Lady In Red

Ever since seeing the red trend on the Saint Laurent, Fendi and Opening Ceremony runways, it has made me crave this scarlet burst. Its tough introducing colour pop back into my wardrobe after such a long time. But there is something sexy and classic about this hue. I’ve always loved a bold red lip, and crop tops are standard now the weather has turned into the tropical heat I imagined Sydney would be. Is anyone else loving this weather right now? Definitely moved to the right country!

boohoo.com is my go to store for on trend fashion. It’s a British brand, so it’s my way of staying on trend with Northern hemisphere. The great thing now is all the summer stock is in the sale so I picked these trousers up for $20! I saw this cut on one of my favourite bloggers, Kristina Bazan at New York Fashion Week. She was wearing the BCBG Max azria version. They looked so good on her, so was pleasantly surprised to find them on Boohoo. I love how they have that extra piece of fabric which gives the style movement. I was I teamed the look with a white kimono, which was perfect as it was a windy day in North Bondi. 

So ladies, introduce a touch of red into your spring wardrobe and be ahead. It’s currently a go to colour in the UK for their Autumn season, so invest now. And don’t forget a bold red lip. The colour I’m wearing is a mix between coral and red. And it’s long lasting. YSL never disappoints. If you’re reading this in Australia, I hope you had a great long weekend. It makes me crave beach days a lot more!

Shop the look:

Trousers: Boohoo

Crop Top: Boohoo

Kimono: Boohoo

Shoes: Nine West Australia

Photo credit to Andrea Hetherington from Leather and Lattes Blog

Helen-Jayne x

Fake It Till You Make It: The Buying Follower Trend

This year, it’s not about how red is going to dominate wardrobes, or how SS15 neutrals are making waves at NYFW. The trend seems to be buying followers. It’s a matter that has been bothering me for a while and here’s the reason why. I’m a social media strategist by day, fashion blogger come night. My job is to get the brand I work for noticed. It’s also my job to source bloggers to wear our pieces. Immersing myself in Instagram the majority of the day, it’s becoming more apparent that fashion blogging has changed a lot over the last six months.

Here’s the thing, when your follower count goes up, brands become interested in placing product on you in return for a blogpost. It’s every girls dream accepting free clothing and gifts. The brand gets exposure and the blogger gets great items to add to their wardrobe. Win win. But unfortunately, bloggers are becoming aware of this pattern and there are a large chunk of Instagram accounts that purchase fake followers and likes (for very little money) to boost their numbers. Brands are unaware of this, and when they see a profile has a substantial number of followers they flock to them, even though their real audience is more than likely to be non influential. 

I’ve come across a staggering amount of accounts through my work with this unrealistic following. Thankfully I can see the warning signs, so only work with the bloggers that have worked their butts off to get their audiences. And the scary thing is, some of the talent agents here in Sydney charge over a $1000 for product placement to brands that are unaware of this disturbing trend. It’s a real shame that the genuine bloggers get pushed to the bottom of the pile, even though their real engaged audience is probably larger. And it’s sad to see small start up brands are being ripped off due to a lack of social media knowledge, and not enough education behind spotting the warning signs. 

Fashion blogging is a way to educate and show girls what we’ll all be wearing next season. It’s important to set a good example to style savvy teens and remember that blogging isn’t about getting free items. It’s about loving the blogger meet ups, picture snapping and editing and the feeling that you could inspire a girls next outfit option. Yes, some bloggers want to make a small business out of it, but it takes time and effort. Bloggers need to be patient and learn the market. Understand what your readers want to see and know your niche. It’s very much the same pattern as the Tour De France and the blood doping cases. Cyclists that cheat ruin it for others, and it encourages the true athletes to partake out of desperation, to still be in with a chance of success.

I moved to Sydney from the UK five months ago to pursue my blog. With a passion for photography and style it seemed like the right move, even if it meant leaving my life behind in the UK. I’ve always believed if you want something enough, you work day and night to make it happen. This blog takes up a lot of my time, and I enjoy every minute of it, but the content wouldn’t be where it is today without support from my blogging friends here in Sydney. Especially Andrea and Alisha who regularly help take my pictures and vice versa. We have an insane amount of passion for what we do and always meet up to discuss new ideas and how we can mix things up a little for our posts. We actually have an exciting project coming up in the next 2 months, so keep your eyes peeled. We can’t wait to share it with you.

