Fashion Archives - Page 19 of 26

Posts Tagged ‘Fashion’

Styling Session with Nicole from The Builder’s Wife

July 28, 2015 / Lifestyle / 36 Comments

Styling clients is one of my favourite parts of the styling business. I used to do a lot more of it before I had my girls, and these days, I offer my services sporadically when the opportunity arises.

I saw on my blogging friend Nicole’s Facebook page (The Builder’s Wife) that she needed ideas for an outfit to wear to two functions. I messaged her immediately and asked if I could help. We made a date to meet at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre with my two youngest girls in tow to get Nicole an outfit to suit both occasions.

We headed to Myer and I knew Cue and Review would have the styles of dresses that would suit Nicole’s figure and style. Usually when I take a client shopping, without kids, I would be in and out of the change room taking dresses back and finding new dresses to try. But on that day we collected a huge range of dresses to take into the change room. I busied myself giving advice and keeping my girls entertained with food. I then made the fatal mistake of taking Phoebe out of the pram because she was getting whingy and wanted to be free. She was happy to sit and play with the pram. She crawled into the free fitting rooms and played with the door. While I was attending to Nicole, Phoebe made a mad dash and crawled out of the change rooms into Myer. I panicked because I couldn’t see her and Myer is a pretty big store. Nicole quickly chucked some clothes on so she could help me find Phoebe. Thankfully, it was only a minute or so that Phoebe came crawling back after an expedition around the rack of clothes in the Basque section, right next to the change rooms. Phoebe was promptly placed in the pram after that!

My girls playing in the Myer change room.

In the meantime we found this winning dress by Cue. This dress ticked all the right boxes in terms of colour, cut and style for Nicole.

The winning dress

We tried a few other shops in the centre, but nothing compared to this dress. It worked with what Nicole already owned in her wardrobe – a black blazer and pumps.

Nicole in her Jacket and Pumps

Worn without the jacket

I love how Nicole got her hair styled to match with her look. She looked beautiful and I’m so glad I got to help her in a practical way.

If you are after a styling session to find an outfit for a special occasion I am happy to assist. I offer a reduced styling rate if I bring my girls along for the styling session and can feature your outfit on the blog. Feel free to contact me for further info.

What do you think of Nicole’s look? Have you ever shopped with a Stylist?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

What I wore in Melbourne

June 16, 2015 / Style tips / 30 Comments

I went to Melbourne for the weekend to attend the Kidspot Voices of 2015 Masterclass. I knew I had to pack warm clothes so I planned on taking a simple black, white and red palette to make packing easier. We were only going away for two nights, but I didn’t want to overpack as whenever I travel with a baby I find I need the extra room to pack baby stuff.

One tip I suggest you do before packing for a trip is to try on the clothes you are going to wear before you pack them into your bag. This proved to be a wise tip as the skirt I was going to wear to the Masterclass wouldn’t do up so I had to think of an alternative. I’m thankful I didn’t just chuck clothes into my case because that would have been a disaster.

Flying down to Melbourne I chose to wear a simple black long sleeved top with my Katies jeans, a tartain scarf and beret.

On the day of the Masterclass I chose to wear my Charlie Dress from Bohemian Traders with a faux fur vest from Dotti and my brown Sandler boots which I wore down the previous day. I didn’t take any other shoes for the trip.

Flying home, I work dark denim jeans, a black long sleeve tee and my possum wool jumper from New Zealand. The jumper is too warm to wear in a Brisbane winter so I was glad I got some wear out of it in Melbourne.

Jacob surprised me with a necklace from Tiffany and Co as a combined wedding anniversary gift and a simple gesture of congratulations for The Plumbette reaching Alumni. I love the length of the necklace and it matches well with the key chain I got for my 30th Birthday.

This was the first time I didn’t specifically buy a new outfit to wear to a blogging function, although I did come to purchase the Charlie dress from Bohemian Traders on a recent spend and save sale. It’s on sale again for 2 days with 30% off the Charlie range online. I love the dress because it is much longer than other dresses from Bohemian Traders which I’ve found have been much too short for my liking. I had a few bloggers check me out because the dress was on their wish list. Now’s the time to purchase it if you are keen on owning this dress in your wardrobe.

How good are you packing for a short trip away? Do you pack too many clothes or not enough?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

How do you afford new clothes when you’re a stay-at-home mum?

June 2, 2015 / Fashion / 43 Comments

One of the first items to be taken off a tight budget is new clothes for mum. To survive on one wage, clothes suddenly become a luxury than a need and it can be hard to justify spending money on mum when her clothes get covered in all sorts of wonderful body fluids from their kids.

But new clothes shouldn’t be seen as a luxury. If there is a general need for new items because of a change in size or a mishap from being placed in the washing machine or whatever the reason, there needs to be funds available to make new purchases.

I was talking to a Kindy mum last week who made a decision not to buy anything new for a year. She said it was hard and after the full year, her jeans ended up splitting at the crotch. But it gave her an idea of what items she wore the most as a mum and what items needed to be invested in for good quality.

In this constant fashion changing world, there is always going to be cheap options in clothing choices, so it’s wise to invest money in good basics that you wear day in and day out.

