Say you ran into me in my hometown, just ducking to the shops or going about my day on a Friday when I have the entire day to myself, what do you think I’d be wearing? Sometimes I’d almost guarantee you’d walk right past me, not recognising the girl in the flip flops with hair messily dragged on her head… Most the time you’d find me wearing something like this.
Jumper, at the moment, with a skater skirt, boots and a scarf when I want to liven up the black on black that I love so much. Sometimes it’s a slogan t-shirt tucked into the skirt. But always, always it’s relaxed and more than a little laid back. That’s what I like about it. It’s me.
I know a lot of folks with colder weather are freaking out right now at the bare legs, scarf or no scarf, which has to be cold, right? Well haha NO it isn’t really. I’ve worn this look all winter so far and have only been cold once. Stupid outdoor coffee shop tables in the shade, brrrrr. What can I say, I live in an awesome part of the world. Even if more a little more of an occasion to wear a jacket or real live coat might be nice. I’ll take bare legs any old day of the week.
For some people style is about playing dress-up, creating a look or an outfit that they imagine themselves to be. This can be such a fun, motivating thing to do. To experiment with your style and be someone else even for a moment, to express something that you want to say without saying it. Even if just for that day. And then there are the times that it expresses so perfectly who you are. A simple statement of you’ness. The latter is my favourite.
Tunic Style Jumper – Target Australia (aaaages ago) Waffle Skater Skirt – Boohoo.com Scarf – Cotton On Mirrored Aviators – Shopping Centre Stall Boots – Target Australia
No one can say that I don’t stick with things. When I find something that I like I flog that thing to death. Boyfriend jeans are one such thing. These are from Torrid, and when I originally purchased them I thought they were going to be more of a skinny jean, my go to style. A happy surprise indeed. These are my new go-to jeans.
And what can I say, the 90s girl in me couldn’t resist the boyfriend jeans with the bodysuit thing so here we are. Easily my favourite combination. And I know I say that a lot but it is this combination that saw me put aside my ankle boots {(though it works just as well with boots) and slip on some heels again. Perfect and oh so cool.
As an aside… You know the thing I find difficult about bodysuits with a long torso? Even when I sized up, which I did twice, they are still like wearing a size too small swimsuit, dragging everything down with them. I think I might give them up soon in favour of the normal old tuck.
Anywaaaaaays, moving on, so go ahead and enjoy the Aussie Curves: Denim week, my photos and the submissions from the other ladies. First week of a new challenge year. Fun!
Wow! Another awesome 12 months of challenges for the Aussie Curves ladies draws to a close. I’ve had a great time, did you enjoy following along too? I know that for those of us who were committed to taking it on as a challenge for ourselves, it continued to be that shove we needed to look outside the box when it comes to what we wear.
I took challenge flashback to mean look back at my favourite outfits or posts associated with them. I did consider choosing my favourite theme and creating an outfit around that, but this works for me, and my time poorness at the moment. Are you ready to head down memory lane?
Let’s stroll.
Vulnerable
A post about being who you are and never losing the vulnerability that makes us open and kind human beings, about living your life online and the things, people think it’s ok to say to and about you. And it’s also about stripes. Of course.
A favourite because it’s pattern clash! Derr. And a reminder how far you can come when you relax and go with what you like rather than what other people tell you is ok. 12 months before this post, pattern clash felt like the strangest thing on the planet, now it’s one of my go-to “style” looks.
Featuring my Mum’s plaid jacket of awesome this was the post that launched a thousand “I wish it were mine” sighs. A must see outfit because of the simplicity of it. And point toe red suede shoes HAVE to be a win. Always. Am I right, or am I right?
The first ever bodysuit post on this blog. The first of many, umm yes sort of. This outfit stands out as a favourite to me because it sums up the way I like things to be simple, but beautiful too. And cap-toe heels are the best.
Let’s talk about sexy baby. And we did. It was Valentines Day and I wanted to broach the subject for the first time. So I did it in my bra, of course. Talking sex, confidence and getting what you want. Probably still one of my favourite posts.
