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Grunge is Back

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

Those three words provoke a variation of reactions. Some believe that grunge belongs in the period of Nirvana and Pearl Jam and that’s where it should remain. Others, typically the younger generation embrace the style as modern and effortless. Personally I love it, which may be because I am venturing through my teen grunge phase at this convenient time. You would think that the designers from Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent attended festivals and walked through city streets in order to obtain inspiration for their most recent collections, as the style is reminiscent of what tends to saunters down the street these days. The fashion houses that opted for grunge this season had a distinct contrast against what other designers did, as the look is relatively casual, youthful and messy. It’s very different and suprising for high fashion brands, however I’m thrilled that it has been done. Now people may consider me as ‘high fashion’ rather than ‘angsty adolescent’.

Prim & pretty is not the look for the incoming autumn/winter, but rather dark & edgy. So I took inspiration from Givenchy to channel this new wave grunge. Patterned maxi skirts paired with baggy jumpers proved to be a key combination for the brand which I attempted to imitate with slightly less punk.

Skirt – asos

Jumper – Bettina Liano

Sandals – asos

Bag – ?

Personal note: Should load up on the eyeliner and red lipstick next time I aim to channel some grunge.

Midnight in Melbourne

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

The other night I went out with my family for my lovely sister’s birthday.  We threw on our finest and set off for a très classy evening at a fancy restaurant, expecting a night of delicious food and bad birthday singing. Needless to say, it did not disappoint, and the food turned out to be better than the singing.

It just looked so photogenic

I wore a midnight-blue and gold 80’s-esque number (minus the shoulder pads) that I recently bought. As soon as I saw it I grabbed it and knew I had to try it on because it’s reminiscent of a pink and gold dress that I used to wear back in the days of feathery scrunchies. Who doesn’t miss those days. I brightened it up with my red bag and finished it off with some smashing lippy. Red lipstick always makes me feel as though I can pull anything off.

Dress- Forever New

Bag – Vintage

Shoes – Guess

Leather in the Fields

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

Leather for winter is like being offered free money: always welcome. And especially this year with a massive revival of the silver-studded biker jackets from a couple of years ago and the clunky leather boots, leather (real or fake) is always on trend for winter one way or another. However I chose to downgrade the edgy, lethal look black leather usually provides by pairing it up with a relatively dainty dress that is often too delicate in appearance to wear on its own. Incorporating my vintage leather jacket balances out the wildly feminine look and also makes the dress wearable in winter, which is a bonus.

Leather jacket- Vintage

Dress- Sportsgirl

Shoes- Lipstik Shoes

Bag- Vintage

Belt- ?  

It’s been a while…

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

Wowzers. It really has been a while and the only excuse that I can offer is that I have been super busy doing non-fashion related things (namely being locked up in my study with coffee and trackies while cramming my butt off) which has left me with basically zero time to document anything really. I apologise profusely and regret that I have neglected my blog for this while. But no need to dwell in the past, because presently it is officially winter, and for those who are accustomed to my repetitive rants would be aware of my enthusiasm for the chilly season. And it has by no means disappointed, because already in June the temperatures have fallen drastically close to snow weather and I have spent copious amounts of time wishing I had a whole wardrobe of coats to flaunt in these freezing temperatures. Of course snow is practically unheard of in Melbourne, but if climate change is legitimately transpiring then anything is possible.

Anyway back to my point. Unless you tend not to part with your lovely heater, you would have realised that monochrome, which is a fancy word that refers to the black and white trend, is huge. So colossal in fact that black and white are the only visible colours in select stores- I do not jest. I’m not complaining about this, purely because black and white are relatively flattering on most people and ever classy as an outfit. Personally, I find limiting your outfit’s visual appeal to these two colours (or shades, take your pick) makes it appear a little stiff for casual wear, so I tend to employ some other colour to make it pop.

Below I am wearing my 50’s 3/4 pants which provide that pop effect, and is accompanied by a black trench coat to protect me just in case snow-like substances appear from the sky anytime soon. I am probably crazy to wear clogs in this weather but with  scarf like that, who cares.

Coat- Forever New
Pants- Bardot
Shirt- Minty Meets Munt
Shoes- Sportsgirl
Bag- Marikai
Scarf- Vintage

May Days

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

When it comes to May, you know that the year has made progress. For me, May is the in-between month that is prolonging the wait to the busy mid-year stuff that always seem to occur annually. In Melbourne, it represents a quick window of opportunity when wearing jackets isn’t such a necessity, so I try to maximise this occasion.

This year I am once again pulling out the over-the-knee socks, because to put it bluntly I love them to death. My online shopping carts are full of them in all different colours and patterns, and if only my budget allowed it I would purchase them all. They are kind of useless to wear during the especially cold days, however for May days like these they are perfect with shorts or a skirt.

