Mexican Mini

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Dress: Gift, vintage calico & embroidery (from Mexico)

Sandals: Piping Hot @ Target leather

Bag: Gift, calico & zippers

Cuff: Gift, vintage Tibetan silver & semi-precious stone

Ganesh Cuff: Gift, silver (from India)

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With the weather rapidly cooling in Queensland at the moment - fingers crossed we don't have another one of those unseasonal Autumn heatwaves - I decided to post some pictures of one of my favourite outfits from the Summer season. Easy, breezy & beautiful; it comprises of only pieces, carefully curated to create an impact...

The gorgeous vintage Mexican mini-dress from the late 1960s, made of navy calico & vividly embroidered with multi-coloured flower designs, is the perfect mix of sweet & sassy, with a casual vibe that is only enhanced by the edition of "beachy," boho accessories such as this pair of tan leather "Jesus" sandals & funky calico bag that was a gift from some dear family friends for Christmas 2014. Check them out in detail below:

Accessories also had a relaxed, "tribal" flavour with a statement cuff on each forearm. On the left, a moulded silver elephant head depicting Ganesh, the Hindu god of good fortune & on the right, a vintage silver Tibetan cuff set with the semi-precious stone carnelian in a brilliant shade of orange. Scroll down for close-ups of each in turn:

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Tupper... Wear #3

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Dress: Few & Far silk & velvet

Sandals: Bare Traps @ Simona Ricci leather & embellishment

Bag: Vera May patent

Bangles: Gift, beaded & sequinned (from India)

Bracelet: Gift, beaded & diamante (from Chinese Markets)

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Hot on the heels of the previous Tupperware Party outfit pictures comes another set - this time from the 3rd & final (!) one we attended. Slightly cooler Autumn weather meant the chance to finally bust out some of the more avant garde sleeved dresses I had been stockpiling all seemingly-endless summer long...

Case in point: this stunning silk shift dress from now-sadly-defunct Few & Far store in Paddington, which was once home to all things funky & edgy with a distinctly girly twist, suiting me down to the ground as I like so-called "downtown" styles but aren't overly fond of  the dark shades of black, cement, chrome & grey which usually accompany more "out there" style statements. I love the vibrant "sponged on" colours of the print, the minimal slashed neckline, the drop sleeves & the slightly tapered thigh-to-hemline cut that gives the dress that on-trend "cocoon" look despite the fact it is would have to be 5 or 6 years old by now...

But what I absolutely ADORE is the hand-made, oversized, pink velvet 3D bow detail... CHECK IT OUT BELOW! Crazy & whimsical in equal measure; it's design aspects like this that allow savvy shoppers to wear these looks for years & years to come & always look fresh despite changing fashion inclinations. For me, it was love at first sight in the store & that certainly hasn't changed. In the interest of honesty, I will admit that it did take Mum a while to come around to my way of thinking - she wasn't sure about the "boxy" cut - but she eventually saw at least some of the potential that I could see in the garment... although I think wearing the handbag she gave me for my birthday (which matched PERFECTLY - love it when that just happens!) helped immensely...

My trusty black patent sandals just didn't cut it with this look, so gold embellished ones were chosen for a bit of extra sparkle, toning in with the aforementioned patent handbag in a pleasing shade of green. 

Speaking of sparkle, "blinged out" pieces of jewellery were added to enhance the overall look - a trio of mixed metals bangles from India on one arm & a solitary, delicate beaded bracelet on the other, given to me by Louise after her recent trip back to China. Scroll down for a detailed shot:

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Dress: Holmes & Fallon suede & beaded

Sandals: Bare Traps @ Simona Ricci leather & embellishment

Brooch: Anthea Crawford bronze & crystal (Gift with Purchase)

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Much like last time, here are a few pictures of Joanne in her ensemble & entertaining the littlest party-goer, Sweet Baby James who is looking cute (as always!) in a stripy onesie & some white socks...

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Tupper... Wear #2

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Dress: Vintage, Mexican woven & embroidery

Slip: TS elastane

Sandals: Soft Soul @ Myer leather & patent

Bag: Adorne vinyl

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver & elastic

Bracelet: Swarovski silver & crystal

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Hello again, dear readers! 

Sorry for the "internet" silence, as it were, but sometimes life gets in the way of best laid plans, doesn't it? Anyhoo, I'm finally posting pictures from the 2nd Tupperware Party that my mother & I attended a few weeks ago, where I wore this ah-mazing vintage white & purple woven cotton Mexican Wedding dress with sweet cap-sleeves, lace hemline, ribbon detailing & hand-embroidered botanical yoke detail. Photographs really don't do it justice in my opinion, as in person, it just radiates a kind of "magic" that I can't fully explain...

