French Cuff Layering

We all have our fashion weaknesses - items which you can’t live without and seem to buy a lot of. For me this is the tailored shirt, and apart from denim is probably the highest volume item I own. Because lets be honest, having a crisp white shirt that lasts is actually pretty hard to find. That’s until I owned my first Anna Quan button up. I try to wear this shirt the most out of my collection, Mainly because it has a point if difference to the others I own (The personalised monogramming is easy on the eye), and secondly the cost is a little more than I would usually spend. The cuffs are not so wearable for me - especially when sat at a desk for the majority of the day. Some of her more recent designs actually have removable cuffs, which are perfect for that lunchtime soup option! But hey, if the shirt washes like a dream and still looks crisp a year on then it’s worth it.

Usually I would wear with a good pair of mom jeans, but wanted to experiment with my new House of Harlow dress. At the get go I thought this wasn’t going to work with a tight style (as the shirt is not that fitted). Thankfully after styling a few ways, I felt comfortable wearing it the way photographed. Accessories have been kept to a minimum to accentuate the stripes and the cuffs. I know when the weather gets cooler it will be layer perfect with a chunky knit.

Shop the look:

Anne shirt: Anna Quan via The UNDONE
X Revolve Phoebe Dress: House of Harlow 1960 via Revolve or similar here or here

Baby Audrey Sunglasses: Celine via David Jones

Medium Faye Bag: Chloe via Net-A-Porter (shop other options here)

Black mules: shop here, here and here

Photo credit to yours truly x

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The Piped Shirt

If there are two items that are heavily rotated in my wardrobe it’s denim and shirts. In my opinion you can never have enough! They are staples which can be styled in so many different ways and layered if need be for winter, or deconstructed in summer. Today’s blouse could definitely be worn undone with a bikini underneath in a couple of months time. I’ll just switch up jeans for cut off shorts. I’ve been a big fan of the pyjama trend for a good few months, and I don’t see it going anywhere anytime soon. The majority of blouses that are being added to my staples is the piped shirt, and believe it or not colour is making an appearance. You can thank Gucci for that this season especially with the burnt orange and deep mahogany which are key colours into breaking the monochrome mould. 

I’ve kept the jewellery simple with a rose gold pendant that was a bridesmaid gift from best friend a few months back. Thought it paired well with the deep red piping on the blouse. My new Gucci bag is also making it’s first appearance on the blog! After long deliberation, it was time to break the black bag rule and opt for something more neutral for the summer. Plus, small bags are on trend this season. As long as you have your phone, cards cash and keys you’re good to go! This bag does come in a few sizes so if you’re looking for something more everyday I would definitely upgrade to the medium size.

Hope everyone is having a great week! Currently writing this post from Dallas airport connecting back to Sydney. You may (or may not) have noticed my Instagram account was compromised last Tuesday. Eighteen months worth of content disappeared, but thankfully reappeared two days later. Whether you are a creative using Instagram, or using the platform for personal photos it’a definitely an upsetting time to see memories disappear. It also opens your eyes that we rely so heavily on technology these days and we would be lost without it!

Shop the look:

X Revolve The Silk Blouse: L'Academie 

Far From Any Road Cropped Jean: Free People

Round Metal Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

Dionysus GG Supreme Shoulder Bag: Gucci

Black Slingback Shoes: Paul Andrew via Shopbop or Aquazzura Pumps via Shopbop

First time shooting a post on a tripod. Photo credit to yours truly.

Travel Month Over

It’s the start of February tomorrow, and I still can’t figure out where the last month has gone. Since Christmas, my diary has been filled with personal travel and work trips. From Perth to Cambodia, back to Sydney and onto Los Angeles it’s been a busy month to say the least! I love my job, and travelling is always welcomed so it’s nice to combine the two doing what I love. Going from Southern hemisphere to Northern can be a bit of a struggle this time of year, but LA wasn’t as cold as I secretly hoped for. I was still wearing a blazer and denim shorts just like I have been in Sydney recently. But with the weather being all over the place right now, I have decided no more summer purchases. I’m not giving into this indecisive climate! The autumn wardrobe building has begun. 

As mentioned in my last post, I have ditched the majority of my heels and replaced them with loafers, which in turn compliment skinny trousers over wide legged. I love the shape on todays cigarette pant, and they make a nice change to denim or pair of culottes. Autumn will be a good season to style a knit or lightweight trench with them. For now, a white shirt does just the job and the breathable fabric means it’s perfect for a humid day in Sydney. The open back also adds a less corporate feel to the look. Perfect for my social media role Monday-Friday. Yet again, Target has done it again, making my work life easier to dress for in the mornings whilst staying true to my relaxed tailored style.

