Latest Obsession: Rich Tones

Burgundy, maroon, wine, rouge noir...whatever one wishes to call it... is an amazing, classy and beautiful colour. I love how rich and regal it looks. I am especially loving the tones with a red, rather than purple, undertone at the moment. Ever since the middle of last year my love for this colour has increased. It was many of the pieces I purchased last winter in this shade, such as my Forever New coat and Wheels and Dollbaby Dita Cardigan, which converted me into loving this colour. Now in the middle of summer, my love for this colour certainly has not diminished. I've never really understood why certain colours are associated with particular seasons. I think burgundy can easily be worn all year round just as black can be worn in summer and pastels can be worn in winter. I recently purchased the flats displayed in this post (unfortunately not the kitty cat ones) from Forever New and it renewed my love for this shade. There are some more pieces coming into the store in burgundy shortly. As the cooler weather approaches, I expect more of the stores to do the same. I'm always looking out for this pretty jewel tone. 

Are you a fan or tones in this realm- burgundy, maroon, wine, rouge noir?

 Photos from: Nelly, ASOS, Michael Kors, Forever New, Kate Spade, Wolf and Badger, 1st Dibs, Charlotte Olympia via net-a-porter

New In

I did some shopping on the weekend and managed to find this beautiful bargain. I love Wittner shoes and, although they start off expensive, they do have some amazing sales. This pretty pair of heels were a quarter of the original price. I remember awhile ago that Wittner introduced a bridal range and this was part of it- this is good because it means they are extra girly! The sparkly detail is lovely and I always adore a pale coloured shoe. I can't wait to wear them for the first time. I hope I find a permanent solution to my ankle injuries because I haven't worn heels much in the past few months. 






Wittner Royce Heels 

Colours of the Year: Rose Quartz and Serenity

I love the Pantone colours of the year for 2016. Rose Quartz and Serenity are very beautiful and a welcomed refreshing choice after the 2015 Masala shade. I certainly wasn't expecting two colours even though they go perfectly together. While the Pantone chosen colour/s certainly don't influence my outfit choices or have much impact in my daily life, I thought it would still be fun to create a couple of sets with these shades especially given that they are very consistent with my style. I've found myself wearing pale blue and pale pink frequently in the past couple of weeks since Kitten D'Amour released the Arabesque Collection which entirely consists of pastel yellow, pink and blue dresses. In fact I just realised that today I wore a pale blue dress from Kitten D'Amour with a pale pink patterned cardigan from Wheels and Dollbaby.  It looks like Rose Quartz and Serenity are already very much a part of my life.

Are you a fan of this shade? 
 

Photos from: Kitten D'Amour, Marks and Spencer, May Kool, Miu Miu via net-a-porter, Chanel, Michael Kors, Pandora, Not on the High Street, Oasis, Alannah Hill, Dior, Luna Bazaar, Florsheim, Yoox.com

Daisy Print

Just a quick post today to show you a few pieces in one of my current favourite designs, which is daisy print. I know I'm not the only one to love all things daisy; it's a print which has made quite an impact in the blog world. It's also been popular for a little while now but, for me, it's not a passing trend because I think I'll like it forever. It follows on from my recent love of yellow; it's a very fun and happy design. I don't have too many daisy items myself but I would like to collect more. It has inspired me to wear my daisy print dress again which I posted here. I've had it for a couple of years and it's still the best. I also have my daisy embellished flats which I posted here. Of course I have my Marc by Marc Jacobs Daisy fragrance and  a daisy collage wouldn't be complete without that. At the top of my daisy wishlist is the beautiful bag in the collage which I also showed you here.

Photos from: Style Bop, Nasty Girl, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ice, Dolly Dagger, Selfridges,  LeBombShop, Kate Spade, Chic Vintage Brides,

Valentine's Day Look

Hi everyone. Just a quick post tonight to show you my dream Valentine's Day outfit! Although my husband and I believe Valentine's Day is very overrated and we usually don't celebrate it, I still like to take the opportunity to dress up. In fact, despite the fact that this outfit is most definitely far out of my price range, I have an exciting outfit planned to wear to work on Valentine's Day. More on that later. I am so in love with this dress from Alice and Olivia. I first posted about it here when I displayed many of my favourite pieces from the Alice and Olivia 2014 Resort Collection. This dress is very magical and stunning. It's such a fun print and I adore the peter pan collar. The contrast between the red and cream is rather romantic. I can't speak highly enough of this dress. Needless to say I have been in love with the Charlotte Olympia kitty cat bags ever since I first saw them. It's my absolute dream bag.  I'd be so forever happy if I had this bag!! How adorable would it be paired with the kitty cat flats? Too cute for words. The flats have been a long term favourite too. The combination of leopard print and red is fabulous and the lip detailing is the perfect finish. My recent like for lip print was the main inspiration behind this look. In the next couple of weeks I'll show you my own outfit featuring lip print.

