OOTN#2 ft. Lust worthy clutch

This is an outfit I recently wore out to dinner with a friend. No surprise that I’m wearing a midi skirt; it appears to be my sartorial safety blanket, disguising the night’s intake of lasagna and an espresso martini. Ten times and counting on the occasions I have worn this skirt; it seems to add the right amount of femininity and casualness to any top I might pair it with. Which brings me to the sheer, black, long sleeve, dotted top that I had been looking all over for. No, not on the floor of my bedroom, rather searching the stores for what seemed like months trying to find something remotely similar to the vision I had in my mind. H&M never fails me as I managed to pick this up for only $5. Sure, it’s a little big on me and I might have to roll the sleeves up, but at that price one can only gladly take it home. 

What elevated this usual and unoriginal outfit was the amazing clutch. I had seen this clutch in H&M at least a month or two before. Each time I had gone in I had contemplated purchasing it, but perhaps it was the $30 price tag that dissuaded me. Thirty dollars is by no means an excessive amount for a clutch but I rarely use them, so it wouldn’t have been personally cost effective. When I finally decided that I needed to own the clutch having it been constantly on my mind, it was no where to be seen. In my selfish woe of having missed out I aimed to forget about the beautiful clutch. Fast forward a month or two later and there was the clutch in the sale section of H&M, and at half price. I absolutely live for moments like these! 

What makes this clutch utterly beautiful is the purple suede that covers the entire outer section. It has an expensive appearance without the jaw dropping price tag. It was raining on the night of this outing, much to my luck, which was not ideal for a suede clutch. Consider spraying any suede items with a protector before using. The jewel shade contrasted with the gold tassel (I love a good tassel) is perfection. Yes, it may be an ode to my primary school colours but it just works, opposites on the colour wheel to be precise (a quick Google search confirmed).  Not only can it be worn as a clutch, when the strap is attached it can be worn over the shoulder. This allows a “hands free” approach so you can wrap your arms around your partner’s neck, or reach down and pick up the loose change you dropped on the floor. We can all guess which situation I’d be in; a McDonald’s cone anyone? 

Online Shopping: Is the experience more exciting than the actual purchases themselves?

I have to admit that I am not a long-term member of the online shopping sphere. In my younger days (i.e 2 years ago) I would lust over items, save the pictures to a folder on my desktop entitled “want.need.love” and continue to fix my eyes to the screen, occasionally stopping to wipe saliva off my keyboard. When the item sold out, I would be disappointed. It wasn’t as if I had any chance of buying it in the first place, though the last denial of hope was crushing. And so the cycle continued; I spent hours online coveting celebrities’ style, stalking their clothes, saving pictures and wishing that I could own those shoes, or that handbag. This occupied a majority of my time spent online, until I came across Asos. A website whose shipping did not cost more than the actual item itself? Was this a fact or just an internet phenomenon? Much to the relief of my fashion-crazy mind, the former manifested itself with the typing of a few characters and the tap of a button. I now took the final click into the wonderland-like* world of online shopping…

Living in Australia means that we do not have ready access to international brands, though I do love a good Aussie label. Usually shipping charges are ridiculously high, and I am forced to give up my love for many items. Asos ships to Australia free of charge (for standard shipping for orders over $40), meaning that no additional money is wasted on shipping and handling costs. I must add that for quite a few months I did fall back into my routine and continued to place items in the basket and proceed, not to checkout, but to close the window. Finally I made my first purchase from Asos, a beauty item strangely, and my adoration began from there. Much like my bargain hunting in real life, I waited for emails with discount codes so that I could scrounge every last saving I could. I would get so excited looking at items for hours, scrolling page by page though hundreds of clothes. And then I was introduced to the “Save list.” A place where I could save the item (or items) I was lusting over, full with a picture and everything. Now when I purchase items online, I cannot wait until they arrive. I am constantly checking my emails for updates on the arrival date, and check the letter box religiously. But much like my earlier days spend yearning for clothes online, are we only wrapped up in the thrill of it all? 

As I am writing this post I have the remnants of packaging sitting next to me. This is no exaggeration, the postman literally delivered a package for me this morning. Once the package was ripped opened I proceeded to try on the item, being so pleased that the fit resembled that of the model. I hung the top on a clothes hanger and placed it in my wardrobe. With all the fun over until I wear the item for the first time (oh what a moment that is), my mind drifts onto the next awaiting package. Maybe this is my way of constantly keeping my mind hopeful and positive, always having something to look forward to. Who knew that online shopping could be so philosophical?

I am curious to know whether you, too, find excitement in online shopping. Leave a comment down below telling me about your experiences. 

*Though the white rabbit is synonymous with wonderland, I like to save my rabbits for the real world, as seen here in my Easter post.

Disclaimer: I am not being sponsored to write this post, this is a recount of my genuine experience with online shopping. 

New to Wardrobe: Evening Dresses

If you are a very close friend of mine then you are probably aware of the excessive and somewhat overflowing collection of dresses I have in my wardrobe. They just might be my favourite item of clothing; easy, mostly comfortable, chic and feminine. Though I probably own a dress to suit every occasion twice over, I seem to keep buying them. Let’s call them my sartorial weakness. I like to know that I have a backup dress should an event arise, one that I love, that fits well, was on sale (of course) so that I am not rushing to the shop the day before, choosing a dress for the sheer need. Today I bring to you three evening appropriate dresses that have recently made it into my wardrobe (Correction: there is no more space in my wardrobe so they hang on my dresser). 

