Guin's Everyday Style

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Olive green and bright gold are best mates! (DI Post 21.5.2014)

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5-21-14
This outfit was a bit of a no brainer, black (tights and blazer), charcoal (skirt) and dark brown (boots) are all neutral colours, and consequently go with most things. The fact that they are all on the dark side means they blend together pretty harmoniously.
It also means if I had left them on their own I would have been left looking pretty dull and drab. To lift the look I have worn an olive green knit, and a couple of gold necklaces.  For those of you who have read Nat’s (Defined Image) first eBook, ‘Colour and Print’, you will know that olive green and bright gold are best mates! Together they take this outfit from hump day blah to something a little more interesting.
The Foley and Agamo leopard print ‘Freda’ tote also lifts the look, but as I don’t walk around the office with my hand bag, I need a permanent feature as well.
G xx

 

Double Denim (DI Post 19.5.2014)

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5-19-14

Let’s talk about double denim, do you do double denim? I must admit when I first saw it coming back in over a year ago, I was a little hesitant. However, I decided if it was good enough for Nat at Defined Image, it was good enough for me!

If you are not completely comfortable with the look, you don’t need to go as far as I have in the RHS pic (wearing both pieces in the same shade). Instead you can wear two pieces in different shades, like I have in the LHS pic. 

Don’t forget to divide up the double denim with a belt and necklace. You can never go wrong with a skinny belt in a hair colour, then repeating this colour in your shoes.
Oh by the way do you like my sailor jeans? These are also making a comeback, just make sure you wear them with heels, definitely no canvas trainers!
G xx

Leggings are not pants……but (DI Post 17.5. 2014)

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5-17-14

After a rough couple of days, I was lucky enough to escape to the movies with a girlfriend last night.

It’s the first movie I have been to in 2.5 years (since having Sophie) and Ihad been thinking about the yummy dinner and choc top I was going to have all day. It wasapparent I was going to need to dress for comfort and my pants were going to need an elastic waist!

So when I stumbled on these leather look leggings from the Kardashian range at Priceline I had a light bulb moment……these looked comfy and there was definitely an elastic waist!
Now normally I have a very strong leggings are not pants rule, but in this case I thought I may get away with it. The leggings do look like leather, (as long as you don’t get too close lol) and my chambray shirt completely covers my but.
I dressed the look up with double necklace bling and a faux fur collar, and book-ended my hair with my blonde booties.
My Foley and Agamo ‘Freda’ Leopard Print pony hair bag completed the luxe look!
I felt comfortable and warm, yet still dressed up and stylish. The best bit was I didn’t have to sit through the movies with my pants digging into my tummy! Win!

Ps we saw ‘The Other Woman’ it was awesome, I laughed the whole way through!

G xx

Lessons learnt (DI Post 15.5.2014)

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5-15-14
Prologue…….
Those of you who were following my wardrobe cull posts will know I was a little undecided about keeping this dress. I decided in the end to keep it as I think I can make it work for me.
Not every style is the best style for your body shape, nor will every colour make you glow and your eyes glisten, but if we only wore what suited us to a tea, we would find style and fashion a bit restrictive and boring.
What  Nat from Defined Image teaches, what she is so brilliant at doing, what I love about her and what I am learning, is that you can make things that are not your perfect fit still work for you. Don’t get me wrong she will tell you what your best shapes, lengths and colours are, and those items should make up 85% of your wardrobe, but there is a little room for eccentricity in everyone’s wardrobe.
I didn’t particularly enjoy doing the wardrobe cull posts, not only did they take me hours (like litterally 3-4 hours) but at the end of them I wasn’t standing their in my cutest combo, I was standing there in the absolute worst things in my wardrobe, with no make up, poor lighting (because it had gotten so late), thinking ‘Oh God I have just ruined my image I have worked hard over the past 6 months.’
Some of my cull was successful, I got rid of a heap of bags and shoes (pats back)!
Other things like my dresses, were not so easy. I knew these items weren’t ideal, that is why I was showcasing them as examples. I knew I should let them go as they were taking up valuable real estate but I had an attachment. Unfortunately  a lot of this commentry was lost, many people only saw the images, only saw me in an awefull dress, and instead of laughing with me at my hopeless ability to let things go, decided to give me a lesson in how to dress.
So with that and a little reflection, I feel I have a lot to give in everyday style insperation, perhaps not so much in how to declutter your wardrobe, I’ll leave those top tips to the Define Miss N! x
So……….
Blue loves orange, tan is pretty much a version of orange. I imagine a blue and charcoal print scarf or blue statement necklace would have looked amazing with this outfit. I had neither 🙁
I also thought a leopard print scarf comprised of tan, blonde and black/dark brown would have also looked amazing…..I’ll put one of them on my list too.
What I did have was a lot of other black and tan items, which is fine they work well too, they are just not as exciting. I have paired my black and tan dress with black opaque tights and tan boots. Both items calmly work with the outfit as they are repeating the colours in the dress.
The tan jacket, divides the stripes and elongates my torso making me look thinner.
The thing that stands out the most is my necklace, while the black (curved) horizontal stripes tie in with the black (curved) horizontal stripes in the dress the white on the other hand stands out and makes this necklace the star of the show. The necklace also lowers the neckline of my outfit as the neckline of the dress is too high.
G xx

Chuck Taylors (DI Post 10.5.2014)

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5-10-14

Two great things to come out of my wardrobe cull, are my re-connection with my Chucks (Converse street sneakers) and this scarf I forgot I had!

