Let There Be Lights

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Dress: Anthea Crawford cotton/sateen

Sandals: Novo leather & lace-up

Bag: LouenHide leather

Necklace: Katies silver, bead & shell

Bangle: SeaWish, Coolangatta shell

Watch: Guess silver

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Avid readers of this blog will already know of my disdain for the vast majority of so-called fashion rules... You know, statements like "blue & green should never be seen," "sparkle is only for nighttime," "never mix metals," "suede is for the wintertime" & "no white accessories at night" to recall but a few... I believe that it should be up to the individual to choose what they wear & where they wear it, as how a person FEELS in the outfit is often more important than how it is perceived by others or how appropriate it is for the occasion. In Queensland, for example, the weather is (on the whole) far hotter & muggier than "down south" in places like Sydney & Melbourne, so fabrics like cotton or linen, ditzy floral prints or cream & white shoes & accessories are acceptable "after dark" alternatives.

This particular outfit, therefore, is QUITE the rule-breaker. Worn in the morning for a mother/daughter shopping spree, in the afternoon for a spot of delicious Yum Cha & in the evening for coffee with friends (& festive gift-giving for the littlies!) followed by a viewing of their prize-winning Christmas Lights display, it managed to do triple duty & remain stylish. The printed cotton/sateen dress from Anthea Crawford in a painterly floral print with its low neckline, cap-sleeves, pleated waist detail & below-the-knee hemline was cool & comfortable in the heat of the day & the balmy breeze of the night.

White accessories worked well with the dress' vibrant pattern - a comfortable, leg-lengthening pair of leather lace-up wedges from Novo & a supple leather shoulder bag from LouenHide to carry all the essentials. Jewellery had a "beachy" vibe to contrast with the smart-casual nature of the dress - a chunky silver watch from Guess, carved silver shell bangle from SeaWish in Coolangatta & finally, a silver & beaded necklace with large circular shell pieces from the Katies sale. Scroll down to check each piece out in detail:

Well, now that the fashion is taken care of, keep scrolling for a peek at a couple of local area Christmas Lights displays, as well as the People's Choice Award winner, replete with recycled materials...

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