H&M Jersey Dress

About a month back I saw this dress on the H&M website, as I often like to have a browse of their incoming stock, and I took a screenshot so that I would not forget about it. Well, it seems like my memory lapsed as I picked it up in H&M not knowing it was the dress I had been lusting over just a month before. What attracted me about this dress was firstly the length; I just love a midi or longer length on a body-con. I find that a longer length, tight fitting dress that nips the waist and shows off the décolletage suits my body shape the best. The darker grey, thick, jersey material gave the dress a more casual feel and I could envision wearing the dress with a dark lip and gold accessories. I wore this out clubbing last weekend and I was happy with it, though I did have to adjust it every now and then around the bust. Overall, a fantastic dress at an even better price tag.

Bardot Pin Up Dress

This dress is all kinds of dreamy. I first spotted this dress in a frantic shop to find an outfit for a glow in the dark party. The colour is so vibrant and pink. I do love a bit of pink; classic girly girl. I couldn’t justify the $129 price tag at the time, so waited and prayed that it would eventually go on sale. Finally the dress was reduced to $70, but my mum didn’t want to fork out the cash. Yes, I could’ve bought it myself but I’ve had to restrain my spending in recent weeks. When I saw it go down to $40 my heart raced as it’s purchase was nearing. In store there was only a size 10, which I tried to squeeze on, but it was never going to happen. After a search of all the stores in Australia a size 12 had sold out everywhere, and I’m certain my cousin can confirm my disappointment. There was still hope as Myer stock Bardot. The very same day I was in Melbourne Central my mum was in Highpoint and had spotted the size 12, so the next day we went and bought it. It seems that great dresses are somewhat difficult to pin down (pin down, get it?). This dress was definitely well worth the wait, and with all the effort it took to purchase, this will become my birthday dress. Much like the dress for my 16th birthday I have purchased this about half a year before my birthdate. See, I like to be prepared. 

Asos Origami Bow Pencil Dress 

In about a month long intensive search of Asos almost everyday trying to find a dress for valedictory, this dress made it into one of the final edits. Fortunately I found a dress in Australia, in store that I could try on and purchase on the spot. Is anyone interested in seeing what I wore to valedictory? When this dress made it into the sale I was overjoyed, and at around $32? Absolute bargain. I will admit that this dress does look better on the model (though doesn’t everything) and it will require some adjustment around the bust, but I think that this dress is perfect for a formal evening occasion. The deep navy scuba material is very thick and therefore expensive looking. The subtle bow detail is a modern take on a classic mini dress which I adore. Concludingly, a dress that will come in very handy for any cocktail events (not that I have any planned, of course). 

OOTD#5 Feminine Power Dressing

Often, it’s the outfits that require the least effort that become the most striking, or give the wearer the most confidence. On this particular day, I had the idea that I wanted to wear my new wedges, and given that the weather was 25 degrees, I wanted to wear a skirt. Putting on my white wedges with my grey midi skirt I looked to my wardrobe for a top. Pulling out a black top, something that is almost rare amongst my rack of pink, printed and textured tops, I decided to try it on. Instantly, I knew it was going to be a good outfit day (therefore, worthy of being documented!). 

The power this outfit gave me was almost unidentifiable. I instantly felt like the editor of a magazine; understated, strong, powerful and minimalistic. A Jackie French, an Anna Wintour of sorts. Not that I have the deluded idea that my fashion sense is anywhere near the realms of fashion royalty, though one can play dress up even if they’ve passed the age of five. “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have” is the quote that encapsulates this outfit. 

The slightly flared, wide arms and the straight cut neckline gave power to what might have been a plain black top. I decided to skip wearing a necklace as the neckline felt like it was a feature in itself, and wore a black and gold watch instead which added an androgynous vibe. The slightly oversized top paired with the midi skirt gave this outfit a mature look; one that is different to my usual form fitting pieces. One not need don a blazer and a tailored trouser to emulate the strength and authority of their male counterparts. Power dressing is usually defined by garments that radiate a masculine undertone, but here a skirt can create the same effect. 

So what have I learned from this outfit? Feminism is still alive and can be reflected through fashion, I do not need to wear a blazer to feel like I can conquer the world and fashion can truly create an identity for the wearer. That and perhaps I need to work on my “editorial” face, as I was trying to create more serious and professional looking photographs. Maybe I should just stick to smiling?

Outfit details:

Black top- Portmans

Grey Midi Skirt- Sunnygirl

Watch- Asos

Shoes- Kmart 

Bellabox January 2015

I had seen advertisements for Bellabox in the past, browsed the website and even proceeded to checkout but had never fully committed to the subscription. After an Instagram post from Harper’s Bazaar Australia appeared on my news feed publicising Bellabox’s February edition (which will be curated by three leading Australian fashion magazines), I finally applied. I decided it would make for an interesting post and fill the void of incoming mail that had somewhat diminished following my recent and quite excessive spending.

In summary, Bellabox is a monthly subscription service that sends out a box of 4-5 beauty samples at the price of $15 (per month). It seemed like an exciting way to try new beauty products at the retail price of a couple full sized products. Perhaps the “risk” and uncertainty of what will be sent each month enticed the very minute risk-taker in myself. I will probably never jump out of a plane but dive right into a box of unknown beauty products? Sign me up.

The cautious and ever rational dominating side to my personality took over when it came to the monthly fee. Signing up for $15 a month with cancellation at any time seemed to entail a lengthy process and large amount out of my monthly spending. Essentially, I gifted myself a three month subscription as a trial of the program, completely free of commitment.

Communication between Bellabox and the customer is established from the outset, where an email is automatically sent to your address as soon as you sign up. In alliance with Australia Post, an email was sent of the arrival date of the package. What shcoked me the most was that I was at my laptop one morning, and received an email to say that my package had been delivered. Going to the front porch, the package had just been placed on my front door step. It seemed so strange that an email told me what was at my front door before I even realised! 

Overall, I am completely satisfied with the whole Bellabox process. Here’s to next month’s box being even better!