The Wearable Culotte

To think its been more than two months since I last blogged is ludicrous, after a long break I'm back to it with some looks that you would have seen if you are following FWTN on Instagram.

Culottes: Dorothy Perkins (Sale!) | Crop top: Asos | Blazer: Bardot (similar) | Shoes: Novo | Watch: Daniel Wellington

In the Spring Essentials series I mentioned my preference for culotte shorts, not only for the comfort-factor but also because they are easily integrated into a casual spring/summer wardrobe. That said, I had the nagging urge to experiment with the popular longer culotte, I found this light-weight style to be less intimidating to wear than their more structured counterparts. All-white is a strong look this season, and rest assured, after trying it a few times, its not as high-maintenance as it seems (napkins and waterproofing spray!). While relaxed-fit silhouettes have been big for a while, I found that balancing with a fitted crop and blazer was more flattering, also a heel is key, unfortunately this style has limited lengthening properties.

Photo Credit: Jude Newton (Facebook) (Instagram)

Happy shopping!

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Spring Essentials #2: Camisoles and Midi-Skirts

Nothing says Spring like a pop of colour, and for me, nothing works better than my favourite shade of royal blue. As a creature of habit, I usually gravitate towards monochrome or one-toned outfits. This blue is the exception; my friends and family have named it 'Eresha-blue' since it has made itself a permanent feature of my wardrobe. 

This camisole has been in my wardrobe for more than 3 years however has not dated in the slightest, while t-shirts are the more common casual-equivalent, theres no reason why this couldn't be paired with black/white jeans and slides for the daytime as well. This is the same rationale I use each time I buy a new camisole, safe to say my love for these strappy silk singlets won't wane any time soon...all the more reason to stock up and try a few other colours right? While this particular style and colour is no longer available, check out the other camisoles available this season from Bardot, this wouldn't be the first time I've mentioned the exceptional fit, quality and the reasonable price point.

While the floaty pleated midi skirts that have been huge as of late look exceptionally playful and girly, I have the nagging feeling that this trend just won't stand the test of time. Personally, I think the fitted midi in the pencil-silhoutte is an exceptionally flattering and versatile piece both in terms of season and occasion (can you say elongating!) Wear it with a thick boyfriend coat and ankle boots in the cooler months or a camisole and strappy heels for spring, no regrets with this one! This look fits the latter description, and since there was a pop of colour happening, I kept the rest tonal with white, grey and black.

Photography: Jude Newton (Facebook) (Instagram)

Camisole: Bardot (old season) (Other - Bardot)

Midi Skirt: Bardot (similar - Bardot)

Boyfriend Coat: Princess Polly

Shoes: Asos

Watch: Mimco

Pouch: Mimco

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Happy Shopping!

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End of Season Sales!

Trying to save for a handbag during end of season sales wasn't a good idea...my inbox is filled up daily with sales notifications. In a desperate I-can't-take-it-anymore moment, I thought I'd better share some of my favourites... because someone should have it...

Swarovski Boutique Chadstone - Up to 50% off

Esther Boutique

Sass & Bide

Gucci

Forward by Elyse Walker

Shop Bop

Jeanswest - 40% off

BNKR (The Fashion Bunker)

Green With Envy

Witchery - Up to 50% off

Shilla - Up to 70% off

Tony Bianco

The Iconic - Up to 50% off

Asos - Up to 70% off

Viktoria and Woods

Lola vs Harper - 70% off

Style Tread

Bardot
Seed

Enjoy!

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The Crop Continued...

My love for high quality, basic wardrobe staples is no secret; versatility and reliability are perhaps my two favourite words when it comes to investment pieces, however, when it comes to trendier purchases, these terms aren’t always applicable. This Zara cropped jumper has proven to be an exception to the rule...

Layered with a T-shirt for uni and now with a printed blouse for a dressier outing, the cropped-jumper trend gets two thumbs up from yours truly, and a whole lot of late nights spent scouring the internet for more (I think I need one in a pastel blue shade...restrain is a highly overrated commodity it seems).

Printed shirts are definitely starting to take over my wardrobe in favour of cotton basics, there's something a little bit more 'grown up' and polished about them, at the ripe old age of 21, I figure it's not a bad time to start building my collection.

Photo Credit: Jude Newton (Facebook) (Instagram)

Cropped Jumper (Zara - In store only)

Leopard Print Blouse (Bardot) (similar - Equipment) 

Jeans (Dr Denim)

Ankle Boots (Jo Mercer)

Bag (Alexander Wang)

Happy Shopping!

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Baby Boy...

1. Asos Heeled Sandals, 2. Bardot Crop Top (pre-order), 3. Bardot Singlet, 4. Lover Cropped Knit, 5. Coach Shoulder Bag

So I may have developed a little fixation on this hue (clinical obsession is an understatement here); as you can probably tell, I am diving head first into this season's pastel craze...

Images sourced via Pinterest

For more outfit inspiration check out FWTN on Pinterest.

Happy Shopping,

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Pastel...

Apologies for the lack of outfit posts lately, miserable weather and the never-ending mountain of uni work has made shooting impossible, however I am back with some more, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them!

