What to wear on an airplane

This year I plan on doing a lot of overseas travel. I’m yet to actually book any of these trips but I made a new years resolution to leave the country at least twice in 2012. My blog is going to have a strong travel focus but don’t worry it’ll always be tied in with fashion and beauty. My first trip is in April and of course I’ve already started to research what I should wear on the airplane. Flying long haul can take it out of you so you want to take every precaution to make sure you are as comfortable possible.

Here are my 6 top items to wear on an airplane.

1. Leggings
As much a I preach about leggings not being a substitute for pants, they are the closest thing to pajamas when it’s comes to being comfortable. Choose a pair with a thin elastic waistband because if the elastic around your waist is too thick it’ll dig in. A lot of easy breezy styles on Shopbop. (pictured)

2. Minimal makeup
Keep your skin natural with lashes of moisturizer so you don’t dry out. Keep eye makeup minimal so when you rub your tired eyes you don’t look panda like. Don’t forget your usual beauty routine either when on the plane or your skin will suffer. We love Kiehl’s Ultra Face Cream to stay hydrated!

3. Oversized T-shirt
Perfect casual match with the leggings. The advantage of wearing something with a bit of sleeve is the air-conditioning won’t annoy you hitting your skin and the fabric/leather of the seats won’t irritate. This cute J-Brand piece will do the trick nicely!

4. A pull over jumper (sweater for my American readers!)
An easy sweater that goes on easily over your head is best. Fiddling around with cardigans, buttons and zips only makes me cranky. Choose a soft material – cashmere is best (splash out!)

5. A scarf
A great scarf could literally save your life after a long haul flight. Especially if the paparazzi are waiting on the other end to snap your exit for (you listening Ashley Olsen?) Whether it’s to hide tied hair, to cover your neck from air conditioning or just to add easy comfortable style to a simple tee and leggings combination. We love this Mimco 100% scarf. Perfect trans-seasonal colours. (pictured)

7. A great bag
It may spend a lot of time tucked away in the overhead locker but you’ll appreciate an easy to carry large travel bag when you are waiting in the airport for a connecting flight. Pick a bag that is not just functional but oh so stylish so you can get use from it all year round not just on trips. Get into safari mode with this fashion/functional R.M.Williams Tia Travel Bag RRP $700.00 (pictured)

What to Wear to a Festival

It’s that time of year again – festival season. A time of year when sunscreen is in high demand, fedora’s are a mandatory and all that matters is the music. But of late what to wear to a music festival has become as equally as important to the music. The direction of the fashion is highly influenced by the Spring/Summer 2011 trends combined with some very cool celebrity looks from the summer festivals overseas.

Glastonbury festival is always a star studded affair which I look back on for festival inspiration when our turn for music mad months rolls around.
I’m loving Lily Donaldson cut off denim shorts. Alexa Chung keeps it pretty with a cute white dress (although I can imagine it getting pretty dirty!) They keep it casual but still with a serious style edge.

I headed to Stereosonic 2011 in Sydney a couple of weeks ago thanks to Bless’ed Are The Meek to check out the trends of the festival season. Here are my top 5 picks.

1. Maroon Denim Shorts

This is the look I rocked with my bestie to Stereosonic. Maroon demin shorts are everywhere this season. Rock shorts with an interesting top and layer with a jacket Alexa Chung style. Stereosonic was a super hot day so I paired with a loose lace tee & fedora.

Check out these gorgeous shorts from Bless’ed are the Meek.

2. A Hat

It’s not just about fashion. Keep safe from Australia’s harmful rays & enjoy the festival without sun stroke. Keep it cool with a fedora or keep it real with a felt hat. Love this photo – shorts by Bless’ed Are The Meek.

3. Converse

I’ve seen horrible things happen when people try to wear flip flops (thongs) to a festival. Please note taping your thongs onto your feet isn’t a viable solution for shoes. Keep your toes and your dignity safe and rock Converse at this years festivals.

4. Leopard Print

It’s such a fun print but can often look ‘overboard’ in every day dressing. Therefore festivals are the perfect time to pull out the prints. Be bold and go leopard all over in a swing dress. Match is with a tribal headpiece for an authentic African feel (in the middle of Homebush stadium!)

5. Water

This is a bit of a cheat as it’s not a fashion tip – but it’s just as important. When drinking & (god knows what else) at a music festival, with your body pressed up against 60,000 other people (Yes there was 60,000 people at Stereosonic Sydney this year!) and the sun is beaming down on you as you dance for 12 hours straight; remember to stay hydrated.

If water isn’t your thing chuck a few C Coconut Water’s in your bag for the journey there. It’s alot healthier then drinking energy drinks & helps you stay hydrated between vodka’s. Plus they taste super yum.

We’d love to see what you’ve worn to a festival of late!

Colour Blocking with The Westfield Insider

Spring/Summer runways at Australian Fashion Week burst of colour. Lime green, hot pink and bright red seemed so natural next to each other. Hair was sleek, the jewels sparkled and the espadrilles were oh so high. On the weekend I hit Westfield Hurstville with Alyce Cowell to pick out a couple of cute colour blocking looks for the season.

With a $200 budget we were on the hunt to find the hottest way to work colour blocking for Spring/Summer 2011. As I’ve said time and time again I just started a new job so I’m always conscious of putting together an outfit that works for the weekend and as well as the working week. For a complete head to toe colour block look we hit up Glassons. The store was bursting from the seams with bright hues. I usually don’t put pictures of myself on the blog but this outfit for under $200 was so cute I had to give it a go!

Outfit from Glassons
$49.99 jacket
$59.99 dress
$39.99 shirt

My favorite piece was the cropped cobalt blue jacket, it’s a way to wear sleeves in summer without looking bulky or winter-ish. It’s the kind of thing I’ll be able to wear for seasons to come.

“If you’re just starting out with adding colour to your wardrobe adding accessories to a neutral palette is an easy way to start.” Alyce Cowell the Westfield Insider explains. Alyce goes into depth with the colour blocking trend over at her blog. Armed with this advice we headed over to Wittner for shoes and Colette for accessories.

If you are thinking about adding brights into your wardrobe for summer take a look at the shades of colour already in your wardrobe and go from there. Love pink, step it up and colour block with hot pink. Plenty of light blue’s, make you blue rock and try out an electric blue shoe!

Love the colours of these belts! They were only $9.99 too! You could buy every colour.

Wittner has so many great shoes for the coming season. From sky high heels to chunky platforms or just a flat for casual wear. My favourite shoes were these bright blue wedges which will easily take you from garden picnic to night on the town. Priced at $169.95 you’ll live in them for summer.

Alyce Cowell has had the opportunity of a lifestyle becoming The Westfield Insider, shopping up a storm, hanging out with Gok Wan in London and touring the country offering style advise to Aussie women. Visit Alyce at https://www.facebook.com/Westfield

How to: Wear maxi skirts in winter

It’s so easy to get caught up in summer. The beach, the clothes, the bikini’s, the gelato. When winter comes around it can all seem a little drab and boring. Your summer wardrobe gets shoved into the back of your closest not to be seen for months. It’s so easy to end up wearing only jeans and jackets during winter. This doesn’t have to be the case! There are so many ways to work the life from summer into the depths of winter. The easiest way to merge your wardrobes of the two seasons is with the coveted maxi skirt. We show you how

Stick with:

Grey maxi’s translate well into a winter wardrobe, in any shade. Or for something bold you can do bright colors or jewel tones (very in for winter).

Stay away from: Florals and light colors. It will be too evident it’s a piece dragged over to the wrong side of your wardrobe.

Accessorize with:

Fur! Oh maxi’s and fur how I love thee together. Long necklaces also are great to give the outfit a ‘streamline’ look, the necklaces pictured are from Diva. If it’s cold outside pop a pair of 3/4 length tights underneath. The 3/4 length means they won’t show at the hemline but still long enough to keep you cosy.

