Mn Vogue vol. 2

[MarshaBrady]

For anyone who likes to talk about style, nice stuff that they've bought and so on.

Don't, not font (!)

Hello all - I'm new!

I turned 41 over the summer and feel its the ideal time for a assessment of my style. I also have left a huge global company where my role included presenting to an audience on a regular basis and lots of overseas travel, although we were able to dress in our own style; there was not a dress code as such, I did feel myself building a 'work' wardrobe. I am so so happy to have left, I feel free and like I can have a fresh start. I now look at my wardrobe and am reminded of my old job, so I have just had a massive clear out - four bin liners of clothes and 20 pairs of shoes, boots and sandals.

I am inspired by Kate Lanphear (I would LOVE to change my hair to hers - woop!) I like the rock chick look, a bit edgy, a bit grungy. I like studs, khaki, loose knits, black skinny jeans, leather jeans, blazers, monochrome stripes, glitter, sequins, camo print, flashes of neon, biker boots. I also like Emmenuelle Alt....she seems to be able to rock everyday items like a blue shirt and grey jeans with such style.

Welcome all - love how vibrant this thread is;)
Hopefully - our doorman delivers all of my packages - mail, UPS, DHL, you name it .

I love the general vibe and different stories here - it's not just about buy buy buy and mindless consumerism. But there are a few times in your life when you have to update and reinvent too...

Chat clearly Amber (currently on hols?) is your woman...

Welcome ujjayi!

Welcome to GeordiVik and LeChatRouge too.

hopefully Hope your leather leggings will find their way to you pronto.

dona Our DHL guy waves frantically whenever he sees me in town .

One of my new September resolutions is to cut down on time spent online. So I see you all tomorrow, mwah!

Hope amber is having a great time in the sun and gets to wear many lovely summer outfits.

Lots of interesting ideas and principles on here. Wish I had headspace to elaborate a few of my own...

Those shoes are really nice, Fritzi, but I'd just look silly in them. I can't do embellishments, patterns (other than stripes or v simple ones), or anything other than boring plain styles, sadly.

Studio sounds excellent, Hopefully. My study at home is slowly drowning in toys, clothes and other junk. Must clear it out before the start of the semester.

Made it in to work today and collected redirected parcel from Hush. Nice "sand" cardigan, but the other 3 items are all cut way too unflatteringly wide and boxy, even in XS. Mad sizing, there is no way I am an XS. I think they must pin everything behind their twiggy models' backs to make it hang better, on their website... Worried about lovely red jacket, now.

DS1 goes back to school tomorrow, the class lists went up today and he has the teacher he wanted and his best friend in his class, so all is well with his little world. DS2 starts maternelle on Thurs. He's 3.5, and it's 8:30-4:30 every day. I asked for a timetable that allowed me to do school runs morning and afternoon, and it turns out I have one full of daft gaps and a Thurs morning early start that means they'll both have to go to before-school garderie, so they'll be in school from 7:45-4:30.
Gulp. Guilt.

What is Marshalogy?

Think it refers to buying less! A phrase by the lovely Dona! Probably because I don't buy much for ages then get something like a Celine bag and Lanvin shoes. More of a reflection on my income patterns than any great ability to save up for things.

I haven't splurged today but been quite sensible.

MiH Paris in storm. Really lovely colour and crop.

And Amber's A Wang I agree it is lovely.

Lechat EA is a big fave here. Good style!

Good luck tomorrow Auld
Hi Geordievik

And big wave to MiM.

Although seeing Dona's phrase bolded there is making me feel funny

Thanks for the welcome ladies.

I bit the bullet (used a 20% discount code) and ordered Clarks Orinoco Jazz boots in black. Get excellent reviews, hope I like them!

What a lovely welcome :).

Hopefully your studio sounds great. Am assuming you are beginning a colour/style consultation business?

Fritzi Namaste . What form of yoga do you favour? I have mostly practised hatha but a few months ago started ashtanga which I love.

LeChatRouge you have just provided me with a whole new style crush courtesy of your Kate Lanphear reference. I am currently sporting long-ish blonde highlighted hair (which I am slowly allowing my natural white to come through) but Kate's hair style has given me serious short hair envy! I have always struggled to find shorter styles which suit fine hair without looking mumsy on me - i definitely cannot do the sleek sharp bob for example, but it looks like her hair is similar to mine so could possibly work.

