Frocking Up

*

Dress: Vintage, Acorn Hostess Wear

Scarf: Emerson @ Big W

Sandals: Zensu patent

Bag: Novo patent

Bangle: Vintage silver

Cuff: 1960s Tibetan silver

*

Traveled back in time at Frock Up Brisbane: The Way We Wear vintage fashion fair on Saturday, accompanied by my friend Belinda. Held at Mount Gravatt Showgrounds, the fair brings together a myriad of purveyors of prime vintage wears from the Victorian era to the 1990s. It's heaven for a shopaholic with a penchant for vintage like myself. 

After perusing the stalls, we retired to the Pop-Up Vintage Cafe for high tea & the chance to peek through fashion magazines (for inspiration!) from the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s. Refreshed, we returned to make any purchases - it's so hard to say no when faced with so many beautiful items, most of them in pristine condition - & left happy, albeit with much lighter wallets... 

Occasion in mind, there was no better time to bust out my new - old! - 1970s Acorn Hostess maxidress with large floral pattern, mixing it with sculptural black patent wedge sandals, black patent handbag & modern pink & white ombre cotton scarf that picked up on the colour of the flowers in the pattern as well as my rose-coloured eyeshadow, bringing light to my face in spite of the pattern's black background. Some other small vintage touches were added in the form of a silver tribal bangle & 1960s Tibetan silver & orange stone moulded cuff. Detailed view available below:

Deciding to make a day of it, we headed to the McIntyre Centre's Party in the Paddock at Pinjarra Hills - without needing to use a GPS device or, in frustration, pull over on the side of the road & consult an old-school refidex & failing that, to call home for directions... you know, for THIS leg of the journey - in time to enjoy a hamburger on a comfy bale of hay that became the perfect vantage point to watch the Fashion Show before partaking in the charity Shop Til You Drop event. It was here that the dark background of the dress truly came in handy due to the paddock setting & the scarf helped ward off the late-afternoon chill in the air, however, in retrospect, closed-in shoes may have been advisable...

Nonetheless, it was a great afternoon outdoors (thankfully the stormy weather held off) in support of a great cause. For those who don't know, the McIntyre Centre - established in 1964 - "offers a variety of equine assisted development programs in a caring environment for young people & children with a disability." For more information about their Mission & Vision, click here & peruse their website.