It’s not often the words affordability and comfort find their way into the critique of a catwalk show, but the worlds of fashion and affordability collided as the ‘Love Living in Emerson’ runway show debuted in Sydney last weekend. The Weekly’s fashion team specialises in showing you how to be stylish at any age, and […]

I was 39 years old when my husband died unexpectedly in his sleep. It was the shock of a lifetime. He was my love, my rock, a crucial part of my life and our children’s future, and in an instant, he was gone. A few weeks after his death, I received a letter from my […]

It was certainly a stand out on the night of the Royal Wedding and it seems Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge’s dress has not lost its touch. Just six weeks after going on display at Buckingham Palace, more than 350,000 people have lined up to see the wedding gown by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. […]

Big is beautiful but fat should not be in fashion. That statement, made by The Australian’s fashion editor Damien Woolnough last week, sparked fierce debate in The Weekly office. It started with Myer’s plus-size runway show at Fashion Festival Sydney, showcasing their size 16-24 clothes. While most of the models in the show were professional […]

Childbirth is a miraculous thing, but would you like to see it on television? If not, keep the remote handy tonight because a Sydney fertility clinic is launching a new ad that features a real woman giving birth. The advertisement for Genea, formerly Sydney IVF, shows a New Zealand woman giving birth to her fourth […]

The thought of buying clothes alongside my fruit and veg at my local supermarket isn’t exactly inspiring. Broccoli, check. Tampons, check. Toothpaste, check. A new swimsuit, check. Hardly lust-worthy is it? However — and this is a big however coming from someone who loves shopping at high-end boutiques, with their scented candles burning, the quiet […]

Are you one of those people who feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get things done? Well, as strange as it sounds, a personal concierge might just be the answer. They can take care of everything from taking the dog to the vet to buying birthday presents. Personal concierge Debbie […]

Overprotective parents are raising a generation of anti-social, obese and excessively cautious children, experts have claimed. Two parenting experts discussed the impact of ‘hovering helicopter parents’ in an article in the American Journal of Play. The claim that today’s children have virtually no opportunity for unsupervised ‘free play’, leaving them prone to obesity, poor physical […]

Placing children in the care of the teenager next door or a trusted young relative has long been a preferred alternative to hiring expensive agency-provided babysitters, both by money-conscious parents and teens looking to pocket some extra cash. But nanny agencies are calling for the NSW government to enforce a minimum age for child minders, […]

Sonia Kruger is trying to find another word for miracle. “I don’t really want to call it a miracle dress,” insists the stunning blonde as she twirls in a little black dress that makes her already small waist look even tinier. “Can you think of a better word than ‘miracle’?” The little black dress Sonia, […]

Parents have been warned of the dangers of social networking for years but now there is yet another reason to keep you kids offline — a new study has found that teenagers who use sites like Facebook and Twitter are more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs than those who abstain. Researchers from the National […]

Testosterone has been getting teenage boys in trouble for centuries, but modern teens are in more danger than those in the past. A new study has found that today’s young men reach sexual maturity at 18 years old, four years earlier than males of 1800. But while their bodies are all grown up, modern teens’ […]

When it comes to a healthy heart, a happy marriage may be the key but when it comes to keeping weight off marriage doesn’t necessarily help, according to two separate studies. The results of both studies relied heavily on gender. The first study by the University of Rochester found that happily wedded people who undergo […]

They say you come for the winter, but stay for summer. Shonagh Walker finds herself loving every second of her summer in Vail, Colorado.

It has been 55 years since Yves Saint Laurent first sent pants down the runway, and while it has become de rigueur to see women wearing trousers to work, tuxedos out at night and jeans on the weekend, this season sees a new crop of pants take centre stage. Forget the usual classic straight legged […]

Teenagers have been nearly impossible to drag out of bed on school mornings for decades — and now it appears there might be method in their madness. A new study conducted by the University of California has shown that students learn better if classes start later in the morning. Related: Parents fed up with breastfeeding […]

She hasn’t exactly got it right every time, but it seems that when it comes to Anne Hathaway’s favourite style icon, Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge can do no wrong. The actress has praised the princess for her “ladylike” dress sense, telling USA Today she was setting the standard for a new “anti-Hollywood” look. “Can […]