I'm sure that I've waxed lyrical many, many times on this blog about my love & affection for vintage clothing & the stories each garment could tell, should it be able to speak. This dress was no exception: I spent the day wondering about the woman who wore it before me on what we consider to the be the "most amazing day of her life." What was it like? Was she elated? Content? Was she lucky enough to experience the "happily ever after" that most of us crave? These are all things that I will never know, but the fact that the garment is in such exemplary condition after more than 40 years provides me with some kind of answer. Obviously the dress was well cared for, so hopefully this means that the wearer held it in enough regard to keep it that way... Now I just have to make sure that I don't spill anything on it (as I'm pretty clumsy) or snag it on Huckleberry's Spoodle claws when he jumps all over me. Easier said than done, but I'm determined.

The weather was still warm, despite it being early Autumn, so white & silver accessories were chosen to enhance the "ethereal" nature of the ensemble - a pair of white leather wedge sandals with silver patent straps & a rectangular handbag in a shiny, silver vinyl with studded side details for impact. 

To juxtapose the chunky, silver hinged bangle on one arm, I wore a delicate Swarovski bracelet on the other - silver with pink & purple crystals - picking up on the shades of both pink & purple in the weaving & embroidery on the dress & creating an overall cohesive yet eclectic look.

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For a little something extra, here are a few pictures of what Joanne wore. Clearly she was channeling the same bohemian, hippie, Saturday afternoon vibe... And yes, I realise that we are basically opposites: I am wearing a light colour, she's rocking a dark colour; I am adorned with silver jewellery, she is decked out in gold... It wasn't intentional but I think it's kind of cute, in retrospect...

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Kaftan: Sha Sha cotton & embroidery

Sandals: Bare Traps @ Simona Ricci leather & embellishment

Bag: Bluebird @ Strandbags vinyl

Wrap Bangle: Sea Wish, Coolangatta

Bracelet: Gift, beaded & diamante (from Chinese Markets)

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Park Life

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Dress: Gift, Vintage woven Mexican

Slip: TS elastane

Sandals: Betts for Her patent

Bag: Vera May patent

Bracelet: Navies Jewellers, silver, resin & straw

Ring: Navies Jewellers, silver, resin & straw

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Spent a wonderful Friday morning in the company of dear family friends, belatedly celebrating Easter with my darling Goddaughter, Tobin & her sister Ivory, as well as meeting her baby brother, sweet little Silas, for the very first time.

It was only the second outing for this vintage, woven & embroidered Mexican dress (a birthday present); the perfect option for a laid-back, casual morning tea at the Queens Park Kiosk, particularly when worn with a pair of black patent gladiator sandals from Betts for Her & patent Vera May handbag with long straps (yet another birthday present). 

The puce/aubergine colour of the patent handbag matches with the floral embroidery on the shoulders of the dress, adding visual interest with a "pop" of colour to break up the monotony of the monochrome look without overplaying the busyness of the dress' different woven panels, lace & ribbon detail. 

The relaxed vibe of the look continued in the jewellery - a funky, silver & resin beaded bracelet filled with yellow straw & the matching chunky cocktail ring, shown in detail below:

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Scroll down for some snippets from the day...

Love a Devonshire Tea...

First meeting with little Silas... What a sweetie!

Big sisters Ivory (on left) & Tobin (on right) donned "belated" bunny ears...

Hilarity ensued, as it often does when children are enjoying school holidays!

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Those who follow me on Instagram may have recognised the dress from its first outing a week earlier, when I had the pleasure of attending a screening of Cinderella with my mother, followed by Yum Cha at our favourite restaurant downstairs. The film was absolutely amazing - true to the fairy tale (my mother's childhood favourite), visually resplendent, heartbreaking & uplifting in equal measure & replete with sweet touches such as the fleeting inclusion of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" - from the 1950 Disney cartoon - as a metamorphosed orchestral movement in the Palace Ball scene.

But I digress. Back to the outfit...

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Dress: Vintage, woven Mexican

Sandals: Corelli @ Williams vinyl

Bag: Gift, leather

Scarf: Katies cotton with tassels

Thick Bangle: Gift, Vintage Indian wood & beaded

Thin Bangles: Gift, Indian beaded & sequinned

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Rather than a pair of black patent gladiators, matte leather wedge sandals with lace-up fronts were chosen to match the yellow matte leather handbag - with short handles - that I was carrying; the yellow a "pop" of colour to enhance the embroidered flowers on the dress' shoulders. Tied around one of the handbag's straps was a black & white chevron print cotton scarf with neon yellow tassels along the edges for a touch of pattern-mixing to provide visual interest to a mostly monochrome ensemble.

Striking, mixed metal pieces of Indian jewellery were chosen to complete the look - a trio of thin, gold & silver sequinned bangles on one wrist & a chunky, black wooden & silver mirrored beaded bangle on the other. 

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