INSPIRATION: Shoes.

Shoes are possibly the most important part of my wardrobe and are definitely the thing I am most complimented on. I love shoes, I really, really do. I've also noticed that my favourite shoes share a similar style - black, a bit edgey with silver detail (studs, buckles etc) and some kind of raised heel or platform!

From tumblr, here.

From tumblr, here.

From tumblr, here.

From tumblr, here.

From Fashionista, here.

From tumblr, here.

From tumblr, here.

From tumblr, here (original deactivated).

From tumblr, here.

REVIEW: Positive Ebanlan (Ebay) Ring.

Back in December I posted on my tumblr about how I had made my first personal ebay purchase, well, this is my review of the whole process and the item in question. The above pictures are taken from the listing (the item in question is the bronzey / gold ring, not the silver). The ring itself is one which is mass produced overseas and then sold incredibly cheaply on ebay with free shipping by numerous different sellers. This means that even if you do not buy the ring from the same seller I did, it's very, very likely that it will turn out exactly the same.

Basic Details.
Item ordered: "Fashion exquisite Korean charming style retro cute cat ear ring" from ebanlan on ebay.
Date ordered / paid for: 14/12/2011.
Date posted: 15/12/2011.
Date received: 01/01/2012.
Postage: Postage was free and due to this the item took some time to arrive despite being shipped the day after payment. However, the listing said that the item would arrive between a two week period starting from December 31st, the ring came the second day which I was pleased with. Taking into consideration that the postage was free and that I was forewarned of the time period it would arrive, I was not annoyed by delivery delay. The package came from overseas and was delivered to Australia.
Packaging: Came in a small padded postal bag with the ring contained in a plastic bag within (see images below). No damage was sustained.
Total cost: $1 AU for the ring, free shipping.

The Ring.

Haha, yes, that is a Pikachu shirt - my sister got it for me for Christmas (XXS from JayJays). The first two images are taken with my camera, and the others are taken using my webcam as I seem to have misplaced my camera in-between the time I took the first photos and now, when I'm finally writing the review. If desiring some more detailed shots, refer here for images provided by the seller. I can guarentee that the ring I received looks exactly like the ring in these pictures.

The ring is apparently a size 8 (according to the listing) and my only qualm is that if I push it very firmly down to the bottom of the finger that it is pictured on above, it needs a slight twist to pull it off (but nothing major at all).

Overall Opinion.
I'm very happy with this purchase and gave the seller positive feedback. They were upfront and honest in the listing about delivery time and I had no issues with them what so ever. In fact, my sister liked the ring so much that I have brought her one and am currently waiting to receive it.

18. The Last Thrift Of 2011.

Before we get on to the thrifting, does anyone remember one of my recent posts "Forget diamonds, sales are a girls best friend" ? Well, they really are. I quite enjoy the store 'Cotton on' as their clothes tend to be quite comfy and relaxed. I had a quick look in there today as they had sales sign up and brought the following skirt for only $2! I was a bit surprised at the price, so inspected it before double checking the sale price was right, there was no flaws and it really was only $2. Needless to say I brought it. Not only was it a bargain, but it's my favourite style of skirt.

I love skirts with elastic waists like this and nice, comfortable material. They're perfect for my style as I love to tuck things in and this means they can be essentially paired with anything - blouses, singlets & t-shirts. I especially love pairing them with singlets as they then appear as a dress. Anyway, on to the thrifting:

Stripe Top - $2.

Okay, not exciting at all but sometimes it's nice to have some basics. I'm a great fan of nautical-inspired outfits and hopefully will be able to locate a bottom half to give this a more nautical flair. The shirt itself is nice fitting and in perfect condition, I don't think it's ever been worn.

Sheer Blouse - $4.

Before we go anywhere, yes, this shirt is massive - it actually basically reaches my knees.  It also has a long slit in either side which goes to the bottom of my underwear. The sleeves are also very long, almost reaching my wrists while I think they're suppose to be 3/4 sleeves or even half sleeves. There is no sizes or labels on the shirt so I have no idea what size it actually is.

Despite the fact that it's a massive shirt, once tucked in it appears to be of a loose fitting size (which is what I wanted). It's very likely I will shorten the hemline of the shirt (as atm there is a lot of material to tuck in) and either shorten the sleeves by removing some material, and then rolling and stitching them to create a cuff or altering them in some other way so they are shorter. 