Parents of teenagers spend most of their time trying to stop their kids having sex with their girlfriend or boyfriend — but a new study suggests parents might be better off just letting it happen. Researchers from the University of Texas have found that sexually active teens in committed relationships are less likely to engage […]

How much do you fight with your spouse? Do you fight like cats and dogs or are your arguments limited to a few small tiffs? Either way, a new study has found that the current level of conflict probably won’t change throughout the relationship and heavily impacts on overall happiness. The US study found that […]

Twittering and texting are taking over our social lives. So what are the rules – and pitfalls – of this new digital era? June Dally-Watkins has been the high priestess of Australian etiquette and deportment for 50 years and, quite frankly, she’s appalled by the state of things. Sick of being knocked in the street […]

The old saying “nice guys finish last” may still ring true when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder, but new research has found nice guys still finish ahead of women. A US study has found that men with disagreeable personalities out-earn men with agreeable personalities by about 18 percent where disagreeable women, on the […]

Fed up with flavourless mass market lemons? The Weekly's gardening expert Jackie French tells you how to grow your own luscious lemons.

A toy that allows children to simulate breastfeeding is causing controversy ahead of its US launch this week. The Breast Milk Baby, manufactured by Spanish toy company Berjuan, was originally called Bebe Gloton which translates to “greedy baby.” Aimed at little girls, the baby doll is programmed to make sucking sounds and motions when it […]

Kate Middleton has received yet another prestigious title, now recognised by Vanity Fair as one of the best dressed women in the world. The Duchess of Cambridge joined the magazine’s coveted International Best Dressed list following a succession of sartorial wins on her recent tour of North America with Prince William. The judging panel praised […]

There’s no doubt supermodel and new mum Miranda Kerr stole the show at the David Jones Spring/Summer 2011 Fashion Launch. But which Aussie celebrity stole the spotlight on the red carpet? Everyone from Lara Bingle to Tina Arena turned out to the fashion event, but who nailed their red carpet look? Flick through the red […]

To me, my mother had the perfect wedding dress. It was a dress I would have worn myself if I hadn’t grown-up to tower over her, and a dress that in my mind, no-one else could top, until Catherine Middleton wore a better version of it on her wedding day. When it comes to the […]

Three outstanding international attractions have made Melbourne Australia's top destination for a long weekend away this winter.

Has it been weeks since your partner saw you in anything other than your warmest winter woollies? Anna Warwick asks dating expert Della Cory for her tips for spicing up a wintery romance. Date night: An oldie but a goodie. It’s tempting to flop on the couch and go to bed early, but if you […]

Australians need to be pickier if they want to find true love, a dating guru has warned. They need to decide what they want, what their deal breakers are and be less random and reliant on chance when it comes to finding a partner, says John Aiken, the best-selling relationship adviser to a top online […]

A study in the UK suggests men are catching up with women in their devotion to domestic duties, but it only takes a bit of digging to uncover that blokes still have a long way to go before they are doing their fair share of chores. Numbers from the Office for National Statistics indicate men […]

It’s a conundrum for every woman who wants her pretty daughter to grow into a confident woman: should she tell her she’s beautiful, or should she ignore her beauty and compliment her other, more lasting gifts — her intelligence, her creativity, or her sense of humour? According to Lisa Bloom, author of Think: Straight Talk […]

We may live in a country where our version of a ‘cold’ winter is usually warmer than springtime in Paris, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need (or want) a great coat to rug up in while we (mildly) freeze on nights out, or on the way to work in the morning. The three key […]

Proper vegie gardens are long neat beds, with rows of cabbages or lettuce and obediently staked tomatoes. They can look both ludicrous and productive. There’s a long tradition, in fact, of “potager” gardens, vegies planted with an eye to beauty as well as usefulness, spirals set in stone or pebbles, circles like small vegie fountains […]

Women are terrific at sharing their fears, hopes, failures and successes with our girlfriends, sisters and mums. We pour our hearts out to those we trust, in a way that men can barely fathom. It is a wonderful way to cope with life’s inevitable ups and downs. But one area we still consider off-limits is […]

