Flemington Autumn Fashion Instagram Competition

Recognising that the vast majority of us are Instagram addicts (not me - damn Windows 7 Nokia!), the VRC have introduced an ingenious competition for the Festival of Racing which makes great use of our smart phone-assisted photography habit.The Flemington Autumn Fashion Instagram competition invites anyone* - male or female - with an Instagram account to enter. The steps to do so are simple:1. Dress in your finest autumn racewear (that means no straw hats, ladies! Felt, fabric and leather only).2. Take a full-length snap, and make sure you include both your millinery and your shoes.3. Follow @flemingtonvrc on Instagram.4. Upload your photo to your own Instagram account, tagging @flemingtonvrc and using the hashtag #MyerBGFL.5. Make sure your account is not set to "private".*Please note: as per new VRC rules, commercial designers and milliners, and their immediate families or households are ineligible to enter.Apart from obtaining Instagram glory, reasons why you should enter include the following incredible prizes: a night for two people at the swanky Sofitel Melbourne on Collins; two tickets to the Myer Beautiful Girls Fashion Lunch on March 5, including transfers and a meet and greet with the beautiful Myer ambassadors (think hunky Kris Smith!); and a much-required $500 shopping spree at Myer so you can dress to impress for the occasion!Entries are open right now, and will remain open until 9am on Tuesday, February 25, 2014. For full terms and conditions, click here.Good luck, and we're looking forward to meeting the winner at the Myer Beautiful Girls Fashion Lunch!Photo credits: Flemington Racecourse VRC Facebook page.By Lisa Tan.

Hunting for bargains

It's half-way into winter and I'm over the cold and dressing in five layers everyday. The latest resort collections have been shown (I'll show my resort edit soon) and I'm already dreaming of sunshine and spring! But reality sinks in and I've got a few more weeks of the cold to suffer. On the plus side its sale time and winter stock is on sale everywhere! I'm a girl with champagne tastes on a beer budget so here's my tips for maximizing and getting the most out of your fashion dollar.1. Stalk your prey. Been lusting after something? If there's still plenty on the rack play the waiting game and see if you can get it cheaper next week, or the week after... When it's the last lonely garment in your size it's time to strike!2. Check and compare prices online AND in every currency. Some online stores allow you to purchase in different currencies and from different countries' sites. It isn't necessarily the best option to buy in your home currency from your home store. Do remember to factor in exchange fees and extra postage costs.As a side note to this- if I go into a store and get great service, I believe in paying for it. It's bad manners to try things on in a shop and Google for better prices online in the change rooms.3. Sign up to mailing lists of your favourite stores and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and twitter. Loyalty programs and being the first to know about sales is valuable if you are loyal to certain brands and stores.3. Don't get swept up by a 'bargain'. If you didn't like it at full price, look away at the sale price. Just because a dress is 80% off doesn't mean it's no longer ugly.4. Buy for next season. I use sale time to buy basics for the following season.I also let items 'bake' in my wardrobe. If something is amazing a great price but doesn't work with my current look I consider buying it anyway. Some of my favourite pieces have been unworn for a year or two then 'bake' long enough to become an important and loved part of my wardrobe. The key is to remember to take it out and see how you can wear it. Re-read tip #3!Great wardrobes are built up over time, not overnight.5. Buy quality. The items that get hauled out year after year are my better quality items. That doesn't mean expensive either. I look for well made garments and natural fibres. Quality garments will also help you look more polished with less effort.Finally, accept that some items are worth eating soup for a week to own. Ok, this isn't a sale hunting tip but working in fashion I have learnt that everyone fashionable I know will cry poor, yet will still find the $$$ for a new outfit. It's all about priorities! By Angela.