Split personality.

(Top - this is a plain tee; skirt - Hello Parry; jacket - Pink Yotto; shoes - Tony Bianco; bag - Kate Spade)

Photos by Love Yaz. 

There are a few sartorial imperatives that every discerning lady should possess in her wardrobe. I categorise a split ruched jersey skirt in the same calibre of a little black dress, a perfect pair of alabaster shorts, or an impeccably constructed blazer. This one by Hello Parry (a personal favourite online store of mine) has been worn relentlessly through a whole spectrum of contexts, from languorous Sunday strolls to lounging around the pristine beaches of Phuket. It is particularly brilliant for those days of indecision when you can't seem to err on the side of either the maxi or the mini...

As an aside, can you believe Yazzi and I shot the first few images on a rooftop car park on the Gold Coast? Whenever I look at them, they conjure images of snowcapped mountains and luscious ski resorts! 

Love, Mandy. xx 

OCRF white shirt style series : neon flash.

(OCRF x Witchery white shirt; neon bralette - ASOS; wool skirt - Ruby; rose gold watch - Michael Kors; rings - Hello Parry) 

Photos by Love Yaz. 

"Mandy, you're only young once!" was my mother's response when I sent her these images and asked her whether they would be appropriate to post in the public domain that is my blog (interestingly, I'm always the more conservative one between the two of us haha). To be honest, my personal aesthetic is somewhat more demure and whilst I love the notion of this outfit, I don't think I could actually bring myself to leave the house without at least buttoning up the shirt! The pop of neon against the alabaster canvas is most definitely up my sartorial alley though and I blame the momentary disinhibition on my beautiful friend and photographer Yazzi who somehow makes frolicking around in my bedroom far too much fun.

I hope you are all having a lovely week! I am now back home in Brisbane so hopefully I will be able to post with some semblance of regularity now!

Love, Mandy. xx

Wardrobe inspiration : knits & neon.

1. Asymmetrical knit - Alexander Wang // 2. Leatherette skirt - All Saints // 3. Neon snakeskin heel - Nicholas // 4. Rockie bag - Alexander Wang // 5. Number One sunglasses - Karen Walker

I have just returned about six gradients darker after an amazingly indolent vacation in Thailand (photo diary to come soon!) so I do apologise for the sparse blog updates of late!

Since I am now in Melbourne where the weather is decidedly more arctic than Bangkok, or even Brisbane, I have compiled a transitional season outfit that will also be perfect for my readers across the sea! I am still obsessing over the Karen Walkers and the perfect architecture of that Alexander Wang knit is incessantly on my mind!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Love, Mandy. xx

Witchery x OCRF white shirt series.

Witchery x OCRF white shirt (Project Runway edition).

The perfect white shirt is deceptively elusive. However, every time Witchery combines forces with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, they inevitably produce a high yield white shirts that encapsulate everything you desire in this sartorial staple. The most recent release, designed by the winner of Project Runway's Witchery White Shirt Challenge Tristan Melle, amalgamates a contemporary aesthetic (gorgeous contrast panels and concealed button through placket) with elements of comfort with the relaxed fit and batwing sleeve.

Since the Witchery x OCRF initiative is something I feel incredibly passionate about, I have decided to dedicate a style series featuring the most recent version of the white shirt over the next few weeks. Hope you love them as much as I do! 

The Witchery x OCRF Project Runway shirt is sold out online but you can find your nearest stockist here!

Photos by the gorgeous Love Yaz.

Much love, Mandy. xx

Chic eats : Tedder & Woodroffe.

Photos by Love Yaz. 

I recently stumbled upon Tedder & Woodroffe whilst taking respite from our photo shoot last weekend. Nestled in Tedder Avenue, Main Beach, I was instantly enamoured by its charming alabaster decor that instils a sense of resplendence without being pretentious. The loveliness extends to its gorgeous menu - a cornucopia of delectable dishes that will tempt even the most fastidious of palates; the flourless chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream is pure seduction and is the perfect foil for a hazy sunlit afternoon after a leisurely beach stroll.

Next time, I intend to spend an indolent Sunday session here with tapas, sangria, and live music!

And just as a side note, I hope you like this new series of posts I have decided to incorporate into my blog - since I seem to always disregard the 'other frivolities' component to my blog and also have a compelling love for food, informing you of all my lovely food finds seems to be a natural progression! ;) 

Love, Mandy. xx

Tedder & Woodroffe

Shop 1/19 Tedder Avenue Main Beach QLD 4217

Phone: (07) 5532 4539

Email: dining@tedderandwoodroffe.com.au

Netherton Grove.

(Dress - French Connection, heels - Jeffrey Campbell, bag - vintage Dior)

These images reside in a special place in my heart for two reasons. Firstly, they were taken on one of those gorgeously lit afternoons where dappled sunlight filters through the verdant surrounds in one of my favourite places in the world - Chelsea, London. The real reason for the fond sentiments, however, is that we shot this series only a few moments after finding out that I had passed all my med school exams so I think I was irradiating with sheer happiness the whole afternoon. For someone who has dreamt of becoming a doctor since childhood, it is really quite surreal to come to terms with becoming a step closer to the dream! 