When Pippa Middleton stepped out onto the red carpet outside Westminster Abbey in April, men around the world gasped. Wearing a slim-fitting white Alexander McQueen dress, Pippa strode forward to help her sister Kate with her train, giving waiting photographers a perfect view of her perfect rear end. Within hours, that derriere had its own […]

It is no secret that Australia has an obesity problem, having pipped the US to become the world’s fattest nation in 2008. But many people would be shocked to discover that severely obese children are being admitted to hospital at an alarming rate. In pictures: How to lose kilos without noticing Victoria’s Royal Children’s Hospital […]

Police swooped on the home of a Victorian woman last week, after she ‘jokingly’ offered her children for sale on eBay. The unnamed woman, who is in her early 30s and lives near Geelong, posted pictures of her son and daughter on the internet auction site alongside a “lengthy sales pitch”. In pictures: Ten things […]

Fences keep out next door’s dog and give us privacy, but they can be beautiful too. Gardening expert Jackie French tells you how to make your fence a feature of your backyard. The flower-covered fence: My dream fence is covered in mandevilla, with is shiny green leaves and white flowers with what is possibly the […]

Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives by Helen O’Neill, Hardie Grant, $69.95. Helen O’Neill’s sumptuous coffee table book on Australia’s home design queen Florence Broadhurst first came out in 2006 and this new deluxe edition is bigger with much more of a design focus. Aficionados will notice more of Broadhurst’s signature prints and patterns […]

The Weekly’s Market Editor Olivia Fleming on Catherine’s transformation from dull to dashing in just a few weeks. When I was a little girl, dreaming of becoming a princess revolved solely around images of me in sartorial heaven. I didn’t care about the prince, the castle, or even the fairy godmother. For me it was […]

Have you noticed time alone with your husband now consists of discussing nappy changing rosters, or your boyfriend has bought you household appliances for the fifth birthday running? There’s an old adage that if a relationship isn’t growing, at best it’s stagnant and at worse it’s dying. Once you’re comfortable in a relationship it’s easy […]

Kids have been trying to find fame on Youtube since Justin Bieber made it big in 2009, but the latest trend is raising more than a few parental eyebrows — meet the baby beauty bloggers. Tech-savvy toddlers are jumping on the beauty pageant bandwagon, recently popularised by TV show Toddlers & Tiaras, and seeking their […]

One mother recalls the overwhelming joy of successfully adopting a baby girl. It was the call I’d been waiting years to receive. “You have a daughter, she’s 11 months old and her name is Hai Yan,” the adoption caseworker said. I recorded the few available details — weight, height, number of teeth (four) — and […]

Australia has the third-lowest adoption rate in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – but why? The OECD has 34 member countries, including the UK, US, Canada, France and Germany, as well as developing nations like Chile, Turkey and Mexico. Advocates say there are several reasons for this. 1. The system is haphazard […]

Inter-country adoption is a complicated issue – here are some facts and figures about Australian international adoptions. In 2010, 197 children from overseas were adopted by Australian families, down from 434 in 2004-05. At the end of the year, a total Australian 963 applications were waiting at overseas placement agencies . Of the 197 placements […]

Deborra-Lee Furness raises two adopted children with her husband Hugh Jackman. Here, she talks about why adoption is important. I was asked to write a short piece about why I think adoption is important. I can’t think of anything more important than ensuring that every child in this world has at least one person who […]

The Weekly’s Executive Editor Juliet Rieden recalls working under a boss so demanding she made Meryl Streep’s The Devil Wears Prada character look warm and friendly. Breeding the competitive spirit into a mean fighting machine was the ruling dogma at one of the most challenging workplaces I have experienced, a British newspaper office, and in […]

Good manners are something we should all be using everyday and now, with the introduction of mobile phones, we have a new type of etiquette to be mindful of: phone etiquette. It’s one thing to be polite, but each new technology brings new challenges to etiquette, and having good phone etiquette affects almost all Australians […]

There is every chance the toddlers of today will grow up never having pressed a button on a phone. For them, pressing buttons — a much-loved pursuit of many children — has been replaced with brushing their finger along an iPad or iPhone screen. They will never know a time when information isn’t instantaneous, and […]

