Bali Rocks

Bali is simply beautiful, no two words about it. The Ayana Hotel is just 10kms from the airport but took us an hour to reach for all the windy narrow roads and stalling motorbikes trying to get up the steep hills.
Back to fashion….
I saw (and talked to) a woman wearing gorgeous white linen trousers, a loose green button down silk shirt and floral neck scarf, really gorgeous and chic. I felt slightly envious…

Every beach holiday should start with a good bikini, so this blog is about my new striped and ruffled blue and white two piece from Guy Laroche. Butterfliesandbikinis.com is also a great site for inspiration and they deliver worldwide.

Kerastase pink range is specifically good for coloured/highlighted hair and has UV filters – perfect for any beach holiday.

Hot Pink!

I cannot believe it is pouring with rain as I drive to the airport in Bangkok and in a few hours I will be in Bali, Indonesia.

Either way I plan on brightening up my day with these fab bright pink shorts! What do you think? A tad ’80’s in colour (lumo allert!) but the cut is classic.

See you on the flipside!

Pink shorts – Mango latest beach collection
Turquoise clutch – Accessorise
Bracelets – Kate Spade

Bali Inspiration

I am off to Bali tomorrow for a regional conference with a casual beach clothing theme. The challenge is clearly in how to look professional yet casual beach chic.

I have done a tone of research (and shopping) and a few staples are key: one great bikini, one classic one piece, a couple of cropped trousers in white and turquoise, three glamorous cover-ups, three pairs of pretty flats with gold accents (gold goes with everything) and piles of fun accessories (including a brightly colored beach bag) This is all based on one week.

Here is a selection of amazing items I found on this gorgeous website ‘butterfliesandbikinis.com’ which is so great you can search by print, style, size. Brilliant and very cute branding.

– White ruffle Maaji Aqua Flights bikini $120
– Tangerine ruffle bikini Luli Fama De Fabula $136.80
– Black and white Poko Pano Dots bikini $122.40
-Strapless L’Space Fleur Du Jour Camila Dress floral $135
– Blue Lucca Stretch lace teal tunic $130
– White lace beach bunny just a dream tunic $159
– Yellow Cia Maritima dress $162
– Black one piece RYGY Bonita $97.20
– Red one piece RYGY $71.40
– Bettinis bright pink bitsy bikini with front bow $154
– White beach razor tank top $39

Eva in Victoria

I love the way Victoria Beckham designs her clothing. Every item is constructed like a piece of art that flatters practically every shape. I assume the secret is in the masterfully discreet corsetry. I have picked a few of my favorites, worn by the stunning Eva Longoria.

Nuts for Dots!

To counter-balance my recent obsession with stripes, I have decided to dedicate this blog post to huge, bold, delicious dots! I have also been preparing for a week in Bali, Indonesia, and have been testing out different combinations of stylish yet comfortable looks.

Am a huge fan of loose, pretty tops paired with short mini skirts for beach side vacations. And for work actually, just depends on the fabric and colour. Black mini for work, denim for holidays. The loose tops are versatile for both.

I added a pale yellow neck scarf today, because I have a super air-conditioned office and need to keep my neck warm.

Polka Dot Blouse – similar Mango $40

Yellow Neck scarf – Mango $25

Black mini zipper skirt – Promod, similar Zara $88

Hot Pink Bag – Kate Spade

College Days

I have had this top since I was in college (almost 10 years!) and the older it gets, the better it looks. It hasn’t lost its shape at all and I always get compliments when I wear it. Makes me think that no one makes clothes like they used to! Sigh.
Anyway, I pulled out my (also college) boot cut Guess jeans and dramatic buckle belt and decided to re-live 21! It feels odd to have the exact outfit I wore ten years ago and yet it somehow still feels like a staple.

The only annoying thing about this blog is the Guess.com website. Clearly made in flash by an over-enthusiastic creative designer, it proves impossible to navigate. After four attempts I gave up and looked for ‘similar’ options for you. I recommended visiting a Guess store, not the website.

Dark boot cut jeans – similar Gap $59.50
T Shirt – similar Zara printed $37
Hot pink watch – Storm New Vestine $79.99 (also in blue, aqua, black, white and gold)
Zebra and pink bracelets – Kate Spade $32 and $58
Wooden hoop earrings – similar Etsy $10

Black Linen

I am loving how light and comfortable linen is to wear as a top. Linen dresses crease, as do trousers, but linen and cotton blend tops are the perfect combination for comfort and crease-less-ness!

I have this same top in pale pink and turquoise because they are great for work, weekends and cocktails. All depends what you pair them with: dark jeans and heels, denim shorts or a sparkly mini skirt!

Black Linen T – Zara $28

Dark Jeans – Banana Republic Dark Wash roll up skinny similar $89.90

Turquoise Suede tassel clutch – Accessorise $18

Turquoise earrings – Accessorise similar $11

Pink Bag – Kate Spade

MORE Stripes

Ok, so you may think I am over-doing it here, but how can one resist when stripes are simply everywhere this season! I love a classic blue and white striped T because it looks and feels so chic and classic. I would prefer it with some shorts, but that would be too casual for work.

I added a pop of pink with my ballet flats and handbag, and wore all the diamonds my husband has given me in one go! 🙂

Striped top – Zara $18
Skinny dark jeans – Zara old. similar Zara Molecule slim fit $95
Bag – Kate Spade $639 Chanel Pink Sunglasses
Pink Ballet Pumps – old, similar JCrew $80, similar Tory Burch $347

Stripes!

Ok, so as you can see, I have a thing for stripes. I love them, every shape, colour and style. I cannot help myself when I see a fab striped item. I actually have a similar dress in black and white, the stripes are thinner and the material heavier, but equally fab. I find that striped dresses made in wool or wool / knit blends fit best because they are less clingy and more forgiving of lumps and bumps than cotton blends.

I added a thick silver cuff bracelet and simple gold flats as the dress is quite short, so it would be a tad over sexy with heels! It looks cute with a pale yellow cardigan or even a fitted denim jacket.

Striped dress – local Thai designer. Similar from ‘Cut 25’ $854, similar Rag & Bone $330, similar Sonia by Sonia Rykiel $550, similar Chinti & Parker $192, similar MaxMara $498
Silver cuff bracelet – Calvin Klein. Similar vintage on eBay $34.99

Leather

Leather.

love this post by Sadie & Dasie