Outfit: DAISY PRINT

 Zara cardigan; floral (vintage) dress from momma's closet; Urge boots; ASOS skinny cross bangle

I love a good floral print (proof here and here), and while yes they might be annoyingly overdone at times, they're just so pretty once you find one that really matches your style. I found this dress in my mother's closet - simple yet flattering cut, round neckline and cap sleeves - and was so excited when it fit me perfectly! Played up the on the hint of red in the print with even more red, rugged myself up with some tights and boots and went prancing around the grass (see 4th pic from top for me in action). 

And the beaautiful skinny bangle - simple, elegant, affordable. The wonders of ASOS.

Photos by Thomas Lo

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Outfit: FISHTAILED

Mango Oversized Knit; Op-shopped and partially-DIYed dress; Topshop Suede Booties; MAC Prolong Lipcreme

Once upon a time, I stumbled upon the wonderful blog a pair & a spare, crammed full of creative yet  seemingly simple DIYs I just couldn't get enough of. I was, to say the least, obsessed, and in fact, inspired enough to try a few things for myself! How hard could it be? I thought. 

I proceeded to attempt this skirt from scratch in lilac (hand-sewn, no less, although to a far less-polished result), and even cropped the sleeves off an op-shopped-shirt in attempt to make this (but discovered hand-sewing armholes was way beyond me). Well, I still thought I was pretty good at DIY (clearly delusional) and decided to make my own fishtail/high-low skirt! So I grabbed this maxi dress I got from an op shop, went on a little frenzy with the scissors, then realised I was faced with the impossible task of hemming it up by hand; even a sewing machine if I had one. I left it unfinished for the longest time, till I got some domesticated help with finishing the hem flawlessly - I couldn't be more impressed!

Layered it simply with a drapey oversized knit, then with my favourite furry knit later that night when temperatures plunged. I wish I had pics to show, but here's where you can piece it together with your imagination :) Layered slouchy and comfy winter dressing that borders on hobo, but kept it chic with a bit of gold-plated detail on these Topshop booties. Hobo-chic, that is.

P.S. Have you seen my finalist entry at ASOS Fashion Finder? It would really mean a lot to me if I could have your vote here! Thank you x

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A[WEAR] FOR COUTURING

Images via http://contemporarytattoo.tumblr.com/

A[WEAR] was fashion with a mission. Leave the labeling to the designers, they say – reserve the labels for the clothes, not the people. A beautifully colourful event for a good cause. Catch up on the whole deal on Couturing.com!

ASOS Competition FINALIST!

Hey world. 

You might or might not have come across the wonderful site that is ASOS Fashion Finder - an online fashion community where you can 'create, share & shop', or simply be awed by some lustworthy outfits! I recently joined it to have a look around (it's great inspiration!) and was delighted to have been featured on the homepage a couple of times. Pretty cool. So imagine my joy for a second when I found out that one of my looks had made it into the finals of a street-style competition they are currently running!

Ten finalists of the #whatimwearing competition

Homepage feature - gelato-inspired outfit ;)

Mossman top and skirt; Tony Bianco platforms

The outfit in question is from a shoot I had in collaboration with Alice from Catwalk of Words a few months ago, featuring one of our favourite brands, Mossman! I had been playing around with different prints at the time and loved the visual interest putting together different prints and colours offered. Of course, having a pair of killer shoes helped as well; these lovely sky-high TBs in a beautiful eye-catching shade of red.

With Alice

If you're reading this chances are that you love your fashion/colours/prints/ASOS/Mossman/online shopping/life/blogsurfing/procrastinating/all of the above - and I would very much appreciate your vote towards my look in the competition! It's an open public vote (you don't have to be in Australia!) and I promise it will take literally 2 minutes of your time. 

