There are quite a few online OUTLET and CLEARANCE shops out there – selling great stuff for 50% – 70% off. All. The. Time.

Sometimes it can be a bit tricky to keep tabs on the frequency of new arrivals and quality of the stock. But when you hit a gold mine, it’s pretty hard to resist.

I was browsing the ASOS Outlet Shop (you have to click the OUTLET tab) and I found heaps of awesome dresses for under £30.

Enjoy your weekend! xxx

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

So I’m trying to write a review about the latest collection of clothes from Singapore Designer AL&ALICIA – but I can’t seem to do it without gushing and squealing. I’m completely in love with their clothes!!!

Their designer rundown is brilliant, it sums up their look perfectly –
Al likes tailoring with a masculine edge.
Alicia likes all things flirty and feminine.
The two of them combined is AL&ALICIA
Where boy meets girl to create a subtly androgynous look
The truth is that Al is Alicia. And Alicia is Al.
A schizophrenic duo, designing together.

Above I’m wearing the Eye Spy Tank, and Boy Washed Shorts. And I am also sporting a Rayon Twill Blazer in Wind Chime (an off white colour).

I absolutely LOVE THIS LOOK, especially with my Converse Chucks. I’d be so, so, so happy walking around Singapore for hours dressed like this.

My favourite item so far is the Rayon Twill Blazer. Gorgeous, soft and I can’t get over the way it falls and swishes around my body!

My usual style leans more towards flirty and feminine, and I tend to stay away from boyish shapes. But AL&ALICIA has a very, very cool thing going with this combination of “boyish girliness” and I just might do a bit more of it.

On the left, again I’m wearing the Rayon Twill Blazer in Wind Chime (I’m in love!). The top is the Alexa Pocket Blouse, and the shorts are the Annie Belted Shorts.

On the right I’m wearing, the Stacy Shirt and the Annie Belted Shorts again.

The designer behind AL&ALICIA is Alicia Ong. Born in Singapore, trained in fashion in New York, with internships in Marc Jacobs, J.Crew and DKNY. All her clothes are made with amazing quality and style, and they are all made in Singapore.

You can buy her clothes from the AL & ALICIA online shop.

Or New York’s eDressme.com/al-alicia

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

Next month, I will be flying to Singapore to attend my cousin’s wedding. I’ll only be there for 2 days, but I’m quite excited. I can’t wait to party with my relatives!

It just so happens that my cousin is Peranakan/Chinese, and her husband-to-be is Scottish/American. So the theme of the wedding is Kilts and Kebayas, and all the guests are supposed to dress up accordingly.

But the problem is, I had no idea what a kebaya is! I admit I’m not that well educated!

So the other day, I blurted out to some Singaporean friends – Does someone have a kebaya I can borrow to try out? I needed some kabaya wearing experience!

My friend, bless her, raced home and grabbed this for me.

It fit me perfectly, like it was tailored just for me! And the fabric was quite beautiful. So, I was beginning to like kebayas.

It turns out that a kebaya is traditional dress made up of a blouse and sarong, worn by women in Brunei, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Each culture has a slightly different interpretation of the kebaya. And there are different patterns, fabrics, embellishments and beadings.

My cousin is half Peranakan, which is a distinct Chinese/Malay mixture ethnic group, and they ALSO have their own kebaya style.

So I did a quick search on this newfangled thing called the INTERNET, and it led me to many images of super hot chicks in sheer blouses covered with flowers. I was sold. I want one now!

I also found this beautiful photo of some lovely Peranakan ladies sporting some gorgeous, authentic Peranakan kebayas.

They are so beautiful!

So again, I searched the internet. And me, supposedly being the online shopping queen, could not seem to find a place to buy an authentic Peranakan kebaya online. But I did discovered that authentic kebayas can cost between $400 to $800 for the full set.

SO. EVENTUALLY. I have sourced an actual (not online) kebaya shop, and I talked to a lovely lady (on the phone) who assures me that there are authentic Peranakan kebayas in my size for $140, in some nice colours. But I am in Perth. The kebaya shop is in Singapore.

I fly into Singapore on a Thursday night.

My appointment with the kebaya lady is early Friday afternoon.

