Too Cool for School

I never had a school uniform growing up, my primary school and both my high schools were inner city public schools without uniforms for whatever reason. I remember the only rule at my high school was you had to wear shoes and one day I somehow forgot mine. You see in the early morning rush I would put my shoes on in the car to save time, but on this particular morning I got out of the car at the school gate sans shoes and only realised my mistake as my mum's car was driving round the corner. This was in the time before mobile phones so there was no way to get in touch with my mum so I just had to get on with my day as best I could and hope no one noticed. Of course that didn't work, everyone noticed and pointed until a teacher made me go through the filthy lost property box to find a pair of shoes that could work for the day. Luckily I found some unworn thongs (flip flops) that were a few sizes too small but could do for a day. You can guess I never forgot my shoes after that! Not having a uniform I used to look at the other kids on the tram in their matching school uniforms and feel sorry for them. There I was in my 90s 'grunger' outfit consisting of red flared pants with faux fur triangles, a tie-dye purple slip skirt over the top of the pants and a vintage diy cropped band t-shirt with my midriff exposed. Converse all stars were my sneakers of choice (I had metallic pink ones) and my hair would be full of an assortment of rainbow butterfly clips and hair mascara. A tattoo chocker and an armful of glitter bangles would complete my look. Essentially my outfit was the exact opposite of a boring ol' uniform but part of me thought the uniforms were rather cute, especially the pinafore dresses of a local private school. So when I saw this cute pink love heart print pinafore dress on ASOS I immediately bought it and put together a look which is in part school uniform inspired - a kawaii school uniform if you will.

Outfit details
Pinafore dress River Island from ASOS
T-shirt ASOS (now sold out but similar here)
Killer Pyphon bangle Eat Me Do


Specs Bespecd Minsk in Lilac PROMO CODE: FRIENDS25 to get 25% OFF at the checkout on any Bespecd frames. Offer expires the July 1 2013.
Necklace Symantha Rose (available at Lenko)


Nail art Strawberry nails by Critter Claws (who are doing a pop-up shop at the Rose Street Artist market in Fitzroy next weekend)
Snake ring Eat Me Do (I bought it at their recent launch at Lenko)


This iridescent paper bag clutch was sent to me from Fashiondacci for my birthday and I love it! I wore this bag with my kawaii school uniform look as I love how it reminds my of a paper lunch bag, I thought it was very fitting.

Iridescent paper bag clutch Fashiondacci


On the weekend I bought my second pair of these colourful school uniform shoes (in purple and for 50% off), this pink pair was my first and I realised I've never blogged them before. In Australia these t-bar style shoes are the shoe of choice for most school uniforms in both primary and secondary school, of course only in brown, black or navy not pink or purple. I fell in love with these colourful ones as soon as I saw them at iShoes on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy over a year ago, I have no idea why it's taken me so long to blog them. I love reworking traditional styles of clothing in unexpected ways.

Pink school shoes iShoes

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Day in my life - My Birthday + WIN $500 thanks to Clearasil

Sponsored post

Clearasil want to show Aussie women that they can have the confidence to meet the day head on – no matter what it throws at them so they asked me to share with you a recent busy day in my life and I thought what better day than my birthday which just so happened to be one of my busiest work days of the year? Clearasil sent me over their new Vitamins & Extracts range of skin care products which are made with avocado and pomegranate fruit extract, an anti-oxidant known to help keep skin looking and feeling healthy. Containing less salycilic acid than other Clearasil products, the Vitamins & Extracts formulas are milder - working to help maintain clear skin through a combination of nourishing fruit extracts and effective cleansing properties that help prevent breakouts. Clearasil sent over the products in the cutest box which even had a pomegranate in it, but no avocado? Luckily I had one on hand to shoot the above photo.


7:30am - Special birthday breakfast of toasted muesli, organic yoghurt and mixed berries with a nice tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice all lovingly prepared by my hubby.


Henry popped out early in the morning to surprise me with the fresh flowers and the latest issue of Fashion Journal magazine. I'm very lucky.


8:00am - open my surprise extra birthday pressies from Henry. I already received my main present a few days ago - more on that later.


