Virtual Sample Sale

Usually I'm not a fan of online shopping.  There are so many questions to be answered.  So many things can go wrong.  Plus I love shopping for the experience.  I love going out and looking at all the pretty clothes.  I love to touch them; to feel the soft silk run between my fingers or the fluffy texture of features.  Shopping includes all the sense; touch, smell, sight and sound.  I love how clothes drape off the wooden hangers, glistening under store lights.  I appreciate how the mirrors somehow half your body size and increases your height.  I even love standing at the counter and handing over my card.  The excitement builds within you as realization hits; what the shop assistant is wrapping up... it's yours!  It's a wonderful experience.

But somedays, when it is cold and raining, all you want to do is shop without leaving the house.  You want to stay in your PJs.  You don't want to trek all the way to the city.  When this mood hits you have to go to Thread People; a online store that is practically a virtual sample sale.  All you need to do is sign up - its free - and then start shopping.

Designers feature for a certain period of time.  You are sent an email to notify you of what sales are about to start.  For instance you can go on the website now and buy pieces by Stella McCartney or Fernando Frisoni.  If this doesn't appeal to you then wait the extra couple of days and check out clothes (and accessories) from Pratten or Chinese Laundry.  Thread People gives a whopping 75% off clothes.  Now when most stores say this they don't really mean it.  They have one horrific looking top for 75% off and the rest gets a measly 5%.  At Thread People they don't lie.  So get shopping in your bummy clothes and reap the rewards.

Love Me.

(Image Source: Thread People)

Lets get nude

The other day I was walking down the street and in the corner of my eye I saw a lady half-naked.  To be honest I was shocked.  Who would do a thing like this?  Who forgets to put their clothes on?   How has she not felt the very obvious chill?  The last time I saw a naked person on the street they were drunk.  They had to be.  He was waving his penis around; trying to recreate the “meat spin” for his unwilling audience.  Was this lady drunk?  Was she on drugs?  Was she just very proud of her body?  Had she recently lost a lot of weight? 

It began to rain and I awoke from my questioning.  The realisation swept over me, she was not naked at all.  She was just a ‘trendy fashionista’.  A young lady who realised the whole city is going to look naked next season.  This year neutral colours were prominently featured during Australian Fashion Week.  I am going to bet the 5 cents in my bank account that this trend will sneak into stores; expensive and cheap ones.  You don’t need to be a wealthy housewife to wear beige.  Experiment with different skin tones.  Colour doesn’t need to disappear from your outfit.  Individualise neutral pieces with bold patterns and bright colours.  

Love Me.

(Image Source: Getty Images)

Me and my love

Me and my love will consistently pop up from now on.  Random purchases I have made or pieces I aspire to have will be featured.  Today I want to show you a pair of shoes made by Chloe.  They retail around $900 at David Jones.  The pictures I found don't honestly capture their magnificence but rest assured they would make any heart race.  The back detail is what makes them truly special.  Woven leather takes these shoes from a plain heel to sexy sophistication.  The heel size is comfortable and isn't going to get you rushed to the emergency department.  No matter what season they would be a wonderful everyday shoe.  As it is winter here I tried them on with opaque stockings, surprisingly they suit that style.  I can see them matched with a flirty summers dress, a classic clean business skirt or hidden elegance amongst a quirky miss-mash of clothes.

Love Me.

Ride in style

Every second person in Melbourne (especially Brunswick St) rides a bicycle.  This is especially true if you are a 'try-hard alternative' who mixes a 70s getup with a classic, old-school bike.  I guess it was only a matter of time before stylish accessories became available for the "trendy bike rider".  If you want to see how to spend money on practical, yet lets face it, stupid accessories then head to Cycle Style.

Pattern Me Up

Look outside.  Go on, look.  I bet it looks cold, doesn't it?  It is winter.  Well ok it's autumn but it feels like winter.  We can't escape it.  I don't care if you curl up in bed, hugging a hot water-bottle, clenching your eyelids shut, dreaming of heat, winter is on our doorsteps.  I have worn a scarf and coat nearly every day this week.  It is rather depressing.

The only benefit is I get to wear a whole new side of my wardrobe.  There is another benefit to winter; I even get to expand my underwear collection.  Stockings, specifically patterned stockings, are spilling out of my drawer.  I can't get enough of them.  They are amazing.  They easily add colour and intrigue to a boring outfit.  I truly believe that stockings are massively warmer than trousers.  You know when it rains and you are wearing jeans, the water flickers onto your trousers so much that your leg (and jeans) get soaked?  Well with stockings that doesn't happen.

I must admit they do have a bad point, if you aren't careful they rip.  They are also a little pricey BUT they look fantastic.  Once you try them I swear you will never go back.  To top it all off stockings pulls all those flabby bits in.  The bum that was slightly droopy, gone.  The stomach that jiggled, gone.  The thighs swishing to their own beat, gone.

The brands I've found that have the best style and 'strength' are Alannah Hill, Leona Edmiston and Platinum.

So go on, give them a little try.  I promise you will not be disappointed.

Love Me.

(Image Source: google images)

Cross my fingers, hope my brain doesn't fail me

I'm breathing again.  We I'm kind of breathing again.  I have a 'permanent' work experience placement at The Fashion Journal.  I am insanely excited.  Now I'm stressing over what to wear.  Will I do a good job?  Am I suited for this type of career?  I guess I'll find out soon enough.  A mix of emotion is bubbling through me.  I can't wait for Friday to come (the day I start) but I also can't wait for it to be over.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Wish me luck.

Love Me.

The Wanderer

Therese Rawsthorn has shown her S/S 2010/11 collection at the Rosemount Australian Fashion Week.  The collection is titled ‘The Wanderer’.  It is about a girl on a road trip through “arid countryside”.  I am unsure how much I like it.  I can see the talent beyond each garment but it leaves me somewhat a little empty.  I am not inspired and I don’t want to buy it.  There was only one look I really loved; a cream shirt and black pants.  Both pieces loosely hang off the body yet the figure beneath it remains.  It is elegant, feminine and practical. 

For this collection Rawsthorn embellished hand knits, embroidered leather, made entire garments woven from corsetry elastic, used silks, and washed cotton and wool. 

The collection intertwines pieces that starkly contrast each other.  Within each outfit she’s designed body-conscious pieces. Flesh-coloured bike shorts and tight straps ever so slightly exposed beneath another piece of clothing.  Rawsthorn is rather adept at making these body-conscious elements subtle and barely noticeable.  They add intrigue to the clothes without being overbearing. 

Beyond this Rawsthorn’s collection comprises flowing dresses, over-sized vests and jackets, loose shirts and extra-wide trousers. 

Love Me.

Lisa Ho at RAFW

Lisa Ho presented a stellar S/S 2009/10 collection at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week.  She mixes classic pieces with bold colour and prints.  Her maxi dresses are amazing.  To be honest I am a maxi dress hater, generally because they really don't suit my body type.  She has converted me.  I don't think I'll ever be able to wear them but now I wish I could.  Her dresses show the natural curve and elegance of a woman's body.  Who needs plastic surgery when a good designer can nip/tuck you with material.  I could gush over this collection for ages but instead scroll down and take a look for yourself.

Love Me.