Ever Since...

...i moved to Australia and experienced what the shopping is like, especially coming from England, i have come to rely a lot on online shopping. Sometimes i find things that are really pretty but they always seem to be overpriced for the quality in which i'll be getting. There's also the danger that a lot of people would have that exact item where you live (i'm thinking Forever New). So these days, when i'm looking for something nice and affordable, i tend to go straight online and start searching for stores that deliver to Australia without looking to see if there's something closer to home.

Well, my friend and I have been looking for dressy tops that can be worn both during the day and also for special occasions at night that wouldn't be a uniform where we live. We've searched online stores like ASOS and Miss Selfridge. But today, i decided to check French Connection Australia and was a bit shocked to find that they do have a few decent items eventhough i'm irate at the fact that their sizes stop at 14. Here's a few things that caught my attention...

Flight of fancy shirt
Cole cotton wrap shirt
Delicious drape cowl

Still Searching...

image from Tradekorea.com

I'm still searching for my holy grail jacket after almost a year spent looking for something that would be trans-seasonal. I personally hate having too many jackets because i know i never really get round to wearing them and i'm also known for not wearing most of my purchases when i first get them. For me, 2 or 3 jackets is plenty enough. One of them should be very dressy just in case an opportunity knocks on my door and it's freezing outside; the other should easily be able to see me through autumn and winter with only the need to layer in winter and the last one should be great for spring and summer. But the most important thing for all of my jackets is that they should be very versatile. If you've been reading for a while then you might be aware that i've been wanting to breathe in new life to my wardrobe but as a perpetual procrastinator, that hasn't really happened yet. Not only am i lazy about it, i haven't really found anything that i've fallen in love with. So here's to hoping that the magazines for April up till July will publish something that is jaw dropping and financially sensible to me so i can purchase it. But worst comes to worst, i'll do exactly what i did last winter - just wear cardis and long sleeves :)

Dye Job

By now you all know that the world has been plagued by the Balmania disease of 'shoulders'! I for one hate buying into trends because i never dress trendy and for me it's not really a good investment because they always go out of trend for a while. But the shoulder trend seems to be lasting longer than expected and a part of me is annoyed about it because i don't want to buy a jacket with shoulders but there always seems to be some sort of annoying temptation lurking in the corners awaiting me. It started with the military jacket at Dotti that has some gold beads and pipping on the shoulder and now River Island also has something to tempt me. Unfortunately i can't attach an image of the jacket but for those who are interested, type this in the search box and you should find it: 584774. I like to think that the shoulders aren't as obvious as other Balmania inspired jackets but everytime i think of this particular one from River Island, all i can think of is dyeing it another colour before wearing it. Definitely not black though, because i have a black blazer already. I'm not really a fan of white or cream items because i'm very clumsy and paranoid and i have no interest in shelling big bucks for a professional clean. All the 'dry clean' i owned in the past, i either hand washed them or used the gentle cycle in the wash and they always came out fine.

Image via Fifi.com.au

I Know I'll Fall, But...

These Giuseppe Zanotti ankle boots Beyonce is wearing are to die for, they're absolutely f-i-e-r-c-e! And i must have a piece of fierceness in my wardrobe even at the cost of them never seeing daylight or even falling flat on my face a couple of times before i can walk in them. I don't care!!! I know Cookie is gonna give me a lecture on buying things i can't wear or wouldn't wear but these are tooooo hot!!! For a moment, let's look past my excitement because we are all aware that there is an extremely slim chance i'll be shelling out the money for the same exact pair. This leaves me with two options of owning it: 1) Senso, Siren or some other shoe brand would make a replica and i'll be more than happy to purchase it as long as it is no more than $300 or 2) Get cheap ankle boots and head over to Spotlight to find me some glue and studs that i can stick onto them. Which will happen first? Let the race begin!!!
Image via Beyonceworld.net

Customised Perfume...

...or kind of. Allow me to introduce to you 'Le Labo', a perfume brand created by two guys living in New York in a slightly different manner from what you'd usually expect from perfumes. As we all know, the majority of perfumes are mass produced mainly using machines. There are a rare handful of perfume makers that actually custom make perfumes specially to suit your needs and personality. I remember hearing about one situated in London where the elites go to have perfumes made for them. It's kind of like going to Marc Jacobs show room and having him sketch and make a dress exclusively for you. But as we all know, the majority of us can't afford this kind of luxury...well, not at the moment anyway.
This is where the 'Le Labo' perfumes come in. They are all blended by hand when ordered as opposed to pre-blended. The bottle labels can be customised when ordering as you get to have your name printed on it and also a short note of 24-characters included in the label as seen above. This kind of reminds me of Apple iPods and iTouch where you get to write notes. These perfumes can only be ordered from Mecca Cosmetica. But don't you think the bottles kind of look ugly and medicinal?
Images from Dsnoturabo.blogspot.com and Gdr.typepad.com

