Was it the sunshine? Was it the fast track? Perhaps it was the lucky punters? Whatever the reasons, Wellington Cup 2013 at Trentham on Saturday was superb.

It is 363 days since the last Wellington Cup, which means we are about due for another one.

Summer heralds not only bbq season, but it is also the advent of party season, race season and wedding season.  And, much like cooking on the bbq, when getting ready for a big event, the dressing is all important. For the flavour is in the garnishes and the seasonings.

Laughter may be the best medicine but it has also proven to be the perfect accessory!

When I am booked by a magazine to style people appearing in an article, I often don’t know who it is until a few days before. It can be anyone from everyday kiwis, to famous musicians, comedians, TV personalities, authors, celebrities, actors, or politicians, sometimes local or nationally famous and occasionally the odd lnternational megastar just to mix it up a bit. You just never know who might be the subject of the article.

Last night at a glittering and glamorous event hosted by Rydges I was the co-MC and fashionista du jour of the Mid-Winter Charity Ball. It was my task to select the best dressed winners from the crowd and to help the silent auctions and raffles flow alongside radio personality Justin Rae.

As we welcome Spring to the Southern Hemisphere we can look to the Northern Hemisphere for fashion inspiration. While we have been stylishly wrapped up in thermals, merino, puffer jackets and Ugg boots they have been enjoying wearing the very latest summer styles.  Now it is our turn to pick up their fashion cues and run with the top three trends for our Spring.

Today my favourite musician, singer, songwriter and all round freaking musical genius Prince Rogers Nelson turns 54.

The idea of wearing white clothing is enough to make most of us shiver in fear. It is not so much the clothing item as the whiteness itself and the thought of expertly maintaining that pure whiteness that sends us into a tail spin.

Picture a wedding dress in your mind’s eye. Is it white? An off the shoulder number, perhaps a strapless bodice and floor length flowing full skirt? I bet it is exactly that dress. Because today’s modern bride seems to be stuck in a cookie cutter vortex of never ending repetitious strapless whiter-than-white tulle confections.

The maxi dress just might be the go-to dress of the season. I have sung its praises many times before: it hides a multitude of sins, suits almost all body-shapes & sizes, suits all ages, comes in an array of fabrics, patterns and colours and there is one out there for every budget. It is perhaps the most versatile dress ever invented.

So why are we so afraid of it?

Have you ever had one of those days where everything just goes right? Everything falls into place, doors open, inspired ideas and thoughts flow, timing is spot on, you feel like you are firing on all cylinders and you just know that everything’s right with the world, after a while you get the feeling that there really is goodness and goodwill for everything and everyone. I just had one of those days, and here is the recipe:

Tell jack frost to take a hike with the coolest coats this season.

We almost have too many choices this winter for that all important outer layer. And it can get confusing.

I met up with a couple of Welly fashionista ex-pats last night who have just had a quick trip around NZ. They confirmed for me Wellington’s status as The Style Capital. This is not about bias as Mickey and Ra of MisteR fame don’t live here anymore. It is simply an observation.

Each season for the past three or so years I have teamed up with Westfield Queensgate (or as I fondly refer to them ‘my local’) to present the latest looks of the season. We have covered everything from boho to sport luxe.

Presenting the ZM and Westfield Style Session is always fun and because it is live there is always something that can and will go wrong. This time it was that my head set microphone was brand new and wasn’t wearing its fluffy cover thing (what is that called?!) so every time I breathed it sounded like Darth Vader was on stage with me.

I believe all Mums have a Yummy Mummy hiding within. Often she is kicking and screaming to get out. The biggest block to realising her magnificence is finding the time to make manifest the Yummy Mummy persona when the world now revolves around a helpless tiny being. How to you get the balance between self care and baby? How do you even find the time?

Driving home tonight this awesome rock anthem from the glam rock band Europe was on the radio. I don’t know that 'The Final Countdown' would be on Catherine and Williams’s playlist tonight but I thought it was the perfect tune to listen to in the lead up to tomorrow’s big event.

Amelia Earhart was not only a pioneer of the skies, but she led the world as a fashion icon of her time. As she circumnavigated the globe, the women of the World were quick to adopt her unique spin on fashion. This winter we are all about to be inspired by her androgynous adventurous sense of style because Amelia is taking off all over again as almost every store adopts a little bit of Amelia’s look and makes it their own.

It was such a gorgeous afternoon today that my boss gave me the afternoon off. That my boss is me doesn’t make a free afternoon any less special.

2011 will be the year that woman across the world begin faking it, if they haven’t been secretly doing it all along.

For in 2011 the call of the wild will be too strong to resist. It will be the year that sees even the most shy and retiring amongst us un-leash their inner animal.

Last night I was a contender in my first ‘style-off’. Much like a’ walk off’ a style off is a fashion term for when two people try to out style each other.

Last night I was a contender in my first ‘style-off’. Much like a’ walk off’ a style off is a fashion term for when two people try to out style each other.

It is midnight and the biggest natural disaster to hit NZ is just over 24 hours old.

Christchurch is in ruins. Death and destruction dominate the news.

The Wellington Cup has been and gone for 2011. It was the first day in my history of attending the cup that there was rain. We could not escape the puddles. Even undercover, the rain ran everywhere seeping into pools under our feet to the point where we could not dodge them. We were literally standing in puddles, and there was nowhere to go to avoid them.

Fa la la la la – la la la la. In the eighteenth century when these lyrics were written 'gay' meant bright and showy. I like to keep this in mind when deciding what to wear on Christmas day. Of course because I live in Wellington, home of the southerly, the northerly and any wind that blows, the weather is always a major factor when deciding. But more than that, I want to have fun, and make myself and others smile.

We are approaching mid winter - It is cold and wet and just plain dreary, this means that we need to work a bit harder on brightening our days because the sun is not here to do it for us. Here are my top 5 style tips to lift your spirits.

 

Ice cream and fashion. Mostly these two things meet when I drop my icecream down my front in the dark at the movies...whoops....but good old Mr Whippy is a brilliant metaphor for style.

This quote is a favorite of mine, and has been for years because not only is it very James Bond (who is a style icon) but it is also, for me, about keeping an open mind which I believe is a vital factor in fashion and style.