The Divas Strike Again

Recently I attended (for the second time) what I can only describe as HEAVEN for any bargain shopper with a sweet tooth for designer labels - The Diva's Wardrobe.

The event is a one-day-only oasis of preloved, worn once, and even brand new designer clothing and accessories from the overflowing wardrobes (and boutiques!) of a selection of Brisbane's biggest fashionistas.

The most recent event even played host to 'Divas' Nicky and Rebel of Brisbane's Calexico who were selling treasures from their personal wardrobes as well excess sale stock (some of which originally retailed at over $1000!) all at just $50, and then $40, and then $20 by the end of the day!

When I attended my first Diva's Wardrobe shopping event last October, I was pretty pleased with my two purchases, but I really out did myself this time around. 

I managed to score a Scanlan & Theodore net top for $40, Cameo denim shorts for $40, and a breezy pair of palazzo pants for just $25.

From the Calexico ladies I purchased a gorgeous blue cocktail dress by Michael Lo Sordo for $50, and my best ever bargain buy, a pair of luxurious lamb skin leather A.L.C. pants, brand new and still with tags, for a ridiculous $40 down from their original retail price of $1,450!!!

To say I was over the moon with my shopping achievements would be a gross understatement.

To make sure you don't miss out on all the fun of the next Diva's Wardrobe, head to the website www.divaswardrobe.com and sign up for email notifications!

Rumour has it that the next event will be held around May and the event may even be making it's debut in Sydney sometime soon so stay tuned!

The Diva's Wardrobe

There's no denying shopping is my all-time favourite activity, and I love it even more when I can treat myself to super fab pieces without that omg-how-much-did-I-just-spend guilt. 

So my shopping outing to The Diva's Wardrobe today was a no-brainer!

The event held at RNA Showgrounds saw 26 Brisbane fashion-insiders aka "Divas" (including boutique owners, stylists, fashion agents, media personalities and shopaholics) selling never-been-worn and preloved favourites from their fabulous wardrobes including plenty of designer treasures!

I managed to find a few gems for myself including this gorgeous old-season Romance Was Born cropped vest which will be the perfect summer outerwear with its cut-out back. Continuing with the keeping cool theme, I picked out a super cute Topshop sheer black mini-dress which will be amazing for the beach and the hellishly hot Brisbane summer!

If you're a Brisbane gal like myself, check out www.divaswardrobe.com to be in the know for the next Diva's Wardrobe!

Sneaky Purchases for the Beach

I know, I know, I've broken the golden rule of blogging. I seem to have taken a leave of absence. 

The past month has been the craziest month of uni I've had in a a long time, and it's been tough to find time to blog. All work and no play has left me longing for a break and dreaming of a day at the beach, and since it's finally mid semester break, I might just make it to the beach this weekend!

My Beach Edit:
Starburst choker by Isobel Badin

'Penny Wanderlust' neoprene bikini set and beach bag by Triangl Swimwear

Vagabond Dioon chunky sandals from Urban Outfitters
Graz x Ellery Quixote catseye sunglasses available from Eye Goodies

'Impressionist' bag  by Oliver

Despite how hectic this month has been, I may have managed to squeeze in a few sneaky procrasti-shopping sessions - oops! So my beach edit includes a few new treasures.

My first purchase was the amazing sports-luxe-esque neoprene bikini from Triangl Swimwear, pictured above. My obsession with neoprene is a long standing one, so when I discovered these gorgeous bikinis while scrolling through my instagram feed, I took the plunge and had finalised my purchases within a few minutes. They're super comfy and so reasonably priced too - $86 including bikini top, bikini bottoms, and a matching neoprene beach bag! I'm yet to take them for their first swim but i'll be sure to let you know how they hold up.



My second sneaky purchase was this bold perspex choker by Isobel Badin. I had a really hard time choosing between the four different 'Starburst Choker' styles, all designed for the Emma Mulholland MBFWA 13 show earlier this year, but I'm super happy with my choice (although I may invest in a second if I can save my pennies!). 

Summer is well and truly on its way, and I have no doubt the sneaky summery purchases will continue. Stay tuned!

The Fleet Store

Once a year QUT's double degree Business and Fashion students run a fabulous little pop-up store stocking amazing pieces from local and student designers:

The Fleet Store!

I missed out on visiting the store last year but was stunned by the incredibly unique clothes and accessories I later saw in photos. I didn't want to miss a thing this year so I headed straight there on Monday morning when they opened to check it out.

This year's store is hosted in a creatively outfitted shipping container or 'POD' right in the middle of the creative industries precinct of QUT's Kelvin Grove campus. For such a small space, these kids have done great things with it! The racks were full of incredible pieces from simple and elegant basics to eye-catching printed statement items.