Celebrity Style

Ever wanted to wear something that you sported on your favourite celeb? Well, now you can because there's a website that has pictures of celebs wearing the exact same items they sell. So open your wallet, pull out your credit card and get ready to shell some major cash on items from The Trend Boutique. Now you can spend your entire weekend online just looking for stuff. And if you start feeling guilty, just remember you're doing your part to boost the global economy ^_^.
Image via Shopthetrendboutique.com

New Shopping Sites

If you've ever wanted to indulge in Australian brands or live in Australia and want to support the local talent whilst also helping the Australian economy then i have good news for you. I've found three sites that sell Australian brands and one of them also carries Nicole Ritchie's jewellery line 'House of Harlow 1960'. Below are the sites:

Australian Flavour
Beloved
Frock Shop

Horsing Around

When i saw this picture of Beyonce, the only thing i could think of was getting myself a long necklace with an animal pendant. Although i'm still in search of one with the head of a tiger/lioness, i think this horse pendant from ASOS is a good consolation price. It's got a burnt gold look and would cost you £8, click here to own one.
Image via Asos.com

Shoe Envy

Doesn't Thandie Newton have gorgeous legs? Not only are her legs gorgeous, they are also being romanced by a pair of Matthew Williamson heels i'm totally wanting! I would love to own it, or even something that looks like it for a more affordable price. I also think it's time i book myself in for a pedicure because just looking at her feet reminds me of how crusty mine are.
Source: Redcarpet-fashionawards.com

David Jones Spring/Summer Show

Victoria Secret model and Fashion ambassador to David Jones, Miranda Kerr, showed off the Spring/Summer collection from Australian designers such as Ginger & Smart, Sass & Bide and Collette Dinnigan at The Peninsula, Docklands in Melbourne on Thursday August 13th. I have to say i usually don't browse David Jones for clothing but on my next shopping trip to Sydney i'm gonna look for those black gloves and boots she's got on. That white ensemble with the black belt is sooo perfect to wear to the races and i can add the gloves to my collection. I have also decided on the new nailpolish colour i will be adding to my collection for summer; orangey-red. I'm definitely loving the nail polish she's sporting and i can just imagine it on my toe nails all through summer to go with my bright red polish and a dark pink.

Source: JustJared.com

Day 22: Falling In Love With Bubles And Burberry

This is the 22nd day so far in my weightloss journey and i was pretty hungry today despite having breakfast and dinner. I had oats with soy milk and two slices of toast; for dinner i had rice mixed with pasta and tomato sauce. Anyway, the picture above is the Burberry fall campaign 2008 and i've just seen the one for this fall at Red Carpet Fashion Awards with Emma Watson and i'm absolutely loving it. I'm seriously thinking of carving a massive chunk off my budget to get something from Burberry when i go shopping at the end of July. But that would mean that i would be starving for quite sometime because the money has to come out from some other place i've allocated my money to go to. Hmmm, my saving account maybe? That's a bad idea; but there's nothing like getting a job with a great pay that would enable me to save up the money necessary to shop at Burberry without having that guilty nag at the back of my head.

Source: Photo

On My Radar: CUE

I happen to be one of those people who absolutely adore winter. I love it because it's the best season to experiment with your style, try different ensembles on. You can easily be adventurous because it is the season to cover up amidst the freezing weather outside. So when it comes to creating a winter wardrobe, three things are essential for me and they also happen to be things i'm very picky about: a winter coat/jacket, gloves and a neck scarf.

I've pretty much been ranting for like forever on how difficult it is to find a beautifully made coat or jacket in Australia at a reasonable price. Well, i can now tell you that i don't need to order my winter coat from the UK or US because Myer has revealed a hidden gem to me. I introduce you to the fashion label CUE which is 100% made in Australia, not like Bonds that is shipping their production overseas. Instead, the materials are imported into the country such as silks and wools from Italy and crafted here on our soil.

