AUSSIE CURVES - BLACK & WHITE

As soon as I saw the theme for this weeks Aussie Curves theme, I knew I didn't need to put much effort in... Black and White is basically my wardrobe (with a few bits of colour thrown in).

Here are a few of my Black & White outfits that I wore as part of the Shop What You Got challenge (you can see my daily outfits on Instagram @hanketteblog)

 

I adore Black & White so much, it was the colour scheme for our wedding last year...

To further examplify my love of B&W... our lounge room is black and white accented, we had one black and one white dog (RIP deafy!), my car is black and hubbies is white. Okay, maybe I am a little obsessed!!!

Check out the other curvettes Black & White outfits...

SHOP WHAT YOU GOT WEEK 1 ROUND UP

It has been 7 days since we started iCurvy's  "Shop What You Got" challenge and the first week has been fairly easy (as expected)

This past week has been hectic in a general sense, so my outfits were kept pretty simple and somewhat boring. I think this weekend I am going to make an effort to plan more of next weeks outfit.

Tuesday was Melbourne Cup day and I wore a dress that I picked up on the weekend (and that filled my number 30 spot on the list "To Be Purchased"). I was so unsure about the shift dress, but I have received so many compliments about it.

 

L-R Day 1, Day 2 part one, Day 2 part two, Day 3

L-R Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7

My ASOS order was an epic fail (I returned 3 of the 4 items) so I updated my list with a few substitutions.

One thing I've noticed from following #shopwhatyougot on Instagram is that my outfits are so basic compared to some of the ladies participating. I feel as if it may look like I've just chosen basic pieces just to make it easy to match, but in all honestly, this is the general look of my everyday style. I don't own nearly as many clothes as I once did - so I stick to basic items that I can mix and match.

You can follow my daily outfit posts (including where items are from) on Instagram @hanketteblog

Let me know if you are joining in on the challenge
x

AUSSIE CURVES - RACES

Happy Melbourne Cup day! I thought today was an appropriate day to post this weeks Aussie Curves challenge - Races!

While I am not actually going to the races anytime soon, I did dress up for work today in celebration of cup day, wearing my new dress that I bought on the weekend (thanks to all my IG friends giving my change room snap shot the thumbs up)

Dress: Target

Wedges: Target

Bag: Kmart

Flower: Lincraft

 

 

I used to LOVE going to the races, back in the day! I've had some hit and miss outfits, that is for sure. One thing I have always been consistent with is my lack of headwear. Honestly, facinators and big hats just don't do it for me.

 

I usually either wear a simple headband and big hair (unfortunately this was usually matched with an organe tan!), a simple flower or clip, some killer earrings to still draw attention away from my boobs to my head, or a fancy braid.

 

Here are some of my good (and one particular not so good) Races outfits over the years... I wish I could find photos of some of my other races outfits. Some of these outfits I would never be caught dead in... but they have all come with many memories, and some race meets I can't remember, so I wouldn't change them for the world.

 

Good luck on the race today, and to all the Aussie Curves ladies going to the races on Thursday - enjoy! I'll be stuck at work, just around the corner :(

 



 

SHOP WHAT YOU GOT NOVEMBER

Tomorrow is the 1st of November, which is the start of iCurvy's Shop What You Got challenge.

Basically, we are limited to 30 pieces of clothing or accessories (excluding jewellery) for 30 days. Pick them out, and remix them to create an outfit everyday.

I know most of the girls who are taking part have mentioned how hard it is to pick just 30 items, but I am somewhat of a minimalist (who wastes too much money buying then getting rid of stuff I didn't really like!) so I think I can easily limit my wardrobe to 30 items.

iCurvy's rule are;

Pick your 30 pieces

 

Over the course of the challenge period, you are only allow to mix and remix those 30 items as your outfits for the month.

 

Shoes, scarfs and belts are included but jewellery is not.

 

Weather specific clothing is not included (umbrella, hat, gumboots, raincoat etc) and neither is sleepwear/gymwear/swimming costume/uniform etc. I’m talking about your main outfit for the day.

Underwear is not counted. Please, in the interest of public hygiene, wear as much underwear as you want. Seriously – go nuts.

 

If you are giving yourself a day off – or have a special occasion – this is fine – but try and declare it upfront. This challenge will require you to some-what try and plan your outfits in advance.

 

If you are participating in other fashion challenges – like Style Me Friday or Aussie Curves – it’s up to you whether these outfit posts will be included or not. For me – unless otherwise stated – they are included!

 

I am choosing to curb my clothing shopping for the challenge period – this is optional.