I chose this one because it’s a classic ‘me’ outfit. Harem pants, wedges, bumped ponytail. Sure the necklace is a little more bang for your buck than normal but it’s too cool not to love. Plus as a bonus I was attending the Madame Rouge studio opening, so that’s a win.
What’s better than one denim piece in an outfit? TWO denim pieces. Haha. Double denim with a big of Suger branding thrown in. There’s a lot to love about a simple outfit that can take you anywhere and this is one of my favourites.
Talking swimming, getting active and the things that mess with our minds about swimwear. This post not only features an awesome swimsuit, but it has a ‘just do it’ element that Nike would be proud of. Well, worth a read if you’re shy about getting into your swimmers.
Last but certainly not least is an outfit that I love in a challenge theme I know very little about! Festival and I have never seen eye to eye, but I know one thing, I like dressing up like I’m going to one when it comes to a lazy weekend at home. There’s something in that attitude that sums up the Aussie Curves challenges perfectly, for me, sometimes you just have to interpret the theme, give it a shot and see what happens.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my little walk down memory lane. There are some killer posts there that I know you’re going to love. I’ve made them easy to click and open in a new tab so you don’t lose your place here. Plus there’s that giant very pin-able (don’t you think, hmmm., hint hint) collage with all the looks in the one place! Happy browsing.
Which was your favourite? Are there any there you haven’t seen before? Don’t forget to pop over to the other ladies in the challenge and see what their take on the theme was because just like that, another year of challenges are over. Naaaaw. Sad face.
This week’s Aussie Curves challenge was perfect timing. Blue! Excellent, that I can do. I threw on this outfit and grabbed some photos of the weekend and wouldn’t you know it it’s all my favourite blues in one place. Denim and navy. The best. So let’s take a look at the photos taken at our local courthouse. Tricky for outfit details but high on the how cute is my town factor.
I’m wearing my 17 Sundays Sweet Ride Print Dress. This dress, my friends, is something else. Sent to me by the team in a giant parcel full of new season goodness a while back. It was love at first sight when it came to the colours and print. The material is unexpectedly heavy but in a way that has it fall beautifully not smother you. I’m wearing a 22 for the length but a 20 would have fit at the top better. If oversized is your thing, order your regular size.
I’ve been wearing it with tan up until now. NOW I’ve found some flat, pixie looking ankle boots in just the right shade of blue. FINALLY. So I’m wearing it with jackets and tights and on sunny days like today, getting my legs out in the sunshine. I love that moment when you come across something that has been on your list for SO long. And for $13! Especially since I’m still saving my pennies for those Bared Footwear babies.
Sweet Ride Print Dress – 17 Sundays {gifted} Take Me Away Sequin Trimmed Jacket – 17 Sundays {gifted}
Flat Navy Ankle Boots – Big W Australia
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Don’t forget to pop over and visit the other ladies in the link up.
Leather week always ends up pleather week around here. Maybe it’s because my search for THE PERFECT actual leather jacket continues, or because I’m a recent convert to all things leather {you remember this post about Ross from Friends right?} but whatever the reason, pleather is more my thing.
And surprise of all surprises when I through on some clothes Saturday for a quick run around before the races I realised, I’m wearing leather {ish} and I NEED an outfit photo. I made Hubby, literally forced him, off a work site to come home and grab a pic. It’s not the best outfit, I feel like it’s missing something {maybe a fur vest? A necklace, anything!?} but I’m here with a new outfit so that counts.
New hair too, did you notice? Actually I just realised it’s probably a little difficult to see under the hat. Haha. Better luck next time. And there will be a next time, I’ve got a few photos over the weekend to show you all. Yay! Come back Wednesday for the next one, let’s talk about hair then.
Stripe Jumper – Mix Apparel {2012} Laser Cut Leather Skirt – City Chic {similar – not p/leather} Felt Hat – Sportsgirl Ankle Boots – Target Australia {similar}
Is leather making an appearance in your wardrobe? And by leather I mean pleather too obviously.