I would've bought out the whole store if I could, but I settled on this super cute gator print halter top by Brisbane label House of Cards, from their amazing Swamp Monsters collection (check it out!). 

If you're a Brisbane gal like myself, I strongly recommend popping in for a cheeky shop to support these talented young designers before the shop pops-down on August 30!

You can find The Fleet Store @ Paper Place, Musk Ave, QUT Kelvin Grove Campus.

Opening Hours:
10am - 6:30pm Monday to Wednesday

10am - 7:30pm Thursday to Friday

9am - 1pm Saturdays

Check out The Fleet Store's website and Facebook page for more info!

Valley Purchases

Just a few treasures I picked up in the Valley this weekend.

Stolen Girlfriends Club camo snakes shirt available from Violent Green,

Cheap Monday flatform oxfords in black available from Yokiono,

'1973' long sleeve shirt by House of Cards.

Crazy B'Day Kicks

This weekend just past I celebrated the very special milestone of turning 21!

Although I only had a small get-together with close family and friends, I wanted to be able to go all-out with my outfit for the occasion, so I decided on a 'Streets of Tokyo' theme and advised all of my guests to dress in their craziest Tokyo street style inspired outfits. 

Everyone looked hilariously great, and hopefully I'll have some party piccies up soon, but the real stars of my outfit were my ridiculous (but amazing) flatform sneakers. 

I spied them on Topshop a month or two ago and just couldn't help myself, they were too perfect to resist. I couldn't believe my luck when I stumbled across these vibrant rainbow shoelaces in a box of my old stuff just a day before the party, it was the crazy combo of my dreams. 

As if one pair of crazy shoes wasn't enough for the night, my older brother gave me these amazing blue/green animal print flatform sandals by KENZO, which I had been lusting after forever - I'm kind of still pinching myself. 

MoonSpoon Saloon x Buffalo x Topshop polka dot flatform sneakers from Topshop.

Similar rainbow shoelaces (but with bonus leopard print!) available from Kawaii Kids.

Kenzo wild platform sandals (gifted by my generous brother) from Opening Ceremony.

Reflecting

Looking back on some of my recent purchases, it would seem that I have become somewhat obsessed with all things shiny and silver. I am such a sucker for this trend. I have always loved wearing clothes that are super eye-catching, and these metallic pieces are a dream because they are not only amazing statement pieces on their own, but they are plain enough to mix and match with other bright, printed, statement pieces for maximum wow-factor! Bonus!

My recent purchases: Luster Anorak from Nasty Gal, Staple the Label cracked metallic tee in silver from Market HQ, Staple the Label cracked metallic shorts in silver from Market HQ, and Miista May ankle boots in silver from Solestruck.

OOTD: Picnic in Pink

With exams finished and uni finally over for the semester (YAY!), what better activity to start the holidays with than an afternoon of smiles and snacks with all my friends I had been missing during the semester. 

We got together for a cute little Sunday afternoon picnic in Southbank, but sadly the purpose of the event was to say farewell to a friend who will be heading off to Mexico until early next year - adiós Clare! 

To counter my sadness over Clare's impending departure, I picked out the brightest piece of clothing I could find in my wardrobe - these HOT PINK vintage silk pants. 

I came across these little treasures a few years ago in an antique shop in Paddington and couldn't believe my luck. They're super comfy, in perfect condition, and all the little details (especially the gemstone buttons!) are divine. They've been hiding away in the sea of clothes that is my wardrobe for far too long and I'm so glad I decided to take them out for a spin; it was near impossible not to feel happy while wearing them.

I paired them with my striped mesh crop by Glamorous from ASOS, my brand new chelsea ankle boots from ASOS, and my Graz x Ellery Quixote catseye sunglasses from Optiko.

Credit to Harry for the photo - Thank you!

OOTD: Harry's 21st

Me and Jacob.

This past Saturday night I celebrated my friend Harry's 21st birthday at The London Club in Teneriffe. 

The dress code was cocktail so I was excited to finally have something to dress up for! 

I'd just splashed some cash on this gorgeous Sara Phillips Iris Skirt that I'd been lusting after, for what felt like an eternity, since I first saw the fabulous Fabliha sporting it a few months back, so this seemed like the perfect occasion for it to make its debut. 

I wanted my freshly dyed hair and red lips to really stand out so I stuck to black and white, teaming it with a plain white button-up, my black pointed-toe heels from Yesstyle, and my new transparent Impressionist bag by Oliver.

v srs couple shot with Jacob.

Me and my fab gal pal Hattie.

