Reckless

Last week saw the death of a well known Australian writer and political commentator, Bob Ellis. I happened to be listening to the radio when an old interview of his was broadcast, and was immediately drawn in by what he was saying. He described most people as creating a large group of friends in their youth and then gradually losing them as they moved through life. He saw this as the mechanism by which we become "old" and felt that we lose something important to our sense of self by no longer having people in our lives who knew us when we were young and vulnerable and naive.

I found this fascinating, because I have recently re-connected with two old high school friends, and have been amazed at how easily we have managed to bridge the intervening decades and how comfortable we have felt in each other's company. Maybe it is our oldest friends who can not only tell us who we are but also remind us of who we were. Perhaps they provide the milestones that help us to appreciate both how far we have come and how much the journey has cost us.  And maybe they are the ones who, having seen us in our awkward, arrogant, unfinished, unpolished youth, are best placed to be forgiving of our middle-aged follies. Bob Ellis, thank you and rest in peace.

And so, to fashion. As promised last week, I am showing you another silhouette I wear frequently. It is essentially the reverse of last week:

  Slim pants +trapeze-shaped top

This is a particularly comfortable combination to wear in summer, as loose tank style tops work well.

Here is the casual version, which I wear often at home.

Top:Manning Cartell

Pants: Country Road

Necklace: Frank Ideas

Shoes:Jo Mercer

And here is the dressy, work version. Once again, you can see that the overall look is the same and the dressiness can be dialled up or down depending on the fabric and colour of the individual pieces and the footwear you team it with.

Pants:ScanlanTheodore

Top:ScanlanTheodore

Jacket:Veronika Maine

Boots:Wittner

I find this silhouette the easiest to wear in summer, because trapeze-shaped tops generally look good without a jacket or another item over the top. That means that on the really humid days, I can get away with a single layer of fabric and no sleeves and enjoy the cool. However, it is a simple look and I feel like I have to make sure the rest of my outfit is quite polished to be comfortable wearing it to work. These pants have a slight shine and the top is textured, so up close they look a bit more grown-up than the casual version. I also think wearing a heel and a jacket make most outfits more formal.

Do you still have friendships from back when you were young and reckless?

Reckless by Australian Crawl

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

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

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

Kryptonite

A few years ago, I watched a film that I enjoyed immensely and that I still recall with affection. It garnered a lot of attention at the time of it's release, as it is very violent and the script had a 7 year old girl dropping the c-bomb, which made people very upset. However, when I think of the film I think not of the language but of the concept of being a superhero in your own life. Of trying, when you are almost certainly going to fail. Of taking action, when what you do is unlikely to change anything. Of letting your heart rule your head. What I loved about Kickass was its idealism. I was reminded of this today when I heard a radio story about Comicon  and the cosplay subculture. Maybe the opportunity to become the superhero on the outside that you already are on the inside, goes some way towards explaining the increasing popularity of these events. And some way towards explaining why fashion and dressing up has the capacity to bring us so much pleasure.

                                                            Shirt: Uniqlo
                                                            Pants: Cue
                                                            Cape: Cue
                                                            Boots: Wittner
These are some items I bought in my pre-winter shop last week. I especially love the cape. Because, everyone knows that only super heroes have capes. This cape also happens to be quite practical, though. The lack of full sleeves allows it to be worn over both short and long sleeved tops and gives me a great option for the many times in Brisbane when it is slightly cool in the mornings and evenings, but warm during the day. I also love the coverage it provides across the chest as it gives me the opportunity to wear my long-sleeved T-shirt knits underneath without looking too boyish. And it provides a simple way to add an element of dressiness to an otherwise casual outfit.

The pants and boots are also new. I had toyed with the idea of buying flares or boot cuts, but the combination of a run of wet weather, and the realisation that most of my favourite tops have some degree of volume that works better with a fitted bottom, resulted in me buying these skinny pants instead. They have a cool, crushed velvet texture and a high waist that will work well with my loose crop tops, and they are thick enough to be quite warm. I have already worn my cape once this week and I am looking forward to using it more in the months to come. In the meantime, I need to look into developing a superpower, choosing a name for my alter ego and finding a nemesis.


Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down

Got My Mojo Working

A few months ago I talked about fashion eras in which being flat-chested was advantageous and I was surprised to realise this week that I have not shown you this dress before. I currently have three dresses in my wardrobe and this is the one I have been reaching for most often, just because it feels cool both physically and psychologically!

Dress:Cue

Sandals:Joanne Mercer

I think it has very clear 1960's Mod influences. It is a simple shape, a short style and it actively avoids the appearance of curves! I feel positively Twiggy-esque in this dress and the associations with the music and fun and non-conformity of Mod culture are very appealing to me.