 

 

Here is my list of 30. My husbands Hawaiian theme 30th party is this month, so I am omitting the grass skit and coconut bra I will be wearing for that (jokes... sorta!)

 

 

The items marked with the highlighted * are things I have ordered from ASOS which should arrive today or tomorrow. In the event they don't fit or I don't like that I will be substituing them with something else.

 

 

In theory, this is pretty easy for me... I wear a lot of black and white staple items, and really don't have THAT much on in my wardrobe. In theory!



You can follow my daily outfit posts on Instagram (@hanketteblog) and see all the other girls taking part using #shopwhatyougot and see the blog posts by the Shop What You Got label.

AUSSIE CURVES - RETRO

The theme for this weeks Aussie Curves challenge was Retro. The first thing that popped into my mind was one of my all time favourite items of clothing – my faithful 50’s inspired full skirt that I’ve owned for years (which, to be honest, I have probably worn to death).

Over the last few days I saw all the other Aussie Curve ladies post their retro inspired 50’s-esque looks. The 50’s was a perfect era for women with curves. I can see why so many of the Curvette’s love this look.

I tried to come up with something different, a few 80s or 90s inspired outfits… but there is a reason I don’t own anything, or would ever actually wear anything, that even resembles the fashion from these eras! You can check out my Instagram for a laugh at one of the 90’s outfits I tried to create. 

So I went back to my original outfit idea. This is a  modern take on the 50’s look, but it is an outfit I wear all the time (despite the fact that size 14 skirt is getting a little too tight!)

 

Top: Kmart

Skirt: Portmans

Wedges: Target

 

 

I know its basic, but my style is simple at the best of times.

See what the other Aussie Curve ladies came up with… some are seriously rocking the bombshell look…

WHICH HEELS ARE THE MOST COMFORTABLE??

As you get older, you become wiser. You come to just know certain things… The type of men you shouldn’t date, things you shouldn’t ever say out loud and the type of heels that you can wear all day.

For me, the latter, is any peep toe heels. Doesn’t matter if they are sky high heels, wedges of flats - the ‘peepier’ the toe… the more comfortable they will be.

I don’t know if I have odd shapes toes, or perhaps my foot slips forward to much, but with the exception of a few winter pair of closed toe heels, my shoe collection is slowly, but surely, being over run with the peep toe variety.

A few pair that have recently caught my eye;

 

1. Melba Cross Front Heels from Target

2. Bordeaux Heels from Aussie Girls Loves Shoes

3. Hannah Charging Heels by Sachi from The Iconic

4. Bus Stop Wedges from Fiebiger Shoes

 

 

 

If you struggle to wear heels, especially for long periods of time, try a pair of peep toes. I wish I had have learnt this life lesson years ago - I would have saved my pocket for all the wrong pair of heels I’ve purchased.

 

What's your most comfortable pair of heels??

 

 

AUSSIE CURVES - CELEBRITY COPYCAT

I think most of my readers are fellow Aussie Curves ladies, but for those who are not... Aussie Curves is basically a fashion community of Australian and New Zealand woman we are size 14 and above.

These women are so fabulous and stylish, it has really opened my eyes to the plus size fashion world, and helped a lot of us with body confidence.

The Aussie Curves challenge is a weekly fashion challenge that we participate in (with via a blog, facebook or Instagram). I've been a long time lurker of the weekly challenges, and now that I am back in blogging-business, I've decided to join in.

This week's theme is "Celebrity Copycat"

I was going to replicate one of the many outfits I adore from my style muse, Kim Kardashian (whom I also have a love/hate relationship with), but it seemed like many of the other Aussie Curvette's had the same idea, and their outfits were putting mine to shame!

Then I remembered this two tone navy and grey dress I had that is an imitation of the one Miranda Kerr wore which I had purchased wholesale when I was running an online fashion boutique. Sure, I must be crazy for trying to pull off the same outfit as the impossibly slim (and gorgeous) Miranda Kerr, but in the spirit of things, here it is;

 

Dress from AliExpress.com

Wedges from Kmart

This dress was advertised as a plus size dress, although I am wearing the XL which according to the measurements should fit a size 22 (I am a size 16/18).

I do like this dress, it is casual enough to just wear with sandals on the weekend, but also can be office appropriate with a nice pair of heels. I am usually ALWAYS wearing black or white somewhere in my outfit, so the navy and grey is a nice change.

Please excuse my less-than-ideal photo quality... I've got a tripod on order so I can take better photos, in better light.

Check out the rest of the Aussie Curves ladies this week (and you will see what I mean about their outfit posts putting mine to shame!)