The Wedding Guest
Sapphire was going to a wedding in Sydney in June. She tells us how she put together the perfect outfit, including two hats and two pairs of stockings.
It all starts with the dress doesn’t it?
Absolutely! I suspected the wedding was going to be on the conservative side, so I didn’t want to wear anything too flashy. I was trying to go for a ‘Hamptons housewife’ kind of look, with a dress in a classic shape. It’s silk, so a bit warming – and teamed with fishnets, I thought it would be good for the milder Sydney climate. The dress comes with a tie belt, but it’s a little big so I decided to define the waist more with a wide faux leather belt from Landes. I bought it especially for the outfit, and chose patent to add a little sparkle. This was exactly the silhouette I was after.
Where did you find this vintage frock?
It’s from {also}, quite a nice little boutique on Smith St; well-edited for people who don’t like to trawl and ferret through charity stores. It cost about $50, and I was quite happy to spend that small amount instead of much more on a modern dress. And even though it’s a little oversize, I’ve worn it a couple of times since the wedding, and no-one’s noticed.
I really wanted to wear a hat too, because, you know – wedding!
It’s the accessories that really set an outfit apart, isn’t it?
Yes, I really wanted to wear a hat too, because, you know – wedding! Last time I spent a lot on a hat from Shag, you suggested shopping on eBay. I ended up bidding on an auction of two hats. I thought, a choice of two is better than one. I took both with me to Sydney, and I was undecided until the very last minute. I ended up going with the red-toned hat – it picks up the tiny dashes of red in the print of the dress.
That’s not red, love, it’s puce!
Funnily, there was an over-zealous customer in the boutique where I bought the dress. She tried to style my outfit for me – kept bringing over inappropriate red accessories from all over the shop for me! I was thinking, “What are you doing lady? I can dress myself! Do you work here, or get paid a commission?” It was very, very odd. I definitely didn’t want to match the red so exactly or so obviously with bright red. 
It is a classic combination: red, black and white, but it doesn’t always look fresh, does it? Tell us about your other accessories.
The black suede shoes are from Witchery, and I bought them specially. I liked the fact that they’re wedges as I’m no longer good with heels – I just don’t wear them enough – and for comfort reasons. I’ve worn them to parties, and work, and I find them easy on the feet and trans-seasonal. As mentioned, I wore fishnets. I actually took two pairs with me, in case I ripped the first!
The necklace is made of nuts from Tahiti. An old friend of mine brought back heaps of these beads and sold them at markets.
I also wore a pair of elbow length grey suede gloves (which I forgot to bring to the photoshoot unfortunately). I bought them the year before in Germany at H&M – a glorious, but cheap, fun store. Sydney’s beautiful weather turned disgusting, so I was really glad to have them. Their length worked perfectly with the ¾ sleeves of the dress to keep me warm.
That can’t have been the only thing to keep you warm?
No, it wasn’t. I wore a kimono-style knit wrap that I found in Alphaville. I have no nice coats – only jackets – and when I initially went shopping I was thinking ‘delicious and knitted’. I imagined something lacy and flowing.
I thought Witchery at first, but as soon as I walked in the door of Alphaville I saw knits that were soft and tactile. I did the obligatory round of all the shops, but found that prices were similar everywhere. So I spent my money on something I loved.
Wise choice. And how was the wedding?
It wasn’t as conservative as I’d imagined: the bride wore purple. And coincidentally, many guests wore clothes in similar tones to mine – the wedding looked like it had been styled.
Well that was fun – I feel like I’ve just gone shopping myself! Thanks for gracing SNAP’s pages again Sapphire.