Figuring It Out

Challenging transeasonal dressing and questioning the complexities of social media all in one blog post...

Lounge

I'm wearing: Topshop Roll Back Crop Tee, Nunui Pants, Nike Black Free Runs, Sportsgirl Necklace 

Although in this outfit I may resemble to that of a back up dancer, I promise you this outfit is so darn comfortable if you could ever walk around in my shoes. Now that the cold weather is climbing up a little bit more each day here in Sydney, I've resorted back to my usual pattern of defiance to the Autumn/Winter weather by stretching out my Summer wardrobe as much as possible. I have a hunch that crop tops and light colours will be worn to the death this year.

Warm Water

I'm wearing: Topshop bowler hat, H&M floral longsleeve playsuit, Lovisa silver bead necklace, Topshop denim shirt, Sportsgirl bucket bag, Dotti knee high socks, Urban Soul leather tall boots. 

I've been dreamin' - Coachella dreaming! That event is one engraved on my bucket list to do before I die for absolute certainty. I love seeing how festival looks can be challenged again and again each year with its high rotation of crochet, florals, denim cut-offs and wide brim hats. Not to mention a great time to see top tier style stars give a great burst of inspiration for Coachella dressing  - i.e. Harley Viera Newton in floral Topshop glory, Selena Gomez in that Free People dress and of course Vanessa Hudgens, Bohemian Queen. Music-wise, the line-up isn't too bad…What I would have done to be in the crowd for Banks, Disclosure, Haim, Kid Cudi, Lorde and more….I don't even know. 

Back to base in Sydney, I've been moping in the cold weather that has marked the beginning of Autumn and have been wearing my new knee high boots everywhere. Although my love for collecting black ankle boots comes in all variations, a tall boot is just a classic must-have to jazz up any outfit. Whether it's to utilise a pair of knee high socks or to just pull over a pair of black skinny jeans - they definitely add an extra dimension to your look. At least that's the line of thought running through my head. Personally, I love playing with the proportions when wearing knee-high boots, where pairing the short length of the playsuit on top and adding a layer of grey socks underneath equates to ultimate transition dressing. Coachella 2015, I've got my eyes on you.

Comfort Dressing

I'm wearing: Mink Pink White Tee, Elle MacPherson Intimates Bralette, Topshop Leigh Jeans, Sportsgirl Shawl, Windsor Smith Gillie Heels, Miu Miu Sunglasses and H&M Rings.

I used to have a penchant for dressing up back in the days of being a fresh-faced teen. (2009 Luella and Erin Fetherston collections may have contributed to this trail of thought, thanks to D&T lessons glued to Style.com) Wide-eyed and newly eighteen, I would notice the girls who dressed up to the nines on a Friday night in all their high-heeled, dewy-faced beauty. Straight away, I dove into experimenting with the contents my own wardrobe, but realised that I have a hard time when it comes to dresses. And dressing up for that matter.

You see, I’ve come to the realisation that as a university student and a girl who has too many material, food and travelling lusts – my lack of funds require me to have pieces that are versatile as ever. Repeat outfits are frequent and necessary, but I feel like dresses restrict this tangent. Seperates are the way to go for me, at least for now, and layering is what I’m focused on finetuning with in regards to finding my own personal style. It’s a little bit exciting and a great way to see your clothes in a completely different perspective. Dresses, on the other hand are a little bit harder to style and change around, where my ideas fall to a halt at layering a collared shirt underneath, the possibility of wearing leather pants underneath (a la Margaret Zhang) or throwing on a jacket. I think I like and prefer the ability to alter my pieces – roll up my jeans, cuff my tees and hell, tie a shirt around my waist!

The result of this ramble is to basically show you how far I’ve come in terms of dress. That I prefer this – a jeans and a tee combination, where the comfort is off the charts – over a bodycon dress any night. Pair it with an exaggerated shawl and I’ve got an outfit for a casual night out. Minimal make up + a messy bun make some great accessories and don’t mind the Miu Mius, they’re my absolute favourites to top off any outfit right now.

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Fallback

I'm wearing: Uniqlo Crew Neck Mens Tee / Eska Alikai Leather Skirt / Topshop Faux Fur Plimsolls / Topshop Faux Leather Bag / Michael Kors Parker Two Tone Watch / My Phone (Samsung Galaxy S4) / House & Garden 'Avoca' Rug 

Hey guys, apologies for the dismal online presence lately. I was supposed to have another outdoor *trial* shoot with Nic but our uni and work schedules having been clashing so much lately that my outfit was eventually reduced to just me and my old tripod/self-timer combo. Black, like for myself and many other females out there, is such a lifesaver of a colour. Especially when running late. The best way to wear all black is to mix and match textures, as many have said in blogs all over the world. Take this mix of a loose tee + mini leather skirt = arriving on to my lecture on time, even though I slept in.

