Posts filed under ‘Fashion’
Basic Bitch
My friend, Francesca is one of those people who looks amazing in anything she wears. It helps that she’s tall, slim and gorgeous but the lucky girl doesn’t only look good when dressed up, she looks equally as stunning in jeans and a tshirt.
We went to see The Dark Knight Rises last July and she had a really nice white t-shirt on. It had the kind of neckline I’ve been coveting for a while – not quite round, not quite a v – but instead of the doing the logical thing and ask her where she buys her t-shirts, I went on an almost-year-long-search and finally found the perfect tees at Witchery.
I discovered them on a day when they were selling for 3-for-the-price-of-2 so I managed to get 6 new tshirts for the price of 4 (just in case you don’t understand the concept of 3-for-2).
They come in a few colours – mainly the basics, like nude, black, white, khaki and red and I picked up two short-sleeved white and a blue in the same style and black, khaki and white in long-sleeved.
At $39.95 each they’re not cheap but the cotton is beautiful and soft and has enough stretch for them to be a flattering fit. They’re also a decent length for someone like me who tucks their tops into their pants and skirts.
On the topic of basics, another winter fashion dilemma is knit wear.
I’ve posted a little bit about wanting to find and buy lots of knit wear this winter and I’m not having much luck at all. I picked up this plain black merino wool knit from MaxShop because I had a voucher, but I think I’m going to have to go back in for more colours.
The wool is soft and not itchy, has a nice stretch to it and is a flattering neckline – not too much of a boatneck (which I hate).
It looks like they’re down on sizes (I take a 10 – 12 in tops and purchased a medium) so hopefully they’ll restock soon because I would love this in every colour. It’s thing enough to be worn under tunics or loose tops but also looks neat and chic on its own.
I hope I’ve offered a couple of helpful suggestions for your winter basics. If you’re on the lookout for anything else, ask me and I’ll see how I can be of assistance.
Fashion Weekend 2013
If you follow me on twitter or know me in ‘real life’ you’ll probably know that I’ve been really unwell for the past four months. I’m not the kind of person who likes to take painkillers but I am very happy to use shopping as a pain management mechanism so you can imagine that I am thrilled that Fashion Weekend is just around the corner once again.
I’ve been attending Fashion Weekend for the past few years and bagging myself some bargains each time. Everything from shoes, jewellery, denim and party frocks and I’m sure, with designers such as:
- Bec & Bridge
- Bless’ed are the Meek
- By Johnny
- Ginger & Smart
- Levi’s
- Limedrop
- Nicola Finetti
- Senso
- Valerie Tolosa
- Watson x Watson
this year’s event will be no different.
As usual, Fashion Weekend is conveniently held at the Royal Hall of Industries, Entertainment Quarter at Moore Park and is perfectly set out for a girls weekend of shopping, pampering and a bit of a cheeky drink before hitting the town in your new purchases.
My advice (and I say this every year) – go dressed in some daggy old duds, shop up a storm for a new outfit, and let the hair, makeup and nail fairy godmothers at the Toni & Guy Blow Dry Bar, NP Set Makeup and Lash Bar and Sally Hansen Nail Salon do their thing and then head off into the night leaving only your Juicy Couture scent (from the Juicy Couture Perfume Bar of course) behind you. Oh, and that old outfit 
Tickets are selling fast and packages including complimentary drinks and a seat at the fashion parades always go the quickest so grab your best girls and make sure you’re ready for a big fashion weekend by purchasing here. If you can, grab a VIP ticket for:
- Front row seats in the Catwalk Show
- Access to the exclusive VIP Lounge where you can enjoy three complimentary drinks
- An exclusive bar for any additional drink purchases
- Access to the SHOP Til You Drop Designer Sale where over 100 designers will be selling their collections at reduced prices
- Access to a private till point in the VIP Lounge so you don’t have to queue at the tills on the floor
- A free mini-manicure from Sally Hansen in the VIP Lounge
- A private bathroom in the VIP Lounge
- A gorgeous VIP gift bag including a fab NP Set Luscious Lip Shine and Lipliner and Sally Hansen goodies, valued at over $85
Now, I’m quite a seasoned shopper and sales like this make me really competitive. You might lose that Missoni cardigan at the Christensen Copenhagen stall to someone else if you’re not ready, so here are my tips for being prepared for a massive sale like this.
