pearls of wisdom from 'The Devil Wears Prada' #2...

" 'This... stuff'? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff. "

Meryl Streep was absolutely brilliant in this movie. this is one of my favorite of her little lectures. she is completely brutual when she rips into Andy Sachs in this scene, her delivery is flawless. this is an amazing piece of writing in my humble opinion. and the scene is a personal favorite of mine also, as many of you should know it's the run-through scene quite early in the film. in my eyes it's a perfect parody of the fashion world, though not over-done. A+.

pearls of wisdom from 'The Devil Wears Prada' #1...

"Andy, be serious. You are not trying. You are whining. What is it that you want me to say to you, huh? Do you want me to say, "Poor you. Miranda's picking on you. Poor you. Poor Andy"? Hmm? Wake up, six. She's just doing her job. Don't you know that you are working at the place that published some of the greatest artists of the century? Halston, Lagerfeld, de la Renta. And what they did, what they created was greater than art because you live your life in it. Well, not you, obviously, but some people. You think this is just a magazine, hmm? This is not just a magazine. This is a shining beacon of hope for... oh, I don't know... let's say a young boy growing up in Rhode Island with six brothers pretending to go to soccer practice when he was really going to sewing class and reading Runway under the covers at night with a flashlight. You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls. And what's worse, you don't care. Because this place, where so many people would die to work you only deign to work. And you want to know why she doesn't kiss you on the forehead and give you a gold star on your homework at the end of the day. Wake up, sweetheart. "

The Devil Wears Prada...probably the first time i've encountered a movie that was better than the book upon which it was based. no offense, Laura Weisbeger, i still love you. but really, what an absolutely brilliant piece of prose...delievered beautifully, of course, by the delightful Stanley Tucci. i just love it.

bows make everything better

my very first set, created at polyvore.com ! to view individual items go to http://www.polyvore.com/bows_make_everything_better/set?id=32090312
all dresses and top by modcloth, wedges- modcloth, flats - forever21, boots- sense of fashion, black clutch - zappos, striped clutch - debenhams, purse - jane norman, ring- marc by marc jacobs, pendant - modcloth, gloves - french connection, headband - topshop

friends do it better...

fell IN LOVE with this on modcloth a while back, but of course i'm a uni student

thus i could not buy it. however, a lovely day spent gallivanting

in the city with a lovely friend led us to 'Friends of Couture', a

truly fabulous store that i highly recommend, for its

sheer cuteness and amazing clothes, accessories, UMBRELLAS!

anyway, one of the first things i spotted and tried on

at this delightful little store was this EXACT. SAME. DRESS.

which happened to be on sale and fit me perfectly.

and while i absolutely did not need it, i was

in need of some retail therapy, and so i bought it!

very pleased with myself right now.

;)

ps, check out the utter fabulousness...

http://www.friendsofcouture.com.au/

http://www.modcloth.com/

a promise kept.

so i said i'd continue the post on tips for paving the uni student's way to fabulous sans the massive guilt trip (not to mention hunger pains) when you blow your hours of putting up with whiny customers on that amazing Alannah Hill coat you just HAD to have, and then there's nothing left for your morning coffee before that painful 8am lecture. and trust me, you NEED. that coffee. almost as much (perhaps more) than you need that wonderful coat. even though Alannah Hill is nothing to be sniffed at, and even if you have the added bonus of a hot lecturer who makes learning all that more appealing. the 8am lecture requires caffeine to take the edge off that 6am start to your day.
but i digress.

my tip for the day is a tried, tested and truly valuable exercise that any university student with limited funds and an unlimited need to scrub up decent no matter the occasion, should try at least twice. here it is...pay attention now...

the wardrobe evaluation.

this extremely practical investment of one's time will save dollars, brain power when one is too sleep-deprived to function, and of course, precious time when getting dressed in the morning. or evening. whatever. the idea is, to take an afternoon or whenever you have a few hours to spare, going through your existing wardrobe and taking inventory of what you actually already own. spend some time looking at each item of clothing, considering the ways in which they could be styled, altered or paired with other garments in order to create a new look. try to mix and match, and most definitely try things on. combinations, accessories, shortening a skirt or layering, the possibilities are endless and soon your outfit options will be too.

all it takes is time, patience, and a little imagination. you may even find things that you forgot you had and still look great on you, or you may decide to have a wardrobe clean out, following which i suggest you discover the magical world of ebay, if you haven't already. or, if turning your pre-loved stuff into cash for new clothes that need love, then up your feel-good-ness and drop stuff off at your local opportunity shop. and while you're there, have a look around for a treasure or two.

the point is, you probably think you have 'nothing to wear' and a closet full of clothes, just like every other fashion minded person out there. when in actual fact, you most likely have a plethora of fabulous just waiting to be discovered behind those doors. let your imagination fly and have a fantastic time. dress-ups isn't just for kids! kiss kiss.

the not so secret garden.

location: Steavenson Falls and the Secret Garden

in the Dandenongs

model: Emily Sacco

wears: t-shirt-glassons, my denim jacket & cardie,

skinny jeans and boots.

she has amazing coloured hair.

;)

the places i never knew existed...

this is the first of what i hope will be more photo diaries created

on near-perfect days like this one was. what started out

as a road trip to steavenson falls turned out to be

the perfect opportunity for the first

of my live fash blogging.

hope you enjoy, feedback much appreaciated.

location: Sky High (Dandenongs) & Steavenson Falls
wearing: denim jacket-tempt, black lace detail t-shirt, khaki pants,
boots, cotton on scarf and of course my signature hippy scarf.
coz i'm just sahhhh indie. ;)

ps. photography by Emily Sacco