On Wednesday's We Wear Pink

Alexander Wang bag | Asos heels | Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 camera | Pixie Market croptop | Red Valentino skirt | Dior lipstick | Miss Selfridge coat | Versace perfume

All things pink on this wonderful Wednesday! Pastel pink is the most perfect colour and my absolute favourite shade to wear at the moment. I wish I could throw everything pink on together all at once! I guess I'll just have to daydream about it in the meantime.

Tips & Trends: Leopard Print Bags

Diane Von Furstenberg | Dolce & Gabbana | Roberto Cavalli | Thalé Blanc

So leopard print bags are probably one of my favourite things at the moment, aside from anything pastel or floral printed. Above are some high end bags I've seen a lot of bloggers and celebs wearing. To be honest though, for how much they set you back financially, I'm not overly impressed. So, I've included some leopard prints bags at much cheaper prices below that I think are way nicer than any designer bags going around right now, plus they won't break the bank. 

As the monochrome trend is bigger than ever at the moment, leopard print bags are a great way to add some subtle colour and print into predominantly black outfits. It will give it the pop of colour it needs, but could also be worn with other colours too such as white, cream, brown and even brighter colours like orange too. 

Forever New | River Island | Foxlane Collective | Bowie

Style inspiration: Check out how these bloggers wear their leopard print bags.

I Love To Run

Nike Runners

As an athlete, there's nothing I obsess over more than runners. Cardio is one of my favourite types of exercise and even though I'm not a particularly good runner, I love running and doing circuits that mix cardio and strength exercises. I wear my runners for training everyday, so it's really important to me to have a good quality pair (that look good too of course). Nike is my favourite brand because their shoes last for ages and they come in awesome colours and styles. Above are my favourites, particular the bottom right pair. For the moment though, I'll have to be content with dreaming about new running shoes, although it does make sense to dedicate an entire post to them. Move aside heels...and make way for the terribly underrated and totally essential running shoe! 

Silver Details

Paige Denim jeans | Sheike bustier top | Kurt Geiger  heels | Forever New bag | Dogeared necklace | Dogeared bracelet | Dogeared rings

It's no secret that I love an accessory and thanks to Dogeared, I now have some super sweet silver jewellery to add the perfect detail to any outfit. I've been wearing a lot of gold lately, but this collaboration has helped renew my once undoubted allegiance to silver. This necklace is actually longer than it appears in these photos; it's supposed to drop down to sit somewhere on your stomach but I decided to wrap it around my neck instead to make it shorter. I love playing around with clothes and accessories and styling them in ways that are a bit different to normal. It's a fun and creative way to get more wear out of items, plus it also adds a nice personal touch!

My new accessories are the perfect complement to the silver zipper details in my outfit. Not only are these jeans amazing to look at, but they're ultra skinny (super slimming) and made from the softest, stretchiest, most comfortable denim. My heels have zips too! I bought them last year and they're still on high rotation. White heels give a feminine edge to just about any outfit. Combined with this blush bustier top, girly pieces like these balance out the masculinity of  black jeans. 

Get my look - blush/pale pink tops:

        Elizabeth and James                                 Topshop                                          Whistles                                   Finders Keepers

Diving

So I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was in Melbourne for an important diving competition. That competition happened to be 2014 World Cup and Commonwealth Games Trials. Obviously I'm an athlete and I don't tend to write much about the diving side of my life on my blog. This is because it's mainly a fashion blog but from now I'll probably start posting about all aspects of my life. As diving is the biggest part of my life, I wanted to upload some photos from trials. 

I compete in the 10 metre platform individual and synchronised events. I qualified for both World Cup and Commonwealth Games for both of my events, which is very exciting! World Cup will be in Shanghai in July and Commonwealth Games is in Glasgow this year in August (although the diving will be held in Edinburgh) . This will be my 3rd Commonwealth Games! Gee I feel old, even though I'm only 22 this year. Anyway, here are some pics from the competition, the team announcement and also some promo shots I did for Channel 10 that will be used closer to the Games. 

Tips & Trends: How To Nail Stripes

Stripes are literally the easiest thing you could ever wear. They go with almost everything and they will never, ever, ever, ever go out of fashion...EVER. It's not hard to wear stripes. The hardest part is more likely trying to find your size (why does striped clothing always sell out so fast!). So instead of showing you how to wear stripes, here's a little compilation of some of my favourites for some autumn inspiration.

