WIELDING POWER

"Elegance can wield power, attract attention, sway emotions and fuel seduction" as quoted from December issue of The Magazine. It was never my intention to create a distance when I decided to uphold the legal profession's dress code by wearing corporate outfits, however, it was brought to my attention that the seriousness of my looks created a barrier causing some people to feel perhaps a little intimidated. That was when I decided that sporting the corporate look, should perhaps be "softened" to reduce it's wielding effect of power dressing. Working in a small town, it would appear as if the image of a corporate women is found overpowering, hence my decision to water it down slightly. I cannot completely veer away from the collared shirt and blazer, but do succeed in introducing an element of casual style to my daily look when I am not  attending tribunals or formal meetings. I decided to wear my plaid shirt in a sort of a casual way, still allowing it to be stepped up to a more serious look which can easily be created  by merely adding on a blazer kept on standby, in spite of combining it with jeans. To my mind, the heels take it to the level of a borderline outfit. It also lessens the effect if you ad a few pieces of funky jewellery, giving the look something of a playfulness.

 

 

 

 Jeans - Belle Epoque

Shirt - Custom tailored

Bracelet- Pink Pussy Accessories

Belt- Hermes

Shoes - Topshop

Sunglasses - Dior

Handbag - Prada

 

 

MONEYWISE STYLE

My style motto is not to become a slave of trends, or to blindly follow fashion just for the sake of being noticed. Being aware of fashion allows you to glean and take from it to interpret it to make it your own style, creating a signature look. One thing we learn as we move on in life, is to let things work for us, hence my constant consideration of cost per wear. Some products just don't require any economical reasoning, like for instance the iconic 2.55  Chanel bag, which will last you a life time and probably be capable of being resold at a reasonable price. Then again there are some labels by department or chain clothing stores, that could give you an equal amount of value and allow you to be on trend without breaking the bank. One such store is Marks & Spencer where you get what you pay for. I was awestruck by the timeless and classic look book when I stumbled onto their website display of this season's pieces. Most of these items can be worn over and over again by mixing and matching it with current pieces, updating it from time to time by merely adding more recent accessories. Take a look at this awesome collection.....to bad I have to travel abroad to shop with M&S.

SHOPPING FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Have you ever walked up to a stranger wearing something you like, and asked where she got it? I recently went on a street style hunt in Thailand and when I spotted these cute little lace shoes, fell instantly in love. Needless to say, the lady wearing them was only to happy to disclose it's origin. They are made by Tom's,  an organzation that supports a great cause, donating one pair of shoes to a disadvantaged child for every pair sold! I'ts like getting two for the price of one and giving them away with a smile on the face, bringing joy to somebody who may never even have had a pair of shoes of any kind. These particular ones are great for wearing with casual clothes and are wildly comfortable, so much so that I decided to buy a pair in two different colours. Imagine contributing towards something so sustainable and charitable, that you actually don't have to feel guilty shopping for more! 

POOL SURVIVAL KIT

Having a packing list for your poolside excursions could save you from a lot of agony,  but if you stick to a few rules when prancing around  the pool, you need not spend the rest of your holiday covered up under an umbrella wrapped in Calomine lotion to relief the pain of sunburn!

To much exposure to the sun could easily spoil a holiday, so gear up for the highest sun protection factor that you can find, the lighter your skin, the higher the number, to keep the harmful rays at bay and to minimise the chances of premature ageing. We should after all age gracefully! My list has grown substantially since the invention of Apple appliances, but primarily includes the following essential items:

1.     A huge hat to protect your face from direct sunlight;

2.     Fisherman's pants to lounge around when you need to cover up;

3.     Sunglasses with UV protection lenses;

4.     Blockout or sun protection lotion;

5.     Lip ice-to protect your lips from getting burnt, and no, I don't think being called hot lips    

        anything to do with sunburn!

6.     Comfortable and non slip shoes for walking on wet surfaces;

7.     A good book or perhaps an Electronic library full of digital books!

8.     Swimming costume with good support to keep gravity at bay!

9.     Lots of fluids to stay hidrated;

10.   The odd stroll to the pool bar to burn of the kilojoules of a Mogito or exotic drink while 

        stretching out like a lazy kitten;

11.   Wet wipes to wipe of the moisture, and don't forget to re-apply the protection cream!

12.   A water resistant pool bag;

13.  Moroccan oil to apply to your hair after a splash in the pool, giving it an instant 

       conditioning!

