Smaggle Style

Well my little chickens it’s time for the follow up post from the Email Your Silhouette to a Celebrity Stylist post that I wrote a few weeks ago. I was absolutely delighted with the response from my readers and Annebelle took the time from her busy schedule (as a stylist and designer for the Logies! For my international readers Logies are like in-house Australian Grammies - T.V Awards) to reply to every email that we received. Here are a few of her responses… (To protect the identity of my readers and also because it’s fun I will be replacing their real names with characters from Beverly Hills 90210…)

Donna -

Killer Feature: Shoulders and bust

Worst Enemy: Belly, then higher arms

Widest horizontal: Full hip 

Key point: Similar to Niki in some ways, you want to keep the eye around the bust so any upper torso detail to help you. But as your upper arms are not your best feature, try to aim for sleeves that grace the elbow, or have detailing around the lower edges, not the top edge. Lace cuffs, gathered or pleated detail around the wrist is good. Be kind to yourself. It took me years to get my belly back to something I was in the vicinity of happy with after my baby. You get a new life and a new shape, but don’t you just love the I Am Woman Hear Me Roar factor? 
 

Frocks:

You’re lucky because you can have either deep V shapes in necklines or wider sweeping necklines due to having great shoulders and a lovely bust. Collar detail, necklaces and all manner of embellishment, even buttoning features around the shoulder area will work well. Skirt length should be halfway between ankle and knee as this is the most flattering spot. Swishier skirts in your dresses and lighter weight fabrics will offer a feminine air and also create a nice line through the legs. I’m not convinced you have enough waist definition to make classic defined curves, so maybe look for seams in frocks that are above the waist rather than on the waist, as with Ivy. And little treatments like ribbon ties, bows and contrast under bust detail will work a treat to kick the feminine up a notch and make you feel gorgeous. Another idea is to wear those dresses that have wrap fabric ties around the waist, which will also be wearable as the post baby kilos start to fall away. David Lawrence and Jigsaw always do great ones. 

Items: I think tunic shapes would work well as pieces, as long as you remember to treat the upper area with more attention rather than the wrists in this scenario as there will already be a break in the hip area if you wear separates. I know you wanted to know about what jean shapes would work, but really, I would encourage you more towards dresses than items to avoid breaking the body with horizontals. If you do denim, make it dark and look for slouchier boyfriend shapes rather than anything that would taper to the leg too much. And to blur the line where the hip gets that unwanted horizontal, maybe go for darker toned tops rather than really contrasting ones. Again, embellishment at the bust and central shoulder area will make a denim scenario work better.

Avoid: Puffed sleeves and gathered sleeve heads are not your friends.

 

Brenda -

Killer Feature: Legs, then arms

Worst Enemy: Belly, then double chin

Widest horizontal: True hip 

Key point: Therefore manipulate everything through the torso as cover up, and use the arms and legs as strong verticals. 

You are blessed with great arms and legs. With fashion the way it is right now, the gods of frock are smiling on you. Plus you have permission to buy excellent shoes! Yay!! 

Frocks:

Look for babydoll shapes, shifts and tunics that glide right over the waist.  Make sure all frocks are exactly the right length for you. There’s loads of info about this in my book, but basically you look for the point where the leg starts to get wider, past your best muscles and chop it right there.

Use upper torso embellishment especially through the shoulder area to enhance the extremities at each shoulder. This will send the eye up, but avoid the focus on the chin area. There are great details this winter like pleats, knots and heavy crochet type laces in the shoulder area of lots of shifts, so lucky you! ( Country Road, Duck and Citi are my best tips actually! I share the same body shape.)

Keep everything south of the bust matte and plain so that the only focus down there is those great legs. Therefore, no prints below the bust, no strong colour as well and certainly no sheen.

Items: The same scenario for tops as the frocks, but make sure any pants / jeans you choose are fairly lean in cut because you can afford to do this. Ditto skirts. Keep them close to the body rather than A line or tiered.