- Do not wear makeup. Firstly, it’s not nice when you see someone else’s foundation on the neckline of the top you want to buy so imagine how the vendors feel when their stock is carelessly ruined? And besides, you can have it done at the NP Set Makeup and Lash Bar once you’ve finished shopping
- Do wear nude-coloured underwear and a decent bra. It’s pretty hard to tell if something looks good or not when you’re wearing an electric blue g-string or a leopard print lacey bra that’s showing through that white silk Nicola Finetti gown. Right?
- Wear comfy shoes. In previous years I’ve seen girls traipsing around the hall in heels. No. It’s a big day – you could spend hours sorting through racks – you do not want swollen feet, especially if you want to actually buy some shoes in your correct size from Senso.
- Take a big tote bag. Each vendor will give you a separate, stapled-together bag so if you’re planning on making a lot of purchases (you will) then it’s much easier to keep them all together for the trip home.
I think that’s it. All set to go forth and shop the weekend away! Enjoy it and be sure to pop back and let me know what you bought.
The Ultimate Wedding Planning Party
The Ultimate Wedding Planning Party From 5:30pm 8 May 2013 Point Marquee, Bennelong Point, Sydney Opera HouseI’m not exactly getting married anytime soon but I swear everyone around me has been getting engaged lately and I suspect a few more friends will be soon too. All Most people love weddings and aside from the whole ‘spending the rest of your life with the person you love’ thing, the planning is surely the second best bit.
I’m one of those people who really likes to live vicariously through the engaged and I’m constantly asking people about their plans. I know a lot of people hate this but for the most part those planning their weddings are really excited to talk about their big day and I love to share in their excitement. That’s why I am very pleased that in just under a month the fifth Ultimate Wedding Planning Party is going to take place. I will be in my absolute element surrounded by plenty of happy brides-to-be and vendors showing off their beautiful goods.
Taking place at the Sydney Opera House (imagine getting married there!?) the Ultimate Wedding Planning Party has a ‘Vintage and Classic’ theme and aims to inspire with designs from Rachel Gilbert, Henry Roth, Michelle Roth, Collette Dinnigan, Kristi Bonnici and a little Ermenegildo Zegna for the grooms.
In terms of the Wedding Planner, photographer and the all important cake, Anthony Del Col of Staging Connections, Rachel Bentick from Inlighten Photography and Sweet Art will all be on hand as well as pampering from Bobbi Brown and Jo Malone. A selection of stationery, honeymoon ideas and food by ARIA Catering will be there to spark ideas and get the wedding juices flowing so that you can tick off everything on your dream wedding list.
Tickets are still available and are $60 a pop of 2 for $100. Ticket holders each receive a gift bag valued at over $500 so you’re basically being rewarded for going and there are lucky door prizes including a honeymoon at a six-star resort in Mauritius which kind of makes me want to go out and get engaged to someone right now.
Tickets and more information are available from http://www.ultimateweddingplanningparty.com/
For those who have no weddings planned or coming up on their social calendar, here are a few wedding tid-bits:
- The Best Wedding Paula Joye ever went to
- My all-time favourite wedding dress:
- My favourite celebrity wedding fact:
Robert De Niro served as an usher at Mariah Carey’s 1993 wedding to Tommy Mottola and Bruce Springsteen and Barbra Streisand were among the guests.
Recent Buys
In the past few weeks I’ve been adding to my winter wardrobe some more and I thought I’d share the purchases here. I mentioned in my last winter inspiration post that I want to buy lots of leather this season and it really is everywhere so it’s not too hard to achieve this. I came across an instagram account last month and the owner was just about to launch her online store. She was selling the Nicholas leather track pants I had been thinking about so I grabbed them as soon as the site went live.