Anyway, ethics aside, i saw a beautiful grey coat from CUE today at Myer and i tried it on...yes ladies i did and to my freaking suprise, i was a size 14!!!! For me this is like winning the jackpot because it actually means that i've dropped a dress size and have a potential to shrink another size or two. I couldn't be any more happier and for this, i'm rewarding myself with a very luxirous facial!!!!! It's a button down jacket made of 60% wool, 20% polyester and 20% something else, sorry but i can't remember what it was. This coat is classic and would be adorning your wardrobe for years and would also set you back about $295. I think that's a healthy investment to make in a coat considering the fact that it'll be worn on the majority of days during the winter months. This coat - which i just placed on lay-by - can take you from morning to evening. It can be casually worn with jeans and sneakers or with a beautiful dress and heels to go. So if you ever happen to be in Myer, i suggest you take a look at CUE. The prices can be a bit scary so i would invest in classic pieces instead of something on-trend.

Just in case you love the tweed look of Chanel, there are some pieces that are made from tweed and very chic. But if that isn't enough to convince you, CUE only makes a limited number of pieces for each size [6-14] and they never restock the items afterwards so it gives you a chance to be one of the select few wearing them. This is even more exagerrated if you live in a small town because my local Myer only carries about 10 pieces of each design CUE makes and they NEVER restock; so that's 2 pieces per size!!!

Happy shopping.

Miss Selfridge & Dorothy Perkins

One of the things i love about shopping online for clothes is the fact that you can get items at a cheaper price from anywhere across the globe and sometimes these clothes are usually unique to you because not everyone where you live is buying from that particular place. When i lived in the UK, two of my favourite shops were Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins. I love them because they've got classic designs with a twist but their clothes also fit my body shape perfectly. Their sizes are also generous which means that the clothes just hug and kiss every crevice on your body.

So imagine my excitement when i was browsing their website today and realised that they've started shipping to Australia!!!!!! I already have a long list of items i plan on buying from them once my shopping ban is over. Actually i might even have to order them just a week before my ban is over so that they get here in time as it usually takes about 7 working days for items ordered from the UK to arrive here. In Miss Selfridge, i usually go for jeans, tees, bags and their unique dresses while i favour Dorothy Perkins mainly for coats and skinny jeans.

Browse through both sites and tell me what you like in the comments box.

My Denim Dream List

Does my bum look big in this? HAHAHAHAHA! I've always wanted to say that. Well, today seems to be turning out to be a day of lists and dreams and bla bla bla. Anyway, i thought it'd be a good idea to blog about my dream denim wardrobe!

Cheap Monday Tight Fit Very StretchBlack Jeans

Cheap Monday Narrow 45 Min Jeans

7 For All Mankind Roxanna Black Jeans

DVB Skinny Flare Medium Stonewash Jeans

DVB Straight Light Stonewash Jeans

DVB Skinny Acid Jeans

DVB Bootcut Stonewash Jeans

Your Autumn & Winter Wardrobe

Before i talk about the cold weather wardrobe essentials, might i just say that the MID SEASON SALE in Australia has begun. If you've always wanted to buy something or happen to have a wishlist like i do, this is the time to head into the shops. I'm telling you people...i went into Myer yesterday and i had to leave quickly because the sale prices are ridic.....30% off some items from Basque...all bags from Basque were $75 yesterday at Myer wollongong....i wanted to punch myself in the face. Seriously!!!! I swear the recession is leading to great sale prices so better head down to your local shopping centre and shop WISELY!!!! No unneccessary purchases people! You need to tighten the belt ok??? If your belt doesn't have a buckle or any fastening holes then now is the time to invest in one.

I'm currently preparing for my autumn and winter wardrobe update and i usually make a list of items that i need to replenish my wardrobe for the cold season. Sure, Australia's winter is like Autumn or Spring in some countries but the cold season happens to be my favourite season off all. It is also an excuse for me to play dress up because you can afford to wear thicker clothes and more layers compared to summer where you might be contemplating peeling your skin off due to excruciating heat! During the week, i talked about recession shopping and i've just found a couple of fab deals to make you look scrumptious during the autumn and winter without creating a major dent in your wardrobe. My advice would be to spend this Easter break evaluating the items you have in your wardrobe and creating a list of new possible additions to complement what you already have. Don't go spending money on flimsy unneccessary purchases in these hard times.

For those of us who live in Australia, sunscreen and sunglasses are a must because the sun is ALWAYS shining here irrespective of the weather outside...talk about a sunny winter!!! And to coincide with the new season, Ray Ban has released a new must have sunglasses shape...it's called 'THE CAT' and it is a re-invention of a vintage classic and you'll soon see everyone who knows anything sporting them. But these bad boys are gonna set you back a whopping $300!!! Yup, $300! I'm sure you could replenish your wardrobe for that amount. Luckily, i've found two options to put a smile on your face that woulldn't break the bank. I'll be writing my wish shopping list at the end of this post and i'll include the sunglasses.