And the wedding starts late Friday afternoon!

Leaving it a little late perhaps? Can I stress myself out enough??

I don’t even know what the kebaya will look like!

I guess I’ll have to bring camisoles in two different colours – black and cream? And two pairs of shoes?

Ah well, if all else fails – never fear, I’ll have a back-up dress to wear to the wedding.

And now, to get my husband into a kilt!

Kebaya photos are from The Nyonya Kebaya by Datin Seri Endon Mahmood and Wikipedia.

I’ve been trying to wear less black these days. And today I was going for a casual but smart look.

I found a Chiffon Blouse from YesStyle, which was a great buy. It’s actually a cotton tshirt, with a drapey chiffon layer in front. It’s nice and versatile – to wear to work, dinner or dress it down. And easy to layer.

I’m wearing it with some gorgeous new shorts from Singapore designer Al&Alicia. Which I’ll talk more about next week!

Quilted chain bag from FashionJunkee.

Patent flats by Sachi.

My leather belt was a vintage find from an op shop.

As for my hair – I curled it in the morning, gave it a good hair spray, and went about all day with a messy curly ponytail. I loved it!

Here are some other WHITE TOPS from YesStyle that caught my eye.

Lace Top and Camisole and Lace Layered Dress

Balloon Sleeve Top and Shawl Collar Blazer

Happy shopping (or browsing) everyone!

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

At the Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, there was certainly a lot of excitement and gushing over the launch of ELLERY’s new collection. In fact, I hadn’t seen the pictures and I was thinking, OMG it can’t possibly be that good can it???

But alas I was wrong. I couldn’t take my eyes off the garments as I browsed through photos and videos of the show. They were simply gorgeous!

I love the inspiration from the zodiacs. I love the edgy feminine look. I love the tailoring and slight asymmetry. I love the mix of textures and I LOVE the colour palette.

Images by Zimbio and Ellery
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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

It’s holiday season here in Australia, and I’m feeling very relaxed and lazy.

I’m loving the “natural” colour palette for this fashion season – especially whites, off whites and nudes.

Outfit details –
Top: I saw a photo of this drape top from Urban Outfitters and it looked really nice. But when I received it, I was a little disappointed, because it looked a bit cheap. But when I finally WORE it, omg I fell in love. It was so simple and relaxed and it fell so beautifully! Such a good value.

Jeans: Turned up white jeans by Fendi. I bought these off ebay for $50.

Shoes: Grey Oxfords from Betts.

Bag: Inspired Bottega Veneta Hangbag from Fashion Junkee.

Scarf: Ellery from Sportsgirl Online Shop.

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

Something I adore is quality, original, handmade jewellery.

So much so, I can admit that I once dreamed about making beautiful pieces of jewellery and selling them to adoring customers. Oh the hours I would spend handcrafting each piece! But ah, that was many years ago, and besides, who has the time really.

So I find it very inspiring to meet someone who has made that dream come true.

For some of my international readers and others who don’t know, I’d love to introduce to you a very famous Australian jewellery designer, Sophie Kyron.

Sophie is based in Western Australia, and is a familiar and highly praised name in the Australian fashion industry. Having been established for 20 years and celebrated by fans such as Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette and Kate Ceberano (just to name a few), Sophie Kyron continues to dazzle fans (and me!) with each new collection.

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Sophie to chat about her jewellery career. Dressed in a stylish grey suit and a stunning necklace of her own design, we shared a cup of tea in her studio showroom.

She describes her success to good, old fashion, slow and steady hard work. Hearing customer feedback. Fixed determination. And sticking to your dream. I like that a lot.

Many of her pieces are detailed, ornate, have a sense of drama and romanticism. She tells me that she often uses unique, vintage materials, to create beautiful one off designs.

Her store looks like a treasure box, bursting with original and striking jewellery. It’s just gorgeous! And it makes you want to buy something as a gift, or so you have some amazing jewellery piece to pass on to your daughter.

And best of all, you can buy Sophie Kyron jewellery from the online shop, which lists all pieces from her collections with prices and details. It’s an excellent website!

Or if you’re in Perth, you can pop into her showroom and studio in Swanbourne.