Photos from: Marc Jacobs, Alice and Olivia, Charlotte Olympia, 

Kitty Cat Print

I love kitty cats! The concept of cat inspired clothes and accessories is nothing new in fashion, especially with the existence of the strikingly beautiful Charlotte Olympia Cat Flats. However, I've definitely noticed the increasing presence of kitty cat pieces in recent times. At the shops I constantly noticed a myriad of cat inspired shoes and cat ear headbands seem to be the latest trend too II really want to get one). This is wonderful- as far as I'm concerned, there can never be too many kitty cat pieces. While my collection is increasing, the one item I can never find is the perfect cat dress. I'm very fussy when it comes to cat dresses- I analyse aspects such as the size, shape, colour and facial detailing of the kitty cats which present themselves on clothing. I am also looking for a fit and flare style dress. After detailed analysis of the online world of fashion, I've found what I would consider to be the perfect cat dress. It's hardly surprising that they are both from Modcloth- it's always the place to go for that creative, quirky and unique piece. The Hooked on a Feline Dress is everything I look for in a cat dress- I love it how beautiful detailed cat faces completely cover the dress. It's like an artwork. Unfortunately many sizes are currently sold out on the Modcloth website but I'll certainly keep an eye out for this one. The Start Spreading the Mews Dress is simply the most creative dress ever. Covered in newspaper print, the dress features newspaper articles entirely about cats. Wow. What an idea!

Photos from Modcloth

Here are a few of my favourite kitty cat pieces. I thought it was rather fitting that I'm wearing my cat flats as I write this post about cats- I've worn them to work for the last two days and it's certainly brightened the day a little. The Charlotte Olympia cat flats are a genius creation and perfect in every way. I especially love the gold detailing and the golden heel. I also adore the white tapestry version of the Charlotte Olympia cat flats. I saw them in David Jones in Sydney CBD earlier in the year and I was completely amazed by their incredibleness. They are my dream shoes. For awhile now, I've regarded kitty cat flats as an essential piece for fashionistas! I'm not suggesting we all own a genuine Charlotte Olympia pair- not exactly affordable for most of us. I think it's fabulous how many alternative cat shoes are excellent takes on the original pair and how others have their own unique twist. For example, I love it how the pair below from Tuk via Modcloth are completely their own style- a fun take on a cat shoe. 

Another dress which I love at the moment is the white cat faced one, displayed below. It's beautiful and fun and reminds me of my little white cat Juliette Princess Miracle. My sister Tori from the Polished Edge has this dress and it looks amazing on her. The perfect kitty cat cardigan is also somewhat difficult to find. My absolute favourite ever is the one pictured below which Alannah Hill produced a few seasons ago- I wish something like this would be released again. My sister Sara from The Polished Edge has this cardigan in black and white and I love borrowing it; I hope I can again soon. In terms of cat themed bags, there are so many options. My favourite is the combination of detailed bold cat print (much the same as the first Modcloth dress I wrote about) with a tapestry effect. If anyone knows where I can buy a cat print bag of said description, then let me know! What a treasure that would be. I love cat accessories in all forms- jewellery, bags, brooches, hair accessories, umbrellas...I just love the juxtaposition between the cats and the rain! Are you a fan of cat print?

