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

I'm A Punk

Not really. In fact, not at all. Although I do like pop-punk bands such as The Living End, which earns me  disdain from my eldest son who is a fan of the Saints and the Ramones! I was a teenager in the 80's and remember the both the music and the clothes, but always found both a bit too rough around the edges for my tastes. One of the advantages of enjoying an aesthetic that is usually structured and feminine is that I don't have to colour too far outside the lines in order to feel quite daring and hard-edge. This is one such outfit for me.

Top:Veronika Maine

Skirt:Dogstar

Boots:Wittner

This is what I wore to see Kate Miller-Heidke perform at The Triffid on the evening of Valentine's day. The rough-textured matte look of the linen skirt, the metal clip holding the hem, the loop hanging from the waistband and the heavy flat boots provide a darker, messier look than I usually wear, but I have made it feel true to my style by pairing it with this top, which you may remember from a couple of years ago. The femininity and structure of the top teamed with a bright lipstick means I can wear this without feeling inauthentic, even though it is a little outside my usual style.

I've always loved the shape of this top but I haven't worn it much this year. The shiny look of the memory fabric feels a bit too dressy for day-to-day wear but the shape feels a bit too office-y for evening wear so it was never a piece I reached for first. It never ceases to amaze me how different items can look, depending on what is worn with them and I think in this case, teaming it with a more casual skirt made it feel just right.

So whilst I will never lay claim to the descriptor "punk", I do feel that adding in a few of the elements of the style has helped me give an under-appreciated  item it's time in the sun. And yes, the concert was fabulous! Kate is touring at the moment, and I highly recommend you see her if you can.

I'm A Punk by Doug Mulray

Hot Hot Hot

I live in a city with a warm climate and one of the big advantages is that when the summer sales happen, there is still a good two months of weather that will require summer clothes. Knowing that anything I buy will get good wear in the current season, I have used the sales as a way to try out new-to-me brands and styles or silhouettes that I want to experiment with without too much of a financial commitment. I bought three items at the sales, so I will be showing you the results over the next few weeks.

Top: Manning Cartell

Necklace: Frank Ideas

Pants:Country Road

Shoes:Wittner

This top was a find from an Australian design house that I have admired, but never purchased from before. It is a linen blend and has a trapeze shape and an asymmetrical hemline that provides a dramatic train-like effect at the back. I seem to have fallen in love with tops that give me movement and drama when I am walking around!

                                                                                                Jacket:Veronika Maine

The shape of the top, the lustrous fabric and the darts at the bust line actually create the impression of volume over my chest. And I also like it worn with my cropped jacket from last summer, so I can continue to wear it even when the days are no longer quite so beautiful. I am counting this experiment as a success, and will be keeping an eye on this brand in the future.

Do you use sales as a way to dip your toe into the water of a new style or brand? 

Hot Hot Hot by Arrow

Uptown Funk

I think I confessed in a previous post that I am not generally a fan of the boho look. Whilst I appreciate it on other people, it is almost the exact opposite of my usual style. It is therefore with some surprise that I have found myself wearing a style that definitely has boho roots, namely the peasant blouse.

                                                                  Top:Forever New
                                                                  Pants:Veronika Maine
 I like the way the elastic at the neckline creates gathers that gives volume over my torso. I like the opportunity to show my neck and collarbone without exposing my chest. And I like the way I can tuck it to emphasise the waist. I have chosen a version without tassels or embroidery and in a simple navy and white stripe so it feels quite congruent with the rest of my wardrobe. I guess that is a good illustration that most trends can be made to fit most wardrobes, if the details are done right.

I have seen this style being worn off the shoulder a lot, but I prefer not to expose that much skin during the day. And with this sort of neckline, I find you do have to be a bit careful about gaping when you bend over. I solved that with a little bit of fashion tape applied to the centre front. I don't think it is obvious, and it means I can loll around without concerning myself about possible wardrobe malfunctions.

I am back at work now, so my lolling around opportunities are significantly decreased, but I have had a lovely break and I hope you have too!

Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson

Santa Baby

I am lucky enough to work with some truly fabulous women and feel fortunate to be able to count them as friends as well as colleagues. As the year comes to an end, we have begun to exchange gifts. I was given this top last week, and I thought I would show you because it illustrates a few really good principles to bear in mind if you want to wear a fitted top rather than something more voluminous.

Top:Seed (Christmas gift)

Skirt:ScanlanTheodore

Belt:Veronika Maine

Bag:Oroton(Christmas gift)

Shoes:Wittner

Ok, so here are my thoughts about rules for wearing fitted tops. Your mileage may vary, but I have found these ideas helpful in choosing clothes.

1. Silhouette is king. I like to think about the overall shape of the entire outfit. I tried this top with a fitted skirt and found that creating a lot of shape on my lower half just emphasised the lack of shape at the top! I feel much more comfortable with the overall triangular, 1920's style of a full skirt or wide-leg pants when wearing a fitted top.

2. Texture is your friend. This is a thick, Milano knit fabric with a lot of weight and body. Whilst it is fitted, it is not clingy and it sits slightly away from my chest. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned this year has been the importance of fabric.

3. Dark is good. The light does not bounce off any unevenness over my chest or create unflattering shadows in the way that lighter colours do when I wear fitted tops. (Lycra gym wear, I'm looking at you!)

4. Detail allows you to choose where you want the focus to be. I love the asymmetrical hemline on this top, as it draws the eye down. I have reinforced the effect by adding a decorative belt. Jewellery and accessories can fill the role for plain tops, but I find that I am drawn to pieces that have some kind of built-in design interest.

