If you are old enough to remember it the first time around they say (who ARE they anyway?) that you shouldn't wear it the second. Poppycock! I coveted a pair of Portmans plaid pants when I was 16 and I'm itching to get back into it - albeit a tad paired down.

Life & Style U.K says" From Camilla to Alexander McQueen, tartan is this season's hot fabric. However, it's a difficult look to pull off: you should be thinking less Bay City Rollers, more Agyness Deyn in House of Holland. Confused? Our how-to guide to tartan shows the way to style success. Now pay close attention - and don't forget to ditch the sporran ...

Do wear tartan in layers,

Do remember that tartan is a fabric for all occasions. It can be dressed up with black accessories,

Don't be afraid to go a little over the top and

Don't think that tartan accessories include shopping trollies.

Country chic skipped into many a winter wardrobe this year, with plaids being a major element. A successor to the lumberjack trend that swept through the earlier part of the year, plaid as one of the big Autumn (Fall)/Winter 2008/2009 fashion trends is much more demure.

http://www.fashionising.com

Grab your own little piece of Tartan (sans the Tart) with this hot little Moschino number for sale on Miss Money Penny now - but hurry, there's only the one and it's just been posted on the site today!

Where did February go? As we float around in our maxi’s, shorts and summer frocks dreaming of an Indian summer, the serious fashion ministers are busily preparing our new season wardrobes. March sees the first hint of autumn/winter fashion dropping into stores and mags near you! Now is the time to start your list of must-haves for the coming season.

With each new season there are around 20 key looks, trends, colours and themes that hit our radar, the trick is to sort the ones that fit your style and you will feel fabulous wearing. I will share with you in the coming weeks my top trends for 09 autumn/winter.

Let's start with Animal Prints; A true classic that comes and goes, and huge right now!

Leopard prints emerged for summer but they have joined all their friends for an absolute animal party for the new season. Giraffe, zebra, cow, tiger and ocelot have all joined in, and Miss Money Penny has something for everyone.

Animal prints on satin, velvet, faux fur, silk wool and even denim are making their way into dresses, coats, bags, shoes, statement jewellry and tights.

The key to making it work is to stay true to your own style personality, so if you are a more classic, understated type, start with something small like a clutch bag, shoes, tights, scarf or cuff bracelet. For more dramatic fashionistas, a knee-length coat, long boots, figure-hugging shift dress or cardi will give you your grrrr!

 Bron’s animal print tips;

• * Never, ever mix your animals together.
• * Think about scale & proportion, small, petite builds will suit smaller to medium sized prints such as leopard, giraffe   
•    and ocelot, whilst medium to taller builds can wear all sized prints.
• * ‘Pull it back’ by pairing with denim for a more casual look.
• * Pair with neutrals such as black, camel, stone, grey, brown and cream.

And remember, Animal prints are;      

* Glamorous – always! 
* Timeless – when used in classic cuts, one of my favourite ‘trend-proof prints.’ 
* Sexy – try it, even a pair of knickers or bra that only you know you are wearing! 
* Super Sexy – add big hair and red lippie, think 1950’s Hollywood!

TTFN from Miss Money Penny's resident stylist. You can also visit me at www.styleestablishment.com.au

Check out some of the animal for sale right now on Miss Money Penny...

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Styling Tips - The Wardrobe Cull

As promised last week, below are my finest tips in creating your own boutique-in-the-bedroom!             

So let’s get started and build a closet you will enjoy ‘shopping’in every morning!

 Allow 3 to 5 hrs.

• Pull everything out in batches or bundles
• Sort into 3 piles, Summer, Winter & Trans-Seasonal
• Toss all those nasty wire hangers, they ruin your clothes

 Now you have your things all over the bedroom floor and your bed, its time to get really serious and sorted.

6 Piles

1. Miss Money Penny – wrong sizes or colours, new with tags, worn once, new lifestyle etc.
2. Alterations – zips, hems, buttons etc
3. Storage – wrong season, wedding dress etc
4. Dry Cleaning, washing
5. Charity
6. Bin – undies, pj’s, bathers etc.

 If you are finding it difficult to part with your things or are a self-confessed hoarder just follow my guidelines below;

TOSS TIPS

* Wrong silhouette or proportion for my body and height.
* Wrong colour, fabric or print
* Road-weary or clothes that look ‘tired’, ie starting to lose shape or faded blacks.
* Clones – how many of my black skirts do I really love to wear?
* The moment has passed – I am soooo over that look.
* Identity crisis – feels like it belongs to someone else, just not my style.
* Not my size – unless within 2 to 3 kgs.

Now, re-hang by garment group, pants, dresses, skirts, & also by colour if you are very organized.

Use all wooden or good quality plastic hangers, this makes it easy to find anything as they are all hanging at exactly the same height.

Fold T shirts and knits in piles by sleeve length, long, short, cami’s etc.

If possible store your shoes in boxes & preferably not in with your clothes, shoes hold odours and these can permeate through the fabrics.

Have fun, and I just know how wonderful you will feel, it’s a truly cathartic or cleansing process. As I often tell my clients, mess causes stress!

Bronny.

www.styleestablishment.com.au

This pic of Kate Miller-Heidke was taken on the main stage at the recent St Kilda festival in Melbourne by David Smith as was reported on in the Port Phillip Leader. That's all very nice but have a squizz at the fabulous top she's wearing! Very 70's, very retro and VERY much like a couple of little vintage numbers you can find right here on Miss Money Penny. Check out both these preloved babies in the 'Vintage' section of the site. Imagine if they could talk!

