Cool World

Here in Brisbane, we are well and truly into Winter. Complaining constantly about the cold, arguing with my husband for turning the heater off and struggling to get out of bed and do some exercise has pretty much become a full-time job for me, but I did want to share something with you that I have found helpful this season.

Last Winter I realised that my preferred top in the colder months is a long-sleeve T-shirt style. They are warm and soft and cosy, and I find them much more comfortable than woven fabrics when the days are cool. The only downside is that whilst I usually wear them as a base layer with a jacket over the top, sometimes I need to take the jacket off and I am very ambivalent about the look of closer fitting tops worn on their own.

 Top:Witchery

Jacket:Cue (last season)

Pants:ScanlanTheodore(last season)

Boots:Wittner

Happily, fashion has once again come to my rescue with the off-the-shoulder trend. I found this knitted top recently and have worn it often on days when it was warm enough to possibly require jacket removal. Whilst it is still close fitting, the cross-over detail and skin exposure around the shoulders and neck provides enough interest for me to feel that all the focus is not on the contours of my chest. I wear the top in a "portrait neckline" style, but if you were a little more daring than me it could easily be worn completely off the shoulder for a more glamorous look!

 Now, this certainly doesn't solve all the problems with fitted tops. The side view is still unapologetically flat, and if anyone is rude enough to look closely at my chest from the front, the lack of breasts is obvious.

However, one thing I have learned over the last three years is that looking good is much more about how you feel and the confidence you project, than the items you choose to put on your body. As the wonderful Mr Bill Cunningham said "Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life".
Now I just need to find thermal armour.

Vale, Bill.

Cool World by Mondo Rock

Day By Day

You may have noticed last week that I now have an Instagram icon on my blog. Last summer, I attempted to define both my warm weather style and the items of clothing that I wore more frequently and felt best in. The single most valuable tool in that quest was the month of daily outfit photos that I took at that time. They allowed me to see at a glance what I was ACTUALLY wearing, what felt good in and which combinations worked for me aesthetically. I decided that I would repeat this for winter and so have started taking daily outfit photos. I am posting them on Instagram in case anyone has an interest in how the individual pieces I show on this blog translate into real life.

                                                          Top:ScanlanTheodore
                                                          Belt:Cue
                                                          Skirt:ScanlanTheodore
At the beginning of winter, I had a shopping list that included some winter tops that I could wear without layers or scarves. I ended up buying three, two of which I have shown you already. This is the last. I especially like it because my husband urged me to buy it when he saw me try it on, and it remains a favourite of his. It is felted wool, so it is warm and has a soft, sculptural appearance. The pleat at the front not only gives me some texture across my chest but also give me a hint of waist definition, which I always enjoy.

I have reached a point now of feeling really happy with my winter wardrobe. I feel confident when I choose my outfit in the morning that I have items that will go together well and that I will feel good wearing. I am so happy to have reached this point and it has been fun for me to take photos every morning and see how everything works together day by day. How are you feeling about your wardrobe as you approach the end of the season? Have you had any unexpected hits of misses?

Day By Day from Godspell

Ne Me Quitte Pas

A few weekends ago, we attended the Brisbane French Festival. I particularly wanted to go because, along with the great food stalls and the wonderful atmosphere that comes from having all the people around you conversing in French, the Festival had invited  Parisian designers Jerome L'Huillier and Mette Pedersen to create a fashion show and answer questions. The fashion was lovely - lots of bright prints, which my husband loved!- but the most interesting part for me was the Q&A afterwards.

A young designer in the audience asked Jerome for tips about building a successful business and competing with big fashion houses with their enormous marketing budgets. His reply contained two ideas that I found interesting: firstly he believed that whilst, when he started out, talent and hard work was enough to ensure success, he no longer thought that was sufficient. Secondly, unless the public are prepared to support local designers and pay a fair price for their work, the market will contract and the only two options will be either fast, cheap fashion like H&M or the very expensive, high-end design houses like Dior.

