Friday 31 March 2017

Black Satin Shoes











*

Dress: Anthea Crawford shantung
Heels: Wittner satin with resin heels
Bag: Forever New vinyl with silver hardware
Necklace: Karen Walker silver with blue & white "Cameo"
Bracelet: Karen Walker silver with blue & white "Cameo"
Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver

*


Elvis may have sung about his "blue suede shoes," but this post is firmly about an outfit I styled around these amazing black satin "bow" mules with silver resin heels from Wittner! Yesterday's post showed exactly the same pair in their baby pink & gold incarnation but this darker option is a whole new ballgame; less lingerie & more art deco. That being said, I decided to mix them with the baby blue rose-printed shantung dress with v-neckline & high-low hemline from Anthea Crawford & blue vinyl handbag with black piping & silver hardware from Forever New for a sense of contrast & cohesion. I know, I know, fashion is a complicated mistress sometimes... Completing the look is a shiny silver hinged bangle from Wallace Bishop & a matching silver, blue & white "Cameo" necklace & bracelet from Karen Walker, gifted to me by a dear friend who is unfortunately no longer with us. I like to think he'd be pleased that I wear his thoughtful gift often, rather than saving it for a special occasion. After all, isn't ever day that we're given on this earth with those who love us the ultimate special occasion in itself?




*

Thursday 30 March 2017

Afternoons in Pink Satin










*

Dress: Anthea Crawford twill
Heels: Wittner satin with gold resin heels
Bag: Forever New vinyl with gold hardware
Cuffs: Gift, hammered bronze

*



Currently reminiscing on sunkissed afternoons in pink satin mules while the rain event wrought by ex-tropical cyclone Debbie rages outside in the encroaching darkness... Life in Queensland is never boring with the weather to keep us all simultaneously horrified & transfixed, am I right?! 

Anyway, here I am, posing in the backyard in the last rays of the afternoon sun wearing one of my all-time favourite dresses from Anthea Crawford - a gorgeous, large-scale floral twill number with a wide neckline, elongating princess seams & a twirly fit-to-flare skirt that finishes just below the knee. In fact, I loved it so much that I actually wore it as my "Christmas Day" dress last year. It was great to give it another outing for a styling job in the City, particularly when mixed with the aforementioned baby pink satin mules with gold resin heels (kitschy & not dissimilar to the pair worn by Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story) from Wittner, pearlised vinyl handbag with gold hardware from Forever New to carry all my essentials & a pair of chunky, vintage hammered bronze cuffs that a dear friend of mine brought back from a sojourn in India... just the thing to add a little bit of edge to an otherwise rather "girly" look.

Well, it's one of my styling success stories (when pieces bought at different time by different people just seem to work together so cohesively with a little imagination) & I hope it gives you inspiration too! If so, scroll down for some more pictures of the whole ensemble in sun-dappled light...













"Beauty I'd always missed, with these eyes before..."

And yes, the name of this post was inspired by one of my best-loved songs, Nights in White Satin (1967) by The Moody Blues. If you don't know what I'm talking about, please give it a listen on You Tube or alternatively, rent the Tim Burton film, Dark Shadows & watch the opening credits. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

*

Wednesday 29 March 2017

Mostly Ghostly







*

Dress: Anthea Crawford jersey & organza
Sandals: Wittner woven leather
Bag: Sunjellies plastic
Cuff: Gift, silver
Bangle: Thousand Island Dressing silver & faux pearl
Brooches: Gift, handmade in Ipswich

*

Finally posting a few pictures of what I wore on a "Ghost Tour" of Brisbane City a few weeks ago. I decided to go with a monochrome vibe - rather like that of some my all-time favourite black & white horror movies - with a fit-to-flare dress from Anthea Crawford comprising of a black jersey bodice & licorice striped organza skirt with grosgrain ribbon belt; woven tribal flat sandals with statement ankle straps from Wittner; black plastic retro-style handbag from Sunjellies (purchased at That Shop in Woolloongabba) & matching jewellery - a silver moulded cuff, gifted to me a few years ago by a dear friend & a silver bangle with black faux pearl ends from Thousand Island Dressing at Paddington. To complete the look, I added a little kitsch - a pair of plastic "disembodied skeleton hands" with bows attached to the ends that were handmade in Ipswich. They really made a statement when attached to the bag & worked well with the theme of the day.


