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J Crew blouse, ASOS lace dress, Mimco necklace, Karen Walker shorts, Acne blouse

New purchases for the month of April. Like last month, April also resulted in eight new additions to my closet, a number that I was hoping not to reach. Very few things tempted me on eBay, which meant that the majority were purchased new. Reading over my list, it's a lot easier to identify that the things I did buy new, were ones that had a a limited window of opportunity to purchase, or miss out completely. It always gets me, how that little bit of information can make something seem more enticing, or more appealing than it really is. Here's hoping it was not that case in my experience.

By far my best purchase had to be the Acne sleeveless blouse, which I had no idea it existed until it showed up in one of my daily eBay searches. I had bought the long-sleeved version of this blouse a year or so ago, but found it difficult to wear often as it never sat properly on my shoulders. Now this is no longer a problem for me, and I'm happy to retain the best qualities of something I was rather fond of yet seldom wore.


Three of my purchases are not yet nestled amongst my other belongings, all for different reasons. One being a cashmere cardigan that is currently on layby. The second being a purchase I just made on eBay and is - with some luck - jetting across the sky on its way to me. And the final of the three, while paid off, is involving some patience on my part until I travel to London in July so that I can pick up my pair of black velvet Charlotte Olympia kitty flats, a purchase I have been wanting to make for over a year now. Better late than never I figure!


It's ironic that as we head into winter, my mind still appears to be dreaming of warmer climes, as I gravitated towards shorts, summer dresses and blouses over more sensible items like warm jumpers and thermals. I imagine that with the cold setting in, my purchases for the months ahead are likely to include merino, wools and cashmeres, all much needed, and somewhat lacking in my closet.

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Nina wears: Zara jacket, Kate Sylvester blouse, Vero Moda skirt, Vintage bag

Streetstyle. Loved Nina's outfit when we met up last Sunday, pairing leather and a utility jacket with a soft and feminine pussybow blouse. These types of juxtapositions are my favourite, and the colours work so well. I've been looking for a military style jacket or parka for the longest time, and almost picked up the one Nina wears while I was in Taiwan - love it on her.

You can recreate her look with this FCUK blouse, Vero Moda skirt and a parka from ASOS.

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1. Karen Walker dress & blazer, Triwa watch, Pointer loafers
2. Luella cardigan, J. Crew blouse, Karen Walker skirt & belt
3. Striped singlet, Topshop jeans & boots
4. Karen Walker blazer, Zara skirt
5. Topshop heels
6. Karen Walker bracelet

Work attire. After getting asked a question about the types of things that I wear to work on Formspring, I thought I would elaborate a little further here. I've always felt that the clothing that you adorn yourself with every day in its own way, is a mild reflection of who you are as a person. In this respect, I've been lucky that I've only worked at one establishment where a strict corporate form of dress was required, and admittedly, I felt stifled by it.

Last year, I had the privilege of attending a Youth Leadership Workshop in Taiwan, which was an eye-opening experience, and one that I will never forget. One of the smaller things that I noticed while on this trip, was that the other girls in similar positions to myself in Australia adhered to a much more refined, and what I consider to be a corporate style of dress in their workplaces, which encouraged me to re-evaluate what I would wear to work.

It probably took me a little longer than I would like to admit to realise that yes, there is a too short for work; Yes, certain garments are only appropriate for weekend wear; and yes, cozy cardigans can sometimes look a little dowdy when paired with the wrong thing.

On the whole, I tend to adopt a more relaxed style of dressing for work, which is "put together", and not scruffy. I occasionally pair blazers with loose silk blouses and skinny jeans, delicate dresses with a cardigan or a jumper thrown on top, or a blouse tucked into a skirt. I've realised that pencil skirts with a stiff cotton shirt tucked in doesn't work for me, and I'm still trying to find the right pair of work pants that I feel completely comfortable in. While it might seem painfully simple to some, it creates a canvas where a chunky necklace or interesting bracelet can take centre stage.

Footwear is a little more varied, and with a considerable number of suede shoes, often leaves me with little choice on rainy days. It tends to range from black ballet flats or loafers, to Isabel Marant dicker boots or black Chelsea boots, or a more sensible pair of heels at a medium height, depending on the type of day that I am expecting it to be.

I wonder if I had been asked this question a year ago, how drastically different my response may have been. Since then, my wardrobe has undergone quite a transformation, and my heel heights have dropped considerably. I think that while it's important to retain who you are in what you wear, it's also important to project who you want to be, and where you want to be in the future. Every workplace is different, and what works for me, doesn't necessarily work for everyone. Enough from me, happy Friday!

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Karen Walker blazer, shorts, jewellery and sunglasses; Acne blouse (similar); Topshop boots (similar); Meadowlark ring; Proenza Schouler bag

The obsession with short suits continues. Grabbing what is probably my last chance to wear one before the chill really sets in Wellington on Sunday. It's strange to think that something is pretty much over when it never really began. Paired with my other obsession, the Acne sleeveless blouse, and sturdy boots perfect for stomping around the city in.

