australia day

At the end of last year, like many of you, I received an invite to an end of year barbecue.  Now, with no dress code anywhere to be seen on the invite, and having never attended this particular annual event before, I assumed it was your traditional Australian summer attire - men in terrible shorts with way too many pockets, a faded Mambo t-shirt or two circa 1993, shiny polyester polo shirts proclaiming the wearers' sporting allegiances, Kmart thongs, Crocs, too tight singlets revealing bra straps and bulges - you know, the usual.  

I arrived at said event wearing what I thought was a rather swish kaftan top and a pair of wide leg summer pants.  Casual but elegant.  Perfect, right?  Wrong.  Entering the room became one of those moments you have nightmares about.  There was no DJ or music of any kind, and yet I swear I heard the screech of a record coming to an abrupt end as heads turned to stare.  It is entirely possible there was even a spotlight to highlight my shame.  You seen, unbeknownst to me the event was actually formal.  We are talking women in cocktail dresses and men in long pants and shirts with collars and cuffs.  We are talking wine glasses and silverware.

The question of in what kind of parallel universe are barbecues formal is only superseded by the question why wasn't this aberration of social convention printed on the invitation?  Or at the very least, why wasn't the new chic warned about this little oddity?  Needless to say, I have just added this wonderful episode to my ever growing list of humiliating moments.

Wanting to spare all others this kind of embarrassment, and with Australia Day - the official day of the barbecue in our great southern land - fast approaching, I thought I would put together a few possible looks to help get you through this patriotic season.

For those of you who have never been brave enough, I highly recommend a trip to Dangerfield.  It can be a bit intimidating to enter this little treasure trove for first time thanks to the ultra-cool vibe and salespeople with rainbow coloured hair, but it is worth it, especially if you're after something a bit quirky or pieces with a vintage edge.  As an added bonus, at the moment Dangerfield is having a minimum 50% off all sale items both online and in store.

I have always been a huge fan of the sun dress, particularly those with a nod to the 1950s.  I purchased this little beauty the other day and I can't wait to wear it with a pair of wedges.  Add a thick black belt around the waist and a pair of kitten heels and you're ready for a day at the office, and don't we all love clothes that do double duty.    

revival bells of st clements dress

Simple, easy but still totally gorgeous, this shift dress comes in two colourways - blue (see picture below) and green.  The little peter-pan collar is totally adorable and a perfect hemline means you shows just enough leg to be a tad flirty.  The lack of defined waistline also means those couple of extra beers will be kept firmly under wraps.  Keep in mind the fit of this one is much smaller, especially around the bust area.

revival sunday shift dress

I am not a huge playsuit/romper fan.  I firmly believe that they are pieces meant for the sandpit, not for grown up women, however I am aware that are those out there that love them.  So for those of you prepared to get fully undressed to sit on a toilet, this is a particularly cute romper, and it's on sale for $44 (originally $88).

revival rosella romper

There is heaps of 'Friends of Couture' items currently on sale at Dangerfield, so if your look is classic with a hint of quirky, check out what's currently available.  I love the nautical theme of this little knitted top.  Mix it with jeans, a cute pair of shorts or even a little flip skirt this Australia Day.

friends of couture manhattan beach rapture top

For those who feel the need to plaster themselves with the Australian flag this year, just promise me you'll avoid those classic t-shirts boldly proclaiming, "Love it or leave it" or anything equally as intellectually complex.  

Oh, and if the event you're holding this Australia Day is going to be formal one, put it on the bloody invitation.


     

     

bag a bargain

With Christmas, Chanukah and general end-of-year gift giving season fast approaching, here are two events that will help discerning shoppers snaffle a bargain.