Shirt- Wish

Shorts- Forever New

Bag- Forever New

Shoes- Betts

Belt- Cotton On

Socks- asos

Oh, and I realise that the last time I blogged was too long ago. When my busy schedule allows it, I will try and update it as soon as I can!

Something Old

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

I don’t recall where and when the dress below was purchased, however this timeless piece is one that has been worn for years and I love it. It can be adapted to every season and I always get complimented on it while wearing it out. The 1890/1900 look of the high-neck and pretty lace with the below-the-knee length makes it appear very vintage yet fitting for today’s fashion. Those socks are also vintage (circa primary school days).

Dress – Cherrie

Shoes – Inui

Bag – Vintage

Socks – ?

Ain’t No Sunshine

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

It was unreasonably cold today which was why I had to reason with myself to wear stockings. But I find this almost exciting, because the days are steadily becoming cooler and greyer which means that winter is near (!) and personally, I believe that there is no greater season. Yes, I am one of those ridiculous people who actually welcome the cold, because I find that layering up, inhaling the scent of fire wood and sipping scalding hot chocolate to escape the chill utterly thrills me.

Here I opted for my velvet blazer to shield me from the cool elements, although it didn’t do much in regards to the rain.

Blazer- Zara

Shirt- Sussan

Shorts- Just Add Sugar

Shoes- Inui

Bag- Vintage

Stockings- ?

The Long & Winding Skirt

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

Move over hippies from the 70’s; maxi skirts are becoming classier than ever. They are also being worn by women everywhere during all four seasons, because essentially, they can be worn at any time. They can look great without appearing too conservative and can also provide a chic, bohemian look. However if you believe that there’s too much fabric covering the legs, then there are plenty of sheer ones out there to show off the legs, or ones with sexy thigh splits that unquestionably exclude the nun factor. I don’t mind covering my legs, and only recently have I recognised my fixation for maxi clothing, as you could probably immediately pick up from my previous posts. I think I enjoy the sinuous sensation they bring.

The skirt was a well-spotted sale item from Forever New which complements this Forever New top that was a Christmas present. The fairly cool weather today meant that longer sleeves were required, and to be honest I’m becoming quite excited for winter!

Cheeky split!

Skirt & Top- Forever New

Bag- Fiorelli

Shoes- Sportsgirl

Socks- Target

Casual Saturdays

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

It is a struggle to think up anything that you can compare to a summer’s day, however Saturday is one of them. What’s better than the freedom that the weekend brings?

For yesterday’s outing I wore a dress which is traditionally a winter dress, but I wanted to mix things up a little. I coordinated it with a sleeveless collar top underneath to suit the warm weather with silver sandals and burgundy coloured socks that conveniently accompanied my satchel well. The end result was inadvertently school-girl-esque, supplemented by a finishing touch of a fabulous vintage brooch in the shape of a wide-brimmed hat. Now all I need is a blazer and I will be ready for school!

Dress– Target            

Top- Forever New

  Satchel- The Leather Satchel Co.

  Shoes- asos       

Belt- ?     Brooch- Vintage

It really does look like I’m doing the whole first-day-of-school-photos episode.

I Can Hear the Bells

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

There’s really nothing like a wedding to get you thinking about your own one. Last weekend I had the honour of attending my beautiful cousin’s wedding to her lovely partner. The ceremony took place at the stunning botanical gardens in Melbourne with a picturesque backdrop and an accommodating, clear blue sky. Despite the day’s high temperature (and the drops of sweat making their way down my spine), all of the guests were in awe of the radiating couple who were so obviously in love that I almost acquired a headache, though that might have been just the overexposure of sunlight. As I was listening to the couple’s words that were soaked with such mushiness that it can only be tolerated at a wedding, I began thinking about how I would plan my own wedding if I ever decided to get married. And then the relentless aching in my feet made me wonder if wearing high heels had any other significant purpose other than to appear more attractive to the opposite sex and debated if the positives could override the searing pain and discomfort. By the third hour I was highly doubtful.

A view of where the ceremony was conducted.
Snaps for the happy couple!
How stunning did my cousin look?

The ceremony concluded and we went to the reception a few hours later. The reception was held at the scenic Sandringham Yacht Club which offered a fantastic view of the sunset and a particularly elegant function room. Three delicious courses and several mushy words later, we discovered the location of a fun-filled photo booth and spent the rest of the night dancing and having a fabulous time.

The dress I wore is based on a design that I loved for ages, so I decided to get it made in Vietnam when I was there over a year ago. Considering it is a relatively formal dress, I hadn’t found an opportunity to wear it until this occasion. Needless to say I was extremely excited to wear it, although it was sweltering hot at times.

Dress- Made in Vietnam             Shoes- Guess                Bag- Vintage          Earrings- ?           Necklace- Swarovski

My gorgeous sisters and I at Sandy Yacht Club.

It was one of the loveliest weddings I have experienced, and I wish the happy couple all the best!