Staple Sequins

Who would have ever suspected that a sequinned t-shirt could become a basic in one’s wardrobe? But that is just what happened to me.

Two or three years ago I found this silver matt sequinned tee in an op shop. It had obviously been barely worn, and was priced at only a few dollars. I had already given sanctuary to several spangled items (I am such a magpie), but I took it home with me anyway. And to my surprise since then it has become a staple item in my wardrobe, unlike my other sequinned garments, most of which are really eveningwear.

It is the combination of simple tee shape with the neutral grey colour, and the fact that the paillettes are matt, rather than reflective that makes this top so versatile. The back of the tee is just plain cotton, which also helps to make it feel more dressed-down, yet it dresses up an otherwise plain outfit, and gives it really pizzazz.

What a great find it was!

Photo: December 2015

Hell For Leather

I have a love affair with all accessories, but especially unique, vintage items. However—and this should be obvious—vintage textiles can be very fragile, and require more care in wearing, storage, and laundering than new things.

The definition of vintage includes items that are more than 20 years old, while antique items are at least 100 years old. Most of my belts are either new or secondhand, and probably not older than ten years, so they are one accessory I need worry less about. Or so I thought …

What Not to Do

I used to keep my belts neatly rolled up in a drawer, which worked fine for quite a while, until my collection began growing, and the drawer began shrinking. Over a period of time the drawer began to resemble a jumble sale that had been enthusiastically rummaged through.

The disgraceful drawer-cum-jumble sale in question – you can actually see the belt in question in the centre, with one piece of leather already coming away from the buckle! A portent of tragedy to come … and I never noticed at the time.I am always hurrying in the morning to dress, and one day, keen to wear a new secondhand plaited leather belt with a lovely rectangular silver buckle, I went to pull it from the drawer. I could see its end sticking, snake-like out of the tangle, and I pulled. It resisted, and I tugged harder – and a moment’s impatience made this as-yet-unworn belt snap in half! Cue lamentations …

a moment’s impatience made this as-yet-unworn belt snap in half! Cue lamentations …

The belt had clearly become brittle during its short lifetime, and it could not stand the pressure I had put it under. I have since tidied up the drawer, and hung my belts on hooks in my closet, which is much more practical, and less wearing on them.

How to care for leather

Leather can deteriorate if left in the sun: it will dry out and become brittle, making it prone to cracking and eventually breakage, which is probably what had happened to my belt. Combat this by regularly moisturising the leather with a dressing or cream.

Always store leather items in a cool, dry place to prevent mildew growing on its surface (mildew loves a humid, wet basement). Don’t keep leather in plastic either – it needs to have some air to breathe.

Keep abrasives from it that will scuff or mark the leather as much as possible –although wear is inevitable, so there’s no sense in obsessing over it.

Don’t stretch leather (such as over-stuffing a wallet) as it will not go back to its original shape.

You’ll notice the stretching of shoes made from especially soft leather. I had a beloved pair of wedges by Australian label Habbot made from Italian glove leather that eventually took on the shape of my toes! Rather unsightly. That was after they had suffered from water damage after an unexpected shower too.

However, I am firmly of the opinion it is better to use and enjoy these delicate items for as long as they last than to keep them forever wrapped in cottonwool. Let them have their time in the sun – just not too much sunbaking!

Photos: December, August 2015

Beau Ideal

I have a volatile relationship with bows. At the moment, I am still deep in the throes of minimalism, so I am feeling dubious of anything too decorative and frivolous. Practical bows are currently acceptable, but froufrou bows are eyed with suspicion. Therefore, my own ideal bow is hand-tied, with a free-form, imperfect shape.

Last year when I did my big wardrobe clean-out, my criteria for culling was: “if it can be described as ‘cute’, or ‘girly’—it’s out.” A lot of things with bows (even innocent small ones) were ruthlessly tossed aside like old shoes (those went out too; the ones with bows were first against the wall).

The sleeves are silk chiffon, puffed, and finished with a bow. You can’t get any more horribly girly than that!

The black tee by Bettina Liano was one such victim. The sleeves are silk chiffon, puffed, and finished with a bow. You can’t get any more horribly girly than that! But then recently, while I was searching in my storage room for something to complete a costume piece, I came across the very same tee and something unaccountable happened: my heart softened towards it. I brought it upstairs and back into my closet! (Weak.)

The candy pink hat is vintage 70s, and it survived the cull (bows on hats are okay), as did the antique periwinkle silk chiffon bow pinned to my white blouse. I purchased that on Etsy, and although I won’t wear it at the moment, it is too pretty to be cast aside. It is in a favourite shade of blue too. But who knows—I rescued the black tee, so anything could happen!

Photos: March/April 2014

This tearsheet is from British Vogue from the last year or two. I’d now deem all those items too twee for me!

Grass Roots

I am not sure if it is the connotations of summer that I love so much about woven accessories, or if it is the very tactile pleasure of the texture beneath one’s fingertips. I prefer them in more natural, neutral colours than dyed brightly—although further down this story there’s a pair of Hermès tomato red wedges that I might we willing to put on my feet, if I was willing to pay the trifling sum of $1,355. I also love the fact that these very solid objects have been constructed from such seemingly flimsy materials.

