Winter Lust, Caution!

Well whaddyaknow. All the fresh, fabulous new season’s fashions have arrived to tempt us, just as we are getting tired of what we have been wearing day in day out for the past few months.

But wait. As always, before heading out there and getting totally carried away with lust for all there is on offer, I advise you to go back and exercise a little caution: first, have a look at what you already have in your wardrobe from previous seasons.

Next, go back to what was left ‘unfulfilled’ from your wish list last year. Some of those items may seem totally last year to you now – which means it may be a good thing you didn’t manage to buy it all – but, if you were savvy and stuck to trends that would still have legs into the coming season, then you are probably already half way to compiling this season’s version.

I know it may seem boring when there is so much to buy, but it will save you from costly mistakes and ending up with yet another black v neck cardigan that will barely see the light of day because you always end up wearing your old favourite.

Okay…so…sensible housekeeping aside, what is creating all the hype this winter season?

The biggest news? Camel. Camel coats, camel knits, camel boots, trousers and camel bags – and this would be great news, if not for the fact that for most of us it is an extremely tricky shade to wear. Fantastic for those with warm skin tones and café latte complexions, but alas the rest of us just end up looking like those dull, soft and plain old biscuits that are always left over at the end of tea parties.

But all is not lost. When the season’s hero colour is impossible, I focus on the supporting cast – deep bottle greens, reds & burgundies, dark blues and grey – all great to put together with the lighter, trickier shade and give your complexion the boost it needs. In this way you can wear a touch of camel (underneath, in a stripe, or part of a print), but still warm things up with the shades that give you colour.

And the list itself? Well, there are all the usual suspects there, and I will share them with you very soon, but I am actually still wrestling with the final cut.

The thing is, this year I have discovered an interesting twist – and I think it may be thanks to the stark contrast of two of the major trends. On the one hand, there is the tailored, just-steal-it-all-from-your-man’s-and-your-gran’s-wardrobe trend, all florals and slouchy pants and oversized cardigans and jackets, coming up against the whole rock star, feathers and fur-trimmed clogs and animal print vibe.

So for every simply cut and classic item I see, there is a totally out there evil twin lying in wait next to it to distract me from the task at hand! Tricky I know, but I will be back with a kind of double agent list to assist you, as you wrestle with your own lust and caution.

So in the meantime, just hang in there, enjoy the window dressing and keep busy doing a little research…

Happy styling!

Rubi

Mood Enhancers

I inadvertently participated in a social experiment today. Good thing it turned out to be me conducting it. Compelled by the Wednesday night rules of a certain beer café of Belgian extraction in the Sydney CBD to don something of a red persuasion in order to avail oneself of free berry flavoured beer in exchange for watching suits sit down to half price mussels (who is getting the better deal here I wonder??), I pulled out an old Kookai fine gauge wool V neck jumper – rich, “rubi” red with a fetching V neck. I was pleased to find that it was still most wearable despite its slightly dated length ie. not quite long enough to cover the beltline on a pair of low-rise jeans but fine with my trusty grey marle singlet underneath (and please do refer to my earlier post Laying the Foundations  to gain some insight into just how much of a life-saving device my arsenal of tanks are).

Now I used to wear this jumper a lot but like many older pieces in our wardrobes it had been superceded by other  more recent items. I had intended all season to wear this red jumper, but I had become comfortable in the early morning rush reaching for my black and grey versions and cheating by adding colour to my outfits with my fabulous new Yves Klein blue cropped wool jacket and an array of scarves and bags instead.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the office.

My girlfriend messaged me to say she was staying home to nurse a sore throat, and could we reschedule our beer café escapade to the next week? My first reaction was disappointment, not at the thought of missing out on berry biers but that I had worn something that I would not usually choose for a weekday and it was now all for nothing. Or so I thought.

As I stepped out of the lift and peeled off the comfortable but supremely neutral shades of my mushroom beige trench and dark grey scarf, I felt a surge of sexiness. Confidence. Warmth. Could it be the red jumper?

So used to walking the halls of  the fashion office safe in the knowledge that my chosen outfit has just the right mix of fashionability and appropriateness, I had underestimated just how liberating wearing a vibrant colour next to your skin all day rather than just as an accessory can be! And especially one as powerful as red. Why had I been hiding this one away for so long?

The colour red has long been associated with power and eroticism. We all know about red ties being the choice of power dressers in the 80s when the stock market was booming and it was okay to stride around town looking like you owned the place.

But it seems we have forgotten just how much colour can enhance our mood – not just by loving the shade we are wearing, but by reacting to how it makes us feel as well.

And red is the mother of all mood enhancers. Fire, passion, joy, energy. It is said to enhance ones metabolism and raise blood pressure. No wonder we so often shy away from such a powerful weapon!

But I became addicted to the spring that I had in my step all day and realised that the proprietors of the city pub knew exactly what they were doing. By inviting us to wear red they were inviting women who would do so with confidence and panache, as wearing red cannot but help to make you feel! What a great piece of marketing. But one I shall be very happy to participate in, knowing that I will be happy and sexy without even trying! And that makes up for all the free berry beer one could ever hope for.

Rubi (yes that is for red) de le Ropa

Lego Land

I have been sensing more than a little anxiousness out there in Shoppingland over the plethora of primary brights currently hitting the shops as part of the opening Spring ranges. Mostly over canary yellow, but I am guessing that GI cordial green is not far behind. Fire engine red and school jumper blue are a little easier to get ones head around donning, but that does not mean that they are in fact any easier to wear. It’s the sheer in-your-face-ness of them that puts you squarely in the centre of the attention that can be a little scary to comtemplate.

Now, the thing to remember with any colour is that everyone can wear them, it just depends on which shade is right for you. And granted that may not include those that remind you of carefree days spent moulding (and secretly snacking on) Play-Doh and fingerpainting butterflies, but they are actually tremendous fun when done in small doses. And your skin tone will tell you instantly whether it suits you as soon as you get it over your head.

Best to stick with the top half of the body with these cheeky tones, (although the blue or red are great done in cotton as a weekend skirt or Capri pant). Denim and white go fantastically well with true brights and really go a long way to toning them down and giving you that crisp, strong look. For a bit more evening drama go for slim black pants. Keep whatever you pair the bright piece with as simple as possible. A printed cami underneath or scarf can break up the colour too if it is all looking a bit too bold. There are also lots of sheer floaty voiles around this season that tone things down tremendously and will give you a sophisticated look that is much more Cote d’Azur than Krusty the Clown.

But in the end the safest and possibly the most fun way to wear scary colours is in small doses – there are gorgeous patent flats and leather wedges out now, and chunky bangles that can be worn in clusters up your arm, and of course little clutches to simply hint at your traffic light tribute – or big bold tote bags that make a huge statement but you can wear with all black or jeans and a tee and keep the glare from getting too close to your face. In fact, you will be pleasantly surprised how many things these shades actually do go back with.

And where to go to get some bang for your buck? In Australia, Sportsgirl are consistently on the money with their great value, decent quality but very fashion forward accessories (they have the sunflower yellow wedges which have summer written all over them and clutches galore), Diana Ferrari has just launched with some very cute patent slides, and Witchery and Country Road are doing great things with cotton voile, many for under $100.

So good luck out there and happy styling

Rubi