Sophie Kyron
146 Railway Street
Swanbourne, WA 6010
Phone: +618 9384 4975
Fax: +618 9284 7463
Email: info@sophiekyron.com.au
Web: www.sophiekyron.com.au

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

It was my birthday on the weekend, and hee hee I was rather spoilt!

During the week, my husband took me out for dinner and to see a musical. It was so so so cold, but I wanted to wear something nice, not pants and boots.

I’m wearing a See by Chloe smock top, I bought from www.theoutnet.com – love that shop! It was $170 but I got it for $40. I adore the colour and puff sleeves!

My belt came all the way from London, a gift from my sister.

My skirt is a bandage style mini skirt by Tokito, Myer.

Leather-look leggings (my winter favourite) from FashionJunkee.

Snake print, lace-up heels by Zoe Wittner.

Hangbag is a gorgeous Prada-style, velvet luxe clutch by Betts.

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

When BenjiBox emailed me and told me about their Special 20 Pack of Clear Shoe Boxes, I had to think for a moment –

“Uh do I have 20 pairs of shoes that I would want to keep in clear shoe boxes?”

You see, I’m pretty good at maintaining a tight collection of shoes. We don’t have much room in our house, and I can’t afford to store zillions of shoes that I never wear.

Plus, I’ve NEVER done a complete count of all my shoes. So I thought that this was a good time to do a stock take, you know, let them out for a bit of fresh air, toss out the really old ones, and do a bit of shoe shining.

Ha, so yes, it turns out that I do own 20 pairs of shoes. In fact, I have another 10 heels, 12 flats, 6 pairs of boots, and 3 sports shoes. So I guess I’ll have to get another 20 pack.

As you can see from the photo above, 20 pairs of shoes look like a shit load of shoes!!

But when they are all boxed up neatly (pictured below), you kinda think – IS THAT ALL? Maybe I DO need more shoes after all!

An excellent kind of optical illusion for husbands if you ask me.

I love the design of these BenjiBoxes – they are really good quality, and they have DRAWERS (instead of flaps and tabs) so you can slide and whip out your shoes faster than you can say I’M COMING ALREADY, HOLD THE TAXI!

I wrote about them in this post a few years back, and have a few pictures of how they slide in and out.

They accept Paypal and they ship internationally!

(By the way, can you believe it? I don’t own a pair of bright red shoes! How is that possible?)

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

It’s SALE SALE SALE season everywhere you look!

Urban Outfitters are having a huge online sale and I just couldn’t resist FREE shipping to Australia (for orders over $150). There is so much cool stuff over there!

I picked up this really cute Navy Blue blazer for $40 and a few other things too.

I had so much fun in this outfit. I enjoy the preppy look – neat, clean cut, and slightly classic.

Oh and I love love love my new grey suede ankle boots – 50% off!

Outfit Details –
Jacket: Navy Blazer from Urban Outfitters
Top: Kookai Basic top
Shorts: See By Chloe shorts
Scarf: Sequin scarf from Forever New
Shoes: Ankle boots from Betts

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

So apparently, after New York, Paris, Milan and London Fashion Week… Sao Paulo Fashion Week is right up there and next in line in the world’s fashion calendars. The event is the biggest showcase of fashion and style in Latin America.

Here are some snippets of eye candy!

I just adore the cut out shoes and the corset tops!

Images from The Age

I received this very cute and simple Gold Sequin-Trimmed Black Mini Dress from the lovely girls at HYPE Online Boutique.

The dress is made from a stretchable cotton, so it’s really comfortable and easy to wear. It’s almost like a good quality, fitted, t-shirt dress.

I thought I’d have a bit of fun and show how versatile it is by wearing it both as a top and dress!

LEFT: Wearing outfit to an afternoon lunch meeting.

Then *take off belt and skirt in the car, in an unglamorous display of limb contortionism*

RIGHT: Wear outfit to an evening function

And I haven’t even tried it tucked into jeans, or over pants, or with leggings etc.

