Like a Cat...

Every now and again I buy completely out there things that can in no way shape or form be considered ‘pared back’ but I still like to think of them as ‘classics’. A prime example of this is my leopard print faux fur coat. It is gorgeous and I love it, a real wardrobe ‘hero’ so to speak. I found it at a vintage fair I was attending and I like to think it was fate that led me to it. I had been stalking eBay for a number of weeks but nothing was really what I wanted or was just phenomenally expensive. US$8000 for a real leopard skin coat? No. Just, no. On so many levels, no. In any case most of the ones I spotted (no pun intended) were really furry. Like Animal-the-Muppet-style furry and I have no desire to look like a teddy bear. I know a two-year-old with one of those super furry leopard jackets, she looks super cute. I would look ridiculous.

So anyway, I was faffing around trying on some hilarious vintage hats when I spotted it. It was perfect. Late 50s/early 60s boxy style, cropped sleeves, furry but with a close trimmed pile and small spots. Even better it had big leather covered buttons. Like the kind my dad has on all his height of fashion 70s cardigans. In other words: leopard print perfection. And it fit like a glove. I remember standing there like an idiot staring into space and wondering how close the nearest cash-point was when the shop owner came up to me and said these magic words “It’s $110 but if you’re undecided I can knock it down to $90?” I think I may have actually squealed out loud. Very embarrassing. I couldn’t get a good photo so you will have to imagine how it looks… Sort of a cross between these two beauties:

source: teen vogue

source: the gloss

And when I wear it I feel like this:

source: handbag fairy

Or this:

source: glamamor

Or even this:

source: delicatessen!

(I’m slightly hyper today, in case you hadn’t noticed)


On a more serious level, I find that the kind of wardrobe I am aiming for needs to have the occasional stand out or hero piece to stop it from stultifying. As mush as I love my new pared back approach, I sometimes want to be a bit frivolous and that is where this coat comes in. Not that I wear it out with a vinyl catsuit and matching leopard print stilettos… Though that would be quite a sight to see I would imagine. Haha. Underneath my clothes are the same, usually my black merino sweater and a black pencil skirt or my new(ish) black pants for work or over jeans and a tee for casual. It also looks pretty cool over shorts with tights and loafers for a bit of a grunge twist if I’m feeling that way inclined. But mostly I love the sense of old school glamour it instils in my wardrobe, I certainly always feel elegant when I wear it. And let’s face it ladies, it’s not like leopard is going out of style anytime soon!


Is there something in your wardrobe that is a real standout that you just love? Or even just makes your feel a bit screen goddess-ish?

A Break in Transmission

With all the horror happening around us in the world right now somehow this particular tragedy has slipped past under the radar.

"Convoys of minibuses are making the trip back and forth from the Somali border to refugee camps in Ethiopia, as people flee the worst famine in years.
UNHCR Head of Emergency Operations Jo Hegenauer said the death rates in the camps are 'extremely high and they worry everyone'."

"Figures are as high as ten per day in some camps.
'If we don't respond quikly to this..I think we're going to have serious long term problems', he said.
The UN warned last week that almost 10 million people in the Horn of Africa are facing a humanitarian emergency as the region struggles to deal with its worst drought for 60 years." - SBS News

Why are none of these images on the news?

 

Please donate all you can to the UNHCR or your charity of choice. Does it matter if you can't buy those new shoes with this pay check? As little as US$150 can buy an Emergency Assistance Package to give a family the essentials for survival and shelter

Inspiration for Life and Wardrobe V3.0

I was recently browsing the What Elle Wears blog and was pleasantly surprised by the pared-back style that most of the staff was rocking. I suppose I shouldn't be shocked, but having based most of my fashion-office-wear assumptions on The Devil Wears Prada and various streetstyle photos of editors wandering around at fashion week, I was expecting something a little more intense and 'fashion-y'.

By far the stand out for me is the style of Emma Sells, the fashion features director. Pared back, lots of my favourites: shirts, blazers and brogues, in a healthy mix of high street with a touch of upscale designer thrown in for good measure.

all images: elle.com

Inspired, I wore my khaki pants rolled up at the ankle with my brogues today. Loving it.

Who's style are you girls loving right now?