For those interested in purchasing a bit of bling for either themselves or as gifts (and what self-respecting fashionista isn't?), head down to Siri Designs Summer Jewellery Night on Thursday November 29th from 8pm.  Siri Designs stocks a range of unique pieces, either handmade or personally selected by Siri herself.  You can check out some of what is stocked on the company's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SiriDesigns 

For more info about the night email siri@siridesigns.com.au

As an Oroton devotee, I can highly recommend signing up for the O-List.  Oroton will then send you great offers on their products, including advance knowledge of their amazing outlet sales.  At the moment, Oroton is holding a 'Family & Friends' sale, which allows O-List members 50% off everything in store and online.  You really can't beat that!

What are you waiting for?  Stop reading and get out there and grab yourself a summer bargain!

style bar

Over the past two days Chadstone the Fashion Capital has once again cemented itself as *the* Melbourne shopping centre for the fashion conscious by hosting a Spring Racing Style Bar, providing FREE 15 minute styling sessions full of tips to help look fabulous for the upcoming spring racing carnival. 

Ashley from Burberry Beauty at David Jones was providing makeovers, noting that race-goers this season would be wearing bright lips in everything from fire-engine reds to intense plum colours.  If you're going to go with this trend, stick with smokey eyes in neutral tones.  Avoid pairing bringht lips with coloured eyeshadow unless the tent you're heading for is the big top.

As every girl knows, a bad hair day can ruin even the best outfit, so many were flocking to the amazing Campell Ritchie who was tending to tresses of all lengths and colours and giving advice on how to ensure your hair lasts as long as you do on race days.

Melbourne Milliner Melissa Jackson was on hand to help choose the perfect headpieces to go with race day outfits, while stylists Franco Schifilliti and Anika Walker were giving individual expert advice about how to marry personal style with on-trend, showstopping looks.

Franco emphasised that 'co-ordinating' does not mean 'matching'.  Would-be fashionistas should be looking achieve a "total balance" with their look.  To do this, Franco recommends never combining more than three colours in a single outfit.  Anika and Franco agree that this season is all about colour, colour and more colour (yay!) along with a healthy dose of prints. 

Accessories came from a range of stores including Portmans, Colette, Wittner and Rubi Shoes and highlighted the focus on bright colours and embellishment.

What did Anika choose for the Cheeky Fashionista?

seduce bliss cap sleeve dress

I must admit, not a piece I ever would have chosen myself, but I guess that's the point of a style bar - to push us out of our comfort zone and into a whole other world of fashion possibilities!
 

the challenge

Spring is officially in the air and with it comes some pretty important events on the Australian fashion calendar.  We've just seen Melbourne's Spring Fashion Week and as I type the Perth Fashion Festival is underway.  Melbourne's Spring Racing Carnival is certainly a reason to head to the shops and discover what is on offer.  But for Year 12 students (and their teachers!), Spring is also about graduation ceremonies, dinners and a whole raft of other events associated with the end of the school year.

For those young ladies about to graduate from the clutches of High School, the challenge of what to wear to these functions can be a difficult one.  Many seek something youthful and fashionable, but understand that this is not the occasion for leather mini-skirts and mid-drift tops. How to meet the modesty criteria without looking like you are swathed in your mother's hand-me-downs can be a difficult task. 

So, in an effort to help all the wonderful young ladies I am lucky enough to teach this year, I have searched around and come up with a few options for those seeking something stylish that won't make daddy blush.



ted baker

I adore this Ted Baker dress.  Its has a vintage feel thanks to its cinched waist and full skirt.  The floral print gives it quite a prim feel, but that is offset by the sweetheart neckline.  The book-a-holic in me loves the fact that the print resembles pages torn from an old-style botanical guide.

country road

This 'Spliced Dress' from Country Road is a clean, modern look that is available in two colourways.  I like its simplicity and subtlety.  I also love the potential in a piece that could be so easily dressed-up or dressed-down.


cue

Cue's 'Spiked Orchid' dress has a fitted bodice and is made of contrasting panels of sateen, satin and georgette.  Featuring a full skirt and details such as pleated sleeves, this number is slightly avant garde thanks to the print and the combination of fabrics.

