Home is wherever I'm with you

So my long awaited trip to Thailand came and went and as I was welcomed home this morning to Sydney's beautiful weather I thought I'd write a dedication post to everything I bought over in Phuket.

........it's not that simple though, it's never that simple because I am still jet lagged and can't really type properly so stay tuned for tomorrow where there will be a detailed post about just how amazing this shopping endeavor to Phuket was. 

Liv xo

Spring has Sprung!

Exams are finally over so sorry to everyone (all three of you) who have been after a post since my last, but the past few weeks have been non-stop sun and despite the rain dampening the post-exam celebration it finally feels like we might actually have a proper Summer in Sydney this year!
But I won't get too ahead of myself because Spring is my favourite time of year, there's flowers, baby animals, the beach, markets and of course Mercedes Benz Fashion Week where the Spring/Summer collections are released and everyone's happy. And of course the fact that my birthday is in Spring and I love my birthday a lot more than most people, it's really just a great time of year.

My Seventh Wonderland swimming costume is
this shape but with a different pattern. 

And, this time in two weeks I'll be living it up in Thailand which really is kind of the inspiration for this post. Now procrastination is almost my middle name, sometimes I even procrastinate procrastinating but the other day I did something productive when I should've been studying for my maths exam - I went through my swimmers (tonks, cossies, swimwear, beachwear, swimsuit..as you will) and while going through my swimmers I found a total of 7 pairs. This is a new record for me an I'm ultra excited and so I thought I'd write about swimmers simply because I want to.

At the Big Fashion Sale a few months ago I picked up this absolute gem of a swimming costume, it's a Seventh Wonderland one piece which retailed for a lot more than I paid for it. And on top of that, it's very aesthetically pleasing. Most of my swimmers are heavily discounted which is more good luck than anything else but the last three pairs have cost under $80 which is insane for swimmers. Especially for a brand like Seafolly or Tigerlily.

Which brings me to my next point...I wish I had more money to buy more clothes! I went into Tigerlily the other day and was nearly brought to tears at how major my first world problems are. A standard swimming costume is about $200. ie. Two weekends pay (assuming I work both days on the weekend for 5 hours each) I think that this is ridiculously overpriced and I might just sue the manufacturers, not really though I'm just more sad over my financial situation at the moment than anything but online shopping makes up for it so it's okay.

A really really really like the 1930's style bikini's with the high waist and prettiness, I love strapless bikini's because it doesn't make an awkward tan, I love underwired swimmers because they're just a lot more shaped which is nice and I love bright colours and patterns. I just want this rain to end so I can sun bake at Bondi and look fabulous in my ever growing range of swimmers.

(Above) Two styles that I adore, it doesn't have the high waisted which to some extent can be unflattering but still retains the 1930's elegance. 

Very expensive Tigerlily Bikini that has a really nice fabric but not sure about the style. 

Liv xo

Shoes

My love for shoes is one that has been passed down from my mum. At last count she had over 50 pairs and now, my goal in life is to have more than that. At the moment I have around 25ish pairs, I would have more but my feet are only now starting to stop growing so I have always been apprehensive to splash out and buy heaps of pairs. But, this is destined to change with my ever-growing wish list reaching it's peak of 10 styles..just of summer shoes. So as I'm procrastinating from studying as I feel my future will be spent marrying a wealthy man who can afford to pay for my clothes addiction, I've decided to share my three favourite shoe styles for this spring/summer.

Now to begin with, a style that began to come in last year with Wittner's 2011 Summer range..the platform. Oh my love for platform shoes, for me it all began earlier this year when my friend and I were shopping and I tried on some platform converse. Initially I was bewildered at the style but tried on the shoes for a giggle, I don't even know what it was about them but I was amazed and then on have been yearning for a pair. Today, while at Sportsgirl I bought an all-white, low cut pair of sneakers with a semi platform. But, the platform just isn't high enough. I don't even know what it is, now I'm considering creepers which were something that I steered well away from as I associated them with scene kids. I think it's the added height without being too overbearing that I like. Also, I feel like a Spice Girl when I wear then which is an added bonus. Either way, it seems as if platforms will be a big contender in Sydney's fashion world this season with major stores stocking them and fashion icons wearing them. 

