What I Actually Wore #0072

Serial #: 0072
Date: 20/07/2012
Weather: a mild day, 15°C
Time Allowed: 7 minutes

Attenzione! It’s all about the details. In the case of this outfit it was texture and a touch of military. The dress came first, a wool cable sleeveless number by Anthropologie. Cable knit dresses are always a risk, because they add bulk – I guess that’s the reason the dress is sleeveless – but they are so warm and cosy in the cold weather. I really love the tomato-red colour too. The vintage Mai-Tai lipstick by old Aussie brand Poppy matches perfectly.

I added a little military-inspired slim-fitting cardigan for warmth, a vintage and fringed knitted silk scarf (the kind you see 1920s pilots sporting), a white wool beret that I’ve had for years, and cable textured tights along with my multi-strapped patent Mary-Janes. At ease.

Items:

Dress: Far Away From Close for Anthropologie
Cardigan: Sunny Girl
Scarf: vintage
Beret: Melbourne boutique
Earrings: Baku
Ring: Barcelona souvenirs
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Shoes: Zoe Wittner
Lipstick: vintage Mai-Tai by Poppy

What I Actually Wore #0071

Serial #: 0071
Date: 18/07/2012
Weather: forecast a chilly 14°C, but doesn’t even reach 9°C by midday
Time Allowed: 8 minutes

I am not a brown lover, but I will make an exception for a classic beige or camel, though usually I will not wear it near my face. I particularly love to pair a neutral beige with an eye-popping pink, such as this basic long-sleeved merino tee by Kookaï. Kookaï has great basics for winter in dozens of colours: 100% merino wool tees of all cuts, with a great variation on necklines, which is important to me since I hate a crew neck. (I am sure I have said before I think a tight neckline makes me look like a pinhead. I prefer a scoop.)

No red with pink? Pooh! Blue and green should never be seen? Balderdash! No white after Labour Day? Poppycock!

With the addition of the frosted pink scarf (an old designer favourite, threaded through with ribbon and tinkling shells on the fringed ends) and the vanilla vintage hat, I feel a bit like an icecream. To offset this toothache effect, I add cable knit stockings in charcoal for warmth, and deliberately wear red shoes, just to break the rules. No red with pink? Pooh! Blue and green should never be seen? Balderdash! No white after Labour Day? Poppycock! Pearl jewellery finishes the look: vintage grape earrings and a bold ring.

Items:

Top: Kookaï
Skirt: Chine Collection
Hat: Valerie Modes, vintage
Scarf: Pony Clothing
Earrings: vintage
Ring: Autore
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Stockings: Columbine
Shoes: Wittner

What I Actually Wore #0070

Serial #: 0070
Date: 27/07/2012
Weather: a chilly 10°C (apparent 7°C) in the evening
Time Allowed: 20 minutes

Last year, reading international magazines, I learned that it was de rigeur for New Yorkers to forego stockings, even in the depths of winter. I don’t know, maybe these women are hopping from their chauffeured limousines and heading straight up the red carpet into their glamorous parties, but I cannot approve of such goings-on here in Melbourne – not with our arctic breezes blowing in. It’s just too freezing here in winter to go gallivanting about on public transport half naked. So when I was dressing for a party last July I hit a snag (no pun intended): I had no party clothes that were also suitable for travelling.

It’s just too freezing here in winter to go gallivanting about on public transport half naked.

I had recently been watching the Phyrne Fisher murder mysteries, set in 1920s Melbourne, and was inspired by the lustrous fabrics in all the draperies Phryne wore. I took a fringed dévoré silk kimono that I had bought from House of Maryanne as my inspiration and layered. And because one loses most of one’s body heat through the top of one’s head, I wore a 1940s floppy velvet cap (you can see it close up here). That drew the most compliments from party guests. I wore my cashmere coat over all for the commute (and was still freezing), but ironically, I had to remove even the kimono at my friend’s home, the little apartment was so warm and crammed with partygoers.

