Cheeky Crochet

Toby Heart Ginger crochet shorts | All About Eve crop tee | Jean-Michel Cazabat wedges | 10 Bells bag | Etsy and Tiffany bracelets

I am beyond glad that the weather is still warm and sunny at the moment. It means summer hasn't quite ended, so neither has my affinity for denim shorts. This cute little pair take denim cutoffs to a whole new level though. The crochet poses a perfect contrast to the distressed detailing, making these shorts effortlessly easy to style. Pair them with a floral printed top like me, a shirt or blouse to create a feminine look, or opt for a tee or tank if you're style is more relaxed. 

Cropped tops aren't for everybody, so here are some other tops I'd pair with these gorgeous bottoms. 

1. River Island

2. Cooper St

3. MUUI

4. Ezra

5. Ezra Basics

6. Atmos&Here

Winter Inspiration

Some of my favourite bloggers strutting their stuff...

Tips & Trends: Over the Knee Boots

Over the knee boots are one of the biggest trends this season, especially in suede. They've been seen adorning the feet of fashionistas around the globe and have been prominent on the AW14 runway too. 

                                          Donna Karen                                                                                               Topshop Unique

But are they worth investing in? Over the knee boots are quite expensive in comparison to ankle boots. They were on trend a few years ago and chances are they'll be back again in the future, so the good news is that if you choose to buy a pair you can always pull them out again periodically. 

For now they're not going anywhere though, but finding a pair that won't break the bank is a whole different story. Check out some of my favourites.

                        Gianvito Rossi                                                          Loriblu                                                            Stuart Weitzman

But woah, let's be honest, these won't be in my price range anytime soon!  Despite not having a spare $1,000 lying around, it's definitely not worth spending in excess of $500 on a trend-based item. However, in this case it's probably worth spending a decent amount still on OTK boots to avoid looking somewhat like a lady of the night. 

I love this pair from Siren Shoes ($259.95). The lace up detailing at the back is gorgeous plus they're the perfect heel height. 

Siren Shoes

If I was going to buy a pair, this would be my first pick. But here are some other options.

                River Island ($110.50)                                     Steve Madden ($193.35)                                    Tony Bianco ($349.95)

How to wear...

Pair your OTK boots with items like jeans, a knit jumper, a loose/flared dress, or a pleated/trumpet skirt. You can play around with how you style them, just be sure to avoid anything too tight fitting! 

                  They All Hate Us                                                  Wendy's Lookbook                                                  Song Of Style

Solace

Paint It Red Solace crop top and shorts | Forever New cardigan | Jessica Buurman sandals | Bag via The Iconic | Bracelet set (old) | Coach bangle | Samantha Wills necklace | Dogeared rings

I'm officially making the most of the last days of summer (well, summer weather anyway) in this Paint It Red twosie. The fabric is so soft and I don't think I could ever feel more comfortable in neon orange tweed!

Despite these pieces providing me with almost a complete outfit, I wanted to make it my own still. Given it was a little chilly, a lightweight cardigan was perfect to throw over the top. The neutral colour was then complimented by these cute boho inspired sandals and, sticking to neutrals, a tan crossbody bag to complete the look. However, no look is complete without jewellery, so I added a chunky set of bracelets that matched the colour scheme as well as some obligatory gold hardware. 

I love this set because I can mix and match it with a number of other items in my wardrobe. Given that tweed is more of a winter fabric, I can also wear these pieces with layers throughout the colder months. This is the first twinsie I have ever bought but my oh my Paint It Red designs the cutest sets and I've been tempted more than once to invest in another two-piece matching outfit. 

Get the look. Check out some of my other favourite matching two piece sets at the moment.

Beginning Boutique two piece sets

Tips & Trends: Plaid Skirts

I've seen a lot of plaid/tartan/checkered prints going around at the moment, mostly in the form of fitted, A-line or skater skirts. I love skirts, especially printed ones, but is this one worth your hard earned cash?

                                      A Pair & A Spare                                                                                                 Song Of Style

I feel like there is always a print of the season. This season happens to be plaid/tartan but remember when brocade/baroque was EVERYWHERE last season? Now, it's nowhere to be seen. These sorts of prints are all the rage at the time but once forgotten, they lose their high rotation status in one's wardrobe. 

If you love this trend and can either find one for a price that suits you or are willing to forgo a little more money for, then go for it. I personally will not be investing in this one though. I'm sure there will be something else that takes my fancy! But here are some options anyway.

                                                  Topshop                                                                                                 Karl Lagerfeld

                                                No. 21                                                                                                 Vivienne Westwood

My advice: If you love printed skirts like me, go for a print that you can continue to re-wear in the future such as a floral or graphic type print. Here are my picks.