Outfit –
Jacket: Sharp shoulder detail jacket from Birdsnest
Dress: Gold Lined Dress by HYPE
Belt: Vintage
Skirt: Country Road
Shoes: Fierce gladiator heels from Betts

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

It’s funny how, just a few posts ago, I was talking about how crazy fashion was – how it can be summer, but the shops are full of winter gear. And vice versa.

Well in my search for some winter boots, I bumped into these SUPER CUTE sandals from ASOS Online Store.

So it’s 8 DEGREES outside and I’m drooling over sandals!

Women. Crazy.

As a consumer, I’ve realised an annoying thing about fashion – it is obsessed about THE NEXT SEASON.

The weather might be roasting hot outside, but the shops are full of woolly jumpers!

You’re looking for a new winter coat, but all you find are strappy floral dresses.

It’s crazy I tell you.

Right now, the cold weather has set upon Australia – and I’ve had some recent new season wardrobe updates!

<– This is my new love.

If there is one item you MUST buy to update your wardrobe this winter, it is a Leather Jacket.

But if you’re like me – much too poor to afford real leather – there are some pretty good quality leather-look ones out there.

I’m wearing a jacket by Wish, $140. It’s buttery soft, looks uber cool and I absolutely love it.

View all jackets from Birdsnest.com.au.

Hope you find something you like!

Outfit:
Jacket: Wish
Top: Kookai
Jeans: Sass and Bide
Shoes: Betts
Bag: Myer

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

Glossy magazines with pages and pages of fashion spreads and outfit layouts (like the one above)… are always a lot of fun to browse. It’s like window shopping, by outfit – ON SPEED. I like.

When you flip through a magazine, there is always that magical, silly-girl moment as your eyes fall on an outfit and you go, OMG THAT IS AMAZING! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU COULD WEAR A MILITARY VEST OVER A FLORAL DRESS AND STILL LOOK SO GOOD!!

Then after 5 seconds of drooling, you realise, “Hang on, that would look absolutely crap on me!”

And then you sigh “Ok. Someone show me what real people are wearing please.”

Thus I thought it might be fun to create a simple outfit layout of what I wore the other night.

My husband and I went out to dinner and then out to a bar for a drink, for our weekly date night. I thought I’d dress up a little more than my usual jeans and boots!

Dress: Living Doll Dark Night Dress from Birdsnest.com.au
I wasn’t too sure about this dress when I saw it online – in particular, the quality of the sequins. But Living Doll is a pretty good brand (the label is stocked at David Jones) so I took a punt. I was SO HAPPY that I chose it in the end! It is such a pretty and easy to wear party dress.

Jacket: Living Doll Epic Shoulder Jacket from Birdsnest.com.au
I love the sharp shoulders! Again a really easy to wear jacket – dress up with dress and heels, or dress down with jeans and a top.

Shoes: Purple Suede Pumps from Betts.com.au
These shoes are simply stunning for winter! They come in black and purple suede, and black leather-look.

Earrings: I couldn’t find the earrings I was wearing online, but they looked similar to these Samantha Wills earrings.

View all jewellery from Birdsnest, including brands like Samantha Wills, Adorn, Polli and more.

Don’t forget to check out the Winter Sale Page at Birdsnest.

Happy shopping everyone!

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

Hanging out with friends.

Spending all day in your flats.

Sitting on soft fuzzy grass.

Munching on fruit muffins.

And feeling that life is going to be A-OK.

(Quilted Flats are from FashionJunkee)

These last few months, I’ve been cycling almost everyday and have started a routine of stretches, yoga and some weights. Ahh, it has been so much fun and I FEEL INCREDIBLE! I’m also hoping to start running soon! Can’t wait!

Anyway, I also decided that it was time to buy some good quality activewear – as the cheap workout clothes I currently own (from Target) … don’t seem to stay in shape after a few weeks of washing. Which is very irritating. I always find that the “elastic stretch” in the fabric wears out and buckles, or the whole garment stretches out and I feel like I’m wearing a pillowcase.

I’m a big fan of versatility and quality, and I just loved the range from the popular label Abi and Joseph – an online shop that specialises in yoga, pilates, workout clothes, activewear and travel wear.

In the above left photo, I’m wearing a Supplex Tank Top with cross straps in kohl and bone, with black Active Capri Pants. I’m wearing these pants in all my photos – they are so comfortable, and mold to my ass so well, that I believe that I could live in them forever.