All you have to do is click the 'heart' on my look HERE, and it'll prompt you to sign in with your facebook account to complete the vote. A note of warning: you might get carried away on the site filled with endless fashion inspiration! Voting ends on Monday 25 June so please spread the word as much as you can. The top prize includes a feature in the ASOS magazine and I would LOVE the chance for that, with your help! Thank you <3

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Outfit: Bright and Light

Zara Trench and Knit; Sportsgirl Dress; Trenery Heels

It was pretty damn chilly and windy when we decided to go prancing around amongst autumn leaves and ninja-scaling on trees. I had been obsessed with these Sam Edelman heeled sandals and the combination of 'light and bright' colours just days before, so it was fairly interesting to see how this outfit combination suddenly sprung out at me on one of those i-have-no-idea-what-to-wear mornings. Plus, we've finally invested in a good, proper umbrella (after going through about 5 of those $5 ones) that I am confident is going to put up a good fight against any future torrential downpours! A sunny, cheerful yellow one does wonders on a gloomy day and definitely doubles as a must-have accessory.

PS Get your last minute entries into my giveaway HERE - a $50 voucher is up for grabs to spend on your fave Aussie designer at online store Halcyon State!

PPS Did you notice the winter update to the little birdie up the top? x

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Wardrobe Inspiration: European Summer

I have been spending a ridiculous proportion of my time being hooked on ASOS. Yes, I'm sure we all know that one. Clearly I will not be purchasing all 101 items on my saved list, but I think there is something quite satisfying about being able to build a virtual wardrobe and thought I'd share..

Floral Midis - High Waist Floral Skirt / Yellow Summer Dress

The midi skirt is something I don't often wear, yet am really loving the look of at the moment. There's something about the high waist and flared out skirt that's so appealing.

Semi sheer pastels - Mint / Pink

Beautifully sweet and graceful, and would probably make for great twirling fun too.

Printed bottoms - Floral Print Pants / ASOS Heart Print Short 

I die for printed bottoms, long or short. Enough said.

White Shoes - Flat Summer Sandals / Lace up wedges

White and summery, with a vintagey touch.

You can probably tell from this shortlist that I'm very much yearning for and dreaming of warm, summery weather. I'll be headed to Europe in a couple of weeks, and I think I'll be lucky if my wardrobe looks anything like this. I think I might actually need some help with packing!

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P.S. Be sure to check out my giveaway for a $50 voucher to a great range of Aussie & NZ designers from online store Halcyon State! 

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COLLABORATION + GIVEAWAY: HALCYON STATE

So hopefully you'd have read my little snippet with Leigh from Halcyon State. Last week I dropped by the store, quickly put together two outfits and went shooting around the neighbourhood. As you can see the sky was overcast and we were lucky to be done before Melbourne skies decided to let loose for the rest of the day!

Woodford and Co Aquamarine Tux Jacket; Tato and Memi Iznik Silk Shirt; Tato and Memi Gibb Shorts; Totomoto Australia Cluster Passion Flower Cuff; Misuzi Gold Bar Necklace ; Tony Bianco Booties 

I think I have previously mentioned that I love subtle textures in an outfit, and so was smitten with these Tato and Memi gold tweed shorts the second I caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of my eye! A slightly sheer cream top and Misuzi's amazingly delicate gold necklace made for easy partners. But it felt like they needed something else. This mint silk blazer was beautiful to the touch, and I love how it works as a refreshingly light addition. As for the gold flower cuff, it simply is a piece of art in itself. Understatedly poised.

  House of Wilde Lovelight Dress; Chip Chop! Nordic Print Cape; Tony Bianco Wedges

Um, love. Cut-outs and nordic prints. Two pieces that make quite a statement individually yet for some reason I chose to bring them together. Quite frequently do we see all sorts of cut-outs strategically placed at the waist, shoulders and back, but these criss-cross panels that run through the length of this House of Wilde dress were edgy and different, proving to be quite a source of excitement for me! I'm loving this nordic print cape by Chip Chop! (doesn't the name excite you?) - fun print, tuck your arms in to stay warm, sneak them out when you need them. Besides, it is also probably the closest I'll get to Scandinavia at the moment..

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SO, BECAUSE WE ALL LOVE AUSSIE DESIGNERS AND ONLINE SHOPPING FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER (C'MON, ADMIT IT), LEIGH IS KINDLY GIVING AWAY A $50 HALCYON STATE VOUCHER TO ONE LUCKY READER!

