ASOS IN YOUR WORLD

Unless you've been living under a rock you'll already know that ASOS has just launched an exclusive range for Australia, pretty awesome idea if you ask me. Case in point - these are currently in my 'Save for Later' list which ought to be renamed, 'Saved for MUCH Later' because there is no way I'll be wearing anything like this for another 6 months here...



Cue Australia exclusive collection launch - and these bad boys will be in my shopping basket tomorrow (and here by the weekend for 10 bucks. What are you doing to me ASOS?). Much more suited to the circa 30 degrees we're enjoying in Sydney right now.



Last week I went to one of the three Sydney parties to celebrate the launch of the collection, where it was great to catch up with some familiar ASOS faces!



It might look like an ordinary wristband, but it was linked to my Facebook so whenever I had my photo taken, one scan and it went straight to my Facebook wall. Pretty staggering (and slightly scary in the wrong hands) technology!


Note to people launching anything ever, the best way to do it, is to take over an entire building with a video projection:


I wore ASOS obviously.

With DMs. The weather was being British that morning.

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INSTA-ROUND UP

I'm struggling to get my head around the fact that it's October. Usually at this time of year I'm starting to plan my Winter wardrobe, getting excited about layers again and choosing a coat, but here I'm obessively checking the weather to see whether this weekend we'll have a beach day or not. It's confusing, but in a good way.
Perhaps as a result of the sudden hike in temperatures I haven't been around here much, but here's some of what I've been up to...



1. First festival of the season - Parklife
2. Festival outfit - ASOS Africa jacket, Glassons dress, House of Holland x Superga trainers
3. Summer manicure
4. Topshop x J.W. Anderson - worth the 20 days shipping time
5. Gelato from Messina i.e. the best Gelato outside of Italy
6. Typical ad for a Surry Hills garage sale
7. Maroubra Beach
8. Palm Beach outfit - ASOS shirt, Glassons dress, Havaianas
9. My favourite kind of Sundays = Bloody Mary Sundays at The Norfolk
10. Package from home!
11. Sydney breakfasts #1 Hyde Park
12. Sydney breakfasts #2 Bondi Beach at 6.36am
13. Rubiks cube on Maroubra Beach
14. Afternoon sun pre daylight savings
15. Dream homes on Bourke Street


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OUTFIT POST: BOSTONS

In what some would call a moment of madness (my Mum, my bank manager) and others would call a moment of clarity (myself, my fashion friends), I treated myself to the Isabel Marant 'Bostons'. And I couldn't be more happy with my purchase! They are as comfortable as they look, whilst providing a bit of height (that I don't really need, but ya know).

I bought them from Net-a-Porter (Thanks Canned Fashion for the back in stock update) and I have to say their service is amazing! For £20 quid I had my shoes delivered to Australia 3 days after purchasing with the promise that if I changed my mind I could arrange a courier to COLLECT them from my address. Seriously, that is what I call customer service. PLUS they came wrapped in tissue paper with a big fat ribbon tied around the box (as you may have seen on Instagram).





Here's an outfit I wore them with soon after they arrived...
(oh incidently on the day they arrived I went to Westfield and ended up in this video. CRINGE)



Shirt dress by b-Store x ASOS, Leggings by American Apparel, Shoes by Isabel Marant

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OUTFIT: LAYERED

Finally Spring has Sprung! That has to be the most overused phrase in Sydney over the last couple of weeks, but we have been experiencing some seriously good weather, not too dissimilar to an English summer (and I'm not just saying that to make you guys at home jealous, it's a useful comparator alright? Really).

I mostly define 'good weather' as whether or not I can wear bare legs and I've been sans tights/stockings for a couple of weeks now, but the mornings/evenings can be a bit on the chilly side, so layers are the order of the day. Since I carelessly (stupidly) lost my leather jacket at the weekend I thought I'd try a little denim on denim.

Wow did I just write two paragraphs about the weather? How very British of me. HERE'S WHAT I WORE:



Shirt by ASOS, Tee by American Apparel, Skirt by Mink Pink, Jacket by ASOS, Shoes by ASOS (anyone guess where I used to work?). Necklace by LF Stores

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WATERCOLOUR

Reason #98345622 to live in Australia. Being able to take advantage of the amazing markdowns in the UK Summer sales. Thank you ASOS for this beauty - a snip at £16.



Shirt with Bright Watercolour Print from ASOS.com

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AW WISHLIST

My ASOS 'save for later' is getting out of hand once again and with so much great A/W product going live daily, it's only going to get worse. I'm a real AW girl when it comes to clothing. As much as I love the summer heat, sartorially my brain doesn't go much farther than cut off denim shorts/kimono/denim dungarees/cropped tee, repeat ad nauseam.
Since it's pay day next week and I really need to not save something for my trip to NYC at the beginning of next month, I thought I ought to consolidate my current 'wishlist'. Here's what made the shortlist:

1st Row
ASOS Quilted Coat with Hood - ASOS Fit and Flare Dress with Pleat Detail - Antipodium Check Dress

2nd Row
American Apparel Neon Nail Polish - ASOS Shirt Dress with Aztec Print - Louise Gray Sun Drop Earrings These earrings put the 'wish' in wish list because I'm never going to afford them. But I will love them from afar all the same

3rd Row
ASOS Denim Colourblocked Shirt - ASOS Velvet Wedge Sandals - ASOS Bright Tartan Cape

4th Row
American Apparel Plaid Maxi Skirt - ASOS WHITE Simple Shell Top - ASOS Shirt with Contrast Sleeve

MAXIMALISM

I've always been a magpie and I love the 'more is more' approach to styling in this editorial from the October ASOS magazine. Love the varied textures with jacquards, sequins, feathers and metallics layered over one another and the super sized Louise Gray jewellery just adds to the look.

