A Day at the Races

Aintree’s Ladies Day is a huge event on the UK racing calendar and a showcase for some rather outlandish fashions. Perhaps the fact that there is no dress code opens the field (as they say) to more diverse outfits.

Being from Melbourne, I am no stranger to horse racing or having a bet. Most of the time I go by the name of the horse. Sometimes I even win! Some people have their own system when it comes to picking a winner. It can be the colour of the silks or the look of the horse in general. Perhaps you are one of those people who know the name of the jockey or trainer, the history of the horse including the bloodline and what it had for breakfast. Like I said, I go by the name.

To avoid dignity blowout (see my post: 5 mistakes of racing fashion), here are some of my pointers for making a bold but dignified fashion statement at the races:

1. Dresses and skirts – I recommend a hemline just above the knee. Stylish, not too long or too short. Bold is good, but go basic black or neutral on the top to balance it out.
2. Footwear – A good stiletto can add to an outfit, but there is a lot of walking involved on race days: lining up for your lucky bookie, hobbling off to the viewing area and walking over grassy hills to find a nice vantage point. Of course, if the bookie queue gets too long, you can always use your phone to access online betting sites and avoid the rush! Either way, by the end of all this, you’ll be glad you wore flats or at least used some gel inserts!
3. Fascinators are indeed fascinating. A skillful milliner can help you make a show stopping statement, so choose wisely. If you have the kind of gregarious personality that can pull off the Eiffel Tower look, wear it! And wear it well.
4. Fake tan – On white skin, more often than not, fake tan tends to come out orange. If you have pale white skin, you may think it is better to be orange than to be white. Not so. It’s much easier (and more natural) to cultivate the ‘pale and interesting’ look rather than looking like an extra from a Willy Wonka movie!

Whatever you do, remember to be comfortable, stylish, and have a fabulous time!

Minimalism: What it Means to Me

I just finished listening to a podcast by The Minimalists and found it hugely inspiring (and relaxing as well!) I have been interested in minimalism for many years now and to me, it's more of a mindset rather than an aesthetic choice.

For example, in the past year, I have bought very little in the way of "stuff". Sure, a lot of that has to do with conserving funds, but another part of it is the need to focus on who I am and what I'm doing.

Clothing-wise, my purchases have included two pairs of shoes. That's it. Much of my wardrobe has been rediscovered since I decided to throw out my unnecessary stuff. I consider the unnecessary stuff to be clothing I have never worn, clothing I have worn once and clothing that I will never wear (which usually includes items I haven't even looked at for two months or more). When I got rid of all the junk, I found six of my best t-shirts just languishing at the back of my wardrobe. Now they are back in circulation, along with my one main pair of jeans. For more info on my wardrobe adventures, check out 9 Items to Build Your Capsule Wardrobe.

So far, my minimalist goals are coming along nicely. This is the main thing that has worked for me but feel free to modify as you see fit.

Throw Out Five Things Every Single Day 

This is the most useful thing I have done in moving towards minimalism. Most days I manage to throw out between three and five items. They can be anything, I don't set any rules. Things I have thrown out include: socks, items of clothing with holes in them, old packets of tea (from 2006!), old makeup (you should replace mascara and other makeup items every two months to keep things hygienic), old bills (shredded), junk mail and various other stuff.

The fun thing about this is finding a few things to throw out every day. It's manageable and doesn't cause undue stress. Some people throw out one thing a day, others try for more - it's up to you which way you want to go with this. The thing to remember is that you are getting rid of a few things every day - that's the focus.

Things That Went Well

I immediately felt lighter after dropping off a load of good quality, name brand stuff to a charity store. I knew the stuff that didn't suit me was no longer cluttering up my wardrobe and that someone else would benefit from finding a new item of clothing to make them feel good.

I have less things to wash up in the kitchen. All the stuff I use infrequently is stored away and the only things that are left out are the things that I use all the time. A couple of glasses, mugs, minimal cutlery and a few storage containers. There is a lot more space on my bench to do useful things like... cooking stuff.

I got rid of a lot of dust, along with the junk. Dust counts as a thing, right?

Things That Didn't Go So Well

I tried to think of a more positive, empowering way to put this. I've got nothing so I'm going with it. Starting to become more of a minimalist is not without stress. I made the mistake of tackling too much at once so you can learn from this.

My thought process went something like this:

Okay, got to get rid of the rubbish and empty the coffee plunger.
*internal monologue as I'm doing this task*
What about the bathroom floor? It needs a mop. By the way, the mop is busted. You need a new mop. But that's buying new stuff. Maybe use one of those microfibre cloths.

Right, just got to hand wash these t-shirts and hang them up
What's the point? You can't put them back in your wardrobe. It's dusty in there. You'll be sneezing all day. You have to clean out the whole wardrobe and vacuum it and...

I'll just wash out the water filter
Stuff! Books. Get rid of books. Can you sell them on eBay? What about other sites? Oh, but hang on, what about postage. You need to make a profit otherwise there's no point. But what books should be culled? Oh, and they're dusty as well...

