The Accidental Sailor
Ahoy! Rosebud – a self-confessed and impartial poly-shopper drawn to anything sparkly – tells us how on this warm day at the end of March she managed to go nautical quite without intending too.
How did you put this outfit together Rosebud?
I wanted to wear the skirt as it was new, and I simply chose items that matched. However, I particularly wanted to avoid it looking like a school skirt, especially since it’s navy – the tee made it more casual. The nautical look was completely inadvertent.
Well the nautical flavour really works. I love pleated skirts too and am always keeping my weather eye out for them. I love how the horizontal stripes of your tee contrast with the vertical pleats. Where did you find your skirt?
I was killing time one night in the city before meeting friends for dinner, and I wandered into Zara to browse. I’ve been looking for a pleated skirt for a while when that one caught my eye. I wanted something in between matronly and schoolgirl, but that can all depend on the styling. The skirt wasn’t on sale, and it was almost sold-out so I snapped it up!
We at SNAP heartily approve of snapping it up. Can you tell us about the rest of your outfit?
The tee is from specialty t-shirt store Graniph – my brother bought it for me in Japan. The ankle boots are from Witchery. They weren’t on sale either.
That sure is a statement necklace. You have a pretty collection of rings on your fingers too.
The necklace was a 21st birthday present from a neighbour from when I was growing up – I used to baby-sit their kids. I’m also wearing three rings. The blue stone ring and the amethyst were both given to me by my mum and dad. The blue ring was a good luck present before I did my Year 12 exams (a few years ago now), and they bought the amethyst ring on a trip to India. I bought the silver and diamond ring in New York. My watch was a present for my sixteenth birthday – I think it is by an Israeli designer.
That’s a lovely collection of presents to mark some special times in your life … Earlier you mentioned that you bought a couple of these dress items at full price. You aren’t a bargain-hunter?
Not especially. I don’t really have the patience for it. Although recently I did chance on a bargain at Laura Ashley. It was a tuxedo jacket that had been reduced four times, from $280 down to $60. It wasn’t really in the usual Laura Ashley style, so perhaps it just didn’t appeal to their regular customers.
Do you shop online?
No – I much prefer brick-and-mortar stores. I like to go in and browse – I’m not a target-shopper at all. Often it’s just when I have some spare time to kill.
Where are your favourite places to shop?
I really like Alpha 60, although I don’t actually own much by them. I find the style doesn’t suit me, but I admire their aesthetic – the shapes, the simple, good fabrics. I also like to look regularly in Gorman, TopShop, Arabella Ramsay (which is now called Ryder), Uniqlo – that’s been mainly overseas – Sportsgirl, Sussan’s, and also department stores such as Target, Myer, David Jones … Really, I’ll shop anywhere and everywhere. I’m not snobby about labels or branding per se.
I’m drawn to sequins (anything shiny!), sparkles, patterns – garments with something interesting about them. I also like shoes.
Who doesn’t! A magpie’s love of all thinks sparkly is something else Rosebud has in common with SNAP. This is Rosebud’s first appearance on the pages of SNAP – thanks so much for coming aboard!