Work it when:

You are going to brunch on a Sunday. Think Bondi markets and an organic cafe in your maxi and you’ll be so warm but oh so cool.

Pictured: Striped Free People maxi from Shopbop, Purple Tibi maxi from Shopbop, Taupe maxi from Dotti, Necklaces from Diva, Kate Hudson & Ashley Olsen both rocking maxi’s with some serious style!

How to wear: Winter flare trousers

All over the fall/winter runways were fantastic Almost Famous 70′s inspired flares. For an hour glass shaped girl like myself these pants are a dream come true. Goodbye skinny trousers hello tiny waist and some serious fun with flares.

Choose your style (left to right) Fall 2011 Marc Jacobs – beige pants with a bold colour on top for a serious statement. Diane Kruger rocks flares in denim. 70′s Vixen – think Kate Hudson in Almost Famous with fur. Shopping mall ready with ASOS – Keep it cool and casual with a black singlet and colourful accessories.

How To: Get Ready for Summer!

Can you believe it’s September? I’m beyond shocked at how fast the year has gone. It feels as if iI haven’t even changed out of bikini’s for winter and then bam, it’s summertime again. If your like me and the flying time has left you a little behind the summer prep like myself don’t worry I’ve found a few things to watch for to make sure your back in gear for pool parties and late night dancing.

A Great Complexion: In summertime makeup becomes less of a priority in Australia. The heat and the humidity aren’t the best bases to keep your foundation in place and then add in the beach swims and the sand and it becomes a nightmare trying to keep your makeup in place. The best solution is to ensure a healthy and glowing complexion so the next time your makeup slides off it doesn’t faze you. I found a great way to get that complexion is Herbal Enhancer. A twice daily supplement designed to help enhance your skin and help you be a healthy woman.

A Glowing Tan: What summer would be complete without a brilliant tan, be that as it is always remember fake tan best stay away from the harsh sun rays and go with a fake tan cream. For 2010/2011 summer tans on the runway were light and golden with an illumious finish. Don’t go over the top and come out looking like Snooki from Jersey Shore. Product I love Fake Bake, it’s the #UK’s number one tanning lotion (and with the limited sunlight they’ve gotta know how to fake it!) fakebake.net.au

A Summer Maxi Dress: The easiest way to start dressing for summer is with a maxi dress. You don’t have to worry about any winter lumps or bumps, it still covers your legs for cool afternoon breezes and looks great a jacket for cooler nights. This spring everyone is doing their own version of a maxi dress. Westfield released research revealing that 97%* of Australian women would prefer a new Spring/Summer wardrobe than a date with Hugh Jackman, Brad Pitt or George Clooney. So go on treat yourself to that new maxi dress! Better then a Brad Pitt date!

Where to: Shop on the Gold Coast

Living on the Gold Coast for the last 8 years and being a fashion loving female has been a bit of strain. We don’t have the luxury of thousands of boutiques like Melbourne, or Myer stores that have a whole floor dedicated to women’s shoes like Sydney. No, no on the Gold Coast with our tiny residential population we make do we’ve what we’re given; chain stores and Kmart. Luckily though for the whingers like myself a few Gold Coast fashionista’s stepped out and built boutiques to rival Paris to compete with Milan and triumph Sydney and Melbourne. Over the next two post’s I’m going to take you through a few women’s stores you have to visit when holidaying on the Gold Coast.

I Hate My Skirt: With such a quaint cutesy name it’s hard to resist walking in to this little Nobby’s Beach boutique, and trust me, you’ll be glad you did. The busy racks, the vintage décor and the hand picked garments on display in this beach side boutique will have you drooling. Taking a look around the store you’ll see your favourite labels such as Gold Coast label Away, national favourites like Bec & Bridge or Nookie and a whole lot of other great brands to sink your teeth into.

