With the temperatures taking a decidedly downward turn this week I have been pulling out my Winter Knitwear and seeing what I have, what state it is in, and what I could purchase to add to my wardrobe.

If you want to add a new piece of knitwear this Season then I would recommend buying something with sparkle.  When I was at the shops I had in mind snuggly, stylish, wool jumpers, but also found that a lot of knitwear was adorned with shimmer, sequins or made from lurex, (a yarn with a metallic appearance.) I have picked my favourites from the stores, and styled a daytime and evening look for you.

Top row; Country Road Lurex Spot Knit $109.00, Witchery Mini Foil Star Knit $149.90 (currently 25% off this ). ​
Bottom row; Witchery Sequin Hem Knit $139.90 (currently 25% off this), ​Storm Shimmer Sweater $ 159.00.

Top row; Decjuba Betsy Lurex V-Neck Knit AU$99.95 (currently 40% off this), Storm Glitz Stripe Sweater $149.00, Country Road Lurex Stripe Knit $149.00.
Bottom row; Esprit Shimmering Sweater AU$99.95, ​Storm Golden Sweater $169.00.

Daytime - a cute dress worn with a crew neck jumper, and the collared dress poking through. Accessorized with silver sneakers, a moc snakeskin bag and silver bangles. 
​Decjuba Britney Drawstring dress AU$119.95, Country Road Lurex Spot Knit $109.00, Country Road Animal Print Cross Body $67.43, Witchery Stone Bracelet $64.90 (25% off this), ​Stylerunner.com Reebok Classic White-Light Grey AU$89.95.

Evening - add a sparkly top, some starry earrings and a mesh clutch for a dinner date. 
​Storm Glitz Stripe Sweater $149.00, Karen Walker Star Outline Silver Earrings $159.00, Max Wrap Collar Leather Jacket $199.99, MIMCO The Hustle Medium Mesh Pouch $199.00, Witchery Split Knit Skirt $139.90, Decjuba Laura Caged Pointed Heel $169.95​.

With Winter finally beginning to show itself the shops are offering some great reductions on Jackets and Coats. I am focusing on three types of Jackets that seem popular at the moment, Printed, Suede and Bomber. (I will also write a post on Coats in a few weeks.) 

When I say Jackets I am talking about a Jacket that stops at either waist level, hip or mid thigh. When choosing a Jacket be careful about the length, remember wherever the Jacket stops is where the eye-line stops. So if your concerned about your hips,  a longer line or cropped Jacket is best. 

My picks would be the Esprit Belted Black Jacket and the Max Moss Suede Jacket.

Printed Jackets - The Aztec print seems quite popular at the moment, don't be put off by a print. You can wear a printed Jacket and have some fun with it. Zip it up if you are worried about print on print, or add a printed scarf to create some real contrast.
Top row; Esprit EDC Aztec Printed Jacket AU$99.95, Karen Millen Fluid Stripe Cape AU$545.00, Kookai Axel Jacket $320.00.
Bottom row; The Iconic Adidas Floral Burst Superstar Track Top AU$110.00, Forever New Candi Quilted Bomber Jacket AU$119.99, ​CUE Brushed Plaid Coat AU$569.00.

Suede Jackets - there are some luxurious suede jackets around this Winter. They vary in price depending on faux or real. I love the Max Drape Front Moss Jacket below.
Top row; Portmans Hollywood Highlights Suede Jacket AU$199.95 (currently 30% off this), Ezibuy Capture Suede Jacket $125.00, Max Drape Front Suede Jacket $349.99.
​Bottom row; Decjuba Suedette Jacket AU$169.95 (currently AU$50 off this price), Witchery Suede Biker $599.00.

Bomber Jackets - a bomber is a very laid back style, but with a printed or sequinned bomber you can dress it up, check out below. 
​Top row; Country Road Bomber Jacket $171.75 (on sale), Cotton On Femme Quilted Bomber $69.95, Forever New Donna Bomber Jacket AU$109.99.
​Bottom row; ASOS Daisy Street Sequin Bomber $120.60, ​Esprit Quilted Bomber Jacket AU$99.95.

