Over the last week, I’ve received an avalanche of emails all wanting to know what to wear for the Royal Wedding celebrations. It seems that there are a host of events happening to mark the occasion, from High Teas and formal garden parties, to backyard BBQ shenanigans. And while it is highly likely that you’ll know the common dress code for the later (plastic tiara anyone?), it is the much more formal events that seem to be causing the most consternation.

If one was actually attending the nuptials in person, it is likely that you’d already be familiar with some of the more subtle do’s and don’t of such an occasion.  But given that most have had little exposure to truly formal events, I’ve put together this little guide to help you in your quest for an elegant and perfectly royal appearance.

Young, chic and sophisticated; this look pulls together all the rules without coming off fusty and old fashioned. Tone on tone camel with sharp black accents and tailoring, are given a little cheek with a 20′s style cloche and high heeled brogues.

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First, the rules.  Here we’ll apply the same rules that a guest of the Royal Wedding uses as their guide.

NO sleeveless , strapless or spaghetti strapped dresses on display. If you do choose to wear almost sleeveless, the arms must be at least partially covered by a shrug, jacket or some type of bolero.  Leave the pashmina at home though, this is no ordinary suburban wedding.

NO bare legs. Stockings or tights of some description are a must for a polished appearance.  But if your shoe is a peep toe, please make sure you buy the toeless style specifically designed for such an occasion. Reinforced toes on display are just ugly.

NO above the knee dresses or skirts. The correct length for a day dress at a formal wedding is either right on the middle of the knee or just below. Ankle length is for evening only.

Many of you will be watching the Royal Wedding at cocktail hour, the perfect time to really amp up the swank factor. This ensemble keeps with rich, jewel tones and a soft feathered hat; but anchors the look with the geometric lines of the Louboutin shoes and studded leather cuff.

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HATS are a must for a formal church wedding of this magnitude. If you choose to wear a hat for your event,  choose a hat that compliments your outfit and ensure you know how to wear it. Not every hat is designed to be just plonked straight on top of the head, in fact most aren’t! It’s all about balance, both in the lines of your outfit and the embellishments. No overdoing the look unless you want to come off like the mad hatter.

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A simple, but killer two tone option for your Royal Wedding look. A little change of accessories to take you from day to night, or perhaps just for different personalities. One great feature dress paired with a vintage hat and ultra modern matching accessories, show fashion savvy and ingenuity on such a formal day.

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GLOVES may be seen as a somewhat archaic tradition, but they offer the opportunity for even more accessory shopping, hence why I never say no. Gloves should only be pure white if you are doing your First Communion or Debutant ball.  In the case of the Royal Wedding, your gloves should match your other accessories and be the correct length.  That is, no long gloves for day wear. Instead choose wrist or bracelet length gloves.  If you have a High Tea event on April 29th, these would be the perfect lady-like addition to your outfit.

COLOURS are all important when attending formal weddings. Despite what fashion editors may tell you about what is acceptable at modern weddings (Melbourne is shocking for this), black is not only an inappropriate choice, it is also a cop out. Wearing black or white to the Royal Wedding would be a major social faux pax, so think a little harder and try something else.  Instead of black, look to slate greys or deep blues. Instead of white, look for a chic nude colour or a rich camel.

A formal evening option, this ensemble is pure class. A soft, draped jersey dress in an unexpected olive hue, set off with modern pieces of antiqued gold jewellery and sculptural McQueen heel.  A faux fur shrug, red lip and rouched satin gloves make this look positively regal.

It is all about taking those time tested rules and thinking outside the square.  What may at first appear to be an old fashioned set of guidelines, actually make a wonderful blueprint to work your stylish wonders within. And no, not all of us will have a budget befitting the Royal Couples guest list, you do have one up on them – your very own SKM Royal Wedding Style Guide!

A Nuffnang sponsored post… in which you can WIN a personal stylist, me and $1000 spending money!!!

When I tweeted the other day that I was heading into Westfield to experience a personal styling session, a great cry went up of “Oh no, you’re not going to loose your vintage styling are you?” Let me assure you that nothing could be further from the truth, but I was indeed off on an adventure.

As a part of their new Personal Styling services, Westfield invited me to spend the morning with one of their top stylists and experience what they have to offer. And what fun we had!

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When I met up with Jo my stylist, I’ll admit to feeling some trepidation about what awaited me. I knew that the khaki trend and I were not on friendly terms, and the leopard print body suits and I were experiencing some generation gap issues; but I was ready to put myself in her skilled hands and see what resulted.