I hope you all had a beautiful weekend! I have some exciting new content and a few lovely collaborations that I absolutely cannot wait to share with all of you! 

Much love, Mandy. xx

Wardrobe inspiration : summer essentials.

1. Bikini - Zimmermann : I tend to gravitate to more demure, effeminate bikini styles that can transition into the evening when worn with a billowing maxi skirt or Palazzo pants. 

2. Tan & silver sandals - Pour La Victoire : my fundamental shoe maxim when on vacation is versatility and I don't think these will be incongruous to any outfit I own.

3. Powder puff volumising powder - Kevin Murphy : I'm not very fastidious with my hair (I don't even possess a hair brush haha) but I do keep this volumising powder in my beauty arsenal for that summer nonchalance. 

4. Soho wide leg pants - Rachel Rachel : these pants are so beautifully constructed with their flowy contour and high split. Perfect for throwing over a maillot for a seamless segue into cocktail hour. 

5. Number One sunglasses - Karen Walker : the feline/wayfarer hybrid is such a flattering contour, this is the sunglasses equivalent of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. 

6. Classic tank - Kain : how delectable is this shade of nude/stone? I would wear these on the plane and, well, everywhere else really. 

7. Tinted daywear - Invisible Zinc : living in Australia, my skin is incessantly assaulted by UV rays and I literally don't leave the house without a liberal slathering of Invisible Zinc. 

To celebrate the end of my med school days, I have an incipient sojourn to Thailand where I'm hoping to indulge in beachside massages, lychee daiquiris, and general indolence. These are the summer fundamentals that I intend to bring along with me! 

Are any of you going on a summer vacation? I would love to know what your obligatory beach items are! 

Love, Mandy. xx

Enlightenment.

(Top - this is a plain tee, skirt - Kookai, necklace - Pree Brulee, shoes - Charles & Keith)

Ever since finishing med school (as of last Friday!), I have become unfamiliar with this concept of having copious amounts of time at my disposal. Becoming a doctor has been a childhood dream of mine so this marks a truly pivotal point in my life and whilst I know that there are lovely things to look forward to, I can't help feeling simultaneously rather sad that it is the end of an era. Med school has honestly been the most wonderful years of my life and I am so grateful for all the beautiful people who have shared the journey with me along the way. 

Anyhow, on a more frivolous note, this outfit epitomises my typical casual aesthetic - neutral tones with subtle pops of colour. These images are particularly sentimental to me as they were taken on one of the few sunny days when I was in London a few months ago! 

Love, Mandy. xx

Sprinkle of sparkle.

(Top - She Inside sequin black chiffon top, skirt & heels - Zara) 

Today has been one of those perfect Sundays that starts off with a rainy morning and a warm cup of tea and then ends with a spontaneous evening of beautiful company, cabanas with magenta curtains (see here), and even more pots of tea (Madagascan vanilla, of course!). I hope you all had a beautifully spectacular weekend too! 

                                                              Much love, Mandy. xx

Jardin du Luxembourg.

(Cardigan - Ted Baker, skirt - ASOS, bag - vintage Dior, shoes - Jeffrey Campbell)

Oh, Paris. One minute, you're losing yourself in its labyrinthine streets struggling with the indecision of which patisserie to pick for one's morning croissant (I inevitably visited all of them) only to find that the meticulous selection you deliberated on have been voraciously consumed the next minute. And just a few moments later ... you stumble upon a jardin that happens to have a chateaux and then suddenly, you revert to your halcyon days of youth and pretend that the whole landscape is your backyard (climbing fountains in a whimsical mint skirt is completely normal, oui?). 

.... And that's it. In the course of a few minutes, the innate magic of Paris has stolen my heart once again. 

Have a sparkling weekend, everyone!

Much love, Mandy. xx

Light, lemon, & London.

(Top - Finders Keepers, shorts - Bec & Bridge, cardigan - Cos, bag - vintage Dior, shoes - Charles & Keith, sunglasses - Sarroff Designs) 

The clouds have taken an ominous hue of grey of late so sharing these images from London that are filled with light and my favourite shade of the moment - lemon - seems like an apt reaction against the gloomy skies. I usually have an affinity for muted tones, nude palettes, and all shades of pink ... but I think yellow is slowly usurping them in my wardrobe! 

And speaking of light - tomorrow is Friday! I hope you all have something beautiful planned for the weekend. :) 

Much love, Mandy. xx

All that glitters.

(Top - Backstage & glitter shorts - House of Wilde, both from ADRENALIN BOUTIQUE, cape - Chip Chop, sandals - RMK)

When you're in a place as whimsical as Paris, it really calls for packing a suitcase that is equally whimsical. Traipsing around town from the Musee Rodin to the Notre Dame in this glittery sartorial confection just made everything seem even more magical ... though I'm incredibly pleased that I had the insight to pack a cape for the sudden cold snaps! 

A big thank you to Dean from Adrenalin Boutique (an absolute imperative if you're on the Gold Coast) who helped me pick out this outfit before my adventures! 

                                                             Much love, Mandy. xx