“If you are not in fashion, you are nobody.”

Lord Chesterfield

melbgirl

Have you seen the film, ‘In her Shoes’?

It’s about two sisters – one sensible and the other not so much. The sensible sister has a vast shoe collection, of which the not so sensible sister likes to borrow from. I don’t have any sisters, but I do have girlfriends, and I imagine that I feel the same way about shoes that Rose, the sensible sister, does.

Maggie Feller: If you’re not going to wear them, don’t buy them. Leave them for someone who will get something out of them.
Rose Feller: I get something out of them. When I feel down, I like to treat myself. Clothes never look any good, and food just makes me fatter, but shoes always fit.

I do like to buy clothes as well, and god knows when someone breaks out the Cadbury I am not about to say ‘no, thanks’, but shoes do hold a very special place in mine, and most women’s, hearts that is very hard to replace with a simple cup of tea and chat.

Shoes can transform you. A plain outfit can be va-va-voomed with a pair of shoes. Killer heels promote confidence and flair, while simple flats can convey naivety and innocence. Leopard prints and bold colours bring out ones personality and soft pinks are perfect for the ballet and the races.

I’ll admit, some of my favourite shoes are not wearable. I bought them so that I can simply take them out of the boxes sometimes and just admire how beautiful they are. I might do a lap of the house, but they would never go outside! I have coffee table books that are about shoes, I have shoe trinkets and knick knacks and even shoe door stops and oven mitts.

Shoes are at the centre of a very wide fashion world. I used to buy my shoes first, and then build the outfit around them. Now I am not so picky – I like my outfit to be well thought through, from shoes to hair accessories, and the order that I buy them in doesn’t necessarily start at the bottom.

Cleaning out my wardrobes has almost been like shopping in my own store! Finding things I had forgotten I had and pairing them with newer pieces is opening up a whole new range of options. I have culled the wardrobe and the handbags – but I am drawing the line at my shoes.

Each of my shoes tells a story – when I bought them, who I was with, who I planned to go out with and where they have been. They say a picture tells a thousand words, but I think shoes say so much more about people, and my shoes say a lot about me. Sometimes I have a lapse and think – I should be more sensible, that I will never wear these shoes enough to get value from them – but then I remember ‘In her Shoes’ and think maybe I’m a bit more Maggie than I am Rose – some shoes were made for wearing.

The latest addition to my shoe wardrobe – Wayne Cooper Autumn/Winter 09. Ooh la la!

‘You know that thing when you see someone cute and he smiles and your heart kind of goes like warm butter sliding down hot toast? Well that’s what it’s like when I see a store. Only it’s better. ‘ Rebecca Bloomwood, Confessions of a Shopaholic, 2009

Every time I walk into a store and buy something, I have convinced myself that I needed it. The only time I probably ever actually need to buy something is toilet paper and the occasional loaf of bread, but alas, I have this week found myself in the midst of a house move with hundreds of ‘I had to have it’s’ and no space in the new house to accommodate them.
Echoing Ms Bloomwood’s sentiments in Confessions of a Shopaholic, I understand completely how she feels. This is also possibly why I have no boyfriend. I even love the grocery store. Shopping is my salvation, my happy place, my reason to go to work.
And now, some of it has to go. Do I choose the more expensive, less worn top to keep, or the cheap one I wear twice a month? And what about handbags? I really like this one, but how many black bags does one girl need? Don’t even get me started on the shoes. I know you can only wear one pair at a time (although last year for the grand final I wore one brown heel and one yellow heel), but I can’t part with them. My shoes are like my children. Seriously. I don’t have any pets. They tend to eat shoes.
Two nights into the packing mayhem, I have culled ruthlessly. I have had to be strong and if I haven’t worn it or used it in the past 12 months, it’s definifely on the chopping block; even 6 months is pushing it (I’m trying to justify keeping things by saying it’s nearly summer again though). Clothes that I promised myself I would diet to fit back into are on the sale rack, tags intact. Shoes that I like to look at but can’t wear because they are the wrong size or hurt too much are added to the pile. Bags that I love but only use once in a blue moon haven’t made the cut. Even jewellery, hats and scarves aren’t safe. I’m on a rampage.
So I move a week from tomorrow, from a 3 bedroom house, to a 1 bedroom unit. My dream of being inner city is coming true but my dream of having a closet like Carrie Bradshaw is going to have to wait. I’m going from 3 wardrobes and two tallboys into 1 wardrobe and one tallboy – I mean, where am I meant to put my coats?! 
Through my sadness at having to part with all my stuff (even if I only wore it once, it has a memory) I am brightened by the fact that by putting it all on eBay I will make a few dollars and be able to go shopping for new apartment living stuff. The decorating ideas I have are endless and could possibly involve a trip to shopping mecca Ikea! There was even mention of a quick look in Bunnings – the kind of store that doesn’t make butter melt for me, but you never know what else you might find there. I hear boys like Bunnings…

Find all the items in the pictures as so much more on eBay over the next few weeks. I will post on facebook (www.facebook.com/sarahsstyleemporium) and twitter (www.twitter.com/sarahstyle), and of course here at the Style Emporium once I have listed items. I hope you enjoy buying these things as much I did!

This article first appeared at www.15secs.com

On a cold and wet April night, arty fashionistas gathered at Lamington Drive, (89 George Street, Richmond) a fabulous little gallery space where the clever, weather predicting Michi Girl had chosen to unveil her collection of canvas tote bags from the LMFF fashion and art initiative. You would think she might have some pull over the weather, but alas, the guys and girls who came to the reveal rugged up in their winter best and enjoyed their champers in the drizzle.

Michi’s ‘fashion installation’ involved a large (ok, huge) piece of white canvas attached to a wall, while her fashionable friends painted it over the course of the LMFF as part of the culture program. Michi’s nearest and dearest include Kat Macleod (also famous for all the wonderful Michi Girl illustrations), Tin&Ed, Rik Lee, Beck Wheeler, Andrea Innocent, Oslo Davis, Good Wives & Warriors and Rebecca Wetzler.

And now, one month later, thirty-six perfectly unique and distinctive designer canvas bags are on show, yours for the bargain price of $198 – and all proceeds going to Oxfam. Each bag is numbered, and has a quirky coloured button system to indicate which designers artwork appears on your one of a kind bag.  

So use it for your shoes, or hang it on the wall – the exhibition last night opened my eyes to some new designers, a new way to display arm candy and some fantastic reasons to support a great charity.

To purchase one of the bags not snapped up last night, or to watch culture in action, visit http://michigirl.tumblr.com/

This article first appeared at www.15secs.com

If LMFF is Melbourne’s premier fashion event, LiveStyle is its grungy younger sibling. Starting with a VIP affair on Friday night, the popup shopping precinct certainly had no trouble cleaning out my wallet within minutes of arriving. Featuring about 50 boutique stores and designers including Diesel, Ed Hardy, Cactus Jam, State of Georgia and Bettina Liano, the Peninsula function space at Central Pier was buzzing with the sound of credit cards being swiped – no doubt with thanks to k-rudd and his stimulus payouts.

In addition to the shopping, workshops and runway shows were on offer. Haircare, Beauty and Style were showcased by Toni&Guy, Jemma cosmetics and MX, while the runway shows highlighted some of the trends for the coming seasons.

Metallics continue to be big, with both male and female outfits featuring plenty of sparkle and shine. The boys were all rugged up in a range of knits (but thank you to the model that was shirtless in the yellow cardi at the Bray Steve Alan show – you might have been cold but not from where I was sitting!) while the girls wore sheer fabrics that seemed an odd choice for Winter until you throw on a leather jacket and the fashionista in me won out – who cares about being cold when you look that good? I did question some of the checks and tartan patterns, one such shirt style reminded me way too much of Italian restaurant tablecloths! Stud detail, oddly placed zippers and embellishments added interest to a range of pieces, and clearly fringing hasn’t gone away just yet (damn!).