My complexion dictates that I suit cool colours more so than warm colours. that doesn’t mean I can’t wear warm colours, it just means I need to wear them in my lower half, and balance them out.

I have also mixed my prints, by keeping one colour (black) in common.

I decided to show you two ways I can wear this outfit, ’cause I know you are not all fans of my Chucks (I’m thinking of you here Rosanna! X )

The first pick is a bit more edgy, I’m wearing the crotch lower and wearing some street sneakers (they tie in with all the black and white going on, on top).

The second pic, I have pulled up my britches, and paired with my blonde booties.

Which look do you prefer?

Hope all the Mothers out there have a wonderful Day!

G xxV

The Great Wardrobe Cull Part 5 (10.5.2014)

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I have a lot of dresses, mostly because I am short and unlike pants, I generally don’t need to take them up, which means I can buy them at the last minute for an event, without worrying about alterations.
The first picture is of my daytime summer dresses. Out of the 14 dresses there were 4 that I never wear. The blue halter neck is too small and because the bottom half is unflattering, I am not even going to entertain the ‘I’ll fit into it one day card’, so it’s going.
dress2 dress 1 dress 3
The green dress has the loveliest detail on the top, but the waist is terrible, and makes me look so fat. I’ll wear this with a skirt over the top.
The yellow and black dress is not the best colour on me, but with some fake tan I think I can pull it off.
I bought the multi-coloured dress in Thailand, having never worn it, I think maybe I should have left it there, what do you think?
I actually really love my event and cocktail dresses, and most of them fit (I’m looking at you size 6 pink strapless number, one day, one day I will wear you again).
The only dress I have reservations about is the electric blue number, what do you think?
Finally my winter dresses, I love love love my tan shirt dress, however it has a small tear near the top RHS pocket, after trying it on again the tear is very small, and I think fixable. The tan and black dress, I also had some concerns about, however I think I’ll wear it if I team it with a scarf, do you think it’s a keeper?
The black dress, has long been my go to funeral dress, I bought it from Cue 10 years ago, it is incredibly flattering, the only issue is the length, but I think I kind of like the 3/4 length especially when worn with my purple suede booties, what do you think?
Now I will confess, after all this, I have only culled one dress, the blue halter neck (I await your comments, with the other ones). But to show you all why I love my dresses so much, I thought I’d do a montage, a ‘I really love my dresses and I don’t want to throw them out montage!’
dresses
G xx

The Great Wardrobe Cull Part 4 DI Post (9.5.2014)

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For those of you that missed the first post in this series, inspired by Nat’s (Defined Image) new eBook ‘My wardrobe my way’ I have decided to cull my overflowing, can’t find anything, hardly worn wardrobe, and I am taking you all along for the ride, in the hope that I may inspire you to do the same!

I   to the realisation that I have an awful lot of accessories, most of which I don’t wear.

Let’s start with the scarfs.
wardrobe cul part 4

Does anyone still have a thin glittery scarf like this, really popular in the early 2000s? Often found attached to a magazine as a freebee? I had 2, now I have none, get rid of them ladies! I also removed any woolly scarfs that were mattes and my Grandmas vintage neck scarfs I inherited have gone into a dress up box for Sophie.

If like me you have a few sarongs that you hardly wear, see if you can also wear them as a scarf!
I have plenty of bright print scarfs, but lack darker prints and animal prints, both of which will go on my must have list!
Now let’s move on to bags. For someone who has this many bags it’s funny that I tend to use the same tan leather tote everyday. I decided to get rid of any bags that were falling apart or out of style. My totes shrunk from 18 to 7 (quite proud of that). And I have one in a black, dark brown, medium brown, tan, blonde, print and metallic, which is a good mix. My clutches were all pretty good, I just got rid of a few that were starting to wear out.
bags
I culled my 15 hats down to 6. It was quite easy, either a hat suits you or it doesn’t, if in doubt chuck it out!
Getting rid of my baseball caps, bucket hat, beanies and ….sigh…. JLo hat (circa 2003). Keeping a knitted beret and 5 race day hats/facinators.
I also got rid of my straw fedora hat, not because the style is bad, but because it got squashed in my suitcase. Nat often recommends having a light and dark Fedora, so they will also go on my list!
Like everything else, my belt collection was epic, I had so many wide waist cinch belts, I wussed out on ditching them all, but I did chuck any belts that were really outdated or falling apart.  Eventually I would like to replace my blonde and tan skinny belts with real leather ones and I really want a thin leopard print belt too!
belts

Finally, more for your amusement than anything else, my Mother’s furs and evening gloves, no wonder I have no room in my wardrobe, I can’t part with these, but I have taken them out of my valuable wardrobe real estate  and transferred them to a dress up box for Sophie!

mother's fur
G xx

The Great Wardrobe Cull Part 3 (DI Post 5.5.2014)

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cull part 3

Despite having many more shoes that I need to go through, after having a little difficulty working out what to wear to work tomorrow, I decided to leave the shoes for a while and have a look at my blouses and pants. 