Our first and most essential port of call was to stop for a much-needed coffee and a bit of a chat about my style.  I knew I wasn’t going to be the easiest client in the world, but that is surely one way to test out someone’s skills. Jo and I talked about my style, key elements that are important to me, my rules for ‘never’ (thigh high hems for instance), pieces that are missing from my wardrobe and trends I’d like to experiment with.  To my mind, the biggest benefit of using a personal stylist like Jo is the knowledge they can send you away with.  Not just a simple, “oh cute top!” but in teaching you about your body type, what works, what doesn’t and why.  And with that aim in mind we set out to find some cute ensembles that fit my personal style brief, but also to show you what didn’t work for me and why.

We started out at Forever New, which is full of leopard print, nudes and super soft knits this season. I always fall in love with their advertising images and the overall look of the store, but falter when I see the hemlines. Still, we decided to see what creative combinations we could come up with. And this was the winning Forever New ensemble.

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I’d found this lovely nude beaded dress with a strong 1920’s vibe, but it was cut a good 6 inches above my knee! It was also far too straight up and down for my figure, so we made a few key additions. Finding another ribbon trimmed skirt, we added that underneath, crinoline style, to give it length and volume. Then we used a wide beaded belt to give the dress more waist definition. Topped of with a cropped and beaded angora cardigan, it all came together to create a look that was more elegant princess than tall slender flapper (which I clearly am not). We liked the look, but knew it wasn’t quite on the money, so the adventure continued.

As we wandered around a few more stores, Jo and I decided we would show you just what it is a stylist does for you.  It isn’t just taking you to a random bunch of stores and finding pretty things, (you can do that yourself), but it is in finding out the science of shape, colour and finish that make pieces work for you; or not.   So I decided to be brave and take some shots of the Sad outfit as well as the Happy outfits and what the difference was.

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I’ve never worn a lace dress (being scared by Madonna in the 80’s), but wanted to try out this one in Cue.  But as you can see, some very small details make very big differences. The pic on the left has the sleeves sitting right on top of the shoulder, not at all flattering for my broad shoulders but the pic on the right has them spread out to make a little cap.  Although the difference is actually about 2cm in reality, the overall effect is very different.

But it wasn’t just the sleeves that made a huge difference; let’s see what happens when we add a belt to define the waist.

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I happen to have a long torso, as Jo quickly picked up seeing me in this dress. And as I love the hourglass shape I want to make sure my waist is always defined, but can you see what a difference is made by where I wore the belt?

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It isn’t just where you wear the belt, it’s the width as well.  This plaid dress came off the rack with the belt on the left.  It does nothing for me and nothing for the dress, but switch it out for a wider version and yes!  (Excuse the dishevelled hair, lots of change room shenanigans here..)

Thinking beyond the way something comes off the hanger opens up a world of possibilities. I really liked this plaid taffeta dress, but look what happened when we undid the zip a bit and pinned the neckline differently.

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Total win!

But what about colour? Most of us think we know what suits us and often won’t go near other colours. Sometimes we put something on and think it’s all wrong, but is it the shape that’s the problem or the colour?

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Both cute looks, but the punchy colour on the left is infinitely better on me. Jo knew we could make this even better by taking that same winning colour and picking another shape.

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This was my absolute favourite outfit of the day. The colour, the shape, the balance… and all still very much a ‘me’ look.

Having access to your very own personal style fairy godmother at Westfield, is something that you can use if you’re brand new to the fashion game or even if you have a strong personal sense of style. It isn’t about changing what you love to fit in with the crowd, but to find the secrets of unlocking the best versions of the looks you love- just for you.

You can get a taste of what a Westfield stylist can offer you right now with a complimentary 15 minute session in any of the Westfield fashion centres; but that’s just the beginning. Here’s the brilliant news…. You could win a Personal Styling Session with both your Westfield stylist and me! And not only that, but you’ll also win $1000 to spend on your big day out Could it possibly get any better than that?!

All you have to do is tell me Why you need a Westfield Personal Styling Session for your chance to win the lot!

The winner will be the best entry as chosen by me, so make sure you tell me your story.

Entries are open from Tuesday March 29 – Tuesday 12th April. The conest is open anywhere in Australia, but you must be in Melbourne or able to make your own way here to redeem your prze.

Full terms and conditions can be found here.

So don’t waste a second getting stylish and tell me why YOU need a Westfield Style Session now!!