Miss Money Penny is thrilled to report that in only her second week of operation call-outs to several of Australia's most fashionable monthly glossies have been coming thick and fast. This is a huge endorsement that the product Miss Money Penny selects is not only on trend and perennial but also has the big tick of fashion editors in being up to the high standards of the magazine fashion editors and stylists. One fashion editor of one of the ultimate fashion bibles even called to say the editor wanted to buy the item selected for a shoot for upcoming fashion pages.

It all goes to show that if you know what you're choosing - high quality fabrics, classic and ingenious cuts, and investment pieces, you can't go wrong. It also goes to show that you'd be mad to pay full retail price for many designer fashions when you can get them near new for half the price. If the quality is right the trend will prevail.

Stay tuned for Miss Money Penny's next fashion trend report newsletter selecting items from the site which you can buy and apply to your look straight away. Key pieces include embellished frocks (check out the red Colette Dinnigan), Neutrals ( a great pair of Witchery heels just posted!), Gothic (fabulous Zimmerman lace dress just in - tres Prada) and enduring tribal and boho. Also check out our upcoming 'Get The Looks' matching current season trends to items on the site.

Sign up now if you aren't a member and we'll show you how to interpret next season's fashions with what you've got and what you can add from this store.

Happy Shopping without the trawling!


Tootle Pip.

Miss Money Penny xox

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Famous Magazine Blogs about Miss Money Penny being a great way to recession bust your wardrobe. Check it out at;

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/famous/19808/miss-money-penny

“What a fabulous idea!”, these were my first words when Miss Money Penny contacted me last October with her proposal to be your online stylist. If you are reading this I know you share my enthusiasm. We have waited so long for such an easy and cost effective way to keep our wardrobes working, and more importantly us looking and feeling fabulous whilst doing our bit to recycle and care for our environment! And all in the name of fashion!

Based in Melbourne and currently working in both the beauty and fashion industries, I look forward to sharing my best styling, shopping and beauty tips in this online forum and in hearing your feedback and ideas too.

 3 FASHION FACTS

• Women wear on average 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. That’s a lot of money sitting in your wardrobe, time for Miss Money Penny.
• 70% of the clothes you buy need an alteration for a perfect fit. Lets face it, none of us are stock standard sizes and neither are the brand fit models, so find a good tailor or alterations specialist in your area. It may be just a centimeter off the hem or a little nip in the waist that makes such a huge difference.
• Allocate 30% of your wardrobe budget each season to accessories as these are the items that add wow-factor and keep your look current.

So let’s start at the beginning, in your wardrobe…. To avoid that morning mayhem, as one of my clients describes it, a planned wardrobe will be one of the best time investments you can make.

Plan your wardrobe for each season, so twice annually both summer and winter. Smart girls always have a plan and this means putting aside around 2 to 3 hours (depending on your wardrobe size) for a wardrobe audit, plus browsing the latest fashion mags for new trends that fit your style. Grazia, InStyle, Harpers Bazaar and Shop Till You Drop are my faves and for serious fashionistas, Fashion Trend Australia (costly but every page worth it).

Keep only current season clothes that fit right now, you love wearing and store the rest, (or visit Miss Money Penny and earn some cash for your next spend up!) this allows you to see exactly what you have to work with and be more creative. By storing your off-season clothes and shoes, when you unpack it feels like a brand new wardrobe, as you will have forgotten about so many items just because you’re not looking at them every day!

Set a budget, make a list of must-haves for your wardrobe updates and stick to it when shopping. Buy the best quality you can afford and don’t forget names on labels or hefty price tags don’t always mean quality. Great finds can be found almost anywhere, you just need to look.

Build a core of basics, these are the linchpins that pull everything together for you, tees both short and long sleeves, jeans in two hem lengths, one for flats and one for heels. A beautifully cut blazer, trans-seasonal weight trench coat in neutral colour such as stone, camel, black or navy. Ballet flats, or similar classic flats and a fine wool cardi. You get my drift…

Next blog, we will cover the finer points of doing a complete wardrobe workout step by step.

Stay tuned, Bronny. www.styleestablishment.com.au

 

Well my friends I've gotta tell you I have been OVERWHELMED by the response to moi, Miss Money Penny and my online Secondhand Fashion Emporium. Since launching just over a week ago I have be inundated with 'Sell My Gear' forms, Enquiries, and best of all, compliments on how much everyone loves (and needs!) this site.

So, a big thank you to all who have taken the time to write in. Most of you it seems are united in being just sick and tired of scouting around to find quality new and secondhand designer gear with decent price tags. Everyone is fed up with Ebay and searching through thousands of things. Sellers have been overjoyed to finally be able to place their loved items in a chic environment. So thank you all once again for your enthusiasm and support.

Yes indeed I have been accused of being picky, picky, picky. This is what sorts the wheat from the chaff, as they say, and I only want the premium designer and Australian labels for you to browse. Keep your eyes peeled for much, much more as I have a huge backlog just busting to get onto the store. Don't forget we also take handbags, shoes and accessories so if you are having a seasonal wardrobe cull, and aren't sure - just email me and ask!

Next week, Miss Money Penny's online fashion stylist and celebrity wardrobe mistress Ms Bronny Fraser of Melbourne based firm Style Establishment is going to get online and give you some tips on how to edit your wardrobe - what to keep, cull and store and also what the hot autumn winter trends are. Stay tuned and join up to our newsletter for alerts on the newest hottest brands coming into store.

See you again soon and TTFN!

Love and xx's

Miss Money Penny