Blouses are inherently feminine, they look great if they are balanced with something masculine, whether that be trousers, cargos, a drill skirt or boyfriends. So if like me, you are going to give your blouses a once over, I suggest wearing something masculine while you do it.
After trying on all my blouses I realised I really like most of them, and was only unsure of 3. However a few things were preventing me from grabbing them and wearing them regularly.
1) They don’t fit – either throw them out, or if you are delusional like me, pack them up and put them in a storage container out of the way (perhaps under your bed).
2) They are crinkled – if you have any un-ironed clothes in your wardrobe, go grab them out now and put them in your ironing basket, you will never wear them if they are not ready to just grab out and throw on!
3). You have nothing to wear with them – If you really value the item, and the only thing stopping you from wearing it is that you have nothing to wear with it, work out what you need to make it work. I have worked out that my grey trousers look great but have a hole and need to be mended, that my black trousers are too feminine so I need to get a black or dark grey in a more masculine style, and I need a pair of boyfriends for a more casual look.
4) What is your favourite? – Mine is my cream blouse, so now I know I need to find something similar in a dark and a great pattern.
Oh and if your wondering what I’m wearing to work tomorrow , I decided to wear my cream blouse with my drop crotch harem’s and grey poncho.
G xx

Great Wardrobe Cull Part 2 (DI Post 2.5.2014)

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wardrobe cull part 2
Well I said I would do it, and do it I did! I took the first step in culling my wardrobe.
Now I think a disclaimer is in order here, my name is Guinevere and I am…..no wait I was a shoe hoarder.
Many of these shoes have never been worn (thankfully), many have not been worn in 10 years, and many should never have been worn, I’m talking to you denim/hot pink not quite pointy toe mule!
Most of these shoes were a no brainer, I am actually embarrassed that it has taken me this long to throw them out, but some were harder. This post would become an essay if I described each one of the 35 shoes, so instead I have highlighted a few of the gems (for your amusement) and have compiled a ‘What to think about’ list when culling shoe collections.
Guinevere’s what to think about when culling shoes list
1) When did you last wear it? 3 years ago (or in the case of the  open toe sequin Witchery mule circa 2000, 14 years ago) – donate it!
2) Does it have a pointy toe? Yes, Great! did you buy it last time pointy shoes were a must have item thanks to SATC, circa 2002? Yes – donate it!
3) Did you snag it as a bargain from an op-shop? Yes, great! Does it look like a bargain from an op-shop? Yes – donate it!
4) Is it falling to pieces? Yes, kind of, sort of, maybe, – bin it!
5) Is it a Birkenstock or Croc? Yes – donate it! – Since I posted this in May, Birkenstocks have made a massive comeback (who would have guessed). If you have a Birk left over from 2002 and it is black or white in good nick, then perhaps keep it.
6) Does it have a heel like the snakes skin strappy sandal pictured? Yes – donate it!
7) Is it old and dirty? Yes – bin it!
8) Is it so uncomfortable that you have never worn it? Yes – donate it!
9) Is it scuffed? Yes, is it leather? No – then bin it!
G xx

The Great Wardrobe Cull…..(DI Post 28.4.2014)

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 4-28-14
After reading Nat from Defined Image’s  new e-book “My Wardrobe My Way” (which is fabulous by the way, do yourself a favour and get one!) I have decided I need to cull my over crowded, can’t find anything, don’t wear heaps of it wardrobe.
Nat’s wardrobe is pristine, ordered and she can always find what she needs, when she needs it. Despite having learnt many of Nat’s amazing tips and tricks (I even consider my self a ‘Nataficionado’! My wardrobe still  looks like…..well this…….feel free to gasp in horror!)
So armed with the inside ‘know-how’ of how she created and maintains this wardrobe (her new eBook) over the next few weeks I am going to attempt to resurrect this sorry excuse of a wardrobe!
I started yesterday, and I must say I failed miserably, all I managed to discard was a bunch of competition running race t-shirts, some old out of shape tanks and a very old, very pilled black knit.
You see I have trouble letting go, I am a clothes hoarder, which I think stems from the lack of nice, fashionable clothes I had during my childhood (let’s not go there Lolz). This was going to be hard…very hard!
I made some small inroads, all my maternity clothes, skinny clothes (because I am delusional) and sentimental clothes (think Mother’s wedding dress) ended up in storage containers.
The remainder of my clothes that I don’t wear often, but couldn’t bear to part with because…well because I’m a clothes hoarder, I am going to attempt to wear over the coming weeks If I don’t or can’t, they must go.
I decided to start by wearing my Chuck Taylors today. I never wear these, I think because in the past I have paired them with really casual, masculine items and end up (in my eyes) looking like a boy, the key for me is to balance them with something feminine like this pink top and scarf.
I think they are a keeper! What do you think, keep or chuck? (pun intended)
G xx