Memos In Stilettos

Divine Dress Deals

2012-01-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

I love dresses; they are my most favourite item of clothing and so have aquired quite a collection. But I also love a deal and although I buy one splurge dress a season, most are obtained at consignment and goodwill stores.

The quest for the perfect dress can be harder than it looks, looking for the perfect dress secondhand can be even more of a challenge when there is only one, in one size. But I have managed to find the Holy Grail, on several occasions, and so think I may be a bit of an expert. (or living in a dream world, take your pick).

Here are four of my favourites from the past couple of seasons:

· The black 60’s Mary Quant-esque A-line number with the chiffon pleated sleeves was a recent purchase form a local consignment for only $10.00. (And one I intend to wear lots on my upcoming trip).

· The alpaca cowl neck, eyelet wool number came for a high end consignment for just $30 a bargain when I tell you it is a $400 dress.

· The black with white stripe dress again from a local consignment was a mere $20.00.

· And finally, and my favourite, the black, orange and cream 60’s airhostess-esque dress can from a local retailer for just $25.00

Do you have a divine dress deal?

Blah, Blah Blah... Colour Crazy!

2012-01-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

So now you are a little fashion savvy and have you all important top ten, it’s time to build on this classic collection!

If you are like me and you always seem to curve towards the ever so safe black; RESIST! A little colour in your closet is a great thing! You don’t want to be thought of as in perpetual mourning!

Find your colour!
Now I am not saying deck yourself out in head to toe baby pink, just find a few key pieces to enhance what you already have (let’s face it BLACK).

Now there are a couple of ways to do this, first you can go to one of those fancy colour experts that drape different coloured pillowcases across your shoulder and then announce in a very dramatic voice that you are one of the four seasons.

OR you can hit the mall. I know which I prefer! (Well consignment but lets not split hairs).

Take a trusting friend with you and just go to town, try on a selection of colours in both bold and pastel, solids and patterns, and ask you friend to be brutally honest! Just make sure the friendship can take it!

If you find you just can’t handle the colour just yet, but feel my blog has influenced you to the point of a mantra, buy some killer red stilettos. I promise you will be noticed! They are my logo after all!

Shopping trip anyone?

Office 101: Fabulous Monday to Friday - The Basic 10 Wardrobe Essentials for the Office and Beyond

2012-01-17T20:57:00.000-08:00

So where to start on this fashion journey, I guess we should get back to basics (I sound like Staples) and touch on the top ten essentials needed to be a couturesque career girl. Now you can Google to your hearts content and find many versions of the top ten (go ahead I don’t mind) but this is my version with the office professional in mind. No jeans and t-shirt here!

Pencil Skirt
Pencil skirts are a versatile piece that are available in many colours, patterns, fabrics and textures and can range from the classic and traditional centre back slit, to a kick pleat, side slit or no slit or pleat at all. For maximum versatility, I recommend choose one in a neutral colour (black or gray) for your basic wardrobe in a style that most flatters your figure venturing out of the box with further purchases.

Pants or Trousers
Again pants and trouser come in a plethora of styles, shapes and colours. As with the pencil skirt, find a style that suits you and are comfortable. For winter there is nothing better than wool blend trousers in a rainy day gray, while a great pair of tailored white, suit pants shout spring!

Fitted Jacket or Blazer
Be adventurous, if you have purchased a suit, don’t be predicable; break the pieces up, wear the blazer with a peasant skirt and the pants with a vibrant, buttoned up, cashmere cardigan. Find jackets that accentuate your better parts. If you have a tiny waist select a jacket with tailoring, if you are top heavy go for single breasted jackets and avoid buttoning them up. Military always adds a little quirkiness to an otherwise traditional outfit.

Tailored Shift Dress
Remember the infamous Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany’s black shift dress. Find one! Every wardrobe should have a tailored day dress, for you never know when you might need to run straight from work to dinner.

This could be the most versatile piece in your closet, pair it with flats and a cardigan for classic confidence or 4 inch heels, a blazer and pearls for sophisticated serious. Where the shift dress is concerned accessories are your creative weapon.

Blouse or Shirt
Depending on the statement you are aiming to portray. A neutral, cotton, shirt with traditional collar and cuffs or a pastel or jewel tone silk blouse are always a great choice. Always consider the texture and colour of your other pieces to ensure balance and equilibrium as well as flare.

Cashmere Sweater or Cardigan
This is where quality and care counts! Buying a great cashmere piece is like a good haircut, paying a lot doesn’t always ensure quality. (Believe me I have had some amazing $15 haircuts and some atrocious $100 ones).

In selecting the right sweater or cardigan ensure that the piece is made up of at least 65% wool. A splash of angora or alpaca (yes alpaca) bestows that luminous fluffy texture to the garment that screams luxury.

Trench or Wool Blend Coat
No wardrobe would be complete without an amazing piece of outerwear. Select a length that can be worn over skirt and trousers, with flats or heels to reap the maximum wearability.

