Practically speaking..

I know a wardrobe might not seem a place to practise fearlessness,.. but for me, it kinda is. Not in the sense of how daring I can be with what I wear. But in how authentic I can stay to my sense of style, in a modest and edifying way. I think defining 'your' style is a great place to start in sorting your wardrobe. Mine is 'classic romantic'. A nice pair of clean line jeans with a white, slightly lacy/ frilly/ furry/ sparkly top. A few cute, perhaps, understated accessories and a touch of natural make up. To me, thats perfect. I gravitate towards white and cream all the time. And thats probably why, the movie "The Holiday" sits as my number one all time favourite.. (despite the adorable English scenery and cute guy to go with, for which I insert my dear Sam and sigh and think again how lucky I am to have the man of my dreams).. the wardrobe of Cameron Diaz in this film, is completely me. Unfortunately (in my opinion), our climate doesnt often lend itself to fur coats, hats and gloves. Maybe at the most I can get away with a cable knit top at our winters depths. But I restrain myself to finding ways to bring that style through in ways that suit our warm and sunny Bay of Plenty. When Im out shopping and looking for clothes, I often hunt for pieces that I know can tie me through summer and winter. I try not to buy items that only fit one season, but choose things that can be layered and carried across. I also factor in that I am a 'brick' in the definition of Susannah and Trinny, so I always look for things that evoke soft curves and the appearance of a figure and create a feminine silhouette in the absence of one. And thats where this top comes in.

I saw it in Farmers today while shopping with mum for an iron, but being distracted by a %30 off sale, as you do, when youre a woman :) On the racks it grabbed me. I walked away from it at first because I always ask myself "Do you actually need this item". After all, a bargain isnt really a bargain, if you didnt need it. Right. However, on this occasion, I quickly numbered off various events where having this slightly dressy top would work. Where it would lift casual jeans to a neat date night. Or a classy meal out without being over the top. Or where you could throw a long sleeve top underneath, or a jacket over the top, and take it into winter. However, there were only 3 on the rack, all size L. And one of them was hugely discounted because of a pull in the lower front. The pull was clearly unfixable, but I quickly ascertained that resizing the top would also mean cutting out most of the area where the pull was present. Down from $50, to $20, I grabbed it. A bargain.

So here is a quick DIY on how to resize a knit top that might be too big.. and also might give you reason to be a bit daring with items you see on sale or hugely reduced because of flaws. Firstly - try on the top in the shop and decide first, if the fit is easily adjusted. Bend over, move around. Make sure its not gaping at the neck or in areas where its not easy to fix. This top had a ribbon tie in the back which gave it a lot of natural adjustment. When you have it home, try it on inside out, and pin down one side how much you need to take it in. Take it off and measure the same down the other side. Try to make sure you take in even amounts from each side, keeping the top flat and matching side seams.

Next, sew a straight stitch along your pin lines. Try not to stretch the knit as you feed it through.

I cut the tag off the scrap piece and resewed it along my new seam.. for future reference. To finish the seam, I overlocked closely beside my stitching. Top - done! Turned it inside out, and you cant even see the old pull fault. I plan to pair it on Saturday to my Aunty's 50th Birthday with these cute heels. I love them, but they are disastrous on wooden floors, due to their plastic sole and thus slip factor. And as Im still sporting an ankle injury, Im concerned any slips on that ankle will render me in plaster. I tried your usual grate them on the sidewalk and scuff them up with sandpaper, to no avail. So now to figure if these can be made slip free,.... tips anyone??