Style 101

I picked up a gorgeously illustrated style manual from an op shop this week. I'm a bit of a sucker for these titles that claim to solve all your fashion dilemmas in just a few pages - at only $3 this one was hard to resist. Who isn't attracted to the offer of expert advice or a quick fix, when most of us have experienced the pathetic woe of having a wardrobe full of clothes and, ahhh! Nothing to wear!

The fashionista editor (from a TV show I've never seen) identified 100 key items to ensure a classic look of timeless sophistication.
Well, I'm excited.
The fashionably challenged are urged to adapt the list to suit their own personal style - um, I thought that's we were trying to find.. Use this list as a starting point, rather than rigid commands. Fine, I'm flexible. 100 items, maybe I'll just have a cup of tea and a donut before I get started.

I worked through A-line dresses and Ballet Flats. No real problems there. Phew - #9 is a Blackberry! Being slightly out-of-date has its benefits. While in 2008 when this book was published Blackberries were all the rage, in 2012 they've all but disappeared.

So that's one less thing to worry about...Oh, now I've reached the Little Black Dress - yeah, yeah. Versatile and able to be dressed up or down. I have no doubt the world is full of lovely LBDs, it's finding the one that suits YOU that can take a lifetime. So I checked out PINTEREST and sure enough found plenty I liked, just not many I'd actually wear.

Exhibit A:

And then I found this, which sort of gave the whole thing a little more perspective:

www.pinterest.com

Speaking of dressing up, a Saturday or two ago I found myself with the offer of a generous few hours of midday babysitting. So after a brief conundrum of what to do and nothing to wear, we were wizzing in to the city, and doing lunch, with style.

It was eerily quiet at our table. And I didn't have to cut up anyones meat or make several trips to the toilets when I didn't need to go. There were great views of the Harbour Bridge too.

and this was dessert: a tamarind brulee with tangelo ice cream - or possibly the other way around, I can't remember. Either way it was very yummy!

It was too cold for a little black dress, so I wore black trousers under a pink dress and a favourite black vintage velvet coat (op shop find) over the top. My black suede wedges were a bargain on ebay - my idea of a fun outfit - though not sure about the whole timeless sophistication thing..

You've got to love a husband who knows instinctively to take a close up of the bag!