                                                       Dress:Alpha60
                                                       T-shirt: Sportscraft
                                                       Shoes: Wittner
The talk really made me think about the value I place on my clothes and the necessity of being willing to support things that are important to me. And I do believe that fashion is important. Over the last few weeks, I have been exploring Australian designers and last week I bought this dress from the new-to-me Melbourne designer Alpha60.

I think this may be the perfect dress for a flat chest. It has an overlay that covers the chest and long pieces that can be either tied to emphasise the waistline or allowed to fall free and create flattering vertical lines. It is a wool blend and so will give me some much needed warmth - even though I live in a warm part of the world, I feel the cold and I anticipate this will be worn until the beginning of Summer. I am quite thrilled to have found another possibility for my clothing choices and I hope that Australian designers continue to receive support in their quest to provide us with interesting and unique fashion options.
Do you have any local designers that you especially enjoy and like to support?

Ne Me Quitte Pas by Nina Simone

Winter Winds

An unexpected (although in retrospect, logical and predictable) consequence of scheduling in social time with my friends has been that I now go out in the evening during the winter months more frequently than I have before. Usually, I spend my winter evenings ensconced on the lounge in my pyjamas, but a night out with the girls calls for more glamorous attire. I find that creating outfits with some glamour in winter is much more difficult that in summer. In warm weather I can wear bright colours and light fabrics that create a fun and carefree feel, but in winter the heavy fabrics and dark colours feel more serious and sombre.

                                                                     Knit: Veronika Maine
I bought this knit to give me a dressy option to wear in the evenings. The lacy look is delicate and pretty and allows me to show a little skin, whilst the long sleeves are surprisingly warm. It is slightly loose fitting, and whilst it does not give me any volume over my chest, I think the textural effect of the top and it's combination with a statement style of bottom, ensures that the focus of the outfit is elsewhere.

                                                           T-shirt:Sportscraft
                                                           Jeans: Country Road
                                                           Boots: Wittner
                                                           Coat: Veronika Maine
I have worn my new knit twice this week. The first time was to meet some friends for a casual dinner after work and I wore a plain T-shirt underneath, both for warmth and to showcase the lace pattern of the top. I paired it with my silver jeans to add a touch of shine and provide a dressy edge to the practicality of flat boots and a simple silhouette.

Skirt:Veronika Maine

Belt:Cue 

Shoes:Wittner

The second outfit was for a long overdue catch-up at a more formal location. This time I wore a simple camisole under the top so as to expose a hint of skin and paired it with the full skirt I wore to my niece's wedding last year. The skirt is definitely a statement piece and I like the idea of wearing a top with a fairly straight shape when it is paired with this much volume on the bottom. And of course, a pair of killer heels always helps when you are heading out for a night on the town with the girls. I took these photos before the sun went down, so I had not done my hair or make-up and I swapped out the tights for sheer pantyhose before I left, but you get the general idea!

How do you dress up in winter?

Winter Winds by Mumford and Sons

Everybody

Years ago, when we were watching our young children play, another parent commented that my youngest son was very "in his body". At the time, I thought it was quite an odd comment. I couldn't really see what other option he had, but I think I now understand what she was talking about. She was referring to the joy he experienced in movement and his ownership of his physicality.

This is an experience that has come fairly late in life to me. About 6 months before my diagnosis I had begun a program with Precision Nutrition and had changed my diet, lost weight and was exercising daily. I loved the way I felt with those positive changes and have continued to use the tools I learned in the program, but I must confess to never really understanding the exhortation to "find an exercise that you enjoy". I saw exercise as a means to an end and whilst I greatly enjoyed the wellbeing and sense of achievement that it brought, I never thought of it as fun.

