Park Afternoon

 

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Dress: Uniqlo x Marimekko cotton

Sandals: Wittner leather

Bag: Etsy woven straw

Hat: Princess Highway denim

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Thinking of times before our latest Covid 19 outbreak/lockdown when we could visit with our family & friends in public spaces, albeit cautiously & somewhat socially-distanced. This particular trip to the park with my cousin & her two rambunctious munchkins was one of those glorious early Autumn afternoons in Queensland when the sun is shining but there's an ever-so-slightly cooler tinge to the breeze that makes outdoor activities so much nicer & less... well, sweaty. We played on the equipment & hit the slides before partaking in a rousing game of tennis on one of the available public courts & seriously, it was a really special moment... you know, that one where you realise that those "babies" who still need you to remind them to wear their hats or hold your hand to cross the street or check to make sure that their chips aren't too hot before they take a bite are actually growing up & that due to the tennis lessons they take early on Saturday mornings, you actually have to TRY to beat them rather than just let them win because the ball actually goes backwards & forwards in a rally across the net & they're growing up & it's game on from now on...

But I digress.

All of this happened while I was wearing a gorgeous 1960s Scandinavian-style printed cotton shift dress (altered slightly to show off my knees) from the Uniqlo x Marimekko collaboration, a pair of tan leather sandals with ankle straps from Wittner (surprisingly comfortable & cushioning for athetlic activity), a natural woven straw crossbody bag from a little boutique on Etsy that I've been unable to find again (more's the pity) & finally, a 1990s throwback denim bucket hat from Princess Highway to ward off the sun's harmful rays. 

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Friend of Audrey

 

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Dress: Friend of Audrey white cotton

Heels: Kitten D'Amour vegan leather

Bag: Swinging Chicks Shop via Etsy velvet

Bracelet: Precious Stones Jewellers mesh, silver, onyx

Ring: Precious Stones Jewellers silver, onyx

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Another day, another white dress... this one a rather classic & austere silhouette with a little twist in a crisp cotton from a new (to me) Australian designer brand called Friend of Audrey that is stocked in my local Myer department store. As someone who has long considered Ms Hepburn to be one of my sartorial heroes, "any friend of Audrey's is a friend of mine." The thing about basic or "simple" silhouettes is that they've got to be done right & made with quality materials & I can safely say that this is the epitome of quality cotton & is actually part of the Better Cotton Initiative, which is helping to save the planet. Truth be told, once it was lightly steamed, it barely crushed all day despite the nature of the fabric which was a welcome & pleasant surprise that doesn't often happen with the more natural fabrics. 

I've styled it up for a luncheon in the city with some monochrome accessories - a pair of black vegan leather Mary Jane heels with white bib detailing from French-inspired brand Kitten D'Amour, a black velvet knot bag from a funky Spanish label called Swinging Chicks Shop that I discovered while trawling Etsy that fits absolutely everything in despite its deceptively miniscule sizing (I've already started referring to it as the TARDIS bag, thank you very much) & a gorgeous art-deco-style silver mesh & onyx bracelet with matching ring from Precious Stones Jewellers to complete the look & add that touch of daytime sparkle.

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Say Cheesecloth

 

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Dress: Country Road cheesecloth

Heels: Kitten D'Amour vegan leather

Bag: Sportsgirl woven straw

Bangle: Gift, Mrs Polly Lucite resin, diamante

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One of my favourite summertime sartorial statements - that I intend to continue into the colder months - is the mixing of a bright white dress (either mini or midi) with a pair of vibrant, lipstick-red heels like this sublime vegan leather deco-inspired pair from Kitten D'Amour. In this instance, I've styled them up as a pick-me-up during the recent three day "snap" lockdown with a gorgeous white cheesecloth cotton ruffled mini smock - able to be worn both on or off the shoulder - from beloved Aussie fashion label Country Road & then added a natural woven straw bucket bag from Sportsgirl & a funky, green resin snake bangle with red diamante eyes from Mrs Polly Lucite that some dear friends gifted me for my birthday last year.

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Brown

 

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Dress: Dissh linen

Heels: Jo Mercer leather, laces

Bag: Princess Highway woven

Necklace: Gift, Vintage Fair beads, wooden pendant

Tassels: Hummingbird the Shop raffia

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Something a little different in the form of a brown linen prairie-style linen smock dress from a label that was pretty much on EVERYONE in the fashion community's lips last summer & with good reason, Dissh! To be honest, before they brought out their 100% linen line, I'd never really purchased anything from one of their stores before, with the possible exception of a tote bag or belt but these new pieces are utterly divine... & even turned this blogger into someone who will willingly choose to wear something brown, a hue that has long been on my "no go" list along with that really acid yellow & Barbie pink. The dress is really sweet with its mini length, puffy sleeves & square-shaped elasticated neckline with little ruffles & I've styled it up with a pair of beige/stone leather lace-up heels from Jo Mercer for added height, a natural woven handbag from Princess Highway to carry all the essentials that I added some rainbow raffia tassels to from Hummingbird the Shop & finally, a chunky green beaded necklace with wooden tribal pendant that my brother gave me a few years ago after randomly picking it up at a Vintage Fair we attended.

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