I’m absolutely in love with them. They’re surprisingly flattering and made from the loveliest soft leather. They’re currently sold out on Runway Brooklyn, but will be replenished soon. I highly recommend them and buying from RB.The postage was very quick and it’s always nice to support someone who’s just starting out.
I’ve also purchased this Sass & Bide ‘Full of Chaos‘ knit. It’s really dramatic with the almost-ankle-length-back and straddles the line between casual and dressy perfectly. The sizing runs quite big so I’d go down a size or 2 if buying online.
I needed a pair of heeled-but-not-too-high black ankle boots and these Chloe ones appealed to me because the chunky heel made them really comfy and the opening is really wide so they don’t hug the ankle and shorten the leg. It’s so hard to find the perfect boot and I can see myself living in these.
The three of them all look very nice together:
As I (also) said in my last post on winter clothing, I still need to find some more knits. It’s really hard to get motivated for the cold weather, though, when the sun keeps coming out on days like today.
Another thing I’m trying to stock up on is tracksuit pants but not your average ones from Bonds and the like. I’m looking for something a tiny bit dressier – the kind of thing you wouldn’t feel embarrassed by if you bumped into an ex or your boss at the supermarket. I love these Viktoria + Woods ones (also from Runway Brooklyn) as they’re relaxed and have that classic tracksuit pant look, but still have a point of difference with the black panelling.
It’s actually really hard to find higher-end track pants. I thought places like Seed, Thurley and Witchery would be ideal places to stock up but they didn’t seem to stock any. Does anyone have any ideas?
What direction are you going in for this winter’s fashion?
Giveaway – Jewellery from Atmos&Here
I haven’t done a giveaway on my blog in soooooooo long so I thought I’d reward my loyal readers!
Atmos&Here is just one of the brands in The Iconic’s stable and I have some of their fab jewellery to give away.
The Iconic is Australia’s biggest online store with super quick postage, competitive prices and about 500 million products on offer. They pride themselves on being able to have your item in your hands within a few hours and for their excellent online presence.
I’ve been trawling through Atmos&Here’s profile on The Iconic and they have lots of cool printed pants (my favourite – ha!) and relaxed tees as well as cute and very affordable bags, belts and jewellery, as you will see below.
This necklace is glam but not too OTT so it’s perfect for dressing up leather leggings, a loose knit and some chunky Alexander Wang flats. The earrings are moody and remind me of the ‘glam goth’ trend but they’re also a little boho.
All you have to do to win these two pieces is comment with your favourite brand that is sold on The Iconic – the hardest part is choosing just one!
Please make sure you include your email address in the correct field so I can contact you if you win.
- Entries close at midday (AEST) on 28 February 2013 and the winner will be notified shortly thereafter
- Total prize is worth approximately AU$50.00
- Sorry, entry is open to Australian residents only
- Extra entry if you tweet:
“I could win new jewellery thanks to @MarloPerry http://marloperry.com/2013/02/16/giveaway-jewellery-from-atmoshere“
I look forward to reading your answers and picking a winner!
Winter-spiration
Screw summer, it’s all about the cold months now. Once Christmas and New Year are done with – ok let’s push it to Australia Day – but once Australia Day has gone, summer is over in my opinion.
This is the time of year that I start to get antsy. The shops are bare, I’m over my wardrobe and I am dying for at least semi-warm clothes to come into season.
I’ve made a few purchases this week that are starting to get me in the mood. One of which was leather leggings. I have been looking for some for I-don’t-know-how-long now, and because I was willing to splurge on them I wanted to make an educated decision. I swear I researched this more than I did my last essay so I think I’ve made the right choice. I got the plum because the black were unavailable at the time and then became available again hours later. Don’t ask. I think the plum might work out well, though, since I tend to wear a lot of colour these days.
I already own a pair of leather jodhpurs (which are black) but only the legs are leather and because my legs are disproportionate to my body and my waist is significantly smaller, it means I usually go up a size in pants and they always tend to gape around the top which irritates me. I like how these are leather all the way up to the waist and appear to taper in. So, here’s to a winter full of fitted leather outfits. I’m not planning on wearing these as pants necessarily, but more with long tops, under tunics or even under some dresses.
