When I grow up.....

It's my birthday next Saturday. I will be 38. I'm a little shocked by this. When did that happen? I don't feel wise enough to be 38 because surely the closer I get to 40, the wiser I should be.
 I have no issues with getting older. I don't mind the laugh lines, I've laughed a lot so I deserve them. I don't mind that I can't pull all-nighters like I used to, I like Sunday breakfast too much. And I don't mind that I've already done some fashions twice, anyone else done pastels, jumpsuits and shoulder pads a couple of times?
 I still find myself saying " when I grow up". When I grow up, I'm going to be...... Luckily for me, when I was little and said 'when I grow up', I wanted to grow up to have a dress shop. Really the signs that I would have the shop were obvious. I clearly remember grabbing all my clothes out of my wardrobe, throwing them on the floor and dramatically throwing myself on top of them, declaring I had nothing to wear...to the Bluelight Disco when I was 12!
So as this is my last post as a 37 year old, here are some things I know: don't wear something just because it is fashion (my height and age stopped me from wearing baby doll dresses a LONG time ago); if you can't feel your toes, the heels are too high; if you can't feel your legs, the skinny jeans are too skinny; if you require assistance to get into a dress, you will never ever wear it; if you go shopping after a break up, after too much sugar or hungover, you will never ever wear whatever you buy; and just because you CAN wear it, doesn't mean you should.
My next post, at age 38, will no doubt be full of wise words, because I'll be closer to 40. But until then, here's a photo of me looking rather trendy in purple plaid (must have been in the 70's then). Not sure I'll be looking so fresh faced next Sunday after birthday shenanigans.
x

Sequins and black leather

This week I posed a question on facebook - what's your personal style? It sounds like a simple question and then you go to answer ....um...well..whatever is clean, or whatever I just bought, or whatever my friends haven't seen before....So then you really start thinking about it. I thought of keywords to describe my look and only came up with sequins, leather, and black. I've always thought I had a bit of a rock chick/glam rock kind of look. So I googled these images and unless I'm really starting to look like Alice Cooper/KISS/Poison....oh please say it ain't so!
 Then I started thinking about my style over the years and how it's morphed. I've done preppy and conservative (hard to believe), gothic (not so hard to believe), hippy (fleeting phase in my early 20's when I believed I knew EVERYTHING!)Has your style changed too? Does your style change according to your lifestyle at the time, or according to work, or according to what your friends are doing, or are you a Brad Pitt? Now before I say anything, let me set the record straight. I like Brad Pitt, the way a chocaholic might like chocolate. But he changes style according to his relationships. Is it because he isn't really into fashion and just goes with whatever his current girl says, or is it because he is just so into his current girl, he loves everything about her including her style? For example: when he was with Juliette Lewis, he was unshaven and grotty and grungy; then when he got together with Gwyneth, he went very cool and conservative and they got matching hair cuts; then along came Jen and he went all boho chic; now Angelina and he's uber-cool but with edge (stubble and beanies with suits).
 Sometimes you look at a piece of clothing and think, I could never wear that. If it's red patent pleather, that's probably a wise decision. But what about if you like the idea of a garment, but just not sure how to make it your style. I asked Kim to use one piece in the store this week and make a couple of different looks from it.
She grabbed a wrap dress and created a feminine look,
 a rock kind of look, and an edgy Winter look.

 You're all still googling images of Brad Pitt over the years aren't you? Enjoy! x

While I'm determined to write more often ( apparently 2 blogs in 12 months indicates I'm not taking blogging seriously enough), I'm keeping this one short. Not because I don't have a lot to say, whether you've met me or not, you know I'm never short for words. It's just that I'm on a mission. My fridge is full of Easter Eggs...little Lindt ones, medium sized Cadbury ones, and the divine Red Tulip bite-sized ones. I figure the quicker I eat them, then temptation is gone so I can actually walk past the fridge without hearing the Easter Egg call....... I hope your Easter is being spent with family and friends, enjoying a lovely long weekend, having fun and remembering all that's important. PS Wouldn't it be nice to get this egg for Easter? Oh yes, I'll take a Faberge over Cadbury any day! Happy Easter everyone x

Love you more than gold sequins!

This is a purely self indulgent post, I make no apologies for this. So feel free to stop reading and go about your day. I won't mind, in fact I won't even know. Over the last few weeks, I have been asked why I opened the shop and is it what I thought it would be. These seem like simple questions but in fact, it's actually been difficult for me to answer them. I love clothes, but more than that, I love shopping. I love the way good shopping makes you feel. Sadly, I even like grocery shopping. So when the opportunity came up for me to make some life changes and start my own business, it was an easy decision. Perhaps a completely unprepared decision, but an easy one all the same. What hasn't been easy, has been the learning curve (learning roller coaster more like it) and the 'interesting' retail market. What I thought was a good business model, has gone out the window. I've learnt that no amount of planning can really show you what to do. Gives you a guide or a rule book, but anyone who knows me, knows that I don't play by the rules. Rules are meant to be broken, especially in a market that needs to redefine itself. We are currently facing a retail market dominated by faceless internet shopping and even worse, no-service models by big chain and department stores. This is not the space I like to play in. I love that my local cafe knows my coffee order, frightenly they even know what time I'm likely to walk in (Predictable? Who me?). I like that I know my postie by name and his kids names for that matter. So naturally my business model is the same in the store - I want to get to know all our fashion lovers. I like that people drop by just for a coffee, or champagne, or even just a Friday afternoon dance! I like that the closing hour is 5.30 but some days we've been here until late into the night just having fun. Surely when so much of our life has been routine and regimented and regulated, shopping should still be that time when we indulge in fancy, day dream and plan amazing outfits for events we may or may not ever go to...... Maybe it's the new year, maybe it's because 2012 was such a difficult year for lots of people, but so many people I know are making huge life changes this year. Moving to Bali, starting new businesses, changing their lifestyle, working from home...I say DO IT!!! Bring on change, bring on being scared and excited, and bring on adventure! There will be mistakes made and challenges along the way, but when the risk pays off, there is nothing like it. And if you are about to jump on a new roller coaster ride, arm yourself with coffee, wine, chocolate and extremely supportive family and friends...especially if they come armed with the aforementioned coffee, wine and chocolate! The biggest thing I've learnt is that I can't do it all on my own. For a natural born control freak, that admission in itself is quite ground breaking. So to the amazing Sorella Store girls Kim and Sarah, couldn't have done it without you. Love you more than gold sequins! xx