Work to weekend: navy skinny zip jeans

One of the (many) great things about my job is the freedom I have in respect of my working wardrobe.  I moved out of corporate law nearly 7 years ago and left the strict world of black and navy trouser and skirt suits behind.  It sounds somewhat superficial, but one of the things I found trickiest in the transition was how to dress for my new role.  Given my interest in fashion and clothes generally, I felt a bit adrift.

Obviously, I've been in the role for long enough now to feel I have well and truly cracked how 'my' working wardrobe needs to be put together.  I dress according to the occasion, rather than taking my cue from a formal office dress code. This enables me to draw in elements of my personal/individual sartorial taste, while still respecting the reality that how I dress while I'm at work affects how I am perceived by others: clients, commercial partners, subordinates. 

Looking over my blog, it's clear (I think) that, while I adore a well-cut dress, I tend to rely more heavily on trousers at work.  I favour a slender silhouette with slim-cut pants, paired with a more loosely-cut top and a jacket to pull it all together, temperature permitting of course :) 

Following my wardrobe edit and review (a full post is coming, I promise) I am finding it incredibly easy to dress in the mornings because I can see everything.  On Friday, I pulled out navy skinny zip jeans from Country Road. I haven't worn them in a while, probably because I've been enjoying my JBrand 811s, but with the weather being so hot lately, I thought a light thin cotton jean would be more comfortable:

Top: LK Bennett
Jeans: Country Road
Jacket: L'Agence
Heels: Bally
Bag: Chloe

This is a new top by LK Bennett, which I am kind of obsessed with. The UK brand just seems to make chic separates that work seamlessly with a lot of what I already own, sadly not something I can say about Australian contemporary brands. I chose the gorgeous cornflower blue jacket to add a formal element, given that I had a number of meetings to get through during the day.

I decided I loved wearing these jeans again so much that I put them together with a classic white halter top by Saba for Saturday lunch:

Top: Saba
Jeans: Country Road
Flats: Nine West
Bag: Prada

The bight blue leather on this bag makes it perfect for summer weekends. Plus, it's a hobo and we all know how much I like those for weekends and throwing lots of stuff in :) xo

Hot summer weekends

The G20 came and went over the weekend. M was working of course round the clock effectively, so I was pretty much on my own. I did some chores (including a MAJOR wardrobe edit and reorganise, the fruits of which will get their very own blog post) but mostly I stayed indoors. When I did venture out for groceries or to walk the fat dog, I opted for a blue and yellow palette with comfort being the main focus:

Top: Target
Pants: David Lawrence
Flats: Nine West
Bag: Prada

I can't believe I'm off to Chicago in two weeks - it is so hard to think about packing for snow when you're sweating in air-con...

I'm planning a dinner party and I'm so excited...

Surely one of the best things about being an adult is inviting people over, getting dressed up, cooking up a storm and generally creating a small social slice of heaven in your very own home.

M and I don't entertain or socialise often.  We work long hours in demanding jobs - I know, wah wah, poor us - but the fact remains, despite living in a beautiful apartment less than 2 minutes from the centre of the city and with ready access to bars and eateries for something out and great local produce for something at home, we are actually quite reclusive.  As a life-strategy, it has its benefits: without the guilty joys of Friday night take away and couch time, we might never have made our coffee table:

That's right children, stay home a lot and you too could one day make magnificence like this happen...

Just occasionally, however, I get a real hankering to cook up a storm and have someone other than M (or my mum) say "Mmmmm, that was delicious!" **

So in a fit of pre-Christmas joie de vivre, I wrote out invites, addressed, stamped and sent them. So guests will definitely be coming and now I simply have to make it work. Feeling the fear and doing it anyway, no?

I really love to cook. There are so many things in my life I can't control, yet cooking always seems to work out exactly the way it's supposed to. It's very therapeutic - I know some senior execs who run marathons to relax after a busy week. Me, I take pictures like this:

French-style classic tarragon roast chicken 

And make this happen:

Mmmmmmm....

I don't have a full menu planned for our dinner party yet. It's set for the weekend after I come back from Chicago, so that's going to be a fun week to prepare for including jet lag and catching up on work *sigh* It will absolutely be worth it though: dressing up, catching up with our beautiful beautiful friends, sharing great food and great wine and celebrating the end of another year.

