A Girl And Her Wardrobe

Hi Ladies,

I will start by apologising for no photos:(  I have had my best friend and her 3 boys staying and I am exhausted.. I am used to only one child in the house so four (boys) is always a bit of a stretch lol...they only left a few hours ago.

Now the big news, the (MY) EF Harem Pants arrived today!  I could not be happier.  The fit is great, the size S seems to be the right size.  The XS would have been too tight on my waist and any larger would have simply been too oversized.  Not having experienced EF in person before I did of course wonder if it was worth the money - thy expensive items for my budget - and I am thinking the answer seems to be yes it is.  The fabric is lovely, the workmanship appears to be excellent, I can wash these at home (bonus) and given that the style is not really "trendy" I think they are an item that will have considerable longevity in my wardrobe.

I am thrilled that many of my tops and jackets will work beautifully with the harems, and quite of a lot of my footwear works also.  I quickly put together a 'dressy' outfit for say a function,or even a wedding, with dressy top and footwear and then a weekend outfit with casual shoes, striped tee and short, soft (draped) cardigan.  I am thrilled with the versatility.  

I am planning to wear them with slides and a short draped top on Saturday for a casual party at home and then with a short jacket and open toe wedge heel booties for my first day back at the office next Tuesday.  My mind is full of styling ideas, I feel giddy.

Thanks so much to Rabbit who alerted me to the sale via her post on the Forum, and to those of you who advised re sizing and to Dashielle and her DH for checking hers for me.  It has been one of those wonderful 'village' experiences that makes me love and appreciate YLF.

Of course now I can see a serious EF addiction in the making lol!  

I will post pics this week, time permitting, but I am so excited that I wanted to share.   

One question for those that have these pants.  Do you cold wash them in your washing machine as per the instructions?  I feel confident this should be fine but just wanted to check how you care for them.  

xxx Deborah

Mine are a little longer in the leg than the models but still some ankle showing if I wear a boot:)

Hi Ladies,

This is not a conversation purely for those of us with short hair :) I am sure some of our fabbers with longer locks have fast growing hair too!!

I cut my hair short, I think, close to three years ago. And I love it short. It has taken quite a long time and a lot of tweaking to get to what I now feel is "my short cut".

For the most part is has been what I think you would call a long pixie. Long at the front and short at the back. We have varied the back and sides, having cropped it, layered it, cut it so it sweeps forward etc. The greatest challenge I have had with short hair is that my hair grows SO quickly that some shorter styles just don't work because within a week or two my hair is too long to maintain the style:(

So I am wondering if this has been a factor in short style choice for any other Fabbers? It has taken me a while to accept my fast growing hair limits what I can do, and of course we would all choose a style that we feel is flattering to us but does practicality have a place too?

I have finally realised that a 'pixie bob' with the lower back section clippered, is the best style for me because I can generally get a good 6 weeks out of it before it starts to loose it's style. This is important to me because I am a bit of a neat freak and if all is good with my hair then all is good in my world (sad but true).

I'm posing some photos from most recent cut back to when I first went short to demonstrate my journey lol. What has your short hair, or long hair journey been?  How often do you have to get it cut, and coloured, if you do colour.  How's your tolerance once is starts to loose its shape/style?

xxx Deborah

Hi Everyone,

It's Good Friday here as I type and we have been to church and visited my mother in law for lunch. Master 13 finished his first term at high school yesterday and we are all exhausted after what has been a very busy first term. We are looking forward to a little mini break:)

I have been really enjoying wearing culottes this season and now that the weather has cooled I can get the open toes ankle boots out and start styling my culottes a little different to how I have been wearing them over summer.

Today I wore my black jersey culottes with ankle boots, white blouse and new long black cardigan. I had been searching for a long black cardigan last year and settled for a cheap one I found but was never really happy wearing it (YLF has made me a bit of a stickler for quality). This one is perfect. It has a knit front and jersey back and sleeves. It's a very nice weight and falls perfectly.

Hoping the long cardi with the culottes isn't too voluminous. I liked the look and can see myself repeating it but might be inclined to try a more streamlined top.

BTW I decided to have some low lights in my hair to break up what had become quite a blocked blonde. The lighting is making it look a bit darker than it is, the blonde is still very white and I'm really happy with it. #3 was taken in natural light.  The idea was that it would add texture and movement to my short cut.

#4 is an Easter artwork Master 13 created with some friends which was displayed in the church foyer this morning... It was a nice change from him being on the computer !!

Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy weekend.

xxx Deborah

Hi Ladies,

I have been so thrilled with the glasses I got last year (see Find below).  

I am now wanting to add another one or two new frames so have been on line seeing if anything takes my fancy.

I have a small face so need the lense to be around 50mm. I can drop down to say 49 or go up to 51 but not more than that.  

#1  Calvin Klein  - marbled green tone
#2  Elizabeth & James - is described as amber
#3  Elizabeth & James - pink
$4 Kam Dhillon -  dark blue

I order my glasses on line so I cannot try these on.  Based on all the research I did last year I think the shapes would be fine but just wondering what you think re colours (and shape of course).  I haven't chosen colour on purpose but I don't necessarily need another pair of black frames.  BUT just in case I do, #5 are Christian Siriano.

I tend to struggle a little choosing frames so would be so appreciative of any thoughts you may have.

xxx Deborah

Happy Weekend Ladies,

It's a long weekend for us here:)  

This outfit is the same top as Thursdays canteen outfit, but different bottoms and footwear.