While on the rack it does look somewhat navy blue, however, on & simply laying on my bed it appears more black. If you look at this inspiration post I made about sheer fabric, I'm sure you can understand why I instantly had to have this shirt.

I hope everyone is enjoying their last few days of 2011!

REVIEW: Positive Anniepopshop Ring.

Back on December 15th, I posted on my tumblr about discovering the above ring and how I wished to order it. I thought I would do a quick, very positive review of it for anyone else interested in ordering from Anniepopshop. The image above is from their website.

Basic Details.

Items ordered: Gold Serpent Nail Ring.

Date ordered / paid for: Late 15 / 12 / 2011.

Date posted: 19 / 12 / 2011 (apparently it is not posted until the payment is cleared and the payment did not show up as being taken out of my bank account until this date).

Date received: 21 / 12 / 2011.

Postage: Anniepopshop currently only posts to Australia for which she charges $3 for. However, she has provided her email dress so that customers outside Australia can email her in regards to what it would cost to have something shipped to them, and assumedly, work something out. You can read her postage & handling guide here.

Packaging: I received the ring in a small padded postal bag (images below), the ring itself was simply in a small plastic bag within it. The bag was simply placed in my mail box. There was no damage to the bag itself or the contents.

Total cost: $5 for the ring & $3 for shipping, total - $8.

The Ring.

Above is the postage bag I received my ring in. I'm assuming that it is pretty standard unless the jewellery you ordered is particularly large. I was very happy with the postage arrangements and have no issues with them at all. Below is the plastic bag the ring came within.

Now, please excuse my next photos as my camera is no where as good as the one used by Anniepopshop, however, I would like to say the ring looks exactly like it does in the images they posted.

Overall Opinion.

I am incredibly happy with this purchase and have no issues with it what so ever. Based on this experience with Anniepopshop, I have no trouble suggesting them. The shipping was prompt and I received an email informing when it was shipped as the website stated I would. Everything was in good condition and looks exactly like the pictures featured on the website.

I have worn the ring twice now (I always wear it on the finger I am wearing it on in the pictures, as that is the best fit for me) and both times have received compliments on it. At first I was worried that the ring would not be secure and that it would get lost, particularly because the first time I wore it, it was to a club involving alcohol and wild flailing dancing, however, the ring did not even budge.

The ring itself is not adjustable, thus if you have large fingers I would suggest to think carefully before purchasing the ring (and possibly email asking dimensions etc). It fits comfortably on my hands, however, I am quite a small person. An adult woman I spoke to tried it on and had quite larger fingers then me and could not wear it. On another note, the shop owner does not make this jewellery, instead she purchases it and resells it so you cannot ask for a larger make etc.

The ring also only comes in the colour pictured, however, googling 'snake nail ring' revealed various other colours from where you can buy in bulk. There are also far more expensive options to purchase this ring (ie. $160) which you can see here. The rings are different, but the basics are the same.

Overall, this has been a wonderful purchase / transaction. There has been no stress what so ever and I am left entirely happy. If you have any questions feel free to contact me here or through my tumblr ask, here.

WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: That Little Black Dress.

It's a saying everyone has heard - ever girl should have their own little, black dress - so let you tell you a bit about mine first.

I thrifted the above dress last year for $4, only to later discover a Supre label to my surprise (I generally find the store unappealing to my personal tastes). To be honest, had I found this dress in the store I probably would not have tried it on, figuring it would look poorly on me, however, something thrifting has taught me is that you can find an amazing wardrobe piece in a shop / label / etc that you wouldn't expect.

Since it's purchase, this little black dress has proven to be invaluable for numerous reasons, including:

1. It's simple.
   Sometimes simple is better - you don't have to worry about matching colours or patterns, you can just pop on some complimenting shoes and accessories then be off.
   
2. Black is a flattering colour.Black is universally accepted as a flattering colour. It doesn't clash with skin tones or hair colours, and tends to disguise shadows that may be cast by lumps / bumps / buldges / whatever that may be cast by your body thus creates a more flattering presentation of your body. Colours are usually associated with words as well (ie. the colour red may be associated with passion, the colour white associated with purity). Black is usually associated with being 'sexy', something particularly useful if you intend to wear your little black dress out to a club or similar event.
   
3. There's so many variates.
   There are so many style / cuts / designs / whatever of little, black dresses that you're bound to find one that is not only appealing to you, but also flattering and in your price range.
   
