What I Actually Wore #0139

Serial #: 0139
Date: 25/03/2013
Weather: 17.5°C / 63.5°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

This morning I was very indecisive choosing my outfit, and finally settled on my charcoal wide-leg pants because they are easy – without being boring standard black straight-leg trousers.

The metallic copper-dipped knit I wear is very holey, and it’s either that or the metal that makes it a top that seems to suck in the cold, so I wear a wool knit underneath as well. Both the pants and the wool knit were bought in op-shops, while the copper knit was a rare designer splurge.

For an accent colour I decide on cobalt accessories – a striking contrast with the copper – and five years later as I view this outfit from the archives, I am only surprised that I am not wearing a hat! I still like it, and would wear it today – and could, since I still own all those items. That’s the mark of a quality buy, if it can last that long in one’s wardrobe.

Items:

Top: Kookaï
Jumper: Bless‘ed Are the Meek
Pants: Ming
Belt: Alta Linea
Socks: Philippe Matignon
Earrings: handmade
Ring: souvenir (Vietnam)
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Wedges: Mollini

Photos: October 2013

What I Actually Wore #0138

Serial #: 0138
Date: 15/08/2013
Weather: 18°C / 64°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

Often my winter outfits start out by assessing the forecast temperature, and whether I can be bothered wearing tights. Usually the answer is ‘no’ to that question (I generally hate tights). I then toss up between over-the-knee socks (will they keep me warm?) and trousers (do I feel like wearing pants, and if I do, which length will work with comfortable walking shoes? … I should draw an infographic for this process!). This morning, these wool-blend OTK socks were appealing, although according to my notes I wore the dark brown pair, not the beige ones in the photograph.

When I saw [the suit] in the boutique I was immediately enamoured of the jacket because of the sleeves.

I chose the Spanish designer suit I bought as a souvenir from Sitges, in the northern Catalonian region in Spain a couple of years earlier. When I saw it in the boutique I was immediately enamoured of the jacket because of the sleeves. There are various influences at play: vaguely Renaissance-look sleeves, a Regency cropped length, a Mandarin collar and cheongsam-inspired fastening – a very interesting mix! I would have preferred a longer waist-length however as the crop can make it difficult to wear.

I also love the herringbone fabric, a type of tweed that always fools me into thinking it is winter weight, but in fact it is a linen/viscose blend. As it was a cool day, I also wore my 1970s suede Zhivago coat on top.

Although even on the half-off sale, the suit was a splurge, I still – five years on – have it hanging in my closet.

Underneath I am wearing a wool/silk knit. Out of the accessories, only the raspberry suede peeptoes have survived – the very soft socks sadly wore out to the point the feet were nothing but darns (although I still have the dark brown version and wore them last week in fact), and the modern fedora has a nicer vintage 1970s successor. I still have all the jewellery too. As for the sunglasses … I look at them now and hate them! I instantly thought ‘fly’s eyes’! If I find they are still in the box I store my plethora of sunglasses in, they shall be immediately expelled.

I’m pleased to also read in my notes that I received lots of compliments for this outfit – at work, on the street and in the theatre when I went out in the evening. If I wore it today, I probably would not style it very differently.

Items:

Suit: Celia Velo
Top: secondhand
Socks: Philippe Matignon
Hat: Milana
Earrings: Baku (now defunct)
Ring: Autore
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Sunglasses: MinkPink
Shoes: Wittner

Photos: Septemer 2013

What I Actually Wore #0137

Serial #: 0137
Date: 25/03/2013
Weather: 14°C / 58°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

It was a cold and very windy day, with gale force winds forecast for the afternoon. I had a hair appointment after work too, so I knew I had to dress warmly as I would be making my way home in the evening.

My old favourite Sonia Rykiel wool sweater! I loved how the stripes on the attached scarf tie were narrower than the body of the top. Sadly by this time the sweater was quite worn, and had a couple of holes in it that I had darned – one of the reasons I layered the cotton tee over it; the other was for extra warmth. And how I adore this vintage suede and rabbit fur coat, the ‘Zhivago’ as it was called in the 1970s – one of my all-time favourites.