By Johnny printed skirts

These are quite pricey though, as are the tartan ones above, but I discovered that Nasty Gal have great printed skirts that are similar and affordable! Here are my picks.

Nasty Gal skirts

Nailing It

Nail polish is something that I always select very carefully. I rarely walk into a nail salon and choose a colour on the spot. More often than not I bring my own from my ever growing nail polish collection at home. 

I've always had a soft spot for nail polish. I don't buy expensive brands normally but as I wandered through a maze of beauty products about a month ago at the airport in Dubai, I stumbled upon an array of lust worthy shades from Dior. I've never seen polish as beautiful as these before and I had to talk myself out of buying them because it would have been impossible to choose just one colour. The whole Dior Vernis range is like a visual cocktail of vibrant sparkle and shine and is currently at the top of my list of products to try. 

These are some of the shades that caught my eye.

'Dior Vernis' Nail Enamel

Neon Aztec

Sabo Skirt dress | Jean-Michel Cazabat wedges | Bracelets (old) | Dogeared rings

You really can't go wrong with a cute summery dress. It can sometimes be hard for me to find the perfect print and the perfect cut to flatter my body though. I love fit and flare dresses for a casual daytime look and this one from Sabo Skirt ticks all the boxes. I bought this dress towards the end of summer but I've already worn it to death. I particularly love the daisy trim detailing!

Cost per wear is a big thing for me. I prefer to buy items that I know I will wear over and over, can mix and match with other items, or can style in multiple ways. I love shopping from Sabo Skirt because their products are relatively cheap and I've never been disappointed with their quality. Even dresses like this can be restyled to create a completely different look. 

While the weather is still warm and balmy, I'd pair this dress with heels for a slightly more dressed up look, or alternatively I'd go with flats if I didn't want to wear heels or wedges. When it starts to get cooler, knit jumpers can be thrown over dresses like this or a denim jacket would look great on top too. Also, a cropped blazer is another way to pull off a more dressed up look. 

Pretty much anybody can wear a pretty little dress. Fit and flare might not be your style but there are plenty of other options out there with lots of prints to choose from. 

Get the look:

1. Keepsake    

2. Ezra          

3. Cloth

4. 1&20 Blackbirds   

Tips & Trends: Saving Money This Winter

I've been doing some thinking about my blog lately and I've decided to introduce some more informative and almost instructional type posts. As autumn/winter is fast approaching I thought it would be a good idea to crack some of the dos and don'ts when it comes to new season dressing. I was initially just going to cover everything in one post but as I thought more about it I realised it's actually very important and should be dealt with in much more detail. Hence, I'll be creating posts aimed at answering questions about trends, how to shop and save, which key items to invest in and lots of other things that are worth touching on.

So, first things first, spending saving money this winter:

This is probably the most important advice when it comes to fashion, especially in winter when items tend to be more expensive. This is because the items are made with better fabrics (knits, leather, etc) and you have to buy more of them (layers). The biggest mistake I usually make is impulse buying when I'm at the shops. There's nothing I love more than passing shop windows filled with new season stock, luring me into the store where those captivating 'new arrivals' racks call my name. I love flicking through everything, looking at all the pretty new things on offer, justifying to myself why I need almost every item. Ok maybe not every item, but this is a prime example of how impulse purchasing can occur. 

So what's the best way to save this winter? Online, my friend. Australia is on the other side of the world to almost every other fashion conscious country, so conveniently as their autumn/winter ends ours begins. Now is the best time to jump online and grab a bargain. I normally hit up stores like Asos, Shopbop, Revolve Clothing, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Nasty Gal. Or to make things easier for myself and to avoid wasting time searching sites, I  head to Polyvore or Shopstyle Australia. These sites let me search for specific items, locating them online so I can find what I'm looking for and compare prices. 

Here are some of the basic winter items you might buy this season. I've compared the prices found online to what you'd pay in Australia.

                                          Online - overseas                                                                                           Australia

                                   Asos skinny jeans ($63.38)                                                RES Denim skinny jeans via The Iconic ($119.95)

                 London Rebel ankle boots via Asos ($75.26)                                Tony Bianco boots via The Iconic ($189.95)

                         Miss Selfridge biker jacket ($96)                                                                   Bardot biker jacket ($159.95)

                                       Nasty Gal knit ($56.06)                                                  Don't Ask Amanda knit via General Pants ($79.95)

As you can see shopping online can have the potential to save you quite a lot of money. These are just some basic examples but by searching online and comparing prices, it's not too difficult to find some good deals. I hope this helps when it comes to saving some of your hard earned cash. Stay tuned for more tips and trends on the blog!