ABC

Well, that took longer than I thought! Uni has commenced again for me and between study and Easter and family, I fear I have neglected you. First things first. As promised, a picture of my beautiful sister and sister-in-law with me before we headed out to the Brisbane Comedy Festival:

 A good time was had by all!

Today, I thought I would talk about silhouette, and how considering it can make it easier to choose clothes you feel good in. The blog Into Mind has a really good explanation of this concept. I like variety in my wardrobe but I still find I gravitate to a few basic combinations. One of my favourites this year has been: 

                                       Flared or wide leg cropped pants +boxy short top +heels  

So here it is, translated into outfits for both casual and work. This is what I am wearing today for a lazy day at home avoiding study and procrasti-baking.

Top:Veronika Maine

Jeans: ManningCartell

Sandals:JoanneMercer

Necklace:FrankIdeas

And here is the work version of the formula.

Top: ManningCartell

Culottes:Uniqlo

Shoes:Wittner

Now, you can probably see that these are almost identical outfits. The shapes are the same. The colours are the same. The difference lies solely in the individual elements. I could wear the first top with the second pants and have a perfectly respectable outfit for work (in fact, I'm pretty sure I have worn that exact combination). Likewise, wearing the lace top with jeans would dress them up enough for me to feel comfortable going out at night with the girls.

Having that formula in my head has been extremely helpful when choosing individual pieces that will work with my wardrobe. It also makes getting dressed in the morning easy: if I want to wear wide pants, then I choose a top from the options that fit into the "short and boxy" category.  I have a few other silhouettes that I wear frequently, so over the next few weeks I will show you the casual and work-appropriate variations of those. What are your favourite combinations for outfits?

Oh, and yes! New hair! My hairdresser asked "Do you trust me?" I think my faith has been rewarded!

ABC by The Jackson 5

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

My sister has just returned home after spending the weekend with me at the Comedy Festival in Brisbane. This is a birthday tradition for her and the only variation this year was that my sister-in-law came with her. We had a wonderful time, and I thought I would share the photos to give you an idea of how my wardrobe works to meet the requirements of my lifestyle on a weekend with more than the usual number of outings and social events.

                             

Here we are heading out on Friday night to see Will Anderson. My top hasn't photographed well, but it has a sparkly thread woven through it. I teamed it with cropped pants and black heels.

The next day, we went out to lunch at Cove at Southbank. Both of my sons came and brought their partners with them. We had a delicious lunch in an alfresco setting overlooking the river and were feeling very content with life until a severe storm hit Brisbane and we were soaked. To be clear, the restaurant is covered and we were sitting right at the back, so that will give you some idea of the ferocity of the rain and wind!

I wore my trapeze mini skirt, flat sandals and the silk T-shirt from last year that my husband hates. It was a very comfortable outfit for the 30 degree heat before the storm, but wet T-shirts and breastless chests are definitely not a good combination!

My sister-in-law says she was actually quite frightened. My sister says the white chocolate mousse made it all good!

We made it home in time to shower and change for our next sessions at the Comedy Festival - Glenn Robbins and Dave O'Neill, followed by Tom Gleeson. We all agreed it was our favourite night and we had a fabulous time.

I wore white pants with my orange crop worn reversed. That gave me some coverage over my tummy and a small sliver of age-inappropriate skin exposure at the back. Well, we all have to rage against the dying of the light in a way that feels good to us!

Today, we slept in and there was a mad last-second dash to get out the door in time to make the plane. Sadly there was no time to take a photo of the girls before we left.

This is my outfit for today. The top is a favourite which you have seen a number of times before and the pants are a comfy stretch fabric, perfect for curling up on the couch. I felt really happy that there were clothes I felt good in and that were occasion-appropriate for every part of the weekend. I am aiming to achieve the same thing with my winter wardrobe, so I will keep you posted on my hits and misses as the weather cools.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper

Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves

Well, last week I promised some photos of my sister Amelia and I as we enjoyed her traditional birthday present - a weekend with her big sister in Brisbane. My lovely sister-in-law back in Sydney very kindly looked after Amelia's three daughters, leaving us free to eat, shop and enjoy the Brisbane Comedy Festival.

Here we are ready to head out to see Stephen K Amos on Friday night. There is definitely a family resemblence, don't you think?

Yes, Amelia is much younger than me, in case you were wondering! 15 years younger, in fact. I suddenly have enormous sympathy for women with adolescent daughters who feel like they are living with younger, more gorgeous versions of themselves!

Dress:Veronika Maine

Shoes: Nova

On Saturday we went to lunch at Gerard's Bistro in James Street. The food was great and we had a lovely time. Unfortunately, I started coming down with a cold that afternoon, and did not feel well enough to go out that evening. My husband escorted Amelia to see Wil Anderson at the Comedy Festival and they both said it was good fun. I was sad to have missed him, as his is the act we usually attend together, but it was great to see my baby sister again. Do you have any family birthday traditions?