Elle Macpherson, who first catapulted onto the world stage almost three decades ago when she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, will turn 50 years old tomorrow. And she still looks amazing. Nicknamed “the body” in the late eighties, Elle became a household name and was one of the first beautiful women to […]

Flowerbeds generally fall into two categories: weed-filled or wonderful. Weeds are always waiting to pounce on flowerbeds. They grow faster than flowers and cope with heat, cold and drought better. So how do you keep your flowerbeds stunning but weed-free? Follow these steps and you’ll have a spectacular garden in no time. 1. Don’t be […]

For the first time in decades, the average age of first time mothers is declining — why do you think women are having children younger? In the past, women have delayed motherhood to focus on a career, travel or simply to develop their relationship without the distraction of little ones — but this is starting […]

The Weekly’s Market Editor Olivia Fleming on how you can bag a designer-inspired outfit for less at your local charity shop. When my editor came up with the idea of shooting our June fashion story in head-to-toe (no cheating) op-shop pieces, I bravely (and a little bit sceptically) rose to the challenge. In pictures: Top […]

Perhaps it’s just me but is anyone else losing faith in men? Is your confidence that your relationship will endure, unmarred by infidelity, for the rest of your life, rapidly diminishing? Anyone else starting to think that maybe it’s only a matter of time until it happens to you? Amid the latest reports of Arnold […]

She may be a new mum, but Miranda Kerr has stepped out in the latest craze sweeping the red carpet — the cut-out dress. Showing lots of skin and with an obvious glow, Miranda shows just how to wear this trend that’s already been tried and tested by JLo, Halle Berry and Kim Kardashian. But […]

Long before their fairytale wedding, Prince William and Kate Middleton were happily part of the 2.7 million British couples living together in a de facto relationship. In breaking with royal tradition, William and Kate embraced the practice of ‘shacking up’ from the very start of their relationship, proving themselves just like every other young couple […]

The weather is getting colder and once again, we have nothing to wear – but this year looking great doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Westfield stylist Jo Blankfield says this season’s new trends are not only easy to incorporate into your wardrobe – they also compliment last year’s trends. Her first piece of advice? […]

Children as young as two are being prescribed anti-depressants. Elizabeth Burke looks at the arguments for and against medicating sad children. When anti-depressant drugs like Prozac and Zoloft became mainstream in the late 90s there was outcry against the desensitisation of people, a loss of dealing with human issues without drugging and sedating, and of […]

Ever had one of those days? Things are out of control at home, the house is a mess, you're struggling to get the dinner on the table and the kids keep wrestling and fighting on the sofa.

The good news is that men will one day do as much housework as women. The bad news is that day is 39 years away. An international study by academics at Oxford University in the UK found that, if men continue to pick up household chores at their current rate, they will be doing their […]

The Weekly’s Deputy Editor Jo Wiles on why we shouldn’t be shocked by the thigh-grazing mini-skirts proudly worn by today’s young women. I’m accustomed to seeing legs. And, flesh. And, pelmet-skimming skirts. As an art student in the late sixties — the heyday of the mini, Mary Quant, Biba and The Beatles, I showed so […]

Jamie Durie has travelled the world but he’s never found anywhere like Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island. I’ve been to New Zealand more than 15 times but every time I go back, I’m blown away all over again by the rare forms of plant life found there, the friendly people and the spectacular cities […]

Every woman wants their wedding to be unique and special, but in this day and age is it actually possible to pull off an original wedding without being called a copycat? “Wedding poaching” is on the rise and from the flowers to the wedding album, more and more couples are poaching ideas from other weddings […]

As the sex scandal surrounding the International Monetary Fund chief rages on, Bryce Corbett questions whether the French have it right when it comes to sexual mores. The arrest in New York at the weekend of International Monetary Fund chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has caused shockwaves around the world, and once again raised the topic of […]

A US woman provoked outrage across the world last week when she admitted to injecting her eight-year-old daughter with Botox on national television. Kerry Campbell was unrepentant in the interview, claiming her daughter Britney had asked for the anti-wrinkle injections to boost her confidence in child beauty pageants. ”It’s a tough world in the pageant […]

