Park Life

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Dress: Gift, Vintage woven Mexican

Slip: TS elastane

Sandals: Betts for Her patent

Bag: Vera May patent

Bracelet: Navies Jewellers, silver, resin & straw

Ring: Navies Jewellers, silver, resin & straw

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Spent a wonderful Friday morning in the company of dear family friends, belatedly celebrating Easter with my darling Goddaughter, Tobin & her sister Ivory, as well as meeting her baby brother, sweet little Silas, for the very first time.

It was only the second outing for this vintage, woven & embroidered Mexican dress (a birthday present); the perfect option for a laid-back, casual morning tea at the Queens Park Kiosk, particularly when worn with a pair of black patent gladiator sandals from Betts for Her & patent Vera May handbag with long straps (yet another birthday present). 

The puce/aubergine colour of the patent handbag matches with the floral embroidery on the shoulders of the dress, adding visual interest with a "pop" of colour to break up the monotony of the monochrome look without overplaying the busyness of the dress' different woven panels, lace & ribbon detail. 

The relaxed vibe of the look continued in the jewellery - a funky, silver & resin beaded bracelet filled with yellow straw & the matching chunky cocktail ring, shown in detail below:

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Scroll down for some snippets from the day...

Love a Devonshire Tea...

First meeting with little Silas... What a sweetie!

Big sisters Ivory (on left) & Tobin (on right) donned "belated" bunny ears...

Hilarity ensued, as it often does when children are enjoying school holidays!

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Those who follow me on Instagram may have recognised the dress from its first outing a week earlier, when I had the pleasure of attending a screening of Cinderella with my mother, followed by Yum Cha at our favourite restaurant downstairs. The film was absolutely amazing - true to the fairy tale (my mother's childhood favourite), visually resplendent, heartbreaking & uplifting in equal measure & replete with sweet touches such as the fleeting inclusion of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" - from the 1950 Disney cartoon - as a metamorphosed orchestral movement in the Palace Ball scene.

But I digress. Back to the outfit...

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Dress: Vintage, woven Mexican

Sandals: Corelli @ Williams vinyl

Bag: Gift, leather

Scarf: Katies cotton with tassels

Thick Bangle: Gift, Vintage Indian wood & beaded

Thin Bangles: Gift, Indian beaded & sequinned

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Rather than a pair of black patent gladiators, matte leather wedge sandals with lace-up fronts were chosen to match the yellow matte leather handbag - with short handles - that I was carrying; the yellow a "pop" of colour to enhance the embroidered flowers on the dress' shoulders. Tied around one of the handbag's straps was a black & white chevron print cotton scarf with neon yellow tassels along the edges for a touch of pattern-mixing to provide visual interest to a mostly monochrome ensemble.

Striking, mixed metal pieces of Indian jewellery were chosen to complete the look - a trio of thin, gold & silver sequinned bangles on one wrist & a chunky, black wooden & silver mirrored beaded bangle on the other. 

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