You can see how this kind of thinking can quickly lead to overwhelm and the feeling of just wanting to give up. I had to take a break, lie on the couch and decide to do nothing but listen to a few podcasts and stop cleaning for a bit. It helped. Now I understand that you can't do everything at once, and thinking that you can is counterproductive.

What I have taken away from this is to do ONE thing at a time. If that thing is getting rid of five things, I count that as one thing. If that thing is clearing off the kitchen table, then do ONLY that. One thing at a time is the key here. Keep it manageable.

Minimalism is not a Religion

A lot of people seem to get caught up in the "rules" of minimalism. For example:

If you own more than 300 things, you're not a minimalist

If you have an internet connection and a TV, you're not a minimalist

If you don't have an all-white room with two pieces of furniture and a succulent plant, you're not a minimalist

You get the picture. The thing is, Minimalism is not a religion. You don't go to maximalist hell if you only pick the things that work for you. For example, you might be a visual artist, a musician or a fashion designer. Is it a good idea to get rid of all your paints, paintbrushes, instruments, sheet music and fabrics?

It's pretty clear the answer is an emphatic NO.

Minimalism is a tool, not a bizarre ideal or some kind of judgemental monkhood. Minimalism is what you make of it, and you can take the basic concepts and fit it to suit your particular lifestyle.

And anyway, I'm allergic to all-white, polished chrome, veterinarian table chic.

Just call me the Scruffy Minimalist, I guess.

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9 Items to Build Your Capsule Wardrobe

Capsule wardrobes are everywhere. People are curating their wardrobes. Well, what does this mean, you ask? It means stripping everything down to the basics. So, you ask, how do I do this? Where do I start? Don't worry, it's simple. But first, a little background.

Why build a capsule wardrobe?

Minimalism is a movement that advocates getting rid of the things you don't need to make room for the life you want. Sounds simple, right? Well, it kind of is, that's the beauty of it. If you find yourself opening your closet and squeezing your hand between tightly packed hangers wondering if you'll pick out something interesting, you may be in need of a wardrobe clear-out.

What I did (and how you can do it too)

Firstly, I'd like to point out that I'm probably a minimalist at heart. I don't really hold on to "stuff" and I tend to enjoy any opportunity to get rid of unnecessary clutter.

My first step was to yank everything off the hangers one by one. I picked out each item of clothing, took a good look and decided one of three things:

• Option #1: I love it and I wear it all the time
• Option #2: I haven't worn this for over 2 months. Hmm, maybe this isn't my style
• Option #3: What in tarnation heck was I thinking when I bought this? (I'm looking at you, leopard skin leggings!)

So after picking out each item, if the answer was #1, it went into the laundry pile, ready to be washed and hung up in my (now spacious) wardrobe.

If the answer was #2, I put it into the clothing donation bag. It's easier if you put these items straight into a bag rather than letting them gather in a pile on the floor.

As of today, I have released two bags stuffed full of good quality clothing. One of the items was a white peplum top. Never worn, great condition. Somebody will find it at their local op-shop and it will be perfect for them. I am happy for them because it sure as heck didn't suit me!

And finally, if the answer was #3, these items also went straight to the donation bags. The only exceptions were things with holes in them. No op-shop wants a pile of moth-eaten clothing on their doorstep. It's more work for them to get rid of these items and it's probably better karma to throw them in the bin before you make the trip. For example, I had a beautiful black merino jumper from Katmandu. I have worn this jumper all through two (or was it three) winters and it suits me perfectly. Unfortunately, due to my enthusiastic use, it now has three holes on one elbow and four on the other. *Sigh* into the bin it goes.

The basic steps to a clutter-free capsule wardrobe

• Open your wardrobe (Phew! That was the hard part)
• Go through your hangers and pull out everything you haven't worn in the last couple of months
• See what's left (Hint - it's probably the stuff you wear all the time)
• Store the stuff you don't need or want OR donate it!

You may find after your clear out that you don't have as many clothes as you thought. Resist the urge to run out and buy new stuff to fill it up. Give yourself time to live with the new, smaller wardrobe. One of the advantages of having less clothing is knowing that you love absolutely everything in your wardrobe and it takes far less time to decide what to wear!

Things I have discovered since building my capsule wardrobe:

• I no longer have to decide what to wear - no more throwing things back on the hangers and mixing and matching weird looks
• The things in my wardrobe are the things I feel most comfortable wearing - I can comfortably grab anything and know that it will work
• I have released all the clothing that I was never going to wear anyway - it's a lighter feeling every time I open the wardrobe
• Even though I have less stuff, I have more things to wear - I have discovered hidden treasures squished in the far reaches of my hanging space

My wardrobe was stacked so full of hangers that I had to prise apart the layers to see what was in there. After my decluttering adventure, I can now see what I have to wear. I have discovered (or should I say rediscovered) a number of t-shirts that I absolutely love. I am now going through the process of hand washing all of them, one by one and returning them to their rightful place. 

