Staying toasty with Autograph Fashion

The weather has well and truly turned a little frosty here in Australia and I'm on the lookout for ways to warm up my wardrobe. Rather than just showing you the list of stuff I want, I thought it would be fun to get into the store and start shopping together! Plus its easier to make on-line shopping choices when you've seen how they fit! The ladies at my local Autograph store at Cannon Hill were super helpful and didn't bat an eyelid when I started snooping around with my camera, here are some of my favourite snaps from the day!

I love that Autograph is a one stop shop for everything fashion related. PJ's, underwear, basics, outerwear and even formal wear- these guys have you covered! I had a play around the racks and put a few outfits together for you to see how I would style up some of my favourite pieces.

Wearing Autograph: Blue curve hem top, Ditsy leggings, PU sleeve ponte jacket

I started by playing up the florals. Its too easy to get stuck in a rut just wear black over Winter and I'm loving the colour Autograph are injecting with these tops and cute leggings. The leggings are surprisingly warm and are so easy to style up. I'm wearing the a size medium in the leggings, a 20 in the top and a size 18 in the jacket. I adore the drape on the top- perfect for layering!

Wearing Autograph: Contrast lace yoke top, Aztec print soft pants like these

One of the first things that caught my eye when I entered the shop was the gorgeous lace blouse. The shoulder detailing is divine, I wish I was wearing a strapless bra to make the most of the shape! I've been living in soft pants like these lately, they are the perfect winter pant- comfy, high waisted and with gorgeous prints! Size wise, I'm wearing a 16 in the top and 22 in the pants.

Wearing Autograph: Stripe shirt, Indigo Skinny Jeans, Tooth stitch knit cardi

I couldn't resist this fabulous top. Without a doubt, a stripe blouse like this is the most easily instant-chic piece in a woman's wardrobe. Styled up with these gorgeous jeans and a thick knit cardi, this outfit is Winter fashion winning! I'm wearing a size 20 in the blouse and a medium in the jacket- the jacket has a great curvy shape to it, its so rare to find knits with shape that I audibly 'ooohhd and ahhhd over it! Also, I was pleasantly surprised with the cut and shape of these size 22 skinny jeans, its my first time wearing Autograph's jeans and to say I'm converted may be an understatement. I had a great chat to one of the other customers shopping in the store, she said she pretty much lives in Autograph jeans and wouldn't buy any other brand!

 On the day I was in-store, Autograph were having a kit sale and they gave me $50 to spend- it was perfectly timed for my Winter cardi hunt. I took home the Peak Hem Drape Cardi and a necklace for just under the fifty! Bargain!! I've worn the cardi almost everyday since purchase and I snapped a few piccys of me wearing it this weekend for you to see how totally rad it is! I love the extra length in it, I feel like I can show a little leg or wear a plunging neckline and know that I'm still going to stay cosy! 

What are your favourite items this season??

OOTD: Florals and yellow hurrah!

So, I'm not going to rant your ear off about how much I love eShakti (which is crazy amounts!). I will however point you in the direction of where I've totally fan-girl-ed about them before - here, here and here! But seriously, with everything available in sizes 0 to 36, fully customizable, vintage styling, amazing prints and loads of different fabrics... what's not to rave about!? But yes,on to the fashion and stuff!

Top: Autograph

Skirt: eShakti c/o

Wedges: Lane Bryant

Clutch: ASOS via Curvy Cartel 

Earrings: Real Diva's Are Large

This amazing ultra high waisted skirt just blows my mind. The print is absolutely divine, with those bold reds, greens and blues, you can pretty much dress it up with anything. The material is a thick crepe but without the weight, its still got plenty of movement without losing its shape.

