WHAT I WORE IN MOSTAR FOR WONDERFULLY WARM AND SUNNY AUTUMN DAYS

 Hello readers and fellow bloggers! Happy Sunday! In this post, I'll share three warm Autumn outfits I wore for strolling around Mostar city. Today is quite cold and cloudy for our Mediterranean standards, so the plan is to stay in and catch up with blogging. I've had a pretty eventful weekend so far. Weekend sometimes seem to just fly by, don't they? We often try to make up for the things we didn't do during the week, especially us ladies. We try to fit in all in- to clean the house, do chores and that sort of things. Sometimes weekends can even be tiring. There are conferences and meetings to attend. Learning how to shut down and rest properly can be a challenge. Life gets busy, and sometimes the older we get, the more busy it becomes. That's why I'm so grateful for these little outings I do, being a tourist in my own city and country- that sort of thing. I sometimes feel like I mastered sustainable and local travel. The challenge is just finding the time to do it, but  that's a part of the life. 

My last post was about Malta, today we're back in Mostar, the city I live and work in (most of the time).  Being the the largest city in the Herzegovina region, Mostar is the business, administrative, cultural, educational and tourist centre of the Herzegovina region. Many people visit this city to admire its beauty! You can visit it virtually with me. It feels good to look back on lovely moments captured on camera, reflect on and write about them. I remember when I've just started blogging and how blog posts used to be quite long. I found very serious topics posted in what you could call 'outfits or travel posts'. Women and men talking about their health, work and other challenges. When it comes to non profit or hobby blogs (not sure what to call us), the writing found on them is often more personal. I guess that is something I've always loved about blogging, that personal dimension. 

THIS BRIGHT ORANGE SCHOOL DATING TO 19 CENTURY AND BUILT BY THE AUSTRIAN EMPIRE IS POSSIBLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDING IN MOSTAR CITY

 If you visit Mostar, this historical school painted brightly orange and yellow is a one of the places you should definitely pay a visit. I'm pretty sure that it is on most 'must see in Mostar' lists. Located on the Spanish square, it draws the eye with its beauty. Indeed, you could say that the Spanish square is dominated by this historical school constructed during the rule of Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

Honestly, this is probably my favourite historical building in Mostar. It was build in 1890ties. It is know as the Old Gymnasium (because it really is old) but it is actually called Gymnasium Mostar. Within these walls, United World Collage is also situated. In addition, in the back of the building, you can find American Corner. 

I DID SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THIS OLD GYMNASIUM AND HAPPENED ON A RATHER LONG ARTICLE ON WIKIPEDIA

Wikipedia is not always reliable, especially when it comes to recent history (at times you can find a lot of inaccuracies on this site). Still, it's a good place to browse as a means of being directed to pages that contain actual research, and to find sources. The rather long article I read about the old Gymnasium was very interesting, though. I hope to read more about it from books and other more in-depth materials. I will quote a bit of information from Wikipedia for those who want to know more about: 

 The National Government would only allow a lower gymnasium, but the superior Ministry of Finance of Austria-Hungary ordered that the new school be a full gymnasium and opened within 1893. 

....The school was opened on 26 October 1893 and, despite concerns raised by the National Government, it enrolled members of all of Bosnia and Herzegovina's religious groups: Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Muslims and Jews.^[1] 

The Minister of Finance Béni Kállay took it upon himself to provide the gymnasium with a proper building. The first design was offered by the Czech architect Max David in 1897, but Kállay turned it down and gave the project to another Czech architect, František Blažek.^[4]

 The first half of the gymnasium was completed in 1898 and the second in 1902.

 Featuring Andalusian and Mamluk elements as an example of Moorish Revival architecture, the building..... is the result of Austro-Hungarian desire to create.... " European fantasy". The gymnasium is thus of historic value and is considered a national monument.^[6]

 The first girls to enroll the school, in 1905, were Jewish sisters Marija (1894–1987) and Berta Bergman (1892–1945), later a university professor and a physician respectively. Marija was, for a time, also employed as German Language teacher at the gymnasium.

Of course the Austrian- Empire sought to eliminate all the national sentiments and identities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to strengthened its rule. The example of this being one of the first students in this Gymnasium being expelled due to having nationalities tendencies. The nineteenth century was a time of revival of national identities, and this building tells the story of that as well. Furthermore, this historical school  building is supposedly an example of an European fantasy reimagining local architecture, but free from  Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Christian or Islamic influences or identities. We know that the Austrian- Hungarian Empire came to end and how, but many of its buildings still stand and invite us to examine the past and see both the good and the bad. 

 In this the Austrian- Hungarian Empire was no different from any other colonial empire. However, today many historical buildings stand witness to its efforts to bring development in all areas it ruled. When examining regions and countries under  Austrian- Hungarian rule, you'll see that this Empire did a lot of building. Such is any colonial history, every empire both gives and takes away from its colonies. While the criticism that it takes more than it gives are often valid, it is what it is, and one might wonder what would happen if all those international contacts weren't established. If we examine history like that, how far do we go? What would happen if the Roman Empire never existed? What would our history be without all those contacts? Would it be as rich or as colourful? 

