Who?

A while ago now, I attended a Dr Who Fan Event in the city with a dear friend, where I had the opportunity to not only mingle with other fanboys & girls (including some dressed in head-to-toe costumes), hear from some of the writers & enjoy the familiar sounds of the show's main theme played by an orchestra, but meet my favourite Doctor, Peter Davison! For the uninitiated, he's the 5th Doctor who played the role from 1981-1984... & also the man who played mischievous rake Tristan Farnon (veterinary student & younger brother of Siegfried) on All Creatures Great & Small in the late 1970s. The latter happens to be one of my all-time favourites & I was chuffed to meet one of its best-loved characters... & may have told him as much, embarrassingly.

Moving on the fashion...

Like many fashionistas out there, I had a dress dilemma. I simply couldn't decide which of these amazing Anthea Crawford taffeta dresses - one in a vivid shade of magenta & another in a bright cobalt blue - would be perfect for the occasion, so I took pictures of myself wearing each option in order to choose. Both looks are shown below, although I ended up going with what I dubbed the "red look" to avoid channeling a walking, talking TARDIS.

As a side note, I recognise that this is what is commonly referred to as a "First World Problem" & that there are bigger issues out there to be considered, such as extreme poverty, child exploitation, domestic violence, economic downturns etc, but this is a fashion blog, so I like to keep it relatively light-hearted & about the clothes rather than weighty political/social/economic issues for the most part. That being said, I also believe that what people wear IS of importance in their daily lives, helping them to feel empowered & confident in a variety of situations, so in that regard, these are pertinent decisions to be made.

*

LOOK #1

Dress: Anthea Crawford taffeta

Heels: Emerson @ Big W patent

Clutch: Adorne sequins

Necklace: Sussan rose gold, crystal & beads

Watch: Guess rose gold, silver & crystal

Hinged Bangle: Lovisa rose gold

Ring: Vintage, rose gold Cameo (once belonged to Aunty Emily)

*

This first look was built around this gorgeous magenta taffeta dress with below-the-knee hemline, v-neckline detail & 3D ruffled waist panel, anchored by a pair of black patent platforms with an enclosed toes from my local Big W store. 

Instead of a matching black patent clutch, this sequinned option from Adorne was chosen for a "pop" of contrasting colour. What I loved the most was the way that the sequins looked blue in one light (hello, TARDIS) & green in another (hello, Family of Blood, my favourite episode), meaning that rather than being static, the look was visually interesting by virtue of it being constantly in flux. Check it out in detail below:

When it came to jewellery, I decided to go "all out" with rose gold pieces, including an ah-mazing rose gold & silver Guess watch that was a thoughtful present for my 30th birthday last year, asymmetrical rose gold hinged bangle from the Lovisa sale (bought for the princely sum of $7 despite it looking FAR more expensive) & vintage, rose gold Cameo ring that my Great Aunty Emily once wore as a pinkie ring & was passed down to me. 

The finishing touch was this statement necklace from my local Sussan store, featuring rose gold, silvery crystal beads & resin beads in a soft shade of peach that had been made into flower shapes & perfectly suited to the neckline of the dress, which in my opinion needed that little extra "something."

*

*

*

Dress: Anthea Crawford taffeta

Heels: Emerson @ Big W patent

Clutch: Adorne sequins

Watch: Guess rose gold, silver & crystal

Cuff: Gift, vintage rose gold aluminium & crystal

Blue Hinged Bangle: Sussan resin & bead

Pink Hinged Bangle: Sussan resin & bead

Ring: Vintage, rose gold Cameo (once belonged to Aunty Emily)

*

The second look - ultimately overlooked yet no less successful - was built around this vibrant cobalt taffeta dress with slightly scooped neckline, below-the-knee hem & 3D ruffled waist panel, once again anchored by a pair of Emerson black patent platforms with enclosed toes.

The sequinned clutch from Adorne was less "contrasting colour pop" with this look & more "cooling colour palette" continuation with its blue & green tones... depending on the way the light hits, of course. 

When it came to jewellery, I decided to go for a "more is more" approach with an armful of bangles & a cuff on one arm - a blue resin & yellow beaded hinged bangle, a navy & pink beaded hinged bangle (both from my local Sussan store) & a vintage rose gold aluminium cuff with multi-coloured crystals - & a rose gold, silver & crystal Guess watch on the other, topped off with a vintage rose gold Cameo ring. Scroll down for some detailed pictures:

*

Australiana

*

Dress: Anthea Crawford jacquard

Kimono: Tree of Life rayon & fringing

Heels: Bon Bons patent

Bag: Vera May patent

Thin Bangle: Tree of Life brass

Thick Bangle: Vintage, American brass

Ring: Creative Waves brass

*

Three weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending yet another "Dancing Class with a Difference," where we learnt the steps to traditional Aussie Bush Dances like the Heel & Toe Polka, Blackwattle Reel, Gypsy Tap, Strip the Willow & Pride of Erin to the rambunctious sounds of a live "Bush Band." Based on folk dances from places like England, Ireland, Scotland & central Europe, the dances were rustically modified by Early Australian Settlers for the instruments found & fashioned in this wide brown land on the other side of the world...

