Monday Street Style

First of all, apologies for lack of posting at the end of last week - my little girl's birthday celebrations took precedence! Sometimes, life is just a heck of a lot more important. And fun!

What's also fun is prints. Patterns, colour, clashing. Try it, whether it be subtle or totally in-your-face.

Jak&Jil

Styleclicker

Style Scout

Stylesightings

Copenhagen Street Style

Pandora

New Arrivals: Motel

It';s always an exciting day when new season Motel arrives. Despite there being a difference in seasons - as a UK label, we're currently getting the Spring stock just as we hurl ourselves into the depths of winter. But no matter, most of these pieces are easily layered and thus wearable year-round!

(Unless you live in QLD or somewhere perpetually warm. Then, you;re in luck. But can QLD'ers stop posting on Facebook/Twitter about how chilly it is when it gets down to, you know, 18? Not cold! Cool, but pleasant. Though of course, even Tassie winters are wamer than what the Poms get. So perhaps we should all shut our traps about being chilly and just enjoy seasonal changes. Enough rambling.)

Here are the lovely pieces you can pick up (and yes there are more to come in a 2nd drop!). Lots of soft dark chambray; a gorgeously sooooft grey sweat (which is a must-have in some form or another in your wardrobe this season; and of course the pretty floral prints we all know and love!

Melanie Dress $100

Sisi Dress $100

Geraldine Sweat $85

Camilla Dress $90

Belinda Dress $90

Laura Dress $100

Monday Street Style

It's the tiny details that add oomph to an outfit - a scarf, a hat, or even thigh high stockings:

The Style Scout s1

Stylesightings s2

Street Style London s3

Facehunter s4

Lookbook.nu s5

Chictopia s6

Common Sense, Please!

You've probably read/seen/heard about the shitstorm in a teacup that is the reaction to Mia Freedman's blog post about Gainers - obese people who purposely gain weight, sometimes for monetary gain. "Fat Activists" accused her of "fat-bashing", and of course those bastions of quality journalism, Today Tonight and ACA got on board, giving Mia a hell of a time. Aside from being instantly inflamed at the unfairness of it all (and the shoddy, shoddy excuse for a 'story' it made), it made me wonder - why such a strong reaction? Anyone with an ounce of reason would think something along the lines of: beautiful people come in all shapes and sizes - large, small, short, tall, pear-shaped, stick-thin. But in the same way anorexia is acknowledged as being dangerously, life-threatening unhealthy; why was there such an outcry when somebody (or a group of people) pursue an equally dangerous, life-threatening lifestyle? Why shouldn't people be allowed to point out that it's quite obviously so far above and beyond any reasonable interpretation of a healthy body image? Let's just look at it: being, for example, 345kg, and aiming to gain at least another 300kg (yes, 300kg) is not something anybody should celebrate. We shouldn't be name-calling, we should be calling a doctor.

I'm sorry if this offends you. It's none of my business if you're a size 18 or a size 8 - as long as you posess the powers of reasonable thought, I'd be willing to bet you're not outraged by any comments here. There's a difference between anti-'fat' and anti-'morbidly-obese-creating-your-own-death-sentence'. Let's get some perspective here, people!

Get Out Your Maps Of Tassie

And follow along with this mildly amusing YouTube vidoe that's been doing the rounds on Facebook recently. The thing about mixing Facebook and Tassie, however, is that every single person feels the need to upload it to the news feed...and share it with everybody else who's already seen it from someone else's feed. Even 3 degrees of separation is a bit of an exaggeration in the world of Tasmanian Facebook. Anyway, for those of you considering perhaps visiting, or perhaps smirking at, the Apple Isle, give this a watch. But not while eating dinner.

Lazy, But Informative: Sale Information

Finally, all the midseason markdowns have been finalised! It took several days and many Facebook procrastinations, but they're all done, and there are some absolute doozies. And because I'm quite over looking at them, what I'm going to do is give you a taste of what went out in tonight's member newslettter - all the best buys and biggest markdowns, conveniently in a few little captioned pictures:

Waste Some Time Trying Makeup Online!

Dread the thought of going out barefaced, but need to try some new makeup colours? Never fear, Topshop is here! This nifty new site lets you upload a piccy of yourself and then click and play with perhaps a red lip, smoky eye; golden eyes or bold pink lippy? If you can't be bothered using your own photo and are hellbent om some serious timewasting, use one of the model photos already uploaded and go for broke! Here's "me" aka model doing the Rosa Lips look:

A fab little Monday morning procrastination tool!