When examining colonial history, I always remind myself that we still very much live in colonial times. Our entire Western financial system is one hundred percent colonial in its essence, controlled from one or two positions of power, and thus prone to collapse at any moment. So, personally I have no problem admiring the colonial architecture of Austrian- Hungarian period. I find the modern sentiment towards colonial times ridiculous because I think we still live in colonial economy anyways. What is the point of criticizing any European country for its colonial history?  This whole area was always at crossroads of Western and Eastern colonial interests, and probably will always be. An area of possible future conflict, but also of mesmerizing beauty. 

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE OUTFIT NOW- LIGHT COLOURS FOR AUTUMN AND WINTER

I never understood that rule about not wearing white for winter months. Personally, I just love seeing white worn in Autumn and Winter. Yes, this particular styling is more 'warm autumn' friendly, but I've been known to wear white and  light blue outfits in winter as well. 

This outfit is my answer to the question - How to style a summer dress for Autumn? I bought this light blue and white dress in a second hand shop this Summer, and I intended to only wear it during the warmer months. However, I liked the challenge of styling it for slightly colder weather, so I decided to style it. What to choose? For this outfit, I went all matchy- matchy, pairing it with a white blazer, a pair of blue tights and a pair of white sneakers. 

HOW I WORE IT BEFORE?

OUTFIT PROPOSAL NUMBER #1- A WHITE BLAZER, A WHITE AND BLUE DRESS, BLUE TIGHTS AND WHITE SNEAKERS

THE WHITE VINTAGE BLAZER (from a vintage brand with a made in Sarajevo label)- I love this blazer. It was given to me by my sister in law and it's actually a part of s skirt suit, but I usually wear that suit as separates. This blazer is simply perfect for transitional weather. I love to wear it with skirt and dresses, but I also love how it adds elegance to denim outfits. 

1) WHITE BLAZER WORN WITH AN ORANGE DRESS AND LEOPARD HEELS

2)WITH A LEOPARD DRESS AND A MAGENTA COAT

3) WITH A VINTAGE PINK DRESS AND PINK SANDALS & SOCKS

4) WITH LEVI'S JEANS, POINTY BOOTS AND FAUX FUR COLLAR

5)WITH  A MIXED PRINT DRESS AND MARY JANE HEELS

6) WITH A GREY SKIRT, DIY NECKLACE AND PEKO BOOTS

7) WITH BLACK FLARED CORD JEANS AND A PASTEL SHIRT

8) WITH  A DENIM SKIRT AND A PASTEL TURTLENECK SWEATER

9) WITH A BLACK DRESS AND STILETTO HEELS 

10) WITH A BLUE AMADEUS DRESS AND PINK HEELS

11)  WITH  A BLACK SHIRT, STRAIGHT CUT BLUE JEANS

12) WITH A PALE BLUE DRESS AND LEOPARD HEELS

13) WITH A LILAC SHIRT, BLACK CORD FLARED TROUSERS AND A GREY COAT

14) WITH A BLUE LEOPARD DRESS AND CARAMEL HIGH BOOTS

15) WITH A MAXI BLACK DRESS, A WHITE HIGH COLLAR BLOUSE, BLACK KITTEN HEELS AND A WHITE BLOUSE

16)  WITH A POLKA DOT DRESS TUNICS, BIKER BOOTS, AND LEGGINGS 

17) WITH A VINTAGE PINK DRESS AND BLACK BOOTS

18) WITH A WOOL FLORAL SKIRT , MUSTARD TURTLENECK AND STILETTO HEELS

THE WHITE GEOMETRIC DRESS- from a second hand shop, first time worn in this blog!

THE MINI GREY BAG- a gift from my sister-in-law. I can't seem to find an outfit post with it, but I'm sure I've worn it more than once on this little place to call my own.

THE WHITE SNEAKERS- from Deichmann, I think my husband got this pair for me. I don't wear sneakers often. I think I only have something like two  or three pairs of sneakers, all of them old. I wore this pair 

1) in my last post with khaki cargo pants

2) white sneakers most here with a lilac Ozz skirt.

OLDER posts about Mostar  1. You can see Mostar from the bird perspective in my previous posts (here, here and here). 2. One of my favourite streets in Mostar here and here. 3. Musala bridge (also known under its old name Tito's bridge here and here) 4. You can see photographs of Mostar's Catholic cathedral here.5. You can see images of Mostar and its famous Nertva river here, here and here. 6. You can see the surrounds of one of its most iconic catholic churches here.7. You can see both photographs of old bridge and my drawing of it here. 8. Another one of my favourites when it comes to streets here. 9. You can see photographs of Croatian cultural centre/theater here , here , here , here and here. 10. You can see photographs of the main city park here here, here, here and here. 11. You can see images of Spanish square here, here , here , here and here. 12. You can see photographs of Custom's bridge here and here. 13. You can see photographs of the new bridge here and here. 14. A few photographs from old city centre (2018) here. 15. What to wear for sightseeing Mostar in summer here. 16. This post is focused on 7 outfits I wore but you can see many of Mostar's attractions there as well. I suppose the same can be said for most of my outfit posts. 17. Mostar as an Easter destination (2019) here.18. Mostar dinning and cafe recommendations here. 19. Hiking options in Mostar here. 20. My drawing of Mostar old bridge here. 21. University campus in Mostar here. 22. How I have fallen in love with Mostar here.

OUTFIT PROPOSAL #2- GEOMETRICAL PRINT DRESS WITH 

I actually wore another version of this outfit later that same day, when it wasn't as warm so I opted for thick cord imitation leggings. As you can see, I styled this abstract print light blue and white dress with a darker biker jacket and leggings. 

Speaking of warm autumn weather, here you can see another styling suitable for sunny days as well as another way to style the dark grey, blue and purple biker tweed jacket. 

To be honest, I don't this styling worked. I much prefer the styling with the blue tights and white blazer. I think this geometrical print dress might work with light blue jeans, but it doesn't seem to work with dark items. Lesson learned!

THE DARK GREY, PURPLE AND BLUE CROPPED TWEED JACKET- I bought it in Ljubuški more than a decade ago. I wore it so much that it started to fall apart. That's why you haven't seen me wear it in a while.  How I wore it before? Feel free to have a look. 

1) IN 2013, WITH A VINTAGE MIDI SKIRT, A PAIR OF BLOCK HEELS AND A FAUX FUR STOLE

2) IN 2015, WITH A DUST PINK SKIRT, A GREEN HAND PAINTED VINTAGE BLOUSE AND ŠIMECKI HEELED BOOTS 

3) IN 2015, WITH GREY FLARE JEANS, A BLACK TOP AND DOC MARTENS FOR AN ADVENT IN SPLIT CITY

4) IN 2015, WITH A VINTAGE PLEATED MIDI SKIRT, DIY LEATHER NECKLACE, MARY JANE HEELS AND A YELLOW HOODIE FOR A VISIT TO ČAPLJINA

5) IN 2013, WITH A BLUE DRESS AND DR MARTENS BOOTS FOR A VISIT TO NATURE PARK GORANCI 

6) ...and most recently- In 2024, with an earth toned outfit (khaki pants and a ruffled top) for a visit to Čapljina.

THE STORY OF  MY BLACK AND BLUE OUTFIT- HOW I STYLED IT BEFORE? 

OUTFIT PROPOSAL #3-  A DARK ST

THE ROYAL BLUE MINI DRESS WITH RUFFLES-  bought at second hand shop in Split in Summer. See how I styled it :1) here with a grey blazer and black kitten heels.  

I also styled this blue dress for work once or twice with a white shirt underneath and enjoyed that outfit a lot, but I don't think I captured it on camera. 

THE BLACK FLARE LEGGINGS- from New Yorker, I think, bought in 2022. I won't link too many outfits with them because for me leggings are mostly an undergarment like tights (one example of me wearing them here, I practically lived in them while I was on Malta). I feel like I have a ton posts with them, and also because this is not the only flared pair of leggings I own, and I can't really tell them apart from afar. The other pair is slightly shorter, but I wear both pairs of my black flared leggings a lot. In fact, it might be guilty of wearing them too much. It's best that I do a separate post about them, and call it a day).

THE BLACK BIKER SHOES- bought at Retro, I wear them all the time, so perhaps no need to link them up.

DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF MOSTAR ? 

IN THIS 2015 POST, you can see the banks of Neretva river. Experience the magic of a karst river that flows through Mostar city in this 2015 post about leisure time in Mostar as well. 

In this 2016 post, you can see the lovely garden behind the Franciscan  church and monastery in Mostar. 

MORE POSTS ABOUT MOSTAR CITY 

MOSTAR IN SPRING 2024

ZRINJEVAC PARK IN WINTER 

PHOTOS OF NERETVA RIVER & SPORTY STYLING 2023

OUTFIT POST FEATURING  A LEATHER JACKET IN MOSTAR CITY

SPANISH SQUARE IN MOSTAR CITY

WHAT HAVE I BEEN WEARING IN MOSTAR? 

ŠANTIĆEVA THE MOST PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY STREET IN MOSTAR 2022

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/04/happy-easter-weekend-everyone-wiwt.html- EASTER POST FROM MY HOME

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/04/a-vintage-white-blazer-blue-jeans-diy.html- RESTAURANT ROMANCA

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/04/ozz-students-fashion-show-under.html- MOSTAR INTERNATIONAL FAIR 

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/03/uno-nessuno-e-centomila-one-no-one-and.html-  ŠANTIĆ STREET IN MOSTAR

THE JAPANESE CHERRY TREES IN MOSTAR  / PARK ZRINJEVAC  FASHION ILLUSTRATION

 MORE POSTS ABOUT MOSTAR: HERE & HERE SPANISH SQUARE MOSTAR

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM MOSTAR !

 FAREWELL TO SUMMER FROM MOSTAR CITY  2018 

STREET ART IN MOSTAR 

STREET ART MOSTAR , 2016 STREET ART , 2021

 STREETART and also here , here and here.  

 STROLLING MOSTAR CITY 2021  

Thank you for visiting. Have a lovely day!