Dona and Marsha I picture both of you with terribly glamourous lives. And Dona I have serious envy at your location.

Waves at Chat. I'm a relative newbie welcomed on the first edition thread. I just googled your style icons and found I had Kate Lanphear hair until 2 weeks ago so perhaps I am more stylish than I thought! Had to cut the fringe even shorter and add more texture so it was even more low maintenance with my toddler DS! Thanks for more style inspiration and welcome (olde newbie to new newbie!).
Hopefully remind me, was this HoC work and in Herts? Or am I getting confused with other old posts? Best of luck with it. Studio sounds amazing.
I keep looking at all my beautiful AW purchases and willing the weather to change so I can start wearing them. DH is away with work today and then off doing country pursuits with the boys next week for 3 days so I am home alone. Planning on watching lots of French films each evening and eating all the food he hates - can't wait!
Have good days all.

Fritzi and Ujjayi I am keen to try yoga (I currently do Pilates) but get v confused by all the different types. Where does a beginner start please?

Morning all lovely ladies -
It's rainy and gray in Italy . Well, no worries - I got plenty of practice for that in the north, so will just think what I would wear there. The problem: I left some key things, such as my thrifted denim jacket, my MJ denim jacket, my best sweater dress, waterproof jogging trousers, waterproof sneakers, my favorite wellies and my new Sixtyseven boots there for my next visit. Another problem is that everyone dresses much more practically and casually in Nordic countries - I would look like a hiker here in Rome .

Loving the New Year's resolutions - found time for a 5k jog last night and started this morning by reading Dalai Lama's "How to be compassionate" (cut slightly short by blood-curdling screams from the children's bedroom). Am also targeting some areas in the house for future guerrilla decluttering attacks (one more cupboard; dresser; my bathroom cabinet; nightstand).

Fritzi great resolutions, but don't limit your time online too much - we'd miss you terribly!
Auld re: maternelle & long hours, know exactly what you mean. DD2 is 4.5 and in school from 8.30 until 3.30 - the beginning was difficult as they did not endorse naps. Luckily I'll have DD2 at home still for another year

A quick vocabulary -
Marshalogy: buying a few items that you truly love instead of bagfuls of tat. (Marsha is usually a few seasons ahead of the rest of us and she has been doing that for some time already)
CPW= cost per wear
HoC= House of Colour: many of us have found color analysis quite helpful
EA=Emmanuelle Alt
Pin=Pinterest - an easy way to share stylish finds and get fashion inspiration (feel free to follow me but do not sign up with your real name via FB - we sometimes link to Pin here!); I've also pinned up most of my wardrobe - great for having it on my phone for a quick reference.

Feeling optimistic and energetic despite the rain! (Must be Dalai Lama's smile...) Have just blow-dried my hair, still wearing a Bodas white short-camisole night set and my beloved Japanese nemaki (=a gauze-lined cotton kimono - the comfiest dressing gown ever)!

What are you ladies wearing today?

Shop yes, but in SW.

Had risotto for dinner last night and toast this morning (staying at a friend's and didn't think to pre-warn!) after a week of cutting out grains and I feel bloody awful this morning - bloaty, sluggish, uncomfortable. Not looking forward to squeezing into a pencil skirt later. At least it's jersey!

Have hair appointment tomorrow. Don't want to go particularly short, but am hoping new hairdresser will understand 'sharp, angled bob, not a classic straight bob' and actually give me a sharp angled bob, unlike my last hairdresser who after two good cuts suddenly started giving me incredibly classic cuts. Fingers crossed!

Ooh, my leather leggings have arrived at the correct DHL centre, wonder if they'll go out with a driver today. An out at a meeting but will totally be insisting DH stays at home all day if they do

Exciting Hopefully - keep us posted!
Have finally dressed for the day. Black coated skinnies (Esprit), black Sweaty Betty tee (must get organized - where are my regular vests and tees?), an old but barely worn black Malene Birger cardigan with silver and gold shoulder beading, and leopard ponyskin ballerinas (Zara) on bare feet. Feel funny in an all-black outfit - I wore something like this for years and years, but after having discovered color this seems a bit too safe and dull...

hopefully You need to train your new neighbours to be available for DHL deliveries 24/7 . Can you take a picture to the hairdressers to make sure they understand what you mean?