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO:

1) Like Halcyon State and Blankbird on Facebook: HERE and HERE

2) Leave a comment below telling me which piece from Halcyon State you'd love to own. 

Also your name and email. Easy as pie!

Lots and lots of stock are being marked down on the site so get on it now! Entries close this Friday, 15th June at 11:59pm (just to be specific). P.S. brownie points for sharing this post on facebook/twitter/instagram/bake sales/street signs.. whatever you like, just let me know ;)

Hope you enjoyed the outfits as much as I did putting them together! 

Photography by Mim Kempson

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Let's meet: Halcyon State

via instagram (@nicoletj)

I met the lovely Leigh Gibson at Fashionopolis last month, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that she was behind the Melbourne-based online store Halcyon State. I had browsed their website prior to our initial meeting, and loved the varied range of Australian and New Zealand designers available. From Shakuhachi and House of Wilde, to Chip Chop! and Mad Love, Halcyon State brings you the glamourous, the quirky, and everything in between to suit your style and occasion. I pop her a few questions..

What do you look for when you're sourcing items for your store?

Halcyon State is about special pieces for your wardrobe so when I see new designer collections, it is important that every item has an x-factor. Who knows what that might be, but I am excited when every piece arrives because each one is uniquely special and appeals to different parts of my personality.

Are there any designers in particular you're loving at the moment?

If I don't love the designer, they don't appear in my store, but I have been wearing a Joveeba leather jacket, Totomoto Australia medallion and Estilo Emporio biker boots almost every day since they each arrived. Is that love? The current Tato and Memi collection is stunning with the mix of white silk/linen blend with gold tweed, Shakuhachi is amazing and Chip Chop! have easy fit pieces with just the right touch of quirk and playfulness.

What special services can your customers look forward to?

I often chat to customers before or after a purchase to confirm sizing  and fit prior to sending out parcels. Every purchase made from Halcyon State is enclosed in a silk drawstring bag (made by my mum or I! :) because I want your unwrapping experience to be special. Customers in Melbourne can call and arrange to visit the office to try pieces on too. The shop phone number is 0457 888 758.

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Please take my word that the silk drawstring bags made by Leigh and her mum are beautiful! In various prints and sizes according to your order, it is definitely a pretty personal touch that makes receiving your order all the more exciting! We also teamed up in a photoshoot and I can't wait to share my fave picks from the store - stay tuned and enjoy your long weekend x

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Gelato, anyone?

Mint knit; Ellery Textured Pants; Zara Heels; Rubi Beanie; DIY Friendship Bracelet

This outfit was honestly put together in a hurry, and as I walked out of the house I realised I might have looked like a delicious mix of peppermint choc chip gelato and berry sorbet. Strangely it grew on me. Found this mint knit at a garage sale and this gorgeously cute beanie with a pom pom top for only 5 bucks! I love anything textured so these Ellery pants jumped out at me at their Melbourne sample sale a month or two back. Green and pink are probably an unconventional colour mix but thought they worked pretty well, being in softer pastel shades. Oh! I also had a little friendship bracelet phase a couple weeks back (the repetition involved in making them was rather therapeutic) and am wearing one in a pastel coloured mix. 

Pleasantly surprised too when the top photo made its way to ASOS Fashion Finder's homepage earlier this week :) What do you think - what other gelato/sorbet-inspired outfit combinations would you come up with?

Photos by Thomas Lo

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Event: Trapped in the Zoo

So 'Trapped in a Zoo' was held as a fundraising party for the Seven Women Foundation - a not-for-profit organisation to help the marginalised and disabled women in Nepal. A silent toy auction was held on the night, on stuffed toys beautifully designed by various Melbourne creatives.

Seven Women Founder Stephanie Woollard and Creative Director Diya Pat

Adorable crocheted giraffe :)

Seven Women founder Stephanie Woollard, with designers Georgie and Hanna

Photography by Thomas Lo

Founder Stephanie Woollard briefly spoke about her involvement and trips to Nepal over the last ten years, which I personally found amazing and very inspiring indeed. Thanks for Diya and Seven Women for a beautiful night that brought together a great mix of people, from artists and designers to bloggers and photographers, to support a wonderful charity.

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