Happy Monday everyone :) xo

**Having your partner say your cooking is great is really nice, no question, but it's also a bit like your mum telling you you're great at singing and going to audition on X factor - your mum's opinion just might not be totally objective, know what I'm saying?

Looks I loved from Spring Racing 2014

I would absolutely love to do the full Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne one year*. Racing is such a fun occasion to dress up, have a great time and enjoy all the frivolity.

I find most people dress badly for races, be they celebrities or the ordinary punters.  Somehow, "racewear" has gradually become synonymous with "clubwear" and I have absolutely no idea why.

But some ladies still manage to do it really well and the sight of a well-dressed racegoer is something that just makes my heart feel lighter *sigh*

1. Jodi Anasta @ Derby Day

Wearing Maticevski and Ann Shoebridge Daily Mail

2. Anna Heinrich @ Melbourne Cup

Wearing Alex Perry and Viktoria Novak Instagram @annaheinrich1

3. Divine Rebecca Judd @ Melbourne Cup

Wearing Dolce & Gabbana and Hatmaker Australia  Instagram @becjudd

4. Rachael Finch @ Melbourne Cup

No idea whose dress but it's all working for her ;) News.com.au

Of course there were also some absolute shockers, but I think Gabi Grecko takes the cake - click the link if you must, but don't blame me if your eyes bleed...

*Self: Make Spring Racing Carnival a priority one year soon! 

Things I'm looking forward to: November

I thought I would start a monthly series of things I have coming up in the month that I'm looking forward to - obviously this will be a test-run before the fiesta of Christmas good times :)

1. Mini golf Hen's night!

A lovely lovely friend from work has organised another lovely friend from work's hen's function this Saturday. We're playing mini golf and then heading into Cloudland for nibbles and drinks.  I'm thinking of wearing this old favourite:

Dress: Tara Jarmon
Sandals: Nine West

I love the cut and colour of this dress - italways looks so chic and the colour is so bright and cheerful! I'm planning at this stage on pairing it with my Nine West tan stack heel sandals, as I think they will be more comfortable for mini golf compared to stilettos.

2. Chicago work trip

I'm going to Chicago for a conference on 29 November and will be back by 8 December, so I think this can definitely go in November's edition.  I've been researching Chicago eateries and in particular watching Man Finds Food - they did a Chicago episode which looked AMAZING!

I've also been researching Chicago weather and officially, I'm terrified - I still need to find a pair of boots! I do have a fabulous shearling coat though:

LK Bennett Fabia Coat

3. Cleaning out my wardrobe

I know it's nerdy and probably completely boring, but I love an organised closet.  On the weekend, I got to organise my fridge and I cannot wait to achieve the same perfection in my beautiful wardrobe :)


4. M coming back from Victoria

M has been away in Victoria for over a week and I really miss him - as soon-to-be newlyweds that's probably an excellent sign!!

December's edition will probably have a big focus on Christmas parties, presents and my birthday celebrations :) xo

Silver-blue Saturdays with Narciso Rodriguez

After my morning pilates class, (see, I'm still doing it - nyah!) I had to go shopping in town today so I thought I would a pair of classic nude patent Louboutin slingbacks to a quite casual outfit for a bit of a lift:

Top: Vivienne Westwood Anglomania
Pants: David Lawrence
Shoes: Louboutin
Bag: Chloe

 I love these pants, especially the colour, it's so crisp and cool for warm weather, but they're just starting to look a tiny bit big on me - sad face!! I'm going to keep washing them and drying them in the hope that they shrink a little bit!

One of the things I wanted to do in town was try a new fragrance.  I tend to divide scents into three categories:

Work

Weekend

Romance

I don't strictly apply them to these functions - sometimes I will wear a more traditionally evening/date night perfume for weekend brunch, or bring something from the weekend into work - it's just that it's definitely more usual for me to wear my clean understated white florals for work and softer florals/woods/orientals for weekends when fragrance can be more of a feature.

