What am I going to wear?

You know that feeling? Every girl has it. When you open up your wardrobe and have nothing to wear. Well about 4 hours ago that was me. I was actually sitting in a movie when i received a text from a friend asking me to come to the Young and Emerging Designers Party (YEDP) presented by Felix & Slink and Vogue.com.au  tonight. This is a big party hosted as part of Mercedes Bends Fashion Festival in Brisbane.

While at first I was excited, it suddenly dawned on me… What am i going to wear?? Five little words that every girl says at least once a week. So I did my research. What is the theme of the party (Rio themed), what are my friends wearing (colourful dresses) and what type of event is it (cocktail).

Once I found all this out it made the search for the perfect outfit a little bit easier. With that direction I decided that I would be responsible and recycle a dress [shock horror I know]. I would have loved to have bought something fabulously new but after being overseas for a month that is just not an option. So instead I have opted to wear a black dress. Something basic which I can accessories easily.

So the dress is sorted. On to the shoes…

Well, I have been obsessed with a pair of black velvet wedges I bought a few months ago [ I wear them to death]. So I splurged a little and picked up a pair of peep toe black leather wedges. They were on sale and I love them, so that was excuse enough.

Dress and shoes sorted. Now the accessoreis…

As the theme of the party is Rio I thought I would opt for a lot of colour. So I found a cute turquoise and black clutch which was on sale. I then drove home and rummaged throguh my jewlery box for something perfect. And I found pair of gold and purple drop earrings. Now, I didn’t want to over do it and wear every colour of the rainbow [i’m not going to a rave] so I desided to keep it to those two colours, purple and turquoise.

So to finish off my ensemble I have painted my toes turquoise and my finger nails purple, matching to my jewellery and bag. Probably a strange thing to do [I know, I always like my polishes to match] but I thought why not go all out. It’s subtle but fun!

So the moral of this story is that you can look fabulous and stylish in a recycled outfit. Just change it up with some new accessroeis. They are less expensive [most of the time] than a new dress and you will never feel ashamed to recycle them. Accessories if looked after are something you will have in your wardrobe forever.

Now I have to figure out what to wear Saturday night…

To keep you warm…

Winter has well and truely arrived. It is freezing  [well for Brisbane] so here is something thing that will keep you warm. One of my favourite things about winter is that you can accessories with a fantastic coat or jacket. And today as I walked around Brisbane I noticed that everyone [but me] had their winter coats on. So here are just a few different kinds of coats which I love.

The classic black wool winter coat:

Perfect to wear anytime of the day. It can be dressed up or dressed down. A stapel for your winter wardrobe.

The military coat:

In fashion lately, military styles are being seen everywhere. The perfect way to put some military into your look is by wearing a military style coat.

The Trench:

Another classic stapel for a winter wardrobe. I love both black and tan trench coats. I find them so classy. Trench coats are great for wet days as they will keep you dry and warm. And no one likes the smell of a wet winter coat.

Grey winter coat:

I think this style is perfect for day to day wear. When purchasing a grey coat look for one that has embellishments on more of a skirt. This makes it look more feminine and can also translate into night wear.

Which ever coat you chose it will defiantly be an investment piece. So don’t be stingy and buy something that allows you to wear layers underneath and that is good quality.

-J        Follow @JessFSutherland

Designer Home, Pt 2

This week we’re going to talk about Old vs New. Combining traditional, retro or vintage furniture with modern items is the best way to create a designer home, without it looking like a show home or a page out of a Domayne catalogue.

With places like Ikea offering designer furniture at a reasonable price it becomes easy to end up with an incredibly matchy-matchy living room, bedroom or dining room. The trick to avoiding the show home look is to combine found, reclaimed and new furniture to create an individual look. This doesn’t mean you should disregard places like Ikea, they’re great for affordable and modern furniture when used in moderation.

One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to head to some secondhand furniture shops (try Paddington in Brisbane) or your local op shops and see if you can pick up a retro armchair or vintage dining chair. Then all you need to do is buy some upholstery fabric and recover the chairs. Some chairs are relatively simple to reupholster with fabric, glue and a staple gun. Others may require a professional touch. If you’re trying your hand at DIY you may need to replace the padding under the fabric. Head to Clark Rubber or a similar store and pick up some foam. They can usually cut it to size for you as well.

Another way to create a designer touch in your home is to combine modern and traditional furniture. Try shopping around secondhand stores for an old weathered kitchen table – I’m thinking the sort of thing that sits in the kitchen of an old family farmhouse. Then head to Ikea and pick up some moulded plastic chairs to contrast old with new. Add some bright coloured cushions and table accessories and you’ve got a modern and individual dining setting.

Alternatively, hang a chandelier (for the traditional touch) over a retro modern plastic table. Keep the chandelier low over the table to keep it high style and modern.

Experiment with combining other new and old elements in your home. Think retro stools at a sleek kitchen counter, a glass coffee table with vintage sofas or an old timber bed frame with plastic bedside tables.

The possibilities are endless, so get creative and give it a go!

SCRE4M

Look at it as the fourth installment of the classic Scream movie franchise or as the beginning of a second trilogy (here’s hoping), Scream 4 premiered in Brisbane on Wednesday night at Southbank Cinemas and Jess and I were there to witness.

Now you may be skeptical, we all know remakes and revamps tend to be second-rate compared to the originals, but Wes Craven has managed to make a movie that is not only faithful to the originals, but able to stand alone as the beginning of a new trilogy. Well, at least that’s the hopeful plan.

In my opinion, the fourth Scream movie is just as good as the originals. The premise is that Sidney returns to Woodsboro on the 10th anniversary of the Ghostface murders. And yes, it is obvious that something is going to happen as a result of that, but they don’t try to hide the fact that they are following a scary movie formula, in fact, they embrace it. And it works. The fact that they managed to get the core original cast back, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, is testament to how well they have breathed new life into the Scream franchise.

Throw in a younger cast including Emma Roberts as Sidney’s high school age cousin, Jill, and Hollywood starlets Hayden Panettiere, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell and Lucy Hale and you manage to keep the new movie fresh and appealing to a new generation.

I’m not going to give away any secrets of the movie, because one of the brilliant things about the Scream movies is that they always kept you guessing, right until the very end. But I will tell you that it will not disappoint. If you loved the originals, you will love the fourth installment. So, you’ll have to head to cinemas and check it out for yourself. -C