Monday Street Style: Black!

There's no escaping it, especially as we hurttle towards winter. No doubt it's a staple colour in your wardrobe, so here are some ways to make it un-boring (stripes, spots, florals) and mega-chic (red lips, killer boots):

Street Style London

Stylescout

Stylesightings

Still In Berlin

JakandJil

Facehunter

Why I Can't Watch Round The Twist

"Never touch your idols: the gilding will stick to your fingers." Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary.

That's a bit dramatic really; but I read that passage just after switching offmy computer, awash in a wave of nostalgia after browsing this post by Jenna Templeton, on Aussie tv shows of the 80's & 90's - Mr Squiggle and Amazing and Superted and Recovery and of course, my very very favourite, Round the Twist. Gen Y: we've wrapped ourselves in a comforting handstitched blanket of reminiscence, turning back to the simpler days of our childhoods to hide from the fast-paced, techonolgy-saturated new millenium. Or, just because we're finally having to grow up and get real jobs and have kids and take out mortgages, and that's just plain scary. How did the days of Great Spaghetti Pig-Outs slip by so quickly?

Rehashing all things 80's and vintage clothes and old-school cutesy images are the height of alternative-cool. We're cocooning ourselves, clinging to those more innocent days - indeed, it's not so different to the old-timers talking about the "good old days", who we once rolled our eyes and smirked at. But should we be trying so hard to bring back the past, or should those hazy fond memories be shelved safely away in the backs of our minds? If we bring them out to the light of day again, won't our idyllic illusions be shattered, or at least distorted?

Because let's face it - no doubt the storylines are now a bit too simple, the special effects are a bit too crappy, the whole package just doesn't do it anymore. That's a horribly cynical thing to say, but I once YouTubed some 60's kid's tv shows my Mum was reminiscing about, and all she said was a quizzical "oh? I don't remember it quite like that." And suddenly, what was once so brilliant became distinctly less glossy. (er, sorry Mum.) A friend suggested I flick over to 7Two and watch re-runs of Full House, but I can't. Bob Saget does not belong in 2010.

I bought my brother a box set of the entire Round the Twist series for Christmas. He still has it in the plastic wrapping, not quite able to watch it just in case Wunderpants don't seem as funny as when we were 8. Perhaps that's how we should keep it. Safe and protected, but always there to gaze upon.

After all, Peter Andre is the result of what happens when things from the early 90's are brought to light again. Think about that!

(PS - thanks for a brilliant post Jenna! I remember one year the Logies had some kind of kid-show mashup song for the Best Children's Programme Category..all I can think of is the bit that went "...Ship to Shore! Amazing! Who could ask for more?!")

Markdowns! 'Cos it's cool to be pov

It's never been so cool as right now to admit you have no money. In an obvious backlash to the noughties bling-filled days of excess, suddenly it's all about being thrifty. I've had so many conversations with people lately who love to tell me about their low bank balance, spendthrift ways and need for a second casual job. These are people who used to not blink about dropping $300 on a top. They are ubertrendy people though, so maybe they're making it up just to keep up with the hipsters. Who knows? Anyway, if you actually are cool to the bone and have but a few spare $$$, you're in luck - shopping, especially online, has never been so cheap! With many stores offering 30% off and upwards (and not for a day or two like we do, but for at least a week; check NSO for all the latest codes), labels doing mega clearouts at warehouse sales and online (good news for those of us not in Syd or Melb) and department stores going more nuts than usual with offers, the shopaholics within us all can breathe a little easier...and pay the power bill on time.

So, we thought we might as well join in the fun, and from today will be marking down manically across the store (with the exception of the items we hold year-round)! One Teaspoon has been done - I'm talking all swimwear at $49, clothing from $25 - Dolly Rockers is now at 50% off (prices from just $15 for amazing handmade, statement necklaces!) and French Kitty is priced to clear, with everything from $25 - $34. American Apparel is also reduced to clear and all under $29! There's not much left in previous season Blue Juice (first Winter onwards will stay full price as it's AWESOME and our best selling range!) but if you hurry you'll pick up an absolute steal, with most of it $69 and under!

Stay tuned for more throughout the week...!