But I digress.

First & foremost, this is a fashion blog & I should talk about the "Australiana" outfit I chose for the occasion, inspired in large part by costume designer Catherine Martin (otherwise known as director Baz Luhrmann's wife) & her work on the 2008 Hugh Jackman/Nicole Kidman movie, Australia.

Like Catherine, I eschewed being cliche in favour of focusing on what I believe to be the "essence" of the Australian bush - the at times vibrant & sun-bleached tones of the native floral as well as their starling, sculptural shapes - & incorporating these into my outfit. 

Scroll down to see some stimuli:

Colour palette decided, the dress was a no-brainer: it simply had to be this stunning, burgundy jacquard Anthea Crawford number with flattering portrait neckline; sophisticated yet with an ease of movement that would serve me well on the dance floor. 

Autumn weather dictated that some kind of jacket was required & this Tree of Life rayon kimono, intermittently covered with a large-scale floral print that is somewhat open to interpretation (roses, yes, but others... could they possible be Aussie natives?) was the perfect choice, providing a degree of warmth without being cumbersome & sitting underneath the dress' statement neckline. 

What's more, it even had fringed cuffs & hemline for a bit of added "swish" as I twirled.

Check it out below:

 

Black patent Mary Janes were chosen for both style & comfort - from experience, I now know that they stay on during even the most strenuous of dance steps - mixed with a green patent Vera May handbag to provide a "pop of colour" & pick up on the tiny hints of green in the leaves of the kimono's floral print.

Jewellery was kept to a minimum: a pair of brass bangles, one thin & plain, the other wider with a "twist" detail & a funky ring in an almost stylised flower shape with five differently patterned "prongs."

*

But the bush hath moods & changes,

As the seasons rise & fall.

And the men who know the bush-land,

They are loyal through it all.

In Defense of the Bush - The Bulletin, 23 July 1892

*

At Liberty

*

Dress: Gift, vintage Liberty House poly-blend

Heels: Target suede

Bag: Novo patent

Cuff: Disney Couture "Alice in Wonderland" silver

Ring: Disney Couture "Alice in Wonderland" silver

*

Finally posting some pictures of the outfit I wore to a meeting in Brisbane two weeks ago. Sorry for the delay, dear readers - it feels like sometimes I just can't keep up with outfits I post on Instagram every day... That's the life of a fashion blogger, I guess.

This gorgeous, monochromatic dress - given to me by the mother of a dear friend - is a 1970s vintage gem from Liberty House, an off-shoot of Liberty's department store in London... you know, the one that is not only famous for being crafted from the wood of East India Company ships but for creating those irresistible & eminently collectible "Liberty Print" scarves sold around the world. Yep, that one.

But I digress.

The sumptuous mixture of a graphic, stylised tribal pattern & a houndstooth print with black yoke insert & bright pink "pop of colour" is edgy & instantly arresting while the flowy, maxi-come-baby-doll-dress is relaxed & has a somewhat sweet vibe... a juxtaposition that I absolutely LOVE & that I often feel only comes from vintage clothes from the 1960s and 1970s when young women were finally "coming into their own," so to speak. 

Scroll down for a closer look at these funky prints in all their glory:

As Hannibal from The A Team often opined, "I love it when a plan comes together" & this is true when it comes to the choice of shoes for this outfit! These stunning pink suede, pointy-toed pumps (or court shoes, as my mother calls them) were from my local Target store for the princely sum of $10 & have definitely been good value in terms of their cost-per-wear ratio. The particular shade of pink just seems to "match" with a variety of patterns & trim in my wardrobe - though none more so than the piping detail on the yoke of this dress. What's more, the fact that the "pops of colour" are so far away from each other (neck & feet) has an elongating effect on my frame, which for someone who is only 5 foot tall is a fashion WIN.

I should also quickly mention my choice of handbag here - a boxy, black patent option from Novo - that was chosen to blend in with the black in the patterns of the dress in order to let the aforementioned "pops" of pink become the feature. 

Statement pieces of jewellery were chosen to accompany the look - a silver Disney Couture cuff & ring inspired by The Mad Hatter's Tea Party in "Alice in Wonderland" & designed by avant garde UK jeweller Tom Binns. The graphic elements echo those found in the print to create a cohesive look, as evidenced below: 

*

The Mad Hatter: "Have I gone mad?"

Alice: "I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret: All the best people are."

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll, 1865

*