Style Stalker | Ashley Olsen

In terms of fashion sense, the Olsen twins are immaculately on point. They have become two of the most famous fashion icons of the decade and rightfully so. For this particular instance I have focused on Ashley's personal day to day style. I have created three different looks inspired by outfits that Ashley has worn, to show how you too can replicate her impeccable style.   

LOOK ONE - BOHEMIAN CHIC

1. Loose fit jeans buy here

2. Structured bag buy here

3. Studded loafers buy here

4. Scarf buy here

5. Snake print top buy here 

6. Aviator sunglasses buy here 

LOOK TWO - GRUNGE

1. Black knit jumper buy here

2. Fur coat buy here

3. Bag buy here

4. Wrap skirt buy here

5. Geometric sunglasses buy here

6. Cut out boots buy here

LOOK THREE - MINIMALIST

1. Ripped skinny jeans buy here

2. Slip ons buy here

3. Bag buy here

4. Boxy coat buy here

5. Knit jumper buy here

6. Sunglasses buy here

How I Style | American Apparel Denim Skirt

I am absolutely loving my denim skirt from American Apparel. It's so versatile and has quickly become one of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe. Denim skirts is a trend that was very popular during the 90's and early 2000's but like many trends from that era, has come back into fashion. This AA high waist denim skirt is really good quality and fits so well, sucking me in at all the right places. The skirt costs $65 which I think is pretty fair considering how much I have worn it already!!

If you have a denim skirt and want some inspiration or are considering getting one but don't know how to wear it, here are a few ways I would typically style it.

CASUAL

Hat - Cotton On

Crop top - Jay Jays

Kimono - Cotton On

Skirt - American Apparel 

Necklace - Dotti

Watch - Fossil

Shoes - London Rebel

Due to the skirt being high waisted, it goes really well with crop tops as it highlights the waist which is generally the skinniest part of your body. Crop tops also add a more playful feel to your look which is perfect for making an outfit more fun.

 I love the look of oversized paired with tight as they complement each other so well. I put this into practice by paring my patterned kimono I got from Cotton on about two years back with my tight fitting skirt. Kimonos add an instant fashionable edge and turn a boring outfit into a interesting one. 

This fedora hat was an absolute steal, no really it only cost me $1! It pulls the look together so perfectly not to mention the added protection from the sunny rays of Australia which is a must!!

Finally the tassel necklace adds to the overall bohemian inspired look and the sandals keep it casual. 

WORK

Shirt - Glassons

Skirt - American Apparel 

Necklaces - Sportsgirl, Thomas Sabbo

Watch - Fossil

Shoes - ZU

For a smarter look I paired the skirt with this light weight white shirt. I love the v neck of the shirt which I think is very flattering and although it is a comfy relaxed fit when tucked in, it looks really smart. For a more professional look you could also add a blazer.

The jewellery I added is really delicate and simple to keep that clean minimalistic look. Layered necklaces are very much on trend so this really cool layered crystal necklace from Sportsgirl adds a trendy touch.

These shoes are another bargain buy, I bought them for $20 reduced from $110 at a ZU shoes outlet which is awesome and they are really good quality too being leather. These loafer style shoes are great for a work environment as they are really structured and smart yet the small studs create a subtle but edgy feel.

NIGHT OUT

Singlet - Bardot

Skirt - American Apparel 

Necklace - Sportsgirl

Watch - Fossil

Shoes - Novo

To style this skirt for a night out or party setting I teamed it with a cami style singlet form Bardot which instantly makes the outfit more dressy. To take the dressy look even further I added some strappy heels. I have seen this style of heels a lot recently and surprisingly they actually pretty comfy. I usually have hard time  trying to find heels that my feet slip comfortably into as i have fairly wide feet, but because they are open heels  they are much more comfortable. 

The chunky collar necklace from Sportsgirl is a great statement piece and works well to clash with the overall simplistic look.

Because the outfit is overall pretty monochrome, the bright purple lipstick adds a great pop of colour and a playful feel.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

DIY | Easy Babydoll dress

I am a huge fan of baby doll/ smock dresses and they are probably my favourite style of dress, being the owner of perhaps more than necessary. They look so effortlessly cute and are very comfy with a wide waistline.The oversized trend has been in for quite some time now and doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon, making it in my opinion a really classic cut. Not to mention they are also very universally flattering as the oversized fit skims over problem areas on bigger girls and looks instantly adorable on skinnier figures.
Making clothes is something that I love doing so I put two and two together and made myself a baby doll dress out of this really cool yellow printed material. The material I chose is very light weight to allow for maximum floatiness and is not too see through so I didn't need a lining on the skirt. The lining I used on the bodice is a lightweight crepe material  to keep it as comfortable as possible.
Overall I am really pleased with the way my dress turned out and I'm excited to share with you how I made it so you too can also enjoy a great addition to your wardrobe. 

What you will need:

- 1.5 m of material

- 50 cm of lining material

- tank top

- pattern paper

- pencil

- scissors

- tape measure

- needle

- pins 

- thread 

- sewing machine

- zip (optional)

- patience

Step 1: Find a tank top that you like the shape of and fold it in half length ways. I chose one with a high neckline and biggish sized armholes. Then place it down on some paper and trace around the shape, stopping 13'' down.

