Gosh, 2011 was such a hugely busy and awesomely sucessful year for Signature Style (why can't we get a contract to dress Air New Zealand every year - any other airlines keen?), that for 2012 it was time to start thinking big! So we did. Late last year, we took a big leap and signed up to take Signature Style BIGGER! To be honest, we were really outgrowing our small but perfectly formed space in Epsom, so a move to something larger was definitely needed. As one of my life-guiding principles is "If you're going to do something - then do it WELL!" beyond simply moving to a bigger space, it was time to move Signature Style to a beautiful, flexible and high-profile space. So late last year we signed the lease on the villa at the roundabout at the top of Newmarket (used to be Megs Alterations), number 35 Broadway.


Getting the lease was really only the begining; after a quick (now shortened) Christmas break we began a six weeks of really hard work, and a newfound appreciation for a really, really good builder - Thanks Stewart MacPhail from M&K Projects (a man who truly deserves this unashamed plug, call him on 021 596 079). In order to keep our costs down slightly, we opted to do the painting ourselves. Something that prompted me, while up a ladder at 11:30pm one Saturday night to tell my husband that we are NEVER buying a do-up! That said, at least the physical exhaustion meant I wasn't lying awake worrying about the mounting costs!
Well, it's been a little over a week now since we opened our doors, the place looks gorgeous - and we have a few more finishing touches to add. Yesterday, we filled a planter box with gorgeous ivy geraniums along the front verranda, and we'll soon have a cute, low picket fence. Meanwhile, I'd really like my office to look something less like I'm camping in it (it has become the dumping room for the stuff we are not sure what we'll do with), but obviously that requires me to find a gap to get it sorted!

So, come on in - have a coffee (yes, we've got a proper machine) on us, and check the place out. We'd love you just to say "Hi". There's parking out the back, so no excuses! 

Looking great on a budget can be done, it just takes a bit of planning so that you make the most out of every dollar that you’re spending. And this close after the big Christmas spend every dollar counts!  It's a great time to be hitting the shops and working those boxing day sales, so here are some hints and tricks to see you through.
A couple of the classic mistakes Kiwi girls make (regardless of budget)  is shopping aimlessly, unsure of exactly what they need – “tops, I want tops” – then getting their purchase home only to find they don’t like it or they’ve already got  three very similar in their wardrobe. Then having a wardrobe full of stuff but only wearing a fraction of it – and still feeling like they have nothing to wear! This doesn’t help the budget and you can often end up wasting time and money.
A few guide lines before you hit the shops

1. Know thy self – what colours work, understanding your body shape and how to make the most of the good bits while skimming over the bad bits and lastly being honest about your lifestyle. If you’re a mum at home you probably don’t need six silk dresses as nice as they might be.
2. Planning – start with a good look in your wardrobe first and make a list. Also make a bit of time before you lay down your cash to check out what’s on offer in the stores. Yes this does mean a bit more traipsing round but you’ll find the best pieces for your budget and list

Now the fun part (or it should be the fun part!) SHOPPING

1. Choose a neutral tone for your basics (jacket, pants, shorts etc) – go for grey, navy, taupe or caramel (there is more in life than black!) that will work back with tops, t shirts and knits
2. Always keep an eye on fabrics. There has been a big move to using viscose but not all are created equal – look for ones that have a bit of weight without a tell tale sheen which can often mean that it will look stretched out and rubbed within a few washes. Cotton lycra is and oldie but a goodie and wash and wears fairly well.
3. Check the details and avoid trim, lace or buttons that make it look cheap (yes we are on a budget but we don’t have to dress like we’re on one!)
4. Only buy it if you love it, feel great in it and it works with your plan.
5. It still needs to fit well – don’t think that you’ll “do something to it” when you get home or that you’ll lose three kilos. The garment shouldn’t pull or strain nor should it emphasize any lumps & bumps.
6. Don’t forget the details – adding a print scarf, statement necklace or earrings, bold toned shoe or bag will add depth to your outfit, give you the ability to dress things up and down and try fashion trends without having to invest head to toe.  (Almost every store have accessories racks to choose from)
7. Putting it all together – lay it all out on your bed, grab other pieces from your wardrobe and play.