For its first effort, LiveStyle delivered on its promise of fashion and music on show. The casual party atmosphere gives the fashion set a new opportunity to express their individuality and find a bargain in the process. And who is going to say no to that? See you at the checkout next year

Every year as we prepare for our annual ski trip, Dad gets out a bag of our snow gear from under the house and we stage a fashion parade in our living room. Various jackets and pants from bygone eras are pulled out and admired, while gloves of various colours are used in mock boxing ring scenes. My dad again struggles into his ski pants, claiming he has been wearing the same ones since before I was born, while mum watches on and laughs. My brothers’ gear still swims on him but he refuses to trade in his vintage overall hand-me-downs for something newer – these ones have history. I always put on my pants and think ‘God, must go on a diet’, but year after year they continue to fit, and I simply adjust the layers worn underneath.

I have been skiing since I was knee high to a grasshopper and every year, the fashions on the snow field never cease to amaze me. As a pretty serious fashionista, I try to be on trend most of the time; the ski field is however, a stage that has always eluded me fashion wise. Beanies make me look like a balding midget while ski jackets and pants add 10 kilos to an otherwise average frame.

I own my plain black Rip Curl ski pants and black gloves, and always try to accessorise with more black, maybe a pink trim or some glitter on a beanie or headband and perhaps a grey or brown scarf. I fail to see the point in spending upwards of $500 on a ‘good’ jacket, which will be outdated 6 months after I buy it, so I borrow jackets from a group of friends which always come in the basic shades of black, blue or white. While I accept that no ski gear is going to make me look like a model, I have always tried to stick with these colours as to not draw attention to myself on the slopes, and if by chance Brad Pitt happened to fall over me, I could always quickly whip off the beanie and hope for perfectly coiffed hair below.

This however is another thing that fails me at the snow. Any kind of beauty regime you currently undertake is out the window in subzero temperatures. Skin is dry and blah, unwilling to accept any kind of make-up or even moisturiser in some cases. Hair dries out or freezes at the click of your fingers, and styling is not even worth the hairspray. My face takes on a rather unpleasant shade of red after a bit of windburn and Carribean-esque temperatures in the lodge, while bruises pop up at the mere thought of a fall.     

Victoria Beckham may look brilliant in her ski getup, but for the most part, if you want a break from fashion and beauty, head to a ski field. The ski fields are another dimension where fashion goes to holiday. Highlighter yellow and army green join stripes and prints of all mismatched mayhem in a disastrous mix of teenage snowboarders and veteran skiers. Hats with dreadlocks attached and snowboards painted with naked ladies, the occasional all-in-one suit and grandpa on ski’s made in the 1960s make for an interesting fashion mix and plenty of fodder for a fashion blog.

Even a night out on the town brings out the best and worst of people’s wardrobes. A week in the snow makes for limited packing opportunities, and clearly the gentleman I saw out last night had run out of gear – he was frequenting the local watering hole in Superman pyjamas, complete with broken arm and slippers. I’d like to add it was about 3 below zero and for a guy already in plaster, his moves on the ice indicated he wouldn’t mind a leg cast to match.

Returning home, our gear gets packed back into the bag to be put under the house, awaiting next years fashion parade in the living room. As I unpack my bag again, I wonder: Will this be the year I take the plunge and buy something new instead of begging and borrowing from friends? Could I possibly ever look at good as Posh on the slopes; cool, calm and classy? And, if the miracle of Brad Pitt appearing at my local mountain is possible, then just maybe, just maybe, one day I might look half fashionable in my ski gear.

Style Hunter

As a lover of all things sparkly, shiny or expensive, I was thrilled to receive an invitation to the Spencer and Rutherford Spring Summer 2009 Collection Launch event last Thursday evening. Held at the Armadale store, ladies of all ages crammed into the haven that is Spencer and Rutherford, admiring the store décor as much as the handbags.

The store itself is a work of art, with beaded curtains, pearlescent mosaic tiles, inspirational quotes on the walls and swirled decals through the floor. The bags are simply decoration in already beautiful surrounds. And what decoration they are!

