Yesterday my housemate took me shopping to a recently renovated shopping complex not far from our flat. He came into the kitchen in shorts and thongs, I came in in a dress and strappy flats… he was confused as to why I was somewhat dressed up for our casual weekend shopping trip.

When we arrived the answer became abundantly clear to him: this renovation had take the complex to a whole new level. There were marble floors as far as the eye could see, funky furniture placed in sections within the corridors and lots and lots of beautiful people everywhere!

Our intention was to visit a friend working at SABA for some new shirts and pants, and then hit David Jones for some lingerie. I was also in search of the perfect present for a boyfriend, but we came up trumps on that one.

The standard of shops was very high, it was wonderful to see Mimco, Oroton, Guess etc. etc. and it was obviously working to attract the beautiful people. This is what I noticed about the girls at the complex:
- long impeccably coloured and styled hair: obviously well maintained to look natural and glossy, but not overdone
- Skinny jeans in a mid-blue colour, not stonewash, and not superdark, very ‘model off duty’ type clothes
- skinniness in general… certainly didn’t see any of these girls at the food court when I was scoping the sushi options, they obviously spend all their money on hair colouring!
- typical brands of purchase: Gripp, wrangler, Insight, Milk & honey, and anything kate moss would buy.

I was very impressed by what i saw, and I am anticipating many brunches/ people watching adventures in the future… Can’t wait to spot some forward-thinking fashion to share with everyone.

Hurrah!

(Pictures to come, sorry!)

Today is a dreary, dreary day on the New South North coast. I had a great morning, for some reason I was getting ego-boosts from everyone around and also enjoying some socialisation etc. etc. but as it is so horrible outside I was relieved to get home early. It is bucketing down and I am writing this from the warm and cozy confines of my cream-themed bed, whilst looking out over the balcony to see the grey day that is is outside.

It seemed like a nice day to be in bed watching DVDs so I messaged Wonderboy, but he is stuck in surgery all afternoon so instead I will be good and do some work (or alternatively, cruise the internet to find the perfect pair of jeans for my next shopping trip: are having 30% at the moment and they are a good quality product; or perving on Robert Pattinson).

Also, in other news, I am borrowing a friend’s dress for the Ball I have to attend next weekend, this means I get to splurge on new shoes and a fake tan, I can’t wait!

This cool, sunny Saturday morning, as I sipped my herbal tea and surfed the internet far and wide for inspiration, I found one of my favourite blogs which made me think hard about one of my favourite things in the world. The list of possibilities is short: family, friends, lovers, fine food, fine beverages, music, dancing and fashion. Today I have been contemplating fashion, or rather, an extension of fashion: Personal Style. Fashion is something you find in magazines, created by designers, copied by chain stores, worn by the masses. It may be an expensive habit, but fashion is easy to copy and wear, we are shown how to do it by the magazines, and we are also told where to buy it. Personal style is almost the opposite side of the spectrum. It is something that makes a person truly unique and defines them before they have said a word. It is usually something that is not copied, just comes naturally, and is completely different to anything anyone else is wearing. Of course, this may include designer or chain store clothes, but it is really all in the art of how every piece of clothing and accessory is put together, and then the attitude with which it is worn.

I can’t tell you whether or not I have personal style, I think that is something immediately judged by others at first glance, and certainly I get lazy fairly often and you will catch me blogging in trackies and thongs, but i will say this, my Mum thinks I have fabulous personal style, and I guess thats all that matters to me! Here are some of the things that inspire me when it comes to style (yep, there are a few cliches in there!):

- Sex and the City: possibly a little out-dated now, but the ideas are still there.

The girls from Sex and the City

- RUSSH magazine, Vogue Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle Magazine, Frankie Magazine, Nylon Magazine

- Melbourne, Sydney, Paris, New York

- <www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com> and <http://www.garancedore.fr/en/> truly unique and original people with an eye for style

Illustration by Garance Dore

Image of Sydney Harbour, from thesartorialist.blogspot.com

- Erin Wasson, Ashley Olsen, Kate Moss, Zoe Kravitz, Chloe Sevigny (the list is endless really…)

Erin Wasson: model, stylist, gorgeous personal style...

Kate Moss for TopShop

Chloe Sevigny

 What Inspires you?

The harder I work , the more I realise the importance of being able to relax/ switch off/ wind down/ chill out at the end of the day or week. Developing a good strategy to do this is really the only way to maintain sanity and general health. 