Avoid: Statement belts at the waist.

Kelly -

Killer Feature: Bust, then waist

Worst Enemy: Bulging belly, then hips & thighs

Widest horizontal: Thigh 

Key point: Your love of 1950s fashion is spot on. And if your “bulging belly” is really worrying you, then just use shapewear to flatten it across the front, because the silhouette looks just fine to me! Skirts and dresses are going to flatter you more than pants, and you have great calves and fine ankles which should be exposed. 

Frocks:

Fuller A line skirts that hit mid calf are good for you. Choose more stable fabrics rather then light weight or jersey fabrics to give you more support for tummy control. As your bust is quite projected, a 34E, you need to highlight it, without making the grand Pammy Anderson statement. So rely on design lines rather than embellishment or contrast as a good way to go. By this I mean necklines like the sweetheart, the Galaxy style dress neckline, rounded off square necklines and rounded Vs. Having extra “Hello!” factor with patterns or shiny textures at the bust might take it too far. Belts and waist seams will work on you as you have a nicely defined waist. So get rid of the sloppy T-shirt look! As you love the retro look and you need a little lift in spirits, why not play with girly florals and brighter tones until you are feeling better physically? Channel a bit more Doris Day and bit less Lois Lane using sweet feminine styles, buttoning, ribbon and bow details that highlight the waist and rib cage area of the torso. 

Items:I’m guessing shirts are tricky for you with that bust. So wrap knits and tops that feature the necklines listed above are a better option. Puffy sleeves and high arm detail will only congest the area so don’t go there. As I said, it would be a pity to cover your calves, but if you are looking for pants, go for a narrower palazzo pant that glides right over the hips, a bit like a long A-line shape in silhouette.

Avoid: Strong design lines around the hip and thigh, especially belts worn low.

And Miss Selina from Flying Saucer even sent in her silhouette! Here’s Annebelle’s advice to her…

Killer Feature: Waist, then hips

Worst Enemy: Bust small

Widest horizontal: True hip 

Key point:  

If you get concerned about widening your shoulders with any garment you wear, look for vertical treatments around the shoulder line that will mitigate your strong horizontal. This means deeper necklines, square necklines and even strong Vs. Vertically focused collar details, long bows and ties, all of these will create a force to help make your shoulders not look so wide.

Love your tiny waist. Personally I would kill for it!

Colours on red heads could include anything warmer in hue, from ivory through the entire autumnal palette, chocolates, black of course and my favourite, emerald green. Ditch lightweight neutrals as they might drain you, and bright red can be problematic of course, greys might also suck the pigment from your face. When in doubt, warm your make up tones to compensate. 

Frocks:

A-line skirt shapes will also help keep the shoulders seeming smaller. As your hips as slim, you can afford pocket tabs, and other hip detail like embroidery, fastenings, topstitching etc, which will also make your small waist the focus. The best length for you is about ten centimetres below the knee to balance your silhouette. Play up a small bust with textural highlight, pleats, gathers, colour contrast, lace etc. Anything that builds the area will be helpful. And best of all the highlight here will also take advantage of your slim waist. You can’t lose. 

Items:  

Unlike lots of us mere mortals, separates will work well on you as a break at the waist is something you can afford. The current must-have higher waisted pants and skirts will also suit you. Feature belts and strong waist detail will be great and for heavens sake go get yourself some cute 50s style pieces as this era is the one that will work best for you. 

Avoid:

Boat necks, wide off the shoulder garments and puff sleeves.

Isn’t Annebelle a gem? What fabulous advice, I’m so excited for my readers! Do visit her site Your Wardrobe Mistress and check out her book Dress Like A Star. It’s totally worth it I promise! Oh and when you do read her book jump onto Goodreads and Amazon and review it. Let’s share the Annebelle love through out the fashion blogosphere!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

 I do love the Oscars. But I must admit I’m usually over the whole thing after all the stars leave the red carpet and go into the theatre. No one I like ever wins and there is always really embarrassing performances. In general I found the dresses this year to be quite boring. There was the occasional gem but they were few and far between. Here is my Oscars bitch for 2008…

Rebecca Miller in Christian Lacroix - I adore this. I love the stripey shoes and the magenta hair. She is also Daniel Day Lewis’ lover. Could any woman be more glorious? I’m questioning Daniel Day Lewis’ shoe choice though. But with those cheekbones who the hell is looking at his feet?

