Ok Ladies, I do apologise and I am well aware that my blogging skills leave a lot to be desired.... I have gotten to the annoying part of the year when I have been so busy getting stuff onto the site I have not been updating you all about it!
Apologies- we have been a little overstocked in shoes following the GFC (Global financial crisis) so the good news for all customers is that come June we are having a fabulous shoe sale including the current season stock... Stay tuned for this by signing up to our Style newsletter!
On a different note I hope that you are all enjoying the winter nights in with some great paytv programs.... What I would do without 'Australia's Next Top Model', Gossip Girl and Privileged??? Do tune in if you get the chance, if not for anything but for fashion tips (except please do not copy the girls on ANTM- crimes of fashion!) Also I am well aware that every blog in town is whining about the departure of Lauren Conrad from the hills- as you may be aware I am a big fan but I am quite looking forward to the new fashion blood of Kristin Cavalleri...she may not be as polished as LC in the fashion stakes but she does tend to take more risks so I look forward to all the fashion and catiness coming our way!
Ciao,
SQ
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Australia- fashion deprived?
The annoyance of living so far away in Australia is really only a problem for us sometimes, and usually it's for 2 reasons...shopping and going on holidays...!
With news that Topshop stores are opening all over the US this year it makes those of us loving fashion very annoyed to wonder how the US needs a Topshop with all the alternatives- Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Zara, Gap the list goes on.... How is this move viable? Especially in the worst recession since the 1920's....!
Australia has been bypassed again by an international fashion heavyweight and last month depressingly we found out that Australian Glamour is not going ahead this year as thought... I was particularly excited about this title as I was a avid reader of the UK Glamour and with the news it was to be published by News Limited it would be a departure from the present magazines monopoly.
Perhaps we are doomed to a future full of rumours of Zara coming to Australia and never eventuating... As a resident of Sydney's eastern suburbs, this rumour about Zara coming to Bondi Junction Westfield surfaces at least once every 6 mths only to be quashed with statements that Zara's rights in Australia are owned by the Witchery clothing group and they want to keep the market clear of competitors.
Let's be serious here- Witchery may be a great store but their offering is far more conservative and serious than the fashion forward Zara label. While there may be some overlap, there is plenty of room for great affordable fashion brands in Australia. Not all brands can deliver everything and we appreciate when our customers have emailed us saying that larger chain stores took 10 days to deliver their parcel when ours arrived within 2 days. It's all about servicing your niche and the point remains that there is a place for anyone else prepared to do something well!
Also just to let you know- we have launched our Style Members discount of 10% on all stock as of today for our loyal customers. To be a 'Style' member and receive the discount off any of our new or sale stock you will need to join our newsletter and check the code monthly to redeem.
Ciao and have a good week,
SQ
x
With news that Topshop stores are opening all over the US this year it makes those of us loving fashion very annoyed to wonder how the US needs a Topshop with all the alternatives- Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Zara, Gap the list goes on.... How is this move viable? Especially in the worst recession since the 1920's....!
Australia has been bypassed again by an international fashion heavyweight and last month depressingly we found out that Australian Glamour is not going ahead this year as thought... I was particularly excited about this title as I was a avid reader of the UK Glamour and with the news it was to be published by News Limited it would be a departure from the present magazines monopoly.
Perhaps we are doomed to a future full of rumours of Zara coming to Australia and never eventuating... As a resident of Sydney's eastern suburbs, this rumour about Zara coming to Bondi Junction Westfield surfaces at least once every 6 mths only to be quashed with statements that Zara's rights in Australia are owned by the Witchery clothing group and they want to keep the market clear of competitors.
Let's be serious here- Witchery may be a great store but their offering is far more conservative and serious than the fashion forward Zara label. While there may be some overlap, there is plenty of room for great affordable fashion brands in Australia. Not all brands can deliver everything and we appreciate when our customers have emailed us saying that larger chain stores took 10 days to deliver their parcel when ours arrived within 2 days. It's all about servicing your niche and the point remains that there is a place for anyone else prepared to do something well!
Also just to let you know- we have launched our Style Members discount of 10% on all stock as of today for our loyal customers. To be a 'Style' member and receive the discount off any of our new or sale stock you will need to join our newsletter and check the code monthly to redeem.
Ciao and have a good week,
SQ
x
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Fashion Envy
Ok so Sex and the City started the first real 'aspirational' tv fashion show. Not only giving you a great idea of what trends and hairstyles to pick up and which to avoid.... I'll never forget hunting a pleated full skirt at Portobello market because I wanted to wear it with a strapless boobtube like Carrie had done in season 3. Thankfully I left a lot of the 'way out' looks alone including the sheer singlet dress with a pink g-string Carrie wore on a night out with the girls... Pretty sure I couldn't pull that off!
Other 'fashion based' shows have spiralled from there, some of which I have fallen for and then they've been callously yanked from production! Cashmere Mafia was one of these shows and I was obsessed with Lucy Liu's outfits from day 1... Oh to have a glamorous job and wear office attire fitting to a cocktail party, including large ornamental earrings larger than one's ear. Practical for answering a phone... no, but that's what an assistant is for!
For two seasons now I have also delighted in 'Gossip Girl' but I have to say that I have become disillusioned with the stylists on the current episodes. I certainly have missed the style advice that says a olive green woollen cardigan in a V-neck grandpa style buttoned up is classy... I also loved the 'headwear' at the start of the series, the ornate beaded headbands, fur hats and diamonte clips etc usually sported by Blair have become oversized turbans and not so fabulous.