Date night. Ahhh date night. Date night is something we do a fair bit of around here, why not right? We were just saying last night that it’s been a while since we went out. I’ve promised Hubby a movie or two that we might have missed both playing in our local cinema. Whoops. When it came to this week’s post I knew I wanted to play along, share some of my favourite date night outfits even if we haven’t found the time for much more than takeout on the couch in a while.
It will remind us all, I think, that taking time out to just hang out with the one you love is important. And that totally goes for lady dates too. My cousin Trina and I have one locked in soon. A movie and hot chocolate usually. Sometimes Grill’d. Always popcorn for dinner. Date nights are good for you, I highly recommend them. Have as many date nights as you can.
Now let’s talk outfits.
I’m a fan of casual and comfortable for date nights. You won’t find me in spanx or too high heels. Though for the dates with my husband I will sometimes make an exception just because it’s so much fun to be half a foot taller than he is. HA. I think you can make anything work for date night as long as you feel good in it and it shows. Jeans, dresses, skirts whatever makes you happy. Take a walk down memory lane with me… I’m even a little blonde in some of these. Old school.
Date nights, do you get out much? I hope you do. Date night rocks.
Don’t forget to visit the rest of the Aussie Curves ladies as they show off their date night finest. And if one of my outfits interests you or one of the items of clothing peeks your interest you should be able to click on the image and go to that post for each one. Let me know if there are any issues and I’ll help out where I can with where things are from and such.
My first thought when I saw denim week listed was double denim. Derr. I’m obsessed with all things chambray and denim almost more than my thing for stripes. Almost. So with denim week fast approaching and a cold sucking the life out of me I set aside just the perfect outfit for this post and crossed my fingers I’d get to wear it in time.
And thank goodness for date nights on a Monday because I did. Who can ignore a $7 roast meal right? So out we went and I wore my outfit of double denim awesome in my home town where it isn’t really a fashion thing, it’s a cowboy thing. Haha. Whatever. It totally works.
But hey, it’s double denim so why not. Add a classic boot, some red lippie and life is just easier when you wear double denim. Believe me, I know that there are people out there who this very moment their skin is crawling and they are begging the bad (wo)man to stop. Double denim isn’t everyone’s thing. Like I always say, try it before it knock it, I used to be pretty anti-pattern clashing and now look at me.
I try not to match my denims when wearing double denim, choosing instead to vary the colours and textures. All the one colour denim works beautifully for some, but for me they are never ever perfectly matched and close enough isn’t good enough in this case. I’d rather the difference be noticeable. That’s my double denim hot tip.
But is it just me or does this jacket sort of perfectly match my jeans?
Take Me Away Sequin Jacket {22} – 17 Sundays {gifted} Custom Logo T-Shirt {2XL} – CustomPlus Stiletto Ankle Zip Jeans {22} – Torrid
Blonde Ankle Boots – Bare Foot Tess
My time-saving tip when it comes to getting ready whether it’s in a hurry on that busy workday morning or if you are a little dusty from one heck of a night before is to go with what you know works. When you are short of time stuffing around deciding on a new outfit idea is a waste of time. Reach for the old favourites and get out the door before you know it.
Like on this windy Sunday morning {errr, yesterday} on a balcony on the Gold Coast. That’s exactly what I did. I reached into my overstuffed suitcase and pulled out my ankle boots, my stripe pencil skirt and my Afterglow tee. Simple, effective and a proven winner. A little chilly though. So I pulled on the floral bomber jacket I had just borrowed from Emma and I was done. An easy ponytail and some face on and I was prepared to face the day. If not a little wary of how it would turn out. It had been one heck a weekend so far. I was pretty darn exhausted.
For me the ankle boots work because they drop lower at the front. The pencil skirt works because I love it. The length of the t-shirt makes this outfit easy to wear and comfortable. The jacket worn open is casual and fun and the clashing print makes the whole thing more interesting that if you added a simple black bomber jacket or blazer. And all of it distracts from my tired eyes and second day hair. And that my friends is a win.