Henry got me a cute pomegranate top from Lenko's in house label (which was very fitting don't you think?), Lazy Oaf temporary tattoos also from Lenko, My favourite Japanese chocolates and special edition MAC pink glitter from their Baking Beauties line inspired by cake decorating! The perfect little surprise pressies a girl could ask for.


8:15am - Get ready for the day with Clearasil's new Vitamins & Extracts range of skin care products that smell delicious and cleanse gently not leaving your skin over dried but still pimple and blemish free. The holistic daily wash is fast becoming part of my routine in the mornings, it's not harsh at all and is a new direction for the brand, not just a pimple wash this new range is kind enough on your skin to use everyday.


I feel fresh and ready to tackle the busy day ahead. When my skin is acting up I find it difficult to face the world, just like anyone really I like to look my best. A combination of my recent Clarisonic and this daily wash have done wonders to my skin that was really acting up ever since our recent move.


8:30am - Finishing touches at my new dressing table, which was my main pressie from Henry this year. My old dressing table was badly damaged in the move (a leg snapped off) so this was a much needed upgrade. I researched and researched until deciding to get the Ikea Micke as it had the most storage for the price.


I got a new make-up palette for my birthday and decided to wear the brightest colours as it's only my birthday once a year so I may as well go all out. Plus as I wear glasses I find it makes my eyes stand out more if I make my make-up bright.


9:00am - My hectic work day begins with checking and responding to dozens of emails relating to a new project, all as pressing and urgent as each other before starting work on my freelance assignments. Today I was writing my first column for a fashion magazine with only a two day deadline, meaning I essentially was told about it the day before and only had one day to research, write and fact check. Talk about stress, but it all worked out in the end as the editor loved my piece.


12:30pm - Henry and I met up with my mum for brunch at a local cafe, Proud Mary, in Collingwood. The weather sucked all day but I wasn't going to let it stop me from being bright and colourful on my birthday.


Nom! I had the wild mushroom open ravioli, talk about delicious.


2:00pm Return home to finish up some blog and freelance work while my mum and Henry took Hachi for a walk. You can see Hachi's ears pop up in the photo above as he heard his leash being moved, boy does he love his daily walks.


5:30pm - Work never ends, checking my emails as I walk to the tram on my way to an in store event at Lenko. I was kinda reluctant to leave home with so much still left to do, but my family convinced me to enjoy my birthday.


6:00pm - In the end I'm happy I left the house and my work as at last I got to meet Lara Ivachev, designer of the candy inspired jewellery line Eat Me Do at her new season launch at Lenko.


Lollies!


Can you tell which pieces are real or jewellery?


Gummy bear broaches.


Lara has such amazing colourful style. You see I'm not the only one with a jelly heel obsession, they're everywhere in Melbourne.


Doughnut necklaces, snake rings and a sprinkles tee, all so cute!


7:15pm - Wonder through Melbourne's famous laneways trying to find the restaurant we booked for my birthday dinner with my mum, sister and Henry.


7:30pm - Finally found Happy Palace, a hip new(ish) bar/restaurant by the guys behind Saint Jerome's and Ponyfish Island. The fit out is by Moth Design, the people behind Penthouse Mouse and Ponyfish Island's quirky interior . They partially kept the original Happy Palace interior which rivals the Chinese restaurant in the infamous scene in Murial's Wedding for tacky allure, think golden wall dragons and sparkling chandeliers. An updated bar, tables tiled with chopsticks or mahjong pieces and a new open air balcony complete with ferns make it a must visit if your in Melbourne.


8:30pm - My sister took us to a famous desert bar in Chinatown, Passionflower, where she ordered the Harajuku ice dessert with green tea ice cream and azuki red beans.


I shared the more traditional chocolate strawberry crepes with Henry and my mum.


9:15pm - Picked up our pre-booked tickets for the opening night of The Great Gatsby. My mum fell asleep during the film and snored, which was probably the highlight of the night.


12:30am - Birthday cake at home even though we were all too full to eat a single bite. Being back home in Melbourne with my family is the best present I could possibly have.


Making a wish as I blew out my candles, wishing for many more days with my husband and family like this, even with the stress of work thrown in. I actually stayed up until 3am finishing my article!

YOU can WIN $500 to spend on whatever you like PLUS a Clearasil Vitamins & Extracts prize pack!!!

