A Face For Hats

Vintage Georges Melbourne dusky apricot velvet newsboy :: Tejas // Blanko Noir // No flash + a little Tilt Shift Generator and a dash of iDarkroomI had a little spare time today after visiting the dentist, so I popped into some opshops, looking for a bud vase for my mum. I didn’t find any of those that I liked, but I did find a cute little vintage velvet newsboy cap at the Prahran Mission charity shop. The brim is designed so that the hat looks like it is tilted on a saucy angle even when it’s sitting straight on the head. Now that’s considered design!

It is a strange dusky apricot colour – not a hue I wear usually, and the salesboy kindly held up a large mirror in the front window so I could see how it suited my complexion by daylight. An elderly gentleman had already complimented me, saying the cap looked good, and I had a face for hats. How kind!

The label reads Georges, Melbourne. Georges is a venerable old, up-market department store in the ‘Paris End’ of Collins St, Melbourne, and was established in 1880. Since then it has closed and re-opened more than once. I am quite chuffed to have found one of their very own vintage caps.

Oh la la! How very genteel! Ladies take tea in GeorgesThe fine art of window shopping: ladies inspect the latest in lingerie and lace

Un-Charm Bracelet

Naughty Amelia-Jane and the Un-Charming Bracelet :: Roboto Glitter // Pistil // No flashNaughty Amelia-Jane sports an un-charm bracelet by Karen Walker, its delicacy belied by pendants that are quirky rather than cute.

The un-charms include sundry manifestations of skulls (a skull atop a chess pawn, a skull and crossbones); a cigarette butt; hollow hearts; stars and bombs.

It was the cigarette butt that initially caught her attention and won her over, and her husband was persuaded to buy it for her as a gift. He certainly knows how to win her over!

Eastermatic

Singing Easter Bunny :: Salvador 84 // Claunch 72 Monochrome // Laser Lemon GelI love a good dress up. Here is a young lady that I snapped today serenading market shoppers. She took a liberal interpretation of the Easter Bunny ensemble and donned a pale pink top, white tutu, white suspender stockings, and a pair of bunny ears (sadly drooping). Never mind the singing, that outfit alone was worth a gold coin donation.

Sweets Serenade :: Chunky // Blanko Noir // Dreampop

Summer Hats on a Pedestal

The darlingest red vintage hat is a recent purchase from the Salvos. Made from red velvet, it has a satin ribbon around the crown and a Forties look. It bears an Otto Lucas Junior label. 

Underneath it is my pink 60s trapunto tasselled hat. 

Next is a leopard-print fedora that I bought a few years ago.

Beneath that is a pretty 30s white hat that has a black velvet ribbon woven through the crown.

Several layers down, there is my gorgeous black Panama hat with its cluster of white flowers at the back.

The photo isn’t a Hipstamatic of course, but it’s close. Last night I downloaded a new iPhone app called ClassicTOY, and amongst its retro lenses and films it had the Shinok Edition, which gives me the Photo Booth look. I had to be fast to snap these – hence the blurring in the final shot.

The camera has a few different lenses full of possibilities: a Double Eye (two shots in one frame); Double Exposure; Jelly Candid (freaky pink, jelly-coloured rings around the edges of the frame); Sabinne Edition (four lenses, like a lomocamera); Mikkers! Edition (six frames in one shot); these are the best out of the ten lenses. There are a heap of films to choose from too, with additional effects possible.

I foresee much fun in the future!

Don Johnson Fan

“He’s flash – he’s got his white jacket on, and he’s got his cash; He’s wearing dark sunglasses, sleeves rolled up – yes, he’s Eurotrash…” (I made that song up just now.) :: Melodie // Alfred Infrared // No flashI was sitting on a train a few months back and had a little giggle to myself when I spied this guy in his corner seat, flashing his hairy legs; sleeves of his white jacket rolled up à la Don Johnson in Miami Vice. The reason I was giggling was because I was planning a photoshoot with a friend of mine with the theme ‘Eurogigolo’.

My friend actually adores dressing Eurotrash style, and I knew he would love to see this guy in his little shorts, sockless feet and dark sunnies.

Now I’m not one for blatantly snapping away at members of the general public without permission (unless it’s a public event and I’m photographing ‘ambiance’), but this time I sneakily pretended I was taking photos of the train’s interior. And I was right, my friend did love it.