As you can see, the front is cut very straight, avoiding the appearance of empty fabric that haunts me with most of the dresses I try. I have been experimenting with how to transition my wardrobe into Autumn this week, and have found that this dress also looks good with a long-sleeved knit top underneath and the sandals swapped out for boots. But for now, whilst temperatures are still in the 30's I am happy to wear it as is, and grateful for the extra ventilation provided by the cut-out back and the shorter length.

It is now a little over 6 months since my surgery and I was profoundly glad to realise recently that I feel like I have my mojo back. Whilst there will always be ups and downs, most of the time I am able to love my body for it's strength and resilience and functionality and feel confident and attractive in how I dress myself. We all have our scars and imperfections and accepting them may be the first step in getting mojo working and living life with joy.

Cover Me Up

The lovely Angie over at YouLook Fab wrote a post on the trends for Spring 2014 recently, and although we are out of sync with the Northern Hemisphere fashion cycle, I still find it very interesting and exciting as many of them dribble through to our corner of the world. One trend that caught my eye was for cropped tops, particulary as Angie suggested wearing them over longer tops to avoid the bare midriffs that the young folk are rocking.

Crop top:Cue

Top:Cue

Skirt:Cue

Shoes:Joanne Mercer

The top and skirt are items that have been in my wardrobe for a while, but I feel like they have been given a new lease on life by the addition of the crop top.

I have been on the hunt for clothes that will give me back some semblence of an hourglass shape, and the peplum effect created by the tight top and the colour-blocked panels over the loose underlayer is exactly what I was searching for.

The crop is a stretch knit fabric and is quite firm so I think even women with breasts would look a bit flat-chested wearing this. The black panels have been cleverly cut to give the impression of a curve, so I think the overall look works well with no breasts.

The back to the top underneath is also layered so it is mostly covered up, although the underlayer of blue fabric will be exposed when I move around. I have never liked this top that much, but I love it with the upper part covered by the crop. Do you have tops that you only like wearing when partially covered up by a jacket or cardigan?
Cover me up, Jason Isbell

Royals

One of my favourite actresses is Katharine Hepburn. She really is Hollywood royalty. I admire her grace, athleticism and aristocratic bearing. I also admire the way she wore trousers and shirts with a casual elegance that still looks beautiful today. Button-up collared shirts often appear in the lists that fashions magazines make about must-have wardrobe items, along with such exotic species as "the perfect pair of jeans". Button-up shirts and I were never good friends in the past, as I usually ended up with gaping between buttons at the bust and the fabric being pulled up from the waist, the final appearance being blowsy rather than crisp. However, it struck me that my new shape may be exactly what I required to get the Katharine look right!

Shirt:Veronika Maine

Pants:Veronika Maine

Shoes: Joanne Mercer

 

The shirt is a very soft, light cotton and although it is slim-fitting it has a slightly triangular cut and hence has no darts at the bust line. It has a pleat at the back that gives it a cocoon shape which de-emphasises my chest and whilst the front has no pleats or gathers to create volume, it has enough fabric not to be clingy.

 

I felt very comfortable and stylish wearing this outfit and I am quite excited to find another style of shirt that I feel happy wearing. With Autumn just around the corner I can see long sleeved button front shirts could become wardrobe staples for the cooler weather. And of course, I love the idea of channelling Katharine! Do you have a member of Hollywood royalty whose style you love and want to emulate?

She's Always A Woman

Well that's a title that really betrays my age, but I do love Billy Joel!
Last week I showed you one of my summer "uniforms" and this week I am wearing the other one I mentioned, namely a flared skirt with a tucked top.

Top:Cue

Skirt:Veronika Maine

Shoes:Wittner

I am enjoying wearing flared skirts this summer, as to me it feels very feminine to emphasise my waist and create volume over the chest and hips. I think recreating an hourglass shape is the silhouette I feel most comfortable and attractive with.

This top is the same style as the one I showed you a few months ago, and whilst I have not found the pattern to be as versatile as the other one, I like the detail around the neck. It is a trapeze style, so it also looks good untucked; in fact, probably better. But today I really wanted curves!

Last time, I mentioned that this style had an interesting back detail but I forgot to show you, so this time I made sure I got a snap.

I watched "Bill Cunningham:New York" this week, and one of the things he said really spoke to me: "Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life". I have not yet resorted to helmets and shields, but I know exactly what he means and I am grateful that fashion gives me the ability to emphatically define myself as a woman on those difficult days when I feel like I am on shifting sands.

 

A Whiter Shade of Pale

This is a variation of the white-on-white outfit from a few weeks ago. It always feels fresh and cool to me to wear white during the really hot days of summer, and these wide leg pants are sufficiently light and breezy as to be almost as cool as shorts. My husband was concerned that the top and pants were not an exact match in colour. I tried to explain it to him, but it appears that shades of white remains as much of a mystery to him as Shades of Grey was to the rest of the male population!

