First impressions of The Iconic

The Iconic is probably the first serious mass market fashion-oriented etailer in Australia. They have gone all out with advertising - I was surprised to see an ad on TV! More importantly, they are delivering the type of online shopping experience that our US and UK counterparts have enjoyed for years. free delivery regardless of order size overnight delivery free return (100 days!) And 3-hour delivery for $4.95 in Sydney is very impressive. How...

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Myer is (not) my store

The Duke and I looking to buy a new mattress with a pillowtop layer. If we buy one we'll need some extra-deep sheets as the mattress is very thick. So I went up to Myer at lunchtime yesterday to see what is available. The first two sales assistants on the floor did not know about the extra-deep sheets. The second one directed me to the Sheridan specialist. I went up to her and politely explained what I was looking for. The answer I received?...

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Jigsaw's return to form

In my 20's I was a big fan of Jigsaw, both for their elegant style and sharp tailoring. A few years ago they moved in a direction which I wasn't fond of, and the brand fell out of my "regular rotation". So I was pleasantly surprised by their A/W 2012 collection - the look and style that I love are back! A few weeks ago I bought the Campbell jacket and I'm getting so much wear out of it. It's a classic style that will serve me for many winters to...

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Winter warmers

I've been on the hunt for knitswear in the last few weeks. I've searched online and offline to no avail. It has taken so long because I'm a bit fussy. I want something that looks a bit different (I have enough striped knits already), I prefer natural fabrics, and I don't want to spend more than $150 each. I decided to hit the shops at lunchtime today, I was determined to fulfil the gap in my wardrobe. First stop was Marcs - this colour block jumper...

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Japan snapshots part 4 - the shopping

It was a bit difficult for me to start this post because I don't want to disappoint my readers, but the truth needs to come out at some point. My shopping tally in Japan = 2 t-shirts + 3 lipsticks + 1 eyeliner. I didn't expect to buy much in terms of clothing and shoes, as my size 12 figure and size 39 feet ruled me out of many stores. And the fashion over there is either too girly or too minimalist for my liking. The two t-shirts I bought were...

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Crafty online purchase

The internet is not just good for fashion purchases, it's also great for niche products. With the weather getting cold I'm keen for a craft project to do at night. Since my artistic skills are severely limited, cross stitch kits are as adventurous as I go. I want to make something that I can hang up in The Royal Bedroom when finished, so I consulted The Duke before making this purchase - a cross stitch kit of Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night, which...

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Giving Parcel Lockers a try

Back in April I wrote about Australia Post's Parcel Lockers. Finally I found the opportunity to try it out. I used the Parcel Locker address provided as the shipping address for my latest ASOS order. Last Wednesday morning I received an SMS notifying me that the parcel was ready for collection (I also received an e-mail). I had 48 hours to collect the parcel. The weather was too rainy on Wednesday night, so I waited till Thursday morning to...

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Japan snapshots part 3 - the meals

Enough about snacks, it's time to talk about the main event :-D One of my favourite Japanese dishes is ramen. The combination of delicious broth, noodles, chatsu (pork slices) and soft boiled egg is irresistible. Of course we sampled a few ramen joints during our trip. Ippudo in Osaka - the super rich tonkotsu soup base was awesome. I ordered the "red" ramen which came with chilli paste, I like a bit of spice :-D Most ramen noodles in Australia...

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