Life & Style Blog - Fashion
01 November 2012, by
Image sourced via theequinest.com.
A slightly finger-wagging tale by Rachael Ciccarelli.
Once upon a time, every stylist/ fashion buyer in Perth came to me; eyes black with rage, tearing their hair out and beating their chests, crying: “It’s Melbourne Cup day, and I’ve been invited to a thing, but I just hate racewear. It’s the WORST.” Nodding with eyes cast down and a sigh of resignation, I’d reply: “Big time. Racewear as it stands makes me want to kill everything in the world, even innocent, wide-eyed puppies. But it wasn’t always this way. Before orange spray tans and tiny bottles of champagne served with straws, before “fascinator” became a faster way to say “bit of netting with an ugly fake flower and some feathers”, and before double-sided tape became a point of structural integrity for most frocks, racewear was the epitome of daytime elegance. The rules were strict, and the ladies were clothed. And there was nary a cheap feather in sight.”
“Really?” they’d gasp, dizzy with glee at the thought.
“Yes. And while resurrecting looks from the 1940s might be a touch uncomfortable, there are slightly more modern inspirations to consider. And dresses to wear. And accessories to don, the combination of which will hopefully leave you looking less like you crawled directly from a tanning bed after a big night out.”
“Show me!” they cried, and so I waved my wand, et voila –
Images sourced from: The Skinny Stiletto.
Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) at the polo match in Pretty Woman. Yes – it’s polo, and yes, she plays a prostitute – but she STILL looks more race appropriate than most women I see stumbling around after Cup day. Note the fantastic preppy details – the belt, the gloves, the wide brimmed hat: an excellent one to inspire.
Image sources: Dress from Myer, Hat from Myer, Shoes from Ninewest.
This is a lighter take with more springy, feminine accent colour, sure – but the classic nipped in waist, clean print and brimmed hat are all there.
Image sources: Dress from Portmans, Hat from Sportsgirl, Shoes from Ninewest.
Taking the 50s silhouette once again, this is a sharper, monochrome take on the Vivian-is-totally-my-date-and-not-for-hire-oh-no-George-Costanza’s-going-to-find-out-and-say-something look.
Image sources: Dress from Cue, Earings from Sportsgirl, Shoes from Novo.
Here we’ve got a great, block coloured coral base for those who aren’t so into print –and the accent colour is introduced via accessories. Not too bad, eh? Note the lack of hat: while unusual, is totally acceptable… and much better than kowtowing to ugly headwear for the sake of it.
What do you think? Comment here
Category: Featured
Tags: Fashion, Myer, Portmans, Sportsgirl, Trends
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18 October 2012, by Rachael Ciccarelli
Image sources (L-R): Tom Selleck as Magnum P.I. from NorthWithTriona, Guys in retro shorts from Ipernity and Tobias Funke from Moves Like Jäger blog.
It’s a time feared by most men – a time when the gentlemen get a tiny glimpse into what it might feel like to a be a woman negotiating the often complex world of fashion: it is officially shorts weather, and gents? There’s nothing you can do about it but strip down and shorts up like a MAN.
Let’s be clear: I’m not talking about board shorts (although your time in them will come soon enough). They are rarely an acceptable form of outerwear, and believe me, if I see you wearing gigantic surf branded boardshorts with thongs and some garish t-shirt while you’re hanging out in the city I’m going to march right up to you and slap your hand. I’m talking about above the knee pants designed exclusively for out-of-water use. Men, I understand: your life is difficult. Shorts make you feel weird and you don’t like them. Can’t you just wear jeans all summer? Well, I guess you can, but you won’t be very comfortable. In an attempt to make your next few months less sweat-stained and to speak the solution-heavy language of MEN, here’s a problem/ solution chart for you to consult:
Problem: Shorts make me look like I’m 12 or something. Do I look like a kid in these?
Solution: OK, so years of private schooling have left you feeling like every pair of shorts you try on makes you look like a schoolkid. If you’re wearing lace up dress shoes with those shorts, stop it. Roll down your socks, weirdo – or better yet, go shorts shopping in boat shoes or moccasins – and try on a pair of shorts that doesn’t have a crease down the front. Try them on without a collared shirt. Is that better?
Problem: I feel like some jock named Chett with a trust fund who participates in weekend polo matches.
Solution: So the preppy look isn’t for you. Stay away from chinos, seersucker and anything with lines that are too tailored. Try denim instead, there’s a world of it out there (do not try Tobias Funke inspired cut-offs unless you are a never-nude. That ends well for nobody).