Nicole Kidman in Balenciaga - Not a fan of this one I’m afraid. The necklace is rather spectacular but it blends into her ethereal skin and gets lost.

Anne Hathaway in Marchesa - Yuck. Why do nipple flowers? And why are her teeth so big? Why is she so annoying? Why?

Katherine Heigl in Escada - Of all of the thousands of Grecian one-shouldered dresses at the Oscars this year this one is my favourite. And it has nothing to do with my recent obsession with Grey’s Anatomy. Or my obsession with My Father The Hero. Okay fine! I love Katherine Heigl! Is that a crime?

Hilary Swank in Versace - Quite pleasant but a little tame. I’m rather enamoured of the rippled/pleated hem.

Helen Mirren in Georges Chakra - There was literally an audible gasp to be heard when I first laid eyes on Dame Helen Mirren. She is simply breathtaking. Always.

Ellen Page in Jean-Louis Scherrer Haute Couture - A little safe for an Oscar nominee but her performance in Juno more than makes up for her lack of sartorial experimentation. Plus she is adorable.

Diablo Cody in Christian Dior - Finally someone with a personality! Gold flats, leopard print and a massive tatt. Damn I love this girl. And her screen play rocks. 

Amy Adams in Proenza Schouler - There is NOTHING I love more than red heads who get how friggin awesome they look in green. Especially deep green.

So all in all it was rather a bit of a yawn wasn’t it? What did everyone else think? Too many one-shouldered dresses? Too many boobs squished into bandeaux? And when did everyone suddenly get too cool for bling? Where were all the Harry Winstons? And Bvlgaris? Come on people it’s the freaking Oscars! Gimme some damn diamonds!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

I know this is a controversial opinion but I truly believe that Cory Kennedy is setting a bad example to the youth of the world. I am by no means referring to her underage drinking and partying, dating hideously inappropriate older men or even her use of the Paris Hilton Fame Principal by which one becomes a celebrity by doing absolutely nothing. Something tells me that American teens will do this anyway. Australians too for that matter. What I am referring to is her dress sense. Sure she is cute and waifish and quirky and generally looks acceptable but what upsets me is when girls start to copy her. It just doesn’t work.   

Observe the look of Miss Kennedy…

Looks pretty funky doesn’t she? I was picking these photos thinking ‘Why I am dissing her style again…?’. But it’s not her style I am dissing. It’s the fact that blind 15 to 22 year olds are copying it! And just quietly why is that person wearing green opaques with Nike trainers? Do you see the company this girl keeps?

Now please don’t mistake this fashion rant for a complete and utter hatred of the grunge look. I like to rock a little Courtney from time to time but I like to sprinkle a little of the dirt not pick up a bloody shovel and dig myself into a hole of filth. What I am wondering is when it became acceptable for girls to roll out of bed, not brush their hair, throw on whatever they found on the floor and then have the hide to strut their stuff like they’re fashion icons? From reading Cory’s blog I have discovered that her life is a series of parties and I strongly suspect she no longer attends school. Her lifestyle actually explains her look. Which is fine. And she pulls it off. This is also fine. But there are impressionable young girls wandering around your local shopping centre sporting her trends and looking well… really bloody ugly. Let me make my point a little clearer… Here is a picture of me wearing three MASSIVE Cory trends. A headscarf worn around the front of my head, mum jeans (or Mom jeans as the Americans like to say) and unwashed/unstyled hair. And just so you know I am only doing this because I love you..