Shop the look:

Dion Lee for Target Shirt: SHOP HERE

Target pants: SHOP HERE

Target Belt: SHOP HERE

Celine Sunglasses: SHOP HERE

Gucci Loafers: SHOP HERE

Photo credit to Alisha Thornley from Alishayi blog

Lightweight Tailoring

As pretty as Sydney can be when looking up, it can be quite the same looking down. Lately, I have been exploring more of the neighbourhoods over the bridge, and have been drawn to the art deco houses more and more. There are some beautiful old areas full of heritage when taking the trip north shore, and fell in love with the location for today’s post. Obsessed. The monochrome floor tiles instantly drew me in, and I knew I had to shoot my lightweight look here. As much as I’m into all black looks, neutrals are also in high rotation in my closet. Some weekends in Sydney have been reaching 25 degrees this month, so it only felt right to bare a bit of leg and style myself in airy tailored pieces. Last year, I utilised the hot summer days to wear more boho styles, but this year there seems to be more tailored options available that are floaty, breathable and more oversized. 

The white shirt will always be classic and clean, but the cut of this Staple The Label number is unlike any I have owned. The cap sleeves are boxy and rolled up, and a top pocket adds a relaxed feel to an oversized, asymmetric style. In the past, I always used the rule:

‘If it’s baggy on top, make it skinny on the bottom’ 

But that doesn’t always have to be the case. 

With tailoring being more slouchy and less shaped or fitted, now is the time to experiment with going out of your comfort zone. My mum would always say that if clothes were baggy on me I would look like a sack of potatoes! But I think that was because of my short height compared to my tall sister. These days I am favouring this trend, and actually feel it’s my niche for the warmer days ahead. Especially teamed with a pair of gladiators for walking around the city in style. One tip I would suggest is keep all your accessories the same colour. For me, black is my go to colour, but camel is slowly creeping into my wardrobe as a nice alternative.

Shop the look:

Staple The Label Kimono: COMING SOON or SIMILAR HERE

Staple The Label Shorts: COMING SOON or SIMILAR HERE

Staple The Label White Shirt: COMING SOON or SIMILAR HERE

H&M Bag: SHOP SIMILAR HERE

Urge Footwear Sandals: SHOP HERE 

Cluse Watch: SHOP HERE 

Zara Sunglasses: SHOP SIMILAR HERE

C for Charlotte Jewellery: SHOP HERE

Photo credit to Laurie Young from The Rue Collective blog

Slouchy Tailoring

So the weather is getting considerably colder in Sydney which means I can delve into my favourite styling: layering. I’ve mentioned in my previous posts my love for texture mix and building a look with multiple pieces. I think it’s a European thing, but when I would dress for the winter in the UK, it was crucial to still be well styled regardless of the temperatures. It seemed a different scenario in The Big Apple. Sleeping bag coats and Ugg boots were the Upper East Side’s wardrobe essentials and could never quite understand why New Yorkers struggled to be well dressed in colder climates. Yes, it’s bloody freezing, but a thick tailored coat with a chunky knit underneath finished with a fur faux scarf will give you the warmth you need without compromising on style! Sorry if I offended any New Yorkers in that paragraph, maybe it was just the neighbourhoods answer to staying warm, and at the time, a lack of bloggers on the NYC blog scene to help style the women of Manhattan!

Camel is a colour I’ve been drawn towards this season after seeing the 70’s influenced street style at London Fashion Week back in Feb. Designers such as Saint Laurent and Chloe have mastered their classic leather goods in this palette, and fashion hungry women can’t get enough of it. I’ve been on the hunt for a three quarter length coat for most of the winter, and was torn between a couple of options. Coats don’t always sit on my shoulders all that well, so when I saw this Boohoo one I prayed it would fit my narrow shoulders. Thankfully it’s a dream, and even after the journey across the world to arrive, it didn’t arrive super creased so could pop it on straight away. I swear that fashion brand always sorts you out for your fashion needs!

Onto the rest of the look…..

It’s probably not really warm enough at the moment to wear culottes but couldn’t resist these perfect fitting ones to match my coat from Glassons! They are having an amazing sale at the moment on their winter pieces, so couldn’t resist these babies which will more than likely see me through to spring. Staying in check with camel, it only felt necessary to match my footwear to my entire look! Flat shoes are a must for city life at the moment, whether it be slip ons or brogues. These RMK’s definitely help channel a more masculine vibe, whilst keeping the tailoring slick. 

I’ve finished the look with jewellery from Fjord Timepieces and eyewear from Loudcooper. Fyi, for each pair sold, $5 is located to RIDBC to help vision or hearing impaired children throughout Australia. Lately I’ve been a bit of a watch hoarder (can you have too many?!) and thought the gold accents were great with the warm tones. Plus, a look wouldn’t be complete without black somewhere!

Hope all you East Coast Aussies are staying warm. Even for a Brit this is tough! And all you Northern Hemisphere folk enjoy the sunshine!

Shop the look:

Camel Boohoo Coat: SHOP HERE or SIMILAR HERE

White Boohoo Shirt: SHOP SIMILAR HERE or HERE

Camel Glasson’s Culottes: SHOP SIMILAR HERE or SIMILAR HERE

RMK shoes: SHOP HERE (currently on sale)

Loudcooper Sunglasses: SHOP HERE

Fjord Timepieces Watch: SHOP HERE (40% off with code "bohotailor")

Fjord Timepieces Pendant: SHOP HERE (40% off with code "bohotailor")

Primark Clutch Bag: SHOP SIMILAR HERE

Photo Credit to Laurie Young from The Rue Collective Blog.