Sharon is my current favourite ASOS model. Beautiful.

Read the ASOS Magazine October 2011 here

LILEE FOR ASOS MA}ke

You might remember I went to see LiLee's SS11 show not long ago and I am really excited to be able to talk about the launch of her collection for ASOS. As part of their commitment to supporting new and emerging designers, ASOS have launched ASOS MA}ke, a mentoring intiative which sees selected graduates (one womenswear, one menswear) from LCF's prestigious MA course, working closely with ASOS to produce a capsule collection. LiLee's 11 piece collection is inspired by the strength of women and characterised by the amazing french rope technique she uses to create structure and flatter the female form. The beautiful imagery speaks for the collection itself.

The full range is available to buy here. The silk blouse with lace sleeves is on its way to me now, can't wait for my package tomorrow!

Images from ASOS.com obvs

SHOPPING BAN. TAKE TWO

I don't know what it is about about holidays (having the time to reflect I suppose) which makes me return to England wanting to be a different person to when I left. Once again, despite vowing last year it would never happen again, I over packed for my holiday. I am now quite sure I definitely don't need anything new for the forseeable future and as a result I am embarking once again on the Shopping Ban. Last year I managed to afford a trip to Paris with the money I would have spent in a month on clothes, lets see how well I do this year. I am already considering purchasing this acid wash parka as one final hurrah before I start, but then that would be defeating the object wouldn't it. It's also not helping that Antipodium has launched on ASOS.com this week, including the denim jacket dress I wore for my catwalk debut. It could be a long month.



Image from ASOS.com

BACK

I've taken a long long hiatus from the blogosphere lately, what can I say I just. got. busy.

But I thought it was high time I made a post, but where to start, so many purchases, such a little box. Well I will start by saying that it must be a sign of the times that we're barely a couple of days into July and every single high street store has a SALE sign in their window. Most shops have abandoned window merchandising all together this year in favour of a battle of who can write the word 'sale' bigger and better than the next store. I'm not going to complain, I picked up this Barbara Hulanicki dress I've been covetting for £25 cheaper than it would have been last month. Result.



Images from Topshop.com

I took part in a fashion show for work last month, showcasing our A/W range to the rest of the staff, it was hilarious fun not least because there was a free bar backstage and we walked to Siouxsie and the Banshees. This was my favourite look of the two I had to wear, Antipodium is my new favourite. Hair and make up did a fab job.



Shirt dress and skirt by Antipodium, longline bra and belt worn as harness, ASOS.com, Boots, All Saints, Jewellery, ASOS.com

HEAVEN AND EARTH

I have to admit to being sick of the 'credit crunch' talk but to be honest it is mostly doing me favours at the moment. It's like the high street is throwing at us, discounts, promotions and other incentives to buy (free breakfast on Oxford St tomorrow morning if you go 'early bird' shopping at 7.30am. I must admit it is tempting, not least to avoid the Christmas crowds). And for those of us without such worries as mortgage rates or rising petrol prices, this means we can buy what we were going to buy anyway, for less. Christmas shopping has never been this easy or this cheap.
I must look at these Heaven & Earth dresses on Asos.com at least once a day and today they are magically down to £95 from £140. I bought the second one. The belt in that image is also tormenting me, it's used in so many shoots but never appears on the site to buy!



The only downside to all this mark down is spotting clothes you own, 30% cheaper than you paid for them. Bah humbug to that.

PLEASE MISTER POSTMAN

I love that these days you can shop so easily without even leaving the house. Sometimes I wonder if I didn't have to go to the shops for work would I ever go? I love the anticipation of receiving a package and the ceremonious unwrapping and trying on.
ASOS kindly refunded me full postage my next day delivery which did not arrive on time and thankfully turned up yesterday.



When I first started wearing my bow headband it felt a little OTT, but after a couple of wears I started hankering for a bigger bow. Just as well I ordered this sequin bow because my headband was an unlucky casualty of my trip home to my parents. It is likely to become my new favourite accessory, I can't resist sequins during the day. Maybe in a month or so I will be ready to super size my bows á la Johnny Loves Rosie?



Even more exciting than the ASOS package, I ordered the moccasin-meets-ankle-boot from Topshop on Monday, choosing Royal Mail over next day delivery and saving that all important pound (credit crunch, every penny counts etc). It arrived this morning! I didn't open the package for a full 30 minutes because I was worried they might be ugly. They aren't. In fact they are far more beautiful then I could have hoped for and the heels measure in at a not too alarming 3.5".
They're the kind of boots that you leave alone in a room and you return to find people trying them on (true story). I can't wait to try them with my lace leggings, more pics to follow I'm sure.