Maybe it’s just me but for some reason Christmas has crept up on me so fast that I’m finding it a bit hard to get into the Christmas spirit, even now!

But if there is anything that will help kickstart the festivities it has got to be gift buying.  Love it or hate it nothing quite beats finding the perfect gift for that special someone and well it just wouldn’t be Christmas without a little pre-Christmas pressie panic.

So if you’re still plotting for that perfect pressie I have come up with some ideas to get you thinking and as we are in the business of helping you look great and feel fantastic, these gifts are sure to give your nearest and dearest an injection of style for 2012:
 

Stylish Gifts for Him




Comme des Garcons 2 EDP
Mmmm nothing smells more divine and stylish than a masculine fragrance on your man.  Try this new fragrance from Comme Des Garcons  - with elements of Mandarin, Patchouli, Magnolia and Cedar you can't go wrong really.  Available from Meccacosmetica and other good fragrance stockists.






Icons of Men's Style by Josh Sims
This book is great for the style-minded man.  Inside you'll find illustrations and stories about the famous faces and brands that set the bar for men's fashion as we know it.  You can find this great book at Whitcoulls and other great book retailers.




Goodfella - Classic double-edged razor
If you, like me, are pleased to see the back of those Movember Mo's then this brilliant razor may just encourage your man to stay clean shaven.  This is an amazing kiwi-made product that has got classic style written all over it and more importantly it is a product with rave reviews.  Give your man the gift of a good clean shave and he'll be pleased to throw away his cheap disposable razors! Available from Goodfella





 

The 'Riviera' Shoe
If your man still likes to wear a shoe in Summer as opposed to the mandal ("man sandal') then this shoe called the 'Riviera' could be just the ticket.  It is a nod to the ever-popular 'kung-fu' style but at the same time allows the feet to breathe and I think they have a really 'summer BBQ' vibe.  To find these try The Men's Department -  10 Northcroft St, Takapuna, Auckland.



Stylish Gifts for Her



Tresor - Midnight Rose by Lancome
Perfume really is the gift that keeps on giving and whatsmore a refreshing new signature scent is an easy way to up the style stakes.  Check out this new fragrance by Lancome with notes of pink pepper, cassis, jasmine and vanilla.  You can find this fragrance at any good pharmacy or fragrance stockist.






Black - History of Black in Fashion, Society and Culture in New Zealand
If you know someone who unlike anyone else just adores wearing 'black' then this could be a bit of fun for their coffee table.  Written by the New Zealand Fashion Museum and Doris De Pont, Black recounts how New Zealanders came to fall in love with the colour that we wear so much of.  Note:  This book is not available until the New Year - but you can still pre-order in anticipation at Whitcoulls or any good bookstore.





Irreverent - Carine Roitfield
For the fashion aficianado this is a great read.  Roitfeld is a legendary stylist and former editor in chief of French Vogue . IRREVERENT is a collection of pages from her 30-year career, plus personal photographs and notes from the likes of Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, and Tom Ford.  A good read available from all good book retailers.






Leather Coin Purse by Briarwood
Coin purses have been making a big comeback and what's not to love about this stylish wee number from Briarwood.  It comes in 4 colour ways, is oh-so practical and ultra stylish.  I know I wouldn't mind whipping this out to pay for coffee!  Available from Briarwood and various Briarwod stockists.



Harvest Sunglasses - by Karen Walker
There is something so timelessly stylish about Karen Walker's collection of eyewear.  Whether you are a fan of this style called Harvest or prefer something perhaps a little more edgy, you're sure to make all others jealous by purchasing a pair of Karen Walker sunglasses for that special someone!  Available from Karen Walker





Lock It in My Pocket - By Trelise Cooper
I love this necklace by Trelise.  So elegant and yet it still makes a bold statement.  Hmm is it too late to ask Santa for this???  Available from Trelise Cooper.

 

And if that hasn't inspired you then how about this....

 

Signature Style Vouchers!!!

 

 

Requests are flowing in from husbands, wives, friends, sisters etc for our gift vouchers!  So if you have someone special who would just love to have one or more of our services, there is no better time to give the gift of style.  Imagine being able to face 2012 with more confidence and and a newfound sense of style.

 

Have a good Christmas everyone and good luck managing the crowds if you are doing last-minute Christmas shopping!!!

 



 

So, it’s almost here – the most fun but also the most stressful time of year – Christmas. For the team at Signature Style Christmas looming means busy, busy, busy! As we get a few hot and humid days the phone starts to ring – you can almost see the thought bubble “What am I going to wear in this heat? I’ve got NOTHING!!!” Add to that Christmas parties, weddings, summer holidays and our shopping service becomes super popular.

Not that we mind – in fact we love it. It actually makes great sense for our clients too. You’d have to say the worst part of Christmas is the shopping bit. I mean, who hasn’t had to fight with the hoards of other cars for a carpark, only to jostle your way through crowded stores looking for what you want, to then queue for a fitting room all to a soundtrack of screaming toddlers, yelling high school kids and Christmas carols? Urrgh! The joys of working with a personal stylist is that we’ve done the legwork before you meet up with us, we know who has what, we know which items will work for you and we’ve put them aside which means we save you time (straight to the fitting room) and money – especially if we visit one of the many stores that give our clients a discount. If you’ve ever worked out with a personal trainer during peak hours, you will know what I mean – you appreciate not having to wait for a workout machine and the effectiveness that expertise brings. It’s much the same with us.

It’s interesting, too that we are booked for many of our other services pre-Christmas with a view to going shopping post-Christmas, when the crowds have dissipated and the sales are in full swing. It’s great time to shop, with so much summer left over and admittedly so much “Auckland” at the beach.

This time of year is definitely the time of giving, too. Loads and loads of our Gift Vouchers head out the door this month. I personally love the conversations with the husbands who call to buy one for their wives. Perhaps there’s been hints made, maybe she loves watching Gok Wan or whatever other makeover show is on and although you can tell that many of them don’t really ‘get’ what we do, they are really keen for their partner to have a wonderful experience. It’s adorable listening to them as they kind of stumble through the conversation about our services. I try to make it as easy as possible for them, so they know they’re know their wife will be in expert hands. By the way, if you want a gift voucher you do know you can organise it over the phone, don’t you?

There’s always so much to do before the year concludes, too. For me, one of the coolest things I have to do is to plan a shopping trip to New York that I’ve been asked to host. Yep, they want me to take a group of around 14-16 women up to New York to shop the sales next July, plus have loads of really cool fashion experiences along the way. I was really, really blessed last week with one of those “Couldn’t have planned it if you tried” things: while working in Christchurch I caught up with some old friends who just happened to have a house guest from New York staying a few days...her job? Fashion PR. Stop the bus! That was a huge big dose of major serendipity right there!  Trust me, we’re talking!

So what do I want for Christmas? This year I really want to have secured a great space to move Signature Style into in 2012, sunny weather, lazy days on my sun-lounger, plenty of new books on my e-reader, and a new handbag under the tree. Sounds great to me – c’mon Santa!

Grayson demonstrating a Day Look using the Softbox Photo Op Eye Shadow Palette


Smoky eye in progress using Smokebox Photo Op Eye Shadow Palette

 
Signing out,
 

SuperGirl  x

It’s a tricky time of the year to dress with cool mornings, warm afternoons that hint at the mugginess to come, not to mention the wind and drizzle. The term that loosely covers this is tran-seasonal dressing but really we spend about 8 months of the year doing this as we only have a few months each of true Summer and deep Winter.

 And how do we dress ‘tran-seasonally’; by layering. Lots of women we work with often say they don’t get the whole concept but it’s much simpler than it looks. It doesn’t need to be fussy or an attempt at layering 15 things. It can be as much as a blazer over a tunic over slim leg pants which allows you to keep warm in the morning and adjust over the course of the day.

On one of my many commutes into work I started mulling over a sort of quasi-formula for dressing at this time of the year as its not only now that’s tricky we have similar challenges going into autumn and Winter.

The way I see it we’re not quite ready to bare all nor are we quite ready for bright brights which seem to be everywhere in the stores. The key is to choose light weight fabrics that ‘move’ and head away from winter’s darker palette to softer tones and introduce prints.  Look for dresses, tunics and blouse-style tops that have sleeves and going for a half or ¾ sleeve which will give it more of a spring feel. Then pop over a knit or a light weight jacket in tones or cream, taupe, grey or caramel – which will also work back against all the colour coming in for Summer.  

Other things you can do –Trade out black opaques for nude sheer tights (we’re huge fans of the voodoo range – very natural looking), swap black boots for caramel or taupe and introduce a gorgeous wedge sandal even if it's a bit more covered up.

And heading into Winter works almost in the reverse – as the weather cools down move into deeper tones but still show off the last of the Summer tan, keeping another layer on hand if it turns chilly.

Check out some examples below:



A Spring look can be as easy as introducing a Summer wedge heel





This is the classic 'layered' look - lightweight blazer over a floaty tunic





Summer dress with lightweight Merino knit and taupe boot


Bring on Summer!

Melbourne Cup Day usually heralds the start of the summer racing season and yesterday I was lucky enough to be a judge of the Style awards at the Te Hana Sparkling Melbourne Cup day at Ellerslie. It was a great day of racing, fashion and fun but sadly the weather kept everyone in a series of rather draughty tents (shades of fashion weeks past), rather than out in the sunshine.

I hardly know one end of a horse from another and placing a bet is a bit like trying to learn Spanish in five minutes, racing for me is all about the glamour of the event. When I did place a bet I have to admit the colours of the jockey’s silks played a greater part than they perhaps should have! That said, even when viewed through the misty rain, you can’t help but be impressed by the awesome sight that is the rippling muscle of a gorgeous thoroughbred thundering past.  
Judging for the Style Award basically involved wandering through the various venues with my fellow judge, the absolutely gorgeous Di Goldsworthy and spotting those among the crowd who had not only made some effort with their dress, but also exuded an overall elegance and polish. To do “Racewear” well requires an element of planning every detail and frustratingly for Di and me, nothing really showcased New Zealand’s casual attitude to dress codes than the dress of many of the gathered crowd.
Now, I know that many of us come from a more practical or possibly cash-strapped viewpoint, so wearing your favourite pretty dress and shoving a $15 fascinator on your head in a nod to the dress-code is as good as it’s going to get, but I’ve got to say this is one occasion where you really should actually make a bit more effort – you really want everything to match - even if it means borrowing from friends or a trip to Spotlight for beads or feathers.  For the judging we looked at every detail – hat, bag, shoes, jewellery and even the make-up. With the men it was really difficult to find contenders as many simply hadn’t bothered to dress up. Guys, wearing your everyday business suit won’t cut it – you should at least add a hat, a kerchief and matching tie, as well as a stylish shirt and great shoes. Did I win any money? Not a razoo, but I had a great time and not least of all because of the fun I had putting my outfit together!

NB: All photos courtesy of Ellerslie.

Cinching of belts – particularly big wide black belts was a huge trend a few seasons back (and in some cases it still is).  Sure, I like to indulge in a cinched belt from time to time but not every frame shape suits a big wide belt and not everyone wants a big belt around their middle – no less a black one.

So gradually I started to notice a new trend hitting the catwalks and I had to jump on this wagon.  The thin silver belt (or metallic belt) combines a dash of sparkle and a dollop of subtlety which a lot of the wider darker belts lacked.  The beauty of this accessory is that you don’t need the belt to be super-wide to create interest – just a hint of silver on a light garment or a bright garment can make all the difference, and what’s more it works on printed frilly numbers or structured sophisticated pieces. 

In fact, before you start thinking its too young or too sparkly etc, everyone from Michelle Obama to Jessica Alba is riding this wave and from where I’m sitting it’s a sure fire winner for your Summer wardrobe.  Think of it as ‘a nice touch’ rather than a ‘bold statement’.  And while I remember, if anyone happened to be watching the Fair Go Ad Awards on TV ONE last night (Wed) you may have seen Ali Mau rocking her own version of the silver belt and I thought her outfit looked just fab!

So I guess that leaves just one thing – a trip downtown or for those of us who like to let our fingers do the walking – check out Shopstyle for some added inspiration.

As if that’s not enough!...



Katie Holmes uses a simple thin silver belt to offset this lovely Calvin Klein number.



Stylish mum of two - Jessica Alba opts for a barely there belt to tie this tonal look together



This shiny belt adds to the whimsy of this teen lace fairy dress



And last but by no means least, the impeccable Michelle Obama charms with a touch of bling to her belt


For some other great examples check out Jody's colourblocking pics too!

We've just finished the Summer rounds of the Walk-in Wardrobe with Westfield - and we've been everywhere - Riccarton, Christchurch, Chartwell (Hamilton) and Albany (Auckland).
It's an absolute ball to work on these and exciting to see them getting busier and busier as word of mouth spreads through friends and family. 
I had one lady bring a friend all the way from Papakura - and that was to see us in Albany!!
The way they work is a few days before the Walk-in Wardrobe starts we pop around the stores and selected garments that reflect the season and different body shapes.
Women rock up on the day (we're there for four days) make a booking to chat with us for fifteen minutes about what their body shape is and what to look for when they go shopping.  I love this opportunity to get women excited again about dressing, even if they take one tip away or start looking at things with fresh eyes then hopefully they'll have more success when they go shopping.
Some of the things I was asked about were following trends, take colour blocking for example, it's everywhere at the moment and looks stunning on the magazine pages, but is it as easy to translate into everyday life? Yes, although it doesn't mean you need to take that raspberry top and pair it with mustard pants and a teal jacket.  it could be as simple as working the top and the jacket back with jeans or a neutral pant.  There was one memorable orange jacket in Chartwell that I showed several ladies how to use as your nuetral foundation piece rather than going for grey, chocolate or black.  So for following trends its to no take things literally but to filter the colour texture and shape into your wardrobe choices.

Colour Blocking: Inspiration



Layering, is brilliant for the NZ climate as we spend nine months of the year dressing trans seasonally.  Cool mornings, warm afternoons, in Auckland there is always a chance of rain.  Which means we can add and subtract layers as the climate and activity dictates.  Layering also doesn't need to be 14 things, it can be as simple as a cropped jacket over a longer top and pants.  The trick is in the mix of fabrics, textures and colour which keeps it interesting.

Layering: Inspiration




And lastly I talked about the importance of planning.  Time is precious as we get busy with work, friends and family.  So we need to make the most of any time we have around looking good.  The key to this is making a plan, so taking a bit of time each season to have a look at your wardrobe, make a list and shop for your gaps.  This will help you to avoid costly mistakes and extend the life of each garment. 

If any of you missed us this round of Walk-in Wardrobes we'll look forward to hopefully seeing you for the winter sessions.

For the past few years we've had this fabulous gig with Westfield where we provide their "Walk In Wardrobe" service to shoppers - it's fifteen minutes of free style advice from a stylist (yes, one of our team), who complete the experience by showing you clothing styles that we've found in the mall that suit you. It's awesome. It's also hugely popular with most days getting booked up - yes, you have to make a booking - and we are lucky enough to do this work in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch. The team love it and the people we talk to love it too, which makes for a really cool vibe at the centre. Which is just as well, as the days are L-O-N-G. This week we're in Westfield Albany (until Sunday). 

This month I'm on my first ever magazine cover and I'm a brunette. I went brunette about four months ago - I stand in front of groups of women all the time and preach "re-invention" and "change" and so when my darling hairdresser Sasha Lenski suggested it, I thought "Why not"? After all, I need to walk my talk. After being a blonde forever it's been an interesting ride.  At first I didn't feel like "me", then after about three weeks it did and I liked it, I loved having people say "Oh, you've gone dark - it looks amazing!" but to be honest there were more things I wasn't so keen on: the maintenence was huge - I'm naturally fair so I was back at the hairdresser three times in that first six weeks ($$$) and needed to use a special shampoo that added colour (a DeLorenzo one if you're curious) plus, I needed to tint my brows much darker etc. and I have to say - the regrowth was ugly.
Another downside? I felt like I looked more like my two sisters - who admittedly are both beautiful but I guess I just liked being the "blonde one", and the biggest downside of all? My husband HATED it. I thought he'd get used to it, but no - determinedly for the entire four months he maintained a vehement dislike for his brunette wife and would plaintively ask "Where's my blonde girl?" every few days. So, last Friday I made the bolt back to blonde. Weirdly, that now feels a little strange!

Anyway, back to the magazine cover: it's the "Shareholder" magazine that is sent to every Farmlands cardholder. You see, I'm currently working for Farmlands (a rural trading collective) speaking at their annual "Ladies Nights". In the cover photo I'm posed in an old shed with a tractor, yes, very glam! Have to say it was a unusual photo shoot that also involved a ute with the license plate "Cocky", being in a paddock full of cows and an elderly farm dog - fun! So far I've spoken in Gisborne and Hastings but I've got several more centres to go: next week it's Masterton, Wanganui (should that have an "h"?) and Palmerston North, then I've still got Whangarei, Hamilton, Tauranga and Whakatane to go. I really love it, and not just the speaking to big groups of enthusiastic women, but also the little "holiday from normal life" that comes with staying in motels, going for a run in a different town each morning, driving through parts of the country I haven't seen and stuff. For this month I can lead a different life.    

Anyway, as is often the case with a busy little business, occasionally you commit to things that look good on the page of your diary but don't necessarily work so well in real life! Yesterday was one of those days: For the past few years I have provided the Personal Image module to a corporate development programme called Accelerated Executive Presence held every two months at Castaways at Awhitu Beach (about an hour south of Auckland - gorgeous).  To fulfil this obligation I needed to fly on the red eye from Napier to get to Auckland in time to deliver my presentation. This meant a 5am wake-up alarm - urgh - made especially hard by the fact that when you've been up on stage until 10pm delivering a fabuolus evening of fun, fashion, girly gossip and generally having a a blast, you need a bit of time to wind down before you can get to sleep.

So, arriving in Auckland just before 8am I drag my sleep deprived body into my car and drive south, deliver my presentation, give some one on one advice to each of the senior manager attendees and finally am heading back to Auckland at around 4:30pm. As I hit Waiuku and cellphone coverage I receive about eight text messages. One of which is that Erena has had to leave the Walk in Wardrobe and head to her bed as she is dying from the flu. Eeeek! Next message is Victoria aka SuperGirl, telling me not to panic, she has stepped into the breach and is working with Jody. It's all good; Victoria was trained in Body Shape Analysis for her work with us on the Air New Zealand project plus comes from a fashion retail background so has totally got it handled. Breathe out!

With Erena being unwell till today I'm about to head up to Albany and do my own stint in the 'Walk in Wardrobe', we've got clients in the studio tomorrow and are booked solidy for the next couple of weeks, plus we're about to start a really cool series of intimate nights for some of our VIP clients. Oh, and by the way - be sure to watch "Unzipped" tonight as the Signature Style team that worked on the Air New Zealand project will all feature and you'll get to see Rob Fyfe being fitted into his uniform.  I tell you, it's all go!

 When Jackie mentioned that as part of my offical SuperGirl training I was going to experience one of our top selling services, I was delighted.
 
Having an English Rose complexion is quite a novelty if you are a character in Pride and Prejudice, but in the real world “English Rose” can often translate to pale and pasty, and believe me, in winter the novelty quickly wears off. 
 
The strangest thing is that in summer I am then blessed with a glowing tan and sun kissed hair thanks to my Kiwi roots which is why I have always been so confused and quite frankly terrified of colour. 
 
Like a lot of us I had found comfort in my black and neutrals.  Sure, I had brought an amazing bold fuchsia print top last year, but every time I wore it something just didn’t feel right and so there it sat in the closet with the rest of my ’brave’ purchases.
 
I could never figure out why I never wore it; It’s such an amazing top! It’s Silk! It’s Trelise! And it cost me a near fortune……
 
Help! 
 
And help was at hand with our lovely stylist Erena, she was here to explain to me that even though yes; it was an amazing top, it wasn’t working for me.  The truth of the matter was that I wasn’t wearing the top - the TOP was wearing me!
 
We started the Colour analysis with a brief introduction around the colour theory. I found it interesting to learn that the theory had some really solid basis and a little personal quiz from Erena was a good example of how we are often attracted to colours we love as a child (which would explain my penchant for Fuchsia!).
 
Next came the pampering session; stripped of all make up I was treated to a mini-facial –  including a hydrating face mask (which my skin was ever so grateful for after several months of working in intense aircon!) followed by a sensationally relaxing hand massage I was fully chilled out and ready to find my true colours!
 
Erena then worked though various colour swatches carefully explaining why each did or didn’t work, and after a while I could tell that I could pick them too, it soon became so obvious.  Some colours enhanced my features while others just enhanced those rosy checks! I was then treated to having my make-up professionally done, with an obvious emphasis around colour as I had once again fallen into the trap of the ‘safe’ colours.

Without giving too much away it was truly one of those experiences that I wish I had done YEARS ago, I would have saved myself a lot of time, money, and some really terrible choices. 
 
The most important revelation – The black had to go! So armed with my new colour swatches I went home and dutifully cleansed my wardrobe of all (OK, most) of the black, and others colours that “just weren’t quite right”.  I can proudly say that I take my swatches everywhere with me now, they are my new secret weapon!
 
And then the truly amazing thing happened when I was out shopping with Mr SuperGirl the other day I went to grab something and he said “Honey, stop! Are you sure that’s one of your colours?!"  And so out came the swatches………  

"Navy is the new black"



 
Till next time,
 


SuperGirl
 

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup.  Now, no one could accuse me of being an avid rugby fan but I do recognise it as being part of our kiwi culture and am quietly proud of it.
It was one of those magic Auckland days - cool, crisp and gorgeously sunny.  There was such a buzz about the city, you could feel the excitement as everyone planned what they would do and where they would be.
The biggest question I had is what you wear to the corporate box at opening night of one of the biggest sporting tournaments that has ever been in this country.
From my informal survey - black, jeans, something warm, black, something 'nice', black...hmmm black was a bit of a 'no-brainer' and I'm sure no one struggled to find something in their wardrobes knowing how fond Kiwi's are of the colour.
But what if black is not one's best colour and you want to mark the occasion and invitation to a corporate box in more than just jeans and trainers?  Well I settled for something black printed and pretty over grey skinny jeans (a nod to the casual) and a trench over top to keep out the chill.  It felt right, not to 'fashiony' and warm, more than I could say for the young-thing wearing a skin-tight scarlett bondage dress and matching heels who shivered her way through the evening (please someone give that girl a cardi!)
The crowds energy was amazing and the visual effects of the opening piece were absolutely jaw-dropping.  It was an evening we could all be proud of.  Go All Blacks!



Heading out to the opening ceremony



A pop of red (Tonga supporters) in a sea of black

Til next time
Jody

There is something so pleasing about warm weather, it puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step.  And what better way to make a fabulous step into Summer - ok Spring :-) then with some deliciously decorated wedges on your perfectly pedicured feet. 

Think fruit salad, vibrant brights for both toes and feet.  For the vertically challenged like myself, wedges are a prayer answered, they give me some extra height, feel so comfortable and look fantastic!  And to go with, OPI have a brilliant range of brights from Need Sunglasses (a striking yellow) to Ladies & Magenta Men (a vivacious pink).

Yes the looks out there are bold and bright but even the most toned down fashionista can work her neutrals with a pop of colour whether its just with well placed bright accessories like a punchy clutch or a statement shoe.

Jody and I have taken a look at some of the new trends coming in for the warmer weather and we like what we see!  Without spoiling the fun too much check out some of the eye catching shoe candy that is available to you right now:

Now I just need to work on my tan - tan in a can, hmm well it may have to do for now!

Until next time...

 

Source: Shoes (clockwise L - R): Lyla from Overland, Dina from Scarpa, Dusty Springfield from Number One Shoes and Hippy from Mi Piaci

Yesterday was actually my final day of NZ Fashion Week - today is all about those last minute "before you race off on holiday" tasks. I'd have to say; it was a really great final day. My day started with the MisteR show, which was absolutely one of my weeks highlight shows. How to explain? MisteR is a label from Christchurch whose workroom was in the Red Zone, so the design team had to re-locate to their garage to complete their collection. Add to that, they were approached by Cerebal Palsey sufferer Josh Perry to 'walk' in their show. He opened it in his wheelchair. It seemed an entirely appropriate way to open a show titled "Not that Grimm" - and the show itself was gorgeous. Not just that the clothes were gorgeous, more that the aptmosphere was one of pure joy. Let's just say it's the only show this week (so far) where the jaded fashion crowd actually gave the designers a standing ovation. It felt GOOD to be there.