Spring Has Sprung

 

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Dress: City Chic embroidered mesh, velvet, satin

Heels: Wittner leather, laces

Bag: Forever New vinyl, chain

Clip: Sportsgirl satin

Bangle Stack: Gift, vintage Mexican silver

Bangle: Gift, 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles silver

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Well, it's clear that "Spring has Sprung" in South East Queensland & this gorgeous little number from City Chic, worn to a recent special event in my beloved River City, is definitely helping me celebrate! The gorgeous fit-to-flare silhouette, made from floral embroidered mesh with velvet piping details, a corset-style bodice & soft nude satin lining is great for twirling & looks sensational when styled up with a pair of blush leather lace-up heels from Wittner for a modicum of height while remaining comfortable, a blush vinyl shoulder bag with silver chain strap from Forever New to carry all the essentials & in keeping with the theme, a blush satin bow hairclip from my local Sportsgirl store attached to one of the dress straps for that sweet little flourish. When it came to jewellery, I chose some favourite pieces - a stack of vintage Mexican silver bangles that some dear friends brought back from an overseas trip & a single, vintage silver bangle from 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles that my younger brother gave me as a birthday gift a few years ago to complete the look.

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Floral Bouquet

 

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Dress: Anthea Crawford crepe

Heels: Jo Mercer leather, laces

Bag: Review textured vinyl, faux pearls

Bangles: Gift, gold, silver, sparkles (from India)

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Smiles for miles in this stunning ensemble, styled up to attend a recent anthropological lecture in the River City with a dear friend who usually resides overseas. I'm wearing a gorgeous floral print crepe midi dress from celebrated Australian designer Anthea Crawford, black leather lace-up heels from Jo Mercer for a modicum of height, a black textured vinyl handbag with white faux pearl handles from Review to carry all the essentials including the ever-present facemask & hand sanitizer that seem to be the hallmarks of our "new normal" & a trio of gold & silver beaded sparkly bracelets from India that a friend brought back from a trip many years ago & kindly gifted me.

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Joyful Jacquard

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Dress: Anthea Crawford jacquard

Heels: Kitten D'Amour vegan leather

Bag: Princess Highway woven straw

Scarf: Kitten D'Amour mesh

Corsages: Kitten D'Amour silk

Beaded Bracelets: Jewelled Bazaar faceted beads

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There's nothing like beautiful, lush floral jacquard for a "dressed up" occasion & this stunning paneled midi dress from Anthea Crawford (in jewel tones of purple, blue & pink with a black background) was the ideal choice for a recent event in the River City. I've styled it up for the warm early Autumn weather with a pair of mauve vegan leather deco heels from vintage-inspired Aussie label Kitten D'Amour, a natural woven straw circular handbag from Princess Highway with blush pink mesh scarf tie around one of the handles & pink & coral silk corsages (also all Kitten) pinned to the front for that bit of extra flair that makes an outfit unique & finally, a stack of faceted beaded bracelets from Jewelled Bazaar via Etsy's online marketplace.

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February Florals

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Dress: Anthea Crawford guipure lace

Heels: Gorman vegan leather

Bag: Vendula London via Mott & Mulberry vegan leather with brass hardware

Bracelet: Gift, handmade resin cameo (from Greece)

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I know what you're probably thinking - florals for the spring & summertime aren't exactly groundbreaking - but I've always loved a botanical print & I can't stop/won't stop regardless of the weather & the season. There's just something so fresh & happy & hopeful about wearing the (literal) symbol of new growth & the germination of ideas & this gorgeous little floral guipure lace topped with a printed floral motif from Aussie designer label Anthea Crawford just makes me smile. I've styled it up to bring a little joy to a recent trip to the maxillofacial dentist (lovely, patient, skilled gentleman who I truly respect but honestly, I just loathe anything that involves dental procedures, like most of the population, I'm willing to wager) with a pair of vibrant purple vegan leather slingback heels from cult eco-brand Gorman, the kitschy vegan leather "The Biscuit Shop" embellished handbag with brass hardware from Vendula London via the darling Mott & Mulberry (coincidentally worn in my last post with a completely divergent ensemble) & a funky resin Greco/Roman "cameo" bracelet that some dear friends gifted me for my birthday last year that picks up on both the pastel overtones of the outfit as well as the addition of more stark black & white tones.

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Spring Racing Carnival Recap: A Melbourne Mucha

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Dress: Anthea Crawford guipure lace

Heels: Wittner satin

Bag: French Connection suede with silver hardware

Bangles: Gift, vintage silver (from India)

Ring: Etsy silver, garnet

Headpiece: La Plume de Fleur faux flowers, foliage

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The jewel in the crown (so to speak) of the Spring Racing Carnival is always the Melbourne Cup, otherwise referred to as "the race that stops a nation." With that in mind, I decided on an outfit that centred around this amazing cold-shoulder guipure lace dress in a shade of "traffic stopping" lipstick red from Anthea Crawford, anchoring the look with a pair of black satin heeled mules from Wittner to elongate my frame & a boxy suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connection to carry all the essentials without adding unnecessary bulk. Jewellery was kept minimal - a pair of vintage silver bangles that a dear friend brought back for me from a trip to India & a chunky silver & garnet cocktail ring that I found on Etsy & just couldn't resist adding to my collection - in deference the sublime oversized faux floral crown from La Plume de Fleur, a fellow Brisbanian who makes utterly inspired headpieces for a variety of occasions. For those who are interested, you can find more examples of her work on (you guessed it) Etsy. 

The look reminded me of the Art Nouveau works of Czech painter & illustrator Alphonse Mucha, who created many stunning advertising posters for businesses in 1890s Paris & the bulk of whose work - stylised nymphs in flower crowns - remains infinitely recognisable all these years later.