Kate Sylvester Update

Tried on the Fox in Roses Tee in large today at Kate Sylvester in Newmarket. Perfection. Have it on hold. Will update you forthwith!

Tricky Trend: The Novelty Jumper

There is so much more to the novelty jumper trend than those you find in souvenir shops or the dreaded Christmas-themed ones. Have fun with this trend but keep the silhouette elegant by pairing yours with a simple skirt, pair of jeans or trousers (with minimal jewellery). Here are my top picks from ASOS. My favourite? The lobster jumper of course! I can't wait to get my claws on it...

A Wear Stripe & Bow Jumper | $67.99

 

Sugarhill Boutique Flamingo Jumper | $98.32

 

ASOS Lobster Striped Jumper | $62.76

 

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel Cherry Intarsia Knitted Jumper | $355.64

 

 

 

 A Wear Heart Fairisle Jumper | $373.22

 

 



Interpretations: Designer to Wardrobe

Recently, I bought my first-ever Kate Sylvester piece. I have admired KS designs for some time. Now I can actually fit some of her pieces, I decided to take a closer look and see how Winter 2013 stacks up for the 40+ woman. KS is a real mix of influences: retro glamour, secretary chic, tough girl... the potential for different looks is endless. As usual with these types of collections, you need to look past the 12 year-old size 4 model and work out how key pieces might fit into your own wardrobe. Here are my top five picks and how I would style them:

Nautical Top | $185 | XS - L

 

 

Avoid matchy-matchy unless you want to look like a jailbird from a 1950s movie. I wear my top with black skinny jeans and heels for an easy casual Friday look. This top would also look great teamed with a black pencil skirt, heels and a chunky necklace. Size guide: my size L is a generous NZ 14.



Shanghai Fox Collection Tee (Price and Sizing Not Yet Available)



The older I get, the more I appreciate a tee with an interesting print. I think the safest thing to do is avoid cheaper tees with some kind of image or phrase printed on them (bound to look cheap/offend someone) and go up-market. This tee is great in the above look which is exactly how I'd wear it. But if skinnies aren't your thing, try tucking this into shaped sweat pants and team with plain white sand shoes for a comfy but stylish weekend look.

Suska Skirt | $265.00 | XS - L





 

Pencil skirts are the only skirt for my boyish frame. This skirt has a bold pattern and sexy shape, but its length is still conservative enough for the office. Do as KS has done here and team this skirt with a block-colour top in a similar hue, classic pumps and minimal jewellery.

Shanghai Fox Collection Blouse (Price and Sizing Not Yet Available) 

I like the idea of sheer, floaty blouses but always end up looking twice my actual size and 20 years older. This Autumn, I'm looking for a blouse in a floaty fabric, but with tailoring. This one is in a floaty fabric but is not billowy and the sleeves and neckline keep it modern.

Shanghai Fox Collection Cardigan (Price and Sizing Not Yet Available)

See? Cardis can be sexy. It's all in the way you wear them. Modernise by choosing a shorter, fitted style in a good-quality fabric, then tuck into a pair of plain black pants or structured skirt. A little cami underneath means you can undo another button without feeling exposed.

Country Road AW13

You will notice on this blog that I wear a lot of Country Road. Since their change of design direction in the early 00s, I have been impressed by their uncanny ability to combine on-trend with classic. CR has a very generous loyalty programme too. Card holders get around four spend-and-saves a year (there's one on right now). Spend $300 get $100 off; spend $150 get $50 off.

Autumn Winter 2013 styles are now in stores and online. This season, CR is showcasing some major looks seen on the Northern Hemisphere catwalks: camo, embellished and monochrome. Here are my personal favourites to give you some ideas.

Camo

 

Army Shirt  XXS - XL  $109.00

Embellished

 Stripe Epaulette Tshirt  XXS - XL  $109.00                     Studded Top  XXS - XL  $64.90

Monochrome

Box Print Top  XS - XL  $109.00 (bought, and in blue!)                         Grid Print Pant  6 - 16  $149.00 

 

   Ambrosia Scarf  OS  $64.90                                Half-Sleeve Spot Dress  4 -16  $259.00

Store Watch: Glassons

I'll be honest. I don't generally purchase anything from Glassons. It's not just about the quality (you get what you pay for), it's also the fact that they are not pitching to me, so I walk on by and let the young-ins have their fun.

I was interested to see (via FOUREYES) that Glassons' new Creative Director is reinventing the brand. This happened to Country Road in the early 00s when it went from jodphurs, chambray smocks and penny loafers to fashion-forward casual chic. Click the link above for the full FOUREYES article. Below are my favourite looks from the AW13 collection at Glassons. I see some Zara influence coming through, especially with the multi-fabric items like the jackets with the faux leather sleeves:

 

 

 

 

 Thanks to FOUREYES for these photos.