Heading Into Autumn

Finally, my favourite season is here! Pumpkin spiced lattes, candles burning and layering has begun. Does anyone else look forward to October? I recently took a trip to Florence and was so nice visiting a European city without all the summer crowds. Italy was on my travel list this summer, but the months just slipped away and couldn’t face a busy Capri, as much as it was on my to do list. There’s always next year! Mornings in Florence were crisp with the sun shining, exactly how autumn should be. 

It’s so nice to be wearing proper tailoring now we’ve said goodbye to humidity until next summer. And I know I will be wearing this red Monsoon blazer and trousers with a coat layered in the winter. It’s such a versatile outfit. I always opt for kitten heels with my suits, but being in a city exploring on foot/bike trainers were the best option. It was also refreshing to not have the trousers taken up as they were the perfect length on me and I’m 5 ft 3. Bonus! This outfit was shot at Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as ‘The Duomo’. 

Day two involved a bike ride along the river and coffee shop hopping our way through the city. Turtle necks are going to be my staple for winter, so it was nice to mix things up a little incorporating this style into a dress. Mornings in Florence are currently around 10-13 degrees celsius and it reaches about 23 in the afternoon so adding a morning layer was key. This coat actually comes with a detachable faux fur collar, which I think will change up the look for the winter months. The riding style boots were perfect for the bike ride, and avoided a lot of nicks! 

Now I am home.....craving the little Nutella croissants. This happened the last time I went to Italy! 

Shop The Post: 

LOOK ONE

Watson Wide Leg Trousers: Monsoon 

Lucy Tailored Jacket: Monsoon 

Dad Trainers: similar here, here and here 

Karl 24 Leather Tote: Boyy Boutique 

LOOK TWO

Cally Cowl Neck Jumper Dress: Monsoon 

Harry Wool Blend Crombie Coat: Monsoon 

Lily Long Brogue Boot: Monsoon 

Belt Bag: similar here 
(Monsoon currently have 20% off autumn coats and boots which ends soon!)

Photo credit to Hannah Crosskey from A Fashion Fix 

Collaboration in partnership with Monsoon 

London Fall Fashion Week 2018

Well that month flew by pretty quickly! I finished up my full-time job in Social Media Management last month and the same night I flew straight into London. Two overweight suitcases later, I arrived at Fashion Week. Then the challenge began to style my looks for the week with no breathing time from leaving the office onto the plane! 

Blazer: Mango, Skirt: Mango, Jumper: Sandro,  Bag: Off-White Via Net-A-Porter

Packing was not easy. I had to consider at least one look to photograph a day not only at LFW but also PFW. Minus temperatures sure look great in pictures, but let me assure you that packing multiple jackets and coats also meant that both my suitcases actually burst and broke by the time I made it back to Aus. Bring on Summer Fashion Weeks and no excess baggage fees! 

Long Violet Coat: Tularosa via Revolve, Allegro Pant: Lovers + Friends via Revolve

Tailoring was a large part of my London wardrobe. The main items I packed were trouser and skirt suits, multiple blazers, and statement jackets. The below zero temperatures made layering all that more fun, but my hands hated me for not remembering gloves - epic fail when you rely on a remote control to take your photos and you can’t keep your hands warm! I would have been lost without my Tularosa teddy coat from Revolve. It seriously got me through the cold. 

There were many trends I picked up on for Fall which I’ll be touching upon in the coming weeks so keep an eye out for that! Today’s focus is what I wore each day in London. Surprisingly a lot of the looks can be recreated day to day. 

Jacket: Karen Millen, Pants: Karen Millen
Most images shot self-portrait or snapped by Ashley Schuberg from Miss Gunner

Would love to hear your thoughts on my looks. It’s finally happened…..I am now pursuing Style Structure full time so you’ll see a lot more posts over here. If there is anything you wanted to read and see more of let me know in the comments below!

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

12pm on a weekday, Midtown NYC I decided to shoot this girl boss suit on my tripod.

For those that might not know, the majority of my posts I shoot on my own. Each time I practice, the more I get a little more comfortable and forget who’s around me. Towards the end of last year, my confidence took a plummet due to a traumatic time in my personal life and have spent the last 6 months working towards getting my old self back; learning to self love in the process. None of us are perfect, and social media can easily sugar coat life. We are all guilty I promise you.

Today’s post is about pushing your boundaries, and doing something that’s out of your comfort zone to take you one step closer to your goals. When you have been through some kind of trauma you have to take each day as it comes. I have found setting small goals each week really help towards happiness and it’s another accomplishment to tick off your list. It’s actually great going into a new work week and feeling positive. Week by week, you start to feel more confident and feel that self worth that you may have lost along the way. I think it's important to share this with you all, so that if something is going on in your life that really gets you down know you aren't alone.

So back to todays shoot! 57th Street between 6th and 7th avenue is a really busy street. I actually used to live one block up on 58th Street, so the location brings back a lot of fond memories of when I moved to Manhattan on my own back in 2010. This was the first place I lived in NYC and the beginning of gaining independence, so what better place to push my boundaries shooting on a tripod at the lunch rush to really test me. Midtown is very corporate so the suit blends in! I’m not into wearing head to toe tailoring so thought adding a tee and neck tie changed things up a little yet still feeling chic. Both the jacket and pants are Chinese Silk and felt so lightweight. The best thing about this more casual 2 piece is that the jacket is super versatile, I’ll definitely wear it with jeans. As for the pants, they are a little sporty so will look awesome with a pair of sneakers and oversized light knit for weekend brunch. 

I would love to hear how you guys push yourself, and do you find you achieve more in the process? From a mental or accomplishment perspective? Let me know!

Shop the edit:

Silk Kimono Blazer: Grana

Silk Joggers: Grana

Tee: Vintage, shop similar here and here

Neck Scarf: Vintage Hermes, shop similar here and here

Faye Medium Leather and Suede Shoulder Bag: Chloe

Xyrus I Shoes: Senso via The Iconic

Baby Audrey: Celine

Photo Credit to yours truly. Shot in Midtown Manhattan in collaboration with Grana. Receive 10% off your order with code ‘SSxGRANA’.

Suit Up In Linen

Tailoring - My weakness. It’s time to embrace autumn in Sydney, even though it’s still as warm as a British summer it has to be one of my favourite times of year. The mornings are colder, the sun is less harsh and it’s nice to have the opportunity to style an outfit without worrying about the heat. Linen occupies quite a bit of space in my wardrobe, and still opting for this fabric moving into autumn. I can’t remember the last time I wore a suit, and after rocking this cream one only last week makes me want to invest in more.

Next on the agenda will be finding a pant suit. I’ve also come to the conclusion that if I am to buy an investment piece this season it won’t be a handbag. It’ll be a blazer, and yes I have my eye on a few. It has to be the most versatile wardrobe staple, and it’s just the right warmth for Sydney. Perfect moving into winter worn layered and a necessity for spring mornings. 

It’s been a while since wearing my white Gucci’s - Hello old friend. Honestly, my problem is if shoes are kept in a box I forget about them! Does anyone else have this problem?! They are the perfect height for the cut on these shorts. I couldn’t imagine wearing this suit with heels, but loafers work. I even think sneakers would give this look an edgy spin and might even brave them when I finally find my dream cigarette pants and matching jacket.

Shop the look:

Tailored Silk Linen Blazer: Yasmin Raquel via Basics Department

Long Silk Linen Blend Short: Yasmin Raquel via Basics Department

Leather Mid Heel Loafer: Gucci or alternative here

Flare Sleeve Jumper: here, here and here

Baby Audrey: Celine via Farfetch

Photo credit to yours truly.

Denim Done Differently

Over the past few months, I’ve been introducing denim into more than just my weekend wardrobe.  Monday-Friday, I probably wear my mom jeans to work 2-3 times a week. Luckily, working in a fashion head office means it’s pretty relaxed when it comes down to style. It’s nice to have a job where I don’t have to buy ‘workwear’ pieces. An uncluttered closet is something I am actually quite proud of, and would advice any of you to do the same if you work in a chilled environment. It’s the worst feeling waking up and not knowing what to wear in the mornings and when it’s still dark at 6am, the last thing you want to do is rummage through piles of clothes, throwing together a mismatched look with questionable textures.

