Tangled Up In Blue

Most fashionistas will be familiar with this scenario: 

You've bought a gorgeous new dress in a sumptuous textured jacquard & bold large-scale floral print that you're just dying to wear out over the weekend, but this seemingly-foolproof plan has hit a snag... 

The problem? 2 different outings & only 1 new dress.

My solution? Wearing the same dress both days, with a few changes...

*

DAY 1

Dress: Anthea Crawford textured stretch jacquard

Jacket: Moda @ Target poly-blend

Brogues: Ziera patent & matte

Tights: Razzamatazz (40 denier)

Bag: Anthea Crawford vinyl

Brooch: Gift, chrome & paua shell (souvenir from New Zealand)

Bracelet: Gift, chrome & paua shell (souvenir from New Zealand)

*

For a Saturday spent on a shopping "odyssey" at Sunnybank Plaza, Sunny Park & Market Square with my mother before meeting up with my father & brother for some mouth-watering Yum Cha, I mixed the aforementioned Anthea Crawford dress with a three-quarter-sleeved, midi-overcoat (from my local Target store) in a vibrant shade of cobalt blue, picking up on one of the shades inherent in the huge flower print covering the dress for a cohesive look. 

As usual, I used black patent to "anchor" the colourful look -  this time a pair of wedge-heeled brogue with ribbon laces from Ziera, as well as matte Razzamatazz tights & a funky tote-sized handbag in cobalt, soft grey, black & white leopard print vinyl from Anthea Crawford. Avid readers of this blog will already know how much I adore pattern-mixing & in this instance, it is incorporated by mixing a large-scale floral print with a small-scale leopard print; the unexpected nature of the latter providing visual interest.

When it came to jewellery, the "shades of blue" theme was carried through with a brooch & bracelet combo given to me by a dear friend, as a souvenir from her trip to New Zealand. The square-shaped chrome & paua shell bracelet, with laser cut flower detail, sat perfectly on my wrist while the "mosaic cameo" brooch - wore on the collar of my coat - seemed as though it was made for the look, matching the shades of the dress perfectly. Check it out below:

*

And of course, a day at Sunnybank wouldn't be complete without a trip to Chub Chub for some of their delicious custard filled koalas... Best enjoyed with a Tea Fusion milk tea with black tapioca pearls (not pictured) & a this month's new In Style magazine...

*

Remember to stay tuned to see how I completely changed the look - to make it appropriate for a day spent immersing myself in Greek culture at the Paniyiri Festival in Musgrave Park - by swapping the jacket & accessories...

*