Now that I’ve expressed how I feel, onto my outfit! When it rains on shooting day, head to Carriageworks! It’s one of my favourite places that has industrial iron cladding to shelter from the downpours. My H&M trench is perfect for this kind of weather and stops the chill. Mesh detailing is still on high rotation in my wardrobe and will be sticking around for summer in Australia. Thankfully, August Street has the slickest range of awesome peek a boo pieces this season. Whether it be sheer camisoles or sports luxe structure, they’ll sort you out. Senso boots are a necessity after my haul at the recent warehouse sale in Sydney. Shoes for life literally! Even though the rain clouds were bearing over us, fellow blogger Alisha and I made it a fun day. Finished off with coffee and a hearty meal in Newtown. A great Saturday! 

Shop the look:

Top: August Street via Eclectic Edition(similar here)

Skirt: August Street via Eclectic Edition (similar here)

Trench Coat: H&M (similar here)

Boots: Senso

Bag: Alexander Wang

Photo Credit to Alisha Thornley from Alishayi blog

Helen-Jayne x

Denim & Lace Street Style

Over the last year, street style photography is a pastime that I can’t get enough of. Whether it’s snapping other bloggers, or capturing the style gurus at the entrance at Fashion Week. Personally, this type of fashion photography is the most interesting and it always seems way more eye catching in a city environment. Since my Chinatown post, I have been on the hunt for deep streets that create an off duty Fashion Week vibe.

Yesterday I met up with fellow bloggers and good friends Andrea and Alisha. We caught up over macarons, cake and coffee at one of my favourite international patisseries - Laduree. It’s not quite the same as a summers day, sat under an awning on the Champ De Elysees, but Pitt Street mall in Sydney’s CBD was just as much fun! I love that I have met such great gals in a new city who are just as passionate about fashion and good food! This city is really growing in the blog world, and it’s great that we can all meet up and discuss ideas for the future. Thankfully, they have both lived in Sydney for yonks, so as soon as I told them the environment I was looking for they knew exactly where to shoot this look. 

                                     

Probably not the most sensible idea getting the shots on a busy city centre road, but you have to take risks to get the best pictures! Andrea was our look out for cars whilst Alisha and I got into our snap happy zone. Luckily, no injuries! Just a few shuffles in heels to dodge oncoming traffic. Texture mixing is something I’m really into whilst transitioning from winter to spring. It was a little chilly, so this Stussy sweatshirt stopped the chill that was whistling through the city streets. Luckily, I picked up this oversized jacket at Bondi markets last week for just $25! It is Australia after all, so braved a lace skirt because the sun was shining. Excuse warranted!

I hope you all had a great weekend and enjoyed the sunshine! 

Shop the look:

Sweatshirt: Stussy, available at Gluestore

Skirt: Window Lane

Jacket: Vintage, Bondi Markets (similar here)

Boots: Senso

Photo credit to Alisha Thornley from Alishayi Blog

Helen-Jayne x

Big Knits

If you told me back in the UK that big knits are required in Sydney I would have laughed at you. These last couple of weeks my staple leather jacket is just not cutting it, and really struggling to keep warm in the evenings. Now I wish I had left luggage space for such an important item! But thankfully, this Bless’ed Are The Meek cardigan has come to the rescue and literally goes with my entire wardrobe. I love the intricate detailing and is the perfect piece for keeping warm and still looking stylish. 

It’s part two of our Bondi shoot with Jo, Andrea and Kelly. With the weather looking like it was going to pour down it was tricky finding a location that wasn’t too far from shelter. So, just outside my house seemed the best option! Some of the fencing on the houses on my street are really pretty and haven’t done an urban street style post in a while. Sometimes going back to basics feels right, and for today’s look we did just that.

With the cardigan being oversized and detailed I thought a simple crop top and tailored trousers would be the perfect fit as didn’t want to draw too much attention away from this staple item. I’ve never worn loose fitting trousers tucked into boots before but suprisingly it worked.

Loved shooting with the gang today and hope to go and visit Kelly in the central Coast to shoot up there in the future. Always on the look out for a new location!

Cardigan: Bless’ed Are The Meek

Trousers: Blesse’d Are The Meek

Top: Sportsgirl

Boots: Urge Footwear

Ring: Pushmataaha

Helen-Jayne x