Unexpected benefits of a capsule wardrobe:

• No more illusions - I have less clothing than I thought but that's okay. Before the clear out, my wardrobe had the illusion of being "full", yet I still had nothing to wear. Now I know where I stand.
• Less stress - deciding what to wear in the morning is not all that much fun. Now I know what I'm going to wear. If I happen to wear the same thing a few times, at least I know it's perfect and suits me well.
• More space - now I have more space in my wardrobe and more space to think about the things that really matter in life. I may buy a couple of new basic items but overall, I'm comfortable with my leaner, minimalist wardrobe.

Chemist/drugstore Makeup Bargains

I have tried a multitude of makeup products from the ponciest counter at David Jones and Myer to the $5 displays at the local chemist. I have had custom-made foundations, stick foundations that make you look like an extra in a zombie movie, tinted moisturisers that make you look like you dunked your head in oil, and makeup that looks fine in the morning, only to disintegrate into a bubbling mess at the end of the day.

My previous faves were Revlon New Complexion foundation and Garnier BB Cream, however they never had the right colour for me. Many of my fellow olive-skinned beauty aficionados will understand the frustration of finding a great product only to find nothing in our shade. In my experience, many makeup companies believe that people generally have unusually coloured skin.

I have come up with a few names for the shades I have seen so far:

Vampire White
Coral Calamity
Bizarrely Pink
Sunburned Lobster
Oompa Loompa Orange
Eggplant Nightmare
Questionable Sunbed Accident

Here's a tip for makeup companies - people don't generally have bright pink skin.

Soooo, to make a long story short (too late!) I have found a foundation/tinted moisturiser-type product that actually matches my skin tone.

And the best part? The prices are fantastic.

So without further ado, I unveil... (Get it? Unveil? Argh)

Coral Colours Tinted Moisturiser - Natural Tan

This is the best thing ever. It goes on smoothly, you don't need to use much and it looks totally natural on olive skin. Yippee!


My other great discovery was this amazing Argan Oil Mascara

I have been using argan oil as a beauty treatment but a hidden benefit of argan oil is the ability to help grow and thicken eyelashes (and eyebrows, if you like that sort of thing!)

I am also excited about the expanded range of products that includes BB Cream and other argan oil based products. The company is local to Melbourne (Brunswick) and the prices are phenomenally good.

What to wear to a yacht club

I found myself attending a function at a prestigious yacht club last week, and found myself clueless without the first idea of what to wear. I had never been to a yacht club before but I figured since it was a business function, the best idea was to stick with the basics in business wear. I wore my trusty Asos jacket, my purchase of the year so far. It pretty much goes with anything business-related. However there are other options when visiting a yacht club that might suit a more casual approach.

Dress code (this may change from club to club)

Option 1 - Business attire yacht club look: Asos jacket, crossed striped shirt, black pants, ankle boots. Voila!

The more formal approach is suited to special events where dressing up is a must. A Topshop white blouse, a stylish ASOS blazer, ankle boots and a delicate silver chain necklace is a simple touch to top off the look.


Option 2 - Casual yacht club look:

A typical casual look includes a collared shirt, some Old Navy grey pants, some Vans low top shoes, an Alpina watch and a dash of Giorgio Armani fragrance.

The main things to remember are no bare feet, no thongs, no bathers, no revealing clothing, no big slogans or logos and no hats. If you go with neat casual, you can't really go wrong.

Hipster alert! If you wear a hat, you may find yourself accosted by a grizzled old sea dog demanding that you shout the bar. You have been warned...

What to Wear for a Night in the Casino

Casinos can be dressy places. Sometimes it can be a bit tricky to pick the right outfit. The right outfit will ultimately depend on the Casino itself. For example the bustling atmosphere of a big city establishment will be vastly different to the laid-back atmosphere of a sleepy island town Casino so be sure to do your research first. Many Casinos will have dress codes so plan ahead if you want to make it through the front door!

And now we come to the question of style.

If you really want to make an impression, you can go old school. Think enchanting: James Bond tuxedos, plunging evening gowns and dangerously high heels. This is wonderful in theory, but the idea of tripping over an evening dress and teetering on stilettos does not, in my opinion, make for a good night out.

Conversely, you can go for a more modern approach. This can be anything from tight chic pants and a slinky top to a light summery dress. Personally, I’d go for the more modern approach, mainly due to the comfort factor. When it comes to slinky tops I prefer sparkles. The more sparkles, the better. Who knows, perhaps they’re lucky as well!

Nevertheless, there are some dos and don’ts when choosing the perfect outfit.

Dos:
Be comfortable!
If you’re going to be on your feet wandering from table to table, wear sensible footwear. This doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing heel height, but test out your shoes to make sure they’ll go the distance.

Don’ts:
Fussy necklines and tops that are tight at the shoulders. If you’re going to be reaching down, counting chips, holding cards and throwing dice, then you need good range of movement in the shoulder area. Go for off the shoulder or sleeveless when it comes to tops.

Black seems to be the preferred choice when it comes to dresses but don’t be afraid to change it it up a little. Black can be a little boring on its own.

The main thing is to be comfortable. If you are having trouble to decide what to wear, you can always play casino online, where you don't have to check the dress codes, and most of all, you can have fun! You will get a great gaming experience and you will find even more games than in a real casino.