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Archive of ‘Style tips’ category

Lace Kimonos

February 25, 2015 / Style tips / 12 Comments

I went in to Target to get a new DVD (which had sold out) and as I passed the women’s fashion section I saw this black lace kimono. I had seen it previously but had held off purchasing it. But on Saturday I relented because there weren’t many sizes left and I reasoned the purchase made use of the time I took to go there even though I didn’t get what I was after.

This lace kimono comes in cream, but I purchased the black because I think it’s more versatile and would work as a great layer over a cocktail dress in Autumn. The tassel hem adds a bit of 1920’s flare to the kimono.

Black Lace Kimono from Target

When I wore it on Sunday, I went with the monochrome look and layered it over a black tee and white capris from Katies. A drop pendant necklace was all that was needed to bring the outfit together. I can see these kimonos working well with distressed denim. I am in need of a pair of distressed jeans but have held off as I start my new lifestyle plan to lose my baby weight. No point buying new jeans that will eventually sag at the bum.

The kimono is $35 and available in store and online. I’m considering buying the cream one too.

Do you like to wear lace? Have you jumped on the kimono/cape bandwagon yet?

I’m linking up with Kimba Likes for Wardrobe Wednesday.

What to keep from your work wardrobe when you become a mum

February 17, 2015 / Style tips / 10 Comments

When you become a stay-at-home mum, your work clothes tend to sit on one side of your wardrobe gathering dust. You hang on to them because you know that you will be going back to work after your maternity leave. But for mums like myself, you change careers or decide to be a stay-at-home mum which means that work wardrobe is no longer required.

I recently had a question from a friend about what clothes to keep from your work wardrobe when you become a mum and here are my suggestions

Black pant suit. Every wardrobe should have a black blazer and black pants. The Blazer can be worn to dress up jeans and the pants are a great alternative for a smart outfit out with a dressy top. If the Blazer is a boxed in style or no longer fits, donate it or sell it. The pants also need to be a slim fit. If you can’t fit into it post baby or your body shape has changed, donate it.
White Shirt. Whether it’s a long sleeve or short sleeve, white shirts are a versatile top in your wardrobe. If it can’t be done up at the bust post baby, wear a white singlet underneath and wear the shirt open. If it is discoloured, get rid of it and make a note of buying a white shirt later on to replace it.
Tops that can be incorporated into your casual wardrobe. Not all workplaces have a strict corporate wardrobe. You may have tops that work well worn smartly with black pants or casually with denim shorts. Only you can determine if these tops will work so be as ruthless as you like. Remember that once you become a mum, you will get marks and stains on your tops so having a few spare tops will be handy.
Scarves & Accessories. I often do a yearly stocktake of my accessories and get rid of any that haven’t been worn in a year. Use the same technique like the last tip by deciding if the accessories can work for your every day wardrobe. If they can’t consider whether you would wear them on a night out?
Shoes. During pregnancy feet can go up a size. Post pregnancy, your foot size may go back to what it was, but if you have had multiple children in quick succession, you may find like me, you go up a size and a half. Those shoes may not fit you anymore so it’s best to donate them or sell them if they are in good condition.

When I changed careers to become a plumber, my work clothes stayed in my wardrobe for over FOUR years. Some items I just never wore even going out on weekends, or I put on weight which meant I couldn’t fit back into them. Any clothes that were brand names like Review, Cue and Veronika Maine I sold online and others I donated to my local charity. The money I made on my work clothes was then used to buy everyday basics for my smart casual wardrobe.

Do you still have corporate work clothes hanging in your wardrobe? Had a clean out recently?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

Print Clash: How to wear Polka Dots and Stripes

February 11, 2015 / Style tips / 12 Comments

I have been trying to get more out of my wardrobe by coming up with new outfits. This is sometimes hard to do when you already know what outfits will work well together. I have found that I gravitate towards these on a weekly basis because I don’t have time to think about anything else on a morning when getting Esther ready for Kindy with a toddler and baby needing to be changed and fed at the same time.

I haven’t bought any clothes recently because the budget doesn’t allow for any new purchases at the moment so I have been looking through my wardrobe and trying to see what I can come up with.

Today the weather is cooler in Brisbane and it’s the perfect day to wear a scarf. I chose to wear my Bohemian Traders Stripe Tee with my red polka dot scarf.

How to wear polka dots and stripes

The pattern clash works because of the common colour red in both the top and the scarf.