Weaving is a beautiful technique evocative of ephemeral nature made to last …

Weaving is a beautiful technique evocative of ephemeral nature made to last, of admirable dexterity and artistry. Traditionally a distinctly feminine craft, it alludes to tribal histories, to earth mothers (and experimental couturiers) keeping ethnic crafts alive, by appealing to acquisitive fashionistas of more urban jungles.

It really seems such a simple, elemental and practical craft, but it is amazing to see what can be achieved with a good eye for design, nimble fingers and patience. It’s also simply beautiful.

A few of my own favourites

I was delighted when I spotted this vintage basket case (ha!) in an op shop (thrift store) a few weeks ago, for the princely sum of $3. Two of the hinges at the base were completely broken, and I had to repair them – I was in a hurry to use this as part of a costume for a fancy dress party, so I used what I had nearest to hand: some twine that camouflaged well. It wasn’t easy to weave it through the flush hinges, but waxing the end did help. My original intention was to use it for storage; scarves perhaps.

The hat I pounced on last summer at Country Road, recognising it for its—ahem—‘inspirational’ source: a hat by Burberry (see below). I do love it though for a fun sunhat: it’s far more edgy than a regular floppy cartwheel, and much less common than a fedora.

I purchased the slingbacks on eBay from a Frenchwoman who told me although she liked the shoes, she couldn’t wear them because they were too low! They feature a pretty, geometric pattern in black and natural straw. I have a sneaking fondness for the kitten heel, which often seems to get a bad rap in fashion magazines simply for not being as sexy as a stiletto.

I also absolutely adore this lovely little woven handbag. It too came from an op shop, and my guess that it is someone’s travel souvenir, bought on a whim then discarded in a nonplussed moment. I really like the intricate design in the weaving of this one, and the handles are plaited – a pretty, extra little detail.

When to Wear

If it’s not enough to say such materials are too (visually) synonymous with summer to wear in winter, then at least, while I don’t subscribe to prescriptive fashion rules (such as no white after Labour Day – which is American anyway and doesn’t apply here in Australia but still sounds ludicrous to me), one must be pragmatic about straw, grass, raffia, cane, et al. They are not suitable for winter simply for the fact that any sudden downpour is likely to ruin them! Obviously, they won’t keep you very warm either.

High Fashion

Weaving has enjoyed a season in the brilliant sun of high fashion in recent seasons, with Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry all taking a hand. Some of these garments are deliciously impractical and incongruous, such as the sculptural and quite surreal D&G corsets and dresses, but I enjoy them all the more for it. I adore the Burberry trench too (above), but really, when is it suitable to wear? Not in winter surely, and such a closely-fitted coat (probably silk-lined to boot) in warm weather? Or am I merely forgetting the chilly realities of what the British humorously term ‘summer’?

Scroll down for some couture inspiration. (Admittedly these tearsheets are probably a year or two old, but I still love them.)

Photos: December 2015

The Gloves are On!

Vintage 60s periwinkle nylon gloves, worn with modern silk blouse Except in winter, or other special occasions, gloves have long since been a discarded accessory. Once upon a time, they were an indispensible component of a woman’s sartorial arsenal. And then decades ago, women became emancipated from fashion diktats, and the gloves – along with the hats and stockings – were joyfully tossed aside.

What a pity! All these additional accessories are one of the main reasons I welcome cooler weather: so many more opportunities to express oneself through fashion! Of course in summer there are still hats, and I’ve adopted the parasol too for pragmatic reasons, but in hot, sultry weather as we often have here in summer in my hometown of Melbourne, I am reluctant to load myself down with decorative accessories, such as scarves, or gloves.

Once upon a time, [gloves] were an indispensible component of a woman’s sartorial arsenal.

However, I really have no such excuse in spring, for this season is one of the most changeable in this climate. One day in the last month we literally went from morning sunshine, to noon thunderstorms and imminent hurricanes, and then less than half an hour later, the sun was gloriously shining again. In such a climate, it really is necessary to be prepared for anything, every day. So why not gloves?

Vintage 1940s buff leather gloves, worn with 1940s hat and 1970s dressIt is difficult, I have discovered, to find new gloves that are anything more than pedestrian or basic in design. Colours, lengths, styles, trims – everything is extremely limited. Even in Spain and Portugal a few years ago I found nothing very unusual, and I visited a specialist glove store in Lisbon only to be bitterly disappointed.

So I have turned to vintage gloves. I am lucky that I have quite small hands (about a size 7), so that I can find many that actually fit me. As Valerie Cummings, author of Gloves (B. T. Batsford, 1982) writes in her introduction: For several hundred years gloves were worn throughout the year, they were bought in dozens rather than pairs, and they came in a wide range of materials, colours, styles and sizes. This is why there are so many to choose from when purchasing vintage, although you’ll probably have more luck finding gloves that fit from the last five or six decades of the twentieth century.

I have amassed quite a large collection of really lovely vintage gloves; here are two pairs: buff kid leather 1940s French gloves – never worn – bought on Etsy, and a pair of periwinkle 1960s nylon gloves made in Hong Kong, purchased in a vintage bazaar in Geelong (a small city not far from Melbourne). Admittedly, I have not worn my collection as often as I should: just for fun, and at least occasionally. This must change – like the weather!

(Photo: March, 2014)