*
Franny's Top 5 Favourite 
Black & White Horror Films
(for those who may want to curl up during this rainy weather with something scary to watch)


1. The Old Dark House (1932)

Driving through a brutal thunderstorm in Wales, a group of weary travelers take refuge in a large, eerie house owned by the Femm family. Reluctantly admitted by owner Horace Femm, they sit down to a truly bizarre dinner. Horace is a neurotic, mute butler Morgan is an alcoholic & Horace's sister Rebecca rants & raves about chastity. When the storm forces chorus girl Gladys DuCane Perkins to join the party, Morgan's lust & Rebecca's ire are both ignited... 

Stars Boris Karloff as the Butler.


2. Dracula (1931) 

After hypnotising a British soldier called Renfield into becoming his mindless slave, the dashing Count Dracula travels to London to take up residence in an old castle. Dracula soon begins to wreak havoc, sucking the blood of innocent young women & turning them into vampires. When he sets his sights on Mina Harker, the daughter of a prominent doctor, famed vampire-hunter Van Helsing is enlisted to stop his blood-lust once & for all.

Stars Bela Lugosi in the title role.


3. Frankenstein (1931)

Obsessed scientist Dr Henry Frankenstein attempts to create life by assembling a creature from the body parts of the deceased. Aided by his loyal yet misshapen assistant Fritz, he succeeds in animating his monster but, confused & traumatised, it escapes into the countryside & begins to wreak havoc. Frankenstein searches for this elusive being, only to be forced to confront his tormented creation.

Stars Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's Monster.


4. Carnival of Souls (1962)

Mary Henry is the sole survivor of a fatal car accident through mysterious circumstances. Trying to put the incident behind her, she moves to a small town in Utah & takes a job as a church organist. Unfortunately, her "fresh start" is interrupted by frightening visions of a fiendish man. As the visions become more frequent & more horrifying, Mary finds herself inexplicably drawn to the deserted carnival on the outskirts of town which may hold the secret to her tragic past.

The ultimate in B Grade fare.


5. House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Rich eccentric Frederick Loven has a proposal for five guests at a possibly haunted mansion: show up, survive the night & receive $10,000 each. The guest of honour, mind you, is Loven's estranged wife Annabelle who, with the help of her secret lover Dr Trent, has concocted her own scheme to scare Loven's business associate Nora Manning into shooting the madcap millionaire... but more shocks & scares throw a wrench into that plan...

Stars Vincent Price. Need I say more? That stare, the moustache, that voice...

*

Friday 24 March 2017

And It Was All Yellow










*

Dress: Chi Chi London satin with organza overlay
Heels: Novo gold leather
Bag: Forever New vinyl with gold hardware
Bracelet: Gift, Wanfu jade (from Shanghai)
Bangle: Gift, jade (from Shanghai Markets)

*

It's hard to believe how fast this year is flying by! We're almost at the end of March but the weather in Queensland would have us all believing it was the middle of Spring with the high humidity & climbing temperatures, which is why this girly ensemble - worn to accompany one of my dearest friends from England to see a world renowned gospel choir sing - seems fitting. I'm wearing a darling yellow rose-print organza empire-line dress with cream satin underlay from one of my all-time favourite brands, Chi Chi London with a pair of shiny gold leather heeled mules from Novo (word to the wise: go up a size if you're in between, otherwise you won't be able to keep your feet in without any kind of ankle/toe strap details) & a pearlised vinyl handbag with gold hardware from Forever New to carry all of the essentials... like tissues, for example. What can I say? Listening to such inspiration words set to music always brings tears to my eyes & joy to my soul. Completing the ensemble are two pieces of jade jewellery that my younger brother brought back for me from Shanghai - a smooth, carved bangle from one of the market stalls & a more expensive, beaded bracelet from Wanfu Jewellers that will appreciate in value through the years. 

Love the look as much as I do? Keep scrolling for a few more pictures...





*