up.
I like having some items in my wardrobe that are neither out of fashion or completely in fashion, like my vintage Cue skirt. I think that is the definition of a 'classic' item. These can be mixed with new season items like shoes and jewellery adding more individualism to your look.
So... go forth and purchase classic items at bargain prices at your local charity shop or outlet shopping precinct. Let me know what you find!
I have an outfit that I am loving right now. It is cute. It is comfortable. It looks fresh. It is 'in'. AND lots of people tell me how great I look in it. Always a bonus.
Just the other day, a wonderful lady, who I used to teach with and who is the most amazing teacher-librarian, commented on how great I looked. Well... I had to smile. I was chuffed that she thought I looked great, I know she was commenting on my slender shape {which it certainly is NOT}, but I think you can make any shape look better with just the right clothes. Honestly, a bit of care and attention to body shape and clothing cut can make the world of difference.
What also made me smile about the comments from my dear chum, was that although this is my favourite outfit of the year, I paid bargain basement prices for it. Check it out.
That is a total of $61. Amazing don't you think? That is half of what I used to pay just for the JEANS! But this outfit includes the shirt, shoes and necklace as well!
I really love clothes and fashion, but right now I am making a lifestyle choice. I want to be home with my kids, I also want time to write and embrace being a housewife. This means that there have to be some pretty intensive budgets put into place. In years past, this would have plummeted me into a pity-me mess, but for this season in my life, I shall embrace it.
I have now started walking more and gardening. How does this save money? Well, it keeps me out of the shops! I don't buy magazines. Why? Well, then I don't see all the things that 'they' say I MUST have. I love St Vinnies and Life-line, the prices are great and I get things that are unique to me. That is cool.
Thank you to my lovely teacher-librarian dear friend. I loved that you said I looked good. I certainly don't FEEL as if I look good - but I am faking it until I make it! Mwah!
Some of my gal pals have been talking about a website. I decided to have a peek into it today and was amazed. You have got to check it out. It is called Birdsnest. Very cool.
The birdsnest girls believe that the way you look can change the way you feel, and that can change your life!
What do I like about it?
Well, it is clean and white and really easy to manouvre around in. There are lots of great brands to look at and lots of things to see and do with each brand of clothing. It is also Australian, which is so cool!
I love the 'Styled Outfits' tab. This is where you can select your body shape, occasion and personality, a selection of outfits will be compiled. Very cool.
Let me show you some of the outfits that I like... because I can... because it is my blog...
Above: These are a selection of outfits for a Yummy Mummy with a Tummy. I like that I already have some of these items in my wardrobe. Other personalities I could select: Study Styled, Party Mood and Classic Woman. Very handy indeed. You can also select your different body shapes from Tall to Big Hips and Cankles {I really love that word!}
Above: These are outfits that would suit a petite 'Yummy Mummy'. I have short legs and a short torso, so in some cases I am considered 'petite', which is nice. If I can find petite jeans or trousers, I don't need to get them taken up which is refreshing.
It is handy to have this little reference guide to have a look at before hitting the shops and wondering what the heck to look for first (if you were not going to buy the clothes from Birdsnest of course). Great selection of colours and looks too. I love the names given to each look, very cute touch.
You can also shop by colour, size, and occasion. They have things for men, women, kids and even maternity. It is an amazing source of fashion brands in one spot. How cool to be able to look at so many of my favourite brands and not need to rest my sore feet!
This site is well worth a peek. Don't be put off by some of the prices though. Firstly, they have a sale tab and secondly, we all know that shopping is about getting ideas and finding the best item of clothing to suit us. So, even for a bit of a poke around to see which shade of orange is in for the season, Birdsnest is a great fashion tool.
Anna really loved the post I did about Scarves... She said she wanted more things like this. Unfortunately, there is only one amazing youtube clip like that that I can find... So I thought I would take a bit of license and talk about fashion trends coming up for Spring...
The advantage of being in the Southern Hemisphere is that Spring comes here half a year after our Northern counterparts. So, in the middle of a freezing bleak winter, one can snoop through European and American fashion shows and get a glimpse of what to start looking forward to wearing when the weather warms up.
