CULOTTE, HOT OR NOT?

The culotte has come and gone, and the current version has seen a number of new styles, above the knee, below the knee or right down to the bottom, straight down or wide legs, allowing all body types to wear it, be it short or tall. The culotte was rather hot in the 80's when we sported it with platform heels and bell sleeved tops. The pleats make this pair quite bulky and flamboyant, and if you dress it up with a rather loud jacket the way I did, it's just the right look for a morning wedding or fancy occasion. I prefer dressing it down for the office by adding a simple crisp White shirt with minimal accessories to give an edge. How do you sport the trend? I think I'll keep this for a while, in spite of it's almost apparent demise, a trend that becomes a "go to" item in my closet.... add some killer heels and you're off to clinch the deal.

Snake Print Jacket - Jenni Button

Lace top - Thrifted

Culotte - Pringle of Scotland

Shoes - Milano Outlet Store

Silk scarf - Como Silk

Purse - Jimmy Choo

Silver accessories - Sass Diva

GIRLS DAY OUT

When my longstanding friend Juliana and I set off on an excursion to lake Como, we were dressed to be comfortable. Dressing for holidays should be effortless with fashion following form, and not the other way around! However, when meandering the alleys of the Italian villages , you come to realise just how chic and stylish these women are, even when they are dressed for comfort. Trotting in high heels on cobblestones is not for the faint hearted, and if you dare to do so, you will soon find yourself hovering over a bench praying for comfortable shoes. That would be the ultimate opportunity to validate shoe shopping, but if you do not wish to spend the rest of your holiday on crutches, it's advisable to pack flat shoes with comfortable inner soles, allowing you to move about easily. The best travel advice my mother has ever given me, is to travel with a light parka. I also heed to Juliana's advice to travel with a pashmina or scarf that provides you with an instant head cover, especially handy when you enter cathedrals and other religious places of worship. My survival kit contains a pair of flat ballerina pumps that folds up to the size of a wallet, and off course, the ever so useful scarf. My light parka is actually weatherproof and provides cover against sudden summer showers, and not a burden to carry is it takes up very little space. My favourite travel bag is a back pack from MCM, big enough to hold it all, and very handy for cameras and  lenses. It has very comfortable shoulder straps pulling your shoulders back preventing you from slumping under the weight  of  a shoulder bag or tote not allowing even distribution of weight. Bon voyage! A small cross body bag that holds your valuables, will become invaluable when travelling!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Parka - Bershka

Pants - H & M

Shoes - Camieu

 

CUT TO SIZE

Those of you who are familiar with the British designer, Marc Schwab, will know that he designs with the average women in mind, and not the rickety frame of catwalk models starved to dizzy heights. Whenever I walk into a store trying on something that features high on the trend list, it seams to be way to small or totally unbecoming for my body shape. The conclusion is that most of the trendy clothes promoted by high street stores, are in tiny sizes intended for skinny girls. Once the fashion world realizes that older girls, or shall I say, girls of a certain age, have the financial means to dress, or have the same needs to wear stylish clothes, they may come to the realization that there is a huge gap between petite and plus size women. Somewhere in between, lurks a fashion starved women stalking stores for in between sizes that do not date from Noahs ark or are reminiscent of charity finds and bargain stores. I find much delight in strolling through stores like Dorothy Perkins since they actually make clothes for real people, and not clothes horses. In the same breath, I welcome the trend of oversized coats as we girls who hover on the in between sizes, can actually sport a current trend without spending more energy than money on finding something fashionable. Trenery, Country Road, and recently added Witchery, all being Australian brands, are hugely popular here, and a pleasure to shop at as their size spectrum ranges from small to extra large, and when the say large, they mean large, not the Korean version of large which is more likely to fit a 16 year old.... I am by no means a small girl, and not exactly a plus size either, so I often turn to these Aussie brands for good, classy and timeless finds. This wrap around skirt was bought from Country Road a while ago but it's high quality fabric and cut makes it a classic item, updated with Witchery's over the knee suede boots, allowing the look more currency. My cape is a sale find, duly revived from 2012 when it was bought from Topshop's Oxford street flagship store. My ruffled blouse was the final addition to the Musketeer look.... 

