My top six tips for office wear chic

The other day I met my friend for lunch on my break. She mentioned to me how difficult she found dressing fashionably for work and was stuck wearing boring black pants and white button up shirts. Working full time now, I’ve had to seriously take a look at my wardrobe so as to not only best maximise what I have but also feel comfortable and stylish.

So I have created my top six tips for being office wear chic.

1. Get the basics

Now I know this sounds boring, but I can’t tell you how valuable a few basic staples are for my work wardrobe. My top items are a classic black and navy dress, black pencil skirt and black/white shirt. Use this as the foundation of your outfit. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worn the same black dress to work each week but mixed it up with different items. It doesn’t look like the same outfit!

2. Invest in blazers

My favourite piece of clothing. The blazer. I can’t tell you how many blazers I have in my wardrobe. They are the perfect piece of clothing for every occasion, yes EVERY occasion! Invest in a few different styles and you will be surprised with how many places you can rock it. Think you’ll only be able to wear it to work? Think again. Take a classic white blazer for example. At work, if I am feeling more corporate or have an important meeting, I’ll pair it with a structured dress or pencil skirt. Not feeling so corporate? Pair it with pretty blouse and leggings.  For the weekends, I’ll wear it with a cool T-shirt and jeans. Going to a bar on a nice summer’s day? Chuck on that blazer with your cute floral jumpsuit and your good to go.

3. Be well groomed

One thing I have learnt- even if you’re wearing a Chanel suit you can still look trashy if your hair and makeup aren’t properly applied. Neat, clean hair is a must. Whether it’s sophisticatedly pulled back in a bun or down in soft waves, make sure your hair is looking good. When it comes to make up don’t go overboard. You shouldn’t look like you’re heading off to a night club and you shouldn’t look like you’ve just rolled out of bed. Keep it simple; foundation, eyeliner, mascara, a little bit of blush and a touch of lipstick will do the trick. Also, keep your nails nice! There’s nothing worse than looking down at girls’ hands and seeing chipped nail polish- it looks messy, tacky and like you don’t care about your appearance. Trust me, if you have these three things in the bag, your style will automatically look better.

4. Accessorise

The tip to making it look like you have hundreds of outfits! Stock up on scarves, brooches, statement necklaces, belts…anything that stands out. This feature part of your outfit takes centre stage and creates a focal point when people look at you. I have a range of scarves I alternate with my little black dress. The different colours and styles keep the look renewed.

5. Wear appropriate footwear

I’m all for wearing a heel to work. What I have a problem with is are women whose shoes are so high they can’t walk in them and end up stomping around the office like a dinosaur. Keep it appropriate.

6. Shorts are never ok.

Personally I feel like shorts are never appropriate for an office job. End of. Keep them for the weekend!

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A Sydney Celebration

You only turn 21 once, so I wanted to make sure my birthday was one I wasn't going to forget. I think the last time I had a birthday party I was about 13 so I was especially excited when I found out we would be going to Sydney to celebrate.

Living in Perth, with the rest of our family based in Sydney, has meant we very rarely get to spend any special occasions together so I was determined to have at least one!

My mum and I took the midnight flight and arrived at The Astral Towers in Darling Harbour around 7am on Friday. After a few hours’ sleep we set off in search for food and coffee and found a great cafe just across the road called XXII. My idea of a holiday is lots of shopping and lots of eating and this is exactly what we did! The food was amazing and so reasonably priced. 

Sydney has an absolutely fabulous shopping district in the CBD- we found we didn't even have to leave the area. We combed the streets and shopped til we dropped. I bought so much and somehow managed to stay within my budget. Keep your eye out for my Sydney Shopping Haul post soon! The city itself has such great atmosphere that makes you feel excited and alive. 

The Saturday night was the night of the birthday dinner. There were about 16 of us. It was a pretty special moment for me; I don’t think I've ever had a family celebration like that before. What was strange was getting back to the apartment and having physical gifts to open from everyone!

My actual birthday-day was special. We went out for breakfast and spent the day shopping. We found this fabulous designer discount store hidden away in the city with some truly great bargains. After almost a year of searching I also found my dream leather jacket! That night we went to a great restaurant on Sydney's waterfront called Wolfies. It quite possibly could have been one of the best meals I've ever had. It also had a beautiful view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. In summer it would be the ultimate dining location. As a birthday present my parents got me this gorgeous Tiffany & Co bangle and infinity ring; something I can treasure for the rest of my life. 

It was a weekend I will never forget and just quietly... I would move there in a heartbeat. Look out Sydney, I may-be-a-coming! 

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I lost my Choo!

I was soooo incredibly excited to hear that Jimmy Choo was coming to Australia for the first time and more importantly he would be coming to little old Perth!

Exclusively brought to Perth by The West Australian's Fashion Agenda, Choo was here for a lunch especially organised by the newspaper to talk about the Business Behind the Glamour. Hosted at Crown, the lunch was filled with Perth fashionistas ready to hear his insights into the shoe world. There were over 660 people who attended. I was lucky to be involved in setting up the event and when I arrived at the location and walked into the empty room, there was Jimmy Choo himself sitting on the stage holding a very expensive looking handbag. Naturally, I ran up and got a photo haha so shameless!

