We Will Rock You

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Dress: Portmans Signature lace

Jacket: Portmans leather

Boots: Wittner patent leather

Tights: Razzamatazz 40 denier nylon

Clutch: Diana Ferrari patent leather with silver hardware

Necklace with Pendant: Prouds silver

Ring: Thousand Island Dressing silver

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As a long-time Queen fan, I was absolutely ecstatic when a dear friend invited me to a performance of the smash-hit musical We Will Rock You, penned by Ben Elton & set to the music of the 1970s supergroup, once fronted by the inimitable Freddie Mercury. I loved every single moment, particularly singing along AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS to all my favourite songs despite the stares from other patrons. Seriously people, it's a musical, you're kind of expected to sing along, right? Well, when the cast is actually imploring the audience to do so, the answer would seem to be a resounding Y-E-S. You can probably tell by the photographs that the weather in Queensland was much colder at the time they were taken but due to some technical difficulties, I couldn't post them until now. Despite my "blogger" pastime, modern technology & I are not often on the best of terms, truth be told. Oh well, better late than never, as they say.

For the occasion, I decided to merge my usual relatively prim wardrobe styling with something much sexier & more rocker chic... hence this edgy ink navy floral lace mini dress from Portmans Signature with deep v-neckline, slight mullet hemline & exposed chrome back zipper, mixed (of course) with my all-time favourite cropped black leather jacket. In this instance, 40 denier nylon Razzamatazz tights were a given, ditto the shiny black patent boots with chunky heels from Wittner & matching semi-circular clutch from Diana Ferrari. Jewellery was kept simple & silver-toned: a fob necklace with oversized heart pendant from Prouds & a thick "wrap around" ring from Thousand Island Dressing in Paddington to complete the look.

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Yap Yap Yap

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Dress: Portmans Signature lace & jersey

Jacket: Portmans leather

Heels: Nine West faux snakeskin

Bag: Gift, vintage carved nut & leather

Necklace: Karen Walker gold & silver

Bracelet: Karen Walker gold & silver

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Finally posting all the pictures of the outfit I wore to attend what was, to date, one of THE funniest comedy shows I've ever been to: Alan Carr's Yap Yap Yap. You know, he's the Chatty Man with the "camp" talk show on UK TV? I absolutely love watching him on the telly & in person, he didn't disappoint. By the time the show ended, my sides were absolutely aching from laughing so darn hard, a feeling that didn't dissipate for a few days at least... always the sign of a good time as far as I'm concerned... sort of like when you go to a concert & your ears are ringing for a few days afterwards (not bleeding, as was the case with Neil Young & Crazy Horse, but that's a story for another time).

For such an occasion, I wanted an outfit that was cute but, frankly, a little left of centre. Cue this amazing burgundy lace dress with flesh-tone jersey underlay, deep v-neckline, banded empire waist & exposed gold back zipper from Portmans Signature (purchased at the Brisbane Airport DFO for what can only be described as a song...) with cropped black leather jacket over the top of elongate my frame & provide some edge. Also Portmans. They really have had some amazing pieces the last few seasons. 

When it came to footwear, black just seemed too heavy with the midi-length hemline of the dress, so these faux snakeskin peeptoe stilettos with flesh-tone laces & gold back zippers from Nine West really worked a treat... after all, any stylist will tell you that animal prints (even reptilian ones) are always classified as neutrals. In the interest of cohesion, I chose my showstopping vintage "carved nut" handbag with hand-stitched leather strap to carry all of my essentials, echoing the black of the jacket & adding a touch of whimsy. Jewellery was kept simple - a delicate gold necklace with silver "bow" fob-style pendant & matching bracelet from Karen Walker (both a gift from a dear friend who is no longer with us), the length & style of each working well with the neckline of the dress & longer jacket sleeves.

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Showered with Love

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Dress: Anthea Crawford cotton

Booties: Wittner patent leather

Bag: Colette by Colette Hayman woven vinyl with chrome hardware

Scarf: Anthea Crawford silk

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver

Bangle with Charms: Pandora silver & onyx

Ring: Pandora silver & onyx

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Spent a wonderful Saturday morning "showering" a dear friend with all manner of baby boy related paraphernalia to celebrate her impending arrival! After playing the requisite party games - identifying the different types of baby food by sniffing nappies (spoiler alert: it all looks & smells pretty much the same), guessing the number of milk bottle lollies in the plastic baby bottle & deciding on the size of "the bump" using lengths of twine - it was time to delight in the delicious high tea offered (served in the traditional way), washed down with flutes of sparkling champagne & write down one piece of advice for the mother-to-be to cherish. Cue tears of both joy & laughter. Each attendee was then given a chocolate cupcake with blue icing (made by the talented Abby) in a cute spotted box to take home... mine didn't even make it to the parking lot, I'm ashamed to say. Well, actually, I'm not ashamed; they were scrumptious.