In the above right photo, I’m showing off the Viscose Elastane Hoody in Graphite. It was definitely my favourite piece – so comfy, slim and sleek! It has been really great for layering, especially when I’m cycling in the cold.

I’m wearing it over a Cap Sleeved Viscose Top.

Here’s me trying to show off two tops, while ineptly doing a quad stretch, balancing and taking a photo. The pink top is a Long Sleeved Ballet Wrap Top, which is gorgeous and comfortable.

The black and white stripe top is a loose fitting Bateau Top. I have layered the tops over the hoody and pants.

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

Last week, I took a trip into the city to get my hair done at the infamous Head Studio.

This uber-trendy salon opened its doors on fashion-oriented King Street 2 years ago, and since then, has made a huge splash in the local and national hair and fashion scene. I keep seeing their name pop up everywhere!

There is no question that the location and interior design of the studio is a big part of their fame… it is a very cool look and feel, quite unusual in Perth. Kind of vintage-romantic meets rock and roll glam, in a good way.

I had been keeping tabs of their goings-on, from the Head Studio Facebook Page, and in the mainstream media. But the actual reason I decided to pay them a visit was that three of my girlfriends (from totally separate areas of my life), go to them and RAVE ENDLESSLY about them. I can’t resist personal recommendations like that! And yes, I admit, I used my “slight blogger fame” to talk my way into a complimentary hair-do.

I spent an extraordinary 4 hours being pampered. I chatted to everyone – the directors, hair dressers, colour specialists, apprentices – and man, they were all so nice, down to earth and passionate about hairdressing. Haha, I heard everyone’s whole story and I just talked and talked and talked… about blogging, scuba diving, cycling, careers, fashion, kids, marriage… everything. Best kind of haircut experience. Ever.

This is me after 4 hours of cranial bliss. I had a full head of highlights, a little trim, a blow dry, and a little curl of a GHD to finish me off. I was very, very happy. I didn’t pay for this one, but I certainly would still have been happy if I had. AND I’ll definitely be back.

Head Studio
64 King St
Perth WA 6000
Phone: 08 9481 6464
Email: info@headstudio.com
Web: www.headstudio.com.au (includes prices and map)

Salon photos were taken from the website.

So have you discovered the addiction of ASOS.com – The Online Fashion Store??

The mega online fashion store has recently announced £10.50 FLAT RATE shipping to Asia and Australasia, which is rather exciting if you’re a fan like me. It means you can go crazy, buy lots of items and just pay one flat price!

Anyway, today I thought I’d feature some very wearable and buy-able ASOS tops I found. They are a little dressy, versatile, simple and easy additions to a wardrobe.

You see, in the last few weeks, I have been opening my wardrobe and thinking – Gah, I need something new to wear!!

Perhaps it is the change in season and the fact that I have been cycling through the same items for a few months now. I just need something different to layer under a jacket, or with a cardigan, or over leggings, or with jeans. Something!

What I love about ASOS.com is that IT IS HUGE. There is so much good stuff there. Casual. Dressy. Formal. Trendy. Designer stuff. Outlet sales. Beauty. Mens wear. Kids wear. You can just spend hours just browsing and browsing :)

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

Recently, I had to leave Liam with a babysitter. And as I was getting ready, I realised that I didn’t have a little backpack so I could carry all his stuff.

I did what most mothers of THREE children would do. I went into the older children’s room and dug around under the bed looking for an old backpack.

I did find one. A five year old, third-hand Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bag, which was so old, dirty, broken and tattered… and I just felt so sorry for my poor little Liam!

The baby with two big brothers, but nothing of his own!

So I finally got my hands on some really, really cute bits and pieces – a backpack and a pencil case (which I use to hold nappy stuff) from Mooo.com.au.

What makes Mooo stuff especially excellent is that it can be personalised… so Liam’s little bag has his name on it!

Anyway, I think I am in denial about how fast he’s growing up.

I suspect that I might have this “denial” for most of his life!

Because although I’ll be shopping for him for years to come, as he grows into a young man… HE’LL ALWAYS BE MY BABY!