I’m finding clashing prints are helping me get more out of my wardrobe. In my experience, pattern clashes work best with a common colour in both pieces. I also try to balance each clash with one busy print and one simple print. For example I wear a simple stripe tee as the simple print and a busy paisley print for my pants.

The polka dot and stripe clash are two simple prints but they work well because of the equal red and white combination in the scarf and tee.

Are you a print clash fan? Do you prefer polka dots or stripes or BOTH?

I’m linking up with Kimba Likes for Wardrobe Wednesday.

How to wear pastels without looking pasty

February 3, 2015 / Style tips / 22 Comments

Pastels are hard to wear unless you suit the summer palette of colours where pastels are your best friends.

But just because they are hard to wear doesn’t mean they should be avoided altogether.

For me being fair, I suit pastels with an icy tone or an underlying blue tone in the colour.

Sometimes this can be hard to tell if you are shopping online which is pretty much how I do my clothes shopping these days.

So how can you incorporate pastels into your wardrobe without looking pasty?

It’s all about what you team your pastels with and the two hero neutrals that make you pastels soar are white and grey.

Grey is the most flattering colour for most people. It’s mix of black and white in the one shade means it compliments pastels very well.

I have worked on some outfits using current pieces in the market to give you ideas on how to incorporate pastels into your wardrobe if it’s a trend you want to participate it.

First up we have a hint of mint teamed with a grey tee, white pants and black accessories.

1. Mimco Sunglasses Horizon Sunglasses $99.95

2. Witchery Short Sleeve Split Hem Grey Tee $39.95

3. Mimco Scarf Cheetahmaton Scarf $69.95

4. Colette Hayman Baby Travel Bag $69.99

5. Katies Uplifting Ankle Grazer $49.95

6. Tony Bianco Marti Slide $60.00

The next outfit combines two pastel colours together with a grey base in the skirt.

1. Witchery Woven Front Tank $59.95

2. Sussan Pink Solid Scarf $19.95

3. Colette Hayman Tassel Bead Necklace $12.95

4. Tony Bianco Ferrage Sandal $40.00

5. Witchery Knotted Rib Skirt $129.95

6. Colette Hayman Paige Disc Tote $49.95

What is your favourite pastel colour? Do you wear pastels often? I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

Work Wear Ideas for Back to Work Mums

January 28, 2015 / Style tips / 6 Comments

The days when I wore office attire to work was over 8 years ago! EIGHT years ago.

I loved my work wardrobe and I had fun putting outfits together. When I became a plumber it was navy cotton drill pants and shirt day in and day out. While I don’t necessarilly long for those days back at work, I do sometimes wish I could dress up a little for a job. I guess this is why I try and put effort into my #everydaystyle outfits and when I go out on the weekend (which has been rare since having baby number three).

Anyway, I digress.

If you’re heading back to work after a long stint being a stay-at-home-mum you may find your wardrobe bare of work worthy attire. It’s also a time when you have a limited budget because of childcare fees, back to school expenses and possibly an incredibly high credit card bill from Christmas spending.

With this in mind I have created this capsule wardrobe with the most expensive piece being $140 and these items are available for purchase online or in stores. Don’t feel pressured to buy expensive brands to look the goods. You can create amazing outfits for little money. Back in the day when I worked in an office, most of my work wear came from Sussan, Rockmans, Kmart and Temt. (When I shopped at Temt I was pre-baby size 12!)

The size options in this work wardrobe go to a size 20 for most pieces.

The biggest issue when it comes to work wear is making your outfits look interesting and not blending into a sea of black and white. Black and white are good staples, but incorporating a bit of colour and pattern goes a long way in creating super stylish work outfits.

In this capsule wardrobe, there are 7 outfits that can all be intermixed and changed to create many more outfits depending on your preference for mixing prints or not.

I’ve only included one pair of shoes that will work with the whole wardrobe because by the time you’ve bought the clothes, not much is left for shoes. These Target shoes are a great versatile buy for $40 and once you start working and have a bit more cash to spend, you can upgrade them. Shoes worn to work get a really good work out and I found I was replacing my work shoes at least once a year.

The outfit ideas can be seen by their vertical placement and then you can mix the tops with the bottoms depending on your preference. I’ve included a mix of current trends including graphic prints, florals, bright colour and stripes.

Here are my Work Wear Ideas for Back to Work Mums