My god. I didn’t even know that I had thunder thighs until I wore these jeans. And being the caring Smaggle that I am I decided to spare you all the photos of the dreaded camel’s toe. Was it something that women of the eighties just accepted? I mean were the hill-billy hitched up pants really worth suffocating your moot for? I mean this looks TERRIBLE on me. But at least I am willing to admit it.

And just when you think it couldn’t get any worse…

Holy moly. Look at that derriere. Quite impressive I’d say. Can I tell you a secret? I actually don’t have a really fat arse. I’m my father’s daughter and we were born without butts. Our cheeks just tend to blend into our thighs with out so much of a Beyonce bulge. I must admit I do have a little junk in my trunk but in the grand scheme behind-sizing mine is certainly on the mid to small end of the scale. Where the hell did that arse come from?

Cory has developed a niche look for herself and although it’s not entirely to my taste it suits her. If anyone can make an eighties reject Tweety Bird t-shirt look hip it’s going to be her. But what we have to understand is that someone like me who is at least 3 sizes larger and a good few inches taller than Cory will look stupid in what she wears. Well that’s pretty bloody obvious, look at the photographic evidence.

Are we convinced yet? Cory looks rather endearing in a street-urchin-on-crack kind of way but Lady Smaggle looks like ’the bad girl’ guest star on 90210 with serious bum issues. By all means, experiment with different styles and if you want to wear arm pit gripping stone wash stove pipes then go for it and god bless you. But I beg you to wear them because you love them and love the way you look in them. NOT because Cory is wearing them. If you want to try the mum jeans go ahead. But if you look as jaw droppingly fugly in them as I do I beg you not to wear them. No one will think you are cool and you will just feel uncomfortable. Don’t do it to yourself.

Oh and just a side (snide) note… does this girl live in the gutter? Why is she always photographed sitting in the street or in the corner of some grotty looking bar? Would it really be so terrible to sit on a chair?

Your turn lovelies… What copycat disasters have you experienced? Are there any styles out there that really get your goat? Come on, I showed you mine…

Love Lady Smaggle xxx

I read this article in The New York Times on the absence of black models on the catwalk during this season of fashion shows. I was pretty appalled. Mostly because I didn’t even notice and that made me feel like pre-conditioned moron who blindly surfs fashion websites and doesn’t question the fact that most of the models are caucasian. I also came across the post Red Bow on the fabulous site Flying Saucer about red haired models and lipstick. The young lady to whom this website belongs has the most gorgeous long, curly red hair and a fabulous sense of style. Her colouring is spectacular and yet there is hardly any representation of her in the media. Just something for us ’standard’ girls to have a think about… 

On the Instyle website they have this marvelous little archive full of Looks of the Day starring your favourite celebrities drinking coffee, walking the red carpet and generally looking heart achingly cool. Here are few of my favourites…

 

* This isn’t really a favourite but it’s almost blasphemous to have a celebrity style post sans Kate.

* Check out the boots! I swear she is about to start grabbing at her crotch and moonwalking…

* I have to have Mary Kate if I have Ashley because everyone knows you can’t separate twins. Mary Kate is a grubby little urchin isn’t she? But her haphazard way of throwing on her clothes as if she just crawled out of bed is strangely appealing…

* I love this shirt but I love Kate Hudson more. She is pretty and she smiles a lot and I am quite easily pleased. Besides she’s all sunkissed and blonde and I have opposites envy of her.

‘Do you know why the Yankees always win? It’s because the other teams can’t stop staring at the damn pinstripes’ - Frank Abagnale, Catch Me If You Can

‘Don’t be your ordinary dull self. Why don’t you be ingenious and make yourself into something else?’ - Diana Vreeland

‘Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess’ - Oscar Wilde

‘The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud’ - Chanel

‘Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative’ - Oscar Wilde

I have to admit that although I love fashion I am not much of a runway girl. I get all confused with the similar outfits in different colours and once I have trawled through ten pages on Style.com I freak out have to leave. My new philosophy is just to check designers that I love and report on what I find necessary. Which brings me to Chanel. It is the most iconic and well known fashion house in the world and I find that it’s mandatory that I check out their shows. More out of politeness than actual interest though. I love Chanel but I think I love the status more than the actual designs. However my opinion of Chanel has elevated after the release of their 2008 Ready to Wear collection when I found myself getting all jittery over the accessories.

