Geometric

Top via Runway Scout | By Johnny skirt | Tony Bianco heels | Mimco clutch | Forever New necklace | Samantha Wills bracelet

This skirt is definitely a favourite from last year. By Johnny makes the most amazing printed mini skirts and this one ticks all the boxes when it comes to geometric patterns. I love the simple yet colourful print of this skirt. It's incredibly easy to style and you'll be surprised how many things go with it. I've styled it here in a simple, elegant way for a classy night time look, but pairing it with colours can make the outfit more fun and vibrant too. Get creative with colourful prints. Try adding in other colours, textures or cuts (like I've done with this crop top) to keep the look interesting. 

Get my look: Cool cut crop tops and graphic print mini skirts.

                    River Island                                          AQ/AQ                                         By Johnny                                    Indikah

By Johnny skirts

Split Back Sweater

BB Dakota sweater (similar here) | Motel skirt (similar here) | Jessica Buurman sandals | 10 Bells bag | Dogeared necklace | Zara bracelet

The cold weather has finally started to set in and there's just something about pulling on a cosy knit that's deeply comforting. I love sweaters because they can be thrown on with anything from shorts and jeans to skirts and dresses. A good quality knit is always a good idea in winter. Apart from being available in a variety of different colours, I never noticed much variation in them though until I clapped eyes on this amazing split back one. As Fat Amy from Pitch Perfect would say, "Reserved at the front, but...party in the back!" I've paired it with a cute little skirt and sandals for a relaxed transeasonal look. 

Get my look:

                Guess                                         Noisy May                                                Wish                                                 Ladakh    

                       Cloth                                            Angel Biba                                   New Look                                     House of Cannon

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.

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

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!

Printed

Forever New dress (similar here and here) | Giuseppe Zanotti heels (similar here) | Forever New bag | Coach bangle | Dogeared rings

As you've seen, most of my looks tend to be either casual or dressed up. I don't work (as I'm a full time athlete and study part time), so I don't own many clothes that could be considered 'work attire'. But if I did, this is probably along the lines of how I'd dress. Forever New have some great dresses at the moment in prints similar to this one that are perfect if you're trying to steer away from black in your work wardrobe. They're relaxed and colourful, yet still professional for the workplace. Just be sure to wear simple accessories so you don't overdo it! 

Dresses like this are also perfect for daytime occasions that require getting more dressed up than usual. I wore this to a baptism and also to an event where I was a guest speaker. You can't really go wrong with a nice printed dress. While black is great and works for most of us, there is nothing wrong with injecting a bit of colour every now and then to keep things bright and interesting.

Get my look:

Forever New printed dresses

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

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

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