Claire au Contraire

Claire was the receptionist at the theatre where I work once upon a time. She has since moved on, and I miss her cheerful greetings and bubbly personality. Claire has a classic English rose complexion, and wore at the time a pixie hairstyle that suited her so well. It also offset the bright colours and prints she favoured – which I highly appreciated living as I do in a city whose citizens worship black.

Her self-confessed rebellious streak often pushes her to invert feminine stereotypes with surprise elements, such as the stomping boots she is wearing on this occasion.

Because a receptionist is always busy, we had only a few minutes to quickly snap these photos in the foyer of our workplace, which happens to be graced by a red sofa shaped like a pair of lips – a piece of furniture recycled from a play – a perfect backdrop for a classic red and black outfit. I interview her over lunch in our cafeteria.

Choosing an outfit for the day can be a fraught process for lots of women, and is usually based on many criteria. What was yours this morning, Claire?

I’m going to the theatre straight after work tonight, so I wanted something that would be nice in the evening, and be comfortable to wear all day.

Claire’s self-confessed rebellious streak often pushes her to invert feminine stereotypes

How did you put this outfit together?

I chose the polka dot dress first – it’s by Princess Highway. Then I wanted a solid block of colour to pop against all that black. As the dress has a waist tie, I needed something short to show off the waist, and picked out a bolero jacket. This jersey knit is by Oasis, a British high-street brand. The tights are Voodoo Voluptuous, made for the fuller figure, as otherwise I find tights have a tendency to fall down.

Originally I was shopping for an outfit for a wedding when I stumbled across this dress, and I bought it ‘just because’ – for fun. It was particularly attractive because of the knee length, which is just right for my figure. I don’t like dresses that are too short.

Those boots are quite a contrast though!

Yes, I wore them deliberately to subvert the femininity of the polka dots and puff sleeves. Also, rain was forecast, and I would be doing a lot of walking, so they are very practical.

Are they Doc Martens?

No, they are an inexpensive UK shoe brand, and were a Christmas present from mum last time I visited her in London. The boots I had taken with me on holiday were worn and a bit holey, so mum treated me to a new pair.

You always look super-cute! And your outfits look well thought out. How would you describe your style?

I’ve found one of the most important things in dressing is flattering the figure you have – I’ve come to embrace my pear-shape. The other thing that comes into play is the feminist in me. While I do wear a lot of ‘pretty’ clothes, I like to add an element of surprise and novelty to offset the overt girlishness.

I have been through different fashion phases, such as rockabilly, when I used to wear high-waisted jeans with tops tucked in. But as my body shape has changed, I’ve modified my dress sense with it. Like many people, I own many more clothes that fit me! If I lost some weight, I would double my wardrobe.

What kind of shopper are you?

I am very purposeful. I save up my cash and go shopping when I have something particular I am looking for. I’m actually not very good at mixing and matching, so I pay attention to how things are put together in store displays. I’ll often buy the full outfit: dress, cardigan, shoes that match, and then I’ll wear exactly that way. I find it easier.

What are the items you usually gravitate towards?

I like A-line dresses and skirts, and cute patterns or designs always catch my eye, such as polka dots, or animal graphics. I also have quite a lot of cropped cardigans, and the odd black dress.

Do you have any favourite shops?

I like Princess Highway, because they make clothes that work well for curvy women, and Review for their retro style – they reinterpret vintage well.

I already know that you like vintage. Where do you look?

Definitely! I don’t want to buy everything new. When I am shopping in new retail stores, I am very purposeful, but when it’s vintage I am quite a carefree browser. You don’t know what you’ll find, but you’re certain to come across something that is much more unique.  

I mostly shop in my neighbourhood, at Sheila Vintage on Brunswick St (Fitzroy, Melbourne), and also in op shops. I do look online, but it’s too hard to be sure of fit, so I never buy. I own a few vintage dresses that need altering, but I don’t sew, so they just hang in my closet.

You don’t know what you’ll find, but you’re certain to come across something that is much more unique.

A common problem many of us have! Do you have any favourite vintage finds?

