Wednesday 2 March 2011

BETTER IN BLACK

The weeks I do my early work shifts I still go for some version of my black uniform I wrote about several years ago. Quick, easy, rather incognito, but still stylish enough considering I get up a bit after five in the morning (or, rather: at night).

Black is the great disguise, a perfect way to cover tiredness, pluffiness and bad hairdays. Sometimes in more drastic ways, sometimes in more subtle. I know for some this might not work and colours and flair may do the trick instead, but I am better in black and it has to be lots of it. Especially when getting up early in the morning, having loaded a few ships already before the average office worker has had lunch, and, especially, like here, when having to go some place and be representable in the evening.

(Cat pics added for bonus comments.)


As you know from before my basic trick is to cover my hair with my beret, and make a few big rolls in front. Basically if your hair is not too messy or dirty you could skip the beret and just do a plain chingnon in the back of your hair as the curls in front will look nice enough.

For my hair in this one I rolled four curls, all in the same direction, and secured them with one pin in the middle.

Some highlighter, a good f foundation and lipstick does the trick on my weary face, but I think the most important is to do my eyebrows - I never leave the house without a few quick lines and a brush trough on them.

For my black look I also, always, do a strong eyeliner. Another easy face-saver is to cut a piece of old false eyelashes, about 1-1,5 cm in length and glue it in the outer corner of your eye. The small pieces are really simple and quick to apply, idiot safe to so say, and gives your eyes a totally different look - perfect cat eyes!

You may have noticed, at least I have, that most of my hint and tutorials always contains the words "easy" and "quick" - I like to be fancy, you know that, but I like to get away with as little effort as possible, unless the occasion is very special, then it doesn't matter. But my poiint is that you don't have to have all the time and skill in the world for a nice look!

The dress is an old knitted one from H&M. You've seen it in drawn sometimes in the very beginning of this blog.

Edit : OK; I have to add as you all seem to read the post this way - I do not look like this at five in the morning, of course not! I put on my black stuff yes - the "uniform" I refer and link to or a black dress- but come on, I work in the harbour, outside, no false lash bits or hair rolls... This is after work, when tired and having to go somewhere! But maybe one is not very good at expressing oneself late in the evening when having woken up some 18 hours earlier :)

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love black too - but tell me, is this your look for AFTER work or before?? :o
I feel sorry for anyone getting up at 5am in such cold weather as you Finns have been having! Roll on Spring!
Claire

The Freelancer's FashionBlog said...

This was for going somewhere in the evening afterwards and have to look representable :)

VildesVerden said...

The dress is really pretty.

satu said...

You look stunning as always.
Really like the hair do, must try that some day!

And thank you for all the tips that contain the words easy and quick! those are the best, when one has to be somewhat human looking right in the morning at work,
and really don't want to spend too much time in the morning.

Stephanie Lynn said...

You look lovely, especially for 5 am! I'm so not a morning person. I think perhaps I need a great black day dress. All my lbds are too evening to wear to work.

Rose said...

You look lovely as always - and I really have to try that hair!

Also your cats - I absolutely love your cats. They always look so suave and mysterious!

Miss Tami Lee said...

I too value head scarves for lazy hair days :)

Anonymous said...

Perfect look :)

Elina said...

Snyggt! Och så rätt. Helsvart outfit är så enkelt och funkar alltid. Mitt enkla trick för trötta ögon är snygga glasögon. Nu måste jag i och för sig ha glasögon på jobbet då jag sitter framför datorn hela dagarna, rätt behändigt :)

Unknown said...

I have been doing the same thing. When you're up that early in the morning, it's the easiest thing to throw on and still look like you spent time pulling something together.

mary van note said...

I love this! The sleeves on the dress are great, and I love your curls. Thanks so much for the fake lashes tip. Such a good idea!!!

Malayka said...

Great outfit. Ha ha I love that you say this look makes you incognito... I couldn't imagine that you and incognito would ever fit in the same sentence! I'm sure that you always look stunning and stand out in a crowd!
x

The Freelancer's FashionBlog said...

Thank you all & you're welcome with the small tips.
But, I have to point out that I work in the harbour, I'm such a butch there you can't believe it; the lashes and rolls come on AFTER work :)

Anonymous said...

That's a look I would leave the house in, too, at such an hour, but although you say it all works quick and easy at five o'clock in the morning that 'd be to much for me. you look gorgeous though.

Miss Margarita said...

Very nice outfit, as I've commented before I'm a huge fan of all black! And as always, lovely hairdo :)

Miss M
http://missmargaritas.blogspot.com/

melina bee said...

such a cute outfit, very vintage french.

Curious what you do in the harbor, esp since it requires looking "butch" you mentioned ships and I am wondering if you load freight? b/c damn girl, you must have some very strong arms if that is the case. is working at the harbor your secret to staying in shape for burlesque?

germangreeneyedmonster said...

another big advantage of wearing black - you have black cats so the fur doesn't show too much (my cat is white...) :-)

http://germangreeneyedmonster.blogspot.com/

ina said...

Dina katter är så söta ;D

esme and the laneway said...

Hey I totally believed you looked this put together at 5am :) You look great! I love your dramatic eyes. Mine (even with fasle lashes etc) always seem to look relatively, um, less dramatic, I suppose (!) but maybe that's my black hair...

Good luck with those 5am starts. It must be nicer going into Spring, at least :)

www.janetteria.com said...

Lovely look, darling Ulrika!

Anonymous said...

You have amazing style, whatever you wear. Breathtaking!

As for your cat, glad it's not a white one!

The Retro Natural said...

I get up early to prettify myself at 5 am lol but I have to be at my office job at 8:30 and I commute in Los Angeles traffic which is disgusting!

But I do it anyway because I just happen to feel better when I feel I look nice. I look like hell at 5 am but at 6:45 am I look great! :)

germangreeneyedmonster said...

by the way, I have given you another "Stylish Blogger Award" :-)

http://germangreeneyedmonster.blogspot.com/2011/03/stylish-blog-award-my-seven.html

Désirée said...

Du är alltid så stilig, tjejen!

style meerkat said...

you look amazing :D great post

http://stylemeerkat.blogspot.com/

<3