              Lovely Pepa                                Walk In Wonderland                       Peace Love Shea                                 Sincerely Jules

Nasty Gal

The Iconic

Tips & Trends: Well Balanced

I'm loving that comfort has been propelled to the forefront of fashion this season. Flats are bigger than ever at the moment and sneakers are my favourite. While I love Nikes for training and exercising, New Balance has my heart when it comes to casual chic. I do love my heels but as I get older (and go out less and less) I don't mind ditching them every now and then in favour of shoes that agree with my feet. Plus they come in every colour of the rainbow!

These are some of my favs.

Hype DC

How to wear your NBs this season: 

With anything and everything; namely jeans, pants, dresses or skirts. If you're worried about wearing these without looking like you've tried too hard, or just not sure how to incorporate them into an outfit, start by colour matching. This is actually quite simple. The key is to choose a colour (such as blue, pink or orange) from your sneakers and match it to something else in your outfit. This could be a blue scarf, an orange bag or pink nail polish for example. But the most important thing is to embrace the fact that flats are in, so everybody can look good while feeling comfortable. Sneakers are fun and who doesn't love neon, so the good news is that these sneakers could potentially clash with anything and still look great. 

Get the look: these bloggers show us how to kill it in kicks.

Little Striped Dress

Bec & Bridge dress | Siren heels | Forever New clutch (similar here) | Samantha Wills bracelet | Forever New earrings

Move over little black dress, the little striped dress has taken over. One can never own too many stripes and I'm discovering this more and more as my stripe collection expands. Until recently, it only included tees but this cute skater style dress was definitely a much needed addition. Stripes are massive this season and they're a great way to rock the monochrome trend. The best thing about a striped dress is its versatility and the fact that it can be worn day or night. I've worn this dress so many times since I bought it and it's safe to say this is one of my favourite purchases. 

Moral of the story:  1. You can't go wrong with stripes. 
                                 2. Buy a little striped dress and wear it to your heart's content.  

Get my look:

Asos dresses

H&M

Yesterday I got the chance to head to H&M for a spot of shopping. The weather was pretty yucky so I was hoping the queue to get in wouldn't be too long. Luckily it only took about ten minutes of waiting in line before I took my first steps into what seemed like every girl's paradise. 

In my opinion, H&M has so much appeal because of the space they've chosen to set up in. The GPO building is an amazing location but even more appealing is the impeccable visual merchandising inside. This is the first shop I've seen that looks like an interior designer has swept through the building and worked their magic. I could try and explain it, but instead I'll let some of these photos I took do the talking. My favourite thing about the shop (other than the incredibly cheap prices) was the set of mannequins at the front. Taking a photo with them was obligatory as they're the first thing you see when you walk in and the thing you remember most when you walk out. Lighting was also one of the store's key features. Bright lights set the mood and make it much easier to peruse items. The array of mirrors everywhere was another bonus for me as I managed to avoid the massive queue for the change rooms. 

All in all, H&M Melbourne lives up to the hype surrounding it. Despite wanting to go more for the experience and to snap some great pics, I managed to pick up a pair of ankle strap boots for just $50. There's a huge variety of clothes and accessories at prices for every girl and, although I've always been much more of a Topshop and Zara girl, the opening of H&M in Australia has evidently been enough to convert me! 

Free People jacket (old) | Zara top | AG Adriano Goldschmied jeans | Forever New bag

MBFWA Outfit Inspiration

MBFWA is here and there's nothing I love more than checking out Sydney's amazing streetstyle. Constantly seeing photos of Fashion Week in my Instagram feed makes me wish I could be there though. Truth of the matter is, the only way I'll experience Fashion Week is vicariously through Instagram. So here's some outfit inspiration I've prepared in the meantime. If I was going to Fashion Week, these are the sorts of outfits I'd like to wear and how I'd incorporate some of my favourite trends at the moment. 

MBFWA LOOK #1 - Lace + print clashing

My first look includes a lace hem cami, which is a great way to dress up a simple black top. Lace detailing is always a good idea and this season's trends dictate that wearing lace trim tops outside of the bedroom is a-ok. I've also clashed this monochrome printed skirt with the leopard print in the heels. I then took the signature red sole of the Louboutins and matched it to the crossbody bag and perfume too. Gold tones complete the look with the addition of a dainty necklace and an ornate bangle. 

