MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

After I wrote about my orange sneakers (that I bought for $8 in the kids department at Target) I received an email from one of my clients saying,

“Hi Meaghan,  I love your new orange sneakers, they’re a great color, but I have no idea how I’d wear them.  Do you think I could…or do you think I’m too old for them?”

It occurred to me, after I read my clients email, that if she was thinking that, then others might be too.  So I thought I’d show you a few ways I’ve worn them.

In the photo above I’ve teamed them with a River Island sequined top.  On sale at ASOS here. And a very old pair of grey skinny chinos I bought in Paris.

Here I’ve put them with white Topshop Baxter jeans, a navy & white striped tee from GAP and a Sass & Bide denim shirt.

The photo’s not fabulous but it’s attempting to show you that I wore them with Country Road zip ankle jeans, a navy (several seasons old)  Topshop shrunken blazer (that I bought with brown buttons & swapped to gold)  and an Emerson for Big W navy t-shirt.

This look, which I only wear around the house, is a pair of Paper Denim & Cloth cut-off denim shorts (originally a pair of jeans)  and an Emerson for Big W chambray shirt.

I hope that gives you some ideas for wearing a pair of bright casual sneakers.  Want more outfit ideas follow my Pinterest boards here

I’d love to know – did anyone go and buy the orange sneakers after they read about them on my blog or were you like my lovely client and worried about how you’d wear them (or if they were age appropriate)?

…& F.Y.I. if you wear them in your own way, adapt them to your personal style and you feel great while you’re wearing them, I don’t think you’re ever too old for colored sneakers.

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Remember these $3.99 bargains?   I’ve worn one pair a few times and they were starting to look a bit grotty – and besides I figured I didn’t really need two pairs of white sneakers.  One would suffice.  So this weekend I decided I’d dye a pair blue.

If you’ve never dyed anything before, it’s pretty easy, it’s just a bit messy.  Despite that though, I think it’s worth it if you have something in your wardrobe that you really like for whatever reason, but you can’t wear because it’s faded, it’s got a stain on it or the color doesn’t work for you.

On this particular occasion I used Rit, which I bought from Spotlight for about $7.

In the past I’ve also dyed, among other things, towels and even a white dressing gown that wasn’t looking so white anymore.   Next on my list is to dye some bed linen grey.

To get the result you’re after, you MUST follow the instructions precisely.  (I also got on the Rit website and read some of their dyeing tips before I started)

So now these….

Look like this..

Like I’ve said before, you don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money to refresh and update your wardrobe – sometimes all that’s required is some imagination and creativity.

Have you reinvented anything from your wardrobe by dyeing it?  And has anyone dyed anything using a front loader washing machine?   If so, I’d love to hear how it went.  I’m a little nervous to give it a try.

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I only had a couple of days to pull an outfit together for Derby Day.  I got the call up to go along to the Saturday event on the Wednesday.  Because I was busy helping others put together their outfits, I didn’t have any shopping time and needed to work with something I already had hanging in my wardrobe.  Fortunately I had all the pieces I needed, but despite that, I was still sewing at 11pm the night before.

Derby Day is traditionally black and white dress, so that worked in my favour, given 70% of my wardrobe is black. I knew that the marquee I was going to, given it was being hosted by a corporate group, would be relatively conservative, and kept that in mind when I put together my race day ensemble.

Here’s what I wore..

A vintage black silk skirt.  I bought this from an opshop for $10 a couple of years ago and it’s been hanging in my wardrobe unworn til now.   It started it’s life as a floor length evening skirt, but I cropped it (& hemmed it by hand myself the night before) to the knee.

A Zara blazer with this black body suit underneath.

A belt around my waist that I made from a piece of ribbon from Spotlight and a *buckle I’d taken off a jacket I threw out about a year ago.

I’m not really a hat person.  I wish I was, but because I’m quite petite they swallow me up, so I prefer, if I wear anything, for it to be something  little.  I pulled fluff and feathers (that I would never have worn on my head) off this headpiece I’d had for years but never worn and simply added some net and a vintage brooch I bought in a little fishing village in Massachusetts over 15 years ago.  A very sentimental piece, which is always a lovely thing to add to your outfit to make it feel special.

The bag I carried is a vintage cream snakeskin clutch I bought on Etsy.

My shoes were black patent leather open toe heels from Zomp.

And on my toes I wore my favourite nail color – Rouge Noir by Chanel

(I have even been known to salvage items from a clients wardrobe that were destined for Vinnies or the garbage bag, because the fabric was lovely and I thought it could be used as a cushion) 

If you went along to any of the race days during the Spring Carnival, what did you wear?

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Over the weekend I was snooping around one of my favourite blogs, dreaming of having the life of Liberty London Girl, when this picture caught my eye.  In fact it was the bag, with the elephant,  that instantly jumped out at me .

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After reading the article further I discovered the bags came from a place in London called Wilbur & Gussie, so quick smart I hot-footed it over to their site to check out what else they made and sold.  And if the photo of Sasha Wilkins (aka Liberty London Girl)  hadn’t already given me enough inspiration for a mini D.I.Y., what I found over there, certainly did.

As soon as I spotted this clutch (above) I remembered a little navy satin bag I’d bought at a local Vinnies for $4 a couple of years ago, with the intention of doing something with it.  I’d completely forgotten I had it and it had remained hidden away, up in my wardrobe, until now.

About three years ago I bought my Nan and I matching peacock brooches.  Mine was red and hers was blue.  (Sadly hers disappeared while she was living in her nursing home)   Similarly to the bag, I’d pulled it out to wear a few times, pinned it on a blazer, but always took it off.  I could never really work out how I wanted to wear it.  Until now..

And now I have a really cute little bag I can carry as a clutch..

..or wear across my body.

What do you have hanging around or hidden at home that could be reinvented, rather than languishing unused at the back of the wardrobe?

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