What I actually wore #0020

Serial #: 0020
Date: 27/01/2009
Weather: a sweltering 36.4° and this was at 6pm!
Time Allowed: 10 minutes – shower, dress, go!

I had a date with Guy Pierce at the end of January. Oh alright, the date was with my cousin, who works at the MTC and got me a freebie to see Poor Boy. Nevertheless, I had to rush home in the stifling heat of a summer afternoon, quickly shower and change and then calmly, unperspiringly walk to the theatre in Southbank. So to save time, it behoved me to mentally assess my wardrobe on my walk home.

I would wear my white silk Montana dress. Of course, being such a hot evening, silk was probably not the best choice, but I was determined to wear it. It was a special dress, and I had only worn it once before. I had for years admired it in Cleg’s… in the Vogue Designer patterns book before I finally purchased it. I adored its A-line shape; the funnel neck; the cap sleeves. And the matching lightweight coat was lovely too.

…white silk! Could I be trusted not to spill red wine, or drop some deep-fried hors d’oeuvre on it?

I had decided I wanted white silk crepe for the dress, and found the fabric online for US$40 a yard, a quite reasonable price. (I also purchased some lovely taupe coloured linen for the matching coat for around $7 per yard, compared with $90 per metre for Irish linen in Cleg’s; mine was of no lesser quality.) When the fabric arrived in the post, I was terrified by how beautiful the silk was – I mean, white silk! Could I be trusted not to spill red wine, or drop some deep-fried hors d’oeuvre on it?

My darling sister Blossom sewed both garments beautifully for me – the coat, made from hardy linen – has seen much more wear. (I never intended for them to be worn together: that would be far too matchy-matchy for me.)

That hot afternoon I slipped the dress over my head, and chose my white wedges to wear with the dress. The neckline of the dress required simple jewellery, so I went minimal with slender toothpicks of silver. My cute Burberry bag was my other designer item, a surprise present from X back in December. I hadn’t worn it anywhere special yet, so a date with Guy seemed to fit the bill.

So I gingerly walked to the theatre along the Tan, an incongruous sight amongst all the joggers, and made it home again late that evening, the dress none the worse for wear. And now it hangs demurely in my closet, waiting for its next outing.

Items:

Dress: Montana
Earrings: Roun
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Rings: Roun, Ian Potter Centre Gallery Shop
Bag: Burberry
Sunglasses: Agnès B
Shoes: Scanlan & Theodore