Ballet Crop

Styleimprimatur_The_Upside_Ballet_Crop_Top_Outfit_Fashion_Shopping_BlogLike so many other little girls I aspired to be a prima ballerina though admittedly the biggest draw for me was the clothing (Swan Lake – sigh!). These The Upside Ballet Crop Tops (also here, here, here, here, here and here) have allowed me to tap in to that childhood dream and not only are they great to work out in but also to wear with more open topsPhoto: The Upside

Sydney City In a Flash

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My darling friend Anika was in town last week and had 4 hours to shop in the City. We don’t often get a chance to do this so I had to make those hours count, plus it is a ritual with her to always have a glass of champagne when we see each other (she is an ex-Parisian after all) so that had to be factored in too. We both like to buy items from the country we’re in whenever we travel so the focus was Australian designers and for your best cross section of Australian designers you can’t go past Level 1 Myer (my favourites there being Ellery, Maticevski and Sass & Bide) as well as on the Ground Floor cult beauty brand Aesop (Anika came away with the Aesop Jet Set Kit as well as the Aesop Geranium Leaf Cleanser) and Level 1 David Jones (Contemporary – Bassike and Zimmermann being two particular favourites, Anika picked up this Zimmermann Roll Collar Long Dress) & Level 2 David Jones (Designer – Ellery, Dion Lee and Willow are here amongst many others and Anika bought this Willow Pebbles Print Silk Dress (pictured above). There are also many international designers including my favourite Céline!) and finally Level 4 Westfield Sydney  where you’ll find many Australian designer’s standalone stores which therefore carry a larger range (handily it is also where the Chanel Boutique is if you are so inclined).

After that we ducked in to The Strand Arcade which houses many local talents like AkiraLoverStrand Hatters and Love and Hatred (the latter two being Anika’s favourites). Pendolino is also yummy for a bite in this area.

If we had more time I would have also taken her to the treasure trove which is Incu in Galeries Victoria. They have a great selection of denim, Isabel Marant and quirky pieces you won’t find anywhere else and have just as great a men’s store as the women’s (unusual for Sydney as I find Melbourne tends to cater for Men’s fashion better).

After a whirlwind of activity we settled down for a quick lunch at Felix which comprised of a glass of Runiart Rosé Champagne, their delicious King crab, prawn, eggplant, quinoa  and pickled beetroot salad and scrumptious Tuna and kingfish tatare, espelette chips, ginger and avocado to share. Pretty much the perfect shopping speed date with one of my favourite people in the world.

P.S. She also picked up the Witchery Tie Split Skirt I blogged about at the airport.

P.P.S. Also if you are in the city on a weekday I recommend Joe Black X, a tiny hole in the wall which sits right  next to the Louis Vuitton store King St side for a killer coffee.

More on other parts of Sydney in posts to come.

Photo: Willow

 

Double Intensité

Styleimprimatur_Chanel_Double_Intensite_Sensual_Rose_Runway_Product_Outfit_Fashion_Shopping_BlogI love collecting souvenirs from my travels and often they do not end up being what you would expect (my prescription swimming goggles being a case in point). One such souvenir I scored after a trip to Hawaii last year was the Chanel Rouge Double Intensité Ultra Wear Lip Colour (also here for Australia, here for US and worldwide here) which I wear in Sensual Rose (43) for day and Ever Red (49) for evening. I don’t really wear make up except for lipstick (which is a must) and anything which makes it in to my daily routine* has to be easy to wear (in this case, apply) and long lasting so this lip colour is perfect for me!

*Chanel Rouge Double Intensité Ultra Wear Lip Colour was only available to the US market when I bought it but now that we can buy it in Australia (also at Myer but only in store) as well as worldwide I have been so much more generous in using it!