I also blogged about getting long gloves for winter and i've found TWO options...one of them is leather which is remarkably expensive - $130 - but they come in classic colours so could be considered an investment. But i also found a knit alternative for my long gloves which come in at $60 and these babies are so chic you could wear them from day to night without the need for the fashion police to put you behind bars. The best thing i love about fashion is that you could be someone else just by changing your ensemble. But remember three things: 1) Your accessories can make or break your look so accessorise wisely...purple and black are the colours of the season. 2) Shop smartly. This means spending more on classic pieces and colours and saving on the fads...think jodhur pants...you should spend the least amount possible on these as they're gonna die out of fashion soon. 3) If it takes you more than 5 minutes to decide if a look is hot on you or not, don't waist your time buying it as your instincts are always right.

So having said all that, let's get to the fun part....MY POTENTIAL SHOPPING LIST....
* Sunglasses: This pair from Oroton has the shape of the new 'CAT' sunnies from Ray Ban but costs less than half the price at $135 while these from Sportsgirl are even cheaper at $30. If your sunglasses don't come in a hardcase, it is worth investing in one as it means your sunnies are better protected when in your handbag.

* Gloves: These are pretty much a basic in any winter wardrobe and i usually like to have various options just to spice up my look once in a while. You can get a long knitted glove from Country Road in black, navy two toned and charcoal two toned for $60. You can also purchase a washed leather glove from Country Road for $130 in chestnut or black. For $30, you can get black leather gloves from Barkins.

I have to say that since i'm cutting down on my expenditure, the majority of my winter wish list is actually coming from Barkins and i have to say it's a pretty good deal. Here's what i have my eyes on...

Tuxedo Jacket , $80 OR Suit Jacket, $70

Lace detail tunic, $30

Longer lenth cardi, $40

Wide stripe cardi, $40

Cashmilon sweater dress , $30

Winter trilby, $25

Plaited knit scarf, $20

Zip legging, $20

If you're not interested in clothes shopping but are in desperate need of a pick-me-up, there's nothing better than a RED LIPSTICK to boost your mood and confidence. Just walk up to the Chanel/MAC/Shisiedo counter and tell them you're looking to purchase a red lipstick and they can make you over with various options and you don't even have to buy any when you're done. But if you really want to purchase one, might i suggest MAC's Ruby Woo or Russian Red??? These babies are on FIRE!!!

Source: Photo

Where Is Target In Ilawarra?

You might say i'm silly, sad or pathetic but i refuse to accept that the 'recession' is an excuse to stop shopping or making an effort to look like a human being that deserves to live on planet earth! After all, if we all stopped shopping then the entire world would actually sink into a DEPRESSION which is worse than a recession...

I sat on the bus today with a young girl that stank like she just swam through the gutters of the Ilawarra region. No she did not look homeless neither did she look hungry; she didn't smell like she had a medical body odour! She just stank like someone who didn't give a rat's arse about having a proper shower! I'm sure she could afford to buy herself a bar of soap and sponge instead of wearing excruciating layers of black eyeliner and smelling like she'd been smoking for the whole of NSW!!! Lack of a proper body wash combined with the stale smell of ciggies is worse than being the ugliest girl on the planet!!!

Anyways, with the recession and my shopping ban coming to an end in a couple of weeks, i'm refining my shopping methods and knowing where to save and when to splurge!! This season's trend of all things tartan and plaid or whatever you choose to call it isn't going to make me break the bank. I've decided i'll be test-driving this trend with cheaper options from Target! Plus i can also score a new pair of skinny jeans from them for $50 max; how delish is that?!?!?! You can also purchase a checked shirt from Target for $35! What a bargain.....hmm...whatever!!!

So it begs for the question: Where the hell is Target because it certainly isn't in Wollongong as i havent seen it yet!!! I doubt it's in Figtree either as the only thing i saw was KMart....so if you happen to know where it is, please give me the address before i go bonkers! By the way, if you'd really like to blow the bank on a designer gear in tune with the season's love of tartan, i suggest you purchase the new D&G sunnies which has the tartan red pattern on it for $350 from Sunglasses Hut.

Another hot property for winter is a leather glove in purple. But not just any leather glove people...make sure it's a little bit longer than the average gloves you'd sport for winter! You can get a pair from Myer in store or even Oroton....that's if you happen to know any store other than Myer and David Jones that stocks Oroton. Oh, and if you do, be nice enough to let me know!!!

HAPPY EASTER IN ADVANCE!