Best advice I can offer is to give your skin a break from make up while at leisure.

One's only criterium for what to wear next to the pool, besides your swimming costume, should be that of light weight, easy drying cool clothes. I stock up on sarongs and fishermans pants whenever we visit Thailand, two essential things a girl at leisure should consider necessary. The joy of these pants is that you can shelter and conceal all little indulgences as the mass of material wrapped around you is merely tied together in front, with lots of space for the nasty excess collected when breaking away from dietary rules!

What do you wear when covering up at the pool?         

Top-Woolworths

Pants-Thai Craft

Shoes-Zara

Bag-Michael Kors

Sunglasses-Robinsons

  

SUN,SEA and SAND

If you're in need of relaxation I can not imagine a better way of recharging the mental battery than having a vacation on a tropical island to soak up some sun and get a refill on vitamin D for bone strength, lounging around the pool and enjoying the abundance of fruit in season, cleansing the mind and body all at once. Our destination is the Kalima Resort & Spa on the eastern side of Phuket island, away from the hustle and bustle of Patong beach, but close enough to hop onto a Moped or take a taxi to shuttle you into the humdrum of madness with hundreds of tourists and cruise passengers stalking the shops and malls, each on his own mission to find a treasure. Haggling is a way of life if you propose purchasing anything at the many street stores where virtually anything can be purchased. The general way to dress is very casual with flip flops and scketchers dominating the scene, no stilettos here girls! Comfort takes preference as even the winter temperatures never drop below 25 celsius. With so many options of beachwear and casual attire, one could easily travel without luggage and fill up your coffers with new finds here. You have to be mindful of the fact that nothing purporting to be of designer origin and sold on the street, is authentic. Designer copies are sold everywhere and most young girls sporting these so called labels, seem oblivious of it's origin, or perhaps they are just acutely obessed with branded goods. The food options are huge, with the dining venues varying from local street vendors, small cafe style eateries, franchise stores for those who are less concerned with user unfriendly artificial flavourants and additives, to sophisticated restaurants where the finest Thai food is served. Very few venues if any, are formal, and gladly accept patrons to be seated in very casual resort clothes. The country is known for it's high end spa venues, and with Kalima having it's own corner of heaven, I'm off to be be pampered from head to toe......

HORIZONTAL STRIPES

We're all familiar with grandma's advice that horizontal stripes make you look wider, however, with careful consideration to height, one get away with it sporting a look that breaks all rules of style. We should all venture outside our comfort zones from time to time  and challenge convention in order to develop our own personal signature look or create a new trend. Being of generous height, I don't follow convention when it comes to stripes, and decided to go a little bald by wearing it longer than usual. If you are vertically challenged or on the short side, it could still work if you change the length to just below or just above the knee, allowing us girls of a certain age to still expose a little flesh without looking like we are sporting our teenage daughter's skirts. The print on print trend is continued in this look, and with the Cerise Pink cuffs turned outside, the Polka dots adds a little playfulness to the outfit. How do you sport these trends?

 

Blazer - Studio W

Skirt - Belle Epoque

Shoes - Asos

Reversible Leather Handbag - Florence Street Market

Watch - Vintage Rolex

Neck Piece - Siem Reap Silver Market

 

FESTIVE STYLE

What to wear on Christmas day never poses any difficulty to most of us as we instantly gravitate towards the colour Red for the occasion. With full skirts being back in vogue, and polka dots being one of my favourite prints, there was no effort to decide what to wear. December is one of the best months in the province with  warm balmy days and a gentle welcoming breeze coming from the ocean bringing much relief to the sweltering heat. Christmas day is filled with joy and abundance, with the house echoing with laughter and fridges bursting at the seams. It follows that its not only the Christmas turkey that's stuffed, requiring some effort to keep the top buttons done and getting back into shape for the new year, and with Fashion week virtually around the corner, I'd better start pulling in the reigns of sweet delights....... hope you had a happy Christmas!