Unstinting Fringing

Last summer I spotted a cream faux-raffia-trim top in the Country Road catalogue and I was immediately enamoured. It just looked like so much fun: all that fringe trim – full and soft and bouncy. The cotton knit fabric had a weave reminiscent of waffle, and the fringing was created with the same fabric. There was a matching skirt too.

It took me probably a week or two before I found time to duck into a store to look at it, though I didn’t have quite enough time to try it on. When I did, I discovered it was sold out! I was bitterly disappointed.

It just looked like so much fun: all that fringe trim – full and soft and bouncy.

I did see a similar top in Witchery, another Australian high street store, but it sported only a single row of fringing, and such paucity was disappointing. I couldn’t bring myself to fling my money away on stingy fringing.

A few months later I was browsing on eBay, and as I sometimes do, I was searching for items I’d missed out on when they were in stores. As my incredible luck would have it, I came across this top! The owner had never even worn it – the tags were still attached – and I immediately snapped it up at half the retail price.

I was so glad I did. I love the top and managed to wear it a few times before it grew too cold. Its frivolity is offset by the minimalist colour, which makes it more classic than it otherwise might have been. I am sure it is one of those pieces that I will want to wear for a few seasons more, if not quite forever. I do think it is something I will want to keep in my collection though, if only to one day hand it down to some descendant who will enjoy it as much as I have.

Photo: April 2016

Shoes that Give, and Give

A couple of years ago I had decided to embark on a major cull of my wardrobe. I must have been feeling particularly ruthless that day, for at least seven pairs of shoes were cast aside, but not before I photographed them for posterity. Here are four of them.

In the front, a pair of kitten heel pony-hair mules in a lovely shade of deep green that were surprisingly uncomfortable because the edge of the vamp cut into the top of my foot. These shoes didn’t give! Consequently, I wore them very little, and they were still in very good condition when I gave them away. I bought these on sale from the shoe boutique Zomp, and I wonder if they were one of the last pairs, for probably I should have gone up a half size at least.

Second from the bottom is a pair of vintage 80s Alice-blue pumps that I bought on Etsy. (Here they are in action.) I quite liked these shoes, but they had three disadvantages: they were a tiny bit tight, the exterior leather was quite creased from my Cinderella’s sister feet squashing into them, and the inner soles were disintegrating. Out they went!

The green suede peep-toes I bought from the shoe store Mollini on sale for $50 about 10–15 years ago. The heel and platform sole were green snakeskin – see them here. They were every comfortable to wear, but they were old and I decided they’d had their day. Gone, but not forgotten.

At the back, a pair of natural snakeskin heels I bought also from Zomp around the same time as the peep-toes. I adored these shoes and wore them often (check ’em out here). Zomp have an amazing range of shoes from around the world; this makes them quite expensive, but usually worth it; these cost around $200 new.

… I was walking to work one day when one black plastic heel snapped in half.

Six months or so after I bought them, I was walking to work one day when one black plastic heel snapped in half. I took them back to the store (which happened to be very close by), and they agreed this should not have occurred. To my delighted surprise, they replaced them as they still happened to have some in stock in my size! I had no receipt, but they found the transaction in their records using my card number. I thought that was pretty darned good service. And those shoes did me good service too, for I continued to wear them for many years afterward.

All the shoes were donated to a charity store. I wonder if one or two of the pairs at least were considered great finds by someone? I hope so: as a dyed-in-the-wool thrift shopper, I believe firmly in receiving and giving!

Shoo, Autumn!

The last official day of autumn has arrived and ended almost before I noticed! Melbourne has treated us to a sudden cold snap so it really felt as though winter had already begun a few days ago.

So on this last day of May I also bid adieu to these orange patent leather pumps by Aldo. I bought them years ago on eBay, secondhand, attracted to their juicy shininess, and the punctured pattern, which is also why I love a pair of brogues.

Sadly, many years of wear have reduced these peeptoes to tatters: the toes and soles have torn away beyond repair, and we must regretfully now part ways just as we bid farewell to autumn.

Adieu Aldos! Au revoir autumn!

Neat Knit

At the height of summer, I was doing a spot of op shop browsing with a friend during my lunch break. I don’t recall if I was keeping an eye out for anything in particular at the time, but I did find something I was not at all looking for: this fantastic grey wool jumper (sweater) by Australian label Country Road.

It was cosy and soft, featured a great cable criss-cross texture on the front, and was in excellent condition (apart from a few pills that I removed easily). I could not fathom what nitwit turfed this knit out! It was a classic neutral grey, the cable-with-a-twist not too outlandish or faddish – and so it ought to stand the test of time.

And of course the Irrefutable Laws of Op (or Thrift) Shopping decree that in summer one will find winter clothes, and vice versa, so one must make hay grow sheep buy wool when the sun shines!

I could not fathom what nitwit turfed this knit out!

A one hundred per cent wool jumper priced at a few dollars was nothing to sneeze at either; a decent quality knit will cost between one and two hundred dollars retail. In fact today I scrolled through Country Road’s current sale, and one cable knit jumper I admired was reduced to $172.

I have worn the jumper here with a denim skirt by Gerard Darel and a vintage black angora beret. Melbourne is fighting off yet another few tiresome days of Indian summer, but as soon as it is cool enough again, I’m looking forward to adding a pair of over-the-knee socks and heels and wearing this neat knit outfit!

Photo: Yesterday

Winning Silver

Many good things come together in this silver metallic clutch by Country Road that I found a while back in an op shop (thrift store).

So, what’s to love?

1. A bag on a wrist strap is so kicky! It also makes it much more convenient to hold – clutching a bag under the armpit always feels precarious.
2. The elegant, slim shape harks back to my beloved, lost envelope purse.
3. Silver is much cooler (in both senses of the word) than gold, and I have always preferred it.  
4. Silver, like grey, matches everything! This minimalist style will always look elegant, even when strict minimalism goes in and out of fashion.

I call this a first class thrift shop find!