The silhouette is amazing. I feel like I could be bum-wiggling around an office in Mad Men! I kept the length at a knee length for that feminine look but now that I have it, I love the idea that it can be shortened to a mini before you purchase. I would love that funky floral print in a cute little mini! Best bit of all though- pockets! A babe with pockets is pretty much unstoppable! ;)

I wore this outfit for a full day out on the town and at the end of the day, I was still comfy in this skirt! I wanted to play off the colours by adding this killer yellow ASOS clutch and Lane Bryant shoes. The clutch fits everything (even my ipad!) and is great for packing my whole life into. Mind you, with pockets I carry all those small essentials without (lippy, phone and keycard!) without having to even bother clawing around inside my clutch! Fashion winning!

What do you think of skirts with pockets? 

Do you like floral print? 

Wardrobe planning

I'm more than a little guilty of buying clothes that I don't need. I buy them on special (and seriously, they are always irresistible bargains) with the intention of working them into my everyday outfits and more often than not, they sit in the closet with the tags on until I ebay them. So I've decided its time to be tough. With the wedding and honeymoon bills literally accumulating on my cork board, a bit of outfit planning is needed.

pencil skirt, floral dress, stripe shirt. 

2014 is my year for improved buying and re-wearing. I've started off my sorting with outfit essentials. Every woman's wardrobe needs (and honestly, I'm sure most of your probably already have these important basics) a black pencil skirt, a floral dress and a stripe shirt. These three indispensable must-haves are from Autograph and I've built some funky day and night outfits around them:

The Pencil Skirt

NIGHT: spike heels, gold necklace, clutch, bow belt, blue peplum, 

DAY: Floral kimono, gold sandals, purple boob tube, coral across body bag, stacked bangles 

The pencil skirt is the ultimate classic must have. They have flattering lines and that bombshell shape so its easy to dress up for a night out with an eye catching top and bold accessories. The cut is an instant outfit wower- looking like a million bucks pretty much goes hand in hand with a dressy PS. But, its easy to get into a pencil skirt rut. I've worn mine with soooo many peplum tops and although I do love the way it looks (refer to evidence A, where I've chosen my night outfit with a City Chic peplum, I have obscene amounts of those amazing tops in different shades!), dressing it down can be just as much fun; albeit harder work.

I'm trying to include a more bohemian feel into my casual day outfits and the pencil skirt stops the look from seeming sloppy. The long kimono means I can easily wear my PS at the markets or even a picnic without being overdressed. The purple boob tube is actually a tankini (cute much!?) and the bright colour looks awesome with a clashing across-the-body bag. Add some stacked bangles and you've got classic and casual chic!

The Floral Dress 

NIGHT: heels, necklace, flower crown, clutch, 

DAY: wedges, shopper tote, heart sunnies, polka-dot jacket

I've been going through my dresses and re-classifying them all. I'm often too quick to pigeon-hole a dress, thinking that it might only suit a day or night events. A floral dress can be one of the most underrated fashion essentials. It took me years until I started to transition floral summer dresses from my 'day-time only' to 'party-time' wardrobe.And I can definitely still fall back into that routine. Now don't get me wrong, they make the perfect debonair day look- I mean, denim jacket, heart shaped sunnies and cork wedges for the win! But by adding some heels and a clutch you can get so much extra wear out of them! I wore a floral dress to a wedding last weekend and it went off! If you're new to the floral dress night time look, you could try starting with one like this with splatters of black. The black makes the translation easier and gives an effortless night time look while still keeping the playfulness of the floral.

The Stripe Top

NIGHT: jeans, coral blazer, necklace, clutch, wedges, earrings

DAY: flats, moustache necklace, skirt, heart bag

I don't doubt for a second that you all have a stripe shirt in your wardrobe. Maybe its short sleeve, perhaps its a tank- but there is definitely at least one in there. You could almost even say that the stripe top is where my love-affair with fashion came from. A stripe shirt was the first adventurous item of clothing I bought myself. And it felt so rebellious wearing something I was always told I shouldn't. I actually have far too many stripe shirts now and am always thinking about new ways I can wear them. I love this gorgeous, dapper skirt and my stripe tops would like awesome tucked into it high waisted. Then for night time a stripe top is easy to dress up- a jacket and long accessories, coupled with killer wedges makes for a perfect chic look! Plus I somehow acquired far too many blazers last winter and I'm trying to include them in more outfits so they don't end up on the eBay pile!