Although todays look is far away from work, it’s most definitely transferrable into my weekday grind. Whilst holidaying in Italy last month, it wasn’t as hot as we anticipated. The mornings were cool. Culottes were a great choice for the hours of walking we had planned for the day, and adding a sleeveless layer was a good option to take me through to a warmer afternoon. This season, silk slips and camisoles have been an addition to my staples and is the perfect piece to take you all into spring. For winter in Sydney, a tee underneath is the layer you’re going to need. Then come spring, it’s going to be perfect to wear alone just like todays look.

Flat shoes are a must for Rome. Totally digging the snake look to these and the low square heel is perfect to avoid getting stuck between the cobbled streets. Because hey, there were constant missions to find the best Nutella croissants so would prefer little obstacles as possible!

Shop the look: 

Stay Cool Pinstripe Top: C/MEO Collective

Stay Cool Pinstripe Pants: C/MEO Collective 

Silk V Neck Cami - Ginia or General Pants or Tophop

Round Metal Sunglasses: Ray-Ban via Shopbop

Off White Shoes: Exraodinary Ordinary Day or Opening Ceremony or Derek Lam 10 Crosby

Stone Pouch Bag: The Daily Edited or Rebecca Minkoff

Photo credit to my love, Chris

Suit Up

It’s about time I wore a power suit being a lover of tailoring. As much as I ladore adding snippets of tailored pieces into my wardrobe, it’s rare to wear a trouser suit in my working day. Purely because my office is super relaxed, and I’d feel too serious being all business like! But this wide legged Minkpink suit oozes a different vibe, and I think the oversized jacket teamed with wide legged pants might be the winning combo. As the jacket is a boyfriend style, I opted for a fitted knitted Boohoo sleeveless jumper tucked into the waistband. One rule I usually stick to is if the fit is loose on the bottom, opt for a fitted top and vice versa. It just seems to give your body shape, and in the case of this jumper, the cinched in waist at the front was a nice contrast the the length from behind. 

The location for the shoot has been on my mind for a few weeks, and although I have been in Sydney for over a year, there are still parts of the city I have yet to venture to. Trains are sometimes a bad way to travel in a new city, especially if you are like me and like to visual grid the city. I remember when I lived in New York I carried a map in my handbag for four months straight,  no gps in sight being on a pay as you go sim card! Within one year, I was aware of the entire subway system within Manhattan. It was a common occurrence for my friends to ask me directions to places, even though they had lived in the city for many years. I always remember Sunday being the day I would walk as far as I could through the park and less busy weekend streets to familiarise myself with coffee shops, landmarks and to just take in the city; usually with a hot chocolate in hand.

My point is, that even though you have lived in a city for a long time, there’s always enjoyment is exploring more. And for me being a visual person, I am always on the look out for unusual structures and locations to spice up the outfit shots. Today I shot with Laurie (another fellow expat) in East Sydney, and she couldn’t believe I had never been to this part of town before. Apparently it’s quite iconic! I’m excited to be experiencing my second winter in Sydney, and can’t wait to explore this city a lot more. The only difference is less layers than New York and an Almond Chai Latte in hand instead! 

Shop the look:

Minkpink Jacket: SHOP HERE or SIMILAR HERE

Minkpink Wide Legged Pants: SHOP HERE or SIMILAR HERE

Boohoo Jumper: SHOP HERE or SIMILAR HERE

Jo Mercer Shoes: SHOP HERE 

Alexander Wang Bag: SHOP HERE

Pacifico Optical Sunglasses: SHOP HERE or SIMILAR HERE

Babybonie Jewellery: SHOP HERE

Breda Watch: SHOP HERE

Rimmel Red Lipstick: SHOP HERE

Photo Credit to Laurie Young from The Rue Collective blog