Yes, a couple of dresses, a yellow Hawaiian print, and a chequered picnic dress of Italian cotton. Both were bargains at $20 from op shops.

Where do you find your fashion inspirations? Is there anything you’re looking for at the moment?

I look more on Instagram for ideas, rather than magazines. I’m looking for a new winter coat, one with a belted waist. I like the capes coming in at the moment, but it goes against my usual look. I do really need things with long sleeves too.

Ah, coats, I love them. But if you only have one main one, it’s important to get it right. Thank you for sharing your fashion philosophy with us, Claire. It’s been a pleasure!

Now that’s what I call a fairly typical modern shopper with a careful fashion budget: understands her figure, keeps an eye on trends, mixes new with old, and has some irreverent fun too.

Princess Tatiana spoke with Claire in May 2014, subsequently misfiled the photos, and only rediscovered them recently. But Claire still looks good!

A Thrifty Kindred Spirit

Welcome to Clementine, a stylish woman with an independent and eclectic sense of fashion, a keen op-shopper, all-round lovely person, and a true kindred spirit. Her outfits always catch my eye at our shared workplace, and this floral number she’s wearing had me smiling reminiscently of Eighties fashions.

How did you put this outfit together this April morning Clementine?

I actually packed this outfit into my yoga bag the night before – I was planning to get up and go to an early morning class … but then I slept in. Oops! But it was nice to have an outfit pre-organised. Pre-packing means I need things that won’t crease, and the skirt and cardie are good like that. But I started putting the outfit together around the tights.

I’m enjoying the change in seasons at the moment, and it’s nice to feel snug on these cool autumn mornings. I was a bit stuck on which top to put with it, and then I saw this one on the drying rack – my sister just passed it on to me recently and it actually goes rather nicely with the skirt I think.

The outfit does seem very ‘you’.

Yes it is actually very representative of my whole wardrobe – a lot of op shop finds and ‘pass-alongs’ from friends and family, with a few new pieces thrown in here and there.

When you aren’t pre-packing, how long does it usually take you to get ready?

Time to choose an outfit depends on how awake I am … some mornings I just stare at my options and can’t decide! I guess this was an outfit of convenience more than anything – I really should try pre-packing (or at least pre-selecting) more often.

I bought the heels on the same day I found my antique wedding ring, so I always have happy thoughts when I put them on!

Can you tell us a bit more about the individual items?

The apricot knit top was given to me by my sister; I think it’s from a Postie party.

What is that?

Postie parties are just like Tupperware parties – you shop from someone’s home, and there is a stylist to give advice.

I can’t believe I’ve never heard of them – clothing exchanges, but not this. [You can read more about Postie parties here.] What are your other items? That floral skirt has a particularly retro 80s vibe.

This skirt is from Forever New, from a revival a few years ago. The cardigan doesn’t have a label, but was given to me by my cousin in Italy. I think it belonged to a friend who cleaning out her cupboard, and she snapped it up. It’s travelled all around Europe with me. The heels were from an op shop in Camberwell [an inner-Eastern suburb of Melbourne] – I think they are RMK. I bought the heels on the same day I found my antique wedding ring, so I always have happy thoughts when I put them on!

And what about the stockings that started the whole outfit? I am partial to cable knit too.

They are from Sportsgirl. (Opening in 1948 Sportsgirl is an Australian chain store that has been around for nearly seventy years!)

I know you and I share a love of op shopping (thrifting), but before we get to that longer discussion, tell me where else you shop.

I’m actually struggling with mainstream brands in Australia at the moment – I feel too old for some high street shops, and too young (or too casual) for others. But I tend to buy jeans and pants from Sussan [another Aussie standby, around since 1939], as I find their cuts flattering for me – I like that the waistband sits above the hips! If I’m going past a shop I like, I’ll stick my head in. I rarely go out specifically to find a particular item.

And do you shop online much?

Yes! My favourite shop would have to be Anthropologie – I’ve bought quite a few things online, in spite of the expensive postage. I’ve found almost every item I’ve bought from there to be really well made, and I like that the designs are a bit different to what we find here. I’m a sucker for a beautiful email, catalogue image etc.,which is probably why Anthropologie always wins me over.

