Farewell My Golden Shoes

One pair of golden boots was found, another pair of golden shoes was lost – albeit quite a long time ago now as I unearthed these out of my archives of unpublished stories.

Though how I loved these soft suede wedges by Sole Society! I adored the goldenrod colour of course, and they were so comfortable and surprisingly easy to walk in. I really wore them to death, until the suede uppers developed some balding patches and dirty smudges, and the leather wedges became scraped at the toes.

As soon as shoes start looking shabby however, I become utterly ruthless. I photographed them in memory to happier times, and then I laid them to rest … in the bin. Farewell my golden shoes!

Photo: September 2014

The Golden Boots I Didn’t Know I Needed

A few months ago I waltzed into one of my regular op shop haunts and no sooner than my eyes fell upon a pair of golden boots in the glass cabinet at the front of the store, where all the best treasures are usually kept, I was instantly seized with that well-known phenomenon: shoe lust. I adore Asian embroidery, in any form, and I immediately enquired about them.

One of the staff said, “I was just about the photograph those for our Facebook page!” I generously suggested she still could, but she laughed and shook her head. She must have divined that I fully intended to purchase them, for they were exactly what I was looking for. (That was the shoe lust talking.)

… I was instantly seized with that well-known phenomenon: shoe lust

She had told me the size, and although they were actually a size bigger than I would normally wear, I knew fabric shoes were often an iffy prospect, especially stiff satin. These were barely worn, and sure enough, they were a little loose though not so stiff after all, and with socks I decided they would be fine. The brand is Sofree, which seems to originate from Asia, possibly Korea, although I can’t find much on them googling.

The first time I wore them I chose a day I was sure it would not rain, and pranced out into the sunshine with them. Not five minutes after I left my house, a passing cyclist exclaimed in delight at the sight of them. Validation!

Some shoes you just have to have, even if you don’t need them.

Photo: This week

Go-to, tally-ho!

Here are a couple of hats I bought late last year. One of them I call a ‘go-to’ hat because it’s so versatile and easy to wear – that would be the pink 70s-style oversize newsboy cap. It’s one I reach for often on casual weekends when I run out the door to go shopping for instance, because it seems to go with lots of my outfits and I don’t need to think about it.

The other hat is a vintage 50s hunting cap (with a visor on front and back), complete with ear-flaps that can be tied down under the chin with the grosgrain ribbon. It is quite amusing and cute, but definitely has a louder personality!

These were both bought in thrift stores for a song or two, and each bring a lot of colour to dreary winter days – that’s what makes hats so much fun to wear.  

Summer Easy to Wear

No matter how many hats I own (and at current count, well over 100), I could never have enough. There is just something about this most practical and most frivolous accessory that never ceases to delight me.

These two straw hats, one modern, one vintage 60s, are both fairly recent acquisitions – I bought them this last spring from separate Melbourne op shops (or thrift stores), each for about $5. Constructed from natural straw in neutral colours, they don’t look entirely frivolous – but they are not exactly practical either.

On the left is an open-weave mannish Homburg style, which does not at all keep off the sun … but then, neither does the little white Breton hat that perches on the top of the head.

The Breton has been more of a wardrobe success for me as I have worn it far more often as it seems to be more in keeping with my style. Possibly the woven Homburg makes me feel an uneasy twinge of boho or festival fashion, neither of which hackneyed looks I wish to emulate. But perhaps I haven’t yet found the right ensemble to top it off with.

Simply, some hats are easy to wear and seem to go with everything; others need exactly the right outfit to make them work. That’s the real difference between practicality and frivolity.

The Coat of Many Winters

Today I give homage to a very favourite old coat that I recently gave up to the hope shop. (That’s what I call op, or thrift, shops, and the designation is particularly poignant in this instance.) I bought this coat many years ago from Melbourne designer Obüs; it was my first ‘grown-up’ coat purchase. It was made from herringbone tweed, and featured a double-zipped front, the zips of which could go two ways. The sleeves also had zips up to the elbows, for extra ventilation. When I first saw it, I loved the modern minimalist design combined with the classic camel-coloured tweed.

I wore this coat for many winters, and even after the pockets tore a little at the sides from careless hand-stuffing, I continued to wear it. (Of course, I did not wear it all the time, as I am a coat aficionado from way back and alternated it with many others.)

I look at this photo and feel a little pang in my fashion heart.

It was only last winter that I noticed that one of the shoulders had become so worn in two places from rubbing caused by my shoulder bags, that the fabric had actually shredded into fragments of warp and weft. It was really ready for the rag-bag, but the coat held such sentimental value for me that I considered trying to have it repaired, perhaps by inserting leather shoulder patches. But there were also other signs of wear, and the torn pockets. I decided, in view of how many coats I actually own, and how little space I had for them all, that it was not worth the investment of a difficult repair, or even merely keeping it as a sentimental piece.

In a ruthless moment of wardrobe culling, I put it in a bag destined for the charity store (in case someone had some use for it, damaged as it was) and steeled myself to drop it at the Salvo’s depot. And I did it. But first, I photographed it. Now, I look at this photo and feel a little pang in my fashion heart. It gave me good love for well over ten years – I hope it comes to a good end.

Photo: January 2017