Items:

Jacket: House of Maryanne
Top: Ada, vintage
Camisole: Enamel
Pants: Dizingof
Over the knee socks: Levanté
Mary-Jane Pumps: Wittner
Coat: vintage
Hat: vintage 40s
Bag: vintage
Necklace, earrings: vintage
Rings: souvenir; Autore pearl ring
Watch: Kenneth Cole

What I Actually Wore #0069

Serial #: 0069
Date: 14/06/2012
Weather: forecast 15°C, cool day, rain in the evening
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

This winter I had determined to make more effort to wear my hats. I am usually in such a rush in the mornings that I don’t have time to go delving into different hatboxes – that’s my only excuse for sartorial laziness. Well, that and an antipathy towards mending, and a lamentable procrastination in ironing clothing. (Yes, I firmly believe in ironing garments that need it – I’m not one of those modern women who wear clothing straight from the clothesline.)

On the 14th of June, I made time to pick out a striking 1940s black wool felt hat, with a chartreuse feather cunningly tucked into the sharply angled peak. The architectural design of the hat is a marvel. 

I matched the hat with a chartreuse pleated wool tank by Veronika Maine. I love the details in this top, but I loathe and abominate its babydoll shape, so I always belt it. I believe that is also how the top was shown in the brand’s season campaign. Under it I wear an old cherry-blossom print top and a wool skirt made from a suiting fabric. I choose the cloisonné earrings (a cheap souvenir from my last trip to Sydney) particularly because the floral design contrasts with the print on the top. I love the contrast of textures and patterns in this outfit. Over it all goes my white leather trench.

I brace myself for stares on the commute, but the daring hat is obviously a success …

I brace myself for stares on the commute, but the daring hat is obviously a success, for I garner two compliments from passers-by, and a chorus of delighted exclamations from the girls at work. (See it from other angles here.) The latter can’t believe I bought the hat on eBay for a relatively inexpensive price (around $80). I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if you live in Australia and you love to shop vintage: go online. There is so much more available overseas, and a hat of this caliber would cost several hundred dollars if purchased from an Australian boutique (online or brick-and-mortar).

Sadly, the shoes have since been tossed in the trash, having been deemed too worn-out to keep for another winter. It’s a shame, for although they were not cutting-edge at all, they were truly comfortable to walk to work in.

One subtle detail I really love in this outfit is the zip on the skirt: the black teeth are interspersed with silver. The skirt is by now-defunct Melbourne designer label Ammo, and it really is a detail you just won’t see in high-street brands. Plus, the skirt is many seasons old, bought long before the recent craze for giant, exposed zippers, and it still seems contemporary. This skirt won’t get tossed aside like an old shoe – I’ll be holding onto it for yet awhile.

Items:

Blouse: Bracewell* 
Tank: Veronika Maine
Skirt: Ammo
Hat: vintage, eBay
Belt: Alta Linea, from department store David Jones
Earrings: souvenir
Ring: souvenir
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Shoes: Naturalizer

*Unfortunately, Sydney label Bracewell may also be defunct as I am unable to find any live URLs. 

What I Actually Wore #0068

Serial #: 0068
Date: 03/06/2012
Weather: 14°
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

It was a cold day in June when my friends and I travelled to the country town Bendigo to view the Grace Kelly exhibition. I wanted to wear something with a retro silhouette, but I also wanted to keep warm. And there were a pair of new shoes that were begging to be worn. These were 40s style cherry red suede platform T-straps, so my outfit was built around those. They have become one of my favourite pairs of shoes (although I have been very remiss and forgot to photograph them for this story).

The wide-legged trousers are wool, as is the red jacket, and both would keep me toasty. Vintage pearl ‘grape’ earrings echoed the shapes of the red pompom scarf. The final touch was the 50s grey wool felt hat trimmed with a jaunty stylised feather shape and bows.

I received numerous compliments from other visitors to the exhibition that day, but oh, how my feet ached in the new shoes! There was too much standing about, edging from display case to display case in the crowded exhibition rooms. But one must suffer for fashion. I’m sure Grace Kelly must have done once or twice.

Items:

Jacket: vintage
Top: Veronika Maine
Pants: Ming
Earrings: vintage
Bangle: souvenir from Barcelona
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Hat: vintage
Shoes: Zoe Wittner