Cape - Topshop

Skirt - Country Road

Over the Knee boots - Witchery

Ruffled blouse - Oasis

Sunglasses - Dior

CLASSIC REVIVAL

The best invention ever (after Italian Gelata) was the all girly full skirt, and by creating a little playfulness and femininity, it's become my new best friend, embracing my curves and voluptuousness around the hips. I adore the endless extent of fabric wrapped around me, engulfing me with the luxury of silk fabric, and allowing it to be styled in a multitude of ways, it never bores. I showed you this skirt before, as worn in Milan during fashion week, and in another outfit where I featured it with a plain Black shirt and Black shoes for a more formal look, and now, the winter version, with suede boots and a coat to snug up against the Cape of storms.  Our winter may be mild, but remains unpredictable, much like a women during menopause...... her mood varies according to the hormonal fluctuation, and just when you think it safe out there, a gale force wind strikes, with rain that hits the soil at an angle you cannot take shelter against. She billows and blows, and sweeps your hair up in the air, she rustles your tail feathers, making you wish for big hair coming back into fashion again. When I posed for this post, the wind blew at about 60 km per hour, not allowing much preservation of my hairstyle! I was windswept and sucked up but fortunately for Photoshop, I could chop the odd strands standing on end. My passion for my full skirt prevailed, and stood the test of wind.......not exactly safe to wear in this weather....or should I just allow the wind perhaps to cause a little show of leg?

Coat - Precis

Skirt - Belle Epoque

Suede Boots - Salvatore Ferragamo

Turtle Neck - Primark

Handbag- Chanel 2.55

Sunglasses - Rayban

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE

The colour of my mood takes me to something bright and cheerful today, exuding energy and motivation to celebrate life, hence my repetitive behaviour to revert back to the beauty and sensation of Citron colours. It's a slight departure from the heavy weights of winter, and not to mention, the colour of my profession..... allowing me some fun as it creates a huge reaction with a unpredictable element of surprise, since career girls are not expected to look funky or colourful! But somehow the luminosity of this colour breaks the barrier and allows me to set myself free from the stark rigidity of a Black power suit and perception that female solicitors should only be wearing serious outfits. It's a great feeling of relief slipping into bright colours if you've spent a few days in court arguing, debating and deliberating in colours not conducive to a creative world. I've seen Citron Green come and go over the past few years, and all of  a sudden, popping up again, hard to miss I'd say. My ground rule for wearing bright colours and loud print, is to keep jewellery and accessories to a minimum. 

Who said lawyers cannot sport fashionable clothes?

Jacket - Matthew Williamson, for Debenhams

Skirt - Belle Epoque

Suede Boots - Salvatore Ferragamo

Oversized Clutch bag - Zara

Mirror Sunglasses - Rayban

Leather gloves - Woolworths

CASHMERE COVER UP

Why is it you think we so love the luxurious feel of silk and Cashmere? Perhaps because the feel of Cashmere on our skin is not only silky soft, but it can be worn without having to kill the animals. The Cashmere goat is dual purpose and was discovered in Persia in the 14th century by one Ali El Hamdani. Imagine the cheese one could enjoy form it's milk! What a delight that we do not have to kill these sweet little things to be able to sport their pelts! My goaty coat is a Cashmere and Silk blend from the British label, Precis, and a work of art in my collection-indeed a collectors piece. It takes a special kind of dry cleaner to maintain it's beauty, and one has to be careful where you drop your coat to have it cleaned! It's one of the most versatile items to have in your wardrobe and should be stored with care to protect it from the invasive pincers of moths! I am told that Sunlight soap deters these monstrosities and keep them at bay, so if you have any delicates made of any kind of wool, grate a bar of Sunlight soap and scatter it generously in your closet. A Winter White coat is my "go to" item this season, reviving the classics once more...... How do you wear Winter White and what do you to preserve it from season to season without it being devoured by moths?

Cashmere Silk Blend Coat -  Precis

Bodycon Dress-  Truworths Collection

Shoes - Valentino 

Handbag - Fendi

Sunglasses - Dior