Step 2: The measurements for my bodice pattern was 13'' down from the centre of the neckline, 9.5'' across and the shoulder width was 3.5''. make sure to add 1/2'' seam allowance to all the sides apart from the centre fold. then cut out the pattern. At this point you should hold the pattern piece up to where it would sit and judge weather you need to make the neckline or armhole bigger. 

Step 3: The pattern piece for the skirt is just one big rectangle that is 30'' wide and 19.5'' long. Fold your material in half length ways then up again width ways, but only fold up as much as you need. Pin down the skirt pattern piece, making sure one of the length sides is against the fold. Carefully cut out the skirt pattern piece. You should have two identical skirt pieces.

Step 4: Fold the material in half twice and pin down the bodice pattern piece making sure the centre fold side is against the fold. carefully cut out the piece. You should have two identical bodice pieces

Step 5: Repeat the same instructions in step four but on the lining material.

Step 6: Sew along both side seams of the skirt pieces leaving a 1/2'' seam allowance.

Step 7: Iron out the skirt seams you just sewed. Sew along the top of the skirt piece using the longest stitch setting on your sewing machine. Don't forget to make sure that the side seams are open flat. Pull on one of the loose threads to gather the top. Gather the skirt evenly until the circumference of the skirt matches the bodice. Tie up loose threads to hold in place.

Step 8: Lay the lining and outside bodice pieces on top of each other and pin in place. sew along the edges of the pieces with a 1/2'' seam allowance, leaving the bottom edge free. Trim the seams down and cut in small triangles around curved edges.

Step 9: Turn inside out through the unsewn edge and iron flat. Tip: roll the seams to make them pop out more when ironing.

Step 10: Once both front and back bodices have their linings attached and are ironed, lay them on top of each other with the good sides facing each other and with the seams matched up. Pin along the side seams then sew, making sure to leave the shoulder seams open.

Step 11: With the bodice still inside out, match up the bottom edge with the gathering on the skirt as shown above. Pin in place making sure that the side seams match up.

Step 12: Sew the skirt and bodice together where you have pinned, then flip the bodice up. The dress is now fully attached.

Step 13: To hem the dress, fold the the bottom raw edge up 1/4'' twice and pin down. I used an iron to help keep the fold in place when pinning. Then sew along the fold ,where you have pinned and iron.

Step 14: Pin the shoulder seams together and sew. If you, unlike me, can fit your head through the neck hole you do not need a zip, so you can skip Step 15-18. 

Step 15: To begin inserting the zip, cut a straight line from the centre back neckline down 5''. Use a tape measure to help determine the centre point. from the end of the line snip a small triangle.

Step 16: Fold the edges of the slit back underneath itself about 1/4'' and iron to hold in place. When you get the small triangle made at the bottom of the slit, just fold it back underneath itself as well. Fold the excess tape that is at the top of the zip toward the back of the zip and pin. Insert the zip into the slit with the tape in-between the lining and outer material.  Bring the zip all the up so that the folded tape at the top of the zip matches up with the seam on the inside. Pin the edges of the folded slit as close as you can to the teeth of the zip on both sides.

Step 17: Baste stitch along where you have pinned to hold in place, removing the pins as you go. 

Step 18: Change your regular sewing foot to a zip foot. Carefully machine sew where you have baste stitched as close as you can to the edge. Unpick the baste stitches.

Step 19: Go over the dress and cut off any stray threads and if you want, zigzag stitch or over lock raw seams to stop fraying. 

Congrats you have finished the dress!!

FINISHED DRESS

Have fun! xx

Review | Revlon by Marchesa 3D Jewel Appliqués

I've had these nail wraps sitting on my shelf for a while now, and after purchasing my first OPI nail polish in the delightfully amusing shade 'Did you ear about Van Gough?' it inspired me to use them together as the combination looked too good to not try out! Now, I'm not usually one to get fancy with my nail art or use nail wraps for that matter, as I find them way too fiddly and generally look a bit tacky anyway. However these are seriously fool proof, they actually look nice and are surprisingly easy to apply.

The Revlon by Marchesa 3D Jewel Appliqués come in a variety of 6 designs and are designed by fashion house Marchesa, all with gorgeous and intricate patterns perfect for special occasions or if you feel like being extra fancy. The wraps that I used  are in the design 'beaded couture', inspired by pearl and metallic beading. the beigey nude base colour I used showcases the the detail of the nail wrap beautifully while still remaining subtle and elegant. And I now know why everyone raves on about OPI so much, the polish applied so easily and stayed really shiny...too bad they are so expensive in Australia, costing around $20!! don't get me wrong they're  nice but unless I see some on sale I think ill just stick to Rimmel polishes that cost half the price.

Due to the base of the nail wrap being transparent and soft they were easy to apply and meshed really well with the colour underneath. I also really like the variety of sizes of the 18 nail wraps you are given, making it so much easier to pick one the will fit your nail. Once the wrap was stuck on I trimmed the excess and filed it back. Finally I finished off the manicure by applying a clear top coat to ensure that nail wrap stays on as long as possible and to stop it from peeling off too soon.

I can honestly say that i am very impressed with these nail wraps, so big props to Marchesa for creating such unique designs and Revlon for knowing how to make such high quality nail wraps. So far I have worn the wraps for about 3 or 4 days and i they are starting to come away at the tips of the nails, which is a shame but for nail wraps what can you expect? they cost $15 each which is pretty steep but hey, they are pretty!