Not Just for Sport

Sneakers, tennis shoes, trainers; whatever you like to call them they are often seen as a must have exercise piece but nothing more. Therefore, I decided to do a look this week using these amazing vibrant orange tennis shoes from Spend Less at Belmont Forum. The shoes are extremely comfortable and the vibrant hue will inject a little creativity to your look.

Most of my blog looks have been quite dressy and I have yet to show how you can be both laid back and stylish at the same time. I felt that these shoes would be the perfect way to do this and with summer in full swing I decided to create a look perfect for heading to a festival, picnicing with friends or spending the day strolling through markets.

With these activities in mind I wanted to make sure that my outfit was comfortable and relaxed, making it easy to sit and move around in. Therefore I chose to go for very relaxed styles and shapes such as this simple black singlet dress. The laid back fit is extremely comfortable and the darker colour really makes the shoes pop. When wearing such a vibrant item such as the Spend Less Shoes make sure you keep the rest of your look basic as you don’t want to look too OTT. By opting for a dress over shorts I ensured that the shoes looked more stylish than sporty. Another good option would be a skater style dress or skirt.

To bring some depth and interest into my outfit I decided to add this loose fit navy blue shirt to the mix. By leaving it unbuttoned it gave the look a casual laid back vibe but the collared style of the shirt still kept the look stylish. The navy blue hue compliments the vibrant colour of the shoes and works well against the black dress. Pairing navy and black can often be seen as bad, however, if done correctly the two colours can lift an otherwise flat outfit.

As I wanted to create a simple and laid back look I decided to keep my accessories minimal. This long line necklace is a great piece for creating a casual look whilst still making it stylish and it also helps in elongating my torso.

These spiked bracelets give the look a funky twist and are again a great way to add a bit of style into this very casual outfit.

I chose this plain wrist watch and simple gold ring as they both compliment the other accessories without being too much.

Lastly, who could forget sunnies, the stylish and sun smart must have for any summer outfit. These classic shades are the perfect addition to this outfit. They exude cool factor and the classy style smartens up this very basic and casual look.

So whether you’re a regular festival goer, like strolling through the markets of Freo or enjoy picnics in the park you will never go wrong when you have a pair of these babies in your wardrobe. Not only are they extremely practical but they can be very stylish too.

Head down to Belmont Forum        where there are a variety of fantastic shoe stores who stock a range of shoes just like these.

Happy Shopping

Ashleigh

xox

The In-between…..

In my experience working as a Personal Stylist I have come to realize that many women find it hardest to dress for a smart casual occasion. I am often told that dressing up is relatively simple and being casual is easy but when it comes to dressing for in-between it’s hard to find that happy medium. How do you style a look that isn’t too casual but isn’t too dressy either?

The answer is to go for the all occasion outfit. If you have read any of my previous posts you will know that I have spoken about the all occasion top. It’s the shirt or blouse that goes with everything you own and is suitable for almost any occasion depending on how you style it. This is the same concept for that all occasion outfit. Weather it is a dress a top and a skirt or a blouse and some jeans an all occasion outfit is one that when styled properly can take you from a casual barbeque to dinner at a nice restaurant.

This week’s look was styled around this concept. The outfit that I have put together is one that I would wear out to dinner or for drinks with friends at the local pub.  However with a few simple changes it could easily work for a casual barbeque or lunch with friends. This Katies batwing top from Belmont Forum is a perfect example of an all occasion top as it can easily be dressed up with a nice necklace and jeans as well as dressed down with a pair of casual cropped pants or some shorts. I decided to go for some dark denim straight leg jeans also from the Belmont Katies as they are extremely slimming and the dark shade is very versatile. These Katies jeans are fantastic as they do not have a button or zipper so you don’t get that annoying bulging bit under your top. If you are looking for a pair of super comfortable jeans at a low cost these babies are definitely one of the best styles and they even come in two different lengths!

When choosing shoes I opted for some chunky black wedges from Betts at Belmont Forum as they dress this look up a bit and the wedge style is super comfortable. The black hue is perfect for this look as it doesn’t take focus away from the amazing pattern in the top. However if you do wish to go for a pair of funky coloured heels try to look for a colour that compliments the pattern. A good example would be yellow or orange.  To create a more casual look go for a pair of flat boots or some strappy flat sandals from Belmont Betts.

As I had decided to keep to a neutral shoe I wanted to bring in a coloured bag to really help the colours in the top pop. This amazing neon yellow clutch from Belmont Betts is a great example of the perfect dinner bag. It’s big enough to fit in all your essentials but not too big that it takes up too much room on the table. Smaller bags are a great way to dress up a simple outfit as they give the look a classier feel and the fact that this one is both a clutch and shoulder bag makes it extremely versatile. However if you are looking to dress down your look then a bigger slouchy style bag is the way to go. Look for ones in neutral tones such as beige, brown or mushroom as these colours create a more casual feel. Strandbags at Belmont Forum have a great range of slouchy bags that are perfect for everyday use.

Last but certainly not least is the accessories. For this look I wanted to go with simple but elegant pieces that would really give the outfit a smart yet casual feel. This necklace from Belmont Forum’s Noni B was probably my favourite find. The style is so simple and elegant yet it works with both dressy and casual, laid back looks. I chose to go for yellow gold accessories as the warmer tones in the top went well with them. The ring was an absolute bargain from Belmont Diva at only $3!! I love the simple design and the fact that it just finished off the look without doing too much. Accessories are definitely the key to creating a smart casual look. You can simply add a chunky necklace or statement ring with very casual tee and some dark wash jeans to create a look that would be very suitable for both a dinner with friends and a casual outing to the markets. These accessories really give this look that smart touch however if you wanted to be a little more casual you could just simply wear the ring and opt for a casual necklace or even no necklace at all. Diva at Belmont Forum has a great range of wooden and earthy toned accessories that have a casual and natural feel perfect for a laid back no fuss kind of look.

 

 

So when it comes to dressing for those in-between occasions opt for pieces that are versatile and can be styled with a variety of things. Not only will it make getting dressed a whole lot less stressful it will also save you money, as each piece will work in a range of different looks for different occasions.

Happy Shopping

Ashleigh

xox

Photography by the amazing Shirin Carter.

Look Out!!

Hi everyone, I have some very exciting news…..
As of next week I will be blogging for Belmont Forum Shopping Centre!!
So look out for weekly posts filled with fashion and beauty advice.
The first week will be all about putting together a great race day look. I will focus on keeping the cost down and will suggest different options depending on what you plan to be doing.
So before you race out and buy a $200 dress and $100 pair of shoes check out next weeks blog to make sure you don’t overspend.

Happy shopping
Ashleigh
xox