I’m also keen to stock up on cardigans and knits this winter. I only own a couple presently and they’re on high rotation, especially for work because it’s so simple to look neat and tidy and, most importantly, appropriate if you wear a knee-length skirt or pants with a cardigan.
I guess I’ll be going for this sort of look quite a bit in winter. I wanted this actual top but it was sold out by the time I got to it. Tops like this are perfect for layering and are comfy without being sloppy. I think with the right accessories I could really dress it up.
I haven’t really got my eye on anything else for winter except my usual leathers and tartans. I also really need to invest in a pair of gumboots this season. Has anybody seen any cute ones around?
I’m also hoping to go away over Christmas and New Year (I know, ages away) to a cold climate so I’m keen to make sure I have some solid staples that will make packing a lot easier. What else do you make sure you stock up on in the cooler seasons?
What’s Been Happening?
I haven’t updated in ages – soz, you guys!
I’ve been super busy lately being ill and not in the “fully sick” kind of way. I’ve been having headaches for weeks now which is very unusual for me, I had a huge cyst in my nose and swollen eye and cheek. I had some antibiotics but it got worse so now I’m on more which are stronger and hopefully do the trick. If I don’t update for a while after this then I’ve probably died from a brain infection still been too busy.
To cheer myself up, I bought this adorable Miu Miu headband yesterday. The irony of buying a headband to fix my headaches is not lost on me. It’s from their 2013 Resort collection and I’m absolutely in love with it. Unfortunately, Miu Miu’s Sydney boutique is on my bus route so I’m tempted on the daily with bits and pieces in the window and finally caved. I own A LOT of headbands but nothing like this. Soooo pretty.
Speaking of pretty headbands, I debuted this divine George Giavis teddy bear one the other night for the launch of the brand spankin’ new Eclipse by ghd. I bought it at Charlie Brown on the Gold Coast and it is so me. I’ve always been addicted to teddy bear accessories – I love the silhouette of them. The George Giavis headbands are a really good fit, too. They’re not cheap but definitely worth the price and you can pick them up here or at Charlie Brown stores.
Here are a couple of other outfit shots from the night. My dress is from Bluejuice and the jacket is an old one from Review. Shoes are my go-to black pumps from Sergio Rossi and black Prada clutch.
Don’t remember taking this one. What the ffff?
I got sent this new white drawing pencil from Shu Uemura a couple of weeks ago so I decided to try it out. I don’t normally do black, silver and grey makeup but the white inspired me and I wanted to stick with the monochrome theme so I put the white on the inner corners of my eye to open them up and used Rimmel’s Kate Moss Union Jack palette for the main part of the lid. I’m also loving the new Rimmel Match Perfection foundation at the moment. It really does blend to your skin tone and it goes on smoothly, smells good and is a decent price. Winner.
You’re going to flip out over the new Eclipse. The demo video showed afro hair going to straight with just one ‘go’ of the ghd. I have very fine hair so I’m lucky but this is a blessing for girls (and guys!) with super curly or frizzy hair. Look at the picture below of one of the models from the night:
I’ll give you more information as I can later on and I’ll try to put up a post another post soon – I promise!
Golden Globes 2013
Blah blah blah, opinions are like assholes, everyone has one etc.
My best dressed:
Kerry Washington in Miu Miu and Prada
Taylor Swift in DKNY
Helen Hunt in Dolce & Gabbana
Michelle Dockery in Alexander Vauthier
Ariel Winter in Valentino
Palazzo Versace – Gold Coast
On New Year’s Day I flew up to the Gold Coast for the first Mariah Carey concert and was very much looking forward to my stay at the Versace hotel at Broadbeach. I’ve wanted to stay there for quite some time but every time I am up that way I usually have to stay near Coolangatta, so I was very thankful for ‘needing’ to stay in this area of the Gold Coast.
I started off my visit with a Fashionista high tea in the Le Jardin bar. Long time readers of my blog will know how much I enjoy high tea (I’m off for another one this weekend, in fact) and I make a point of having high tea at each hotel I stay at, availability and time permitting.