But if you can’t afford to do that right now, Target, Kmart and Big W will always offer a range of basics at extremely affordable prices.

So how do you afford new clothes when you’re a stay-at-home mum?

Firstly, I always do a wardrobe edit before I do a shop to know what I need. I’ve been slowly culling pre-children clothes that I had kept in the hope that I would fit back into them again. Some I have fit into again but they just aren’t me anymore or just don’t flatter like they used to. I made a big pile and last week placed a lot of the items on Ebay to make some extra cash to put towards some new purchases.

I noticed a lack in long sleeve tees, a casual jacket that had a bit of extra warmth, but not too warm for our Brisbane Winters and some long sleeved winter dresses.

I had been eyeing off a few long sleeve dresses from Bohemian Traders so their spend and save promotion came just at the right time for me. Here is one purchase.

Wearing Bohemian Traders Contrast Pleated Yoke Dress

I also made use of the clickfrenzy sale that happened online a few weeks ago where I got 2 long sleeved tees for $10 each.

Despite not specifically having a budget for clothes, since I’ve started to earn some money, I put this in a separate account to use towards clothes and shoes purchases. Even if you don’t earn any income, putting a small amount like $10 away each week or even $5 can accumulate to quite a bit.

We are now coming into the mid-season and end of financial year sales, so it’s going to be a great time to purchase some of those much needed items on your list.

It’s best to start thinking now about what money you can put aside to invest in some clothes for yourself if you’re a mum. Some ideas may include getting a grocery shop down one week so you can have some funds to go shopping, or sell some clothes on Gumtree or Ebay and use that money to purchase the new clothes.

Another way, if your department store will allow it on sale items, is to put the clothes on layby and pay them off each week. We often live in a “I need it NOW” mind frame and in most circumstances, we can put off our purchases if we saved or paid them off in small installments.

If you live on one wage, how do you afford to buy new clothes? Do you have any tips you could share with us all?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

How to dress for a Brisbane Autumn

May 5, 2015 / Style tips / 17 Comments

There aren’t many weeks left in Autumn, but I wanted to write (and remind myself) how to dress for a Brisbane autumn, because a few weeks ago I got caught by getting hot in the middle of the day and not being able to change my outfit because I’d worn a long sleeve top. During autumn and winter in Brisbane, the mornings are cool but by midday it’s warm and it’s important to dress in a way where the layers can be peeled off.

Unlike most cities in Australia, Brisbane can have a mild autumn and winter. Sometimes we will get 1 week of possibly windy cold weather and the jackets and thick knit jumpers come out, but usually the cold can be handled with the right selection of layers.

I thought I’d share some of the outfits I’ve worn in the last week to give you inspiration on how to dress for a Brisbane autumn so you don’t get caught out like I did. And if you live elsewhere in Australia, these outfits can be layered for extra warmth.

A tunic style dress always works in autumn because it can be layered over tights or leggings and skinny leg jeans. I like a 3/4 sleeve style, and if I need extra warmth, just add a jacket or cardigan.

Tunic Style Dress with tights and boots

I have a big selection of cardigans and I apologise for the quality of the photo, but you get the picture. I have a grey, red (as pictured), black and white cardigan that can be layered with different outfits depending on the colour combination I’m wearing that day.

Cardigan

A kimono is another layer that can add warmth during Autumn and it’s the type of layer that can stay on all day. To make a kimono warmer, add a long sleeve tee underneath, although if you do this, make sure it’s done in winter where the long sleeves won’t be too hot.

Kimono

A cape is another favourite piece of mine that can be layered in winter. This is a maxi cape and if I wanted to make it warmer, I would wear a long sleeve tee underneath.

Cape

A thicker scarf is the perfect accessory during a Brisbane Autumn. I did find by lunchtime, I was warm enough to take it off, but don’t underestimate the scarf when out and about. It can be draped around your neck or you can turn it into a winter cape by using this tutorial here.

Wear a thicker scarf during Autumn

How do you dress in Autumn? What clothes do you typically reach out for in Autumn?

I’m linking with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

How to modernise grandma fashion

April 28, 2015 / Style tips / 16 Comments

Last week when I shared about my check shirt purchase from Millers, I didn’t share my second purchase which was this blanket cape. When I picked it up I asked my mum if it looked like something my grandma would wear. It has the potential to look old lady like depending on how it’s styled.

Yesterday, the weather turned cool enough for me to wear my new blanket cape. To modernize my grandma fashion purchase, I teamed it with a navy stripe long sleeve tee.

If you ever want to modernize an outfit – add stripes . The pattern is universally classic and providing it has the same colours in the layered pieces, it won’t look dowdy. If you can’t add stripes, add a piece that is trending and you will find it will lift up the outfit.

Blanket capes are a big trend this season. They’re really just a winterized kimono. Most of the styles are in a plaid pattern. I haven’t seen many in different patterns like the one I purchased from Millers. That may be why I was attracted to it. And it’s promotional price of $18.

If you’re looking to purchase something for mum this Mother’s Day, a blanket cape may be the perfect gift because it’s one size fits all and can be used all through out winter. It may be a fad like the snuggy, but for me, I’m happy to wear my blanket cape to add interest and layers to my winter outfits.

Have you got a blanket cape yet? What do you think of this style of cape?

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