Wildfox Couture sunglasses | Topshop cami | Vanessa Mooney necklace | Kate Spade New York bag | Tiffany bracelet | Chanel cream | Dior mascara | Marc Jacobs perfume | Fausto Puglisi skirt | Christian Louboutin pumps

MBFWA LOOK #2 - Cool blues

One of my favourite trends at the moment is the colour blue. I really love this soft blue and as you can see there are a number of ways to incorporate it into an outfit. Pleats are cute and feminine and this pleated cropped top goes perfectly with a high waisted skirt or would be great with high wasted jeans too. Stripes are a timeless staple, so why not add a striped denim skirt to the look? As this style is quite casual and relaxed, the sneakers are an ideal match, again adding blue tones to the outfit. To tie it all together I've included a black floppy hat and a fun pineapple bag, which add different shapes and textures to keep the look easygoing and interesting. 

Finesse earrings | Lipsy necklace | Alexander Wang top | Miss Selfridge hat | Vince Camuto watch | Charlotte Olympia bag | Versace perfume | Alice + Olivia skirt | New Balance sneakers

MBFWA LOOK #3 - Brights + lasercut booties

I love this ultra feminine outfit so much. I'm a real girly girl so bright colours and floral prints are where it's at for me. These love heart lasercut booties are adorable too and complete the girlish look. Pink and blue hues are really popular at the moment so this mix of colour is the perfect way to brighten up an Autumn day. 

Topshop crop top | gold necklace | Marc by Marc Jacobs ring | MICHAEL Michael Kors bag | Chanel eyeshadow | Revlon lipstick | Giorgio Armani mascara | Peter Pilotto skirt | Alice + Olivia booties | Dior perfume

MBFWA LOOK #4 - Pale pinks

Here's another overly feminine look, this time using pale pinks instead of brights. Blush hues are everywhere at the moment, so styling with soft colours is a great way to stay on trend. I've always loved pastels so this is my ideal kind of casual outfit. Pale pink is an easy way to incorporate colour into an everyday look without it looking too over the top. Hello girl power!(Insert winky face and blow kiss while striking ubercute pose). 

Marc Jacobs earrings | Afends cropped tee | Coach key ring | Essie nail polish | Nars eyeliner | Nars lipgloss | Nasty Gal booties | Topshop skort | leather cuff | Moschino pouch

Oldies But Goodies

 Paint It Red cropped tee (old) | Three of Something skirt (old) | Jessica Buurman sandals | Forever New crossbody bag (old) | Jolie & Deen necklace | Etsy and Jolie & Deen bracelets | Dogeared rings

Today's look is composed of mostly old clothing from either last season or many seasons ago. The main idea here is that even though we're driven by magazines, social media and online shopping sites to continue to purchase new items all the time, there's nothing wrong with old stuff too. 

These are a few of my favourite 'oldies but goodies' and items that I will continue to love for a very long time. I particularly love this ikat printed skirt from Three of Something. Although ikat isn't overly big at the moment, printed skirts will never go out of fashion and hey, this is a (pretty awesome) printed skirt. 

The crux of what I'm saying here is to feel confident and comfortable with yourself and let what you wear be a reflection of that. Don't let people tell you how to dress or the sort of person you should be. Wear whatever you want and be whoever you want to be. Old clothes can be just as amazing as new clothes!

H&M Opens In Melbourne

Swedish fashion giant H&M opened its very first store on Australian shores two days ago! The major international fashion chain follows in the footsteps of Zara and Topshop and the hype surrounding its opening is even bigger than that of its predecessors. H&M has taken over the entire GPO building in Melbourne. That's 5,000 square metres and three levels dedicated to men's, women's and children's fashion alone! Oh and it also has a homewares section!

On the day of its opening, eager shoppers had camped overnight and some had arrived at the crack of dawn to be amongst the first to set foot inside. Over 3,000 people queued on Friday morning to shop at H&M!

As luck has it, I'm currently in Melbourne for a very important diving competition. We finish on Thursday afternoon but don't fly back to Sydney until Friday morning. So guess where I'll be heading to afterwards?! I'm hoping the queue for H&M won't be too long, but I'm not going to lie, I don't mind having to wait if there's going to be some quality shopping at the end of the rainbow. I'm fairly confident H&M will deliver but I'll be happy just to get a look at Australia's newest fashion palace. Apparently H&M is set to open up a Sydney store by the end of the month, but I doubt it will be as amazing as Melbourne's. Fingers crossed it's not too busy on Thursday!

The massive queue for H&M at the opening on Friday

Images via Herald Sun & The Age