Problem: These shorts are too short, aren’t they? Or are they? I’M SCARED.
Solution: Look, while my general rule for fashion is to wear the cut you feel most comfortable in, shorts on men are generally at their best when they’re somewhere between 10-15cm above the knee to resting around the middle of the kneecap (anything below the kneecap and we are no longer friends), depending on your height and legs. Short shorts should be avoided unless you’re about to play rugby. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but those exceptions are usually really confident guys with no need for guidelines (see: P.I, Magnum).
Problem: This pair of shorts makes me look like my grandfather.
Solution: Hey, sonny Jim! The shorts you are wearing are too loose, too long and probably too beige. You should take off those socks with those sandals.
What do you think? Comment here
Category: Featured
Tags: Fashion, Trends
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12 October 2012, by Rachael Ciccarelli
Image sources (L-R): Anna Dello Russo photo from King of People, Leandra Medine from The Manrepeller and Garance Dore from cdn06.dayviews.com.
I’ve got a recipe for you: take one Vogue editor (Anna Dello Russo) add the reigning queen and princess of the blog-world (Garance Dore and Leandra Medine, Man Repeller), put them all in reflective sunglasses; add fashion weeks, in succession, across the world. Voila! You have a trend that will rule the beaches and sun-drenched café strips this summer: reflector sunglasses.
But it was bound to happen. Months ago, Garance blogged about her sudden lust for reflector glasses, musing that perhaps it was hours of obsessive Tour De France viewing that had wormed it’s way into her psyche causing a wanton desire for a look that had been discarded by everyone bar Cadel Evans since the 90s. But we all know better, because the rules for fashion of late might as well be “Hey, a look that’s been abandoned since 1991? By god, let’s wear that again!” And so, here we are – this Forrest Chase blogger looking at the fiftieth photo of Anna Dello Russo at fashion week in fantastic reflector sunglasses just before bed, subsequently dreaming about sunglasses/ going on a series of wacky, champagne fuelled adventures with ADR, and then resolving to buy mirrored glasses in the morning. Ladies and gentlemen: I give you fashion.
Naturally, I’ve done the scouring for you because I’m the best person you’ll ever not-really-know:
Image sources (clockwise from top): Coupe, $39.95 from Sportsgirl, Dolce and Gabbana glasses, $690 from Sunglass Hut and Oakley sunglasses, $159.95 from Sunglass Hut.
What do you think? Comment here
Category: Featured
Tags: Fashion, Trends
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05 October 2012, by Rachael Ciccarelli
Image sources: Jennifer Hawkins Cozi Bikinis from Myer.
For someone who spent her entire winter eating and moving between the couch and wine stash, I am inordinately excited about bikini season. Blame it on the luscious rays of sunlight, the promise of olive skin, or on the fact that a glut of summer tops this season are essentially bikinis, but I cannot WAIT to hit the shops and get myself a bikini or 20. (My excuse for wanting 20 bikinis, if you were wondering, is that changing them up blurs your tan lines). So now that it’s hot enough to hit the beach and visions of triangular tribal print swimwear is haunting my dreams, I bring you a guide to the best swimwear. In October. It might be a bit early, but if department stores can pimp tinsel and Christmas lights in September then I’m allowed to ponder swimwear before its officially summer. Anyway, enough chat, more beautifully patterned scraps of lycra!
Wild colourful prints, you say? Retro shapes, you say? Frills too? Sold! Look, while I don’t believe Jen Hawkins is particularly interesting trash magazine fodder (she has a sports-playing boyfriend and they’re healthy, happy and engaged? Zzzzzzzzzz – give me car crash Lindsay Lohan or a pregnant Kardashian girl any day) there’s no debating the woman knows her way around a bikini. And I don’t blame her – if I had a stomach that flat I’d wear swimwear 365 days in a row regardless of the weather. Jen’s label Cozi delivers on style, cut and quality every time: and the front frilly underwire bikini is no different. It’s flirty and fun, but also practical – those reinforced, wired cups are going to keep you upright and, for lack of a better term, fastened up. I’m also partial to her moulded balconette one piece, which employs the similarly effective scaffolding for your ladies and a bit of tummy coverage – not to mention the totally flattering zig-zagged pattern to draw the eye diagonally across your body. And lastly, for a little bit of scantily clad fun, you can’t really go past a leopard print sting bikini. It’s a touch of LA raunch subdued by colour, and is perfect for women with athletic body shapes – so the sliding triangle top doesn’t move, and your body doesn’t either.
What do you think? Comment here
Category: Featured
Tags: Fashion, Myer, Trends
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