Do you re-asses your wardrobe regularly? 

Do you outfit plan?

Brand Spotlight: Autograph

This is a sponsored post for Autograph Fashion

I always find that preparing for summer is the biggest fashion challenge of all. You need to be considering hot days, chilly evenings, sticky afternoons and all while still trying to look cute! Plus there is the age old how much skin to show and what bits to leave bare. I literally spend more time standing in my wardrobe like a dolt wondering what to wear than actually trying on outfits! I did some outfit planning a few years back and found  it lots easier to face the coming events with the pre-groundwork done. So, while trawling my regular online shopping haunts in preparation for Summer, I ended up chatting to the team from Autograph and have taken inspiration from their new collections to start my wardrobe planning!

Now, to be honest, Autograph has not always tickled my fancy, but they have totally upped the ante in the last few years! I have been super impressed with the high fashion and on trend pieces they have been releasing- did you see those floral blazers in Autumn? I bought all three. No joke. So I figured the best way to start my planning was to base the outfits on my four favourite things to do: lunch, weekend fun, markets and cocktails!

Autograph Fashion- Lunch outfit by waituntilsunset featuring Betsey Johnson

I always joke that I could lunch for a living. And by joke I mean wistfully dream that it could be a reality. The benefit of nursing and shift work is the mid-week days off where I get to spend time with my girlfriends. It always feels so indulgent sitting in a cafe, sipping lattes and gossiping at 1pm on a Wednesday. So indulgent that I tend to dress up for my lady lunch dates. I already have a red skirt quite similar to this one and I know it would look fabulous with this gorgeous stripe blouse and rope statement necklace. I also couldn't resist these jewel gold sandals- comfy statement flats are so hard to find but Autograph's shoes always seem to fit me so well.

Autograph Fashion- Weekend Casual by waituntilsunset featuring ASOS

I'm more than a little obsessed with floral pants and flatforms at the moment- they have such a great instant dressed up feel without losing any of the comfort factor. Weekends are my days with Ben and the family (except Saturday nights ;), so I like to be comfy, wear breathable clothes and be unhampered by loads of extra accessories. But I carry a side bag or back pack when we plan a long drive/shopping drip/day out instead, as I find them easy to carry all the 'just-in-case' stuff. Which is funny, because while I've just saved all that space and time not accessorizing up- I apparently use it on packing spare sunscreen instead!

So obviously these floral leggings have my name all over them. And they pair up perfectly with the simplicity of the crochet owl tee. Throw on a necklace and my comfy (but uber cute!) flatforms and I'm off!

Autograph Fashion- Morning at the markets by waituntilsunset featuring a capri

These chambray pants and that flamingo top are basically the cutest combo I've ever seen. I so wish that cute sunset print went all the way around the back as well though- I feel like white shirt backs are cheaters! I wanted to keep in the same colour palette for this outfit, it makes for a quick chic look without too much thought. And I love my jelly sandals for market trekking, they keep my feet cool but still offer good support.

Autograph Fashion- Cocktails by waituntilsunset featuring blue denim jeans

The minute I landed my peepers on this lattice sleeve top I was working it into cocktail outfits! Its such a classic and easy to style up piece. I'd be pairing it with my favourite jeans, some bright and most likely moustache accessories, then an arm party of stacked bangles! I'm a big believer in flats rather than heels, especially for a night on the town- and these moustache loafers are sensational!

So Summer here I come! As you can see Autograph have totally smashed it this season, I'm going to be cute, dressed up and ready to rock!

Do you have go-to outfits you wear for certain things?

How do you prepare for Summer?