The weekend update

You have had a whole day without knowing what I am wearing so, even though I haven't been at work, I have decided to throw you a couple pics so you can see what I knock around in.

Saturday, I had to meet some of my favourite people for brunch in Surry Hills and then went shopping (because that is what I do best) for some new things for the house (and for me - whatever). It is starting to really warm up now in Sydney too so I was able to get my legs out from under the opaque tights for once. Ah and how their pastiness glowed in the sunlight!

Husband suggested that I might want to rethink my top because it didn't really go with the skirt. When I argued that I was just contrasting textures and that it totally worked, he admitted that he actually just hated the skirt. Which is just silly because: a) the skirt is ace; and b) he had originally complained about the top!

I chose to ignore him though. He can veto shorts but I am not going to start letting him dictate what skirts I can wear - I have drawn a line! Humph.

Anyway, today we went to the Newtown Festival which was nice - it was kinda sunny again and the festival was in a lovely park with live music and there were cute dogs running around everywhere. More annoyingly, there were a lot of people (and their annoying children) running around everywhere too but I remained tolerant and calm. Until I wasn't, so then we left.

I decided to give my tattoo a bit of attention - it is almost a whole year old! - so I wore a tied singlet that showed it off. Everyone else seemed to have the same idea and, after seeing everyone else's cool ink, I am so very keen to get another one done ASAP.

Husband apparently approved of this outfit. He is very difficult to predict. I think I should stop bothering to even ask him any more.

In other news - I have decided that I will keep posting pics of my outfits next week because I am only at work for three days anyway. After that, I am getting dental surgery (boooooooo!) so I will be hanging out at home with the cats, drinking my meals and taking pain killers. And hopefully this means that I will then have time to do a proper post about something other than me and my wardrobe woes.

Hope that works for you guys!

xox
EM

Day five, outfit five (plus a bonus pic!)

While Fridays are usually casual at my office, today I had to see clients so that wasn't an option.

Which is ok by me. Casual Fridays, are fine in theory but freak me out a little in practice because you can't wear whatever you would actually wear when you are hanging out, being casual and what not. Well - I can't anyway. I have to wear these weird, sanitised, "casual" outfits so I don't offend any of my colleagues. This may not be a problem for most people, but there is a "casual Friday policy" in place at work that prohibits me rocking up in the stuff I would wear on the weekends. It isn't that my normal clothes are offensive per se, but they are definitely a little too "grungy" for an office environment.

But today I had to look nice. I wore my go-to dress for when I want to look a bit more professional (but not stiff or over the top). I don't wear it every week or anything but it is definitely part of my usual rotation.

It's a little DVF number that I picked up earlier this year and it is super-comfy and quite flattering. But it is also pretty plain, so I paired it with some striped stockings and wore red lipstick to brighten the whole look up a bit:

The other thing that I added was a brooch - which is of a skull with flames coming out of it but this usually goes unnoticed. Which I think is cool. Like it is my little secret.

And that, my lovely readers, is the last outfit of my working week! While the start of the week felt a bit like a struggle, I actually ended up enjoying having a reason to try a little harder each morning. And I definitely liked the fact that some of my neglected pieces got to see the light of day again.

Oh and the red shoes! I definitely liked the red shoes!

But wait, there is more!!!

As a bonus (because it is Friday and Fridays make me feel really, really happy and super-generous), I thought I would also add a photo of what I wore out after work tonight!!! Just dinner with my husband in our local burb but enough to want to get changed out of my work gear:

Yep - all black. No big surprises here, I am sure. And with my lovely boots! Oh, how I love these boots. In fact, the worst thing about the weather getting warmer is that I will be wearing them less and less.

Am not sure yet if I will keep doing this next week - I imagine you will be getting over it all by now (if you were, in fact, on it to begin with). So feel free to let me know what you think - are you are getting bored senseless or are you getting some kind of sick pleasure out of this? If I get enough interest, I can keep going. But also happy to go back to my usual posts too. Because they usually focus on making fun of other people which is way cool fun for me.

xox

Day four, outfit four

I am now the proud owner of red high heels!

I have wanted a pair for goodness knows how long, but I would always go with boring black or, on very rare occassions, maybe a silver pair. I always viewed shoes as an investment so I have always been wary of buying a pair that may not go with absolutely everything.

But then I saw these little guys yesterday (on saaaaaaaaaale!) and just had to have them:

I was actually meant to just be buying the white t-shirt. I love a white t-shirt but find that I have to buy new ones all the damn time because I have never worked out how to wash white things without turning them grey-ish in like two or three washes. This may be the one thing that will stop me from ever becoming a proper adult.

And the scarf is yet another severely neglected accessory from my wardrobe. I am pretty sure that I have worn it a grand total of never before today. It is super pretty (up close you can see a purple floral pattern running through it) but the last time I thought about wearing it, I thought it made me look like an air-hostess.

But I think it works with the shoes. And the t-shirt stops it from being too prim.

So all in all, am very happy with today's effort.

Day three, outfit three

The dress I wore today is from Willow. To be honest. it is not my usual kind of thing - it is far more structured than the type of clothes I would normally wear and is a little bit complicated. Also it is cream and I don't normally try not to wear cream - I worry that it will just blend in with my hair and skin which are also kind of cream-coloured.

