My Booties are Cuties

When did the word ‘booties’ enter sartorial parlance? It’s a cutesy term, but I must say I prefer it to the ‘shoe-boots’ that I have also heard, which is clunky. And booties should be anything but. By contrast, ankle boots of course cover, or finish just above the ankle. But what are booties?

They are enclosed shoes that cover the entire instep (the top part of the foot), just like baby booties from which they probably take their name (they don’t rate a mention in the Wikipedia entry on booties). Basically, they look like boots that have had the top part shorn off.

Easy to wear with trousers, once upon a time they looked really weird worn with a skirt. Now that is practically de rigeur.

In the autumn I was looking for booties but, as I’ve probably mentioned before, Australian chain stores are very conservative. Shoes, and boots in particular, usually are single coloured, and for autumn/winter this means either tan, dark brown, black, and sometimes grey. On the extremely rare occasion one’s eye might be assaulted by a red shoe (not a boot, mind) – gasp! How daring!

However, the rarest and most exotic sighting is a shoe constructed in more than one colour and finish. This type of shoe is almost impossible to find. In fact I don’t think it has entered the horizon of some of these shoe designers.

So I shop online. I found these suede booties by Next on eBay, from a UK seller. They are made from not one, not two, but three colours! Extraordinary. And quite cute to boot.

Not a Basics Kinda Girl

Classics: ten essential items that every woman must have in her wardrobe. Here and now I refute it! It’s rubbish.

Any long-term reader of this journal will know by now that I adore anything that is shiny, stripey, polka-dotty, plastered in feathers, brightly coloured, or vintage – and sometimes all at the same time. (Don’t believe me? See outfit in the previous story). I am not a classics kinda girl. I don’t do basics. Not when there are accessories in the world.

You know those stories you read in fashion magazines that tell you that you must have one good black suit (don’t own one), a perfectly-cut pair of jeans (never wear ’em), a white button-down shirt (loathe collared shirts), a beige trench (Burberry if you can manage it), etc and so on … ? And everything is black or white with a bit of beige thrown in if you’re lucky. The further I get into these articles, the more I find my lip starting to curl.

Like many though – judging by the number of people Googling these terms – I am fascinated by the notion of French chic. Earlier this year I purchased Ines de la Fressange’s style guide Parisian Chic, and was much entertained reading it (read my comprehensive report here). But really, it all boiled down to pretty much the same list as above, and when I read that I had to step away from the sequins, well really, with all due respect to Ines, I had to put the book down. Fashion rules are made to be broken, in my book!

Fashion rules are made to be broken, in my book!

I decided to take up a challenge. While classic was a dirty word to me, I did have quite a number of well-loved items in my wardrobe that had stood the test of time. I always went back to them; I wore some of them nearly every day. I decided to collect them together and photograph the series. The criteria were that the items had to have been in my possession a long time, and in almost continual circulation. There were quite a few more garments I could have included, but in the interests of brevity I kept them out. I didn’t photograph everything at once, and it was not until I had collated all the pictures that I discovered something interesting.

All of these items are black, white, red (or pink) and beige, with a tiny bit of blue thrown in for good measure. Damn! And some of these items are actually on that hated list. Quelle horreur! Sacre bleu, even! 

As this story continues on for ages (don’t worry, there are lots of pictures) click through to read on. Otherwise, check out the A Few Things I Heart gallery for an overview.

1. The Trench 

Ah, one of my all-time favourite garments. I absolutely adore coats, and own many, but this is my basic go-to coat. I wear it most days, unless I switch for a specific outfit, or it is unutterably freezing, in which case I don my vintage red cashmere swing coat. This is a vintage 70s trench made of butter-soft Spanish leather, by Gropper. I won it at auction on eBay at a criminally low cost. It is a little vulgar and definitely unchic to boast, but in case you are an eBay and/or vintage virgin, let me gently encourage you to reconsider your stance: this amazing coat cost $40. It is very well-worn now, sadly, but I still love it.

2. The Little Black Dress

In my case, I own a Little Red Dress, by Pepe Jeans. There are many things to adore about it: it’s silk, it features shirring, it has little butterfly sleeves, it’s flirty – and the way that skirt swings it’s totally made for dancing. If I ever take up salsa, I know what I’ll wear. And did I mention it’s RED? Who wants to wear boring old black when they could dazzle in scarlet? (I do own a classic black vintage 60s dress, but I seem to rarely wear it.)

