Winter Inspiration

I'll be travelling overseas next week to Spain and Germany for some diving competitions. I looked up the weather today and it's a chilly 2 degrees in Madrid and -7 degrees in Rostock! As much as I prefer the warmer months, there's always an upside to cold weather...layers. And layering means shopping! 

My plan of attack is to pack a few warm garments that I already have and hopefully snap up some winter bargains whilst in Madrid. Zara will probably be my go to, but shopping in Madrid is amazing and quite reasonably priced so who knows where I'll end up. The hardest part then will just be convincing my coach to let me go out. 

In the meantime there's plenty of winter inspiration going around from the other side of the world. Here are some of my favourite looks from my favourite bloggers:

Images via Wendy's Lookbook | Sincerely Jules | Song of Style | Lovely Pepa by Alexandra | Tuula 

Catara

Aje catara mini skirt | Sheike bustier peplum top | Siren heels | Forever New clutch | Jolie & Deen necklace

Meet my precious catara mini skirt by one of my favourite Australian labels Aje. I bought this skirt in ivory a few years ago so when it came out in black I just had to get my hands on it. These sequin beauties sell out so quickly though and initially they sold out of my size. Imagine my delight when I discovered they restocked it in black! That prized skirt was in my shopping cart quicker than you can say sequin. 

The catara mini will take you anywhere from an elegant dinner to a night out on the town (reputation intact). The designers at Aje aim for an aesthetic in which statement pieces are paired back with basic tops and tees to create effortless glamour, tough femininity and disheveled elegance. As I'm not much of tee girl, I prefer to go for a more super glam look and pair my sequinned treasure with a top of equal statement. 

Sheike hit the nail on the head with this fitted bustier. It's so detailed but seems sophisticated and simple at the same time. The belt is my favourite part of the top but I also love the gentle flared waist peplum too. This outfit goes to show that pairing two statement pieces together can work and it's also a great way to keep an all over sequin skirt classy. 

Spray Petal

Bec & Bridge tank | By Johnny skirt (similar here) | Zu heels | Coach gold bangle

I bought this top a while ago because I loved the colour and the sheer silk fabric but I just couldn't seem to find anything to wear it with. I didn't want to pair it with black on the bottom because I thought it would look too dull and take away from the pretty pop of pink on top. This left me with few other choices, so it hung in my wardrobe for a good month before this piece of petaled perfection arrived at my doorstep. 

By Johnny has to be one of my favourite designers. His mini skirts are to die for and the quality of his fabric is amazing. I love wearing patterned or statement skirts because they look great with basic tops such as a sheer cami or cropped top and they can often be dressed up or down. I also love how girly and feminine this pattern is and because it's almost stunning enough to wear on it's own, only a touch of subtle jewellery is needed to complete the look. 

Plaid and Simple

Cotton On shirt | Nasty Gal crop top | Supre shorts | Mollini boots | Burberry sunglasses | Oroton, Jolie & Deen and Dogeared jewellery

I'm loving plaid shirts at the moment. They're so easy to throw over an outfit to add a bit of colour, comfort and even conservativeness when it comes to crop tops. Denim shorts are also a summer favourite of mine. In between beach days and trips to the shops (mostly for groceries but who needs to know), I live in denim cutoffs and generally some form of a crop top. Most of the time I throw my plaid shirts over the top of an outfit but I've also seen many people wear them done up and tucked into their shorts or skirts, which also looks really good. I haven't worn boots much at all lately given the heat but I thought they would add a nice edge to this outfit. 

Summer Essentials

Yves Saint Laurent glossy stain rebel nude (104: Fuschia Tomboy) | Forever 21 cosmetic bag | Karen Walker bear and heart rings | Gold bangle via Neiman Marcus | Essie nail polish | Jimmy Choo nude leather bag | Miss Selfridge pink cami top | River Island denim shorts | Chanel makeup collection for Christmas 2013 | Urban Decay Naked3 eyeshadow | MARC by Marc Jacobs daisy and heart earrings | Marc Jacobs Daisy Hot Pink | Vans X Liberty London floral sneakers

Here's a visual snapshot of some of the things I wish I owned right now...