NZ Style Curvettes - Green

I'm totally loving khaki green atm!

One piece especially that I can't wait to get more wear out of is this Kenneth Cole top I recently thrifted.

The pleather sleeves are a bit tighter than I'd like, meaning I can't bunch them up, they have to stay covering my forearms. This basically means it is not a summer piece of clothing. So when the cooler weather comes... eventually expect to see a lot more of this top.

I love the style of this top. It actually reminds me a lot of my Harlow Invincible winner top (below) that I wore nearly everyday last winter! 

This Chrissy Swan skirt that a friend gave me goes perfectly with the green top. The trim of pleather on the skirt matches with the trims of pleather and sleeves on the top, and you should all know by now how much I love being matchy matchy!!

Outfit details:

• Green top with pleather sleeves || Kenneth Cole || $3 (half price) at an opshop

• Black skirt with pleather trim || Chrissy Swan for Avella, Big W || Given to me by a friend

• Black leaf necklace || $1 at a garage sale

• Black sandals || Target || $15 (at a half price sale)

NZ Style Curvettes - Maxi

Be it a maxi dress or a maxi skirt, they always tend to be too long for me... But I have found ways around it. 

I won this cool maxi dress by Embody Denim just last December on Instagram (Read more about that here) but it was too long... easily fixed.

If your maxi is too long you can knot it like I have with this maxi below. You can knot it to the side, at the front, up high, or down low.

If it's a maxi skirt you can pull it up higher so it's not dragging on the ground and no one will know because you will have a top over it! Pull it right up to your boobs, or even over your boobs and no one will know!

Another way I like to style my maxi dresses, or just any dress really is to use it as a skirt, and even sometimes as a top, depending on the dress. For example: the double take photo below shows the same dress being used as a skirt and a top, and it can also be worn as a straight dress. See my Double Take post here.

Since I have pics of me wearing my Embody Denim maxi dress straight at Christmas time last year (the very first pic in this post) I decided to be a bit different this time and wear it as a skirt!

I even used the maxi dress' belt tie as a headscarf to tie the two separate parts of the outfit together!

Outfit Details:

• Maxi dress || Embody Denim || Retails at $249 but I won it!! 

• Headscarf/Headwrap || Belttie from Embody Denim Maxi dress || Free

• Black peplum || Lily n Lou || $12 from Best'N'Less.

• Black sandals || Target || $15

• Bohemien Bardot ring || Samantha Wills || Bought off eBay for $35

• Black bag || Spencer and Rutherford || Opshopped for just $20

• Reversible black & silver necklace || Taking Shape 14+ || I paid $13.30 on sale but it retails at $34.95

• Denim jacket || Autograph || Opshopped for $4.10

Do you have any nifty hacks you use when wearing your maxi?

NZ Style Curvettes - White

I always struggle with white.

I don't own many white items of clothing and I haven't been married so I can't even post a pic of me in my wedding dress! 

I was initially going to wear this white cowl neck top/dress by Hope And Harvest but I wore it for another challenge in December so I thought I should try something else.

Whilst I was umming and arring over what to wear, I hadn't realised how time had flied until my bf knocked at the door to get me for the movie we were going to see... And I hate making people wait so I just chucked on this white top.

I haven't worn it much since I bought it because I thought it might've been a bit frilly and girly for me. Turns out it's not that bad! 

Outfit Details:

• White singlet || Autograph || Opshopped for $6

• Button Fly Flares || Pho Sizzle || $120 || See Flares here || See my Review of Flares here || $120

• Heels || Rivers || On sale for $8

• Headscarf || Opshopped for $2

• Silver Earrings || DesignStudio || Opshopped for $5 (they were brand new with the $19.95 tag still on them!)

NZ Style Curvettes - Tee

I've had this tee of a fave band of mine, Atlantis Awaits, for some time now but I have never really wore it because of the tight neck line. 

Come NZ Style Curvettes Tee challenge and my brain automatically thinks of my band tee and giving a new life!

This (above) is the only pre cut up photo of this top for when I wore it some time back for an Aussie Curves Festival themed challenge.

Here is a great link to a blog post that gives you heaps of tips on DIY Cutting Tees.

The Result: 

I love it! I dunno why I didn't do it sooner!!

I just cut out a new neckline and sleeves, made sure they were even and voila! I have already worn this new version more times than I ever wore the old version! 

