The Shape of Things

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LOOK #1

Dress: Anthea Crawford stretch lace

Cardigan: Taking Shape mesh

Leggings: Taking Shape mesh

Sandals: Rivers patent & buckle

Bag: Novo patent

Bangles: Gift, Indian beaded

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Had the pleasure of attending a "Spring Travel Fashion Event" at my local Taking Shape store on Saturday morning before making a few quick changes to my carefully constructed, "layered look" on the way to a long, late lunch with friends...

The base of the outfit was an amazing black floral stretch lace dress, with mauve lining, from Anthea Crawford, mixed with new-season black mesh pieces from Taking Shape - a pair of leggings (meant to be 7/8 but even longer on my five foot frame!) & a 3/4 sleeved, long-line mesh cardigan with incredible draped "waterfall" collar. 

Patent accessories were the order of the day - a boxy Novo handbag for carry all of the essentials & heeled, colour-blocked sandals with buckles from the Rivers "Summer Sale" two years ago. The shiny, cherry red patent adds a "pop" of bright colour to the otherwise muted tones of the ensemble. Check them out in detail below:

When it came to jewellery, I added a touch of sparkle with an armful of Indian beaded bangles in varying shades of silver, gold, black & pink...

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LOOK #2

Dress: Anthea Crawford stretch lace

Vest: Taking Shape mesh

Leggings: Taking Shape mesh

Sandals: Betts for Her patent gladiators

Bag: Novo patent

Bangles: Gift, Indian beaded

Cuff: Adorne chrome & onyx

Bracelets: Taking Shape bead, diamante, silver & ribbon

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Taking inspiration from the "travel ready" looks showcased on the catwalk, I subtly changed up my outfit for a funky Saturday afternoon feeling...

I swapped the long-line, 3/4 mesh cardigan for a sleeveless, draped vest from Taking Shape that allowed the lacy capped sleeves of the dress to be seen. Tiny buttons on the shoulders of the vest mean it be worn in a myriad of ways - including loose & flowy - but I love the way the "cowl neck" created added interest to the dress' bateau neckline.

Instead of a "pop" of red with the Rivers sandals, I went for a more sculptural look with a pair of Betts for Her wedge-heeled gladiators beneath the mesh leggings. This vibe was mirrored in the eclectic choice of jewellery - on one arm, the sparkly Indian bangles from the morning & on the other, a chunky chrome cuff with oversized onyx stone from Adorne & Taking Shape beaded bracelets studded with diamantes & tied with black ribbon. Scroll down for a detailed view:

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1973

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Dress: Vintage, Ralston elastane

Jacket: Katies jersey

Boots: City Chic leather

Bag: Novo patent

Ring: Colette silver, diamate & bead

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Wintertime is pretty much a distant memory in Queensland now, with temperatures steadily climbing even before September 1, so I thought it best to post the pictures of this cold-weather ensemble BEFORE I start uploading ones of myself in my new pair of swimming togs or something of that ilk... I suppose that's what you get when the day starts out at a far-more-than-brisk 3 degrees & ends up a balmy 27!

But I digress. The outfit at hand...

I picked up this amazing, "trippy" early 1970s "flower power" mini - with long sleeves & high, sculpted neckline - at a vintage store on the Gold Coast called Retro Sheila. The store may be small & may open at odd times of the day (or week!) but the stock is pretty darn amazing - & should be, considering the fact that the manager sources quite a lot of the pieces from "down south" in Melbourne or Sydney, as well as Europe & America for a truly varied mix & eclectic trip down "memory lane."

The morning chill factor meant that a further layer was required & this black blazer from Katies was the perfect addition; the cuffed, three-quarter sleeves enabling the dress' vibrant pattern to peek out while the soft jersey "waterfall" front panels allowed the "space age" neckline to remain the focus.

Knee high leather boots from City Chic & a pair of 40 denier Razzamatazz tights kept my legs warm despite the short, A-line of the dress, while a boxy, black patent handbag from Novo held all of my essentials.