Hosted by Channel 7's Kylie Gillies, the event saw Instyle Editor Kirstin Galliot kick things off with a fantastic speech on fashion and while people don't like to admit it, the importance of it! Despite what people say, people do make that snap judgement on your appearance so you should take a minute to think about what you put on your back. She also gave a few style tips for every woman- the ones that stuck with me were, don't always wear black and the most flattering skirt length is three finger widths up from your knee! Her speech was great, I actually wished she could have spoken longer- she was so easy to listen to and spoke about everything a fashion lover wants to hear.

Then the shoe man himself, Jimmy Choo got up on stage to have a conversation with Kylie. We heard how he got into the business, his thoughts on fashion and some of his top clients such as Princess Di. He famously had a mention on Sex and the City when Carrie Bradshaw ran to get on a ferry and her shoe fell off and she screamed 'I lost my Choo!' To begin with, I thought he was quite shy but on stage he was charming, witty and intelligent- everything I hoped for and more. I was actually a bit start struck!

After the event finished, he was absolutely swarmed by ladies wanting photos. It was a mad house with women pushing and shoving, jumping on his lap, doing anything they could to get a photo- poor guy.

That night, I was invited to the launch of his exhibition in Claremont Quarter where he displayed a range of his vintage couture shoes which was beautiful.

All in all, it was a fabulous day, one I'm sure I won't forget and no doubt probably the last time the incredible Jimmy Choo comes to Australia.

How lucky are we!

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a little bit of luxury

I had a fabulous week filled with family, food, shopping and entertainment!
Who would have thought little old Perth could be home to such great fun.

We were lucky enough to have my nan and aunty fly in all the way from Sydney to visit us for a week.
One thing we all have in common is our love of fashion and shopping. I can safely say my aunty is just as addicted as I am to the thrill of getting something new! So much so, she was on the verge of having to get another suitcase to take all her new purchases home. One thing we always do when the girls get together is share wardrobes and do a mini fashion parade (which they did without me while I was at work!!!! Still devastated)

When they were here we went to Grease The Musical which was absolutely fantastic! I was worried it was going to be a little corny but the talent was superb and I don't think anyone could leave without a smile on their face. It really was a feel-good performance.

As a special treat I took the family to high tea at C Restaurant. Located in the Perth CBD this revolving restaurant is on level 33. It rotates slowly allowing you to take in all the beautiful Perth sites.
The food was amazing- little scones with jam and cream, meringues, sandwiches, lemon tarts...the works, it was beautiful.

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Nails of the Day

I was looking at my nail polish stash and thought I needed a new mauve colour, so on a shopping trip to Myer I stumbled across this one from Chi Chi.

It was only $5 so I thought that was pretty reasonable considering I have paid $20 for OPI!

This was three coats of 'Mile High Club' and did apply quite nicely. Although I must admit, it didn't last that long and chipped in a few days.

                

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Yves Saint Laurent Film Review

As one of my favourite designers, I was so excited to hear about the new film that was created on the fabulous Yves Saint Laurent, so last weekend I finally went to go see it.

Yves Saint Laurent is one of the greatest visionary designers of our time who revolutionised the way we see fashion. The film looked at the life of Saint Laurent from the beginning of his career in 1958 and when he met his lover Pierre Berge and ultimately until his death.

The name in itself is one I think most people will recognise, but the story behind the man who created a trademark is relatively unknown. To be completely honest, I was pretty disappointed. I understand it was about YSL the human being, not YSL the label, but the movie delved so far deep into his troubled middle years, alcoholism, drug addiction and homosexuality that the work he created was lost and clouded with negativity and wasn't a tribute to a fashion icon still succeeding in the 21st century.

It started and finished with the narration from Pierre Berge who essentially 'exposes' YSL for what he is, which for me was a little crass. That being said, there were a few great moments (even if it was only a few) where we saw the talent and creativity of YSL shine. In 1957, YSL was named Christian Dior's successor and its here we see his skills come to life. His Spring 1958 collection ultimately saved the enterprise from financial ruin and it was a great section of the film when you see the collections demurely paraded in front of the top magazine editors- how things have changed! 

In 1960, he was conscripted before the stress caused him to check into a mental institution. It's here we start to see the downfall of YSL as mental illness, alcoholism and drugs take over. Yes, we see him create his own fashion empire in the film (just) but there is just no detail behind it.  

YSL was the first couturier to come out (pun not intended) with a full ready to wear line, he introduced the tuxedo suit for women, and in 1983 became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a solo exhibition. His designs sat atop the fashion world; models and actresses gushed over his creations. He outfitted women in blazers and smoking jackets, and introduced attire like the pea coat to the runway. 

In 1985, Caroline Rennolds Milbank wrote, 'The most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty five years, Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring the couture's rise from its sixties ashes and with finally rendering ready-to-wear reputable." 

This is how I want to remember Yves Saint Laurent.

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Clarisonic Aria Review

I have been looking for something to help my skin for such a long time and after much time and research I came across the Clarisonic Aria. It took me months before I decided to purchase it as its quite pricey so I made sure I read plenty of reviews. All the reviews highly recommended the product so I took the plunge. The Aria is designed to transform your skin into a smoother, softer, radiant looking complexion by using sonic methods that work with skins natural elasticity to thoroughly cleanse. It oscillates back and forth, more than 300 movements per second. It has three speeds and a timer so you know exactly how long to cleanse for. Using it for the first time was a bit strange. It's very soft, you almost don't feel like its not on, but once I finished I realised how clean and refreshed my skin felt. It really prepares your skin for your normal routine making it so much more effective. I plan on using this every night and am hopeful to see great results. I'll keep you posted!! Have you tried Clarisonic?

        

   

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