The Multi Season Blouse

One item that is heavily rotated in my wardrobe is the button up shirt. It’s a versatile little number that can be worn to work or worn casually on the weekends with good old denim. Is anyone else a little obsessed with the blouse this season? Whether you are Northern or Southern hemisphere, season doesn’t matter! It’s currently winter in Sydney, so trying to find different ways to style this piece. It’s not bitterly cold, so a great way to style is with a concealed layer underneath and a nice tailored coat. Try adding a pair of mom jeans and a good pair of kicks. It will give you an effortless weekend feel. Another variation is layered with a sweater over the top. Always love rolling the cuffs  over the jumper with a statement watch underneath. 

Today’s look was shot over in Barcelona, where we experienced some rather warm weather. Although my Third Form blouse is a super soft (yet heavy) linen, it was still breathable in the Spanish heat. I decided to unbutton and pull over my shoulders and add a statement choker. There’s something so good about baring tanned shoulders on holidays. Jeans were out of the question (too hot sorry) so a pair of frayed hem shorts and a leg show were inevitable. It was such a shame about the lack of good sandals before leaving on my trip. I should have thought about this more beforehand! Saying that, my new Senso boots paired back well with my bag so it was all good! 

Shop the look:

Chikara Shirt: Third Form or Open Shoulder Blouse from Helmut Lang or Sundry

Raw Hem Shorts: Frame Denim or Rag & Bone

Gold Minimalsit Choker: Holly Ryan or Madewell Circle Statement Necklace or Alexis Bittar

Vessie II Boots: Senso or similar here

Chloe Faye: Net-A-Porter

Baby Audrey Sunglasses: Celine or Demi Sunglasses from Tory Burch

Photo credit to my love, Chris

Grey's Okay

Black and white - my go to colours. I have always loved a contrasting palette and it generally means less of a headache choosing outfits in the mornings. I’m sure Coco Chanel delved into other muted tones to mix things up on the days she felt that black wasn’t going to cut it. The one thing I find hard in Sydney is wearing all black on a really hot day. I commend minimal folk who can master this art form. Unfortunately that kind of behaviour I can’t commit to, so you’ll find me hiding in the nearest air conditioned spot, with breathable fabrics and lighter tones. 

I need to invest in more grey staples. It’s very transeasonal, and although my instincts distinguish it as a winter tone, it surprisingly looks just as good in the warmer months. White or black accessories work well, with gold or silver jewellery making styling decisions hard. Culottes are a great alternative to full length pants this time of year and hands down, I’m a sucker for a wide leg. I rarely wear this style with flats, but Greek sandals were my go to. Especially with the heat cranking up for another scorcher of a week in Sydney. Where are you Autumn? Desperate for colder days, I’m just not used to summers longer than three weeks! 

Stripes - one of the very few patterns in my closet, but definitely not to be overlooked. I’m not really into belief that horizontal stripes are unflattering, and think if you taper a striped top in at the waist, it can actually be quite the contrary. I’ve also decided to style the shirt off the shoulder due to the heat, because lets face it; who actually enjoys wearing a button up collar in the middle of summer. It adds a touch of sexiness into a look that could be perceived quite corporate. Relaxed options are always welcomed. 

Shop the look:

POL Shirt: SHOP HERE or SIMILAR HERE

POL Culottes: SHOP HERE or SIMILAR HERE

Zaliah Sandals: SHOP HERE or SIMILAR HERE

Saint Laurent Bag: SHOP SIMILAR HERE

Photo credit to Laurie Young from The Rue Collective blog

Black & White Alternative

It’s been a while since wearing grey, so thought I would give it some love this week. It’s a nice alternative to monochrome, and fits well with the crazy weather that Sydney has been experiencing  this week. It's currently 10 degrees colder than this weekend which means I have reverted back to knits. Although the thicker threads are my favourite kind, I have actually started to enjoy styling spring looks. Todays combo is a good transeasonal style. This Boohoo.com two-piece is a great look for those “what’s the weather up to?” kind of days, and you can layer it if the storms roll in. The bell bottom flares are also on trend for this season, and make a good change to the denim and floaty styles that are filling store rails right now. I love a good two-piece for back and forth to work. It’s smart enough to pass as a relaxed tailored set, but comfortable enough to sit in all day. Plus, Boohoo is a Northern hemisphere brand so always feel as though it’s a bit more fashion forward. For added grey notes, this jacket effortlessly matches the outfit perfectly, and with the wind picking up it was a smart styling choice. 

White fringed mules and my Alila The Label bag were the accessories of choice. If you follow my Instagram, you would already be aware that I have a slight obsession for anything marble so instantly fell head over heels for this bag. It’s a great design with an option of 3 straps, which is always handy depending on whether you want to wear on your shoulder or cross body. I also used this bag for brunch on the weekend, and received a few compliments surrounding the print.