My little junior vintage hatbox

Every week I get emails from readers asking the same questions; how do you pack when you travel? And while the destinations may vary, the principles of successful holiday packing do not. What I’m going to share with you is the thought process behind the how and why of my packing system.  It won’t be an expensive list of things to buy and how to create a carefree Riviera look. But it is a plan that you can apply yourself; whatever your style and wherever your destination.

1. How much space do I need?

Even before I begin to think about what might be needed to wear, I firstly start to build a picture in my mind of just how much luggage I’ll need. Here’s what you need to think about-

What is the airline’s luggage weight limit?

Will I have to carry these bags alone and how many changes of transport will I have to do that for?

Will the luggage be so big and heavy that I’ll need work boots just to drag it around? (Oh so very un-glam)

How much shopping will I be doing? At which destinations and what size of items do I intend to bring back?

Are there different luggage weight allowances on internal domestic flights in the areas I’m visiting?

You may be able to tell from this list that these are tips I’ve learnt over time, sometimes the hard way. And one other hard and fast rule I’ve learnt to apply is this; never bring large carry on. Not only are you not guaranteed a space for this, but it leaves you no wiggle room for that magic luggage expansion that happens on the very last day of your trip.

Keep hand luggage to a minimum both for your own comfort and speed of boarding flights.  Generally my hand luggage consists of those things that are irreplaceable like my vintage hats and jewellery; even then I keep it small so I don’t have to carry too much around airports.

Now that you have a mental picture of the size of luggage you need to bring, you can start thinking about the weather, activities and events you’ll be enjoying at your destination. Here is my secret trick to planning the perfect outfits…. I simply imagine the hollywood film version of myself on holidays. What does movie me wear for dinner on the beach, or when dancing a tango, or simply lazing in the shade with a book? Sure, it’s a romanticised version, but it is a great launch pad for ideas.

2. Write it down

For each possible activity I write down a generic description of what I need to wear. Swimming? Bathers and something to wear over them. Shopping on a hot day? Long cool dresses and good walking shoes.  Once you have this little list down you can start thinking of which items fit the bill.

3. Pick a pallette

Choosing a basic wardrobe colour palette for your trip is the key to making a few pieces go a very long way. It also saves you from needing to pack a large selection of bulky matching shoes. On my last trip I picked a base palette of red, white and blue, allowing myself a bit of green in there too as an accent colour. Here is the overview of my outfits for a two week trip-

This is what my bed looked like as I packed for my two weeks away. I haven’t pictured accessories, underwear or toiletries here so this isn’t the sum total of my suitcase content. But aside from those other small items, this is it. Keep in mind that I was away for two weeks; one at a beach and the other a lively city.  I needed to dress for heat, humidity, walking, lazing, shopping, dinners, conferences and meetings.

In the interest of illustration and helping you piece all this together, I’m going to break it down.

Firstly; scarves, pashminas and sweaters.

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You’ll notice that the colours I’ve selected all work within my defined palette for the trip. I had two pashminas, two little cropped sweaters and one long polka dotted scarf.  These will be your best friends on a summer holiday.  When you are in and out of air conditioning, dining as the evening cools, or simply looking to cover bare skin for modesty; these all do the trick.

The secret is to find pieces that are made in good quality yarns and with a very fine weave. That way they roll up to nothing and you can always carry one in your handbag. The ones I packed are made of angora, cashmere and silk. Breathable, natural and investments that will last you ages if you take care of them.

Let’s break down the rest of the key pieces…

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Far left from top down

Zebra print sheer beach cover up – can be worn over swimwear or over singlet tops. Just belt for shape and add some great jewellery.

Black lightweight cotton skirt – made of cotton voile this works for beach wear, dinner wear and day wear. Separates are your friends.

Bikini - I will only wear this at the pool. Not to the shops, not to dinner, and certainly not to play table tennis in as I saw some girls doing.

Leopard print dress – Again a light weight cotton dress with a shirred waist line, primarily worn poolside. On it’s own it is a bit basic (even in spite of the print), but with a black cinch belt, great shoes and a chunky bangle it becomes far more chic daywear. I wouldn’t wear this one to a more formal evening out as the cotton is too light weight to be fancy enough for my taste.

Center from top down.

Stripped peasant style top – again light weight cotton, but super fitted with a side zip. Cute with long or shorts skirts, heels or flats.

Red faux silk dress – cool, comfortable and will take you from the shops to a night out at dinner. Just change up the height of your heels, add a little cropped cardigan and a flower in your hair.

