Neoprene

 

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Dress: Asos Design neoprene

Loafers: Pitillos via Obsession Shoes patent leather, matte leather

Bag: Resident Store vintage resin, embroidery

Bangles: Gift, gold beads, silver beads

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It's no secret that when it comes to dresses, I've probably worn almost every style in almost every possible type of print or pattern or colour or fabric. I just love to experiment with fashion & new ways to express myself through clothing & this neoprene midi dress with shirred bodice, ruffled neckline & thick tie straps from Asos Design is a real case in point. When it arrived, it honestly looked a bit different to the picture, probably owing to the fact that it was extremely wrinkled after being squashed up in plastic packing bag & I did have a momentary feeling of "what have I done?" but after much careful steaming & a few tries at getting the bows exactly where I wanted them, I was pleasantly surprised by how sculptural the dress is & what a statement it can make with just a few accessories. I've styled it up here for a matinee with a friend by adding a pair of black patent & matte leather heeled loafers with tassles by Pitillos that I discovered at Obsession Shoes at the "top of town" in Ipswich for height & texture/shine next to the matte fabric of the dress, a vintage black & pink rose cross stitch/embroidered bag with gold resin clasp & chain strap from the delightful Resident Store at Mooloolaba (now online only) to carry all the essentials while adding some print/colour/floral/interest & finally, a few silver, gold & pink beaded sparkly bangles from India that a dear friend brought back from a trip a few years ago for that touch of daytime shine to add depth.

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Juxtaposition

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Dress: Anthea Crawford neoprene

Heels: Wittner leather with silver buckles

Bag: Pigeonhole leather

Bangles: Dinosaur Designs resin

Rings: Dinosaur Designs resin

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It would come as no surprise to anyone reading this blog that I love fashion. In fact, I absolutely ADORE the artistry of fashion & pretty much live-eat-breathe it, reading copious fashion blogs from around the world, checking fashion posts on Instagram, devouring the forever dwindling number of monthly fashion magazines & browsing bricks & mortar stores every chance I get. As a stylist, I am quietly confident that I can make anyone - regardless of size, age, budget & occasion - look & feel their absolute best with a few tried-&-true tricks of the trade, however I do realise that in the grand scheme of things, I am relatively "new" to this game. Therefore, it was an utter privilege to be able to attend a two-day masterclass in the basics of fashion design, which will be infinitely helpful in terms of understanding exactly HOW items of clothing are designed & made & how they can be altered to ensure an exact fit on a myriad of body types. 

For the occasion, I donned one of my newest acquisitions from beloved Australian designer Anthea Crawford & the very epitome of juxtaposition - a gorgeous v-neck midi dress with cold shoulder detailing & deep v-neckline made from soft & stretchy black neoprene with baby pink (yes, really!) lining that was revealed on the shoulders when the puff sleeves are folded back. With regards to accessories, I kept things simple & wore a pair of black leather heeled sandals with silver buckles from Wittner & a matching black leather shoulder bag from Pigeonhole... but it was the jewellery that really brought cohesion to the look & made it shine... A dear friend had gifted me some funky, baby pink resin jewellery pieces from celebrated label Dinosaur Designs that were made to look like coral & shells found along the Australian coastline & it just so happened that they were a PERFECT match! It seemed like fate, so I layered up with the pair of bangles & trio of rings to complete the ensemble. As Hannibal from "The A Team" would attest, "I love it when a plan comes together," no matter how unlikely that plan may have seemed...

Floralis

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Dress: Anthea Crawford neoprene

Heels: Wittner leather lace-up

Clutch: Adorne vinyl with wool tassels

Cuff: Wallace Bishop silver

Bracelet: Gift, Kellie's Antiques Victorian silver

Hat: TK Maxx straw with grosgrain ribbon

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Feeling like I just stepped out of my own Secret Garden (who else was utterly obsessed with that book & movie when they were a child... or indeed now, as an adult?) wearing something a little different to my usual bold floral prints & edgier accessories: a vintage-style floral, pastel-hued neoprene midi dress with peplum detailing & rosette from my go-to Aussie designer, Anthea Crawford. I must say that I felt incredibly sweet & ladylike while wearing it on a boat trip in lovely company! For stability & comfort without compromising on style, I decided to wear blush coloured lace-up leather heels with enclosed toes from Wittner & carried a matching soft vinyl envelope clutch with colourful, handmade wool pompoms (loving all those whimsical touches) from Adorne. Jewellery was simple silver pieces with sentimental meaning: a cuff from Wallace Bishop, engraved with the words "All You Need Is Love" & a chunky Victorian silver bracelet with oversized heart locket & teeny tiny key from Kellie's Antiques. Finally, a light mauve straw sunhat with functional wide brim & peach grosgrain ribbon band from my local TK Maxx (under $10) kept my head & shoulders protected from the sun.

"And the secret garden bloomed & bloomed & every morning revealed new miracles."

Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden (1911)