What to wear to Adele

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I’m old. I know this because I listen to ABC radio in the car, can’t see without my contacts and have an emergency set of tweezers on stand by. But despite my advancing age, or perhaps because or it, I’m headed to a concert next week. Like a lot of people in Brisbane, I’m off to see Adele.

Tickets were a Christmas present from my husband. There was a great deal of hinting. I actually unwrapped the Adele biography. A few moments of frantic searching revealed no tickets hiding in the pages. So I had to ask “does this mean what I think it means?” We had a circular, cryptic conversation that amused him and frustrated me. Happens often.

Anyway, after confirming the existence of tickets, my mind turned to what to wear.  There are a few practicalities to consider. It will be hot. We will have to walk a fair way to the concert itself – Gabba parking being horrendous. There shall be dancing. We are going out to dinner before hand. Read more…

How to wear a pencil skirt

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I love a good pencil skirt. It’s terribly grown up, office appropriate and beautifully tailored. With the added bonus of being just a wee bit sexy. Basically, an office staple you can take out to drinks.

How to wear pencil skirts

Pencil skirts make up a good proportion of my corporate wardrobe. I have a couple of black pencil skirts, a floral printed skirt and a sturdy black slip dress that doubles as a very high-waisted pencil skirt. The silhouette works for my body shape and pairs back beautifully with the soft, floaty blouses I favour. Pencil skirts also play well with my collection of belts for extra waist definition.

While I appreciate the ease of a good dress, separates are fantastic for their versatility. And a pencil skirt combines the femininity of a dress with the practicality of being able to make a host of different outfits.

Here’s my guide on how to wear them well:  Read more…

Where to find sewing patterns

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Where to find patterns

One of the things I love to do with my spare time (the little I have) is to sew. It’s such a lovely thing to take fabric and a pattern and create something beautiful. For those who’d like to try sewing, or are looking to get back into it, finding the right patterns is key.

So where do you find the best patterns?

The traditional place to buy patterns is a fabric store. They have pattern books on display where you choose your ideal look. Then you locate your code and size in cute, old-fashioned filing cabinets. I have fond memories of selecting my grade seven graduation dress just before we bought ALL the taffeta. But that filing cabinet is not the only place to look.

Here are few that you may not have tried …

Read more…

Getting back to Corporate Style

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Next week I step back into heeled shoes and corporate clothes (read more about why here). After a couple of years working for myself, it’s a huge sartorial change.

getting back to corporate style

At the beginning of the year I culled my wardrobe. It’s a new year tradition. This year I focussed on figuring out my office wardrobe, how it would play with my existing casual threads and identifying any clothes I would need. Happily, I discovered I have a lot of clothing that translates into office wear. Unhappily, many of the pants and dresses I wore years ago no longer fit.  Read more…

Why I buy (and how to curb it)

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This year I am committing to less. I don’t even have a word for the year. But it would be “less” if that didn’t feel so counter-intuitive. One of my commitments is less spending (on clothes in particular). It seems like my corner of the internet is going wild over the Minimalist documentary right now. Full disclosure: I haven’t seen it. We don’t have Netflix. How is that for minimalist? Even without seeing it, it’s clear that less consumption is on a lot of minds at the moment. My personal commitment came after a wardrobe cull and the realisation that I absolutely do not need any more clothes.  Read more…