Gingham halter neck dress – Day or night, gingham works, It doesn’t translate to more formal settings, but a beachside dinner, or wine and tapas at a local cafe; gingham and halters come together to make you feel all Roman Holiday.

Red winged bust top – One of my best friends. Because it is so structured with boning, shirring and a convertible and removable halter strap; these babies will take you anywhere. With a cropped sweater , to make the best feature of your waist line, these can become chic little tops for cocktails when paired with an ankle length skirt.

1940′s reproduction 2 piece swim suit - yes, for swimming; but the top piece can also work as as singlet top for cute casual day wear. To make it look less like swimwear, I like to pin a large fabric flower onto one of the should straps at the neckline.

Far right, from the top down.

Large brimmed red hat (out of shot) – for sun protection, drama and mystery. See also hangover cures.

Navy and White ankle length jersey skirt - bloody brilliant! Whether in stripes or a solid colour, a long jersey skirt will take you easily from a comfortable plane ride to a swanky dinner. It can be worn with almost any style of top (steering away from the cut off versions to avoid any muffin incidents), and looks equally as great with flats as it does with heels.

Blue cotton voile 1950′s reproduction day dress – This one will do secret rendezvous, lunch dates, and with a few rhinestones for good measure; even a formal evening dinner.

Blue winged bust top – read the description of the red winged bust top so I don’t keep gushing about these.

Hawaiian print dress – Happy hour anywhere!

Khaki culottes - They are the skirt that isn’t a skirt, the solution to more active pursuits that can’t be handled in a skirt, and far cooler and more forgiving than jeans. The French know their stuff.

4. How to Accessorize

Picking a small but cohesive selection of accessories is key to getting several different looks from each of your outfits. These make the difference of day to night, formal to casual and are also the way you introduce your own personalised flair to each outfit. Here’s what I took to change up my outfits.

Belts – Simple, inexpensive elastic cinch belts in black, red and blue

Jewellery – For day time I chose chunky beads and a scrimshaw bangle in red or white. For evening I picked clear diamontes. A small necklace, super sparkly earrings and a pair of dress clips that you can wear on tops, shoes, bags or even in your hair.

Flowers – Both fabric corsages and faux flower pieces.  Each one has both a crocodile clip and a brooch clip on the back; that way they can be pinned on hair, bags, shirt, hats, used to keep scarves together.. you name it! A selection of four key colours and you’re good to go.

Shoes – two pairs of wedge heels, one black ballet flats and one pair of flip flops for the pool. That was it! Not having any short skirts in my capsule wardrobe meant that flats and wedges would work for any occasion. I stuck with red, black and one bright floral pair for a bit of fun.

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All in all, there really isn’t all that much here; but each piece (minus the bikini) must do at least three different outfit combinations, otherwise it just doesn’t make the cut.

5. The Finishing Touches

Just as they do every day at home, the finishing touches to your holiday outfit are what take your look from clueless tourist to chic international traveller. And what are they? Your hair and makeup. Being well groomed at all times on your holidays not only makes you feel better but it will save you money too. Hear me out on this one…

When you find yourself in a new city or even at a fancy resort, you are constantly bombarded with images of good looking people, just as you are at home. It may be the pictures of the gorgeous lady getting a massage at the spa, or it may be the urban dwellers you’re bumping shoulders with over a sale rack.  Nothing will make you reach for your wallet on holidays faster than when you feel inadequate. Yes, it happens to everyone no matter how much above it we’d like to think we are.

When you’ve given your outfits careful consideration as to when and where you’ll be wearing them, you need to pay equal attention to your hair and makeup.  Learn some quick and easy styles that don’t take an hour with the straightener each morning. If you’re going somewhere humid and your hair hates you, be prepared. Pack a small bottle of macadamia oil for emergency smoothing and plan some sleek styles that avoid the issue altogether.

Makeup needs to be simple, straightforward and climate friendly; but even when at the beach I don’t leave my red lipstick at home. I just pick the right formulas. Heavily tinted lip stains, mineral makeup that doesn’t melt and waterproof everything else. ( Come to think of it I really need to write a whole post on ‘beach face’).

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In short, consider the whole package. Does it live up to that ‘movie’ version of the holiday in your head, and will that woman wear what you’ve chosen for her? Is it too much hard work or do you need to simplify?