4. It's versatile.
   This means you'll have a lot more options to create your coordinate and also means that it's easy to create a new coordinate with it that looks entirely different. For example, my favourite two coordinates with this dress is the above picture  (usually with a necklace of some sort) and the second one is over red tights and large, stompy black boots complete with buckles (The closest example I could think of is Demonia).
   
   As my dress is also quite tight and short, I also have worn it tucked into a pair of shorts for a more casual look. While it looks like an ordinary plain t-shirt from the front, the back has been replaced with lace.

17. Forget Diamons, Sales Are A Girl's Best Friend.

Now I'm a strong supporter of thrifting, however, this does not mean I completely ignore retail shopping, rather I shop very strategically there -forget diamonds, sales are a girl's best friend! The bag above is from Crossroads and retailed at 49.95. However, for some reason or another everything in the shop (and online) has been reduced to $19.95 or less (even better, as the Crossroads I went to is located in a small local shopping center, nearby clothing stores are having competing sales too). Crossroads is also having a "12 days of Christmas" event, and every day leading to christmas have a different sale, ie. Free shipping online, $10 off all shorts, selected dresses reduced to $9.95 etc.

I picked up the above bag as I have nothing similar and I really love the buckle pouches on the front. I was quite prepared to pay $19.95 for it, however, when I got to the counter I discovered it was only $9.95. Needless to say, I was thrilled.

So, to sum things up: Thrifting is not the only way you can get good deals on items. Also, I'll probably be doing a post about strategically shopping in retail sometime soon. I'm very excited for the after Christmas sales / New Year sales!

16. Thrifty Fourteen.

Today I did something that it felt like I hadn't done in ages, I went on a proper thrift hunt (I know I did a bit of thrifting here, but it was very rushed). I decided to reward myself for all the work I've been doing lately and ducked into the local lifeline, and boy did I pick a time to go in! There was so many attractive items there all for a price I didn't mind paying (unfortunately, they didn't look so attractive on me). In the end I settled on 4 items, coming to a total of $14. This is a break down of each item (all photographs are before they have been ironed / washed):

White Lace Tank Top - $4.

I really do love lace (to see lace-featuring fashion I have collected on my tumblr, click here) and have admired similar tops like this for a while., although they had a much heavier price tag. Usually this heavier price tag puts me off purchasing it because I'm still not quite sure how to coordinate it. When I showed my mother, she agreed it was pretty but thought that it deserved to be worn over a cami. While I agree with this, I've yet to figure out a way to wear it over something with taken away from it's overall image (if you have any idea, please, really, please, share it with me!). I'm seriously tempted to wear it alone, or perhaps purchase one of those tube-like tops to wear under it.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is actually made in Australia by a brand called 'Fine Lines'. The only thing I can find through google is a lingerie brand, so I've no idea of what kind of store it is really from. The top itself is a 14 so hangs loose on me (which was something I wanted). It has a beautiful scalloped edge which really appealed to me.

Navy Tank Top - $2.

This tank top is from Portmans. A 'basic' singlet from their online store is priced at $25, so I'm assuming this would be a bit more new. I've often felt I have a lacking zone in my wardrobe - Top wise, I largely wear t-shirts or button up blouses / mens shirts and don't really have any 'dressy' tops - I feel this shirt will help me bridge that gap. This shirt was actually the first item that I picked up, and I was very happy with the fit. It's actually an 'xs', so I was surprised it fit me so comfortably.

While the neckline looks reasonably high (okay, it's no turtle neck but it's definitely no scoop neck), the gaps between the silver are actually see through as demonstrated below, making it a bit more interesting.

Yeah, the colouring in the above (webcam) photograph, I had to have my lamp on me so you could actually see the detail.

Jeans West Dress - $4.

I get a very 'western'(ish) feel from this dress, and was a particular fan of the crochet and the beads (they are, after all, the main centre piece of the dress). As you can see below the dress is quite short, so I may instead wear it tucked in to some pale blue denim shorts or with something underneath. I'm kicking myself for not buying cowboy(ish) boots when the opportunity presented itself, however, I think I'll wear them with the pair of boots also pictured below.

The above boots were from Payless and on sale for $19 earlier this year (or possibly late last year, I can't remember).

Cotton Blazer - $4.

This is easily my favourite purchase of the day. Not only is it a beautiful colour, it's comfy, has cute buttons and shoulder pads! I've already worn it out once over a plain black shirt + skirt (styled to look like a dress). I just adore everything about it!