I was extremely impressed with the Versace’s offering. For just $45 per person, the Fashionista high tea includes scones, sandwiches, cakes (macarons, pastries, cake pops, fruit tartlets and cupcakes) and savouries and I loved that instead of regular, potted tea I was able to substitute for an iced tea (mine was Turkish Apple). So many establishments will charge you extra for that, hot chocolate or iced coffee which I think is just rude – so that’s the first thumbs up from me.
The staff members were excellent. Very attentive but not at all in the way and it was most relaxing sitting in the coral-pink chairs bathed in sunlight from the floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the lagoon.
Aside from the Fashionista High Tea, Le Jardin also serves:
Sparkling High Tea
$55 per person
Includes a glass of Domaine Chandon Sparkling Wine
Champagne High Tea
$70 per person
Includes a glass of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Brut Champagne
Couture Champagne High Tea
$110 per person
Includes glass of Dom Perignon Champagne
from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm (booking required for parties of 8 or more) and a great selection of drinks and food from morning until late. We had a drink here again later in the day again.
The rest of Le Jardin and the surrounding lobby…
The room, of course, was incredible. I paid a little extra and opted for the Deluxe Suite which had a separate toilet and dining/lounge area.
The bed was SO comfortable and the couch transformed into a bed also. The parquet flooring and the mosaic-tiled bathroom floor gave the room a very summery feel.
We ordered room service for dinner and I was pleasantly surprised with the prices. Most hotels will rip you off, particularly on in-room dining, but while the food wasn’t *cheap* it was way less than what you would expect to pay in your luxury surrounds.
The next morning we enjoyed a huge buffet breakfast (this was included in the price of my package but please check when you book so there are no surprises!) and then wandered around the pool a bit more. The weather was stunning and the lagoon looks even more striking when the sky is clear and bright blue. I was so upset we didn’t have another night here because I could have easily spent all day swimming and sun baking. I only got to have a short time by the pool and one thing I noticed were that it was lovely and quiet – even despite having a number of kids in it. I think the sheer length of the lagoon (65m) means that it feels very private whether or not you’re sharing or in there alone. That’s a pretty valuable commodity when you read so many reviews of hotels where people complain that the pool area was too noisy.
Even without a day by the pool, though, I still felt extremely relaxed and after only spending one night away it was as if I had enjoyed at least a long weekend at the Versace hotel and for this, the reasonable pricing and lovely staff I will definitely be back!
Pricing varies greatly depending on room and the time of year you stay. I paid $829 for a deluxe suite (and breakfast for two) but if you wait until February or March you will see a big decrease in price. Bookings can be made via www.palazzoversace.com.au
Merry Christmas!
To all my lovely readers, Merry Christmas! I hope you all had a great day and to those not celebrating Christmas, I hope you’re enjoying a break from work.
I’m happy to have a relaxing two-and-a-half weeks off which creates the perfect window to go to the Gold Coast and Melbourne for Mariah Carey’s concerts and probably get to a little bit of cricket and some movies in as well.
I’ve already been drinking way too much and I feel like I’ve put on 4kg today alone! We had a family lunch at my aunty’s and I got absolutely spoilt! At this age I never really expect anything but I got some cool things from Sass & Bide including the below pants and jeans (which both went on sale after they were bought full price ggrrrr) an Alannah Hill headband, a ticket to Legally Blonde the Musical, some gift vouchers, an Adriano Zumbo cook book and a skipping rope which I tested out after lunch and almost died. How have I become so unfit?!?!
Tomorrow I am going to see Les Miserables. I’m not the biggest Anne Hathaway fan, though, so I’ll see how I manage almost three hours of her singing. Hmmm.
I also really want to see Wreck It Ralph, Life of Pi and The Hobbit.
I still have zero plans for New Year’s Eve but I can’t do anything too major as I’ll be flying out the next day and there is nothing worse than flying with a hangover, am I right? I hope the weather up there is not as miserable as Sydney’s because I’m really looking forward to testing out some of my new bikinis!
Is anyone else heading off on holidays?