GeordiVic Fingers crossed you'll love your new boots. Clarks' names make me smile though: Orinoko Jazz Boots!?

dona Don't worry. I'm just trying to get a little bit more structure into my days rather than float around the Internet all morning and then getting into a panic because I don't have enough time to meet a deadline. I am an expert procrastinator. I think I'm your total style and personality opposite (INFJ) .

ujjayi I started with Iyengar 10 years ago but had long gaps of not practicing properly. Took up Ashtanga last year but it's difficult to find classes around here so I'm practicing mostly at home but I'm not challenging myself enough at the moment. Need to find a teacher.

shopafrolic You can do the different styles at any level really. But as a beginner I would say start with a basic Hatha or Iyengar class and maybe avoid "power yoga" classes. Are you in London?

Almost forgot: I'm wearing marl grey Me&EM ruched dress with big leopard print scarf and old black court shoes. Oh, and sunglasses

Fritzi mid Herts (J9 of M1). Need to track down a class and then see if I can manage the breathing correctly after 6 years of Pilates breathing.....

Love the sound of your outfit Fritzi.

Am going smart/casual to meeting today, so apricot jersey pencil skirt, coffee coloured silk shirt, oversized brown belt, suede ankle boots and bracelets and long necklaces to accessorise.

Everyone's outfits sound great.
Not sure about mine: deep pink longline top (ancient White Stuff), cream sleeveless shawl-neck cardi (from yesterday's Hush parcel), black Gap sexy bootcut jeans, beigey/grey converse high-tops. Silver necklace, bangle & watch. Ginormous undereye shadows...
Working from home, trying not to be distracted by laundry, etc.

Fab outfit Hopefully!
Fritzi I procrastinate far more than I'd ever care to admit - in fact feel like a caged animal working at home: I love being surrounded by people and want to be Hillary when I grow up, only slightly more stylish.

If you are wondering what INFJ is, some of us did MBTI personality tests a while back - pop psychology but surprisingly enlightening. I've always thought my baby brother would make a great CEO (he's finishing uni atm) and yes, he is ESTJ (CEO personality) in MBTI. Understanding DH's personality and thinking style helps even more - he's an uberrational INTJ 'Mastermind' who respects systems and logic over everything else and does not understand Italy. I told him that he needs to start coming home earlier so that I can go jogging before the sun sets and it gets dark. He would never understand my irrational and frivolous desire to get out at night - but accepted the argument of sun setting earlier in fall and winter and showed up yesterday exactly 1.5 hours before sunset...

Wlll start working now. Savoring how chic and sophisticated a cream satchel looks against an all-black outfit...

Hopefully good luck in the hairdressers. Took me weeks to get over my overly sharp angled bob which was too dramatic for me. Finally it's all loose and unkempt again!

Dona sometimes nice to do black isn't it. Or monochrome. I'd really like to have one very good monochrome outfit. And thanks for lovely words! (cheque's in the post )

Fritzi, Auld and Hopefully really lovely outfits.

I like to roam and hate feeling trapped. But I have a thing about office/studio type environments. I think I like to work at about 10 degrees cooler than everyone else. And need lots of light and air. So I'd like to create my own space and set the rules! The last place I did some work for did not open the small windows, used blinds, air con and lots of shade. Couldn't stay for more than a meeting before having to get out.

My other work is solitary and lovely and I just need silence! Lots of gorgeous silence and space.

Ujjayi sometimes it feels very mundane (but ok), toast, dc, dinner, washing etc but then nice pockets of lovely stuff. Nearly got the balance right and feel like I can slide from one to the other completely now and use the part of my mind that I need to use pretty much immediately, used to find that harder to do.

Also am wearing new MiH Paris in storm. Love the colour and always a good sign if you want to wear something new the next day.

With apricot APC sweater, which tbh probably isn't the best colour but need to work out what I've got to wear with smokey blue /grey.

And here's pin if anyone would like to follow, feel free.