Photos from: Forever 21, Charlotte Olympia, Tuk, Macys, Charlotte Russe, Dangerfield, Alannah Hill, ACJade

Latest Trend: Tartan

As we all know, tartan has made an impact as a trend in recent times. Tartan, in contrast with the floral and polka dot prints that I wear most frequently, isn't exactly the softest or girliest print to wear. However, I have always liked tartan and I've found a few ways to align the print with my personal style. Tartan reminds me of my childhood. Remember those tartan pencil cases we used to take to school in the 1990s? I also owned the most beautiful tartan dress when I was a young girl and it will forever be one of my favourite pieces. I wish I could find a picture of it right now. The tartan dress pictured below from Alannah Hill is the latest item I am totally in love with. I tried it on the other day. I adore it because the tight pencil style fit, the low cut neckline and the pink lining are the perfect contrast with the tartan print. I like the way these elements balance out; it's the same with my blue tartan coat which I wore here. I've always loved tartan shoes especially tartan flats (there are so many beautiful tartan colour combinations that look adorable for shoes). But let's be honest, I'm never going to be wearing a pair of tartan boots because that just doesn't suit my personal style. I like to wear tartan shoes with a classy and feminine cut, often combined with a bow or jewel. I love tartan accessories particularly tartan scarves. I have a couple which I've had for years. If it was winter here right now I'd love to pair a tartan scarf and gloves with a camel coloured coat. In terms of this Vivienne Westwood tartan bag, what more do I need to say? It speaks for itself surely!?

Photos from: Alannah Hill, Vivienne Westwood, Topshop, Dsquared2, Fausto Puglisi, JCrew, Chelsea Doll

Latest Obsession: Midnight Blue

I love midnight blue as an alternative to black at the moment. It's a colour I've overlooked up until this point but it really is very classy, sophisticated and classic. I'm drawn to midnight blue because it's a good option for me to wear to work. As I said before, my personal style and love of bold colours and patterns doesn't exactly align with the fact that I have degrees in commerce and law and am working in those areas. From being a student, I'm so used to wearing exactly what I want whenever I want and I didn't desire to give that up entirely when I entered the workforce. So instead of dressing in conservative corporate wear, I tend to wear my usual style but in darker colours. For example, the outfit I posted here is what I wore on my first day. I also have a dark dress with a white peter pan collar and I like to wear my navy blue cardigan over a polka dot dress. As time goes on, I'm sure I'll push the boundaries more and more because lets face it; dressing in beautiful clothes will increase my motivation to go to work! Midnight blue pieces can make such a statement too; I'm especially coveting those Christian Louboutins. Oh wow they are incredible!

Photos from: George, Alannah Hill, Boticca.com, Tarina Tarantino, Christian Louboutin, Market86.com

What are your thoughts on midnight blue?

Latest Obsession: Heart Print

There are a few prints which I often say should exist more; cat print, heart print, star print and unicorn print are just a few examples. Today I thought I'd focus on heart print; I love everything heart related from heart cut outs to heart shaped sunglasses to heart themed home wares. It is such an incredibly fun and adorable print. I know that heart cut out dresses made an appearance some time ago but it is heart printed dresses that I believe are the most difficult to find. In contrast heart shaped sunglasses actually seem to be frequently available and I must get myself a pair! Despite the overall lack of heart printed items in the shops, I looked through my wardrobe and realised that at least I have a few heart print items, more than I initially thought. I posted my heart cut out dress here and my heart print cardigan here. Right now I feel inspired to wear these pieces again and the other heart print items which I am yet to show on my blog. I just remembered that I had a go at one of those DIY wildfox couture jumpers awhile ago too. I also bought heart shaped picture frames for our apartment which I've been planning to show you for awhile now. More heart print will be making its way to my blog soon.

Photos from: Rickety Rack, Wildfox Couture, River Island, Forever 21, Yes Style, Betsey Johnson, Aspinal of London, Tarina Tarantino, Forever New, Zero UV, Vera Wang, Alannah Hill, Ravi Famous, Modcloth

What do you think of heart print?

Latest Obsession: Yellow

The reason why I dedicated an entire post to yellow is because of my recent love-hate relationship with the colour. For many years I used to hate yellow, I'd wear any other colour except for yellow or orange and I'm not even sure why that was the case. Over time I've come to appreciate yellow a lot more; it is just so happy and bright and exerts extreme positivity. I like how much of a statement a bright yellow item can make.I came to like yellow gradually; I mentioned here how my sister bought me an amazing pair of  yellow heels last Christmas. I've also worn them here and here. It was these shoes that converted me into loving yellow. Now I often like to wear lots of yellow in an outfit such as here. Yellow remains the most uncommon colour in my wardrobe; I'd love to get a pair of patent yellow flats and a 1950s cut yellow dress. How incredible are those Kate Spade flats? 

Photos from Alannah Hill, Orla Kiely, Guess, Kate Spade, Etsy, Fossil, Mango

Are you a fan of yellow?.

