Spring Racing Carnival Recap: High Stakes

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Dress: Anthea Crawford brushed cotton

Heels: Wittner glitter with silver buckles

Clutch: Anthea Crawford patent leather with silver hardware

Cuff: Gift, Kellie's Antiques silver

Hinged Bangle: Gift, vintage silver fleur de lis

Headpiece: Etsy velvet, faux florals

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The final event in the Spring Racing Carnival calendar is the family-orientated Stakes Day, where things are kept just that little bit more casual in terms of dress code. For the occasion, I donned a gorgeous Grace Kelly inspired 1940s style number from Anthea Crawford, updated by virtue of the blue brushed cotton fabric with silver glitter heels with ankle straps from Wittner for that touch of fun & daytime sparkle & carried a navy patent envelope clutch with silver hardware (also Anthea Crawford) to hold all the essentials without taking away from the most important thing - the divine headpiece! As soon as I saw it on Etsy I was in love - it reminded my of both a character straight out of C.S Lewis' Narnia & Princess Leia simultaneously - & when it arrived in the post I was instantly smitten with the quality & craftsmanship. Once the headpiece was in place, all that remained was to complete the look with botanical jewellery - a vintage hinged fleur de lis bangle that a dear friend gave me for my 30th birthday on one wrist & a vintage silver dragonfly on the other from the Kellie's Antiques store that used to be in the Brisbane Arcade - & have a final flutter until this time next year...

Spring Racing Carnival Recap: Mighty Oaks

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Dress: Alannah Hill jaquard

Heels: Country Road leather

Bag: Renee Loves Frances cane

Bangles: Gift, mixed metals, beads, sparkles

Headpiece: Forever New satin, mesh, faux flowers

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After all of the pomp, circumstance & history of Melbourne Cup Day, Oaks Day (the traditional day for ladies to get all dressed up in girly confections) is a little more frivolous & fun. This slightly more relaxed feeling is clearly shown in my choice of ensemble, styled up around this sweet bumble bee printed jacquard mini dress that I picked up from Alannah Hill that's giving me serious Jean-Shrimpton-in-the-1960s vibes. When it came to accessories, I eschewed the expected gold shoes & bag; instead opting for a pair of white leather pointy-toed heeled mules from Country Road & matching cane handbag from Renee Loves Frances to carry all the essentials. Layering up on sparkly bangles in mixed metals (gold & silver) added a touch of daytime shine & elevated the look while the oversized floral & mesh headpiece from Forever New picked up on the botanical theme.

Spring Racing Carnival Recap: A Melbourne Mucha

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Dress: Anthea Crawford guipure lace

Heels: Wittner satin

Bag: French Connection suede with silver hardware

Bangles: Gift, vintage silver (from India)

Ring: Etsy silver, garnet

Headpiece: La Plume de Fleur faux flowers, foliage

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The jewel in the crown (so to speak) of the Spring Racing Carnival is always the Melbourne Cup, otherwise referred to as "the race that stops a nation." With that in mind, I decided on an outfit that centred around this amazing cold-shoulder guipure lace dress in a shade of "traffic stopping" lipstick red from Anthea Crawford, anchoring the look with a pair of black satin heeled mules from Wittner to elongate my frame & a boxy suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connection to carry all the essentials without adding unnecessary bulk. Jewellery was kept minimal - a pair of vintage silver bangles that a dear friend brought back for me from a trip to India & a chunky silver & garnet cocktail ring that I found on Etsy & just couldn't resist adding to my collection - in deference the sublime oversized faux floral crown from La Plume de Fleur, a fellow Brisbanian who makes utterly inspired headpieces for a variety of occasions. For those who are interested, you can find more examples of her work on (you guessed it) Etsy. 

The look reminded me of the Art Nouveau works of Czech painter & illustrator Alphonse Mucha, who created many stunning advertising posters for businesses in 1890s Paris & the bulk of whose work - stylised nymphs in flower crowns - remains infinitely recognisable all these years later.

Spring Racing Carnival Recap: Derby Diva

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Dress: Anthea Crawford embroidered lace, tulle

Heels: Kitten D'Amour patent leather

Bag: French Connection suede with silver hardware

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver

Bangle: Dinosaur Designs resin

Ring: Dinosaur Designs resin

Headpiece: Target satin, mesh, ribbon

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Aside from "the race that stops a nation" on the first Tuesday of November, the event most people remember with regards to the Spring Racing Carnival is usually Derby Day, ostensibly because they remember the monochromatic dress code. The first recorded mention of the so-called "black & white rule" was in an October 1960 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly but most pundits believe it's origins stretch back far longer than that. 

Personally, I'm not so great at sticking with hard & fast dress codes for myself (it's something different when it comes to my styling clients, however, as I recognise that some people don't like to push the boundaries regardless of subtlety) so I slightly tweaked my look to include black & dove grey moreso than a stark white in the form of this ABSOLUTELY divine embroidered lace & tulle dress from Anthea Crawford with its gorgeous A line silhouette & just-below-the-knee hem. To add height, I chose a pair of shiny black patent t-bar stiletto heels from Kitten D'Amour for that retro-with-a-twist vibe, carried a matching compact yet boxy black suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connection & rocked a HUGE black mesh & ribbon fascinator on a satin Alice band that I found at my local Target store last year & utterly adore. It just goes to show that you can find suitable attire for any occasion at a variety of stores & price points. When it came to jewellery, I wore a chunky silver hinged bangle from Wallace Bishop & matching edgy black resin "wave" bangle & "rosette" cocktail ring from the celebrated design duo Dinosaur Designs, completing the look with added punch.

Spring Racing Carnival Recap: Roses Are Red... & Black

 

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Dress: Anthea Crawford crepe, lace

Heels: Wittner gold metallic leather

Bag: Nine West textured vinyl, chain

Bangle: Dinosaur Designs resin, gold

Ring: Dinosaur Designs resin

Rings: Handmade brass (from Redcliffe Market Stall)

Headpiece: Lovisa silk

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If there's one thing I'm always excited about for Spring Racing Carnival, it's the FASHION. Obviously. I'm not really all about the gambling or the physicality of racing, but I do love Fashions on the Field. This year, I attended a handful of events celebrating all things "filly fashion," as it's often dubbed & was excited to wear some beautiful dresses from a variety of Australian designer labels. For an afternoon spent seeking inspration at pre-Carnival fashion show (after a quick bite to eat at one of my all-time favourite lunch spots, Paddington's Java Lounge) I donned this absolutely stunning black satin-backed-crepe wiggle dress with fluted hemline & red rose embroidered lace cold-shoulder detailing from Anthea Crawford, shiny metallic gold leather pointy-toed heels with ankle straps from Wittner with matching textured vinyl shoulder bag from Nine West, chunky malachite resin bangle & ring from the sublime Dinosaur Designs & a pair of funky, handmade brass rings that I picked up from one of the many darling stalls at the Redcliffe Jetty Markets. Of course, it wouldn't be traditional racing attire without a headpiece: this time an oversized black silk flower on Alice band from Lovisa, an ideal choice for someone with a bobbed haircut who could take full advantage of the malleable nature of the bloom.

Scroll down for a look at the ensemble in its entirety...