 Well, that has changed recently, after I enrolled in a course at Vulcana Women's Circus. I have completed a Circus Essentials course and am now doing an Aerials course and although the lessons involve working quite hard, I enjoy every minute of it and look forward to the class all week.  So I guess the message is that if you haven't found an exercise you love-KEEP LOOKING!! The two things that have given me the greatest sense of ownership and pride in my body since my surgery have been exercise and fashion. They are the things that allow me to be "in my body", to inhabit my physicality and feel good about the way I appear in the world. What are yours?

                                                       Top:Trenery
                                                       Cardigan:Trenery
                                                       Jeans: Jag
                                                       Boots:Wittner
This is what I am wearing today for a quiet day at home. I really like shawl and draped collars on jackets, as they give nice volume over my chest, but this one does remind me a bit of my dressing gown, which is a similar colour! It's one of those pieces that I appreciate for it's practicality and comfort, but feel a little ambivalent about.

I have noticed that my style has evolved quite a bit as I adjust to what works with my body now, and I am finding myself drawn to straighter, simpler silhouettes. I suspect that drapey pieces may look better on curvier figures, but in the middle of a Brisbane winter I am quite grateful for the cosy, dressing-gown-like qualities of this cardigan and will continue to wear it for the remainder of the season.
Do you have clothes that you wear because they are too easy and practical to let go of?


Everybody by Backstreet Boys

Sign Your Name

Well, I need to start with an apology for my long absence. I struggle with winter. A lot. The cold weather and grey skies seem to sap all my enthusiasm and creativity and I spend my time dreaming of summer and wishing I could hibernate. I will attempt to fight the urge to spend the next two months wrapped in a blanket in front of the TV, because I actually feel really excited and happy about my winter clothes this year.

Do you have a colour that you wear as part of most of your outfits? Along with the idea of uniforms, I have also been fascinated by the concept of a "signature colour". Angie at YouLookFab often mentions her love of bright, sour colours. Deborah at Stylish Murmurs corners the market in black and Janice at The Vivienne Files uses the idea of a signature colour in many of her capsules. My own approach has always been a bit haphazard, but planning and building a winter wardrobe has allowed me to step back a bit and realise that I love to incorporate a bit of tan into my outfits. I like the muted richness that the shade brings to the mostly neutral outfits that I wear. I love the way it plays with navy, my new favourite dark neutral base. And I enjoy the way it allows me to repeat my hair colour in my outfit.

                                                        Knit:Uniqlo
                                                        Top:ScanlonTheodore
                                                        Pants:Country Road (with Uniqlo leggings underneath!)
                                                        Boots:Wittner
                                                        Bag:Oroton
I bought this top at the beginning of winter, and have only just managed to get a picture. It is definitely a straight style, which I have mostly avoided in other tops as they feel too masculine. Surprisingly, I have found that I really enjoy the slightly boyish look this top imparts when I wear it with bottoms that have more volume. Paired with slouchy pants or an A-line skirt, the straightness of the top is offset by the curviness at the bottom, so it still feels playful and feminine. Isn't it interesting how often things come back to proportions, and how we feel in our clothes?

                                         
The bag was a birthday gift from my husband about 5 years ago, and I still love it and carry it every day. It is the perfect shade of tan. I also have a belt and a scarf in the same shade. I'm not sure if I can commit to one colour as my signature, but if I decide that I will, I think tan will be it!

 Do you have a signature colour? How did you arrive at it?

Sign Your Name by Terence Trent D'Arby

Graduation Day

Last week, Megan commented that one of her "life hacks" was to stop fighting the things she needed to do, and just get them done. This idea really resonated with me as I often procrastinate about things I know I won't enjoy, but need to do. This week I watched Redesign My Brain with Todd Sampson, a series about using brain neuro-plasticity to improve your life. (Free to watch on iview if your are interested) This episode, he demonstrated that many physical limits were really just our brains giving up, something that apparently occurs long before our bodies reach their true limit. He showed that learning to accept and tolerate pain in the service of a goal will allow us to achieve far more than we think.  So I am going to start practicing acceptance of the discomfort or boredom or pain that comes with some of my tasks and start focussing instead on the achievements that come from just getting on with it.