To enter Simply comment on this post and tell us a time when you wish you'd had a boost of confidence. Don't forget to leave your email, twitter or blog address so I can get in touch with you if you win.
Competition is open to Australian readers only over the age of 18.
Read the competition terms and conditions.
Competition closes Friday 28th June 5pm AEST

 Good luck xoxo.

Birthday Suit

My birthday was one of the wettest days so far this winter but I wasn't going to let that stop me from having fun. I wore my new tie-dye print Freak of Nature tie dye print pencil skirt from ASOS which conveniently matched my much loved colourful Gorman umbrella (which was sent to me last season) and my new fave Juju Chelsea style gumboots.

Outfit details
Pleather peplum top River Island from ASOS 
Leather biker jacket Vintage from Vintage Sole in Fitzroy
Rainbow skirt Freak of Nature tie dye print pencil skirt from ASOS


I love my purple Symantha Rose necklace so much so when Samantha offered to make me a pink one for my birthday I was overjoyed. Just a note on disclosure of freebies on my blog, I have always disclosed when something was given to me for free, I bought the first purple necklace myself and not at a discount. I believe in supporting young designers and local businesses and I do that two fold - firstly by buying their work and secondly by blogging and promoting it on my social media channels. I'm lucky to be in the position I am in and I want to give back to the fashion community. So yes the Gorman umbrella was sent to me by their PR last year and the glasses I'm wearing were sent to me from Bespecd. The way I disclose is by saying they were sent to me in their first appearance on the blog, so this is the umbrella's first appearance but the glasses were disclosed in this blog post. Let me know if you think I should be clearer in my disclosing of freebies but I do try my best at giving you a clear picture, but essentially if it doesn't say 'sent to me' I bought whatever it may be myself with my own money. More information on my disclosure policy can be found in my new FAQ section.

Umbrella Sent to me from Gorman last year,  they have a new style this year
Specs Bespecd Minsk in Lilac
Necklace Bday gift from Symantha Rose (available at Lenko)
Lip tar Sportsgirl Paint The Town in Fuchsia


So grey and wet but my fun iridescent tote from Sportsgirl cheers up the scene. I bought this bag with my Sportsgirl 20% off blogger discount card - a magical card that just arrived at my house one day. I didn't ask for it but hell if I won't use (and abuse) it, lol. Is this the sort of thing you think I should disclose? Let me know in the comments.

Iridescent tote Sportsgirl


Another one of my birthday presents were these awesome Egyptian style NCLA designer nail wraps by Melody Ehsani from Dana Lenko (my friend who is also the owner of one of my fave inner city boutiques, Lenko). Thanks Dana! Look at all the rain drops.

Nail wraps NCLA designer nail wraps by Melody Ehsani, a bday gift from Lenko


These gumboots are the best as they don't look like your normal everyday gumboots, in fact they look so much like chic leather Chelsea boots that the ASOS website has made a mistake - advising in the care section to 'avoid contact with liquids'. As they are 100% rubber and not at all leather and labelled as wellies/gumboots on Juju's own website I suggest you go jump in as many puddles as you like wearing these!

Chelsea boots Juju from ASOS
Neon pink socks sent to me from Fashiondacci

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Aligned in Fitzroy

It's been so much fun rediscovering my old hood, Fitzroy. I grew up in and around Fitzroy, Carlton and Brunswick (we moved a lot when I was a kid) and while a lot has changed it's nice to see not everything has.  I love the people watching and cute new cafe's that have popped up down the Gertrude St end of Brunswick St and popping into the lovely boutiques that line the street in every direction. Strolling down Brunswick St after brunch today the polkadot raincoat above caught my eye in Gorman's shop window. I've wanted a polkadot raincoat ever since I could remember so I dragged a reluctant Henry in and promptly bought the coat. I love the a-line shape of the coat, it goes perfectly with my new gingham smock dress from ASOS that got a lot of instagram love when I wore it last week.

Outfit details
Gingham dress ASOS
Polkadot raincoat Gorman
Black tights Berlei
Iridescent tote bag Sportsgirl


I've been wanting to try out the hyped OCC Lip Tar's but as they're virtually impossible to get a hold of in Australia when I saw that Sportsgirl were doing something similar (albeit with a much much much smaller colour range) I immediately picked up two colours, my favourite being the red above.