www.ihatemyskirt.com.au

Le Deux: A new-ish store to the Gold Coast and we’re glad they decided to debut in our little beach town. Le Deux cuts through any pre conceptions of what you thought retail shopping on the Gold Coast looked like. Situated in James Street Burleigh, one of the oldest beach side streets, Le Deux brings a new calibre of fiends to the beach town. It stocks a few beachside staples like One Teaspoon and Kini Bikini and also branches out and stocks a lot of up and coming labels for men and women such as MaryMary, Ash, ManiQuin, Lost Pigeon and Modern Collective. Go for a swim, grab some fish and chips then shop the high street boutique all in one day.

http://ledeuxboutique.com/

Joy Hysteric: This store is somewhat a veteran in Gold Coast fashion, surviving the recession when most upmarket Gold Coast retailers did not,  it tells you Joy must understand the business she is in. One of the GC’s most upmarket boutiques Joy Electric stocks labels such as Gail Sorronda, Romance was Born, Kirrily Johnston and many other iconic Australian labels. Joy Electric has earned a reputation not only on the Gold Coast but nationwide after featuring in many women’s magazines as a ‘place to shop’.

www.thejoystores.com

Pop over later this week to check out the last of the six best places to shop on the Gold Coast!

What To – Wear Between Winter and Spring

The next month is a strange transition between winter and spring. Most of the Spring/Summer collections are too summery to be wearing while it’s still chilly, but to be rugged up in fur coats and knee high boots seems a little ridiculous as the sun is shining once again. I’m one of those people who has two distinct wardrobes; summer and winter. Any grey area I get very lost. This came to my attention when yesterday I stepped out in only a pair of jeans and a thin cotton tee and a layered singlet and didn’t die of cold even though it is the middle of winter. I somewhat panicked with the realization this heavenly weather would continue through August and my wardrobe wasn’t sufficiently prepared.

So after refreshing my fashion week memory for is about to come, and what has just been I’ve found a few looks from my favorite online retailers to get you through those tricky fashion weeks.

As you can probably see there is a colour scheme trend happening. I love winter cream but in the dead of winter it can look a tad ‘too’ out of place, so the winter/spring transition weeks are the best time to pull it out to get ready for the freshness of spring palette’s without going to colour overboard.

Middle Picture: These gorgeous soft pants and tee are from Gold Coast designer Joy French. Joy uses all organic fabrics and ethically produces all of her garments. Recently I had the privilege of checking out Joy’s latest collection at a Gold Coast runway event, I fell in love with her label. www.joyfrenchgallery.com.au Photography: Ali Mitton

Far Right: This look is from Jac +Jack spring collection, which will be hitting stores in the next few days. I love the jersey fabrics and the barely there cream tones. www.jacandjack.com

Top Left: Samantha Harris, my favorite Australian model at the moment, modeling the cruise collection for Rachel Gilbert. Rachel Gilbert is always ‘go to’ label for cocktail dresses and evening wear. Love this skirt toned down with the neutral nude top. Chic glamour. www.rachelgilbert.com

Bottom Left: More of a white rather then a cream or a bone colour but so beautiful and fitting for the transitional weeks nonetheless. Camilla and Marc jacket from Frockshop, and even better it’s on sale at the moment! www.frockshop.com

Love to hear about what your wearing  during the grey ‘ transition’ weeks. 

How To: Pick a Bridesmaid Dress

My flatmate/best friend/school mate and soulmate is getting married! Congratulations to Leah and her amazing fiancé. I’m so blessed because she has chosen me as a bridesmaid! I’ve never had the privilege of being part of wedding party before so I’ve very excited. Our house has turned into a wedding planning workshop, magazines, fabric samples and honeymoon books are everywhere in our lounge room. Leah is flat out organizing the big details like reception and wedding venue, so she’s asked me to help out with the bridesmaids dress search. Which you’d think would be easy considering fashion something I’m super passionate about, but I’m not just dressing me, I’m also factoring in 3 other amazing bridesmaids, with different tastes to me.  I think it’d be easier organizing the wedding gowns then the bridesmaid dresses. Anyway this is a little How To on how to pick a bridesmaids’ dress to suit everyone!