Make a statement on those dreary winter days with red or be bold in black. Avoid limited time offer trends like plaid if you want this investment piece to endure season after season.

Closed Toe Stilettos
Keep the peep toes and strappy sandals for social functions; too much toe is like too much skin at the office, inappropriate. Unless you are sporting a wedge heel on a casual Friday.

Shoes change an outfit from drab to divine instantly and a great way to test those trends without going overboard. A pair of plaid shoe with an all black outfit makes a bold and fun statement. (One of my favorite looks).

If you are not a full fledge stiletto girl, kitten heels are the answer to your prayers.

Ballet Flats
Ballet flats are a great alternative to the heel and came totally change the feel of an outfit from power hungry to, well, just hungry! Keep a pair in your bag for quick changes and running around at lunch.

Avoid flats that are too cutesy, bows and flowers are for little girls, not the office professional!

Accessories (Purses, jewellery, silk scarves, wraps and hats)
Accessories are my nemesis, I do not accessorize well but a couple of key pieces grace my closet.

First purses, big or small doesn’t matter as long as it functional you are fine. This is where you can throw in a designer name but not break the budget.

Wraps are great if, like me, you are always cold, having a wrap in your office is always a fail save way to warm up without compromising an outfit when colleagues insist on cranking up the air conditioning in March.

If there is one piece of jewellery that is a die hard classic, it is the string of pearls. They have come along way from the 50”s housewife look, and there is a multitude of ways a long string can be worn.

No matter what accessories you choose, they always offer a finish polished look to any outfit.

Remember if you chose well, these pieces will stay with you for several seasons if not years!
As they say (who ‘they’ are I am not sure) a classic never goes out of style!

My Top Ten (see image above)

Pencil Skirt –Le Chateau (a gift) circ 2005
Pants - consignment $15 2008
Tailored Dress - Le Chateau $100 2009
Blouse – consignment $15 2010
Vintage Gap Wool Cardigan –charity store $6 2007
Coat – Urban Planet $30 2008
Stilletto – Aldo Outlet a bargain at $17 2010
Ballet Pumps – George at Walmart $10 2007
Etienne Aigner Purse - charity store $7 2010
Wrap – garage sale $3 2010
Red bead necklace -Le Chateau $5 2008
Pearl necklace - consignment $5 2010
Genuine Pearl and 14 kt gold bangle (part of a set) 2000

Total $213

It’s all there in Black and White.... and a little bit of grey!

2012-01-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

I don’t mind le Chateau clothing on a whole although I have purchased items that definitely have not passed the test of time, and their return policy sucks (as in they do not have one) if you are a sporadic impulse shopper like me and easily regret your purchases 30 seconds after you have handed over the cash!

This is when my partner loves me the most! After I have deliberated and put myself through two days of total guilt, I return the items for a gift receipt. Not finding anything worth of my hard earned cash, he swoops in like a magpie and spends it in the men’s department is 30 seconds flat! Problem solved! Well maybe for him….

Here is one of those, impuse and,I must say, love purchases from last season!(sorry Mark no goodies for you this time!)

Welcome to Memos In Stilettos!

2012-01-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

So I am not really a great writer, (I have been promising my mum a mindblowing historical work of fiction for a while now), I have wonderful opening one liners and then my creative writing skills fizzle to nothing by line two, so one may ask what was my inspiration for this blog. Well let me tell you. While doing my usual rounds of Salvation Army and Value Village, my favorite hangouts on a Saturday morning, I came across an interesting book (I am an avid reader apart from a Sex In The City fashion want- to- be). The book is titled Alligators, Old Mink and New Money by Alison Houtte and Melissa Houtte. The book is a personal adventure into vintage clothing. Sooo up my street that I had to have it! I read it over two evenings! Sheer fashion brilliance!

I then started thinking about my closet and the amazing finds I have discovered in chain secondhand stores, obscure back alley thrift emporiums, garage sales and my own brilliant idea, clothes swaps (well not mine passé, but I do hold one every year and it is getting quite a following). Mixed in with high street staples and impulse buys, my closet is definitely my own and (I think) screams quirky but classic, elegant but simple, mature but current.

So where is this leading, one may ask, (or you may not care but I am going to tell you anyway and if you are still reading you must be a little curious). Do you remember the days of clothing allowances for those fashionasters that worked in swanky offices and were required to look the part! Well those days are gone, dressing for work is a challenge, finding the fine line between you own personal style, appropriate dress and, as always, budget can be challenging at the best of times.

So how do you balance this conundrum? This is where I come in. Applause please, Oh thank you so much!

My mantra is; you do not need to spend your inheritance to look good! Fashion is not how much you spend but what you buy. The old excuse of “I wish I could dress like that but I can’t afford to” does not wash any more. Fashion is about good choices and not about cold hard cash or plastic (we are in the millennium!)

This blog is my journey in to fashion on a budget, my good bad and ugly buys, the bargain of the week and the ‘oh! My god Mark is going to kill me' must haves (should I tell him I just brought a $110 dress in Le Chateau? Hmm not today!)