Outfit Details: 

• Band tee || Atlantis Awaits || Bought at a gig for $20 I think

• Black skirt || Avella || Opshopped for $3

• Earrings || Opshopped for $1

• Black ring || eBay || $45

NZ Style Curvettes - Pattern Clash

Pattern clash! Not really a fave outfit type of mine but after all it is called a fashion challenge!

I was going to take the easy way out and wear this dress I call my 'Pattern Clash dress' because the pattern on it is floral and plaid. However, I felt that meant I wasn't taking up the challenge properly...

So I did some Pinterest research and read some tips on how to pattern clash like a pro and decided on Stripes & dots as they always seem to go.

Buzzfeed had a good read on 21 Ways to Mix Patterns Like A Fashion Blogger

And I found the following Mixing Prints chart useful aswell!

However I came across a wee problem: I don't own any polka dot items of clothing! Though I easily came to a decision that this top was close enough to polka dots...How do you pattern clash?

Outfit details: 

• Pattern Clash dress || City Chic || $50 off a Facebook group

• Black Open toe Mary Jane heels || Rivers || $15

• Tee || Virtuelle || Opshopped for $4 from a UnitingCare Op Shop

• Striped Skirt (dress folded down) || City Chic || A 'hand-me-down' from a bestie!

• Heels || Target || Opshopped for $3 

Feel free to follow me on Pinterest @charlenegirl

Next weeks challenge theme: Tee! 

NZ Style Curvettes - Christmas Day

Two weeks ago I was very fortunate to win an amazing Eve maxi dress from EmbodyDenim and I knew instantly that it would be my Christmas Day outfit! And let's be honest, everyone loves to wear something new on Christmas Day!

For a day that is [for me] reserved for chilling with family, assembling toys, eating way too much, napping and just plain old lazing about with awesome company, this dress was perfect! 

Originally I thought the size 20 would be too long for me, as that is usually the case for me as I'm probably around 5'4" but this dress was just the perfect length! Even if it was too long, if it was getting in my way, or I just wanted to change it up I could easily knot it to make it more 3/4 length. 

It's been a long day and I'm starting to get a bit sleepy (most likely from eating too much) so I'll end it there!

Thankyou heaps to EmbodyDenim who really helped make this Christmas special for me considering it hasn't been all that easy.

Merry Christmas to you all! I will see you for the New Years challenge!! 

Outfit details:

• Eve dress || EmbodyDenim || RRP$249 however I won it on Instagram!

• Swarovski black crystal drop earrings || Opshopped

• Just Bitten Kissable balm stain || Revlon 

NZ Style Curvettes - Night Out

The weather in Bendigo the last week has been off the charts! Yesterday it was about 42°C so I hardly even left the house, let alone thought about a night out! Finally, last night, a cool change came through just in time for the Christmas Carols in the Park. 

For at least the past 3 years I have volunteered for Rotary at the Christmas Carols and worked on the merchandise table selling glowsticks and Santa hats. It's been great fun!

I was excited about actually getting out of the house! And decided it was about time I started getting in the festive spirit so I got all dressed up. I actually felt a bit like a young Mrs. Claus!

Here's a few photos from the night!

My Mum & I being presents.

TAC had a free photo set up inside a giant inflatable present. It was all to do with their current Christmas campaign that reminded people that the best present at Christmas is to be present [implying we need a zero death toll on the roads this season]. My Mum & I were encouraged to dress up as presents and we obliged; however if I was a present I would be much more colour coordinated than I am in the above photo! 

Hard at work.

Posing for a photo at Rotary's merch table for the local newspaper. Photo credit is to Noni Hyett at The Bendigo Advertiser.

Me and Santa.

Of course he has a very busy schedule so he couldn't actually stop for this photo!

Bright lights! 

I couldn't leave out a pic of our towns Christmas Tree with the fountain lit up in the background. It is hilariously yet also sadly now under 24hr protection from a friendly motorcycle group to prevent some grinch like vandals from striking again! 

Outfit details:

• Red peplum || City Chic || $10 (plus $8.25 p+h) bought off Facebook 

• Black tea skirt || Pho Sizzle || RRP $90 however I only paid $48.60 due to 10%off for members and a 40% one off discount for new members!

• Pink petticoat || Opshopped for $3

• Black belt || City Chic || From another dress

• Earrings || DIY earrings made from $2 wine glass charms from Kmart

• Black Sandals || Target || $15

• Red & Green bangles || Off an infants toy

Next week: Christmas!!!! How exciting!!