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Wellington Fashion Week came to a close on Sunday, and I had the good fortune of attending a second show with Nina, Nicola Screen for Goodness, at Foxglove on the waterfront. The show started with a dancer moving fluidly and acrobatically in some of Nicola's designs. Her collection was comprised of both Summer and Winter pieces, in earthy muted tones, with pops of colour coming from the floaty and sheer florals. The cuts were both sexy, and entirely feminine, the softly draped dresses juxtaposed amongst girls clad in jeans with cargo style pockets and loosely flowing blouses. WFW, I hope to see you around in the future.

In an attempt to bring a little bit of the show to my readers, I hope you enjoy the short video!

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  Karen Walker Sunglasses 

Sunday reflections.
1. Taking up an old hobby, that is somewhat outdated in modern society can be extremely gratifying, and the time indulged in pursuing it makes you appreciate it all the more. When I was younger I would most likely somewhat poorly, assist my grandmother with a large cross-stitch that she was working on. My mother purchased me my own a few years back, although I never felt the inclination to work on it until now. As ridiculous as I feel it sounds to admit, it's satisfying completing a section of colour.

2. I was very grateful to my friend Nina, who invited me to join her at not one, but two fashion shows during Wellington Fashion Week (WFW). The first was Julian Danger, which we attended on Thursday night, and the second was Nicola Screen for Goodness, which we attended this afternoon. Both were a deep contrast to the Karen Walker show that I experienced while in New York last year, which was only open to industry insiders. WFW essentially opened what is usually an exclusive event for buyers, editors and the like, to the masses, either through the purchase of a ticket or by emailing for the chance to receive tickets. While fashion shows are reasonably short affairs, usually no longer than about 15 minutes, it's still a great way to get a sense of how the garment sits on the models, and how it moves.

3. I recently managed to score the Acne floral blouse with detachable scarf in a sleeveless version, for a rather good price. Admittedly, I already owned the 'Amon' blouse in the full sleeve version with the cut-outs at the shoulder, but I seldom wore it as it felt too large on my frame, and the cut-outs just never sat right on me. Since receiving the sleeveless version, I've been wanting to wear it every day. Sometimes a piece that you love in theory doesn't work in practice, but with a few tweaks, it can become exactly what you were hoping it would be.

4. A beer in the sun is the best way to start a Sunday afternoon. Especially if there's sun. Oh, and chips. I didn't start drinking beer until a few years back when I was travelling in Europe, and it was du jour to drink steins while we were in Germany (or so I was told). Since then, I'm always up for trying a new beer, and when I spotted a voucher for a beer I hadn't tried before, I bought it and kept it on the off chance that Wellington would see another sunny day before the real gloom of winter. That day was today, so when lunchtime rolled around, the boyfriend and I made our way to Meow to take advantage.

5. I often forget how important it is to laugh at life, rather than take everything so seriously. There's always time to be a little silly.
Super Sunday!

 

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Helmut Lang blazer, Zara jumper, Topshop jeans, Isabel Marant 'Cleane' boots, Proenza Schouler bag, Mimco necklace

Wellington Fashion Week. What has long been a gap in the industry, was finally filled this year with Wellington's inaugural Fashion Week. Beginning on Wednesday, the buzz in the Capital was noticeable, with one not being able to walk down Lambton Quay without coming across a photographer and model duo, taking photo's for one of the many events that had been organised.

I was lucky enough to be invited along by my friend Nina to attend the Julian Danger presentation, which showcased the S/S 13 'Violet' collection. The collection was an array of sorbet and pastel coloured dresses, sweaters in lightweight fabrics, cute little short suits with slit open backs, all in a relaxed style. The models wore candy coloured wigs, which secretly had me wishing that they had walked down the 'runway' blowing bubbles.

As you can see, there's a bit of a theme to the way I've been dressing lately, not sure if it's that I can't get enough of jeans paired with a jumper and blazer, or if it's just that I'm a little uninspired lately, as I find myself wearing the pieces over and over again.

PS. How cute are Matty and Nina in that last pic? I swear the cheesy smiles rub off on everyone!

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Karen Walker blazer, Zara jumper, Topshop jeans & boots, Proenza Schouler bag, YSL ring

In stark contrast to the relaxing four-day "Easter" weekend, this weekend just past was full of activities. My kitten and I had a sleepover at my parents place, which was a little stressful as their cat didn't take so kindly to his intrusion, but aside from that it was just nice to spend an otherwise relaxing evening with them, eating Thai food and watching movies. On the Saturday morning they helped me run errands, and later that day I had friends over for a crafts evening - which I must say, wine and attempting friendship bracelets don't quite mix.

As a Greek Orthodox, I didn't celebrate Easter until Sunday just been - spending close to the entire day at my grandparents house as plate after plate of food found its way on the table. Kalo Pasxa!