Embellished

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Kaftan: Vintage, woven silk/cotton & embellishment

Booties: Corelli @ Williams suede & neoprene

Oval Ring: Tree of Life brass & onyx

Circle Ring: Tree of Life brass

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Ventured out on a cold & rainy Saturday evening to attend the Blackstone-Ipswich Cambrian Choir's Welcome to the 60s Theatre Restaurant, a musical extravaganza featuring some of the best amateur singers & dancers in my hometown... including my best friend's father, who played "Crusty Hippie #1" after receiving acclaim playing "Crusty Sailor #1" in last year's Road to Rio performance... 

We sang along to the sounds of doo-wop, motown, surf, soul & (my personal favourite) flower power; watched snippets from famous television shows, movies, advertisements & news stories from the era & partook of a 3 course meal comprising of pumpkin soup, ham-off-the-bone with a slice of pineapple & potato bake on the side & finished with sticky date pudding & ice-cream - well, mine did anyway, as it was an alternative drop... I believe chicken may have played a role somewhere, but as I have an aversion to that particular type of white meat, I must have blocked it out...

The plummeting temperature gave me a chance to finally wear this amazing vintage, long-sleeved kaftan that a dear friend found in India & was kind enough to send me for my birthday. To me, it is a work of art with spectacular hand-embroidery at the neckline, cuffs & hem in a soft shade of gold to counterbalance the harsher black & silver horizontal woven stripes with a tiny hint of teal between them. Scroll down for a closer view of its grandeur:

As usual, black suede & neoprene heeled booties from Corelli & a pair of matte 40 denier Razzmatazz tights "anchored" the look, as well as a boxy patent Novo handbag to carry all the essentials (not pictured). 

With such a heavily embellished kaftan, jewellery was kept to a minimum - a chunky bronze & onyx ring in the shape of oval on one finger & a round bronze & black painted "Yin & Yang" ring on another. Both of these beauties were from my local Tree of Life store & their relaxed, "boho" vibe really added that little extra something to the bold look...

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Sprightly

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Dress: Anthea Crawford textured pique

Brogues: Ziera patent

Tights: Razzamatazz 40 denier

Bag: Anthea Crawford vinyl

Scarf: Anthea Crawford ombre silk

Brooch: Handmade, plastic

Sunglasses: Sportsgirl resin

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Thinking about the fast-approaching Springtime in this sprightly ensemble, worn to work with 2 sweet styling clients on a "Vintage Wedding" ensembles... A textured pique Anthea Crawford dress in a bright shade of mint with under-bust darts & peplum waist to evoke a relaxed feel with an "I mean business" undertone; chartreuse & dove grey ombre silk scarf (also from Anthea Crawford) with ragged ends for a youthful vibe, wrapped a few times around the neck nonchalantly & a pair of vintage-inspired black resin Cat's Eye sunglasses from Sportsgirl to ward off the sun's harmful rays while picking up on the theme of the day.

Once again, black suede & neoprene heeled booties from Corelli & a pair of matte 40 denier Razzamatazz tights were used to "anchor" the look & give a subtle nod to the fact that it IS actually still Wintertime here in Queensland... even if someone forgot to tell the blooming flowers behind me in all of the pictures! 

Rather than carry a matching plain black bag, however, this option from Anthea Crawford was chosen for an extra "pop" of colour - this time, cobalt blue rather than a shade of green - & a touch of pattern with the grey leopard vinyl "block." I know, I know, your mothers & grandmothers probably told you that blue & green should never be seen & truth be told, mine did too, but this is a distinctly contemporary way to put an outfit together - by wearing hues found on the SAME SIDE of the colour wheel. After all, blue skies & green blades of grass just seem to "go together," don't they?

Check out this "modern mix" below:

Instead of fussing about with a myriad of jewellery pieces - or worse, have one of them snag on the sublime vintage dresses my clients were trying on - I opted for a funky, Gothic "skeleton hand" brooch, made by a local Ipswichian & in a shade of grey that meant it blended in with the ombre of the scarf. Voila! The perfect finishing touch to the entire look...

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Entrenched

Soft trench coats are certainly a trend for end of Winter/early Spring 2015, particularly in Queensland where the weather is unpredictable. This charcoal option from City Chic - made from a lightweight, wrinkle-resistant crepe - is incredibly versatile, able to be worn with a myriad of different fabrics, colours & styles. Below are 2 of my recent favourites:

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LOOK #1

Dress: Anthea Crawford textured jacquard

Trench: City Chic crepe

Boots: Corelli @ Williams suede

Bag: Novo patent

Brooch: Handmade, ribbon & resin

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This first outfit was perfect for a rainy morning at the movie theatre, the charcoal soft trench working in harmony with the purple, black & pink print of this textured jacquard dress by Anthea Crawford. Even better, the flat collar of the trench sits perfectly underneath the dress' focal-point portrait neckline! Scroll down to check it out: 

Once again, black suede, lace-up booties with a chunky heel from Corelli & a pair of matte 4o denier Razzamatazz tights "anchored" the look, ably assisted by a boxy, patent handbag from my local Novo store... ahem, large enough to sneak in a packet of supermarket-bought lollies to avoid cinema prices...

Jewellery was kept to a minimum; the only embellishment required was this kitschy "Gothic" style bow & skull brooch, handmade by a local Ipswichian with a quirky style all her own! Keep scrolling for a closer look:

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LOOK #2

Dress: Anthea Crawford jersey

Trench: City Chic crepe

Booties: Corelli @ William suede & neoprene

Bag: Anthea Crawford vinyl

Hat: Gift, Jendi wool

Brooch: Gift, chrome & paua shell "Cameo" from New Zealand

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The second outfit was perfect for traipsing around antique stores on a Saturday afternoon, the charcoal soft trench providing another light layer over the top of this "trippy" psychedelic print jersey dress from Anthea Crawford. Even better, the fall of the trench didn't obscure the focal point of the dress - the draped & twisted empire-line waist detail! Scroll down to see the dress in all its glory: 

Cooler weather meant that black accessories were once again chosen for "anchoring" purposes in the form of heeled suede & neoprene booties from Corelli & a pair of matte 40 denier Razzamatazz tights. Rather than carry a matching black bag (as expected), this funky vinyl option from Anthea Crawford was the order of the day, injecting more colour & even some pattern-mixing into the ensemble with its cobalt blue, grey & leopard print "blocks."  

Finishing the look in a stylish yet unconventional manner was this stunning teal wool cloche, given to me as a birthday gift by some dear family friends with a chrome & paua shell "Cameo" brooch - yet another gift from a friend who traveled to New Zealand - pinned to the thin hatband as a nod to the hues found in the dress' flamboyant pattern.

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