Beautifully cut WIllow dressCut: The cut of the dress is probably where most of the disagreements will happen which is understandable because everyone has a different body shape which suits different styles of dressing.  I would recommend a natural waist shape, where the dress contours on your natural waist it’s similar to an empire line just a little bit more dramatic, more slim lined.

Colour: This is the easy one, because usually the bride will decide this based on her wedding colour theme. Leah is going with a grey/silver, fuchsia and black so we are looking at grey/silver dresses. If you’ve got the choice always go with the most neutral colour, so the dresses don’t look to intense in the photographs and also most people will feel more comfortable to subtle tones compared to bright pinks etc. Keeping everyone happy!

Length: This is usually based on location and the weddings dress code. Garden wedding? Probably not a great idea to put the bridesmaids in full length dresses as they’ll end up with grass stains. Make this decision after the reception venue has been booked. Black tie wedding go for a ball gown style, beach weddings, keep things below the knee in case the sea breeze catches the dresses, save the embarrassment.

If you are planning a wedding anytime soon I wish you all the best, or if you’re a bridesmaid I hope you get fitted in the perfect dress! 

What To: Wear to Work in Winter

 Image from Witchery.com.au

I graduate from university in exactly 4 weeks, that’s 30 days, thats a whole lot of minutes. I will be a graduate with a Bachelor of Communications, ahh the joy of never ever having to go back to university, this is very exciting but also very daunting to think I have to join the real world. One thing I’ve already noticed about this ‘real world’ is the clothes don’t look as fun; I can no longer spend my days in cowboy looking boots, beanies, leopard print jackets and pink dresses. Apparently when you get a degree and enter the workforce your wardrobe in conjunction with your life will be turned upside- down. At first I was very distressed as I went shopping for pencil skirts and cream blouses but I had a revelation. I thought I’m going to be wearing these clothes 9-5 for a while, (well until I get a job in fashion wear green fur coats won’t bat an eye) so I better make this look my own. Here’s a way or two I found to get around the mundane of office wear in winter.

Shoes: They are enclosed – tick, the heel is modest – tick, from a distance they blend into the shoe sea at work – tick. These pump/clogs by Elizabeth and James are really good liars.  They fit into the office shoe rack pretty well but in reality they are fashion, fun and weekend ready. The woven maroon leather gives a possibly boring shoe a great lift. I would be buying these babies but shopbop don’t have my size left!

Outfit: Head to toe Kate Sylvester and if you think about it, of course kiwi’s do winter well, when is it not winter in New Zealand? The striped shirt layered underneath the light blue blouse/tee will keep you warm for those days the office keeps the air conditioning on. The pants scream “I’m a professional but still have a sense of style” the overall look is office safe but still lets you talk. Work this look with piece you already have in your wardrobe, easy.

Handbag: I spent a lot of time on shopbop this morning dreaming about what I can’t afford until I find a job. I came across this gorgeous L.A.M.B handbag which is on sale at the moment. Anyway it’s a work hit! It’s black so you’ll fit in with the briefcases walking in at 9am, its leather so it’s going to last and it’s still fashionable with the buckle detailing and wrinkled leather look. Using detailing on a plain black handbag is an easy way to make your office handbag work overtime.

We need to all stand up together and create a revolution of work wear with personality. I’ve never been someone comfortable wearing a uniform, work wear is no exception. How do you spice up your work wardrobe? Love to get your tips and tricks!

What to: Wear on a First Date

 From my past experience dressing for a first date may seem more important then the birth of your first child. Women have been led to believe the ill fated untruth that the outfit on the first date determines when you will get married and whether he will agree to a garden ceremony. Seriously! As a woman on the dating scene myself I will admit yes, the outfit for the first date is important, but our ovaries do not hang by a thread if you choose the wrong coloured blouse. The ultimate success of a first date lies in your compatibility with the person, if you’re running in the same direction, if you click and feel comfortable. I just wanted to put that out into the universe before I talk about choosing outfits because what you wear is only a tiny detail in the big picture of ‘first dates’.  (end rant) Instead of giving you tips & scenarios as ‘What to” articles usually do, I’ve pick out a few great outfits I’ve sourced.