And Romance...ah, Romance, you coy creature. I once achieved perfection in my Romance fragrance - Prada L'Eau Ambree - so naturally, the gods decided to poop on my head and the fragrance was discontinued.  I have been looking for a replacement fragrance ever since, with no success. I mean, I can slide in Chanel Allure EDT when all else fails but it's a poor cousin at best. It always smells like the fragrance of a much more preppy, simple, sweet girl than I am.

To my way of thinking, Romance fragrances can't be simple.  They need to present with layers: a knock-your-socks-off opening combo that hints at the deeper complex notes to come, something that immediately catches your eye and keeps you interested. 

Sadly, far too many fragrances are 3-note wonders and there's nothing intriguing about them. And amongst the complex, stunning fragrances out there, to date none of them made me think sex. Now, I'm not being crude: it is simply the case that fragrance plays a role in seduction, seduction being a beast that changes as we change.  You cannot, as a 30-something professional seduce your 40-something fiancé whilst wearing Tommy Girl - it's weird and oddly-juxtaposed - and don't try to suggest otherwise.

I tend to read Now Smell This for fragrance reviews. I don't read reviews to tell me what I will or won't like, taste in fragrances is after all extremely subjective.  I don't have any real knowledge of 'notes' or fragrance families or any of that, I defer in that regard to the experts.  However, I do find that NST tends to pick out 'good quality' fragrances from the vast array of commercial sugar water for sale out there. 

Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez got a great review as a 'clever' scent, so I thought I would give it a try. For Her by NR is one of those musk-heavy scents that I've always admired on other people whilst being entirely unable to wear with any credibility myself. I was eager to see whether the latest offering from the designer would be something I could pull off - could it be my long awaited Romance fragrance?

Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez - 50ml

Obviously, a bottle came home with me from Myers! I have to say, it is a very interesting and intriguing fragrance and I think it is going to become one of my new favourites. It's not as 'seductive' as I perhaps would have liked (L'Eau Ambree, I miss you so) but it's definitely getting closer to what I'm after.  It also feels very transitional. I feel I could quite comfortably wear it on weekends as well as on dates.  

Superficially, I am LOVING the bottle, no?

If you're in the market for a new perfume, I would definitely recommend trying this. It doesn't fit neatly into any category so if you're not a floral person and you read that it has rose notes, don't let that put you off. It's something you need to wear on your skin to truly see if you like it.

October Beauty Buys

I've been reading bridal magazines (not loads, just Vogue Bride and Bazaar Bride - it's really my only legitimate time to read these mags so I thought I might as well splurge). The beauty sections tend to include a 'countdown to the big day' piece and they all seem to start at around 6 months. So I figured with the wedding in May, my time starts now!

I'm a big fan of SKII. I don't use it all the time, but maybe once a year or so I will splurge. In anticipation of our nuptials, I thought now would be as good a time as any to pick some up while I was in town to replenish my make-up collection anyway:

SKII Facial Treatment Essence
SKII Clear Lotion
SKII Facial Treatment Mask
Lancome Hydrazen Day Cream
Giorgio Armani Maestro foundation and loose powder

I bought the Clear Lotion and the Facial Treatment Essence.  I tend to use the products on my face, décolletage and my arms - probably linked to my redhead genes, but I've always suffered from keratin plugs on my upper arms which make my skin look quite blotchy. Since I'm wearing a strapless dress for the wedding, I want to get an early start on treating this problem area and clearing it up. In addition to a gentle exfoliation every couple of days, I will be applying the Clear Lotion and allowing to sink in before adding my usual Nivea body moisturiser.  My décolletage similarly just needs to look clear and pale - no blotches or sun damage marks allowed! I'm applying 30+ SPF every day to make absolutely sure I don't get any redness or blotches, and otherwise using the Clear Lotion every morning before I moisturise.

Lucky me, I also received a gift with purchase: a Facial Treatment mask.  I really like these masks and will definitely use them in the week before the wedding. I find they make me skin feel incredibly smooth and very clear/glowing.

I also picked up some Lancome Hydra Zen Day Cream, which is my regular moisturiser and received some additional serum samples - I don't usually say yes to samples, I find they usually just clutter up my bathroom but I thought on this occasion I would be willing to try just about anything to see if I go from being me to being Rosie Huntington-Whitely...I'll keep you posted ;)