Ok, my recent new 'fashion' inspiration is the new show 'The City' on MTV. For those of you, like me, that was obsessed with 'The Hills', this is the new spin-off of Whitney Port's new life working for Diane Von Fustenburg in NYC. She teeters down the streets of NY in fabulous stacked heels and short flirty dresses and manages to make the winter layers look chic and cosy not boring!
As a girl that visited New York at age 21 with a best pal and had dreams of living in that fabulous metropolis, it is closest some of us will get to living and breathing the life we imagined back then! I am loving Whitney's attire for most of the series thus far- including holding her own fashion cred against her work colleague, Olivia- who happens to be a very attractive, rich heiress with a bitchy streak... My absolute favorite bit of the show happens to not have much to do with fashion at all- it is her new relationship with Jay, a cute Australian she meets prior to moving (check out the Hills for their meeting). Jay brings a refreshing 'Australian' feel to the whole show and it's nice to see his behavior, that Whitney finds confusing at first is pretty typical to the 'Australian Male' breed.
I have posted previously about the 'textbook' hair curling seen on 'The Hills'. 'The City' carries on the sweet and simple hairstyle trend from Lauren and Whitney for the middle part, twisted two sections secured at the back of the head with a mini clip. Looks cute and not too hard to implement, will try this out and get back to you- in the meantime check out it out!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
People watching online...
Okay, the title sounds freaky like stalking but I have just tuned into Style.com for the first time in 2009 and checked out one of my fav ways to people watch.
It is the Sartorialist; he photographs all the best fashion show crowds in New York, Paris and Milan and I just love when you rediscover what's great about a good column and blog online- I can't believe after my xmas break I had almost forgotten! The fabulous inspiration for fashion comes from people that may be famous but we don't recognise them, however they do dress utterly fabulously!
The Louis Vuitton show is one of his most recent posts. He has a compilation of outfits that I am obsessed with- namely the girl in the cobalt blue, the girl in the grey and cream combo and the pic I have included here of this woman in this stunning coat.... I love the way looking at these pics makes you feel like you're right there on the Paris Street, even though it's currently 35 degrees here!
The other exciting point is when you see an item similar to something you own that someone's wearing in a way you would never have thought of... I think this is a fashionista dream as you can then recreate the look and no one is the wiser that you in fact pulled it off someone else on the other side of the world!
The epiphany I had was an item similar to a sheer crochet/lace dress we have on sale on the site and one of those items you assume you have to pair with a slip underneath and wear as evening wear....talk about one-eyed! I then spied the pic I have included below and thought 'Why didn't I think of that?'...! Check it out here and see what you think? I think it looks very cute with a business shirt underneath surprisingly?
SQ
Sunday, January 4, 2009
To 2009!
This Xmas Period I have neglected my responsibilities but then the dangerous part is that so many others seem to be neglecting theirs it seems acceptable! I apologise that last week (New Year's Eve) our site didn't manage to get updated as usual on a wednesday so we'll be getting around to this today!
With a short visit paid to QLD this Xmas break I feel rejuvinated to wear a little more colour again as only Queenslanders show how. Like possibly many of the southern states I have fallen into the rut of wearing darker and 'versatile' colours a little too often even though I love to pick and choose brighter colours. Not only is this incredibly boring I have realised the error in my ways when I put on a coral top and realised the colour was a lot more flattering then the beige alternative!
My new years resolution is not to play it safe with the wardrobe this year- I need to go through the bright pieces and give them a decent wearing....! I am mindful though that a lot of the 'versatile' basics are best-sellers on the site and they're definitely a good choice in a credit crunch but I think it's all about putting these with a colourful piece (whether a scarf or a shoe).
Another notable fact probably already noticed by our regular online shoppers is the somewhat 'abandoning' of some online fashion businesses in the last few months. You know the sites that continuously have the same frontpage, the same items in the 'New Stock' and no difference from month to month.... Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of these in the 'affordable', mid-range category that we belong to. This is a shame because we are always up for some companies supplying a different offering to customers online and we are always up for some friendly competition! That said the retail market is a hard market to be in with the economic downturn and retail online is no different!
With the above in mind, let us state for the new year that we thank all our customers (and especially our loyal regular customers) ever so much for the past 18 months and here's to a very fabulous 2009. Please feel free to comment on anything you'd like to see in 2009 on the site!
With a short visit paid to QLD this Xmas break I feel rejuvinated to wear a little more colour again as only Queenslanders show how. Like possibly many of the southern states I have fallen into the rut of wearing darker and 'versatile' colours a little too often even though I love to pick and choose brighter colours. Not only is this incredibly boring I have realised the error in my ways when I put on a coral top and realised the colour was a lot more flattering then the beige alternative!
My new years resolution is not to play it safe with the wardrobe this year- I need to go through the bright pieces and give them a decent wearing....! I am mindful though that a lot of the 'versatile' basics are best-sellers on the site and they're definitely a good choice in a credit crunch but I think it's all about putting these with a colourful piece (whether a scarf or a shoe).
Another notable fact probably already noticed by our regular online shoppers is the somewhat 'abandoning' of some online fashion businesses in the last few months. You know the sites that continuously have the same frontpage, the same items in the 'New Stock' and no difference from month to month.... Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of these in the 'affordable', mid-range category that we belong to. This is a shame because we are always up for some companies supplying a different offering to customers online and we are always up for some friendly competition! That said the retail market is a hard market to be in with the economic downturn and retail online is no different!
With the above in mind, let us state for the new year that we thank all our customers (and especially our loyal regular customers) ever so much for the past 18 months and here's to a very fabulous 2009. Please feel free to comment on anything you'd like to see in 2009 on the site!
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