Here are a few things I like to do when the world begins to get on top of me, or as a prophylactic measure before everything falls apart…

1) Listen to cool music: I have to say I am regularly a fan of rock/ alternative, but I love to dance and sing along to classic pop songs. Recently I have discovered Ministry of Sound’s Chill Out Sessions really do live up to their name… some of my favourite ‘chill out’ artists include Morcheeba, Groove Armada and Planet Funk. I can even tune out and study with this type of music on because the lyrics are repetitive and not necessarily meaningful.

2) Green tea: it has know health benefits such as its high anti-oxidant content thought to fight against cancer, its stimulant effect which raises the metabolism and its diuretic effect which flushes the body of toxins. I think there is also a placebo effect which makes me feel instantly more healthy when I have a cup. Its a great substitute for coffee which can sometimes spike energy levels then leave you feeling flat.

3) Running: i’m no marathon runner by any stretch, but a good half-hour run along the beach or river is a great way to let go of stress, get the heart pumping and wake the brain up. I find exercise is also a good time to reflect, and do some life problem solving if necessary. 

4) Phone a friend: this one is very obvious, but having a good chat is a cathartic experience, if life is getting tough a friend may be able to shed some light on a situation, take your mind off it for a while, or just act as a supportive spring board for ideas. 

'Bengal Tiger Phone' - I couldn't resist!

I have to say, balance is a massive issue in my life, I’d like to think I live a fairly balanced life, but every week I drop at least one ball that I have to find a way to re-integrate into this juggling act. If anyone has any other suggestions like this, I am all ears!

I have to buy a ball gown for an upcoming event so I’ve been scouring net-a-porter.com for suitable inspiration. I am soooooo in LOVE with Vivienne Westwood, especially her Gold Label gowns. Marchesa is also a winner, with Christian Laboutin being the obvious choice of shoe designer for such an event. Here are my current picks:

Vivienne Westwood Gold Label wedding gown

Vivienne Westwood Gold Label gown

Harry Atwood patent leopard print heels

But if you crave some colour, here are a few more options:

ISSA silk jersey maxi dress

Alexander McQueen pink patent heels

It is nearly winter and time to start embracing those pre-winter warmers:

- Big colourful scarves that make you feel important

Ashley Olsen reigning the Olsen kingdom in her red scarf (its not huge, but its hot)

- Lily Allen- the girl has lost a tonne of weight, looks absolutely healthy and gorgeous and is so HOT right now.

- Hot beverages- whether it be the hot chocolate (+ snuggles in bed) or the giant long black to get you through the morning at work, yum!

Nicole Richie carrying a huge cup of coffee to accessorise her winter wardrobe

- Leopard print- I always get teased for liking leopard print because it can be a bit tacky (i can hear you cringing!) but it is coming back in a big way, even Scarlett Johansson is wearing it now, just make sure there is no fur-like texture involved!

- Boiled eggs with toast- totally filling and delicious, reminds me of my childhood

Boiled eggs with toast 'soldiers' YUM!

 No, we are not talking Victoria Beckham here, in fact, the less said about that, the better!!!! The blonde crop has been iconic since the 60’s, when everyone wanted to look like Twiggy (above left), a model famous for her hair and her twig-like legs. Mia farrow (above right) also sported the crop in horror film “Rosemary’s Baby”, at which point the crop was the ultimate stylish ‘do.

Then came the rock goddesses, such as Annie Lennox of The Eurythmics, and Marie Fredriksson of Roxette, who took to the stage with a slightly outlandish version of the blonde crop, showing audiences worldwide that women could rock an audience just as well as men could.

 These days its the cutting edge models such as Anja Rubik (below left) and Agyness Deyn (below right) who carry the torch for the blonde crop, pushing boundaries and not taking fashion too seriously. It helps that they have the amazing bone structure to pull it off!

Good morning! The air is crisp and there is not a cloud in the sky, the forecast for today is: Shopping (predicatble? definitely!). Today I will be in search of a mixture of biker-chic (as the Austrlian weather cools down), and demure, something a bit like the lovely Ashley Olsen. Who pulls of a sweet and innocent look, whilst decked out in her leathers. I know that many people despise the Olsen twins, but I am a twin myself, and have always felt an allegance with them, especially Ashley who pushes the fashion boundaries (but not so far as ‘Dumpster Chic’).

 I really like some things that Sportsgirl <sportgirl.com.au> have instore at the moment for recreating this look, such as the Leather Bomber Jacket ($299au). And if you are on a budget but like to stay in-style, Supre <supre.com.au> stock some great basic T-shirts, I especially like white ones with a deep V- or Scoop-neck.