Floralis

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Dress: Anthea Crawford textured jacquard

Heels: Betts for Her satin

Clutch: Betts for Her satin

Necklace: Adorne silver & resin

Bangle: Adorne resin

Chunky Ring: Lovisa silver & faux pearl

Thin Ring: Gift, polished silver (thanks, Jenny!)

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Different day; same fashion recipe.

Looking chic in the city for an important client meeting wearing a pink & white floral textured jacquard Anthea Crawford dress, mixed with contrasting pair of sky-high floral satin peep-toe platforms & matching envelope clutch. Although the florid patterns may seem divergent, in this case pattern-mixing works well for 3 reasons: the difference in texture, as one floral is a textured jacquard & the other is a satin; the difference in scale, as the floral textured jacquard is a more "stylised" take on traditional flowers, looking almost like lace & finally, the similarity in the pink shades that form part of both designs creating a visual "link" between them. 

Jewellery was chosen in shades of silver & grey - a thick, smooth resin bangle, brushed silver ring in an organic shape akin to leaves & on the other hand, a silver cocktail ring covered in small, grey faux pearls. Although each piece is a statement on its own, together they don't overwhelm the look as the tones are muted. 

The finishing touch to the look was, of course, the chunky silver & resin necklace that added another dimension to the draped & pleated asymmetrical neckline. Sure, it has a slight "Wilma Flintstone" quality to it, but hey - who doesn't love The Flintstones? Check it out in all its glory below:

And for those of you who don't follow me on Instagram yet - if you'd like to, just click on the icon on the right-hand side & follow the prompts - here was this morning's sneak peek:

"...freedom is a word I rarely use without thinkin' - mm hmm - of the time, of the time when I've been loved..." 

Colours (1965) by Donovan Leitch 

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And because I can't resist letting the stylist in me "take the reigns" so to speak, here is the same stunning dress with more casual accessories...

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Dress: Anthea Crawford textured jacquard

Wedges: Soft Soul @ Myer leather & patent

Bag: Vintage, 1960s plastic beads (from Paddington Antique Centre)

Necklace: Gift, silver & resin

Bracelet: Gift, silver & resin

Ring: Gift, brushed silver (thanks, Jenny!)

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Rather than pattern-mixing, this look focuses on matching shades of pink - in the heels of the wedges, in the plastic bead roses on the funky vintage handbag I picked up from the Paddington Antique Centre & in the heart-shaped pink beaded necklace with matching bracelet - to create visual interest. 

Once again, the chunky statement necklace worked well with the draped & pleated asymmetrical neckline, giving it a sweeter, more youthful vibe in keeping with the kitsch accessories... I guess you could say that I was well & truly "in the pink" with this version!

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Here Comes The Sun

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Dress: Anthea Crawford textured jacquard

Heels: Betts for Her floral satin platforms

Clutch: Betts for Her floral satin

Necklace: Thousand Island Dressing silver & faux pearls

Bangle: Thousand Island Dressing silver & faux pearls

Bracelet: Sea Wish, Coolangatta silver, gold & diamante

Ring: Vintage, gold & diamond

Scarf: Katies cotton

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Bringing the sunshiny vibes in this lemon & white floral textured jacquard dress from Anthea Crawford with draped v-neckline & pleated waist detail, mixed with a pair of sky-high floral satin peeptoe platforms & matching envelope clutch. Pattern mixing for visual interest is one of my favourite & well utilised styling tricks & these two seemingly divergent prints - one in yellow & one in green - worked harmoniously due to their shared bright palette. 

When it came to jewellery, I inadvertently repeated the "2 matching pieces" thing, donning a thin silver choker with pearl ends & diamante tips, as well as the matching bangle. For the other wrist, I chose a statement, chunky silver & gold flower bracelet with diamante tips to match those on the bangle & necklace & for my pinky finger, a thin, gold band with diamond chip tip - tiny yet full of sentiment, as it was given to my Mother by my Father when they were both very young. See below for a close-up of most of the aforementioned pieces:

In this ever-changing weather, it never hurts to bring a scarf or wrap along to ward off the chill of the air-conditioning, so I decided to "up the ante" in the pattern-mixing stakes by choosing a gorgeous cotton option in a monochromatic chevron print, complete with lemon yellow tassels along the edges. I think it just adds that little extra element to the overall look that really makes it "pop!"

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Mouseketeer

"Always remember that the whole thing started with a dream & a mouse..."

Walt Disney

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Dress: Simona jersey

Heels: Bon Bons patent Mary Janes

Bangle: Southbank Markets

Mouse Ears: Disneyland, Florida wool & plastic

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"...M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E..."

I was a morning "Mouseketeer" today in an easy-breezy, monochromatic striped smock from Simona, replete with Mickey & Minnie Mouse iron-on appliques, another thoughtful gift from a dear friend who knows how much I love the cartoon creations of Walt Disney & have since childhood. Matched with a sweet pair of black patent Mary Jane heels, a chunky bracelet made of cloudy, lolly-pink pieces of stone & one of the ubiquitous "mouse ear" hats from Disneyland, Florida, it was the perfect cure for any traces of Mondayitis!

These cute little appliques - attached in all of 5 minutes thanks to a hot, dry iron - completely changed the look of what is a basic, albeit well-made dress. The problem was getting them straight...

The "mouse ear" hat in all its glory... a gift from some cherished family friends who visited the "Magic Kingdom" in 1988 & brought this home to Australia for me...

A sudden, sharp shower meant yet another umbrella got an outing - this time a small, pink option that folds up small enough to fit in a handbag. See all the sweet pictures below:

"That's the real trouble with the world: too many people grow up."

Walt Disney

"Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age & dreams are forever."

Walt Disney

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And because it was a Disney kind of day, there's nothing like a soundtrack of ditties from Sleeping Beauty, Winnie the Pooh & Mary Poppins to bop along to during a photo shoot... particularly the parts with the umbrella!

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