In summer, red-hot pokers are, well, just too red, and sometimes yellow too — great lumbering things with blooms often more than a metre high, that look gaudy in all the summer glare. Yes, they’re hardy — so indestructible they really need a semi-trailer to back over them to daunt them. But despite their magnificence, […]

According to matchmaker Della Cory, affluent baby boomers (men and women over 55) are quickly becoming the largest population of singles in Australia. “If you’re a mature, affluent single, finding the right partner can be difficult,” Cory says. With nearly 20 years’ experience introducing people, Cory has some fascinating insights into what the former “free-loving” […]

Australian Fashion Week has come to a close, and with it we have no doubt about what we’ll be wearing this coming summer. While Australian designers don’t particularly set the trends on the international stage, instead taking inspiration from their European counterparts (from the bright colour-blocking of Jil Sander to the minimalism of Celine), they […]

She is barely out of nappies and according to recent pictures still sucks a dummy, but that doesn’t make Suri Cruise any less stylish. The five-year-old daughter to Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise has come in at number 21 in Glamour magazine’s best-dressed women poll for 2011. Suri has beaten the likes of reality TV […]

Women are neglecting their ‘feminine side’, says Australia’s longest-serving matchmaker. Yvonne Allen, who started her agency in the 1970s, has told The Australian Women’s Weekly that modern women are losing the skills of attracting and keeping love. They are also too fussy, and are demanding perfection from men even though they are far from perfect […]

The woman behind Catherine Middleton’s wedding dress reportedly believes her late mentor Alexander McQueen is speaking to her from beyond the grave. Sarah Burton was McQueen’s protégé, and took over his fashion house after his suicide in February, 2010. Sarah, who designed both of Catherine’s wedding dresses and Pippa’s much-admired bridesmaid gown, is one of […]

Anneliese Seubert was a 15-year-old schoolgirl living in Cooma when she gave in to her friend’s nagging and entered a magazine modelling contest in 1989. Just two years later she was strutting the catwalks of Paris, New York and Milan for some of the world’s top designers including Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld, Givenchy and Calvin […]

Sydneysiders beware. Fashionistas venturing into the CBD today should be armed with protective padding, comfortable footwear, plenty of fluids to keep up stamina, and of course — the trusty credit card. Zara has landed and if the crowds at last night’s frenzied launch party and VIP shopping night were anything to go by, the hype […]

A New Zealand town is offering discounted holidays to Australians who need a break after the recent spate of natural disasters.

Tucked away in the national park just a few kilometres from Hastings Street, Noosa Springs Resort is the perfect spot for some holiday indulgence.

Autumn’s leaves have fallen, the garden is looking bare, and those pots of bright blooms in the supermarket look terribly tempting. Should you … or shouldn’t you? The case for buying potted bloomers Potted flowers will usually stay bright and blooming for longer than a bunch of flowers. With luck your potted bloomers will give […]

From 9am Wednesday the countdown will be over, Zara’s first Australian store will open its doors in Sydney. The store, located on Pitt Street within the new Westfield Sydney, offers a customised fashion range in woman’s, men’s and children’s clothing. A Melbourne store is also in the works to be opened on Bourke Street within […]

They cause more injuries to women than contact sports but it takes more than a cautionary tale, or even a nasty fall to get some women to climb down from their towering high heels. Women in the magazine world — coined “clackers” for the sound their heels make on the floors of publishing houses in […]

As the lift pings to signify my arrival at the lingerie floor of David Jones, I break out into a cold sweat. For me, underwear shopping is a nightmare. Everything looks sexy in an A-cup, but by the time I wrest an E from the back of the rack (if the style goes past a […]

While women are assumed to be the bigger spenders of the household and less fond of budgeting their finances than men, there was little evidence to support this preconception — until now.

