colour pops

Kahlo shirt (seen here), ASOS shorts, Celine clutch, Willow boots (seen here, here & here), Mimco bracelet

Black and white is always a safe outfit choice. It's the fail-safe combination that I rely on when I just want a simple, chic outfit. But, seeing that it is actually summer (and Australian summer always means an influx of colours into my wardrobe), I decided to add some pops of colour into my otherwise monochrome outfit. 

x karen

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all stars

Alexander Wang tee (seen here), One Teaspoon denim shorts (seen here, here & here), Current/Elliot 'infantry' jacket (here & here), Chloe 'susanna' boots (seen here, here & here), Alexander Wang 'rocco' bag (seen here, here & here)

This is definitely an outfit made out of my wardrobe all stars, you can just see from all the tags above how much all these individual items have been worn. My love of stripes seems to at an all time high, especially when dressed down with my go-to pair of denim shorts (nobody does it better than One Teaspoon) and my favourite deconstructed trench jacket. 

Hands down, these Chloe boots have been my best purchase all year - they go with absolutely everything and even after almost a year, I still love them like crazy. Is it crazy that I still want them in black & silver? 

x karen

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fluffy leopard

Asos leather skirt (seen here & here), Bassike tee (seen here & here), LV Speedy 30, Isabel Marant boots (seen here & here)

Leather skirts are such an easy choice when you're barely awake in the morning. I love wearing leather with absolutely anything- especially with a fluffy leopard. Leather really toughens up a look, especially with this leopard cardigan which could potentially go very wrong. I mean, that is a lot of leopard. So, I played it safe and wore the leopard cardigan with a lot of muted greys and my go-to taupe Isabel Marant boots. 

xx

 x karen

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graduation

Ellery dress, Valentino heels (seen here), Celine clutch (seen here & here)

This is probably one of the hardest blog posts I've ever had to write. There is such expectation that comes with the thought of Graduation. It's the culmination of five and a half long years of studying. It's the last indication that you're really growing up and about to become an "adult". I want to be inspirational and talk of how much I've learnt and grown in the past few years; or lament that it's an end of a era and, essentially, my childhood. I expected emotional farewells to the campus, lecturers and students. What I did not expect was the dull ache of knowing that I should be feeling more emotions than I actually was. 

The Graduation Ceremony itself occurs almost a full semester after my last class/exam/assessment and in the meantime, I've completed the College of Law course, eased from part-time to full-time work at a law firm and, as of today, handed in my application for Admission as a Solicitor. University, with its lectures, missed classes and long lunchtimes seems simultaneously only yesterday and so so far away. It was rather surreal, and belated, to go back to campus to officially graduate when so much has occurred in between. I'm still waiting for that feeling to wash over me that my undergraduate career is well and truly over. 

However, I can honestly say in my almost six years at university; I have met some amazing people, made friendships that I know will last forever and beyond (i.e. BFFs!), I've truly played with the the limits of sleep deprivation and caffeine addiction, I've learnt to play Poker and consequently learnt too much from "boy talk", I've spent summer holidays almost exclusively at the Beach and I've perfected the art of online shopping whilst simultaneously listening during Lectures. 

And what I learnt from the Graduation Ceremony itself?

1. Hearing all the people who are graduating with honours etc. does almost make me wish I worked harder. Almost.
2. Even if your dress looks like a normal and socially acceptable length, with the addition of the long ceremonial gown- it will look like you are only wearing a top.
3. It will require considerable manpower to carry flowers, coat, belongings etc around campus to get all the photos taken. Friends should be bribed so that they don't only take photos of themselves. 
4. Coffee is your friend. Embrace it for the long ceremony itself. 
5. When someone goes up to receive their doctorate; you will torn between determination to add a "Dr." in front of your name and jealousy over her Manolos. Your inner fashion blogger will always win over the inner Academic. 

xx

 x karen

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