But I got it for such a great price and I was feeling daring so thought, what the hey! 

Wow - it really is the same colour as my hair. 

I haven't worn it many times but I get a lot of compliments whenever I do (although  perhaps people are just surprised that I have made more of an effort than usual and want to encourage this behaviour).

It is also one of the few dresses that I actually wear a belt with. The shop assistant who sold it to me did that whole standard line, "Oh, I think it would look really great with, like, a belt? To accent your waist?" (Not questions - that is just how she spoke.) And while I nodded along in agreement, I was pretty sure it would look a bit crap with a belt. But she was right! Who'd have thunk it?

And this necklace is very special. I got it from a market in Cairo and very nearly left without it because I was getting bored and exhausted from all the bartering. But thankfully the guy selling it chased me down and agreed to my low-ball/ totally reasonable offer. I was so relieved because I really, really wanted it and would have regretted not buying it.

So day three - done! Too easy. 

Also I cheated a little by accidentally buying something on my way back from yoga today so I already have my outfit worked out in my head for tomorrow. Totally sorted. Woot!

Day two, outfit two

So day two and this is already starting to stress me out.

I figured I should go with all black and then just focus on the jewellery and shoes. This calmed me a bit. Plus it meant that I got to wear this cool necklace that I think I have worn once since I bought it over a year ago. Oops!

You can't really tell in the photos but the shoes are metallic - sort of a gun-metal grey. They are real pretty.

I think this is a much better attempt than yesterday's outfit (although I was told that my grey suit actually looks better IRL than it does in the photos so maybe I was too hard on myself). Am already fretting about tomorrow though - surely it will just get harder each day? Eep!

I have also decided that I am definitely NOT photogenic. (Although, as the lovely friend who has the unenviable task of photographing me likes to remind me - being photogenic just means you are uglier in real life. I like to believe that is true.) Still - expect more photos with me looking away or at my feet over the next few days.

Are we having fun yet?  xox

Day one, outfit one

So following from my last post, I have decided to post a photo of my outfit each day for at least a week so that we can all track my progress. Also, it will keep me accountable so I keep making more of an effort with what I wear to work.

I thought I would start off the week with something simple - dark grey suit with some gothic-ish jewellery.

My verdict? Meh. The suit is actually not as cute as it was in my head. Maybe they would work better as separates? I do like the jewellery though and it definitely adds an edge.

Also I love my shoes - they are cute, platform Pedro Garcia heels and they are super-comfy even though they are pretty damn high.

So overall it is an improvement but not great. Maybe a 6 out of 10.

Hmm - must try harder tomorrow.

Back on the work horse

I have started to get a bit slack at work. Not in terms of the work that I produce - it is my outfits that have started to get a bit sub-par. I have put it down to the fact that it is in between seasons at the moment but I think it is really because I have just gotten lazy.

Ordinarily, I would just have addressed this by going on the mother of all shopping binges but given that I am *technically* under a shopping ban until I go overseas at Christmas (yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!) I have had to look for my inspiration elsewhere.

So I have hit the interwebs to look at pictures of those whose style I hold in the highest esteem. Sadly, though, dressing like Courtney Love, Patti Smith or Edie Sedgwick is not going to fly in an office environment (booooooooo!). What I need are awesome new outfits that make me look like a rock star but in a way that doesn't scare off the corporate types. Oh and that don't require me buy anything new. Hmmm... tricky, tricky, tricky.

After an hour or so on Google, I have decided that I am going to be solely taking all future style direction from the gorgeous Kate Lanphear (style director at US Elle and ex Australian Vogue and Harpers).  It just makes sense - she has short platinum hair, an aversion to all things colourful and a love of big-ass boots. She is basically like me but with more money, more style and a more fabulous job. So the same really.

Here are a few of her looks of hers that I want to start rocking - and I think they can work even in a strict corporate office environment.

Source: www.fabricmag.com

Source: www.front-row-view.com

Source: www.isoldmycookiecutter.com

Source: www.monoxious.com

Source: www.stylebistro.com

Source: www.wikifashion.com

Also, what is very cool about the above outfits is the fact that I own a lot of things already that, if I could be bothered ironing them, would be perfect to create this look. But ironing!  Ugh. I don't see that lasting very long...

One other thing that I need to work on is my jewellery - as in I clearly need to wear more of it! I have a few cool pieces that I like to mix and match but Kate takes it to a whole new level.

Source: www.fashionista.com

Source: www.weheartit.com

And surely it wouldn't hurt if I just bought a few big rings and spikey cuffs - it isn't really like proper shopping if it is only for accessories, right? It is like updating the clothes I already have. And that saves money! Right?

Riiiiiight...

Or maybe, if people really, really love me, they will buy me shiny pretty things for my birthday which is only a week away. I can totally wait a week. And I will need pretty things to help me deal with the fact that I am yet another year further away from my 20s.

It is jewellery or self-harm people - it is up to you!

(And by "you" I mean my husband. And by "self-harm" I mean new tattoos, a haircut, colour or possibly botox.)