NYE in an LBD

 

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Dress: Kmart satin

Heels: Jo Mercer leather

Bag: Sacha Drake mesh, silver

Cuff: Gift, embossed silver

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Avid readers of this blog will understand why bidding farewell to a not-so-stellar 2023 in a Little Black Dress seemed only fitting & I was excited to style it up to eat a few nibbles & watch the fireworks on television with some delightful company. The black satin midi slip dress was from my local Kmart store & was an absolute bargain at $25. Truth be told, I was happily surprised by its weight & quality & immediately set about adding accessories in the form of a pair of silver leather strappy heels from Jo Mercer for height, a silver mesh pouch bag from Australian designer Sacha Drake with chain strap for carrying any essentials & a shiny embossed silver cuff that was given to me by some dear friends a few years ago for that touch of "party" sparkle. Simple & pleasing - which is what I'm desperately hoping that 2024 will be, if I'm honest. Here's hoping that the new year brings new opportunities for love, growth, peace & understanding both in our personal lives & in the world.

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Should old acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind

Should old acquaintance be forgot

And auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

We'll take a cup of kindness yet

For auld lang syne

Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns (1788)

New Year's Eve

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Dress: Anthea Crawford velvet burnout

Heels: Nine West suede, patent

Clutch: Blue Illusion tweed, faux pearls, clear beads

Necklace: Gift, silver beads, agate beads with agate pendant

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Happy New Year 2020 to all of my lovely readers! I can hardly believe it's time to say those words again as, quite frankly, 2019 went by so quickly that it actually seems like a bit of a blur. It was a difficult year in a lot of ways (a sentiment shared by many it would seem) but also a wonderful one, not least because we celebrated my younger brother Louis' marriage to the lovely Jennie in March. I don't believe in making fanciful New Year's resolutions, as though somehow the ticking of a clock from one moment to another at midnight on the 31st of December would have the capacity to enforce changes in habit, circumstance or behaviour but did, as I always do, make a commitment to, in the words of Cinderella, endeavour to "Have Courage & Be Kind" in all situations going forward.

To ring in this new decade, I wore a gorgeous deep purple spotted velvet "burnout" wiggle dress with ruffled neckline & hem from Aussie label Anthea Crawford, a pair of black suede stiletto mules with patent straps from Nine West, a black tweed envelope clutch dotted with faux pearls & clear beads from Blue Illusion & a chunky silver & agate beaded necklace with large agate pendant that some dear friends gifted me earlier in the year to complete the look.

Roaring Twenties

Just before New Year's Eve, I styled up two looks with a nod to the Roaring Twenties Redux, as some pundits are calling this new decade, for those who want to inject some "flapper" vibes into their outfit without appearing as though they're appearing as an extra in "The Great Gatsby" movie adaptation... not that there's anything wrong with that if you're so inclined, just that some people out there aren't really "costume" people - they're homage people, myself included.

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Dress: Cos polyblend

Heels: Wittner laser cut leather, silver studs

Bag: French Connection vinyl with chrome hardware

Necklace: Gift, Taking Shape silver, fabric, beads

Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver

Headpiece: David Jones satin, glitter

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The perfect thing to wear to dance the Charleston all night long...

The first look centres around this absolutely stunning, vibrant cobalt blue polyblend smock with asymmetrical ruffles at the hemline from the new Cos store in the Wintergarden, a pair of statement-making, sky high black laser-cut leather peeptoe heels with silver studs & lacing from Wittner & a cylindrical black vinyl handbag from French Connection to carry all the essentials. When it came to jewellery, I decided on some typically 1920s accessories in the form of a long, silver necklace with "lady" pendant wearing a black fabric & bead dress from Taking Shape, a chunky silver hinged bangle from Wallace Bishop on my wrist & finally, a glittery silver satin headpiece in the shape of an oversized bow from David Jones to really amplify the whole ensemble.

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Dress: Anthea Crawford stretch lace, sequins, taffeta

Heels: Wittner leather, glitter

Bag: Witchery Limited Edition resin with silver hardware

Bangle: Empire Revival silver, mirror mosaic, beads

Bangle: Gift, rose gold, mirror mosaic

Headpiece: Target foam, glitter

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The ideal thing to wear for a night spent sipping martinis from the drinks trolley & talking about Louise Brooks...

The second look revolves around this divine navy blue stretch lace & sequinned sheath dress with taffeta waist bow detailing from Aussie label Anthea Crawford, a pair of glittery silver heels with dual ankle straps from Wittner & a white/silver marbled resin hardcase shoulder bag with silver chain strap from Witchery's Limited Edition collection to hold all of my incidentals while keeping my hands free to mix & mingle. When it came to jewellery, I kept it simple with a thick silver mirrored mosaic bangle from Empire Revival, a thinner rose gold bangle with mirrored mosaic pieces that a friend brought back from a recent trip to India & to complete the festive flair, I donned a Busby Berkley style rose gold & silver glittered foam "star crown" headpiece from my local Target store.