Lip tar Sportsgirl Paint The Town in Red
Specs Bespecd Minsk in Lilac


I will always cherish this lovely locket by my friend Chris which is an anatomical heart that opens up to reveal a photo of Henry and I. It's my go-to necklace when I'm after something small and delicate to finish my outfit rather than my usual big and bold pieces.

Necklace Corky Saint Clair Anatomical heart locket.


OMG if you want to do yourself a favour buy these boots right now! These are the most comfortable boots I've ever owned. I ummed and ahhed about buying them for so long I almost missed out in my size, so glad I finally got them. So good for Melbourne's famous four seasons in one day as they're essentially gumboots when it inevitably rains you won't end up with soggy wet socks.

Chelsea boots Juju from ASOS

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Centre For Style

The fashion scenes in Sydney and Melbourne are so vastly different that it's hard to put into words, especially ones that wont offend anyone. To put it simply Sydney is where the business end of fashion is and Melbourne is where the creativity and passion is. In Sydney fashion events are heavily micromanaged PR exercises with all the glamour and glitz that you could imagine, sponsorship and branding everywhere and everyone leaves with a goody bag. An event isn't an event without some type of spectacle or a harbour view. While it is true that Melbourne has the same style events (although rarely to the glitzy level that happens in Sydney) Melbourne also has a thriving underground fashion scene, which I can only attribute to the cheaper rents of everything from studio spaces to shops, not to mention supportive boutiques and galleries who nurture and support young talent without the super high overheads you have in Sydney. That's not to say creativity in fashion doesn't happen in Sydney, of course it does, but the scene is either smaller or less open and friendly than Melbourne's as I never encountered it on nearly the same level as I do here. There are some great things happening in both cities, but Centre For Style, a new shop which launched in Melbourne this week just would never happen in Sydney and Sydney is all the poorer for it.


Centre For Style is the brain child of RMIT Fashion graduate Matthew Linde, the aim of of the store is to give new and up and coming designers a space to exhibit and sell their wears, especially those who are yet to be jaded by the fashion system. Creativity is at its core, the store doesn't operate on a seasonal basis but rather a conceptual one. Graduate collections share rack space with more established labels with a few cult Melbourne labels thrown in for good measure. Matthew has big ideas for the space, expanding the list of designers to feature some international talent, guest exhibitions and a soon to be launched online store.


Labels include Blake Barns, Pagaent, ffixxed, POC, AFTRS/Dolci & Kabana, Hamish Munro, Hugh Egan Westland, Inside/Outside, Jocelyn Tribe, PAULINE, Rare Candy, Sally Edwards and Matthew Linde's own  collection.


Style to inspire, my eyes didn't know where to look. After feeling like the odd one out for the past few years it was amazing to be in a room full of people who dress crazier than myself. In a way it's a little disheartening going from being the kooky crazy person to essentially the most boring in the room, but now that I'm challenged and feeling inspired again who knows where I might go?




I noticed a lot of white flatform sandals going on plus a lot of people supporting local Melbourne labels with the above outfit comprising of a Verner skirt and a Witu bag.


The shop is located in the Capital Arcade in a basement that was once an Asian grocery, my old local actually. I would stop by on my way home to pick up udon noodles, kimchi and meiji chocolate but now just the neon sign remains.






PAM white flatforms and an Issey Miyake skirt.




Chanel logo nails.


Centre For Style store uniform.


Fluffy sling backs.


Ok for some reason I always say Batman when I mean to say Bart Simpson, it has caused a lot of confusion recently. I think it might be my brain confusing the Bartman rap with Batman?


White nike heels.


Cult Melbourne label POC denim on show.








It was good to see fashion illustrator Leo Greenfield again who you may remember from this blog post a few years back. Recently Leo collaborated with the NGV during LMFF illustrating their archive fashion collection., everything from John Galliano, Azzedine Alaïa, Karl Lagerfeld, Comme des Garçons and Pierre Cardin to locals Akira Isogawa and Toni Maticevski.


Margiela for H&M bra bodysuit next to the tongue in cheek Dolci & Kanana print dress by AFTRS/Dolci & Kabana. Talk about juxtaposition!



Centre For Style is located in the Capital Arcade 113 Swanston Street.
Open Tues-Fri 10am-6pm Sat 12pm-5pm Closed Mon/Sun
A visit is must if you're in town xoxo