What I Actually Wore #0144

Serial #: 0144
Date: 01/09/2013
Weather: 24°C / 75°F
Time Allowed: 8 minutes

I don’t remember this occasion at all, unsurprisingly, as it was just another work day, albeit Father’s Day, and the first day of spring. However, I can report that I still own all these items, except for the ikat print skirt and the dark taupe (or donkey brown if you prefer) pumps. The latter simply wore out, but I lament culling that skirt – looking at it now, I really like it and wonder why I deemed it should go. I love ikat prints in general, and am always keeping an eye out for them, although I prefer ones with limited colour palettes.

The feather headband, fashioned into a bird, is vintage 50s, and I bought it many years ago on Etsy when I was on a headband/bandeau hat kick. I love the concept of a bird perched on the head – much more interesting and quirkier than a plain band. I have not worn it for a long time, mainly because I have so many hats to choose from; this archival photo is a nice reminder to bring out some of my simpler hats on occasion.

Items:

Blouse: Veronika Maine
Skirt: Veronika Maine
Belt: David Lawrence
Headband: Joseph Horne Co, vintage 50s
Earrings: handmade by me
Ring: Autore
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Bag: vintage 60s
Shoes: Zu (now defunct)

Photos: October 2013

What I Actually Wore #0143

Serial #: 0143
Date: 30/08/2013
Weather: 19°C / 67°F
Time Allowed: 7 minutes

Aww! These pictures make me nostalgic! All these items, except for the beret, wool knit top and some of the jewellery have completely worn out and are long gone from my closet. On this day it was a mild and rainy, and almost spring so I dressed suitably in woollens for the weather. I do still really like the colour combinations here: beige, red, white, black – you can’t go wrong.

The loss of the 1970s vintage leather trench coat makes me the saddest. I loved that coat to death, literally. When I bought it on eBay, years earlier, it was pristine. By the time I had finished with it, it was so worn that it looked grey and dirty. I took it to a professional cleaner and he shook his head sadly: nothing to be done about it except have it ‘recoated’ in white paint (no pun intended).

I already knew this was a dubious option because I’d had the forethought to purchase a replacement white leather coat on Etsy (similar in style, but with a fuller skirt, which is not as cool), but the seller never told me it had been refurbished. Tragically it sheds white spots of paint every time I wear it that looks like DANDRUFF! The horror.

The loss of the 1970s vintage leather trench coat makes me the saddest. I loved that coat to death, literally.

So the coat was donated to a thrift store, as was the beloved white leather tote, which suffered the same fate from wear. The silk camisole got shabby; the well-darned wool/cashmere socks eventually became holey beyond rescue; the watch chain-strap hopelessly unraveled; the shoes wore out; and another favourite item, the wool skirt, was chomped through by an evil and hungry moth. What a litany of sorrows!

At least I can reflect that I really did get good wear out of these garments. The beige wool knit, which originally came from a thrift store, has definitely been an excellent basic in my wardrobe. And while the shoes wore out, I actually found replacements in a thrift store that are exactly the same except they are brogued versions. I’m pleased too because both were by a brand I always liked, Scooter, which now seems to be defunct.

I still own all the jewellery, even the broken watch, which awaits the patience of a jeweler when I remember to take it for repair. And the armchair: I still have that!

Items:

Camisole: Enamel
Jumper: Kookaï
Skirt: Anthropologie
Socks: Philippe Matignon
Hat: vintage
Coat: Leda Spain by Gropper, vintage 1970s
Earrings: handmade by me
Ring: souvenir from Vietnam
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Tote: Elise Carrels
Shoes: Scooter

Photos: September 2013

What I Actually Wore #0142

Serial #: 0142
Date: 28/08/2013
Weather: 22.5°C / 72.5°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

Argh! My favourite raspberry red shoes! I am delighted to say that I still have these and wear them as often as possible, although their toe tips have been repaired once already, and are starting to look hacked again. This is one pair of shoes I wish I had bought two of! In fact, I once saw another pair in a thrift store at a very good price, barely worn, but lamentably they were one or two sizes too big.

In fact, I still own all these items but the socks, which have worn out, although the 50s cardigan is in storage somewhere and I had forgotten about it what with the plethora of winter cardigans I own. I do like it though! It has always reminded me of Wedgwood. According to my notes, apparently I had bought this in a vintage boutique in Belgrave, a township at the foot of the Dandenong Ranges outside Melbourne. However, I have absolutely no recollection of the purchase. 

The linen/rayon skirt I do remember buying, in a Salvos thrift store, and I was particularly pleased at the time because I had a virtually identical vintage 40s wool knit skirt in my Etsy wishlist that was much more expensive. Mine I think is 1960s or 70s going by the design of the label. The plain grey t-shirt under the cardigan was from Kookaï, and was a good basic until it wore out.