morrison

Morrison is one of my favourite brands.  The label originated in Freemantle, WA and all garments are still designed and produced in Australia.  Designs are organic and evoke a classic simplicity and effortless elegance.  The 'Maddie' shift dress is a timeless and beautiful piece.  Wear with a stunning pair of shoes and minimal accessories.

leona edmiston

For some 50s inspired glamour you can't go past Leona Edmiston.  The 'Hazel' shirt dress features a full pleated skirt and fitted 3/4 sleeves.  No need for much in the way of accessories - let the gorgeous ikat print be the statement.

thurley

And just because I'm kind of obsessed by Thurley at the moment and because lace is experiencing a massive comeback, my final suggestion is the 'Lady Lace' dress.  Made from fine French lace, this exquisite and very ladylike design features a full skirt accentuated by layers of featherweight tulle.  Perfect for a twenty-first century fairytale princess.     

fashion vs. style

I should have been focused on the runway.  There was so much to see - cobalt blues, graphic prints, embellishments.  But I have never been very good at doing what I am meant to do.  Here I was - first assignment as official blogger for Chadstone 2012 Spring/Summer season and I was more focused on those in my immediate surroundings than the lithe and perfectly coiffed beings floating down the runway in the latest fashions.

I guess for me fashion has always been about wearability.  So, while some six foot tall size two glamazon might look amazing in something, the stark reality is even if we purchase the identical items, most of us mere mortals will look vastly different than the walking mannequin being paraded before us.  So for the Cheeky Fashionista, while the Vogue Australia Runway Show presented some breathtaking creations, ever the pragmatist, I was more intrigued by what 'real people' were wearing.  This was revealed in spades at the Australian Designer Cocktail Party.  

Chadstone, Vogue Australia and Laurent-Perrier put together an outstanding 'do' - an elegant and classy club smack bang in the middle of a shopping centre complete with a DJ spinning the decks.  Gorgeous looking hors d'oeuvres, lovely Laurent-Perrier bubbly and of course, a smattering of Melbourne's beautiful people.

However amongst the beautiful people and the bubbly were also some who confused fashion with style. 

Now let me say straight away that I am certainly not the most attractive human being to ever walk the earth.  I am uber-short, too rounded in some areas, and not rounded enough in others.  My nose is too wide, my jaw too square and thanks to an often incomprehensible love of teaching, I lack the means to robe myself in the labels I covet.  But I do my best.  And most importantly, I don't kid myself.

Lycra mini-skirts might be in vogue, but I am acutely aware of the fact that thanks to short and relatively stubby legs if I chose to don one I would look less like Rachel Zoe and more like a slutty oompa loompa.  Likewise, while I adore the embellishments being used by designers like Sass & Bide and Manning Cartell this season, I need to be selective with my use of it to ensure I don't end up looking like something one should hang on their Christmas tree this December. 

That's why I love this little number:


sass & bide

Separates always appeal to me, because while I can't see myself stepping out in the full ensemble, one of the two pieces would certainly work as a way to update a classic other half.  The top half would work beautifully as a companion to an existing pair of black pants, skirt or even a pair of jeans.

Likewise, these gorgeous pieces from Thurley:

thurley

Either the shirt or the skirt could be worn to update a range of other items already sitting in your wardrobe. 

There was one dress that caught my eye and I have the distinct feeling this beauty would make me, and any other woman, feel like the fairytale princess most of us dream of being at one point or another.

adolfo dominguez

Adolfo Dominguez is a Spanish label that has been around since the 1970s and now has over 600 boutiques globally.  Its Chadstone store opened late in 2011.  Complete with the simple but sparkly Oroton mini clutch, this look embodies modern romance.

I view runways and the images designer bring us as something we should take inspiration from, not slavishly follow.  Truly stylish individuals borrow from the latest looks, knowing what works for them and what doesn't.  Truly stylish individuals don't look like walking advertisements for a particular label, they advertise themselves and their own unique sense of style.

Truly stylish individuals know that looking like a slutty oompa loompa is never 'in'.