The Melbourne Look

I have been here a week now and most of my focus has been on getting my bearings and seeing the sights but the last couple of days I have been people watching. On one of the city tours, our guide told us about the 'Melbourne Look'. I don't think that the lovely Lisa is wearing it!
It seems that Melbournians are interested in that daily idea of a wearable, dark, draping elegance, devoid of bling. What I am surrounded by is ladies wearing skinny jeans or leggings,  T shirts, short cardigans all in black or charcoal worn with either pumps or boots. Hair is a sleek bob or a messy up style and make up natural nudes. No glamour or colour - the look is casual and sporty - which sums up Melbourne!

Grrrr... eat Style!

Animal Print is HUGE this season and it just happens to be our style guru's favourite! This is what she has to say about it, "Animal print has been very much part of my life for the past 25 years and you can see by what is IN for this winter, animal print will be around forever and so it should be especially for us African queens. I actually had a lady stopped me in Walmer park this morning asking where she could find an animal print scarf like mine, and it was so easy to say to her anywhere simply because it is in most of the shops.   

I could probably fill one wardrobe with all my animal print items that I have collected over the years ranging from clothing to shoes, hair accessories, costume jewellery, bags and ever the brush I use to scrub my back in the bath is animal print. One might ask is that not a bit much, but you must know where to draw the line. You will never see me in animal print from head to toe. Accessorize with a belt, bag, shoes and scarf. This
combination will just turn your jeans and a t-shirt into a wow outfit.  
My preference is leopard print but every now and then the zebra in me comes out.

I have changed the look of this divine, comfortable Jacket which I bought from Meltz this week for R199.00 (and it does come in a variety of colours) just by adding an animal print scarf, belt and pumps.

Friends and family associate me so much with animal print, that if they see anything that is animal print even if it is a dog in a pram with an animal print jacket they would say Janine would love that.

My family has a pet name for me and yes you guessed it "Tiger" need I say more.

It doesnt cost a fortune to look like a million dollars!

Our style Guru is getting a lot of comments and queries about those lovely scarves form last week and comments from as far away as Germany! Now there are quite a few available at the new Chinese shop that has opened next to McDonalds on the outer ringroad at Walmer Park - go and have a look!
Friday night and all you need to wear for drinks or a meal out after work. This T shirt costs R85 and has lovely detail at the neckline.

It's all in the detail!!

Match it with these earrings  that cost a whopping R5 and look like they were made to match the top and finish it off with a pale grey scarf and you look like a million dollars!

I love fudge - lots of it!

Hmm! Fudge I hear you think....It can be too sweet and a little sickly if you have too much of it. But I'm not thinking about THAT kind of fudge - I am referring to Fudge Classics in Westbourne Road, where the very talented Nicki performs miracles with fabric. Nicki has a reputation based on gorgeous wedding dresses, divine 'mother of the bride' enembles and trendy matric dresses. However Fudge Classics offers more than that and Nicki has been a lifesaver for me especially when everything in the shops is sleeveless and your arms don't 'do' sleeveless anymore! I have had several outfits, career wear, casual wear and formal wear designed and made by Nicki who has a great eye for what your figure needs to make the most of  its good points and is the master of disguise when it comes to minimising the not so good. Quality is excellent and as its made to measure - the fit is perfect. You can find Fudge Classics  at  5 Dickens Square, Westbourne Road, Central and on thier Facebook page.
This week I had to go to Johannesburg for a shoot with a national magazine and what might have sent me into a flat spin about 'what to wear' was avoided by having something Fudge Classic-al in my wardrobe. The stylist and image editor were taking photos of me in one of Nicky's designs and oo-ing and aah-ing at the same time. Here is the photo!

Ps. Our very own style guru Janine gave me some invaluable advice when I confessed to being a tad nervous, she told me to imagine I was on a red carpet from the moment I got off the plane! So all through OT airport I strode like I owned the red carpet, I hopped onto the Gautrain on that same red carpet and it was there from Sandton station to Parkmore where the studio where the photo shoot took place.
WOW! I thought, I am going to use this tactic again and again to put a swing in my step! That's SQ!

Just the thing to shoosh-up an outfit! How divine are these scarves? They come with attached charms or chunky beads and are in a lot of the shops just now. This one is from Broomer Market in JHB for an amazing R50 but there are similar ones in the Chinese shops in PE - try Jessica's in Mount Pleasant.

While we are talking of shoosh...one of my best finds this year is a hair product called K Style - Matter (Lacme Cosmetics). Its a matt wax and you only need a touch on your fingers to run through your style and hey presto - body, sculpt and volume! Just the thing for humidity plus our PE wind that can kill your style! Ask your hairdresser to source it for you at thier suppliers (Salon Systems)