                                             Knit: ScanlonThodore
                                             Jeans: Esprit
                                             Boots: Wittner

These thoughts were especially at the top of my mind when we went out last night to celebrate my sister-in-law's completion of her Master's degree. We all recognise the sacrifice and effort that it took for her to get this done and also the great sense of achievement that comes from finishing it. This is a variation of what I wore for the evening. The temperature is down to under 10 degrees in the evenings now, so I dressed with warmth as my primary consideration and I actually wore the cardigan I showed you last month over the top of the knit. I have recently discovered that turtlenecks, which always looked awful on me when I had breasts, actually look quite good with a flat chest and the bonus is that it keeps my neck really cosy! This knit is fine but warm and I think the loose shape and asymmetric hemline are quite flattering as they draw the eye downward.

We had a yummy Vietnamese meal, then went to Cloudland where I had another lesson in tolerating pain. I felt simultaneously underdressed and overdressed amongst all the beautiful young things in their short, shiny, backless, low-cut cocktail dresses. Bling and skin were definitely the order of the evening. I'm not quite sure how they managed to avoid feeling uncomfortably cold, but maybe they are prepared to tolerate pain in the service of looking fabulous!
Are you willing to suffer for beauty?

Graduation Day by Chris Isaak

Happy

Today, I want to share an idea that has had a big impact on my happiness and quality of life. I've seen this concept mentioned by others many times in the context of exercise or time management or work/life balance, and it is probably not new to you, but it's value has only become apparent to me since I started implementing it. Here it is: You need to schedule the things that are important to you into your life, just like you do with work. Exercise: put it in your diary. Time with the family: put it in your diary. Friendships: yep, write it down. I have started doing this and it has made me so happy. I now have dinner with my kids and their partners once a month. I meet my BFF every fortnight. I catch up with my Uni girlfriends monthly. All those relationships are important to me, but it was not until I started scheduling time for them that they got the space in my life that truly reflected their value.

                                                            Coat:Veronika Maine
                                                            T-shirt:Sportscraft
                                                            Jeans: Jag
                                                            Boots: Wittner
This week, I went out for dinner at Bourbon Street with my Uni posse. I have always wanted to visit New Orleans so it was fun to have a little taste of it and try things like beignets, which I had only ever  read about, especially since there was also a live jazz band playing. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the temperature: it was cold and windy and I realised that I needed to move "winter coat" to the top of my shopping list.

This is what I ended up with. I had originally been keen to get a colourful coat, but the shape of this is so beautiful that I decided I would go with black and use a scarf to add colour. I have realised that scarf collars and wide lapels are the perfect shape over a flat chest. They provide volume and warmth as well as some visual interest, and they prevent the rest of the coat from looking too straight. I have seen this in moto-style leather jackets too,  and although that look is a bit too casual and hard-edge for my style, I do admire the look on others. I also like the way that the asymmetrical closure allows the coat to be zipped right up to my chin. That will come in very handy in August, when the cold winds really bite.

The other coat I contemplated was an A-line swing-style coat. That also worked well on a straight body, but in the the end the wide lapels, extra length and multiple styling options of this coat won me over. I am having a dinner date with my husband tonight, so I am looking forward to being toasty warm as I enjoy spending time with him.
Do you have any life hacks that have made you much happier?

Happy by Pharrell Williams

Mother and Child Reunion

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers who read this! My mother lives interstate, so we were not able to spend the day together. However, I did get to spend time with my own children. My sons are a source of great joy and pride for me and I always enjoy the time we have together immensely. They have both grown into such interesting, thoughtful and funny men, and I am so pleased to see them happy, settled in relationships with beautiful young women and making their own way in their lives. We have a meal together every month. The boys bring their girlfriends and my husband and I get to catch up on all the news and plans and happenings. This weekend we went to Moga, a Japanese restaurant and had a wonderful meal and a fun time catching up.