What to wear on a first date to the movies: All items from Country Road

I love this ensemble because it really does have the “oh I just chucked this on” feel to it. The lines are clean and the black is slimming. The stand out feature of this outfit is that it’s easy for the male mind to process. Men (generally!) don’t understand things like Skorts, Bow Tie’s and anything from Romance was Born. A biker jacket, slack and a white tee is pretty easy to understand for him and for you it looks and feels amazing.

What to wear on a first date to lunch: All

 Sportsgirl

A lunch date can sometimes be a tricky one to appear well groomed but not to overdressed. I am a big high heel advocate but your date may find stilettos a little intimidating at 11am. A great way to get around this is these ankle boots from Sportsgirl. The ‘hiker’ design has quite a chunky heel and not too high therefore suitable for daytime. This outfit stays fresh and daytime suitable with a neutral colour palette, just gorgeous.

What to wear on a first date out to dinner: Lauren Conrad, Jacket Decjuba.

Going out to dinner on a first date is defiantly the most exciting to dress up for and it also can be the riskiest. A common mistake women make is using the nighttime dress code to let ‘ too sexy’ outfits out of the cupboard. Does plunging cleavage, bondage and pantless dressing scream “You want me to take me home to your mother?” I think not. At the same time you want to feel beautiful and desirable, like I said it’s risky business. Take a style note from Lauren Conrad with her loose fitting dress & silver jacket. The loose fit of the dress detracts from the disappearing hemline and the tailored jackets keeps the outfit dressed up. A similar jacket is available from Decjuba pictured below.

Hope this helped! Would love your opinions on what you wear on first dates!

What to: Wear to a Job Interview

When I searched on Google for phrases including “What to wear”, What to wear to a Job Interview popped up with quiet a few hits. 148,000 results in fact. By the look of things, what to wear to an interview is a common concern of a lot of people.  Applying for a new job is a nerve wrecking; getting a call for an interview is stressful; deciding what to wear to the interview is death defying. Fashion sceptics will argue that what your wear does not reflect on your suitability for the position, this in theory may be true but it practice it couldn’t be farther from the truth. The way you present yourself can paint a picture for the employer of the way you value yourself, your hunger for the position and you’re past experience.  Below are a few tips for women on how to land that job, and make the employer believe that you’re doing them a favour by taking the job. All these hints are just from personal experience but they have been tried and tested with great success!

High Heels: “The higher the heel the better.”  Carrie Bradshaw would be gleaming with pride at thisJimmy Choo Heels assumption. I’m not talking stripper style light up heels, but if you can walk with confidence in stilettos grab a great pair to wear . When a woman wears heels well her posture improves, her head is raised slightly and her confidence soars. It can be quiet intimidating (in a good way), it can symbolise control but also balance. Wearing heels to an interview is a great choice, but make sure you can walk in them properly; tripping down stairs isn’t a great way to get a new job!

Hair pulled back: The way you wear your hair might seem a minor detail and somewhat trivial but it’s a free and easy way to possibly increase your chances on scoring that new job.  When you let your tresses fall around your face (hair styled down) by having it in such close reach can create a temptation to ‘play’ with it when the nerves kick in. So many of us without even realising it will twist our hair around our fingers or pull it back behind our ear as a way to occupy our nervous hands. By having it tied by in a neat ponytail or bun the opportunity to let yourself be distracted won’t be there giving you a better chance on focusing on the interview at hand.

Clean Lines: For a job interview you want to be able to express your personality through your clothes, but not to the extent where it draws away from your capabilities as an employee. Garments with distracting frills and ruffles (literally) can switch the interviewers mind off from the task at hand. A male’s mind is easily manovered from resumes and cover letters to the sequin detailing on your bust line. (Harsh, naturally it’s true).

Head onto seek.com and apply for that golden position with confidence your interview will be a flying success!