In my first 2014 Girl's Night Out event, I outfit repeated and added a wine lip + swapped the sneakers for some chunky boots - equating to a no-fuss night outfit. Those Topshop plimsolls are also an impulse buy to let me decide if I want to invest in a pair of Vans slip-ons. They have been horrendous to break into, but I think they photograph and match most of my closet pieces so well that I'll risk it to get the biscuit. Lately I've also been more invested in decorating my room - hence the monochrome rug addition and the change in wall location - so I can finally spread out all my uni work on the floor. Four weeks have flown by and I now need to get back to finishing my journal!! Fingers crossed.

P.S. Expect another post this week as I slacked off so much in the last week. Apologies. Thinking of either another Sydney exploration post or trying out Youtube - the possibilities are endless - what do you think?

DISTRACT

I'm wearing: Topshop Denim Button Up Shirt / Bardot Stripe Slouch Longsleeve Top / H&M Grey Denim Shorts / Topshop Chelsea Boots / Sportsgirl Necklace / McQ by Alexander McQueen Leather Tote / Top image taken by Nic 

Quick post today! I've been a little bit overwhelmed with having to adjust back to juggling work, university and my personal life. I've been turning to beaches for a bit of reassurance, where with running along the coast every few days, I've also been channelling my curious side in search of finding hidden beaches around Sydney. Vaucluse is an absolute gem to find these quiet, tucked away beaches (Milk Beach & Kutta Beach are must visits) as well as to stare in awe of some of the most beautiful houses and stunning scenic views.

Nic and I were exploring Parsley Bay the other day - where in the midst of having a go and attempting the whole 'boyfriend-takes-my-blog-pictures' charade, a gorgeous Kelpie ran through the bridge and proceeded to distract us with a game of Fetch. After she went home with her owners, a gorgeous sky etched in shades of pinks, purples and orange accompanied us on our drive back home. Seriously Sydney folks, if you ever get a chance, I highly recommend driving through Rose Bay during sunset - it was the most magical sky we'd ever seen. We were gushing like kids the whole way back.

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Chop & Change

I'm wearing: Cotton On Strawberry Waffles Jumper / Bardot La Mar Skirt / Wrangler Trucker Denim Jacket / ShopLoueyMarks Hat / Diva Cuffs / Michael Kors Parker Two Tone Watch / H&M Claw Ring / H&M Chunky Boots / 

Lately I've been a big fan of spontaneous change. Take the night before Valentine's Day, while trying to walk off a feast of ribs at Hurricane's Bondi - stopped by at Bondi Ink and decided to get my nose pierced. Not sure how long that's gonna last, but it's a bit of recklessness that I can add to the beginning of my twenties. Then take a few days later, where I had an overdue haircut at Oscar Oscar salons with an intention of just a trim, Courtney mentioned how a collarbone-grazing length could be a bit of a change to my bundle of hair. And to that I said 'Why not?' and cue jumping to the chance. Now with a few weeks of adjusting to a half-new 'me', I'm liking the weightlessness and loving the layers (...still getting used to the nose ring).

I brought all this change along with my first day at UTS. Transferring from a small college to an actual CAMPUS was a bit nerve-wracking but it included the necessity of walking around in circles and trying to understand the maps/room locations. I do quite like the larger scale of things - i.e, lectures with numbers in the 100s, so many different personalities in one room studying Design = so many different interpretations - but I'm (nerdily) excited about the tutorials and especially the library. Life is good, I have no qualms, and I'm in the mood to start Winter layering. Hope that's the same with everyone!

Calm Before The Storm

I'm wearing: Topshop fitted denim shirt / Terminal 21 polka dot dress / Charles & Keith lace up flats / H&M faux snakeskin shoulder bag / H&M eye ring / Souvenir rope market bracelets

With two feet planted firmly back on Sydney soil, I am sort of getting back on on track with my work/play balance before the uni semester starts again. I've ditched the Australian tourist attire of singlet, sunburn, denim shorts, salty hair + thongs to working on transitioning my Thailand purchases to coincide with my wardrobe back here in Sydney.

