Royals

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Dress: Sheike linen/cotton

Booties: Wittner matte leather

Bag: Witchery matte leather, woven straw

Necklace: Gift, Sofia leather, wood

Bangle: The Way We Wore Vintage Fair brass

Bangle: Tree of Life brass

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Feeling regal in this stunning full-length floral linen/cotton mix gown from Sheike, styled up for an event in my beloved River City celebrating one hundred years since Howard Carter unearthed the tomb of the Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun with some friends in the archaeology & anthropology fields. Certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I donned some favourite items including a pair of black matte leather heeled booties from Wittner for a modicum of height, a black leather & natural woven straw handbag from Witchery to carry all the essentials (facemask, hand sanitizer, wallet) & give the ensemble an "earthy" bohemian vibe, a handmade leather necklace with wooden pendant from a label called Sofia that was given to me by a dear friend & finally, a pair of brass bangles - a thick, twisted one that I picked up from a seller at The Way We Wore Vintage Fair many years ago (it came all the way from America) & a thin, brushed one from my local Tree of Life store - to complete the look.

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In Black & White

 

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Dress: Anthea Crawford crepe, mesh, lace

Heels: Jo Mercer leather, elastic

Bag: Swinging Chicks Shop via Etsy velvet

Cuff: Wallace Bishop silver

Bracelet: Gift, Kellie's Antiques silver, filigree

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Keeping it classic with this utterly divine monochrome crepe dress with black mesh neckline & white floral guipure lace shoulder trim from celebrated Aussie fashion designer Anthea Crawford, styled up for an event in my beloved River City with a pair of black leather & elastic strappy heels from Jo Mercer for a modicum of height & interest, a black velvet knot bag from Spanish boutique Swinging Chicks Shop via Etsy, a brushed silver cuff from Wallace Bishop & a chunky silver Victorian belcher bracelet with oversized filigree heart locket & teeny tiny key from Kellie's Antiques, given to me by a very dear friend.

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Cinderella

 

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Dress: Sheike viscose

Jacket: Gift, vintage silk

Ankle Boots: Wittner matte leather

Tights: Razzamatazz 40 denier nylon

Bag: Review textured vinyl, faux pearls

Bangle: Dinosaur Designs resin

Ring: Dinosaur Designs resin

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Avid readers of this blog will already know that Charles Perrault's "Cinderella" is one of my all-time favourite fairytales & wouldn't be surprised that despite the fact that I am VERY hard to please when it comes to overly modern renditions of this timeless classic, I was seriously excited to attend a ballet performance of the tale of the kind-hearted girl turned house-slave at the beck & call of an evil stepmother & stepsisters, a fairy godmother, pumpkin coach & a certain glass slipper, the clock striking twelve & the handsome Prince Charming, who won't give up until he finds his happily ever after with his true love... I wasn't disappointed either. The performance was - admittedly - modern but to my delight, stayed true to the underlying tenets of the story & the feeling it seeks to evoke & left the audience with a sense of hope & optimism for their own future. As Cinderella's famous saying goes, "Have courage & be kind," which is something that we can all take to heart in these trying times.

For the occasion, I donned an utterly divine floral viscose puff-sleeve midi dress with deep v-neckline & elasticated cinch waist from Sheike, a vintage orange silk jacket that some dear friends gave me a few years ago now, a pair of black matte leather heeled ankle boots from Wittner for a modicum of height with the long dress, black 40 denier nylon tights from Razzamaazz to keep my legs feeling toasty-warm & a black textured vinyl handbag with gold hardware & faux white pearl handles from vintage-inspired Aussie label Review to carry all the essentials including a mask, hand sanitizer & tissues (I know, I know... it's an old story but one that I do find touching & rather emotional, if I'm honest). When it came to jewellery, I chose a matching green resin chunky bangle & ring with gold touches from celebrated duo Dinosaur Designs to complete the look & add a touch of modernity.

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Ballet Beautiful

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Dress: Anthea Crawford embroidered mesh, satin

Jumper: City Beach knit wool

Jacket: Unknown cotton, patchwork (from Laos)

Ankle Boots: Wittner leather

Tights: Razzamatazz 40 denier nylon

Bag: French Connection vinyl, suede

Belt: Willow via David Jones twisted leather

Hinged Bangle: Oxfam silver

Bracelet: Oxfam silver, onyx

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Adding a little dancer-inspired flair with this stunning ensemble that I styled up to attend a recent ballet performance in my beloved River City. Starting with this utterly divine black mesh fit-to-flare midi dress with delicate pink embroidered flowers & satin lining from celebrated Australian designer Anthea Crawford that reminded me of a vintage tutu, I added a thin black leather twisted rope belt to cinch from Willow via my local David Jones store to cinch in the waist then pulled on a soft pink knitted wool cropped jumper from City Beach (it pays to look around because sometimes you find treasured items in the most unexpected places) & as the outer layer to ward off the chill in the air, donned a funky black cotton coat with pink & grey patches that was created in Laos & sold at an itty bitty nameless boutique in Montville years & years ago now. When it came to accessories, I added a pair of black matte leather heeled ankle boots with leg-lengthening pointy-toes from Wittner for a modicum of height, black 40 denier tights from Razzamatazz to keep my legs feeling toasty-warm, carried a boxy black vinyl & suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connection that I filled to the brim with all the essentials (including the ubiquitous hand sanitiser & mask that I've been toting around consistently for more than two years now) & finally, completed the look with a thin silver bangle from Oxfam on one wrist & a bohemian silver & black onyx bracelet - also Oxfam - on the other.

Scroll down to see some pictures of the look without the jacket...