After spending a lot of time trawling through youtube clips about everything from the New York and London Fashion Weeks as well as loads of teenagers putting together their own 'lookbooks' {shudder}- I thought this clip summed up the coming trends in the most concise way...
Here is a basic wrap up of things to look out for in Spring 2011
5. Hats - Fedora or Bowler Hats - I think these are cool and edgy. A hat gives a fresh new look to outfits.
4. Neutrals - I think these look chic and classy when worn with blocks of bright colours. My sister has a darling pair of neutral shoes that may go missing one night while she sleeps...
3. Faux Fur - collars, cuffs, hats, this is going to be big apparently. It must not be as cruel to harm a muppet than a fox....
2. Comfort - thank goodness! I am looking forward to the relaxed, easy to wear wardrobe that is versatile and able to be dressed up or down
1. Wide Leg Pants - clearly those in the know of fashion do not have any idea of just how painful it was for me to find a decent pair of skinny jeans to wear with my new tan knee high boots... Or that I have short legs, so wide leg make me look all out of proportion. Sigh...
Fashion does frustrate me you know. Those in the know tell us that the new Seasons colours are brights and beiges. The new shoe is a wedge. The jean for the season has a wide leg. The dress is floral etc etc.
I don't know about you, but I don't actually buy a new shoe for every season, I choose carefully and aim to get a shoe that I can wear for at least two seasons {ie Spring & Sumer etc}. When I buy accessories, like a handbag, I am not thinking that I will only wear/use those items for the 12 weeks that they are 'in' {unless I can get them at a great price}. I can't actually justify buying a new pair of jeans simply because the style has changed. And to be honest, who can afford this?
So, my advice for Spring is... Just choose bits and bobs from the list above and spruce up your wardrobe that way. I am hoping that my trusty classic items that I have in my stash will be able to be adapted to look modern and fresh. I didn't wear my Summer clothes last year as I had a brand new baby and wore clothes that are now too big {yay for B!}. So I am looking forward to pulling my Summer things out and seeing what I need to add to snazz up my look for Spring.
A very stylish friend shared a tip with me a while ago. This tip has really helped me realise that keeping up with fashion does not mean you have to shop in the exclusive stores. Her tip: she simply looks at the websites of her favourite brands and takes note of what they are doing. Then, she looks through K-mart and Target and tries to find similar items for a much more reasonable price. I have tried this, and department stores are copying the big designers and filling their stores with items that are eerily similar to their more exclusive counterparts.
So, keep your eyes peeled for those 5 items above and see how you can add them to your wardrobe.
Here are some websites you might want to check out for some inspiration for Spring Fashion.... Enjoy dreaming of having bare arms again!
Country Road - classic styling, great colours. I think I might have to justify buying the red striped t-shirt.
Jag - more classic styling, quite relaxed and easy to wear items involving lots of denim.
I have always wanted to be cool. As a child I used to dream of leaving my life, moving to somewhere glamourous and returning to my roots .... cool. You know the 'right' sunglasses, fabulous shoes, just the right haircut and clothes that made others wish bad things against you. Unfortunately, I was raised by parents who by their own definition thought they were cool and I really thought they were cool. I thought it was cool that my dad wore scuff sandals with long socks to church, I thought it was cool that my mum used to wear tartan trousers...... Where is the foundation for hope for someone who dreams of being cool?
Some of this tale is true... I did leave my home town, moved to the Sunshine Coast (pretty cool) then moved to London (very cool) and then returned to my hometown. Was I glamourous? Was I hip? No, I was pregnant.... A lovely friend described me as a Walvus Vrouw, he kindly looked up a Dutch dictionary to find just the right words to call me a Whale Woman in my parent's native tongue. Not cool, at this point.
I have since been on a journey of discovering who I am, again. Things do change once you have had kids... Size changes (down for me, ha ha ha), budget changes and of course, fashion changes. I am trying to work out how to not only be cool, but happy and how to make this contagious. Thus, this blog. I want to share my quest for coolness and how life turns one's best intentions a-about.