Once you’ve got the basic strategy down, you can mould it until it is the perfect fit for you. It works for summer or winter, the simple holidays or the fancy.  I’ve written a hell of a lot here, and as I’ve deconstructed what comes naturally to me, I realise that it isn’t about the little details of what I took, but why I packed each piece. And I’m hoping you can see the big picture emerge from all of this.

Of course, this may leave you with even more questions and you’re always welcome to ask away in the comments section. But for now, go forth and know you can really relax when you get to your destination; packing ninja that you are!

Valentines Day is only really just starting to take off as a ‘holiday’ in Australia. For many years it has passed on my calendar with relative silence as Mr SKM and I like to try and do nice things for each other all through the year, without having to have a special day for it. But the project planner in me also loves any excuse for celebration, decorating and getting dressed up.  So with the upcoming Valentines Day in mind, I sat one evening with a glass of Strawberry wine and planned some Valentines Day outfit inspirations for you.  Just dreamy…

Outfit details here.

A bit of sparkle and frou frou never goes astray, and besides dressing in Diamond hues may just be a good way to provide a subliminal message. Sequins, lace and faux fur all come together in this ensemble to create a look that is all together feminine and fun, yet still sophisticated. A long frothy skirt to swish about as you walk and chuncky heeled boots to balance the lightness of the cropped lace jacket and sequined bustier.  Practical Princess style.

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Outfit details here.

Sleek, sophisticated and drop dead gorgeous. This is the outfit for a woman who wants to take things to the next level. Blush tones and gentle draping hint at a soft romantic nature, while the animal print bag and rose gold jewelled skull ring give a subtle clue to the wild woman inside. This look is less “you complete me” and much more, ” good choice buddy!”

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Outfit details here.

Here she is, our pretty princess. Gentle, smiling and always in good taste. Velvet bows, soft suede heels and ropes of pink pearls; all brought together with a sharp little blazer, impeccably tailored but not forgetting the importance of pink. She smells of orange blossom and brings a hint of sparkle to the evening with a few key accessories. She is our ingenue, our darling bud, our Disney Princess all grown up.

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Outfit details here.

Of course, Valentines Day isn’t all big dates and evenings on the town. Sometimes you just want to sit indoors and snuggle up your par amour. A little soft cashmere and lacy bustier, the cute and comfortable. Frothy tiered lacy skirt over cheeky boy shorts and lace stockings, feet shod in velvet ballet flats. A simple jewelled head band to keep the hair from your eyes, and an intricate sparkly ring that makes sure to catch the light each time you reach for the strawberries. She can curl up on the couch in her beloved’s arms, a stylish sleeping beauty.

What are your plans for Valentines Day? Going out, staying in or treating yourself to an indulgent night alone with all your favourite flicks? I’d love to know how you celebrate!

It’s Sunday. In fact it my first Sunday off in a very long time, so I’m going casual, cowboy boots and all.

When I first found this dress at Harem, it was the colour and the print that grabbed me. I adore this shade of blue and the deep pink of the roses was a fabulous contrast.  There is only one massive problem with this dress and that is that it is too short for me by far.  I knew it when I was in the dressing room, but somehow convinced myself that it would still be okay. It really isn’t though and without leggings or opaques underneath it is just so many kinds of wrong. Damn it.

What I really need to do is take it with me down to the fabric store and find a solid fabric in a magenta then add about another 10cm to the hem. In the meantime though, I am experimenting in my off time with this shorter length (over opaques only) and my deep plum vintage cowboy boots.  Once I messed around with this outfit enough I felt confident enough to unleash it on the world and headed off to lunch and a spot of window shopping. As an aside I have to add, why is it that every single time I shop at Westfield ( one of our big malls), I’m asked at least twice if I work for Allanah Hill? Is it because I do my hair and I’m not afraid of colour? I wonder….

The other problem with this dress is that the waist sits a good 5cm above my natural waist line, so it reminds me a bit of maternity wear. It may not look like it but it feels like it from the inside and keeps throwing me off my game.  So I’m just not sure. I half love it, half hate it.. so it may end up looking for a new home shortly. The boots however, I am in love with, so they will have to get their own post shortly too.

And while I was shaking it up a bit today, I even threw in a little blue eyeshadow and glitter. I don’t know; either I’m a little bored or a really need a nap!

Outfit Details

Pink Leopard cardigan – Temt

Blue rose print dress – Harem

Black Opaques – Voodoo

Vintage cowboy boots – Retrostar

Earrings & Handbag – Equip

Dog – This is Lola. She is a Papillion cross Shitzu and she is very, very naughty.