Deco Decadence

Christmas Party: "Deco the Halls"

In which I eat, drink & make merry like it's 1929...

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Dress: Gift

Beaded Cape: Gift

Heels: Emerson @ Big W patent

Evening Bag: Vintage, beaded (once belonged to Great Aunty Janet)

Headband: Sportsgirl

Necklace: Shiels pearls

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver & elastic

Ring: Gift, silver & pearl (from China)

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A champagne breakfast overlooking the cityscape is a great way to start the day - even better when it has a decadent, monochromatic "Roaring Twenties" theme...

This "Flapper" style ensemble was just the ticket for such an occasion - the unique LBD (or Little Black Dress) with tiers of fringing that moved when I walked... or, you know, attempted to dance the Charleston in a straight-out-of-an-F-Scott-Fitzgerald-novel kind of way... topped with an intricately beaded black mesh capelet that glinted in the early morning sunlight streaming through the windows. 

Accents of white & silver were added in the accessories - a rose & baby's breath floral wreath with cascading ribbon, a long strand of white freshwater pearls, a silver hinged bangle & a beautiful silver & pearl ring that was given to me by my brother as a souvenir from one of the Pearl Markets in China; a wonderfully thoughtful gift as he knows they hold great mythological meaning. According to legend, the pearl was born when a single drop of rain fell from heaven & became the heart of the oyster. Some cultures even believe that pearls were formed by the passage of angels through the clouds of heaven. As one who has always believed in the presence of angels, the latter scenario particularly appeals to me...

Black patent round-toe platform shoes anchored the look, blending into the background in what is otherwise a rather "show-stopping" outfit. 

A beaded pewter, white & black shell-shaped purse that once belonged to my Great Aunty Janet - & was worn when she & Uncle Russ would go ballroom dancing -  has been reinvented as finishing touch to this daytime ensemble, proving that a fashionista shouldn't be restricted by the conformity of an item's "intended" use. To wit, this beautiful "evening" bag sparkled just as brightly in the daytime as it once did in the moonlight, proving that when it comes to choosing accessories to match certain outfits, focus should be placed on HOW an item looks with the rest of the ensemble rather than a predetermined WHEN or WHERE. 

And yes, I repeat, the fringing REALLY spins! Scroll down for pics of me dancing the, er, morning away...

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"I was within and without. Simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life." 

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald