What I Actually Wore #0062

Serial #: 0062
Date: 03/03/2012
Weather: 19°
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

It was a chick flick party, and our hostess suggested comfort clothes. It was also a Saturday night, and I saw no reason to wear tracksuit pants, or, as they are charmingly and colloquially called, trackydacks. (Actually, I couldn’t even if I wanted to – no such item has a place in my wardrobe.) I decided to go for spiritual comfort – something that was cute and fun for a Saturday evening, but not up to the nines. Fives maybe.

This denim skirt is currently the only one I own. I bought it second hand, and I like it because it’s not cut like a traditional straight denim skirt – it has pleats under the waistband, and the section at the bottom is gathered to create a slight puff. It’s also pin-striped: vertical stripes in the main part of the skirt, and horizontal at the base. Designer brand details!

Also from the Salvos is the Schiaparelli wool/silk knit. The front panel is silk chiffon, and it features a darling pussy bow. The label was cut out. Pin-striped grey stockings match the skirt and keep me warm on this early autumn night, and I deliberately picked red shoes to clash with the top. I love breaking stupid fashion colour rules.

Just in case my friend doesn’t like it as cosy as I do, I brought along a very warm cardigan: a long knit that is a little large (the dangers of online shopping) but wraps around to keep me nice and toasty.

The outfit is not complete without jewellery: I wear grey pearl hoop earrings, my mabé pearl ring and my silver bauble bracelet.

As expected my friends all exclaim that I’m over-dressed for the party!

Items:

Top: from the Salvos
Cardigan: Sparrow for Anthropologie 
Skirt: Lover
Earrings: Baku
Bracelet: eBay
Rings: NGV giftshop
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Stockings: Voodoo
Shoes: Zoe Wittner

What I Actually Wore #0061

Serial #: 0061
Date: 12/02/2012
Weather: forecast 23°
Time Allowed: 20 minutes 

It’s my party and I’ll wear something outrageous if I want to … This is my birthday outfit. It was a fairly quiet celebration: dinner with a few girlfriends at fancy Frenchified restaurant Gill’s Diner, cocktails at the Gin Palace, followed by a dance in the Spiegeltent.

You might think the outfit was all about the Indian headdress I had recently made, but you’d be wrong. It was also all about the red glitter Dorothy heels I’d bought on Christmas Eve. And my new Anthropologie blouse and cardigan. And let’s not forget the vintage polka dot pleated skirt, also a recent purchase. It was all a bit special really. I loved that the blouse and skirt had differing geometric prints yet were the same colour grey-blue. One of my friends actually thought I was wearing a dress, belted with a vintage sequin sash that matched the headband.

Another bit of silver was the metal mesh bag and the jingling Turkish coin earrings, a tribal tie-in with the feather headdress.

I was not surprised to receive a little attention as I made my way into the city by train. Most Saturday evening commuters didn’t blink an eye, but just a few bogans from the outer suburbs couldn’t resist whooping like Indians or shouting excitedly. You just have to except that yokels are part of the weekend city landscape – sigh. I was more gratified by the delighted grins and compliments from other passers-by.

The doorman at the Gin Palace eyed me quizzically and asked what the headdress was in aid of. I didn’t want to say it was my birthday, as though I was excusing my extraordinary behaviour – because why on earth shouldn’t we be able to wear a feather headdress if we want to, whenever we want to? I smiled, and shrugged, and replied, “Why not?” He looked much struck, and agreed. On our departure he warmly begged me to return soon.

Happy birthday to meeeee!

Items:

Top: dil, for Anthropologie
Skirt: vintage
Cardigan: Sparrow, for Anthropologie
Headdress: handmade
Belt: vintage
Earrings: Palm Beads
Ring: Autore
Bag: vintage
Shoes: Zoe Wittner

What I Actually Wore #0060

Serial #: 0060
Date: 25/12/2011
Weather: forecast 29°
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

So often I build my outfits around my shoes. Sometimes the weather, but mostly the shoes or the hat. Christmas last year was no exception. I bought the red glittery Mary-Janes especially for the day. Of course I loved them anyway: red, glitter, 20s style, Wizard of Oz – need I say more?

So it was an easy decision to wear a white dress to truly offset the red shoes. I love the contrast of red and white together – such a joyous combination, probably because it makes me think of holidays and sunshine, and beaches. The dress is something I’ve had in storage for a while. I’d been thinking of selling it, but I decided to give it another go. It’s a kind of broderie anglaise or cutwork type of fabric, for there are tiny holes cut out in a grid-like pattern all over.

On the day, I proudly pulled out the red heels, only to find out the girl in the store had bagged the wrong pair! She had sold me a size too small! Naughtily I wore them anyway, for I wasn’t about to let her be the Grinch to spoil my Christmas. On Boxing Day I made sure the soles weren’t scratched or dirty and took them back to the store for a swap. The shoes weren’t a cheap purchase, but I have worn them countless times, and every single time I wear them, without fail, someone exclaims in delight at the sight of them. It’s always nice to bring a little bit of fashion happiness into other people’s lives too.

Items:

Dress: Jigsaw
Bracelet: silver baubles, eBay
Earrings: silver baubles, handmade
Ring: pearl ring, Autore
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Shoes: Zoe Wittner

What I Actually Wore #0059

Serial #: 0059
Date: 03/11/2011
Weather: forecast 18°
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

It was Melbourne Cup Day, and as usual, it was cold and overcoast. Rather than gambling my finances away, I was heading out with friends for brunch. Even if we were not going to the races, I was going to wear a hat, come what may. I had not yet had a chance to wear a striped silk confection from Tarnished Past Vintage Hats, one of my favourite eBay stores, so that – and the rain – decided the theme for my outfit.

1930s silk striped tilt hat, from The Vintage Hat SeriesI pulled out my vintage shocking pink silk raincoat (another of my favourite eBay purchases), and accessorised with ditto pink heels. With all that pink, I thought the remainder of my garments ought to be plain as can be. I went monochrome, with my new antique white lace blouse from Barcelona, and a pair of wide-legged black pants. In fact, everything I am wearing (no, not my undies! … or my shoes) is vintage.

Fortunately I remembered to carry my umbrella too – the frilled pink one – for true to form for the holiday, it rained.

NB I am sure I carried a handbag, but for the life of me I can’t recall which, nor did it seem to occur to me to include it at the time of the photoshoot. I would hazard a guess that it was either black or white.

I love the bow at the back of the hat that sits just above my French roll

Items:

Top: vintage
Pants: Dizingof
Hat: vintage, from Tarnished Past Vintage Hats
Earrings: handmade sterling silver baubles
Ring: Autore
Shoes: Zoe Wittner

What I Actually Wore #0058

Serial #: 0058
Date: 09/02/2011
Weather: forecast 28°
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

It was a very warm summer day, and I was going out for a birthday lunch with a friend. We were going to Como House & Garden, a historic mansion that has been protected by the National Trust since 1959. The house was built in 1847, and is a mix of Australian Regency and Italianate architecture, and is famous for its pretty gardens that have been restored to their original glory. So of course I had to dress in honour of the surroundings, as well as the occasion.

I wore a 1950s satin dress in a lovely Wedgwood blue. The fabric is a minimal kind of brocade, with moon shapes woven from blue and silver metallic threads. And because I love to wear slightly wrong colours together, I added a belt made from vintage fabrics: olive green silk velvet ribbon and a rose fashioned from silk chiffon. The wool felt rose hair tie carries through the rose motif, and was a souvenir from Vietnam. I am even wearing tiny oxidised copper rose earrings.

The vanilla snakeskin bag is also vintage, as is the blue rhinestone ring. My shoes are the only ‘new’ accessory: patent leather chopines from Wittner.

I had a lovely afternoon with my friend, and it was a beautiful, sunny day to wander around the gardens, posing by the tinkling fountains and under enormous 150-year-old trees. Oh, how the other half drifted through the days, once upon a time!

Items:

Dress: vintage 1950s
Belt: vintage
Earrings: Portobello Lane
Hair tie: Vietnamese souvenir
Ring: vintage
Bag: vintage
Shoes: Zoe Wittner