Russian Ballet

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Dress: Anthea Crawford shot silk

Jacket: Tree of Life velvet with embroidery & tassels

Booties: Wittner patent leather

Belt: That Shop patent leather & elastic

Clutch: Portmans suede

Rings: Oxfam silver

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The dip in temperature has me thinking of cooler climates & I just couldn't wait to share with you the gorgeous ensemble I styled up to attend a recent performance of the Russian Ballet with a dear friend of mine. Avid readers of this blog will already know that I'm not one to be scared of block colours on opposite ends of the colour wheel & the two main pieces of this outfit were no exception: this absolutely divine purple shot silk fit-to-flare dress from Anthea Crawford (possibly my all-time favourite silhouette they have EVER made) & sumptuous mustard velvet swing jacket with embroidery details & woven tassels from my local Tree of Life store that I am so SO glad I finally decided to purchase after almost missing out! The colours shouldn't work together but as with many things in this life, opposites attract & they complement each other nicely. 

It's here that I'll let you in on a little stylist's trick on how to make the look "cohesive" when colour blocking: keep the rest of the look simple & in the same colour palette, which I have done by adding dark accessories in the form of a pair of shiny black patent heeled booties from Wittner, patent & elastic cinch belt from That Shop at Coolangatta (best belts ever, I kid you not...) & a suede roll-top clutch from Portmans to carry all the essentials. Jewellery was then kept simple & ethnic to match the vibe of the look - a pair of matching oversized silver rings from Oxfam... which means that not only do I look good, I feel good as I'm helping them with their mission to end poverty.

Being Queensland, it didn't stay cold all day long (that would be too much to ask, it seems) so I did remove the jacket for some small amount of time. See how the whole thing looks (sans jacket) below...

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Valley Girl

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Dress: Frankie & Dash cotton/linen blend

Heels: Wittner leather & elastic

Bag: French Connection suede with silver hardware

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver & elastic

Bracelet: Karen Walker silver "cameo"

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One of my new favourite shopping destinations is Fortitude Valley, particularly now that they have a David Jones store that I can browse around in to my heart's content! It would be important to note here that David Jones did have a store in the Valley back in the day, but in a different location... Why they ever took it away is a mystery for another time...

But I digress. 

Here I am, taking my obligatory changing room selfies - we all know that I can't resist a good full-length mirror - in a stunning cotton/linen blend maxi shirtdress from a new Aussie label called Frankie & Dash (made by a designer from my hometown who actually attended the same high school that I did... talk about a small world!). Word to the wise about this label: the cuts are specifically designed for those of us with a larger bustline, so you'll have to "size down" quite a bit. I'm in a size 10 & when it comes to actually keeping shirtdresses buttoned up, I'd usually be a 16 in my favourite brands. To keep the look elongated, I chose my trusty black leather pointy-toed heels from Wittner & carried a boxy black suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connnection for a play with textures. Jewellery was kept simple - a chunky silver hinged bangle from Wallace Bishop & "girly" navy & white "cameo" bracelet from quirky designer Karen Walker, lovingly gifted to me by a dear friend.

Well, now that the fashion side is taken care of, scroll down for a little peek at some more of my favourite Fortitude Valley locations...

Delicious Banana Smoothie from Cantinho Cafe...

Not pictured: BEST Greek shortbread that I have ever tasted!

Modern Art at the Emporium Shopping Precinct

Historical Brick Churches with Steeple

The famous Cloudland...

Chinatown Mall

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Wind Elf

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Dress: Little Party Dress chiffon

Loafers: Sol Sana leather

Handbag: Urban Originals vinyl with silver hardware

Rings: Thousand Island Dressing silver & shell

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Finally posting all the pictures of the gorgeous, bohemian-inspired ensemble I styled for a recent trip to Mt Tamborine to take part in an "intensive" day-long class to learn how to play the wooden flute. The unseasonably cold weather meant that I was able to get another wear out of this stunning duck-egg-blue chiffon number from Little Party Dress with its midi-length, tiers of fabric, fluted sleeves and teeny tiny buttons. Conscious that I would need to remove my shoes when I arrived (it's a hippie thing...) I chose my fail-safe Sol Sana leather pointy-toed loafers & matched them to a black vinyl crossbody bag with silver hardware from Urban Originals. Jewellery was kept simple with a selection of silver & shell rings from Thousand Island Dressing at Paddington - my all-time favourite destination for funky accessories.

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With The Band

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Dress: Review lace with satin lining

Heels: Novo satin & sequins

Bag: Portmans suede with gold hardware

Headband: Gift, woven, gold & navy beads

Bracelets: Alex & Ani gold & onyx

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Avid readers of this blog will already know how much I absolutely ADORE the genius of Glenn Miller, the American big-band musician & creator of tunes such as Moonlight Serenade, Chattanooga Choo Choo & I Got A Gal in Kalamazoo whose life was cut drastically short when serving as a fighter pilot in World War Two, he was "shot down" over the English Channel. His talented Glenn Miller Band (now Glenn Miller Orchestra) lives on, keeping his memory alive with their moving recreation of tunes from the heyday of swing-time. I have been fortunate enough to experience their live performances three times & can honestly say that each time is just as special as the first... & as wonderful as hearing the needle settle into the grooves on those scratchy old records & the first notes begin to fill the lounge room...

For such a noteworthy occasion, I decided to wear one of my all-time favourite dresses - this gorgeous little navy & gold lace baroque-style number from Aussie brand Review to truly capture the era, mixing it with a pair of light gold satin court shoes with sparkly pointed toes from Novo (sadly cropped out of these photographs) & blush suede cross-body bag with gold hardware from Portmans. Accessories were kept relatively simple to allow the dress to truly shine - merely a thin navy & gold beaded headband, gifted to me by a dear friend a few years ago & a stack of gold & onyx charm bracelets from Alex & Ani for that "bohemian" touch synonymous with my outfit styling.

I stand at your gate & the song that I sing is of moonlight

I stand & I wait for the touch of your hand in the June night

The roses are sighing a Moonlight Serenade

Moonlight Serenade 1935-1939

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