Hmmmm, sparkle hey. We’ve had sequins, glam, bling and all things sparklesque in the time since the Aussie Curves challenges started. And me? Well I have a bit of a personal war going on with sequins. I love to hate them and they love to love me so hard it hurts. My arms usually. Scratchy goodness it is not. So sparkle week was eyed off with a distinct wariness from over here where I am.
I had to phone a friend.
Mel. Liv. Desiree. HELP.
Bring me all the sparkles PLEASE I said. And boy oh boy did Mel deliver. But then, you saw her shop that time I shared photos of it, right? Sequin heaven. There was even this killer combo that I was prancing about my house at 2am wearing. So it was a tough call to decide on this flirty, fun skater dress in a foil looking silver fabric. Sooo easy to wear. Stretchy and the flippy skirt is lots of fun. Add stockings and ankle boots and you can’t beat it. If only I had my leather baseball cap already. That would’ve been a total outfit win. (more…)
Now, I had a decision to make… Would I go hipster as in the person or hipster as the style of pants just to be a smarty pants? No brainer for me really. Being long in the torso, hipster pants look a little pornographic on me. It’s awkward really all that belly and butt hanging out everywhere.
So yeah. Hipster-hipster it is. Bring on the chunky knits, plaid, horn rimmed glasses and pork pie hats. I’ve got this. But it turns out I didn’t really. I tried to put together outfit after outfit. I tried the festival style hipster, the vintage style hipster and bit by bit I got more annoyed. I’d give it a miss, I thought.
Then THIS happened.
My take on hipster was always going to be a wee but 90’s inspired. My entire winter wardrobe will probably be the same. I swing somewhere between a Ralph Lauren Rachel from Friends and Liv Tyler’s character in Empire Records. That apparently is my style inspiration this season. So when I put the pieces together I wasn’t surprised to find myself firmly in 90’s territory.
But what was old is new again right?
So I embraced the idea that my hipster look would be very 90’s indeed AND there would be lace up ankle boots, of course. Because I am nothing if not consistent. Try not to be bored! This new season 17 Sundays cut out skirt is AMAZING on. I ummed and ahhed about if it would work for me. Claire from the brand told me to shut up and take it. And she, as usual, was right. I’m wearing the 22 and since there is very little give in the material, the 24 would’ve worked too. I have a long torso, I’m highwaisted and you can see how it sits on me perfectly thanks to this CROP TOP. Yup! Eeek. (more…)
When the Aussie Curves ladies first took on Pattern Clash I was staying with Danielle at her place for a number of events and to just hang out. I mixed a stripe blazer with a chevron’ish dress and felt WAY out of my comfort zone. But I did it, the photos came out beautifully {derrr, thanks Dani} and all was well in the world. In fact, a monster was born. A pattern clash monster of AWESOME. Obviously.
Now I don’t even consider stripes on their own a pattern clash. They are practically a neutral. So when I wore this outfit {without the vest} to breakfast I was still trying to come up with a way to amp up the pattern clashness for dinner with Hubby. My floral blazer was out {the colours are all wrong for matching/clashing with this skirt}. Swapping my shirt for another wasn’t going to work, I had nothing… Then it occurred to me… Chambray, of course! Printed chambray to be exact.
On Saturday night I attended the Aussie Curves meet up in Melbourne. You know, while I was there. It didn’t feel like a Melbourne meet up because bloggers had come from all over the place for Curvy Couture Road Show and they were all keen to party! Well I was keen so I’m pretty sure they were feeling pretty darn keen themselves. When the time came, we dressed, we did a lap or two of a Melbourne city block {stupid driving instructions, not walk} and arrived at the venue a 2 minute walk from our accommodation.
Win!
Liv and Em were even able to run home mid-party to change their shoes and grab my business cards. We were THAT close. We arrived and followed a gorgeous plus model {later we learned it was in fact Chanel, who we had mistaken for Fiona, awkward}. This gorgeous creature led us up about a million stairs to the rooftop bar. We had arrived. Shoot, we’d walked up more stairs than steps back to our apartment. Haha. (more…)