I pulled my outfit together quite quickly, but as I had just written the accessories story for the Ten Commandments the night before, I deliberately thought about how I matched my accessories. I originally wanted neutral socks, but my favourite French brown ones were in the laundry basket, so I went with the red. A bit more lurid than desired, but only a little of them would be glimpsed (and you can’t see them at all in the photos). They annoy me all day as they’re supposed stay-ups that don’t stay up! The earrings are striped ceramic (they are not visible either, sadly in this case) and the ring turquoise – they were both souvenirs from Barcelona.

The tan leather lace-up boots are old favourites. My oldest sister has told me that in the 70s, lace-up boots really were lace-ups: there were no cheating zips up the sides like today. They took forever to take on and off, so you didn’t remove them until you had to.

At my hairdresser, the receptionist raved about my outfit – she said I looked gorgeous, like a little doll, and so creative. Hmm, not so sure about the doll part, but gorgeous and creative I’ll take! I still have all these items except for the two tops, but I actually still like this outfit.

Items:

Tee: Oxford
Jumper: Sonia Rykiel
Skirt: Ojay
Stockings: The Sock Shop
Hat: boutique
Coat: vintage 70s, Stephen Dattner
Scarf: souvenir
Earrings: souvenir
Ring: souvenir
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Boots: Joanne Mercer

Photos: October 2013

What I Actually Wore #0136

Serial #: 0136
Date: 05/08/2013
Weather: 16°C / 61.5°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

This outfit is making me sad, because I’m looking at the list of items and seeing just how many of them broke or wore out: almost everything! What is left and still in circulation is the vintage 40s hat (I love its detailing; you can see it in the close-up below), the Chinese red carved jade bangle and ring (featured just recently) and the grey wool jumper – although the boutique I bought it from closed down a few years ago, which is a shame, because they always had a great selection of Australian and international labels.

The wide-leg wool pants with the self-tie belt were a favourite of mine for years, and just became too worn and threadbare in patches, so they were culled, and of course the brogues which I wrote about a couple of days ago also wore out, but here they are in all their beribboned glory. (I noted the outfit started with the shoes in fact, as I wanted flat shoes because my calves were tight from martial arts training.)

Not seen are two other items I wore that day: my white leather trench, and a white leather tote – I was actually donated the bag only a couple of weeks ago, as not only was the leather very cracked and worn, but the zip had broken – you can see it in the A Few Things I Heart picture gallery. I’m never sure whether I should donate such items, but someone might have a use for them instead of adding them to landfill. I’m doubly sad over the bag because the label is now defunct too.

I am actually still quite fond of this outfit, which is inspired by 40s fashion, although the pants are very low-waisted rather than high, in proper 40s style. There are a lot of bow-ties in this outfit too, which amused me – on the hat, the jumper, the pants and the shoes. Also funnily, four years on, I am wearing my hair like that again. It is curlier however, because of the layers from the grown-out pixie cut. My style in general really hasn’t changed a great deal since I wore this outfit.

Items:

Jumper: ink
Pants: id4
Hat: vintage 40s
Coat: vintage 70s, Leda Spain by Gropper
Earrings: handmade
Bangle and ring: souvenirs
Tote: Elise Carrels
Shoes: Urge

What I Actually Wore #0135

Serial #: 0135
Date: 30/07/2013
Weather: 16°C / 61°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

The prospect of quite a cool day dictates my choice of wool skirt and mohair jumper on this winter morning. I need to wear a t-shirt under this jumper as the knit is quite open, but it is still extremely warm and makes a scarf unnecessary. The pencil skirt with a literal twist is by a New Zealand label that is now sadly defunct; I always enjoyed this detail that made a basic shape and colour interesting. 

I like the pops of colour that the cherry necklace – a souvenir from a boutique in Noosa, Queensland – and the patent and suede wedges give. My other jewellery is black onyx – they’re a good match for the shiny plastic necklace. I also try on a vintage 50s white hat with white pompoms, but the overall effect is too much with the cherries, so I wear my black velvet cloche cap instead.

As well, I wear a black 60s velvet coat – the fabric is treated to create a sealskin effect (coat #17 in the autumn/winter set in the gallery A Glory of Coats) – and carry a white leather tote.

Items:

Jumper: Country Road
T-shirt: Kookaï
Skirt: Nicholas Blanchet (now defunct)
Stockings: Levanté
Hat: vintage
Coat: vintage
Necklace: souvenir
Earrings & Ring: handmade, souvenir
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Tote: Elise Carrels (now defunct)
Wedges: Mollini

Photos: October 2013