White Shirt Day

Saturday May 19th is Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) White Shirt Day 2012. Aussie store Witchery have really embraced this campaign and have a fantastic white shirt collection that includes a specially designed Project D shirt (AUS$149.95); 100% of the gross proceeds from the sale of the white shirt capsule collection will go directly to the OCRF. The collection is now available online and they ship internationally.

I love a man in a Tuxedo and I always fancied the idea of wearing one myself (with a bit of a twist), so I knew exactly how I wanted to wear my white shirt. These Miss Selfridge shorts are so smart & so tailored, they immediately lend themselves to that 'tux with a twist' look. I found the amazing oversized black sequin bow tie in Topshop. It only cost £8 so I bought two of them and cut the dangley bits off one (as worn here) for a more dressed up look & kept the other intact for a more casual, funky look.

Winter Kate have jackets for every occasion and my much worn, much loved, 'James' black silk jacket is perfect for this cool take on the tux. It was a sale buy last year, reduced from almost £300 to an amazing £70! 

I bought the shirt last December. I wanted an actual black tie, dress shirt but was surprised to discover there aren't many around that are specifically made for women. I eventually found this one in Hugo Boss. They had a small but fabulous selection of women's dress shirts. I chose a very simple, classic design & it works perfectly with the outfit.

The gorgeous Chanel bag was a gift a few years ago from my lovely Husband. As I recall, there wasn't even a special occasion, he just bought it for me because it was beautiful, I loved it and he is fabulous! It was such an investment buy, as is anything from the fashion temple that is Chanel! The bag adds a gorgeous splash of colour to the monochrome look and I chose a rich pink lipstick to compliment it.  

So this is what I'll be wearing on May 19th. Will you be donning a white shirt to show your support and help raise awareness for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation? You can follow the campaign on Twitter: @WhiteShirt2012.

Get The Look: 

Bow Tie: Topshop Oversized Sequin Bow Tie (similar)

Jacket: Winter Kate 'James' Silk Jacket (similar)

Shirt: Hugo Boss 'Linot' Dress Shirt in white (similar)

Boots: Topshop 'Adina' Shoe Boots (similar)
Bag: Chanel 'Cambon' Pouchette in pink/black

Bolo Tie

This is one of my favourite outfits, it is 100% me and I wear this kind of style a lot. The shirt is my very first purchase from French brand, The Kooples, a very rock & roll fashion label with quite a British edge. The silk shirt feels so luxurious to wear and I absolutely love the masculine cut, the great burgundy/wine colour and the cute contrasting collar.

The tailored shorts were a fantastic find. No-one believes me when I tell them they are from Miss Selfridge & cost only £38! They look and feel so expensive. They have a gorgeous faux leather trim detail at the pockets & the cute belt actually comes with them.

The pièce de rèsistance for this outfit however, is the Country & Western Bolo Tie. My inspiration for this came at a recent gig when my band had the very great pleasure of sharing a stage with American music legend John 'Rabbit' Bundrick (he has played & toured with The Who & The Rolling Stones to name just two of the legendary bands he's been associated with over the years!). 

Rabbit, a true Texan gent, was wearing the coolest Bolo Tie & the very next day I was straight onto Google to find one of my own. There are countless styles, designs, colours & prices available out there. I chose a simple white Buffalo Skull, to compliment the white collar on my Kopples shirt. It looks equally good with a denim shirt or even with a plain, collarless t-shirt. 

I finished the outfit off with my 'go to' Topshop shoe boots & a sweep of MAC lipstick in 'Red Dwarf', such a perfect match for the rich burgundy colour of the shirt. My Husband laughs every time he hears that lipstick name; he thinks it's the perfect lipstick for his teeny weeny short Wife! 

Get The Look: 

Shirt: The Kooples Contrast Collar Shirt (similar)

Bolo Tie: Bucklebox Buffalo Skull Bolo Tie

Shorts: Miss Selfridge Leather Trim 'Naples' Shorts

Boots: Topshop 'Adina' Shoe boots (similar)

Lipstick: MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in 'Red Dwarf' (similar)