Creative Director Kim Michaelides, whom I had the pleasure of meeting, has been designing Spencer and Rutherford bags since the company’s inception 10 years ago. The current collection, entitled ‘Into The Wilderness’ was inspired by possibility and change in the face of the global financial crises. The bags are intended as investment pieces that one can hand down to a daughter or granddaughter and are elegant and timeless in the way most trend hangbags can only aspire to.

Champagne, canapés and Lindt chocolates were enjoyed while lusting after new season bags that were exciting and bold in their use of colours and fabrics to make a statement. Some of the bags actually do make a statement – ‘I usually avoid temptation, unless I can’t resist it’ – Mae West, and; I don’t do Fashion, I am Fashion’ – Coco Chanel. These oversized totes, named ‘Norma’, came in a range of colours and quotes, and were definitely my favourites. While the salesgirl recommended the Oscar Wilde, I felt it was a bit deep and meaningful for me – I could relate more to the Chanel! Special preview night discount with some gentle encouragement from new friends and Coco was mine, in red with brown and tan trim. The perfect colour to brighten the rest of winter, while also being a fabulous style to go from work to play.

Kim took a few minutes to talk about the collection and to announce that Spencer and Rutherford will soon be opening their second store at Chadstone Shopping Centre. Door prizes were drawn, and Lady Luck continued to smile on me, presenting the ‘Gina’ clutch in the garnet colour palette. Take snakeskin, ribbon, lace and sequins to create a clutch purse worthy of the most fickle fashionista.

If you want your own Spencer and Rutherford beauty, head to the boutique at 1099 High Street, Armadale, or online at www.spencerandrutherford.com

My new oversized tote… divine!

I grew up in a family where meat and 3 veg was a standard dinner. My brothers used to look at the plate funny if mum served up something that consisted of a chicken based pasta dish and ask ‘where’s the meat?’ I made a spinach and ricotta lasagne once and nearly got laughed out of the room.

So it still astounds me that I have such wide and varied tastes in food. Lot’s of things that would be considered weird on unusual in my family are things I regularly like to eat. I nearly choked the other day when I ordered eggplant and the thought of what my brothers would say about its representation humoured me.

But I digress, as I want to tell you about my latest culinary experience – Maha. Yep, for all you Masterchef fans, you heard right, the restaurant is the brainchild of one Mr George Calombaris (also of The Press Club and Hellenic Republic) and chef Shane Delia. Dining as part of The Age Good Food Guide’s Winter Restaurant Express, I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but at $35 for two courses, wine and coffee, how could I go wrong?

Most of you have probably heard of Maha, and its reputation definitely precedes it. From the moment you walk down the stairs off Bond Street, the atmosphere and scent transcend time and place and you could easily be somewhere in the middle east, where the weather is humid and the colours of the desert create a wonderful palette. Spicy aromas fill the air, as our coats are taken and we are seated at a cosy table where comfy bench seats are adorned with cushions in rich colours and tapestry’s and the warm lighting makes 1.30 in the afternoon on a chilly Melbourne day feel like late evening on a Friday night.

A choice of red or white wine to accompany the meal and we start with entrée dishes to share. Tapas style dips, olives, eggplant and various others with breads and house spices leave us feeling full before we have even moved onto our mains. Larger share plates with chicken, lamb and butterfish with salad, rice and creamy mash arrive at our table and instantly I feel hungry again. The aromas are amazing and will leave you salivating for more. If the entrée was divine, then the main was heavenly.

Well and truly full by now, coffee was offered and accepted, admired and drunk before the bill was delivered in an old cut out book – a very effective touch at the end of an authentic experience.

Finally, a dash of lemon water to cleanse the hands has you walking out the door gently inhaling the citrus fragrance and planning your next Arabian encounter.

With food and dining like this in our fabulous city, why would you settle for meat and 3 veg?

Maha Bar and Grill
21 Bond Street
Melbourne Vic 3000
03 9629 5900
www.mahabg.com.au

The Age Good Food Guide Winter Restaurant Express runs until August 8th, $35 for lunch and $45 for dinner.