3. The Cashmere Cardigan

I adore this cardigan. It is so soft and comfy and warm. So it’s a little out of shape with age, and it has an enormous darned patch in the left elbow, but I still love it. It’s perfect for those days you want to cuddle up and be cosy. I really like the rolled hems too. I am pretty chuffed to say that this was a souvenir, from Vietnam, although it’s Italian-made. (It’s not the only souvenir that made it to this list either … who says souvenirs can’t be stylish?)

4. The Black Blouse

Instead of a white button-down shirt (ugh), I have a black crocheted blouse by Elle B, a now-defunct division of Australian brand Sportsgirl. I love the little details: the frills on the short sleeves; the row of buttons sewn in pairs. I took out the stretchy drawstring tie and replaced it with narrow velvet ribbon, which is prettier. This is a top I’ve wondered in the past if I should cull, because it’s black perhaps, but I come back to it time and again.

5. The Classic Bag

My favourite bag for winter is supple black patent leather. I have always liked black patent, especially in accessories. Shine and subversion in one! This bag has the perfect number of compartments and keeps my day-to-day items neatly sorted. I actually purchased this bag at a boutique charity store. A designer label had donated a huge number of bags, but had cut all the labels out and forbidden the store to reveal the origin. It wasn’t a cheap purchase by any means, but I am sure it came at a fraction of the retail cost. A good-quality leather bag is a must if you can afford it.

6. Black Leather Lace-Up Boots

I had always wanted a pair of 60s style black lace-up boots – immediately calls to mind French New Wave films. I finally invested in them and wear them often. My oldest sister Blossom scoffs lightly at the easy-access zips – her boots in the 70s, she tells me, were real lace-ups. She admits they were a bother to get in and out of.

Although this picture is all about the boots, the skirt is another favourite too, camel coloured soft suede, with a scalloped double-layered hem. The subtle detail: a Broderie-Anglaise embroidered hem. Another handy little staple is the trans-seasonal black velvet tank.

7. The Black Shoe

I do own the requisite black pumps, but never wear them. Instead, in summer I go to these gorgeous patent sling-backs. They are high, dainty and have a little bow on the heel. (See them in action with my Little Red Dress above!) They look like Barbie heels, only more stylish. I love them.

8 & 9. It’s All White

This white wool beret has been with me for many, many years. I purchased a navy beret at the same time, but sold it on eBay years ago. This beret is to my hat collection what my trench is to my coats: practical, easy, fast, goes-with-anything.

The scarf … sensitive readers look away now. I know that many will be horrified to read this is real rabbit fur. The only fur I wear is either rabbit, or vintage. Recycling garments is obviously of benefit to the environment. Otherwise, in Australia rabbits are an introduced animal, considered vermin, and are commonly culled. In New Zealand possums are actually an introduced species, and are also considered a pest. I do not otherwise condone the purchase of new fur, especially of endangered animals. That being said, the scarf does keep me very warm, and I always love a pompom!

10. Cowhide

Another souvenir, this time from Hong Kong’s Stanley Markets, this cowhide bag has been with me for many years. It was quite expensive, and I recall spending the day biting my nails, wandering the market and wondering if I should buy it. But when it came to fending off an American tourist who was also interested in buying it, I knew I had to lay claim to it! I usually carry it in summer and autumn. I think nearly every single time I have worn it, someone has complimented me – my sister Star tells me every time she sees it that she wants me to remember her in my will!

11. The Cashmere Shawl

One of the things I most remember about shopping in the souqs of the United Arab Emirates is the constant clamour of ‘Pashmina, pashmina?’ from itinerant merchants. It was so incessant I got to the point of snapping shortly, “No thank you!” It felt rude at first, but give ’em half an ear and they’d talk both off …

But this striped red and white scarf in the window display caught my eye as I traversed the second tier of the Blue Souq in Sharjah (the Emirate next door to Dubai). I entered the store and pretended to be interested in anything but the striped scarf – eventually I had to confess it was what I wanted, since it was the only one in the entire store. I bargained hard, but, I suspect to this day, not hard enough. I triumphantly took it home though, and carry it every day in my trusty black bag. It is so delicate a weave it does not look as though it could possibly afford any warmth, but it very much does so.