My hat is vintage 50s, and I bought that years ago on Etsy when I was on a headband shopping kick. The feathers are shaped to look like a bird perched on the head, a charming notion. The jewellery is a mixed bag, with a chalcedony pendant bought from jewellery store Portobello Lane, and my charm necklace – the charms are collected from many places. The earrings are also chalcedony, and I made them myself, while the turquoise ring is a souvenir from Barcelona.

For this sunny springlike day, I put this outfit together purely based on a monochromatic colour scheme, although I added the raspberry pops in the accessories. At the time, the skirt was new to me (ergo, it had to be worn), but funnily, even this year I have been wearing variations of this outfit, using the skirt as a base. Robin’s egg blue is one of my favourite colours, so when you’re onto a good thing – stick to it I say!

Items:

Tee: Kookaï
Cardigan: vintage 1950s
Skirt: La Gonda, vintage 60s
Socks: ASOS
Headband: Jospeh Horne Co, vintage 50s
Necklaces: Portobello Lane, souvenir/vintage
Ring: souvenir
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Shoes: Wittner

Photos: October 2013

What I Actually Wore #0141

Serial #: 0141
Date: 21/08/2013
Weather: 14°C / 57°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

It is a sunny but chilly day, and I build my outfit around my over-the-knee socks this morning! I could not bear the thought of wearing tights again. Horrid things. Tights that have lost their tightness and fall down are the worst, aren’t they? Usually I choose my outfit rapidly, often deciding what I’ll wear while I’m showering.

The super-soft cashmere blend socks were a pair by French label Philippe Matignon that I bought on a sale on the website Ozsale. I always wished I had bought more than one pair, for one of them I wore completely to death over the years. These dark browns I still own, and since my sock collection has grown vastly, I wear them sparingly now. I have to purchase most of my socks and tights online, as the socks available in retail stores in Australia are utter, utter rubbish. I cannot emphasise that enough. The selection is really poor, mostly black and navy, with the odd bright fashion colour making a brief appearance. I don’t know why this is so. I know our market is smaller, but our buyers, I believe, suffer from extreme lack of imagination. (Yes, I’m passionate on the subject, but onwards!)

The other driver of this outfit is the vintage 1940s hat, which I purchased on eBay because I fell in love with the magnificent bow. The cool grey and mauve I match with a softer mauve knit, and a warm grey asymmetrical skirt by now-defunct Melbourne designer label Ammo. I bought that knit on sale years ago because I fell in love with the epaulets; I’ve since stopped wearing it, mainly because I dislike the ribbon trim on the shoulders, and am contemplating butchering the epaulets and attaching them to some other knit.

The suede heels by ZU – another vanished brand; it closed in 2015  – in what I’m flatteringly calling donkey brown have since been donated to the charity store, but the jewellery I still own and wear.

I do still very much like this colour combination – I like to mix varying warm and cool shades of one or two tones. It’s more interesting than exact matches, and an elegant change from contrasting hues.

Items:

Tee: Kookaï
Jumper: Sabatini
Skirt: Ammo
Hat: vintage 40s
Socks: Philippe Matignon
Earrings: Etsy
Ring: NGV museum shop
Shoes: ZU

Photos: October 2013

What I Actually Wore #0140

Serial #: 0140
Date: 17/08/2013
Weather: 3.3°C / 38°F
Time Allowed: 15 minutes

This evening I was going out to the Astor Theatre, an Art Deco cinema, to see (aptly) the very enjoyable Clara Bow film Wings of 1927. And in fact my choice of outfit was in response to a story I had written that day in homage to Coco Chanel.

I never wear all black, but I almost did this evening, except for my favourite white leather trench coat and white beret. The outfit, otherwise, was chosen for warmth, as the apparent temperature was a chilly 3.3°.

I wear a cowl neck jumper with a tank top underneath for warmth, along with wide-leg wool pants, another wardrobe staple of mine. All my accessories, apart from the aforementioned hat, are also black – except for my tan socks, and one of my bauble earrings. I had deliberately worn one black onyx, one silver, but my notes say I was disappointed that no one noticed!

I still really like this outfit and would definitely wear it today, except I think a few of the items were retired after becoming worn out. Most sadly, the trench coat became so worn it looked grey and dirty and I tearfully donated it to the Salvation Army. But years ago I’d had the foresight to hunt down another 70s white leather coat on Etsy that is almost as nice. It is cut more along princess lines with a flaring skirt, and that is what I don’t like as much. Amusingly, the hat is one I bought in the early 90s, and have owned ever since – it has become vintage since then – and suddenly I feel old!

The shoes have since been replaced by similar patent heels – coincidentally by the same brand, both of which I found in thrift stores, and the French socks became holey and retired to the sock afterlife (le trashcan). The trousers, hat and gloves I certainly still own, and I think the bag is packed away in my closet somewhere too. Perhaps this time I should do an homage to my own homage to Coco?

Items:

Jumper: David Lawrence
Pants: Ming
Socks: Philippe Matignon
Hat: boutique, vintage 90s
Gloves: Faith
Coat: Leda Spain by Gropper, vintage 70s
Earrings: handmade
Bag: vintage 60s
Shoes: Scooter

Photo: October 2013