How to style your Jacket.
To add a little sparkle to your daytime drudgery try the ASOS Sequin Bomber with Coated Jeans and Sneakers.
​ASOS Daisy Street Sequin Bomber $120.60, Cloud Nine Creative Marble Silver Tassel Bracelet $49.00, Decjuba Zada Top AU$49.95, snkr New Balance Womens 996 Black $159.99​, Cotton On Deluxe Coated Jean Black Moto $49.95, Decjuba Mia Front Zip Bucket Bag AU$79.95.​

For a bohemian date night try the Max Suede Jacket with a feminine printed dress.
​Max Drape Front Suede Jacket $349.99, Witchery Print Dress $169.90, Cotton On Mac Structured Cross Body Bag $29.95, CR Beaded Tube Earrings $64.90, Merchant Buzzard Ankle Boot $279.90​.

I am trying to wear more colour this Winter, I wear colourful tops and dresses in Summer, but my Winter wardrobe does tend to be a bit muted. I think colour can really help to lift your mood and your complexion, and I am on a mission to not wear black or grey (on top), but to try and incorporate any sort of colour into my daytime look.

Unfortunately this season when I am at the shops for my blog I do not see a lot of colour. There tends to be a lot of grey, black or very autumnal muted tones! Luckily, two Kiwi designers offer up some beautiful, affordable, colourful pieces for us to choose from. 

Augustine - is designed by Kelly Coe, who started her label at the age of 26. There are two brands within the company; Augustine was established in 2008 to fill the gap in the market for special-occasion-wear for women who wanted stylish, unique and original clothing with a pretty difference. These women didn't want to shop at a chain-store, yet didn't want to pay the hefty price tag of high-end designer wear.

Augustine is full of colour, playfulness, embellishments, sparkle and fun. Augustine means dresses for weddings, races and big nights out, as well as luxe day-wear tops, skirts and tunics that make women look colourful and vibrant during the day.

Then in 2013, Kelly launched casual sister label 'Charlo'. Charlo is a day-wear label with an edge. It's practical, comfortable and effortless, whilst still pretty and feminine. It is pieces that mums can wear for the school drop off, and yet still look dressy enough to meet friends for lunch. 
​
​Augustine & Charlo left to right; Augustine Copper Blaze Swetshirt Hot Pink $159.00, Augustine Ricky Swing Top $169.00 (in store 20 May), ​Charlo Every Love Cardi Fluro Stripe $169.00.

Ketz-Ke - In 2006 Auckland based designer Jenny Drury saw a gap in the Australasian market between boutique and streetwear with feminine styling and a distinctive creative edge, so she created Ketz-Ke, to offer quality, casual, style led contemporary women's clothing that stands out from the crowd. The label quickly developed an avid fan base that delighted in the brands fantastic fit, distinctive colour's, versatile fabrics and reasonable price points. 

After four highly successful seasons Jenny created a trans-seasonal basics range (Ketz-Ke ESSENTIALS) and later expanded the labels offering with a small selection of sophisticated garments, known as Ketz-ke BLACK on top of their ever popular accessories range of bags and belts. Ketz-Ke is available in over 95 retail outlets in NZ and internationally. 

Ketz-Ke left to right; Ketz-Ke Cape jumper $169.00, Ketz-Ke Promenade Top $145.00, ​Ketz-Ke Dot Dot Dot Top $145.00.

Both designers produce small numbers of items, and have a loyal following, and their collections sell out quite quickly. See below for some of my favourite pieces from these gorgeous New Zealand Designers, and check out their websites for more choices and stockists.
Augustine
Ketz-Ke

Here's how I'd style a couple of their pieces...
​For a fun night out with the girls team a sequin sparkly Augustine Copper Blaze Sweatshirt with; Witchery Zip Coated Jean $159.90, Country Road Half Orb Earring $41.18, Merchant Kruger Ankle Boot $224.93, Country Road Half Orb Earring $41.18. Witchery & Country Road currently have 25% off.

Add a pop of colour to your 9-5 look; Country Road Ponte Skirt $67.43 (currently 25% off), Ketz-Ke Promenade Top $145.00, Witchery Sleeveless Vest $169.90 and Elliot Flat $159.90, Country Road Daisy Necklace $48.68 and Country Road Daisy Ring $41.18. Witchery & Country Road currently have 25% off.