27 club...

whether it's the fact that i have had a big month on the turps or perhaps it's the crocodile tick of my impending 27th birthday, i have decided for the month leading up to my initiation into the 27 club, i'm going to detox. yes people that means no junk food, no alcoholic consumptions and a commitment to moving my ass 6 days a week... now if this sounds a little daunting just imagine this. i am also not going to purchase any clothing, shoes or accessories, nothing, nada, zilch, zip. i can see your faces now, heavy with shock then awe and a whole lot of questioning doubt. to tell you the truth so do i.

forget forsaking the booze the thought of not swiping or typing in those sweet little sixteen numbers is actually making my skin itch.

i'm a spendaholic. i can justify any purchase. anytime. anywhere.

'so it's the middle of summer and you just bought a russian fur hat' 'well yes, yes i did. winter is coming you know and it was on sale, plus it looks good in my room hanging coat rack style'

this gift of oblivious spendmuchness is inherited from my father and his father before him, so you see i won't just be fighting an addiction but biology. hence a wee addendum to my lastmonthof26 detox. i can only buy 1 outtie to don during my actual birthday celebrations, which shall be purchased the week of said birthday and is limited to only 2 items: a dress and a pair of shoes. (watch out more thought is going to go into this outfit than kate middletons wedding dress)

i realise i'm already making an exception to the rule but i need a new outtie for my birthday don't i? what happens if as the clock strikes 12 i choke on my own vomit, suffer heart failure, or fall on a needle and check out from a heroin overdose, therefore joining the infamous list of influential rockstars who left our mortal coil at the tender age of 27. no one wants there very last threads to be less the spectacular. surely?

yes my name is erin gale and i am a shop-spend-splurgeaholic. you see what i just did there. i justified breaking the rules before i've even began and what was my reason. i who is neither influential or a rockstar could possibly die and join a spooky arse death club. nothing illogical in that at all.

wish me luck frockstars and fashlovers, detox begins in t minus 8 hours... giving me just enough time to indulge in one last splurge asos side???

all hail...

one word: AMAZING

i came across these gems avoiding actual work. there i was mindlessly clicking from blog to blog when i found thatschic (make sure you check it out as i have definitely come down with an acute case of blog envy) and the above awesomeness that is Miss Kate Moss.

back to basics...

sometimes we lose our way. we find ourselves staring into a closet lined with choices and yet with nothing to choose. nothing inspires us, nothing works for us and even heading to the shops can't help. you know what i'm talking about. losing what i like to call your stylibrium. you don't know what brought it on but all of a sudden your style sense is completely off balance. there's something not right with your world.

for the last two weeks including some big nights out my stylibrium has been so off kilter it's a wonder i get out of the house at all. i have sort out my fashion bibles, i have zimbio'ed my favourite style stars, i trawled my favourite fashion fishing holes and yet still last saturday night i stood for nearly two hours staring into the abyss. i tried things on, i looked at myself, tilted my head and felt that nagging of not quite right.

so what the hell do you??? my remedy was to seek out a classic, little black dress and a little black leather jacket. now for a while there my feeling of NQR followed me right up into that party and then i started hearing praises for my choices. each little compliment began to rebuild my confidence and by the next day i realised, when you lose your way the best thing to do is to go back to basics.

until you regain your fashion footing, try these on for size:

• a little black dress and a statement jacket
• fashion leggings, oversized white tee and a black blazer
• a simple dress with red lips that'll sink ships
• a maxi dress and bold jewelery
• jeans, a sheer blouse and some out of control heels

good luck & god speed

leaving on a jet plane...

recently one of my girls was offered the opportunity of a lifetime to live and work san fran side. this presented quite a complex set of emotions as i was elated, excited and extremely proud of my boo bestie but at the same time a feeling a little less bluebird on my shoulder and a little more sitting at the dock of bay. (a little bit eerie, guess what song just started to playing from the wireless! I hear ya otis, i hear ya)

this is my bestie, my boo, my mentor. a woman who i admire and inspires. i have but a handful of women i hold in such high regard and just thinking that there'll literally be an ocean between us is quite a cause for concern. however after some very fine advice from the bestie in question (ever my oracle) i have moved forward and begun to view this loss as a glass half full moment. and here's why:

1. i am now planning my long awaited and much anticipated return to the U S A

2. i can now have items only available state side shipped through the port of san fran

3. the going away girls night!

the words 'girls night' tend to send a rush of bubbles through these veins of mine. it means finding out what the girls are wearing, planning, swapping and styling yourself and your sisters to superfly status. it means we can pull out our jumpsuits, sequins and seriously killer heels, it means winged tips of liner rivaling a gulf stream and extra coatings of sparkle and dust because on this night men's opinions need not apply. getting ready is half the fun, let alone the escapade itself which means a night of excess covering catch up, cocktails and kevin-bacon-cut-loose-footlooseness. quite frankly i can't wait.

here's to you miss.w!

wishing you love, luck and luster, a career that rivals miss ross's fro (and your own lol)

xo

speaking of out done themselves...

rachel gilbert's aw11 ready to wear collection

let the faux fur fly...

fur is a tricky trend. i once purchased a vintage fox fur coat from eBay and everytime i ran my hand down its super soft sleeve i felt sick with guilt. anytime my eyes met with the coat i had flashbacks of the children's short story by paul jennings. it was something about a fox fur hanging in the closet and a boy leaves lemons for it each night and one by one the lemons bring the fox back to life and then it disappears off into the night. why the elixir to life is lemons i can't remember, i'll have to go find the story but the notion that my coat could grow legs was too much for me and but needless to say i re-listed the coat. my problem is i looove the look of fur, it's rocknrolla-kate moss-decadence and this season it's everywhere from our necks draped with fur snoods to the shearling on our booties. we will be giving big foot a run for his money.

my next mission was to find a faux that didn't look cheap and like something that the cat dragged in. this took awhile. after months of searching i came up with a few that have have really out done themselves.

• burning torch coat as listed in my lust haves post
• michael kors faux fur
• halston heritage
• topshop
• asos
• rachel zoe for QVC

rachel zoe's line (pictured in one of her designs above) is amazingly well down. decadent and lush with an amazing fit and price point. ie the coat pictured is now on sale for US $137.64.

the hiccup for us australian buyers is QVC only ships to the US. however being the style savvy sisters that we are, there is always eBay and if you're extra resourceful like me you phone a friend in san fran and get it here on a stop over!

lust haves...

summer? what summer? and who really cares with what we have coming through this aw11. my desk is covered in tear outs and iphone snaps of all the pieces i'm eyeing off but here's my top five to see me into the season.

• my already signed sealed delivered terrifically lush faux fur coat by burning torch available on sale at shopbop
• the greatest of them all hold all by pieces available at asos
• the perfect mens gold watch by michael kors available at shopbop
• this seasons best statement sunny by karen walker available at eyestyle.
• and last but not least my most favourite colour of the aw11 collections terracotta in my most wanted lust have. the sheer maxi dress by aussie label shakuhachi