Styl-E-letter March 2007
Melanie Moss Styling Styl-E-letter March 2007
Welcome to the March issue of the Melanie Moss Styl-E-Letter, your monthly guide to all things fashion and fun, filled with hints and tips to help you create the perfect wardrobe.
Congratulations to our winners of last months Pleasure State Lingerie!! We hope that they are making you look as sexy as you feel.
Check out www.missyconfidential.com.au for more fantastic bargains and interstate sale guides. Coming soon is a weekly blog spot from yours truly, providing more style hints and tips for the fashion insider.
If you would like to receive the monthly Melanie Moss Styl-E-Letter, e-mail subscribe@melaniemoss.com.au.
It's that time of the year when we need to start thinking about our winter wardrobe but we aren't quite ready to say goodbye to summer. By the time you leave your front door and return that evening, the day has changed its mind on the weather as many times as you do your Saturday night outfit! The key to dressing through this period is to use transeasonal pieces and layering.
Sydneysiders have a real problem with this season. We have two obvious seasons and two fade-in fade-out seasons. These occur from March to May and September to November. The day starts overcast and miserable, boiling at lunch, then windy, then… who knows!!
So how can we out match the weather?
Bring back the twin set, funk it up with some jeans and its never been less nanna. Twins can be great as they are easy and comfortable and have been made to wear together so they sit extremely well. Always look for pure cotton, wool or cashmere to breathe. Natural fibres will always keep you warm or cool no matter what you need.
Layering is big this season. Layer a good quality ribbed knit under shift dresses to lengthen their summer life, vests and other light weight pieces. They are great on their own with a trench coat without bringing too much heat.
Throw a lacy slip under your jacket instead of a heavy knit. You can keep warm with the jacket without creating too much body heat. You also get that gorgeous detailing lacking with plain knits.
A nice investment crop jacket may be all that you need. Purchase a good quality piece in black or beige cotton and it can be worn with a flowing summer dress, a simple singlet top and jeans, funky tee or even at the office with a basic underneath and man style pant or pencil skirt.
Hail to the wrap dress!
I will not stop harping on these until you all go out and buy yourselves one in black and one in a bold colour or print.
This is a phenomenal transeasonal piece. It suits every shape, shows off the smallest part of your body and can be worn during pregnancy – the perfect versatility piece.
For the average Australian city there is no real need for a heavy wool coat. The trench is the all time favourite transeasonal piece. It smartens up jeans and a knit, dresses down a frou frou frock and sits well over work wear without being heavy and hot. Country Road did by far this winters best trench in beige and black. You can still get the black instore, it's a fabulous black although I would always recommend the beige. They sold out of beige in days and only have a couple of XL's left however, they are doing a second run in May so keep it in your diary. The coat is an absolute essential this season. David Jones is taking names for the waiting list. At $349 it's the best value trench we have seen for years.
Long gone are the days of the hippie string bag at the checkout, when you would hold up an entire line of shoppers while you valiantly tried to save the environment.
Count forward to the invention of the naughties the Coles green bag. All of sudden we were all doing our bit for the environment carrying around the new fashion accessory. So much more than a grocery bag, the green bag has so many functions due to its boxlike shape, hard plastic base and short handles that sit perfectly over the arm.
We have seen the green bag around used as a yummy mummy nappy bag, a shoe bag for the professional woman, weekend tote for the markets, beach bag, overnighter and picnic basket.
Where we used to proudly carry our boutique shopping bags we now carry our green bags. And the retailers were quick to jump on the bandwagon. Marcs, Peter Alexander and Myer all came up with a version, Shop Til Drop and Harpers do a bag. Myer even enlisted the help of Leona Edmiston and Wayne Cooper to design theirs.
The Green Bag has become a style icon. We can now pick and choose from our favourite designers and help market their brand. Much like Sass and Bide used Sarah Jessica Parker, Mischa Barton and Kylie to show their jeans to the world, designers and chain retailers are using the humble Green Bag.
These days the invention of a style icon creates choice. Roland Mouret created the Galaxy dress and all of a sudden everyone from Cue to Bardot was doing the dress of 2006. So who is doing the best Green Bag?
Coles has quickly broadened the colour palette of its original green bag. We can now choose from hot pink, fire-engine red, navy, chocolate and yellow. Yummie mummies can now choose a bag to complement their Bugaboo. BiLo quickly followed with the coloured versions and overtook the pack with its printed Green Bags. We spied the Mona Lisa printed on a chocolate BiLo tote as well as a homage to Star Wars.
Myer did well from its designer versions, I would love to see David Jones give the old black and white houndstooth an update on a Green Bag. The Marcs tote is a bigger size with great colour options however, the Supre bag of the same design is not. I see too many stylish girls walking around the city sporting these. All this does is makes it obvious where you shop ladies!
A good outfit is judged from head to toe. Think of this next time you grab a Green Bag while you are doing our groceries. Do you pay 99c for the authentic original or a little more for style?
Find this piece and many more on the new Melanie Moss weekly Blog spot on www.missyconfidential.com.au
Summer is slowly, ever so slowly leaving us and winter and new winter fashion is gracing us with its presence. Before we get all excited about the new season stock in-store we need to spare a thought for next summer and grab what we can from the sales.
So whats worth picking up? What will we wear next year and be happy that we did?
Stay away from anything too "Fashiony" chances are it will be out of fashion by next summer and you will throw it away in 3 years time when you clean out the section of your wardrobe you never wear! Balloon skirts and wedges are definite no nos.
Following the success of our cocktail special we decided to stick with the theme and bring you two great food and entertainment options.
Boasting the best views and atmosphere our beautiful city has to offer, we couldn't go past the ultimate jazz venue. Popular with the yummy mummies during the day, the after work crowd during the week and the perfect place to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon it offers great wine choices by the glass, a step up from the norm bar food and fantastic live music.
We can personally recommend:
Vegetarian Tasting Plate (for two) $38
(pumpkin & pea risotto balls; haloumi & roasted vegetable skewers; spinach & feta pasties; roasted corn salsa with crostini; tomato, basil & feta mini pizzas; kipfler potatoes with romesco sauce; marinated olives)
Opera Bar Tasting Plate (for two) $40
(beetroot cured salmon with horseradish cream; grilled mussels; Mexican spiced chicken tartlets; wagyu pastrami; minted lamb &
cracked wheat sausage rolls; garlic roasted mushrooms; baba ganoush with toasted Turkish bread)
This month Opera Bar is featuring: Monday & Tuesday DJ's Lady Tre, Deepchild, CHASM, Graham Mandroles and Simon Caldwell & Mr Smith. Wednesday & Thursdays its Latin Soul with live performances by Rephrase, Edwina Blush and Brett Hunt. Funky Fridays feature rare grooves and disco beats.
Check their website: www.operabar.com.au for more information
The Basement is situated in the heart of Sydney, a landmark on the Australian music scene since the early '70s. Tickets are dirt cheap and well worth it. Dinner plates are delicious, generous versions of regular pub fare.
Standing tickets to the gigs can be purchased over the website or table bookings can be made through the office. This month they feature an awesome lineup including The Necks, the Idea of North and the cool Tony Joe White.
Address: 29 Reiby Place, Circular Quay.
Phone: 02 9251 2797
Check their website: www.thebasement.com.au for more information.
We hope you enjoyed the March Styl-E-Letter.
To unsubscribe to this Styl-E-Letter please e-mail unsubscribe@melaniemoss.com.au.