Next, are shoes that almost every person born or raised in the 90's will relate to. The Jelly Sandal. Jelly shoes were my childhood shoe, when I look back on photos of my younger self I'm almost always sporting a pair. For a while though, I'd forgotten about the humble jelly shoe until in year 6 when my mum bought me a pair of jelly ballet flats, they had a slight heel and I wore them to year 6 camp - feeling ultra trendy in the process. But of course, it wasn't really until the lovely Niamhy 'Fashion Icon' G bought a pair herself that I really remembered just how fabulous the jelly sandal was. Since then I've been scouring through the internet and have found the ideal pair for me, only they've sold out of my size. Which is typical my luck, but nonetheless has only strengthened my desire for a pair of clear jelly sandals to wear in the summertime and whilst in Thailand that will just make me look that much cooler than everyone else. 

Now, for a slightly dressy shoe that again I have been after for a little while now. Whilst shopping on Oxford St a couple of months ago I spotted a pair of shoes in Gorman. Now, Gorman is beautiful and like most beautiful things it is also expensive. But, the 'molly' shoe is one that is absolutely worth every cent. You see at the present I am five foot nine and a half. Which is fairly tall, and because of this I am always self conscious of wearing too high heels because I always tower over everyone else. (At my formal I was taller than my date....) I think the fact that I chose to wear high heels over being shorter than my date really just highlights how I put fashion over probably more important things. But these shoes are the perfect height and are so comfortable because of the platform and as orange is my new favourite colour it's a win-win for everyone. And, as an added bonus I went into Gorman today and the shoes are reduced to $150 which I believe is fate and because my birthday is in 47 days I think I'll ask to get them for my birthday. I think me and these shoes are meant to be. 

Upon re-reading this post I've noticed that all of these shoes are a classic re-visit to the 90s. I seriously wish I was born 5 years earlier so I could've had more time in such a fantastic era like honestly, who doesn't love scrunchies, turtle necks and platforms? No one would be the appropriate answer to that question.

Thanks for reading!

Liv xo 

Trends I hate.

As every new season roles around, I'm always eager to see what see what's new in the fashion world. Mostly, I can't complain about what people wear because as a whole, I like clothes too much to the point that I try to find nice things in each outfit. But, there are cases where I genuinely am close to tears when I see what people are wearing. Really, I'm not a perfect dresser with an immaculate dress sense but when you see someone holding bags from the likes of Supre and ICE I feel it's my duty to judge them.

Firstly, the mullet skirt. I've let my feelings toward mullet skirts known in the past, I let the grudge go when I thought that their reign of terror was over but then, while shopping with my mum on the weekend I saw a mannequin wearing a mullet skirt and all of my worst fears came back to haunt me. Mullets were dead and buried at the end of the 90s, the business in the front and party in the back slogan is gone. Please stop trying to relive the past by designing a skirt that is remnant of a shocking hairstyle that really only lads sport these days. Then don't make it 'classy' by changing the fabric to chiffon, it's still a mullet skirt whether you like it or not. There comes a time where people need to make decisions and I honestly believe that the time has well and truly come to decide between wearing a maxi-skirt or a short skirt. Not two in one.

My next point is one relatable to many Australians, Jeggings. The awkward mix of jeans and leggings so lovingly supported by Supre. No, No No, Jeggings are seriously the satan of my fashion style. If you want to wear jeans, wear jeans and if you want to wear leggings, wear leggings. The person who thought it was clever to combine the two must have been in close association with the designer of the mullet skirt. Seriously, I'm really not enjoying how far the jegging craze has come. If you walk into many shops now you'll find not only the standard jegging, but jeggings of all shapes, colours and sizes. I was even misfortunate enough to find a jegging skirt. The jegging is made just that much worse when paired with ugg boots and a tight singlet top. Why is my life so hard?

Now, this next trend doesn't evoke the same powerful emotions as the previous two but I think it's more of a crime against humanity if not anything else. The Pemplum top, now in theory this is a lovely and simple top that adds sophistication to an outfit but not too much to the point where you look like you're trying to hard. In all design aspects, I don't even really hate it. The problem is, just how unflattering the shape is. No matter how thin you are, this top makes your hips look about the size of a bus. And, you know, some people might like this if they naturally are very thin and want an hourglass figure but when people wear it and it just makes them look not as nice as they should it just makes me sad. The dilemma is, that because most Australian chain stores stock the style now people are buying the shirt despite how it looks simply because it's 'in'. Really, I cannot stress this enough - do not buy clothes that look dreadful on you because it's in. Honestly, take me as an example, even though light pastels are in I won't be rocking this trend because the combination of my naturally pale skin and pale colour scheme makes me blend into a wall. And let's face it...who wants that?