Coolest idea EVER! A wee little bum bag (or fanny pack if any Americans read my site) for your ankle! I positively LOATHE carrying a bag when I go dancing and as my breasts are quite modest in size and there is not enough bra down my top to hold all the essentials. You could fit your cash, credit card, tiny mobile phone and your lipstick.  Then you’re free to bust out the most Napoleon Dynamite of dance moves with out the weight of a massive handbag! Unfortunately Chanel is waaaaay out of the budget (sadly even fakes are out of the budget at the moment) so I am on the search for materials to make my own.

Heaps of thin chains with silvery dangle bits (yes that’s correct term for this necklace okay?) and that gorgeous little bow bracelet. I like that the necklace is worn as if it’s part of the shirt.

Um… and here is the little ankle bag again. Only this time it’s red. I just really really like it.

Symmetrical accessories. God bless you Chanel. I have been advocating symmetrical jewellery for years. Diana Vreeland often wore 2 black Chanel lacquered bracelets one on each wrist although in this photo I believe she is wearing Kenneth Jay Lane (Diana wearing Kenneth - Divine). This one is for my friend (who I adore, she knows who she is) who thought it was ‘Utterly ridiculous!’ of me to wear two of the same chunky pink plastic ring, one on each hand. Well my darling I am afraid that Chanel disagrees with you…

Here are some of my favourite images from Lady Westwood’s latest collection…

Shaggy messy hair and white eye make is a rockin look for spring

I really love unstructured drapey cardigan-like garments that reveal the collar bones. Minimal accesories is another thing I love about this look.

 

An evening gown, footy socks and scrunchy ankle boots. How does this look so good?

This cape is simply marvelous. Very Little-Red-Riding-Hood-got-the-shit-beaten-out-of-her-by-Vivienne-Westwood-and-Gwen-Stefani…

Bring back the hair chopsticks! I love the colour and shape of this dress. Although the grandpa socks and sandals combo frightens me slightly.

Today I went to work after a lovely long weekend. Then I went op-shopping after work and later tonight I have rehearsal. Today was an excellent day because a job I had a year ago just randomly paid me some money and Browny and I shared a delicious orange this afternoon. And my mum is about to cook me a delicious stir-fry for dinner…

• Black and white checked skirt from Big W
• White ruffled mens dinner shirt from Dangerfield
• Black opaques  from Myer
• Brown boots from RedPath
• Black rose ring gift from Baldren
• Silver hoop earrings from Bijoux
• Aviators

Karl Lagerfeld was today’s outfit inspiration…

Today I cleaned out my car and my bedroom for the first day of October. Then I went to see a movie called The Jammed which was great. I highly recommend it because it’s really engaging and I think it’s important to support the Australian film industry. I also got my first comment on my site today about my post on Zara in Australia! Except I think I accidentally deleted it so sorry to Daniel and thank you for commenting. Today I wore -

• Black dress from Felt
• Black shrug from SES
•  Teal Opaques from Myer
• Black flats from Zu
• Blue scarf from Sportsgirl
• Black rose ring gift from Baldren
• Aviators

I got a strange comment from a butcher today. He asked me how my night out was last night. When I questioned him he said I looked like I just came home from a night on the town. I think he was trying to be complimentary by saying that I looked nice but it was odd because what I was wearing was not exactly ‘night out on the town’ attire and also people usually look like crap when wearing the previous nights attire after being out until the wee small hours. Anyway he was a lovely guy and I took what he said as compliment however strange it might have come out.

 I then bought Australian In Style Magazine

 

And I plan to read it while my brother puts fun music on my puty! I don’t normally read In Style but I can’t resist Gwen.