Weekend Wears: Cottoning On

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Dress: Anthea Crawford cotton sateen

Sandals: Airflex leather

Bag: Sportsgirl vinyl

Bangle: Gift, jade (from China)

Bracelet: Gift, Wanfu jade (from China)

Sunglasses: Sportsgirl resin

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Sundays spent antiquing are the best kinds of Sundays, especially when the trip ends in a lazy late lunch at Oishii Sushi Bar... Add in the fact that the festive spirit is in the air & it is pretty much this incorrigible shopaholic's idea of heaven!

Keeping cool was definitely the name of the game a fortnight ago & as surprising as it may be, considering that I usually favour jacquard, neoprene & silk, I have fully embraced cotton to combat the hot & sticky Queensland conditions - starting with this vibrant bloom & succulent printed option from Anthea Crawford. It is really the ingenious cut that makes this dress special - the square "step down" neckline, cap sleeves with tiny box pleats & tapered, below-the-knee hemline that creates a modified "tulip" effect - as well as the pattern placement in terms of the block colour red at the bottom & tiny row of cacti that draws the eye downwards to create the illusion of length.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit that shoe choice was difficult in this instance - black was too dark, white was too stark & flesh tone too... well, expected... Enter this amazing pair of Airflex bone & burnished gold leather sandals with 3D flowers on the t-strap - adding a touch of whimsy without competing with the dress' full-on pattern. To match, I carried a boxy bone vinyl handbag from Sportsgirl with gold hardware.

When it came to jewellery, less was definitely more - a thin jade bangle & jade beaded bracelet, both of which my brother brought back from his last trip to China. To me, jade is truly special as, like pearls or leather, it subtly transmutes when worn, making it unique to its owner. The jade beads in the Wanfu bracelet change colour with body heat, becoming deeper & richer as if by magic.

Sunglasses are a definite "must have" in the aptly named Sunshine State & this black resin "Cat's Eye" shaped pair from Sportsgirl REALLY gave off that vintage vibe that I was going for while protecting my eyes from the beating sun's harmful rays...

Now that the fashion is out of the way, scroll down for a peek at the delicious fare offered by Oishii Sushi Bar at Sunnybank. Honestly, it ruins you for all other types of sushi...

Spider Roll

Himawari

Tempura Delight

Deep Fried Ice Cream with Strawberry Sauce + Cocktail Umbrella

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