12. The Basic Tee

I am not a t-shirt girl. I hate them almost as much as white shirts, especially if they are crew neck. (That little round neckline makes me look like a pinhead.) However, this blue and white striped loose tee by Zara had other things going for it: it was scoop necked, it was made of linen fibre, and it had blue and white stripes! (Have I mentioned how much I love stripes?)

Other t-shirts that rate a mention: the smoky grey silk knit I wear in this gallery that has a satin trim tie neckline and fluttery satin sleeves, and the long-sleeved hot pink merino wool tee by Kookaï. I have quite a few long-sleeved wool tees; they are great for layering in winter.

13. The Sunhat

Not for the faint-hearted, this enormous and uncrushable red hat is by Aussie label Mimco. The brim is flexible, and can easily be turned up when I want a view, and turned down when I want to be Greta and keep in the shade. Because it can be folded up and flattened, it’s great for travelling. Another rather expensive purchase, it has stood the test of time and been well-worth the cost.

(The pants are here just so’s I’m not naked for all the world to see, but one of those infernal lists does mention khakis or chinos as a very necessary wardrobe item, so I’m covered, in more ways than one. These ones are from Gap and have ties in the leg so they can be worn tight at the ankle, or rolled up to the calf. Practical!)

14. Jewellery

A watch is an essential item for most people. I love my chain-mail watch by Kenneth Cole. The intricately-woven chain has had to be repaired by jewellers more than once though, and it’s a difficult job (the last threw it at me in disgust and begged me never to darken his doorway again), so I suspect that one day I will be in the market for a new timepiece. When the evil day arrives, I fancy a silver banded Skagen; I’d also dearly love a vintage men’s watch, 30s or 40s, with a round face and tan leather band.

Silver hoops are considered a classic item of jewellery – mine are square-edged, and came from Roun, as did the silver ring. The bauble bracelet and earrings match well, although I purchased the former on eBay (I suspect it was in imitation of Tiffany), and made the earrings. I actually bought the bracelet purely for the beads, and was going to pull it apart, but when it arrived I discovered I liked it very much. Those earrings are another go-to staple when I don’t want to wear anything fancy.

The black onyx bangle comes from Barcelona, and the original onyx ring this one is a replacement for was also a souvenir, from Vietnam. I usually wear the two rings together, on one finger.

So there you have it, my collection of favourites. (And if you have made it to the end of this very long story, I am impressed and gratified. Phew!) 

Rhinestones Are a Girl’s Best Friend

If you’re going to go fake, I say, do it with panache. I am talking here, of course, about jewels – gems, brilliants, bling, whatever you may call ’em. I can never resist shiny, sparkly things (except for actual diamonds – I don’t like those; like Holly Golightly I think they are dreadfully aging).

Out with subtlety: get the biggest, boldest sparklers you can find. Heck, buy the necklace and the matching earrings too (I did). Unrealistic colours are preferable, because we’re not trying to pretend these baubles are real. They’re fun, and they provide a great pop of colour to an outfit.

Nicole Kidman’s gems for the film Moulin Rouge are actually real, designed by Stefano Canturi, all 134cts of it, and worth a bomb (with six zeros). I saw this in the jeweller’s window in Melbourne a few years ago – amazing!The proper terms for fake bling are rhinestones, or diamantes. Once, imitation jewels were called ‘paste’. Paste stones were made from a colourless and wet glass paste with a high lead content that could be moulded or cut. And originally, rhinestones were rock crystals found in the River Rhine – who knew! Inspired by their popularity, back in 1775 an Alasatian jeweller had the idea to imitate diamonds by coating the underside of cut glass stones with a metal powder. The modern counterpart is Swarovski of course. Their crystals, also coated with special metallic chemical powders, are actually crystal glass, as opposed to the cheaper and more plebeian glass without lead that commoners make do with.

At $34.99 (plus postage), these might be more affordable: Aurora Borealis Pink Elegant Bridal Wedding Crystal Chunky Necklace Set 15"–18"Here’s how to spot a fake when shopping vintage (if it isn’t clear by its sheer, exuberant size and rollicking design, see example above): paste gems have air bubbles while natural stones do not; paste feels warm to the touch, since it is a poor conductor of heat; and being relatively soft, paste gems are unable to cut ordinary glass – so don’t bother trying to scratch your initials in window panes.