They are pretty gorgeous. So: let’s get onto op shopping. Why do you like it?

I’m definitely a browser style of shopper – I just find it very relaxing to flick through the racks. The atmosphere is so much nicer than the bright, noisy stores at shopping centres – the music is usually quirky, the volunteers are relaxed and genuinely pleased to see you – and when you find something unique, you feel like you’ve won the lottery!

I also enjoy knowing that in some small way I’m helping the community a little, by recycling and supporting charity. That’s very important to me.

… when you find something unique, you feel like you’ve won the lottery!

That’s great – you are a woman after my own heart! Good shopping ethics.

When I do buy new clothes, I’m conscious of buying quality items that will last, rather than cheap things that can only be worn a few times – and when I do have a wardrobe cleanout, I take as much as possible back to the op shop. And I’m not afraid to donate a really great piece if I’m honestly not wearing it – because I know there’s probably someone else out there that can enjoy it. And I think it brings good op shop karma!

Is there anything special you are currently looking out for?

I could currently use a couple of new tops for work – but I’m sure I’ll find them at some point. I’d love to support more independent Australian designers, but I haven’t found a style I love at a price I can afford just yet. But I’m keeping my eyes open.

On that note of hope, Clementine you bright young thing, I shall thank you for agreeing to appear on the pages of SNAP. Happy treasure-hunting!

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!

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. 

Home and Abroad

Amelia-Jane models some of her favourite garments and tells us about shopping in Tokyo, and at home in Melbourne.

Tell me about that comfy-looking dress.

It is comfy! It’s from Uniqlo, in Tokyo. I bought it on my second trip there, a few years ago. The dress is a wool/cashmere blend. I was really drawn to the shape, and the fact that it’s not fitted. I like the enormous sleeves too, cut like a kimono. Plus – it’s wool, and a dress!

Was that something you were particularly looking for?

No, but it’s hard to find knit dresses that are pure wool. They’re often acrylic.

So what else did you find shopping in Tokyo?

I didn’t have a shopping list. I was just browsing generally for anything that caught my eye. Uniqlo specialises in knits. I went crazy in that shop! Great prices on woollen knits, cashmere and mohair – unlike here in Australia. Cashmere’s the price of wool, around $80 for a jumper. I bought jumpers in wool and cashmere, and they’re both still going strong after two or three years.

I adore pompoms. Where did you find that scarf?

So do I. I bought it from DFO [Direct Factory Outlets]; I can’t remember which store. It’s cotton – natural fabrics are very important – but all the pompoms fell off one by one, and I had to sew them back on individually. But it was cheap, about $12, so no surprise they fell off. I still like it though!

Woah! That's dedication – there are a lot of pompoms on there. Those dark grey boots are a major item. Tell me about those.

I love these boots! I haven’t even worn them out yet. They’re from Cactus Jam, by D.Co Copenhagen. I did a design job for a friend, and she gave me a Cactus Jam voucher. I love grey – it will always catch my eye when I go shopping. Most of my wardrobe is grey, although I like to dress it up with colour.

I hardly ever see you wear colours! Give me one example.

I bought a colourful maxi dress from Country Road. It’s in turquoise, melon and black, and has a splotchy pattern like camouflage. … And I bought a grey dress at the same time!

And did you wear this colourful dress?

Er, no … there weren’t enough hot days this summer. I wore another dress instead.

Sounds suspiciously like an excuse to me. Where else do you like to shop?

Country Road is good for me because they stock a lot of clothes for tall people, unlike other places. But I used to like Witchery, but not lately. Gorman, and Fat (but they’re both pricey). I recently bought something from FCUK, and something else from Country Road.

I like to go off the beaten track normally, but not many shops have inspired me lately. But I have started browsing on Etsy. I’m looking for some sort of neck ornament – a necklace or scarf.

Etsy certainly is fantastic for finding unique items – failing a shopping spree in Tokyo! Thanks Amelia-Jane, looking forward to next time.