Scotch with a Twist

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Dress: Chi Chi London satin & tulle (modified by me)

Heels: Novo leather lace-up

Bag: Nine West vinyl with silver hardware

Large Brooch: Carrick silver (via All Things Tartan, Ipswich)

Small Brooch: Carrick silver (via Loch Ness Museum, Drumnadrochit, Scotland)

Watch: Guess silver

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver & elastic

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Finally posting all the pictures of what I wore to attend a Scottish Pipes & Drums performance a few weeks ago. Avid readers of this blog will already know about my Scottish ancestry & how much I absolutely ADORE bagpipe music (particularly The Black Bear) so this was a special occasion indeed! 

It was a no-brainer, therefore, that I would relish the opportunity to dress in what I call a "modern Aussie twist" on a traditional Scottish look, starting with this stunning black, white & grey large-scale rose-printed (rather than tartan) satin fit-to-flare dress from Chi Chi London with tulle underlay for added "twirl." The one-shouldered design echoes the tartan "sash" that often covered the shoulders of Highland men & women, although I added a leather piece of leather on the other side to give the dress more stability & cover my bra strap. Another smaller piece of leather was added on the opposite shoulder to draw the look together.

When it came to footwear, speckled monochrome lace-up "booties" from Novo worked within the colour-palette while adding interest. Rather than carry a black handbag - as may be expected - the eclectic pattern-mixing continued with the addition of a speckled shoulder bag with chunky silver strap detail from Nine West; ideal for carrying all the essentials while leaving my hands free.

Jewellery was all-silver all the time: a chunky androgynous watch from Guess, hinged bangle from Wallace Bishop & brooches in customary Scottish shapes - a Circle of Thistles akin to the ones worn by ancient Highlanders, purchased from a little shop called All Things Tartan in Ipswich (check them out here) & a sweet Highland Dancing Girl from the Loch Ness Monster Museum Gift Shop in Drumnadrochit, purchased during my trip to Europe in 2012.

For those who don't know, here is the legend of the Scottish Thistle:

It is said that a sleeping party of Scotch warriors were saved from ambush by an invading Norse army when one of the enemies trod on the spiky plant in the dead of night. His anguished cry roused the sleeping warriors who henceforth vanquished the foe & adopted the thistle as a national symbol of enduring victory.

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