Top:Country Road

Pants:Veronika Maine

Shoes:Joanne Mercer

Wearing lace-up shoes with a summer outfit is possibly a little incongruous and seasonally confused, but I am catching the bus to work today and we seem to be in the middle of a spate of afternoon thunderstorms, so in the interests of dry feet I have avoided sandals.

This top is one that I really think I should be giving a little more love. It has just the right amount of volume to look good both tucked and un-tucked and the gathering at the neckline is flattering. As you can see, I have also had fun with a statement necklace. The top has enough detail that it looks good without further decoration, but I wanted to bookend the black shoes.

Wide-leg pants and flared skirts have been a bit of a uniform for me over the last few weeks, as temperatures of over 40 degrees necessitate clothes that allow ventilation. I have actually found myself quite satisfied with that and have been introducing variety through accessories and footwear choices. Who could have predicted that I would enjoy a uniform after all those years of Catholic schooling! Do you have a uniform? If so, is it based on silhouette, season or a style you love?

 

 

My Favourite Things

There are two new things in my outfit today. The first is the top I am wearing. I bought this about two weeks ago and I love it so much that I have to be strict with myself about not wearing it every single day!

Top:Cue

Pants:Veronika Maine

Shoes:Wittner

The front is made of a faux snakeskin material. It is quite stiff and sits away from my torso and I love the unusual textural element that it adds. The cool thing is that although it has a dart, it is positioned in the middle of the top instead of the more usual side position. This means that if the fabric does collapse back onto my body, it does so in the middle, rather than over where my breasts should be, and gives the impression of cleavage rather than empty space.

I am also loving the back, as it is cool, airy and soft and acts as an interesting juxtaposition to the structure at the front of the top. After having to wear a bra for over 30 years, being able to wear nothing at all under a sheer, soft top like this still feels a bit transgressive and naughty in a fun kind of way, even though my husband assures me that I am not exposing anything!

The other new thing is, of course, my lip colour. I have a group of girl friends I went to university with and who I still see regularly. Our Christmas tradition (stolen from Oprah!) is to give everyone in the group the present of our favourite thing that we have bought, found or made during the year. One of my friends gave all of us a new lip stain she had discovered, and I think she did a great job in choosing the perfect colour for me.

What has been your favourite thing this year?

Raise Your Glass

When I first started receiving corrospondence from the various breast cancer support organisations, the first thing that went through my head was "Wow. That is a LOT of pink". Pretty much everything to do with breast cancer seems to be pink. I have never really liked or worn pink, and I wondered if I would be thrown out of the club.

Top:Veronika Maine

Pants:Veronika Maine

Shoes:Joanne Mercer

However, a blog post http://youlookfab.com/2013/10/08/the-versatility-of-blush-pink/ by Angie at YouLookFab convinced me that maybe I had been too hasty in my dismissal of pink, and so here is my first foray into the world of blush.

I have not been nearly so daring with my colour matches as those the original post showcased, but I have to admit to enjoying the softness and femininity of this outfit. Short hair, strong features and no breasts can send a mixed gender message but I think this outfit is unambiguously girly.

This tops is of a light, thin fabric and does not provide a lot of volume over my chest. However, I feel it has a 1920's look about it, an era when straight figures with small breasts were considered very fashionable indeed, so I decided to channel the spirit of the times and embrace the flatness. It was quite a revelation to me to realise that I don't always have to dress to disguise my lack of breasts. For some styles, it can actually be an asset to be flat-chested. The 1920's may be my new favourite era!

Just don't ask me to do the Charleston. That can only end in tears.

Hi ho, hi ho...

Well, this is an outfit I put together for work. The skirt is pretty much what I would have worn before my sugery, but the top is new. I chose it because the pleating at the neckline gave it enough volume not to cling to my chest, whilst the pattern was so happy and busy that I couldn't resist!

 

 

The mornings are still fairly cool here, so I put a jacket on over the top. The jacket is also quite drapey, although I have an eye out for a proper waterfall jacket with more volume in the front.

Here is another photo with the jacket off, and also a close up of the pleat detail on the top

 The side view is not quite so flattering, I don't think, but I have concluded that I will have to accept a certain level of difference between how I would like to look and what is actually possible. :)

 

I take part in the wonderful community that is You Look Fab,( www.youlookfab.com) a fashion blog and forum run by the talented and generous Angie and Greg. I always find it a supportive place to post a picture and get constructive criticism or reassurance and happily this outfit got the thumbs up! Angie, a fashion stylist, was kind enough to give some tips for those of us facing the challenge of no breasts. She recommends high necklines, fluid fabrics and drapey style tops over structured bottoms. I will be following her suggestions to the letter, as everything she styles looks fabulous.