What I Actually Wore #0156

Serial #: 0156
Date: 31/10/2013
Weather: 18°C / 64°F
Time Allowed: 12 minutes

First of all: LOOK AT MY HAIR! I have no idea how I made it look so perfect regularly, because I am pretty damn lazy low maintenance about hair styling.

It was Halloween, and I decided to go not at all thematic (it’s not really a big holiday in Australia) and wore bright pops of colour instead. The outfit started with the teal leather skirt (the brand on the label is Suede); the ribbed jumper I am wearing is actually a real ultra-violet, but the hue is impossible to capture with a camera (the shade is captured better in the close-up below); and the shoes are cobalt. I like to mix colours that are close in hue, but slightly off or unexpected – the violet and teal are an unusual combination.

The really standout item is the tights; these are not traditional fishnets, but rather skin-toned illusion hosiery with the fishnet pattern applied as flocking. I managed to wear the pair a few times before they laddered.

I’m wearing sterling silver hoops, a cuff and a ring (since lost!), the latter two by the jewellery brand Roun, which is now defunct. I bought quite a few pieces from them in my minimalist phase – I considered the cuff a real investment, although I rarely wear it now.

I’ve been carrying a small bag as well as a larger work tote these days, but back then I was usually only carrying a large tote, which is why there is no handbag in this picture. This day I wore my beloved vintage 70s white leather trench coat that has long since died, and a white leather oblong tote by Elise Carrell, which has also worn out. In fact, the only item from this outfit that I still have in my wardrobe are the suede and patent wedges, and the jewellery, as the jumper and skirt have gone in my most recent cull just last week. Still, overall I like this look.

Items:

Jumper: op shop
Skirt: Suede, vintage 80s
Tights: Leg Avenue
Shoes: Mollini
Earrings: Baku
Bangle: Roun
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Ring: Roun

Photos: January 2014

The Tie Cuff

Long cuffs that fasten with a knot or bow, or ‘tie cuffs’ as I have dubbed them, add a decorative element to what may be an otherwise ordinary sleeve. But if you have never sported a tie cuff, be warned: unsuspected dangers lurk in these knotty waters!

The dropped shoulder of this long sleeve belongs to a rather dramatic, billowy blouse that features very large and long tie cuffs. The first time I wore this blouse I immediately knew why I had found it at the thrift store. While the fabric is soft, it is quite substantial, and the cuff takes the form of long, wide ties, accentuated by black piping, that are knotted at the wrist. As the sleeves are quite wide too, I took care to knot them so that the ties fell on the outside of the hand.

The ties were disconcerting at first, a hindrance until I allowed gravity to drag at the weight of the knots to keep them out my way while using my computer keyboard at work. I also discovered another hazard at lunchtime: because of the heavy, floppy ties, I managed to splash a bit of my curry laksa soup on the cuff (fortunately I was able to wash it out). This blouse is clearly for those who thumb their nose at sartorial danger, and it was admired by my work colleagues.

… if you have never sported a tie cuff, be warned: unsuspected dangers lurk in these knotty waters!

Three-quarter sleeves, such as on this striped blouse with its set-in sleeves, are a more sensible design choice combined with dangling tie cuffs. This cotton fabric (adorably striped like traditional ticking, which I love) is much lighter as well, so the ties pose no danger.

The puff sleeves, also set-in, of this cotton modal and silk tee have silk chiffon ties – lighter still – which are long and thin enough to tie into bows: both decorative and too short to interact perilously with the environment. An asymmetrically-placed bow at the neckline combined with the two sleeve bows create a pretty and overtly feminine top.

Three styles of tie-cuffs, three very different effects with various danger levels: from big drama, to breezy and casual, to whimsical femininity.

Review all the sleeves in the gallery thus far.

A Polka Dot Across the Bow

A couple of years or so ago on one of my more ruthless closet-culling rampages, this very cute 30s inspired nautical knit was one of the victims. It was culled exactly because it was cute. I had decided anything tow which you could apply, “Oh, that’s cute!” was going. Cute was out, sophistication was in. Anything with ruffles, frills, bows and the like were cast aside – even my adored polka dots were under suspicion! I’m not sure how long this rigorous rule lasted, but slowly hitherto despised frills and furbelows crept back into my closet when I wasn’t paying strict attention.

But how has this particular knit boomeranged back into my closet, you wonder? I actually gave it away to a friend, and forgot about it for a long time. One day I thought to myself, “Hmm, maybe I should have kept that … Never mind, at least it went to a friend,” I consoled myself.

Then recently, while working on culling my current winter wardrobe before I put it in storage, I mentioned this knit in conversation with the same friend, and said, “No pressure, but if you ever want to get rid of it, I’ll be happy to take it back.” To my surprise, she confessed that though she still liked the top, somehow it just didn’t work for her, and she would be happy to return it to me! That was last weekend, and I have not had a chance to take it out for a spin once again, but it does look nice paired with these wide-leg denim pants.

What, you may wonder again, is my culling criteria this year? Thirties style is my main mantra, although not everything I am keeping is strictly of this era or style: I’m leaving room for some other things I love. I am also being prudent this time and planning to store my culls for a little while, in case of change of heart!

Photo: September 2019

Roll-Up, Roll-Up!

Another type of cuffed sleeve is the classic roll-up. A tab on the inside of a long sleeve attaches to a button on the exterior when the sleeve is rolled up. Depending on the stiffness of the fabric, one can neatly fold it (literally roll it up) or simply gather it and allow it to fall in natural folds as I have done in this example.

This cuff should not be confused with the dressy cuff often seen on more formal sleeves and pant legs (both shorts and full-length trousers). Unlike the roll-up, which reveals the seam, this cuff is decorative, created from a separate piece of fabric and attached with the front side of the fabric facing outwards.

The roll-up is a casual sleeve, but also quite practical when you need to get your hands dirty. My silk smock blouse takes that concept to the nth degree with a paint splatter print!

Review all the sleeves in the gallery thus far.

Capricious spring!

How fickle is the Melbourne spring! Like this glorious 1970s dress, it has two faces. You don’t know what weather it will bring: one day it will be sunny and balmy, and the next a howling gale will lash about unsuspecting flesh – and sometimes this will happen all in one day. In fact, the last day of winter was more springlike than the first day of the new season.

From the front this dress is wonderful. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw its sleeves in the op shop. They were perfect for my sleeve story, for the pagoda sleeve (multiple tiers) was yet a gaping hole in my lexicon. In great delight, I took the gown into the changing room with me, but a nasty suspicion nagged at me that fate would rain on my parade.

In great delight, I took the gown into the changing room with me …

Thunder rolled as I was engulfed by rustling fabric, which I think it is most likely polyester, or perhaps a poly/rayon blend at best. I was right: the dress fit me to the waist – but that darned zip would simply go no further, and the back gaped open. (Because of this, in the first picture, the bodice is loose and should appear much more fitted.) There is a snowflake’s chance in hell that my torso would ever shrink so much, no matter how much weight I lost!

I would not ruin the dress by having it altered to be made backless, for instance, so now that I have photographed its splendour for posterity, I shall prepare to sell it and the income can go toward something in my Etsy wishlist.

Unlike the gown, the season cannot be traded in. This week will see a return to wintry weather, and we must grin and bear it – but perhaps not bare it all just yet!

Photos: September 2019