Leopard print and green

Outfit pic: By Lindsay Keats - top from ASOS, belt from Glassons, skirt from Max, shoes from Mollini, purse from Marc Jacobs
Interior pic: courtesy of This is Glamorous 

So I never really appreciated how well leopard print and green went together until Erena styled this outfit and suggested we put this green belt with my leopard peplum top. I had no idea 'leopard and green' was such a great combo. So I did a search to find a relevant interior image and turns out many other people have also made this discovery, and it really is a 'thing'. I highly recommend Love Maegan's Dynamic Duo post for more fantastic green and leopard print examples.

The original trendsetter - pic via Love Maegan

Dita Von Teese - Image courtesy of Independent Woman

Dita does the leopard and green combo with fantastic retro glamour and style. The tortoiseshell sunglasses also have that leopard quality with the black and brown tones and complements her outfit perfectly.

Even if you're not a leopard print fan, I think you can appreciate the beauty of this combo and make it work with your own personal style.

Mad Men

Outfit pic: By Lindsay Keats - Dress from ASOS, Shoes from Mollini

Interior pic: courtesy of Home to Decor

I work in an ad agency so I have a particular fascination and love for the TV show Mad Men. I also love the fashion silhouettes from this era, very feminine dresses in flattering shapes. The retro and sophisticated style from this show can positively influence your home decor and fashion style. We had fun taking this shot, a bit of silliness pretending to be a 60s housewife with an unplugged iron!

A few retro pieces will give you that great 60s vibe while still being modern and relevant. Try a retro 60s style chair, sofa, artwork, or lamp.

Betty, Joan and Peggy from Mad Men

Joan is my favorite female character in the show. She knows everything, is the go to problem solver in the office and always looks flawless.

Outfit pic: By Lindsay Keats - Dress from Karen Walker - Hi There range, Shoes from Mollini 
Interior pic: courtesy of Styled Haven

Another classic shaped dress from Karen Walker, I feel very girly and feminine whenever I wear this one. The little red belt accentuates the waist and adds some dimension to the outfit. I love the clock in this interior pic, that plus the wallpaper give this living room that retro quality, but still has a contemporary feel.

Outfit pic: By Lindsay Keats - Dress from Harriett Falvey from the Auckland City Designers Market, Shoes from friend
Interior pic: courtesy of 2interior-design

Last comparison pic, an uncommon but great colour combo - orange and turquoise. I bought this dress from the Auckland City Designers Market where you can get some totally unique and original fashion pieces. Check the retro cabinet in the background of the interior pic, you can buy these for relatively cheap on auction sites or from second hand stores. Another great idea is to buy old chairs and recover them with fresh new fabric. As I've said I'm not a great DIYer but if there was any project I'd really want to try it would be to recover a funky old chair like this one. After a bit of a search around I really like the simple to follow instructions from Just a Girl blogger on how to reupholster a chair.

Colour Blocking

Outfit pic: By Lindsay Keats - Dress and bag from Glassons, Shoes from Nude 

Interior pic: courtesy of Design Interior Blog

I love how simple yet effective colour blocking is. It can create a fantastic visual impact that is bold, dynamic and fun for your outfits and home interiors. With the teal as the primary colour and adding complementary accessories in pink and yellow, it really makes the outfit pop. Was quite happy to find this similar interior colour block image with the vibrant teal walls and the pink touches.

So how do you choose the colours? This doesn’t simply mean that you put two or three bold colours together, they must be complementary. Here is a great guide from style prompt on how to technically figure out which colour combinations work best together.

As we’ve done with this outfit, you can also try colour blocking with homeware accessories such as cushions, vases or throws.

Colour block with accessories - image from getinmyhome

If you're into DIY, here is a fun colour blocking project for your home pot plants from Dellie. 

DIY your own colour block terracotta pot plant

Or if you're like me and would rather just buy things 'ready made' check out these lovely 'dipped' bowls from Wind & Willows below.

Wind & Willow Home create beautiful 'dipped' products

Well very first blog post done! Hope you enjoyed it, we look forward to your feedback.

Thanks for reading!

Mereana & Erena