This week, I've been introduced to Cloud Nine Hair styling range. I've become a fan of their new micro wand which I achieved todays tousled waves with. It’s so easy to use, and added bonus it’s super lightweight which will be a blessing when travel time comes around for my new job! It will definitely be coming with me! It’s halfway through the week, and can’t figure out where the time has gone. As mentioned, I started a new job a few weeks back, so between settling in and focusing on my blog more, it’s a tiring cycle. But I’ve made a promise to myself that I won’t let either suffer. If you love what you do, you make it happen regardless. Hope you all have a great week!

Shop The Look:

boohoo.com two piece set: SHOP HERE (on sale) 

Charles & Keith Mules: SHOP HERE 

Out With Audrey Jacket: SHOP HERE

Out With Audrey Sunglasses: SHOP HERE

Alilia The Label Bag: SHOP HERE (currently on sale)

Breda Watch: SHOP HERE or SIMILAR HERE

Happiness Boutique Earrings: SHOP HERE or SIMILAR HERE

Cloud Nine Micro Wand: SHOP HERE

Photo credit to Laurie Young from The Rue Collective blog

Tailored Coat & Knitwear - This Season’s Winning Combo

With the weather getting cooler, I couldn’t be more happy to wear one of my favourite combinations: Knit and tailoring. There’s something so strong about mixing these two categories, and more importantly styling textures. it’s an autumn look that I crave towards the end of the summer and there’s something comforting about pulling your jumper over your hands and feeling the warmth this time of year. As you know, tailoring is my go to style for work, but it doesn’t have to be head to toe suiting up. To be honest, I never wear a full tailored look. It’s usually one or two pieces. Today, I have styled this gorgeous grey coat for a more relaxed vibe. Wool oozes relaxation, so by adding a smart coat and lines, it gives a more structured feel to the look.

A great tip with a wrap around coat is to add your own belt (I am still on the hunt for the perfect one!) or drape a heavy scarf down the centre. Sometimes I find these style coats can look bunched, so play around with how you want to do it up. I’m not the tallest girl at 5ft 3, so it’s important to style to compliment your shape. I’m loving Turtle necks this season, and finding I am teaming them with a pencil skirt, cigarette pants and even leather. Dainty jewellery also looks great with wool and takes away the heaviness. And don’t forget your socks! Preferably to match your coat lol! 

I have many more tailored looks to show you in the coming weeks, and keep an eye out for a few exciting posts behind the lens from some exciting places in the coming weeks. I’ll be channeling my weekend relaxed boho threads on a couple of trips I have planned, which will be a nice change to my Mon-Fri looks. Have a great weekend!

Shop the look:

Jumper: Evan-Evina (10% off with code "bohotailor")

Skirt: Evan-Evina (10% off with code "bohotailor")

Coat: St Frock

Boots: Tony Bianco via Styletread

Bag: Alexander Wang (similar here)

Sunglasses: Roc Eyewear

Jewellery: Jolie & Deen

Photo credit to Laurie Young from The Rue Collective blog

Lifestyle Changes: One Year On

It’s crazy to think that I’ve been in Sydney for nearly one year. The time has flown by! I want to dedicate a post to the one year Anniversary in the next month to share with you how my life has developed and changed career wise in the last twelve months. Today, I want to share my lifestyle changes and how it differs dramatically from the UK. It’s probably not too hard to tell that I live in Bondi (hence the shots at Icebergs Pool most weeks on my Instagram!) so it’s a much different experience as to when I was living in the UK. I’m from a city called Cardiff, which is the capitol of Wales. It’s a vibrant city full of history and culture, with the nearest beach about 12 miles away. These shores my parents would take us as children. Mini golf, chips with salt and vinegar, the log flume in the theme park, and a nap on the car ride home from all the excitement. Good times! The only downside was the colour of the ocean…..brown. Cardiff is a shipping channel, for some of the major exports in the world. Ankle deep and not being able to see your feet is not something to look forward to, which is why Spain and Greece is a much better option for us Pommies! Living close to the beach means a lot to me to me now, and if you asked me 2 years ago where I could see myself living I would have told you New York City. But where in the world can you experience some of the best beaches, and city life to top it all off?

Another lifestyle change is my Bikram yoga. I signed up to a six month membership last September and have never looked back. Not many of you may know this, but I am a trained dancer and stopped my practice when I left University. Active wear was something I used to live in, quite literally! Anyway, my yoga studio is just off Bondi beach which means I can admire the walk down and enjoy watching the waves crash after class. It’s great for my mind too, and after a busy week at work it’s just what I need. Thanks to boohoo.com, my work out gear is complete! They have just launched their new Boohoo FIT range and it’s by far some of the most contemporary luxe styles without breaking the bank. I have literally lived in this hoodie after yoga some nights and so many people have commented how cool the open cut sleeves are. Bondi is such a little fitness hub, sportswear seems to be just as important as rocking this seasons heels, so I feel I am delving into a new kind of style. One that is great for my more relaxed days. 

It’s crazy how a year can change everything, can’t wait to share more in the coming weeks!

Shop the look:

Hoodie: Boohoo

Skirt: Boohoo

Crop Top: Boohoo

Slides: Topshop (similar here)

Sunglasses: Rayban

Photo credit to Andrea Hetherington from Leather and Lattes blog.