All polyvores by me, click the images for more info

No, not as in working-the-streets-Maria, but simply at-work-Maria. In case you’re somewhat new here, work for me is at the fashion consultant department of Imageakademiet in Oslo, teaching PhotoShop (and sometimes other subjects) and guiding students as they work with their styling portfolios.

There is no written dresscode, but from what I can tell the message seems to be “whatever you want, as long as it’s decent and allows you to do your work properly.” Jeans and a plain cotton top is perfectly okay – this isn’t The Devil Wears Prada, after all – but more… eccentric things are definitely allowed as well. We do teach fashion, after all, so personal style is celebrated.

For my part, that means focus on the waist, slightly retro hair and makeup and shoes that allow me to easily slip in between desks to help the students. It doesn’t differ much from my usual manner of dress, to be honest, except that I leave out my shortest skirts (not good for bending over desks!) and try to keep the décolleté under control.

I also like to think my way of dressing will show the students there how much they can learn while they’re there. Although I’ve always been interested in personal style, it wasn’t until I studied at Imageakademiet myself that I became conscious of why certain colours, cuts and fabrics work so well for me, whereas others are pretty much a disaster.

At the start of my studies, I remember once, when one of our teachers was introduced for the first time, the girl next to me leaned over and whispered: You can tell she knows what looks good on her, don’t you think? And I vowed right then and there, to myself, to become just like that.

Beige is a tricky colour. Wear it right and it looks sophisticated and luxurious – wear it wrong, and you’ll look like a washed-out old aunt. At least, that was pretty much Maja‘s concern when she asked me for tips on how to wear her new beige skirt. I made some polyvores to illustrate my ideas, but to see them all you’ll have to head over to Maja’s post: How to wear a beige skirt. Yes, I can be quite the tease, can’t I?

From the 9th to the 15th of August, I’m going to Alicante, Spain with Cookie, my two other sisters and my father. I’ve been there once before – my grandmother lives there – and it’s a very nice city. There’s only one problem: the heat. You see, I’m the kind of girl who thinks 20 °C (68 °F) is perfect. Anything above that and I get grumpy, lazy and a sweaty mess. I’m trying to figure out what to pack, so I made a few Polyvores to get inspired. I didn’t use only things I own, but tried to find at least similar items, as there’s no point basing all my ideas on a red swimsuit if I don’t have one.

The top collage is my definite favourite. There’s something about black & white that makes it feel so fuss-free and elegant. I have that white blouse/shirt from H&M, it’s made of flowy chiffon, almost completely transparent, and has probably saved my life during this sometimes-steamy Oslo summer. It will wrinkle like mad in my suitcase, but ironing it using my ghd straightener fixes that in no time at all (don’t do that with silk, though!).

Yeah, that beach is in Alicante, and I’m lucky, I know. Again, this is a rather simple outfit, but I don’t like lots of accessories and complicated items when it’s so warm. I seem to be moving away from patterns nowadays (which is typical, as quite a lot of them will be everywhere come this fall), but a splash of colour is definitely needed. Preferably blues, as red clothes just make me feel even warmer – and I don’t need that!

This is my way of achieving a slightly Spanish look, but still using colours that suit me. You see, most Spanish people have a warm skin tone, so their gorgeous spicy reds and browns and greens will look all wrong on me. That green blouse works, though, and it’s made in a floaty chiffon, so I won’t melt. And how gorgeous is Camilla Belle, by the way?

Well, you can’t spend all the time at the beach, and I’ve never been one for wanting a super-tan anyway. This is what I would wear for a stroll around the city, where it’s possible to stop by a shop with air conditioning if the heat gets too bad. That blue skirt is absolutely gorgeous, just look at the way it moves! Sadly also very expensive – which I could understand if it was silk, but it’s merely polyester. Strange. I’ve got a thrifted skirt that might do the trick, though, if I can be bothered to fix it before we leave (I was wearing it as I ran into a neighbour and her adorable little dog the other day, and the dog decided to use my hem as a chewing toy. Grr.)

I’m pretty much a newbie when it comes to dressing for super-hot weather, so I could definitely use some help. Do you have any dos and don’ts for beachwear, my darlings?