This particular dress caught my eye in one of the boutiques in the Terminal 21 mall in Bangkok with its perfect drop-waist shape, where a simple relaxed ruffle added a touch of 'girly' to an otherwise simple and static shift dress. Once I saw this dress, I had that moment of knowing I had to have it - and it was the first item my friends and I ever attempted at bartering for. Looking back, we may have had a shocking first try, but a dress for THB900฿/AUS$30 was not bad at all for a versatile garment that I can keep all year 'round.

Playing around with layering, I added my favourite Topshop button-up underneath, and matched it with my ecstatic find of these perfect patent brogues from Charles & Keith. The H&M bag breaks up the sea of black and restricts me to pack the absolute necessities - no more no less - that consist of keys, wallet, Baby Lips and a phone.

And there we go! Preppy vibes radiating out of this world for you today in this outfit post. Alexa Chung, eat your heart out x

Stay Gold

I'm wearing: Wildfox Cherie Skull Tank / Saints + Secrets Reptile Skirt / Windsor Smith 'Gillie' Heels / Sportsgirl Fedora 

After lusting over one of those Lack of Color hats that everyone's been sporting lately, I looked back at this old Sportsgirl purchase a few years back and thought that it might work (?!) On this particular day, I felt like a mix of casual vs. dressy - trying to make a drop-waist shape out this top and skirt pairing. Speaking of this top, I'm finding pieces that I wear frequently are more or less the ones that carry a story behind it. Like how I found this Wildfox top in a boutique underneath our hotel during a time at the Gold Coast hours before we had to catch a flight back to Sydney. I totally had a 'gem in the minefields' moment, (as I was/am obsessed with Kimberley Gordon's blog) and constantly wear this in heatwave conditions.

In other news, I'm prepping for a trip to Thailand next Thursday! So excited to be travelling with my friends and exploring the rest of the world. If anyone has recommendations of where to eat/shop/be a tourist around Bangkok and Phuket that would be amazing. I'm so excited!

Midnight

I'm wearing: Don't Ask Amanda Cut Out Dress / Girl Express Chunky Boot / Lovisa Tribal Necklace / Vintage Bracelet / 

I've been playing it by instinct lately and so far its been serving me well. This dress was a last minute birthday purchase just idly hanging on the walls at General Pants, waiting to be picked up. Needless to say - I saw this outfit in my head the moment I laid eyes on it, tried it on, and snapped it up eagerly in less than 10 minutes. Floral dresses have a soft spot in me, and will always be forever perfect paired up with a nice chunky, worn-in pair of (black) ankle boots. It's always the best back-up ensemble.

Also enjoy my bare face in it's make up free bliss. It's nice to just wake up some days and not have to worry about a make up routine. In saying that, I would love to know if anyone has any make up favourites for the Summer? The furthest I could venture out into products was switching my foundation routine to BB cream and a bit of concealer instead of Studio Fix. I'm contemplating on tackling illuminators next...

Off-Duty

I'm wearing: Shoploueymarks Vintage Newsboy Cap / American Apparel Track Tee / Bardot Stripe Slouch Long-sleeve Top / Cotton On Denim Shorts / Wittner 'Chico' Sandals / McQ by Alexander McQueen Embossed Leather Tote

There was a huge moment of relief when I realised I managed to get three days off work! Amidst all the craze and the bustle of Boxing Day and Stocktake Sales here in Sydney, all I want to is to crawl in the cave of my bedsheets for the next 72 hours. But alas, due to spending most of my December working in retail's craziest period ever - there has been some neglect in other aspects of my life, in particular the mess waiting for me at home and a trip to Edith in the next two days…

My bare white walls, albeit a little uneven in a few parts (that's rushed DIY renovations for ya), are in desperate need of a cluster of magazine clippings, printed quotes and polaroid pictures to make it a bit more home-y. But interior decorations will come together all in due time! Today is all about running errands and I'm pretty much channelling the whole 'throw something over your head and go go go' mantra. The combination of stripes and denim are a instinctual off-duty uniform for many girls, and I can concur with the comfort level being off the charts. Sandals are also an immediate go-to in opposing the closed-in shoes rule for work, letting my lilac toes breathe for a bit in open air. This newsboy cap hides a bit of bed hair and is my small attempt in pulling it off as well as Lara Bingle did with hers last Summer. But more importantly - have you seen this bag?! An incredibly luxe McQ by Alexander McQueen black leather Christmas present from Mum, and is already set to get a lot of wear from here on out.

I hope you guys are resting up on holidays. I'm so jelly.

- Amanda