Up until now, I had never been a fan of boleros, but daaaaamn, girl knows what's going on. 

Having fun with my girl Hattie who looked super fab in all black with a cheeky peek-a-boo.

I've been totally snowed in by uni work lately and Saturday night was a much needed break. Thankfully exams are almost over so hopefully i'll be able to get some more posts out soon. 

Until then...

Moaw

Pip x

Winter Weakness

Although it's still technically autumn, the winter chills have officially made their entrance in Brisbane this week. There's nothing better than a 'legit' excuse, like the changing seasons, for a wardrobe restock.

"I swear I don't have any winter clothes. These are essential purchases. I'm am in complete control of my shopping urges."

Yeah Pip, sure...

But seriously what better excuse to indulge in a new pair of boots and a beautiful knit!

Miista May Boots in Silver available here & here (if you're quick!)

and Wonderland Knit Dress in Blue from Sheike (on sale for a short time!).

I've been on the lookout for the perfect pair of ankle boots with a chunky, square, high heel. At just over 5'2" I'm always hunting for extra height where I can get away with it and I'm a big fan of the chunky styles; if you get it right, your ankles and legs will always look dainty in comparison! 

I'm not the only one that's weirdly self conscious of their ankles, right...?

This boot also looks awesome in black as a staple, but unfortunately they're a rare breed at this point. I was more than happy to be able to get my hands on the silver instead - any excuse to wear something shiny!

I've been lusting after my second purchase, this amazing knitted mini, for a while. I tried it on in store a few weeks ago and it was super comfy and super eye-catching, so with the sudden change to cold weather and a surprise sale at Sheike, this one was a no brainer. 

Can't wait for these beauties to arrive in the mail.

Maow

Pip

x

Back to Basics

So lately I've been thinking my wardrobe needs a little taming. For a while now I've been a bit (okay, a lot) obsessed with items that are a touch wacky - crazy cuts, crazy prints, crazy colours. If people were staring, my outfit was a success.

But in all the craziness, things got kind of messy. There's nothing wrong with looking a little out-there, but making sure there's a certain level of polish to an outfit makes all the difference.

To that end, I went in search of sophisticated yet simple designs - clean lines, blacks, whites, basics. And this is what I found.

Black Leather Pointed Toe Heeled Sandals from YESSTYLE

White Mesh T-Shirt with PU Stripe from ASOS

Black Long-sleeve Striped Mesh Crop Top by Glamorous from ASOS

As much as a love a good print clash, sometimes you just need simple pieces to pair with those outrageous prints so they can really pop. I'm looking forward to seeing what new life these basics can breathe in to my wackier wardrobe veterans!

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Sample Sale Goodies.

Therese Rawsthorne printed silk shorts & Gail Sorronda belt.

I picked up these beautiful little printed shorts (so light and luxurious!) and neat rope belt from the Gail Sorronda & Friends designer sample sale on James St this weekend.

Nothing like a little shopping to distract me from impending university related doom.

Easter Haul

This Easter weekend just past, as many of you may have been having family fun times and chowing down on chocolates, I was family-less and chocolate deprived (damn you lactose intolerance) so I decided to treat myself to a little spending spree.

I headed to my local Westfield geared up to spend but was disappointed when I was met with stores full of drab, dark, winter woollies. The transition to the 'cooler' months in Brisbane is pretty damn subtle but I guess I should have known winter was coming after marathoning all those episodes of Game of Thrones.

It's no secret that bright colours and bold prints have been huge this past summer, and I'm not quite ready to revert back to the monotony of to the blacks, greys and maroons just yet.

Having deprived myself of a good shopping spree for quite a while, my plan was to make my money go as far as possible and come home with a big haul, so it was a day of bargin hunting. I ended up seeking out quite a bunch of bold statement-making pieces of a more summery variety, which is totally fine because a pair of tights is all I'll need to protect myself from a mild Brisbane autumn and winter.

I ended up with a plethora of short sleeve printed shift dresses, a jaguar print fitted denim skirt, some super comfy shorts in a cute retro style print, a sleeveless cropped button button-up in a sun and moon print, and two basic but not so basic black tops to pair with all my crazy pants and skirts - a cropped skivvy with back cut-outs and a button-up shirt with an interesting statement collar. I may have gone a little overboard, as I always do when I physically go shopping, but it was a damn good mini-haul. I only hope I can continue to find fierce little gems as winter closes in.

Tikka shift dress in pink - Mika & Gala (Melrose Ave), Checkerboard shift dress - Shareen (Mombasa), Coral shift dress - Ninie (Melrose Ave), Cherry blossom shift dress - Naughts and Crosses (Dissh)

maow. x