Latest Discovery: Chevron Print

I always find it interesting the random little facts we learn every day. The other night my husband asked me what the word chevron meant. I told him not to be so ridiculous, surely chevron isn't a word; it must be yet another word which he has made up. Still not entirely convinced, we decided to Google the word chevron and, to my surprise (and delight!) we found that chevron, among other meanings, is actually a really pretty amazing print. As someone who claims to know a lot about fashion, it is quite terrible that I didn't know this! Now there is a whole new realm of patterns I could incorporate into my wardrobe. I totally want a chevron dress now, it is such a fun print and a great variation on stripes.I could totally DIY a pair of shoes with a chevron heel; there are so many possibilities. While creating these sets I enjoy discovering new designers and online stores. Unfortunately I think the Matthew Williamson items will be out of my price range forever but there are a whole range of much cheaper alternative chevron printed items. As usual my favourite place for chevron printed dresses is Modcloth; I could easily have filled this set with Modcloth dresses alone but I thought I should implement some variety. While browsing the Internet I also came across many chevron printed home wares; I have become much more excited about pretty items for the apartment in recent times.Another aspect I adore about chevron print is that it is somewhat versatile; I believe a classy sophisticated look could be created from black and white, while the more colourful designs are extremely fun and playful.

Photos from Modcloth, Chiara Fashion, Matthew Williamson, Sincerely Sweet Boutique, Bionda Castana, Missoni, Amrita Singh, Joss and Main


I was looking through my wardrobe during the week; since I really shouldn't be spending on clothes at the moment and I realised that this dress which I posted here in January 2012 would probably constitute chevron print. So maybe my dreams of owning a chevron print dress are much closer than I thought; literally in my wardrobe right this moment. Don't you just love it when that happens? The exact same thing happened to me a few years ago when I desperately wanted a polka dot skirt. Now I feel inspired to wear this dress again and I'll pair it with one of my Alannah Hill cardigans to create a different look. The discovery of the word chevron has opened up a myriad of opportunities and provided me with many ideas for blog posts!

So tell me, are you a fan of chevron print? Am I really the only person in the world who didn't know the name of this print?

Latest Obsession: Duck Egg Blue

Ever since Alannah Hill released the Autumn/Winter 2013 collection, my new favourite colour has become duck egg blue. There are no words to possibly explain how much I love this shade of blue' it is so unique and stunning and I adore how it looks combined with pearls and metallic shimmer. It's a bit of a change for me; for a very long time blue was probably the most uncommon colour in my wardrobe and I was always drawn to pink and purple fashion items. Fortunately my love for duck egg blue started not long before my birthday last month so I do have some lovely blue accessories and cardigans now. I also bought gloves for $4.95 which I thought was hardly going to break the budget and, as Rebecca Bloomwood explains in Confessions of a Shopaholic, "I need gloves as it is winter, and I have... hands." I also have a few items which I bought last year which almost fit into the broader spectrum of duck egg blue. I was looking around the house the other day and suddenly realised that our fry pan and bath towels are basically duck egg blue; yay for on trend homewares. This post reminds me, when a miracle happens and I win endless amounts of money...I'm definitely buying some Rupert Sanderson shoes (oh and maybe Miu Miu & Charlotte Olympia). 

Photos from Alannah Hill, Love Miss Daisy, Rupert Sanderson, Harvey Nichols, Bauble Bar

Now onto other news. I've seen this topic discussed on a number of blogs over the years; do your family and friends know about your blog? In the four years I've been blogging, I only told my husband and I know that one of my sisters and a few old school friends came across it by total chance; I appear in Google images searches for 'Dotti lace dress' and 'Portmans lace dress' . This week my other sisters created a fashion blog called the Polished Edge (check it out here, comment and follow, I know it's going to be amazing!) and this gave me the confidence to finally share my fashion blog with the 'real world.' In recent years, I've lost interest and motivation for many things but fashion blogging has always remained constant; it's the one aspect of my life I've put maximum effort into and I'm pleased with the way it's progressed. But I never knew how to tell anyone about it; the thought always  made me extremely nervous. I'm not entirely sure why; maybe because it's always been my online world of escapism and I'm not very confident so I always worry excessively about what others think. It's hard to reveal a huge part of my life that I've previously been too nervous to talk about before despite very much wanting to have the confidence. Anyway, my fashion blog is now out in the open and it feels good; in many ways I feel a sense of freedom. Let me know your thoughts on this issue...