A new US study has found that new mothers of young children are heavier and eat more fatty and high-sugar foods than women without children. The University of Minnesota researchers collected data from 1520 adults with an average age of 25, including parents with children younger than five years old, and found that parents were […]

Is your wardrobe in need of a serious fashion renovation, but you don’t have the space in your cupboard or you can’t afford to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on new-season fashion? We’ve found eight failsafe ways to help you trade in your pre-loved clothing and make a little extra cash for new […]

Radio host Jackie O has sparked a public row about parenting, with several high-profile women jumping to condemn or defend her. Jackie attracted criticism last week when a newspaper columnist complained she had returned to work too soon after giving birth to her daughter Kitty last December. Related: Helping your kids deal with disasters New […]

To help you make the most of your wardrobe staples, save a few hundred dollars each year and build a wardrobe full of wearables, follow these quick tips and tricks. Garment care instructions It’s important to look after the items in your wardrobe so always read the garment care instructions before washing. Dry cleaning Research […]

When Julie Hawkins’ third child was born, she and her husband thought they had “struck gold”. Unlike her two older siblings, baby Sarah was quiet, laid-back and had no problem sleeping for hours on end. But as their “perfect child” started to grow up, Julie began to notice that something might be wrong. In pictures: […]

It is a fashion truth universally acknowledged that women of a “certain age” should keep their cleavage and thighs to themselves. But to celebrity stylist Gok Wan, ankle-length skirts and billowy blouses belong in a Jane Austen novel and nowhere near the modern-day woman. This season’s hot colour: white “There is no such thing as […]

From spectacular scenery, fine restaurants, island retreats, ski resorts and White Christmases, British Columbia and Alberta serve up a tantalising array of tourism options.

To the delight of fashionistas, everyday women and fans of the TV showHow to Look Good Naked, UK fashion guru Gok Wan launched his Westfield Style tour on Wednesday. Kicking things off at the Pitt Street Mall Sydney store, Gok got his tour off to a cheeky start by de-robing four models to reveal the […]

eBay’s style director recently described reusing clothes as “the height of chic”. Here’s how to customise your hand-me-downs to make them fashionable and fantastic for the next generation. Add fad An old shirt or singlet can be made funky and new (not to mention completely unique) with a few embellishments. Stick buttons, sequins, beading or […]

An ottoman is one of the most versatile furniture pieces in the home, acting as a footrest, coffee table or seat. So if yours has seen better days, perk it up with this vibrantly zingy new coat, edged with pompom braid for extra pizzazz. Ottoman Fabric – measure across and down in both directions of […]

To turn a plain lampshade into something special, wrap it in stunning fabric and trim with a quirky braid. Drum lampshade Fabric Coordinated braid Double-sided tape Scissors Note: Fabric and braid quantities depend on the size of your shade. How to make it: Measure circumference – seam to seam – and depth of shade, then […]

The young Elizabeth Taylor will always be remembered as the epitome of glamour, perhaps not entirely for her wardrobe the way Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly are, but for her poised sex appeal, which made her a style icon in her own right. These days however, when it comes to the art of sexy dressing, […]

The past five months have seen floods, tsunamis and earthquakes decimate towns and cities across the world. With rolling news coverage and live video streams bringing images of the despair and destruction into our homes, it is easy to forget the impact such things can have on children. Even if kids are thousands of kilometres […]

Tired of working your hands to the bone scrubbing dirty clothes over and over again? Follow these tips and you’ll spend more time relaxing and less time in the laundry. Grass If the kids have been playing football again (and destroying their clothes in the process), sponge with water then rubbing alcohol (or surgical spirit) […]

Mia Freedman, journalist and author of the Mamamia lifestyle/culture/current affairs blog for modern women shares her top wardrobe secret. “Sometimes, I like to ‘go shopping’ in my wardrobe. I do this several times a year and I never fail to unearth some excellent bargains. Apparently, we all wear 10 per cent of our wardrobe 90 […]

All your friends are buying houses with their significant other, so how can you secure a home loan on your own?

Stay on a remote south coast NSW island in an historic lighthouse cottage with only fairy penguins, a resident colony of playful seals and passing whales as neighbours.

The day William and Kate announced their engagement a new breed of woman was born – the 'Harry Hunters', who have one goal in mind: to meet, seduce and marry William's younger brother Prince Harry.

Is something always getting in the way of you and your saving efforts? Two words, term deposit.