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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