                                                             T-shirt:Veronika Maine
                                                             Jeans:Country Road
                                                             Crop:ScanlonTheodore
                                                             Boots: Wittner
This is what I wore to our lunch. None of these items are new, but I have not worn them together before. The jeans and long-sleeved T are both items I had in my closet before my surgery and you have seen the crop before in my summer outfits from this year. I find myself almost always wearing neutrals these days, so wearing a combination of three different colours was quite a departure but one that I felt good in!

As you can see, this is really a variation of the uniform I posted last week, but with a crop in place of a blazer. I love the bright pop of colour the crop provides: I struggle with the cold and dark of winter and wearing a warm and happy colour helps me feel a bit better about the season. I'm hoping that a bit of bright colour and some lipstick will be enough to carry me through the dark months. That, and my lovely boys!
How did you celebrate Mother's Day?

Mother and Child Reunion by Paul Simon

Women In Uniform

The idea of having a "uniform", a set formula that is worn every day with the only variations being in colour or fabric, is one that I have been reading articles about for a couple of years now. I can see a lot of advantages to this way of dressing: it would take the guesswork and indecision out of getting dressed in the morning, shopping would be simplified  and it would make wardrobe capsules about a million times easier to create. The concerns that prevented me from developing my own uniform have been the fear of forgoing the creative aspect of fashion that I enjoy so much and also not finding a combination of items that I loved and felt comfortable enough in to wear every day. I think that may be about to change.

                                                                 T-shirt: Cue
                                                                 Jeans:Uniqlo
                                                                 Cardigan:ScanlonTheodore
                                                                Booties:Wittner
I realised recently that when I am choosing warm, comfortable outfits to wear at home, I seem to invariably gravitate towards  a long-sleeved T-shirt, either in wool or cotton. I love the coziness and ease of these tops, but I really don't like how I look in them.

Then I put this new crepe knit cardigan over the top, and I felt instantly fabulous! The thickness and drape covers my chest, the shoulder pads add structure and the tie waist and angled hem provide the femininity that I missed when I wore jeans and a T-shirt on their own. I have worn booties here, but I also like this outfit with tall boots worn over the pants for the days when it is cold and wet.

I have 5 pairs of skinny pants in various fabrications, colours and patterns, so I have been experimenting with the skinny pant/long-sleeved T-shirt/cardigan or jacket/boots formula today and have been pretty happy with a lot of the combinations. I was a bit concerned that this uniform would only work with this cardigan, as it is such a beautiful shape, but to my surprise I have had some success with several of the jackets in my closet. The key seems to be a strong shoulder, good chest coverage and some element of waist definition. I am looking forward to experimenting more with clothes in my wardrobe that will slot into this formula and I am excited about finding a version of a uniform that I feel good in. Do you have a uniform? How did you come to choose it?

Women In Uniform by Skyhooks

Working For The Man

I work with a number of men and I must confess that it is one of the pleasures of my job, as they are all delightful. I definitely make an effort to dress well when I am going to work, irrespective of the gender of my colleagues on that day. I aim for professional, modest but also feminine. Not everyone at the places I work knows about my cancer diagnosis and treatment and I prefer to keep it that way, so I also tend to avoid anything that is tight or revealing across my chest. That can be a bit of a challenge in winter, where long-sleeved T-shirts are often the warmest and most practical option.

This is the top I bought this autumn in my quest to solve my winter wardrobe blues. The first picture isn't particularly flattering, as it stretched the fabric over my chest, but I wanted to show you the dolman sleeves. This is a style I have avoided in the past, but as you can see in the second picture, when I am in a more normal position the excess fabric drapes and falls really nicely over the front.

                                                                    Top:ScanlonTheodore

                                                                  Skirt:ScanlonTheodore

                                                                  Boots:Wittner

This was the outfit  I wore to work today. I think it meets my work criteria pretty well. The high neck is modest, but the welted waist brings the top in, giving a hourglass shape which ticks the "feminine" box for me. I think the simplicity and neatness looks professional and the texture of the fabric and the cut of the sleeve makes it less revealing than wearing a knit T-shirt.

And, perhaps most importantly, it is a wool blend and is consequently warm and cosy to wear.
Working for the man is a positive joy when you have the right clothes for the job! Do you dress up for work?

Working For The Man by Roy Orbison

All About That Bass

It took me quite a while to become accustomed to not wearing a bra. Having worn one every day for my entire adult life, I felt quite naked when venturing out without anything underneath my tops. In summer when the weather is warm that is a good thing, but as the weather cools down I begin to miss the extra layer of insulation. I discovered the Uniqlo Heatech range last year and have found their camisoles to be soft and warm. I have been wearing one most days now that the temperatures are starting to drop and I am enjoying both the comfort and the visual simplicity that allows it to be worn either as underwear or as a simple base to allow a statement piece to shine.

                                                              Camisole: Uniqlo
                                                              Jacket: Cue
                                                              Belt: Elizabeth Kelly via Etsy
                                                              Skirt:ScanlonThoedore
                                                              Shoes:Wittner

I had to show you this outfit, as I received the tan obi belt I ordered in February and this was it's first outing. A very kind older lady flagged me down in the shopping centre and told me I looked smart and that she loved what I was wearing, so I am counting it as a win! This jacket is one I bought last year but found difficult to style. I think with this outfit I may have hit on the right formula: creating waist definition, sticking with a simple top and skirt, and allowing the jacket and belt to be the stars of the show.

Sports-style jackets are having a big fashion moment currently and I like the way they look on a flat chest. The style is cut fairly straight, so it avoids the empty front of more tailored jackets and the colour-blocking and knit inserts provide the appearance of curves. The combination of a camisole and a jacket provides the perfect level of warmth for this time of year. I think I will be repeating this formula frequently over the next few months.

This was a good lesson for me, that sometimes a good base is all you need.  Except try to do a little better than I did and make sure your camisole edge has not rolled up and made a lump under your skirt. Sometimes the camera can be cruel!

All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor

Time After Time

A few weeks ago, I was complaining about the difficulties I experienced last winter in creating a wardrobe I felt comfortable wearing. I think I may have mentioned that I have all but abandoned wearing jeans, as I felt they were too masculine now that my body is so straight. I bought several button down shirts last year, but also struggled to style them in a way that didn't feel too mannish. Well, YouLookFab came to the rescue this week, with a challenge on the forum to dress in the style of decades past. I tried 20's, 40's, 50's and 80's and to my surprise managed to style a button-down shirt in a way that felt both modern and feminine.

                                       40's and 50's style as posted on the YLF forum
I especially liked the 50's look and decided to try and recreate the silhouette in a slightly less costume-y way by taking off the scarf and swapping the kitten heels for a more contemporary shoe.

                                                          Jean:Country Road

                                                           Shirt:Anne Fontaine

                                                          Shoes:Wittner

This was my recreation of the look for a weekend at home. Despite consisting of a button-down shirt and a pair of jeans, I felt very feminine and a bit sexy! I think the combination of the unbuttoned front, the bow at the waist and the illusion of curves created by tying the shirt, completely overcomes the menswear look of the shirt and pants. The camisole gives me warmth and coverage and the  volume of the shirt hides my chest and gives me some shape! I am so excited to have discovered a way of wearing jeans that makes me feel good. It has also made me think about whether styling tweaks could make a difference to some other items in my wardrobe that I am not feeling good about wearing currently. Using the past as a style guide has been incredibly helpful and enlightening and I am enjoying having a new perspective on how to wear my clothes.

Is there any era that inspires the way you dress?

Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper