My controversial decision to advocate Leggings as Pants inspired much debate in the Twitterverse yesterday, with many tweets clearly stating what side of the fence people were on. Some felt it should be up to the individual to choose if they could pull off the look or not, while others remained vehemently opposed to any LAP action.

I got to thinking – what other fashion trends have the fashion set divided right down the middle? Harem pants were first on my list, jumpsuits (‘onesies’), thongs, one shouldered tops and dresses (a personal dislike of mine) and socks with inappropriate footwear. The list of fashion question marks truly does go for miles and each season brings us a new batch of trends to analyse, pick apart, embrace and ridicule.

The past fortnights magazines have given us plenty of fodder, providing retrospectives of the 2009 fashion hits and misses. The Alexander McQueen Armadillo shoe had to have been a miss just for the sheer impracticality of it while the 80s resurgence was a hit and saw us all running to our mothers closets to find vintage treasures.

As with the Leggings as Pants phenomenon, each trend must always be interpreted by the individual and tailored to suit the individuals body type, personality, budget and practicality. Mr McQueens shoes might be a work of art, but can you see yourself running for a tram in them?

Take on trend pieces and mix and match with vintage, chain store and wardrobe staples to create your own look. A plain Bonds tee for $10 will go great with $120 Sportsgirl harem pants – just roll up the bottoms and team with heels and an oversized neckpiece or scarf. Wear your hot party frock from Wayne Cooper with a tee underneath and ballet flats to wow at work. Throw on an $8 thrift store dress with $300 Maticevski heels and paint the town red. Work your Leggings as Pants with bangles and beads – its all in the way YOU interpret the trend.

In my time, I have experienced a number of great debates. Most of them took place at the Melbourne Comedy Festival or on National TV with a worm around election time (or wait, I think that was a comedy too) but no debate has ever bought about such division as the Leggings as Pants (LAP) debacle.

Search the term on Twitter and you will find hundreds of LAP references – both for and against what seems to be a trend that can’t make up its mind. We go from leggings being a great transseasonal piece that can bridge the gap when the days are starting to cool down, to brands who have created ‘demin look’ leggings, designed to take the place of skinny jeans.

There is a time and a place for all fashion – I am not about to tell someone what they can or can’t wear, but when it comes to the LAP debate, I feel like I want to have a say. Because I have worn leggings as pants. Recently. And I have to say I kinda liked it.

The occasion was dinner with a friend. I can’t tell you where we dined – conclusions would immediately be jumped to about my life before I was a city dweller. I wore full length leggings as pants with a voluminous ruffled pink top and sky high gladiator platforms (think dior-esque SATC1). Appropriate accessories completed the look.

I tried the top with jeans first. With a skirt. With tailored shorts. It just wasn’t going to work – the volume of the top needed something to balance it and I just couldn’t leave the house looking oversized and frumpy. LAP streamlined the look, the heels added height and made my legs look slimmer, the top became a feature rather than a faux pas.

While I am advocating the LAP look in some circumstances, it is true that not everyone can pull it off, no matter what the magazines tell you. Heels are absolutely essential and if I see anyone with a VPL they shall be immediately sentenced to life in fashion lockup. Tights or opaque stockings are not leggings and should not be worn as such. Don’t wear a super tight top with LAP – the look will be more skanky than sophisticated and above all, wear it with confidence! Don’t slouch or fade into the background, hold your head high and make your mark on the fashion world.

Diane von Furstenberg Pitonesa Top in Miranda Ruffles (White), $225, shown paired with the Under Leggings in Berry
Visit www.dvf.com

Authors note. Wet look leggings are not okay under any circumstances. Ever.

The Secret Life of a Chef’s Wife

A new blog by my fabulous cousin and hospitality widow that talks about her darling husbands blooming career as a top chef while she spends her evenings with the cat and MadMen. Read about Melbourne’s best restaurants and what’s good to eat – as only an insider can know. 

I realise that the Spring Racing Carnival probably killed off a number of brain cells in young girls the state over, however I had thought (hoped) that some of my words of wisdom when it comes to alcohol, decorum and conducting oneself in public would have sunk in. I was proven wrong last week when I celebrated the New Year at coastal hotspot Phillip Island and was confronted with hundreds of drunk and scantily clad teens, showing too much boob, too much leg and way past the point of being tipsy/happy drunk.

As I ventured to the foreshore with two families (3 small children between them) I was horrified to find our idyllic holiday spot had become schoolies week on steroids. Half dressed teens drank openly in the streets, swearing was prominent and every second girl had a cigarette.

We set up our picnic rug and settled in for the early fireworks, only to be caught in the amazing storms not ten minutes after we sat down. Huddled under the aforementioned picnic rug, under a tree, the 5 adults and 3 children choose to wait out the rain while watching the spectacular sound and light show Mother Nature had decided to put on for the occasion.

Our tree became crowded when a small group of teenagers also wanted to share our shelter, swearing and drinking like the very best sailors would have in their day. We watched as three boys attempted a late night swim (it wasn’t warm and the water was clearly dangerous), while others dragged intoxicated friends across the road in front of oncoming cars.

All of this occurred prior to 9pm. I doubt some of those kids would even have made it to midnight. Watching the parade of cars leaving the island at 4pm on New Years Day, all branded with red and green P plates, is evidence that most of them probably needed the day to be sober enough to drive.

Ordinarily Phillip Island is a family friendly destination for the New Year, but what I saw this year will make me think twice about it next year. Where did you spend the New Year and what did you experience?

I had been on my Island getaway for less than 3 hours before the sting of sunburn hit. It seems I manage once every summer to get stung, ordinarily it’s at the Aus Open mid January, but this year I didn’t even see out the decade. There are so many theories about sunburn – best time to not get burnt, best remedies – but my best advice? Don’t get burnt in the first place! Its bad for your skin and your overall health, it’s uncomfortable and unsightly.

This years’ inopportune sunburn occurred after 4pm, when I went for a simple walk along the beach to fill in time. Urban myths will tell you that the sun is at its most dangerous between 1pm and 3pm – maybe daylight savings has changed that cause my shoulders got toasty between 4 and 5. Wearing an Ojay tank singlet (slight racer back) with a normal bra, I now have sunburn lines around the neck (front and back cause my hair was up), shoulders and two slits on my back when my bra didn’t meet the singlet. Lovely, isn’t it?

After liberally applying after sun lotion, I have endured an unpleasant nights sleep, only to discover I was still lobster red the next morning. One friend suggested aloe vera; another the hottest shower I could endure; a third thought anti aging creams were the best cure. I think I should have just avoided alcohol, rehydrated with a truckload of water and vowed never to step outside my door without SPF 30+ again.

To make it even worse, on the day of the inopportune suburn I also had a facial. One of the best facials I have ever had. Relaxed bliss. My skin felt refreshed and fabulous! But the downside of this is fresh, shiny new skin doesn’t take well to time spent in the harsh Aussie sun and though my face is not burnt (god knows how I avoided that but thank you!), it does feel dry and tight again. It seems my cheap and cheerful Natio 15+ moisturiser has done an alright job and for that I am grateful.

I would like to sing the praises of Wax Beauty Therapy at Docklands for my brilliant facial though – Dr Spiller lotions and potions are used and after just a week using his (hers?) cleanser, I am pleased to have noticed results. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen, or so they say!

And while this sunburn won’t go away overnight, I do hope that you all take heed of my lesson and make the effort to slip slop slap this silly season. Its not worth it ladies!!   

I promised myself I would not go near the stores on Boxing Day. If I didn’t go, I couldn’t shop, thus saving myself the agony of putting something I really couldn’t afford back on the shelves. The shops called to me, yet still I stayed away. It was like the wind was whispering my name with every gust – promising me the world if I just took a step inside those automatic doors and let the fluorescent light wash over me.

I lasted 24 hours.

I’m all for saving one’s pennies but when there are bargains to be had, sometimes its just not worth staying at home. I still believe it’s not my fault – if the magazines I had bought (even they on sale: OK! And Grazia for $7) hadn’t have advertised the cheap chic fashion, I would never have discovered the Gossip Girl for Big W collections, and been enticed to enter a shopping complex in the first place!

I entered the shopping centre with some trepidation, I knew I wasn’t meant to be there and that is when you will always get caught. I parked as close as possible to the Big W entrance so I wouldn’t be tempted by other stores (like the Myer Stocktake Sale – first year I haven’t gone and it’s like I sent my child to boarding school and didn’t see them for Christmas). I planned lunch with a friend – I had a time limit of 30 minutes at the store. The starting gun fired and I was off.

First stop – accessories. I had seen the bejewelled Blair-esque headband in OK! magazine and that was what I was here for. $14.50 or something similar to have a piece of Gossip Girl seemed reasonable and a small concession to my post Xmas shopping ban. But then – what’s this? All the GG collections with orange stickers? On sale? ON SALE!! $5 a piece, I grabbed everything on the racks – pearl necklaces, braided bracelets, diamonte bangles, chiffon flowers, sparkling oversized beads – it was a treasure trove of bargains.

I passed on the Peter Morrissey maxi dress (see, I can show some self restraint) and headed to the checkouts – 8 pieces for $40; original price average $15 a piece RRP. I nearly cried with joy. So excited I was with my purchases, I skipped back towards the exit, only to be distracted by something shiny in the window at TEMT.

10 minutes later I was done, returning to the car now with a clutch purse and cocktail ring. I felt like a junkie who had just had their hit. Calmer, satisfied.

But everyone knows the fix doesn’t last long and after collecting my friend for lunch we detoured past Tony Bianco for just a moment – where I emerged with gorgeous lavender flats, complete with bow, reduced from $109 to just $30.

A week later and I have managed to stay away from the stores. I had to leave Melbourne to do it, but hey, as long as the result at the end of the week is the same does it matter?

Let me live vicariously through you – what did you find at the sales this Summer?

Now that the big day is finally over and done with, it’s time to summarise and reflect. What did we learn? And what did Santa bring?

I personally received two very exciting pieces of news!! One I had known for 2 weeks but was sworn to secrecy – I am going to be an Aunt! My younger brother and his partner are expecting next Winter, and I could not be more excited – neither can my other brother, my parents, grandmother or the prospective parents themselves. Looking at tiny baby things the week before Christmas made me all the more excited for next Christmas, when there will be a 6 month old little one to fawn over, and go goo and ga at. It is especially nice to have kids around at Christmas I think, they bring out the magic of the day because they don’t know all the drama involved in gift buying and organising lunch for 25.

The second news I received was the engagement of a friend from University. I have now heard her proposal story four times and I still get teary, yes I am a sook! While we sat around and discussed the proposal, possible dates, dress options and honeymoon hideaways, I was still dabbing a tear at the excitement of it all and the sadness of us growing up. It feels like just yesterday we all still believed in Santa, yet now we are getting engaged and having babies. Congratulations to Mr N and Miss B – I look forward to being the best Aunt there could be, and to Miss E and Mr D – may your union be happy and long lasting! I love you all!

And now onto the good stuff – tell me what the bearded man left for you in the night! I was again very spoilt – clothes, jewelery, photo frames, wall hangings, notebooks and so much shoe stuff, Santa certainly didn’t forget I had moved house.

I’d love to hear what lovely things you received, and if you received any exciting news this festive season. How did you spend your day?

Merry Christmas emporiumites!! xoxo

Today is the first this season I have been outside when it has been a bit on the warm side. The last check I did said it was 38 degrees outside – and I am really looking forward to walking home in that! But today I succumbed to one of my favourite Summer treats – ice cream!

Typically I am a straight Vanilla girl, kinda plain and boring yes, but also simple, practical and efficient. Vanilla gets the job done with a minimal fuss and effort and still manages to satisfy that craving you had.

I used to be a chocolate lover – dark and rich; but then decided that it wasn’t for me, far too sweet or bitter and as a kid, just doesn’t come out of your clothes the way vanilla does.

If I am honest, I truly used to love the choc/vanilla/strawberry tub you could buy at the supermarket. I am sure it was called Napolitano or Napoleon or something but given one is a tomato sauce and the other a long dead French leader. I’m not sure what the word I am looking for is.

I remember that no one ever wanted the chocolate from this tub – the combination of vanilla and strawberry was far too appealing – and still is. Strawberry was the flavour of choice at New Zealand Natural today, just one scoop as to allow myself a treat and not spoil the fact that I am having lots of treats with this being Christmas and all!

Strawberry is girly, fruity and fabulous – just like me 🙂
Boysenberry and caramel toffee are others I love but when given the choice I will still always fall back on the staple flavours of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.

Given the ice cream possibilities these days, your choices are endless! Try Cold Rock or Trampoline for variety and fun.

It’s not a secret I love Christmas. I love it for so many reasons and try as I might, I can’t deny I like presents. I mean, come on, who doesn’t? Even those who claim to hate surprises will secretly take their newly acquired possessions home and be glad that someone spent the time to think about what they would like.

Our family Christmas get together was held this past weekend. Nana’s, aunts, uncles and cousins gathered to share a meal, catch up on news, have a drink and plan for the coming year. Champagne flowed, laughs were constant and food was in over supply.

But one of the best parts of the day is of course, the presents!! Our family does a Kris Kringle and this year I had my paternal grandmother. There was a toss up – one large gift, or several smaller things to make up the value of the KK? I went with the latter and Nana this year received Bryce Courtney’s latest blockbuster, a scarf and a brooch. A quick call the day after confirmed Nana started reading the epic novel almost as soon as she got home from lunch – a sure fire hit if I have ever heard!

As for me, my cousin, Miss L, pulled my name from the hat this year. Being very similar in age and personality to me, I imagine she had lots of fun picking the Peep Toe Shoes necklace that I was blessed with, wrapped beautifully in a mini shoe box with purple tissue paper and ribbon. The black and white oversized pearls with bejewelled silver sidepiece is divine and I wore it the very next day to work where many compliments were received. Seems Peep Toe isn’t just all about shoes, they carry a range of handbags and accessories to suit everyone’s tastes – especially mine!

Now we are in the last few days prior to Christmas, what is on your last minute wish list? Have you found something while shopping for others you truly covet?

Last week I was taken on a journey. There was singing and dancing. There was laughing and sadness. There was an amazing new experience that I encourage everyone to try. Introducing (to those of you who are not already in the know), The Butterfly Club. Located in South Melbourne and going strong since the mid 90s, The Butterfly Club offers an alternative night out with a difference. We had cocktails, cabaret and kitsch all in the one evening, we laughed and nearly cried our way through the performance and marvelled in the décor that makes The Butterfly Club so unique.

But first – to the food around the corner! Near East is an Asian fusion restaurant on Park Street in South Melbourne where the food was good, the staff attentive and the atmosphere soothing. We ate early in order to make the show so the place was empty (it was a Tuesday night at 6pm after all) but as we finished up around 7.30pm, people started to drift in (including Trevor Marmalade, ex Footy Show, who I think is hilarious). I went with my favourite – Pad Thai – and was not disappointed. Our party also bought along a little birthday cake (Happy Birthday Miss K!!) and the staff were happy to let us light our candles and sing for our friend.

My first glimpse of the Butterfly Club from the street does not distinguish it from any other townhouse or small bar. The street tables and chairs are basked in sun and people are mingling in the space. We go inside and are greeted with the most fabulous display of kitsch around! It adorns the walls, the picture rails, bookshelves and bars. There are cosy nooks with couches, soft lighting courtesy of the funkiest looking lamps and a bar serving a wide variety of cocktails. Outside, a beer garden-esque space paves the way to an outdoor loo, while plastic flowers and more intriguing décor continue to wow.

A quick look upstairs reveals more of the same – and I know I can’t wait to visit again on a night when the place is full of people and we can spend time looking at the intricate detailing of the bits and bobs around the bar.

The doors to the theatrette open and we are encouraged to take our drinks into the space – retro seating accommodates about 50 people and the smallest stage I have ever seen is fit for just one performer. A piano on one side and a small table are the only props, and our actress for the evening, Hannah Smith, takes to the stage shortly after we take our seats. Her performance is entitled The Bartender, and Hannah takes us on the journey of a young girl from the country headed to the big city and in need of employment. We meet the regulars, the hot guy and the girls who are in the wrong bar at the wrong time. Hannah sings and dances her way through – from Radiohead’s debut hit Creep, to the number one chart song of 2009, Tic Toc.

The show made us laugh, bought us close to tears and gave us all a reason to be out on a Tuesday night. I loved every minute and can’t wait for a return visit! The Butterfly Club runs several shows a month, each for only a few nights. Visit www.thebutterflyclub.com for information and tickets.