Old Hat

Spring Carnival is the one time of year when no one stares at me when I wear a hat, although never let it be said that I would wear a common sinnamay fascinator on my head. I am celebrating Cup eve instead with a new vintage hat I recently added to my collection: a 1970s straw that I bought on eBay for a song – I couldn’t resist its candy pinkness.

Isn’t the painting in the background darling? I snapped it yesterday, a new addition to the walls under Richmond Bridge – I love that the horses are drawn in the simple style of cave paintings. There are four in a row, and the jockey on the lead horse is looking back as though he can’t believe he is so far ahead.

Tomorrow dawns on the day that will stop a nation, and we Victorians are awarded a public holiday, hurrah! 

What Would Mr Ed Do?

You know when you see a leather belt with a prancing pony brass buckle in a charity store for a few dollars that you must buy it. There is no question. It is not the time to ask oneself, ‘Do I really need a pony buckle belt?’ And if one does, the answer is a resounding ‘Yeigh!’

At the time the sales assistant (eyeing my haul) asked me if I had seen the pony buckle belt? ‘You bet I have. It’s in my basket,’ I replied promptly. She was very pleased to hear it. I suspect if I were the sales assistant in a charity store, I’d be fighting off the customers in order to claim the choicest items!

Shoeaholics Anonymous

Hello. My name is Princess Tatiana, and I am a shoeaholic. I confess: I love shoes. I own far too many shoes. I own so many shoes I’ve forgotten what I own, and I couldn’t possibly wear them all in a season if I could remember them all. I even have shoes I’ve never worn. Ever. (Shame!) I’d like to say there’s always room for more, but … there isn’t. I would have to move house to fit more in my closet.

Here is a delicious little pink satin pair that I have never worn out of the house. Don’t those tassels just strike delight in your heart? They look like they’re made expressly for dancing the night away.

Lord Byron’s words perfectly encapsulate these fairytale dancing slippers:

On with the dance! let joy be unconfined;
No sleep till morn, when youth and pleasure meet
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet.

I bought them from the Wittner warehouse shop for about $30, so really, they are still are bargain, even if they’re as yet unworn. They’re waiting for exactly the right occasion, and their time in the sun will come one day. Or night.

Little Sparkles (where the sun don’t shine)

I own lots of sunglasses. I don’t swap them as often as I change other accessories, though when an outfit calls for something special I certainly do. But none of my sunglasses cases – even the designer ones – are particularly glamorous. Why is that? And those enormous hard cases! (Calvin Klein I’m lookin’ at you.) Those certainly don’t fit in a little handbag. And yet one doesn’t like to scratch the lenses either, tossing unprotected sunglasses around willy-nilly.

Enter the vintage sequined evening purse by old Aussie label Jendi. It caught my eye in a charity shop, and I thought it would make a fun sunglasses case. It is satin lined too, so no fear it will damage those precious designer lenses. Admittedly, it’s too large to fit in the little handbag I ordinarily carry, but it’s just fine for my work tote bag. All those sparkles mean it’s easy to find within the roomy interior (where the sun don’t shine) too! 

Clutching at Straws

Here’s the perfect summer bag for a summer picnic: vintage woven straw embroidered with orange blossoms on front and top. All the more perfect because it looks just like an Asian lunchbox! At 20cm x 20cm (8" x 8"), it’s also large enough to take on a Sunday stroll through a flea market, and to be filled with more vintage goodies.

Too adorable and inexpensive to resist, I recently purchased the bag for $20 from Etsy store Junky Monkey (who specialise in vintage clothing patterns). The seller listed it as a 70s item, although to me it is more reminiscent of the 1960s for some reason – how cute would it look with a vintage silk cheongsam of that era?

Here’s to delicious sunny days … bon appétit!