A week ago I took a little look at the weather app on my phone and was immediately lost for words.
Which as you know is highly unusual for me.
There staring back at me was the reality that I’d be flying back into winter-like temperatures for my trip to Melbourne to speak at the Problogger Training Event.
CRAP.
I was done and dusted with winter. The seasonal wardrobe shuffle had been completed a month before.
Spring had sprung and had been declared.
As Thursday drew nearer I realised that I needed to build a bridge over my big suitcase of denial and re-work my planned outfits for the trip.
Three days and three nights in Melbourne. Two days where I’d be presenting on stage. And at least one of those nights that would require a fresh outfit for the occasion.
I tweeted out to Melbourne followers asking if I’d need a coat. The resounding response was yes and I’m glad I threw in my camel-coloured ASOS wool cape just before the cab arrived to take me to the airport. It was well used any time we walked between our Docklands apartment and the conference venue at Ethiad Stadium.
My “I can’t believe it’s not spring weather” attitude refused to shift when it came to my footwear though. I chose fashion over frostbite on each occasion. Well, there were neon orange toes I didn’t want to hide in socks and boots. And some pretty fabulous new shoes.
As for the outfits … well, I reverted to my tried and tested uniform … pants and jackets with a statement accessory or two.
In this travel situation there is no room for a capsule wardrobe. Oh, who am I kidding? Have you ever known me to do a capsule travel wardrobe?
So, 20kg of luggage later (I swear that coat took up 3kg … it was nothing to do with the five pairs of shoes packed. AT ALL), this is how the weekend panned out … in outfits.
DAY 1: The I’m travelling to Melbourne but going to a meeting when I arrive outfit.
Key essentials: coloured jeans, jacket and a neutral wedge.
NYDJ jeans (you’ve seen them before) | Sussan jacket (ditto) | Sussan top (ditto again) | Uberkate Smashed earrings | Uberkate “I’m so blogging this” Lovelines necklace | Dinosaur Designs ring (orange) | Polka Luka ring (chartreuse)
New Zoe Kratzmann wedges* (from spring-summer 2012-13 collection).
DAY 2: The I’m going to be noticed anyway because I’m standing on stage so may as well brighten things up and really be noticed outfit.
Key essentials: floral pants, pink patent kitten heels and a coloured jacket.
Feathers Boutique floral pants (featured here) | Seed jacket (you’ve seen it on me here) | Country Road shirt (I wore it here) | Red Phoenix Emporium Make Mine Mint Necklace * | Peter Lang ring | Michael by Michael Kors kitten heels (Century 21 New York $60 purchase)
This photo explains the strange look on my face in the one above … it was VERY windy on our balcony.
NIGHT 2: The conference stand-up networking event in a fancy Melbourne restaurant outfit.
Key essentials: black with a splash of metallic and flat shoes.
Country Road jacket (almost three years old and still going strong) | Country Road new metallic top (worn in reverse) | Metallic chain necklace (at least three years old) | Mimco bracelet (sneaky Sydney airport purchase this winter) | Misano Shoes bling flats*
Let’s talk about the shoes, shall we? We were advised that the networking event at the Maha Bar and Grill would involve standing so comfortable shoes would be a good idea. Normally I ignore such directives and suffer in the name of fashion. Not this time. These Misano shoes worked a treat.
… so much so, Mrs Woog, who just happens to conveniently have the same size feet as me, took custody of them the very next day.
DAY 3: The conference OMG I’m interviewing Sarah Wilson on stage outfit.
Key essentials: statement shoes and current fave confidence colour, chartreuse.
Country Road black jacket (the very same featured above) | sass and bide tee (a wedding anniversary gift from Mr SY) | NYDJ white jeans (these very ones) | Zoe Kratzmann shoes (as first seen here) | Renee Blackwell Design earrings | Uberkate necklace | Polka Luka chartreuse ring | Peter Lang black ring
Those Zoe Kratzmann shoes commanded due attention from the stage when interviewing media personality and blogger Sarah Wilson.
I’m back home in Queensland, staring down the barrel of a long, hot summer ahead and you know what? I’m kind of glad I got to give my winter wardrobe a little out-of-season excursion.
I will miss my jacket and jeans combination as the long, hot days roll in bringing with it the vats of sweat that usually accessorise my summer days.
Do you have a fave outfit from these above?
PS. Six of us shared a three-bedroom apartment at the Grand Mecure Apartments, in Docklands. Within seconds of telling a Melbourne person – ANY MELBOURNE PERSON – where the fabulous BabyMac had booked us all in to stay, they would retort, “no-one in Melbourne goes to Docklands”. Even our cab drivers struggled to know how to get us back from the city after the networking event on Friday night and dinner on Saturday night. But if you’re a family or group travelling to Melbourne, I’d check them out. We loved that we could just walk across the road to the conference at Ethiad Stadium. There were also dining options downstairs. A cab fare to Federation Square was about $10 (the city loop tram stop is just nearby too). And the apartment itself was spacious, modern and gave us this view for our final morning.
PPS. Thanks to Sarah from A Beach Cottage, Beth from BabyMac, Fran from TravelGenee and Tine from Beautyholics Anonymous for taking the photos above. I love that a blogger doesn’t even blink when you pass over your camera and ask them to please take a photo of your outfit.
* These items were gifted to me for editorial consideration in accordance with my disclosure policy.
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