One of my biggest downfalls, as far as style is concerned, is my tendency to stick to 'safe' and 'easy' trends; monochrome and black on black are the main offenders-in-question, and I bet I'm not the only one guilty of this. What better way to dip your toes into the world of colour than to give this season's pastel shades a go? These pastel colours are proving to be huge this year, being featured on every item of clothing for AW14 including tailored pants, jumpers and winter coats.

If wearing blush-toned pinks and powder blues seems uncomfortably girly to you, try incorporating them into a more 'grown up' silhouette. I chose a satin camisole for this, but a long sleeved shirt will also work. Avoid cotton T-shirts or long sleeved basic tops in these shades; wearing these could bring back memories of those awkward pre-teen years *cringe*.

Finally, I paired the with some coated jeans from...you'll never guess... Cotton On! I usually like to invest a bit in denim and pants as I seem to prefer these to skirts and dresses for most of the year, my favourites so far are by Lee, Neon Blonde and Bettina Liano. Denim-snob that I am, I normally wouldn't head towards cheaper options, however, Cotton On has really outdone themselves this year and I would highly recommend checking out their coated denim/leather-look range, it is right on the money in terms of style, fit and durability. A long-line white blazer to offset the blue was all that was needed to finish this off, and of course my new bag!

Photo credit: Jude Newton (Facebook) (Instagram)

Blazer: (Forever new - sold out) (similar J. Crew) (similar (Oracle - affordable)

Camisole (Bardot)

Coated Jeans (Cotton On)

Bag (Alexander Wang)

Necklace (Tiffany & Co.)

Shoes (Steve Madden - sold out) (similar Siren) (similar River Island)

Happy Shopping!

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Dressy leather

As promised, here is the dressier look featuring that favourite leather pencil skirt of mine, I hope you're not sick of hearing me rave about leather, if something works, make it work hard right?

Photo credit: Jude Newton (Facebook) (Instagram)

Leather Pencil skirt (Bardot- sold out) (similar Bardot) (similar Oasis)

Shirt (Cameo the Label - sold out) (similar Cameo the Label) (similar Equipment) (similar Equipment)

Shoes (Windsor Smith) (similar Therapy) 

Neck plate (Bardot - sold out) 

To say a long-sleeved white shirt is an essential, is a huge understatement. I bent this rule a little bit here and opted for a nude/blush toned chiffon shirt by Cameo the Label with an interesting double-layered cut; going for an ivory or cream shade would have also worked well to avoid looking too 'corporate'. You'll notice that the links to shirts are a bit on the pricey side, however, as shirts like these are the definition of a wardrobe staple, it's not worth wasting money on shirts that will just deteriorate after a few uses; Equipment and Cameo shirts have a stellar reputation for being not only exceptionally good quality, but also an exceptionally good fit. Teamed with my favourite Gillie heels from Windsor Smith and a neck plate from Bardot, this is definitely date-night-appropriate; swap the seductive heels for refined pumps and the neck plate for a simple chain and you might even be ready to meet the parents.

Happy shopping!
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Laser Cuts and Leather-on-Leather

I know what you’re thinking, since when do I hang out in graffitied alleyways that conveniently bring out the colour of my shoes? Well location-hunting in the Melbourne would not have been the same if I hadn’t checked out Hosier lane, if you haven’t been here before, it’s worth a trip, street art really doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves…

Photo credits to Jude Newton (Facebook) (Instagram)

Leather Skirt (similar) (similar) (similar)
Laser Cut Top (similar) (similar) (similar)

Leather Bralet - Sportsgirl

Shoes - Tony Bianco (on sale!)

This look is a bit edgier than my usual, prim-and-proper style of dressing, however, I’ll admit, trying out new ways to wear things I already have, is actually entertaining. It's no secret that I live in this Bardot leather skirt, I can proudly say that I have worn it countless times during the Spring and Summer and plan on wearing it just as frequently until it falls to pieces. For those of you that haven’t tried to incorporate a leather skirt into your wardrobe (either in a pencil or skater style), I can guarantee that this will be, by far, one of the most versatile pieces you’ll own. The pencil skirt shape has always been a favourite of mine; its high-waisted style has an elongating effect, which is fortunate for those, like me, who are a bit vertically challenged. Also, keep it at a modest length; this will keep it edgy rather than trashy.

The laser cut tank was also bought from Bardot; it is definitely one of my go-to stores for mid-range clothing options. The quality is above-average for the average price tag, also, their silk camisoles are DIVINE, I have to restrain myself from buying one every time I’m there. This laser cut tank could be worn with a plain singlet underneath or a bandeau top but I chose to layer it with a leather bralet from Sportsgirl to keep it interesting; another option is to wear a sheer cotton or transparent chiffon shirt (like this one by Ladakh) over the bralet if the tank is too grungy for you. Pair the mostly-monochrome look with a pair of interesting shoes and you're done, I’ve chosen heels here for the sake of styling but coloured flats would work well for a more laid-back look. Lastly, don't underestimate the transeasonality of this look, this was shot on a perfect 25 degree day however, adding stockings, ankle boots and a denim jacket would make this very autumn-appropriate.

Stay tuned for a dressier take on this look coming soon...

Happy Shopping!

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