And then there were the presents...

I decided to eschew the "gift registry" in favour of a Bunnykins hamper I compiled myself, containing a blue & white woven cotton rug; sumptuous thick cotton hooded towel & washer with the ubiquitous bunny embroidered on the front in delicate dove-grey; plush bunny rattle & cuddly toy; baby fork & spoon set & finally, a vintage 1930s deco-style Royal Doulton trio (cup, saucer, plate) that I found at Lancaster's Antiques in Toowoomba to be away as a keepsake. 

For such a special occasion, I decided to wear a vibrant blue & red floral cotton dress with slight v-neckline, cap-sleeves, paneled waist (ideal for creating that hourglass figure) & "tulip" hemline from Anthea Crawford; black patent pointy-toed booties with a chunky heel (nothing like merging height & stability) from Wittner & a white woven vinyl "bowling" style handbag with chrome hardware from Colette by Colette Hayman to "lighten up" the darker hues of the dress & shoes for a Spring weekend morning. For added flair, I tied a floral silk scarf in complimentary primary colours - also by Anthea Crawford - around one of the bag handles. A simple stylist's trick that can really make an outfit "pop." When it came to jewellery, I kept things simple to allow the dress & scarf to remain the focus - a thick silver hinged bangle from Wallace Bishop & a matching silver & onyx charm bracelet & ring from Pandora.

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Shakespearean

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Dress: Portmans silk/satin

Coat: Gift, vintage oriental silk

Heels: Wittner suede & elastic

Bag: Genson leather with gold lining

Ring: V&A Museum, London gold & diamante

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Those who know me will already be aware of my deep affinity with all things Shakespearean. In high school, I was one of the only students in the class who actually looked forward to being forced to read & dissect a lengthy, overwrought play in a seemingly-dead language filled with nuance & at university, I actually sought out units of coursework dealing exclusively with the Bard, irrespective of the vast amount of reading involved... & nothing's really changed since then. I still adore Will's work & love nothing more than the opportunity to converse with like-minded individuals who wish to debate literary tropes & character motivations, preferably over a delicious meal, ideally washed down with some kind of heavy, sweet alcoholic spirit. 

Thus, the opportunity to discuss the multitudinous "Villains of Shakespeare" with some of the most respected Shakespearean scholars both here & abroad (& have the opportunity to watch some gifted thespians portray their most celebrated scenes) was simply too good to miss & I am eternally grateful to the mother of a dear friend for inviting me to accompany her in such learned assemblage.

For this special occasion, I decided to pull out all the stops & go "dramatic" with my look, starting with a beautiful black floral silk/satin Portmans dress with deep v-neckline & dipped back, pleated waist detail for shape, mullet hemline & exposed zipper. Very regal; somewhat reminiscent of Lady Macbeth in my opinion, particularly against my alabaster skin (well, I am of Scottish descent, after all; it would seem fitting that the so-called "Scottish Play" is a distinct favourite of mine).

Check it out in all its unencumbered glory below to make up your own mind:

The cool weather meant that a coat was necessary & as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't get much more theatrical than a full-length, royal blue & gold oriental floral silk opera coat with mandarin collar, toggle buttons & exaggerated side splits! This vintage gem (gifted by a dear friend) added that unexpected element that elevated the look to something truly eclectic & extraordinary; the black & blue tones creating a startling juxtaposition that certainly created a "talking point" among the other attendees.

Keep scrolling to see the silhouette/shapes these two pieces created from the front & back:

To allow the dress & coat to truly shine, I kept the accessories simple - a pair of black suede & elastic heels from Wittner for added height & a matte leather handbag with sumptuous deep gold lining from Genson, purchased from the gorgeous little boutique at the Greenway Garden Centre... it's safe to say that place is one of my new favourite haunts! Finally, I added a chunky gold & diamante ring in the shape of a bow that I discovered in the V&A Museum gift shop on my Europe trip of 2012 for that little touch of daytime sparkle.

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