If you’re hankering after some trumpery jewels of your own you could do no better than visit the aptly named eBay shop Bonny’s Glitz and Ritz.

Stocking Shocking Stockings

That creeping sensation …

This winter has been so cold. Ordinary thigh-high stay-ups just didn’t cut it on some of these nippy days, and finding that my stocking stocks were low, I decided to go on the hunt for interesting hosiery.

Cotton or wool stockings would be perfect, something with pattern or texture or bright colours. These types of tights are expensive in Australia, unless one happens to get lucky at sales time (usually in summer when stockings are the last things one is contemplating investing in), so I decided to try eBay.

I struck gold in a wool pair for $10, and fantastic cabled wool/hemp stockings in two different shades of grey for $15 each, all from Japan. I also flung in three pairs of opaque 80 denier ombre stockings: espresso, charcoal and cobalt – less than $4 each from Korea.

But … CAVEAT EMPTOR!

I thought I had read the fine print, I really did. I mean, I really did read it. All the stockings, according to the measurements and sizes listed, were supposed to fit me. Yet I failed to take into account that they had been manufactured for an Asian market that is typically slim and delicate.

When the first pair arrived, I was nonplussed to find the size tag read ‘XXXL’ …

When the first pair arrived, I was nonplussed to find the size tag read ‘XXXL’. When I tried those on, I found they would barely fit a pygmy, let alone a petite Japanese girl: the gusset reaching my knees. They languish in my drawer.

Then the ombré tights arrived, looking pretty in their packaging – until I took them out and discovered they were sheer 12 denier stockings, and the ombré effect is barely visible except perhaps under a magnifying glass. After filing all my nails, and with very careful easing up, I managed to draw on the espresso pair all the way without ripping them. I wore them to the office but unsurprisingly developed a run that very afternoon. Into the bin with those!

I do love these charcoal coloured wool and hemp stockings, despite their one flawThe fabulous wool/hemp wonder stockings – one pair in charcoal, the other in grey – looked gorgeous and promising. They did not itch in the slightest, but unfortunately they were also a little short in the leg. I tried washing and stretching them with little effect. Desperate, I wore them anyway.

They slowly drive you insane throughout the day as they slide down by tiny increments …

Do you know how horrible it is to spend a day in slightly short stockings? They sag, and they bag. They slowly drive you insane throughout the day as they slide down by tiny increments.

I managed to fob off one unworn pair on a shorter friend (whom they just fit), but the first pair I kept since I had stuck one finger through the top in frustration while tugging them up. Eventually I resorted to that old childhood trick: I wore a second pair of undies over the stockings. Eureka! The stockings stayed up, my legs stayed toasty.

Burned, but lesson learned.

What is a Cardigan?

A tutorial in pictures

A keen eye will notice the distinct lack of an opening down the front of this garment, and the sharp intellect will correctly interpret this as most definitely NOT a cardigan. What is a cardigan? This would seem a rhetorical, nay, somewhat superfluous question. For does not everyone (in the English-speaking world) know what is a cardigan? Apparently not.

Quite a while back I purchased a ‘cardigan’ on eBay. It was quite pretty, a lilac-coloured wool knit cut in a kimono style with silk butterfly sleeves. The photos were not the best quality, but I neglected to cross-question the seller as to whether this garment really was a cardigan, with buttons opening all the way down the front. When it duly arrived in the mail I discovered, in some astonishment, that it was not, in fact, a cardigan at all, but a top with decorative buttons down the front.

When I queried this discrepancy with the seller, she insisted that Witchery (an Australian high-street chain store) had described it thus. I think not. But the seller refused to give any ground, and I was quite annoyed.

Observe the opening down the front of the garment, punctuated regularly with buttons. This undoubtedly IS a cardigan.Dear old Wikipedia explicitly states that a cardigan is a type of knit shirt with an open front, differentiating itself from a pullover, which must be ‘pulled over’ the head to be worn.

Named after the 7th Earl of Cardigan who was a British officer during the Crimean War (1853–1856), the garment was modelled after the wool waistcoat officers wore at this time.

That’s pretty clear, huh? No more confusion. Go forth and cardi-up.

Look ma, no buttons! But it’s STILL undeniably and recognisably a cardigan.