5. Yeah, the side view is never gonna be great with a fitted top. You need to be at peace with that if you want to wear them. This style is definitely about looking good without breasts rather than looking like you might have breasts. I find that I reserve fitted tops for days when I am feeling particularly confident and fabulous for this very reason!

I think my friend did a great job in choosing this top for me! I really love it. Do you receive any fashion-related gifts at Christmas? How do you feel about others choosing clothes for you?

Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt

Living In The 70's

Hello! The weeks seem to be passing so quickly at the moment, and the weekend is over before I have had time to think about an outfit to show you! I will try and be a little more consistent now university has ended for the year and the days are getting longer.

A huge trend that has hit all the shops here this Spring has been the 70's look. I am not a big fan of boho style - it is generally too unstructured to really make my heart sing. However, this resurgence of 70's style has brought with it the return of the flare and the bootcut. I really like the freshness of the new silhouette, but I was concerned that it was not a look I would be able to wear. It seemed to me that the extra width on the bottom would require a fitted top to balance it and I usually prefer some volume over my chest, especially in the warmer months when I am not wearing a jacket or cardigan.
The solution I have found has been the tunic top.

                                                     Top/dress: Cue
                                                     Pants: Cue
I had several in my closet from last summer, and I have bought another one this season to get the "white-out" look. A few of these are dresses which are a little too short to be work-appropriate. They are now going to do double duty as  both at-home summer wear as a dress and over pants as a tunic for work.

I think the trick with this type of pairing is to choose a tunic with a triangular shape.That way, the top flares out in a way that echoes the pants. The shape also draws the eye down, and the narrow, fitted shape on the shoulder and chest becomes a part of the overall silhouette rather than the focus of the outfit. Wearing all one colour also helps create a long vertical shape that de-emphasises my chest. This is essentially a longer version of the trapeze top silhouette that I wore a lot last summer but with the fun addition of flared pants.

One of the things I love about fashion is the excitement of the new, and the clever reinterpretation of the old. How do you feel about the return of the flare?

Living in the 70's by Skyhooks

Underneath Your Clothes

The warmer weather is here, to my infinite relief and I have been sorting through my clothes from last season. I still really like almost all of them, so one of the challenges I have set myself is to find new ways to wear them. You may remember this top from last summer - I loved the strappy style, but struggled with the fear of scar exposure. I ultimately found a work-around with fashion tape. This season I have found another solution, and one that I feel really happy with.

                                                   Tunic: Nicola Waite
                                                   Camisole:ScanlanTheodore
                                                   Shorts: Country Road
I bought this sheer tunic as a layering piece to wear over shorts. I figured it would minimise skin exposure whilst still giving me the coolness and airflow of exposing my legs. Happily, I discovered that it also works for strappy tops. The high neck and close fit means I can be confident that I am not showing the world my chest, whilst the light style still looks summer-y and cool and feels comfortable to wear.

 Sheer and lacey garments seem to be trending at the moment - I am seeing a lot of sheer skirts with opaque linings that end above the knee, so I am happy to have found another way to make this look work for me.

Have you restyled any of your garments from last season?

Underneath Your Clothes by Shakira

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

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

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

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

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

Hazy Shade of Winter

I had a day off this week, and spent some time at the big shopping centre nearest my home, to see the fashions being stocked for winter and to plan my purchases for the months ahead. It was with some surprise that I found a good number of shops are already having their mid-season sales. This autumn has been so warm that I have barely dipped into my winter clothes at all and I have become quite content with the endless summer. Last winter, I didn't feel very stylish or attractive in the clothes I chose, so this year I have made a rough list of items I think will work with what I already have and the aesthetic I want to move towards. Feel free to skim over this if you hate lists!

Ankle booties: Black. Possibly a tan pair also.

Knit skirt(s): I plan for these to be my default casual bottom. They are SO comfortable, and my husband loves them on me.

Pant: 1 pair only, as I prefer the more feminine vibe of skirts for winter. I was initially thinking boot-cuts or flares, but the heavy rain over the past few weeks has given me a renewed appreciation of skinnies!

Winter tops: Long-sleeved and either trapeze-shaped or cropped and boxy. This will definitely be the most challenging category. I think part of the reason I didn't feel good last winter was because I failed to really get this nailed down.

Bomber jacket: Cue

Pants: Carla Zampatti

Sandals: Joanne Mercer

After my shopping trip, I managed to tick several things off my list. I will show them to you over the next few weeks, but I will start with this top. It is actually a light-weight bomber-style jacket, but I plan to wear it as a blouse. Bomber jackets seem to be very popular at the moment and I think it is a shape that works really well. I like the way the fabric is loose over my torso but fitted on the waist. Cue have done a range this year incorporating prints from from the 70's, and this was one of them.  It is lined, so will be warm enough to wear alone or with just a camisole, but I can also wear a long-sleeved T-shirt underneath for added insulation when the August winds arrive.

I find that the thicker fabrics and boxier shapes of jackets are more forgiving on a flat chest than most of the knits I have encountered, and I plan to use both this new piece and this trapeze jacket from last year as stand-alone tops over winter. Just now though, winter still seems like quite a long way off, lost in the heat haze of a beautiful autumn! Have you starting planning your wardrobe for next season?


Hazy Shade of Winter  cover by Bangles (I actually prefer this version to the original Simon and Garfunkel, which must be a first for me.)