Pride & Prejudice

 

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Dress: Kitten D'Amour embroidered mesh, lace, polyester, velvet

Heels: Django & Juliette via Styletread leather, metallic leather

Bag: Olga Berg via Myer vinyl

Hinged Bangle: Oxfam Shop silver

Bracelet: Gift, Kellie's Antiques silver, filigree

Ring: Gift, vintage silver, enamel

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Like many women all over the world, I have long idolised the works of Regency author Jane Austen - particularly the celebrated "Pride & Prejudice" - & have often seen myself in the headstrong, intelligent & articulate Lizzie Bennett, so being able to see the tale unfolded in QPAC's Playhouse theatre was certainly a treat! For the occasion, I decided to dress to the theme with this stunning mint green, blush pink & pale blue embroidered floral mesh wiggle dress with soft polyester bodice & velvet-lined ruffle from "girly" Australian label Kitten D'Amour, styled up with a pair of strappy blush matte & metallic leather heels from Django & Juliette via Styletread's online emporium & a boxy blush vinyl handbag from Olga Berg that I picked up from my local Myer department store years ago to wear to my brother's wedding. When it came to jewellery, I wore some beloved silver pieces - a single, silver hinged bangle from Oxfam (first worn to my high school formal quite some time ago), a chunky Victorian silver belcher bracelet with oversized filigree heart locket & teeny tiny key from Kellie's Antiques that a dear friend gave to me for my 30th birthday & finally, a vintage "peace sign" mood ring made from 1970s silver & enamel (another wonderful birthday gift) for that final pop of pastel colour.

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Dracula

 

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Dress: Sacha Drake embroidered mesh, elastane, satin

Booties: Wittner matte leather

Bag: Gift, Pookie & Ness vintage beads

Gloves: That Shop satin

Ring: Gift, resin, chrome

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Easing into all the Halloween vibes with this gothic ensemble, styled up to attend a recent performance of Bram Stoker's Victorian masterpiece "Dracula" in my beloved River City. I'm wearing a stunning black & red three-dimensional floral embroidered mesh midi dress with attached elastane slip & satin obi belt from Australian designer Sacha Drake, a pair of black matte leather pointy-toed booties from Wittner for a modicum of height & a vintage black beaded handbag from a little Etsy boutique called Pookie & Ness (gifted by some dear friends) to carry all the essentials. When it came to accessories, I certainly made the choice to dress to the theme with a pair of bright, blood-red ruched satin long opera gloves from That Shop & a circular chrome & resin cocktail ring depicting the Virgin Mary that was part of a Christmas gift from friends a few years ago now to complete the look.

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Secret Garden

 

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Dress: Anthea Crawford x Van Gogh Museum chiffon, lace

Jacket: Tree of Life patchwork, upcycled sari fabric, cotton quilting

Ankle Boots: Wittner matte leather

Tights: Razzamatazz 40 denier nylon

Bag: Sussan vinyl

Bangle: Gift, 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles vintage silver

Bangle Stack: Gift, vintage Mexican silver

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Mixing patterns like the sartorial professional I am for a morning spent attending a beautiful ballet rendition of Frances Hodgson Burnett's coming-of-age masterpiece, The Secret Garden, which incidentally turns 111 this year! For those who may not be aware, it's the story of Mary Lennox, a young girl who is orphaned in India & comes to live with her mysterious uncle in his manor on the Yorkshire moors. Treated as little more than a nuisance by many of the servants (other than the young, sweet natured Martha) she spends her days dodging the nasty Mrs Medlock as she endeavours to explore the manor's nearly 100 rooms - many of which are kept locked up tightly - to find source of the crying she believes she hears in the night. Then, Mary discovers a garden, hidden behind high walls & locked with a missing key. With the help of an unexpected companion, she finds a way in, only to find that it seems as maudlin & lamented as the rest of the manor seems to be. Although I'm quite sure that you can work out exactly how this story ends, I won't ruin it for those who might read the book or watch one of the film adaptations for the first time (my pick would be Agnieszka Holland's 1993 rendition with Maggie Smith) as it's actually incredibly emotional for what some consider to be just a piece of children's literature. The main themes - love's ability to bring people & things to life as well as the healing power of nature & the natural world - are just as pertinent as they were 111 years ago & just as beloved by fans, such as myself who absolutely adore it... even after first reading it more than 30 years ago...

For the occasion, I wore some of my favourite pieces - the beautiful "Daubigny's Garden" print chiffon bias-cut midi dress with tie neckline & black lace cuffs from Anthea Crawford's stunning collaboration with The Van Gogh Museum, an upcycled, patchwork sari jacket with burgundy quilting from my local Tree of Life store for that aforementioned print-mixing moment, a pair of black matte leather heeled ankle boots with pointy toes from Wittner for a modicum of height with the long dress, 40 denier nylon tights from Razzamatazz to keep my legs feeling toasty warm in the freezing temperatures & a black vinyl shoulder bag from Sussan to carry all the essentials. When it came to jewellery, I donned a vintage silver bangle from (sadly now defunct) 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles at Coolangatta that was given to me by my younger brother & a stack of vintage silver Mexican bangles that were given to me by some dear friends who now reside overseas.

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Lost in Austen

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Dress: Dream Sister Jane sequinned & embroidered mesh, satin

Ankle Boots: Wittner matte leather

Bag: French Connection vinyl, suede with silver hardware

Hinged Bangle: Precious Stones Jewellers silver

Hinged Bangle: Oxfam silver

Mask: Oroton woven hemp

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Feeling like I've just stepped out of a Jane Austen novel in this stunning ensemble, photographed in my back garden before heading out to an event in the River City celebrating the costumes of the new movie incarnation of "Emma," Austen's celebrated tome chronicling the life lessons of the "handsome & rich" Emma Woodhouse. For the occasion, I donned this absolutely stunning, heavily embroidered & embellished organza empire-line midi dress with three-quarter-length sleeves, ruffled neck & hemline & back tie detailing from whimsical English label Sister Jane's premium diffusion line Dream Sister Jane, a pair of black matte leather ankle boots from Wittner to add a modicum of height, a boxy black vinyl & suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connection to carry all the essentials including the obligatory hand sanitizer, a silver art deco style "wave" hinged bangle from the delightful ladies at Precious Stones Jewellers in the Myer Centre, a thin silver hinged bangle from Oxfam Shop (purchased twenty years ago this year to attend my high school formal & still just as amazing as the day I purchased it) & finally, a black woven hemp facemask from Oroton.

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