Hi all and Happy 2023! We're just returned from our Australian adventure and I'm very jet lagged but wanted to get down a few thoughts I have about my style observations from our trip.

[Usual caveats - this is just my opinion, contrasting the very small sliver of Australia I experienced, against my own very small sliver of Canada. No judgements, just thoughts. Australians, I'd love your thoughts in particular about what you think.]

The trip was fabulous and definitely will not be my last. It was touching to see my DH with his siblings for a prolonged time and connecting with his childhood memories. My kids also really connected to their roots and family. And of course the places we saw were visually spectacular!

On to what I observed:

Overall Themes

• Natural hair and makeup - big caveat that we spent all our time on the coast, but there was very little heavy makeup or overly done hair. Natural was the overwhelming approach.
• Buy Australian - everyone we spoke with was very pro-buy-Australian, being very aware of which brands were made where and recommending local. Apparently this has always been the case but even moreso as a result of the pandemic.
• Quality over quantity. The people we were with, at a wide variety of budgets, all seemed willing to pay a bit more and buy a bit less, if it meants getting a bit better (or getting Australian-made).
• Outfit repeater. From the most minimalist to the most fashionista, everyone we were with repeated outfits/pieces enough that I noticed (not in a bad way - I'm very pro-outfit repetition!)
• Dress to move. Even at the New Year's party we were at, in which some attendees were a little dressier, comfy shoes and clothes that move were the name of the game. This may also be a coastal thing, and goes with the general architectural theme I saw of blending the indoors with the outdoors seamlessly.
• Hats. Australians don't mess about sun protection so hats were extremely common.

Location Specifics:

• In the Byron Bay area (we were staying in a smaller and quieter town nearby), the overwhelming uniform was linen in white, beige and black. Virutally no colour - even my quiet blues stood out. The only exception was a full on surfer look, in which case colourful surf boards and muted graphic tees were common. Shoes optional and almost never did I see a young kid with shoes on!
• In the Gold Coast area, it was a really mixed bag which I suspect reflects that vast numbers of tourists. Colour, resort looks, makeup or not, dresses. Everything went.
• In Sydney, it was also a mixed bag, but neutrals and a modern-coastal style reigned supreme from what I could see. Jeans, white shirts, beige, black, Birkenstocks. Relaxed silhouettes. Sydney is quite hilly (at least where we were) so shoes reflected this.

My purchases

Only 2! (eta - 3 actually - almost forgot these cotton cargo pants in white from Aussie less expensive brand Cotton On). A green linen shirt from my Aussie fave, Assembly Label, and a white-on-while ball cap which says Balmoral (the beach we stayed near in Sydney). This green was one of the few bold accent colours I saw more than once.

Thanks for reading if you got this far! Sorry if I'm a bit out of it for the next few days but looking forward to catching up with everyone

xx