Liv xo

four eyes

When I got glasses in year 8 I felt like the gawkiest loser and decided then and there that I'd never wear them. Until the lady working in SpecSavers told me to enter this 'SpecWearer' competition thing that would make me the face of SpecSavers or something, I still felt like a gawky loser so declined the offer which I regret because I could be brushing shoulders with famous people all from a glasses advert. 

But I digress, the point of this post isn't to brag about my almost-if-only glasses wearing career but to discuss the new trends of both sunglasses and your standard glasses. Both of these items I have strong views on as people are wearing clear lenses to rock the glasses look and others (like me) are unfortunate enough to have eyesight that needs work. I've been in denial about needing to wear glasses since I got them, my first pair were these lame rectangular tortoiseshell ones that my mum talked me into getting. But glasses are becoming more and more un-lame and trendy so I've decided to buy a new pair of glasses which not only will help me see but will also help me rock the new trends.

The Rayban-esque style is still here and everyone seems to love it, some faces just don't suit it though in glasses or sun glasses form. I'm more captivated by Marc Jacobs' range of eyewear which has me seeing stars. 

It's oh so fierce and oh so powerful that I'd feel oh so trendy in them. I love the cat eye sort of look that's appearing in both sunglasses and glasses alike but I feel like I don't have the face to pull it off. 

Which brings me to my next point, people really need to wear glasses that suit their faces! Just because a certain style is in fashion does not mean it will suit your face. If you have a roundish head, don't wear round glasses as you will just heighten the roundness of your head and it just would look silly. 

Note how her angular features are just pronounced and she looks phenomenal! But also, sunglasses. Sunglasses are my love, I love how they can hide dodgy makeup, protect your eyes from the sun, add depth to an outfit and make you look mysterious and all the more glamourous. Seriously, I'm such a huge advocate of sunglasses and should get more pairs but I have neither the time or money. 

Until I go to Phuket and stock up.

Liv xo 

I would just like to thank the beautiful Niamh for figuring out the templates and making my blog look pretty. Not only is she completely fabulous at blog templates but she has an amazingly keen eye for fashion and has her own line of clothes (all 100% designed and hand made by her!) she experiments with colour and trends and the end result is always stunning. (apart from the curtain shorts) I cannot thank you enough, Niamh and if everyone could check out her blog there are links to her etsy stores where you can buy an original favio and fran creation!
http://favioandfran.blogspot.com.au/

Liv xo

fur

Recently I've been so conflicted between my animal liberation and love for fashion, as Sydney is cooling down the coats are being brought out. This season particularly, I've been seeing so much fur and it's making me want to get a fur coat of my very own. They're such a statement item and can dress up any outfit so beautifully. Although, a couple of years ago we found my great grandmothers fur coats and at the time I was completely appalled so made my mum throw them out but now looking back I wished we kept them so I too, could be ultra trendy with a nice coat, even in saying this I'm not sure if I could bring myself to wear real fur, even though fake fur is so poorly crafted in comparison. Which is where I'm conflicted, since I watched babe as a four year old I became interested in animal rights, having attempted to be a vegetarian so many times, volunteering at the zoo, donating money to animal charities and even now rarely eating meat. I just don't know what to do, leather is practically the same and I wear leather shoes and if the coat's vintage.. it really doesn't make any difference.

This confliction is only heightened with a page found in my diary that I wrote when we found my great grandmothers coats it says "today we found mum's grandmothers fur coats, i can't believe they wore fur back then. haven't they seen 101 Dalmatians?" Would it really make me Cuerella De Vil if I bought a fur coat? Her last name answers that question. I'll stick to Bindi Irwin's views for this battle, maybe I'll find a realistic faux-fur coat to tide me over to when I don't have a conscience anymore.

Despite being completely evil, Cuerella De Vil is pretty ultra-glam.

Fendi Autumn/Winter 2012

Rose Huntington-Whitely 

Liv xo