I love these pants and am looking forward to taking them into Autumn and and being able to wear some of my jackets with them.  I am thinking open toe booties might work in Autumn but not sure what else.  

Footwear wise what else do you think might work?  Thanks for looking and I appreciate your suggestions.

xxx Deborah

Hi Ladies,

I did my first volunteer shift on school canteen today!  Of course the question of what to wear was on my mind first thing.  We were required to wear closed in shoes and no tank tops but otherwise it was up to us.  

I decided I needed comfort, clothes that would wash easily and, well,  I still needed to dress like me.

So I wore (all jersey fabrics) cropped pants, cami top and square oversized top with my slip on sneaks.

 Felt good and even felt put together well enough for a coffee out after my vounteer shift.

It's the usual all black everything, but thanks for taking a peek :)

xxx Deborah

Hi Ladies,

Had a short window to browse the shops today and came home with this!

I am on the lookout for tops that will work with my culottes and wider leg pants.  Ideally these tops would work equally well with a skinny leg or a pencil / tube skirt:)  I spotted this today and liked it in the change room.

These photos are not styled (but you can probably tell that ;) ).  Please note that I always wear heels with my culottes and I think that will create the best proportions.

It does seem to work well under my black draped jackets too but it's nearly 40 here today so I am sorry I couldn't leave a jacket on long enough for a photo lol - am using that as the excuse for no shoes in the pics also:)

I think the shape of the top is in keeping with my style, but the graphic print is something new for me.  I love a graphic pattern but don't often find ones that I feel work for me.  I thought this was ok.  

Anyway, over to you wise women.  What do you think?

Thanks so much for taking a look.
xxx Deborah

Hi Fab Ones,

I bought these culottes a few weeks ago and today is the first outing for them.

I love culottes and these are my third pair.  I have black winter, black summer and these which are pretty transeasonal.

They look like denim but are a lovely weight jersey, so they swish and flow beautifully when you move.

It was especially nice today when DH, who hadn't seen them before, unsolicited, told me he really liked them :)

Wearing them with a chiffon blouse (sheer sleeves) tucked at the front.

Culottes - Motto
Blouse - Motto
Sandals - Kmart

Any comments or suggestions for styling much appreciated.

Thanks for looking
xxx Deborah

Hi Ladies,

Thank you all so much for you thoughts on the blue cardigan I was looking at in this thread http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....for-autumn.

One of the wisest things I think I have learnt here at YLF with regard to shopping is that it is best for me to leave an item and sit with it for a few days and think through a. what I will wear it with   b. where will I wear it and   c. consider how it fits with my lifestyle.

Before YLF I never stopped to think about those things.  I liked it, I bought it. Never wore it. Donated it. lol.

Since posting about the blue cardi on, I think, Monday, I have been pondering it's place in my wardrobe.  I came to the conclusion that just because I liked it, and it seemed a flattering colour, and yes it could be worn with a lot of my existing wardrobe, this didn't necessarily earn it a spot in my closet.  

I was concerned about the length.  Gryffin's comment about her long cardigan stuck with me    "I think I don't wear this as much as I thought because sweater is light so when you move it's almost like being a princess with a train (I know what could be more perfect for the princess of darkness!!  ) but it's a little distracting when I am racing around."  And RoseandJoan's   "Do you love the colour by itself for you?...I am a little concerned it could be orphaned" and then the very wise Joy asked "

If it becomes available in black or grey, will you wish you had waited?"  So with great reasoning I eliminated each of these concerns in my responses, only to come full circle and realise last night the blue cardigan is not for me. It made me psychologically uncomfortable, ref Sarah The White's thread. 

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....omfortable

The cardigan is light and moves just as Gryffin described. I can carry that off comfortably (psychologically comfortable) in black but I know I am going to feel conspicuous in the light blue.  And the more I thought about it the more I could see the cardigan becoming an orphan as the outfit combinations I was coming up with in my head were not exciting me (thank Jules), and finally, when I popped into Motto today to pick something else up, the cardigan had just arrived in store ... in black!!  It made my heart sing.  Long, draped, knit front, jersey sleeve and black.  I put it on and experienced that pyschological comfort that Sarah spoke off.

So... I came home with the black.

I will just clarify that I am all for stepping outside of our comfort zone but this would not have been the right garment for that for me.

Anyway my point is they say it takes a village to raise a child but clearly it's takes a village to help me dress myself:)  Everyone's input stayed with me and helped me work through deciding if this was a good choice / investment for me.  So Thank you!  I appreciate you all so much and this exercise has been another step in honing my shopping and wardrobe building skills.

xxxDeborah

Yes it happened.  It's Master 12's birthday today (Feb 12) and he is now Master 13.  I am the mum of a teenager!!!  Had a great (early) morning opening birthdays gifts and sadly he has to spend his day at school but he went off happy and excited.

Birthday cake is in the oven and I am dressed for another warm day.

It is so hard seeing the Autumn clothing arrive in the stores while we are still have 30+ days.

Today's outfit ,another volume on volume look.

Peggy Silver Tee - Metalicus (part of my Xmas present from DH)
80 cm Jersey Cami - Motto
Grey Silk Skirt - Kondo Tricot
Sandals - Famous Footwear

I am finding I love tonal grey looks almost as much as I like black!! This outfit may be an acquired taste??  

Comments, suggestions for improvement etc very much appreciated.

Thanks so much for looking.
xxx Deborah