And finally, a chunky silver, diamante & semi-precious stone cocktail ring from Colette was worn to draw all of the colours together while lending that touch of daytime sparkle I am so fond of, especially during the sometimes gloomy Winter months. Check it out in detail below, along with the Sportsgirl vinyl clutch - embossed with the kitschy phrase "Secretly Famous" - that I carried swapped the boxy handbag for in order to transition the look from "day to night."

Many I have loved; many times been bitten

Many times I've gazed along the open road

Many times I have lied; may times I've listened

Many times I've wondered how much there is to know

Over the Hills & Far Away - Led Zepplin (1973)

From the incendiary album - with memorable cover art - Houses of the Holy. In my opinion, it's one of their BEST & certainly creates that boho, hippie, early 70s psychedelic vibe... Well worth a listen if you've never seen or heard it before!

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Monsoon Season

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Dress: Monsoon shot silk & embroidery

Kimono: Vintage, Japanese silk

Heels: Emerson @ Big W patent

Clutch: Monsoon jersey & embellishment

Headpiece: Lovisa satin

Cuff: Southbank Markets silver & diamante

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Celebrated the arrival of Spring by heading out for a spot of High Tea with a dear friend; floral headpiece obviously mandatory to evoke the season of renewal & revitalisation...

This amazing shot silk shift dress was bought from the Monsoon store along Oxford Street during my 2012 trip to Europe & although expensive (thanks to the abysmal exchange rate) was well worth the hefty price tag. The classic shape & unique pansy print means that it can be worn season after season - ad infinitum with delicate hand-washing - while the black panel in the centre elongates my five foot frame, making me appear longer & leaner... That's what I call a definite fashion WIN! Here it is in all its unencumbered glory:

And while you're checking out the pansy print of the dress, be sure to notice the embroidery & beading that gives the neckline of the dress a 3D feel. It really adds something extra special to the look...

The unpredictable Queensland weather meant that a further layer was required & this vintage silk, three-quarter sleeved kimono with its traditional Japanese scene, was the perfect way to add a relaxed, "boho" edge to such a prim ensemble. In this instance, the pattern-matching works as the colours compliment each other & the prints are vastly different - abstract flowers meets traditional, pastoral scene. Check it out below:

Black patent platform heels from my local Big W store were the obvious choice, providing lift while letting the rest of the outfit take centre stage - particularly the embellished clutch from Monsoon that was made to be worn with the dress, adding a sumptuous richness with its hand-sewn haberdashery pansy patches & subtle beading. This subtle beading was then echoed in the silver "snail" spiral cuff with diamantes that I picked up at the Southbank Markets a few years ago. Scroll down for a closer look:

Finishing this ensemble was the aforementioned oversized black satin floral headpiece from Lovisa, the wires in the rose petals able to be manipulated in a variety of ways. Personally, I love the rose to be caressing my blunt bob, as thought I am being "enclosed" within the flower & the fact that the colour & sheen of the satin almost match that of my hair only adds to the illusion! Keep scrolling for a peek:

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Embellished

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Kaftan: Vintage, woven silk/cotton & embellishment

Booties: Corelli @ Williams suede & neoprene

Oval Ring: Tree of Life brass & onyx

Circle Ring: Tree of Life brass

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Ventured out on a cold & rainy Saturday evening to attend the Blackstone-Ipswich Cambrian Choir's Welcome to the 60s Theatre Restaurant, a musical extravaganza featuring some of the best amateur singers & dancers in my hometown... including my best friend's father, who played "Crusty Hippie #1" after receiving acclaim playing "Crusty Sailor #1" in last year's Road to Rio performance... 

We sang along to the sounds of doo-wop, motown, surf, soul & (my personal favourite) flower power; watched snippets from famous television shows, movies, advertisements & news stories from the era & partook of a 3 course meal comprising of pumpkin soup, ham-off-the-bone with a slice of pineapple & potato bake on the side & finished with sticky date pudding & ice-cream - well, mine did anyway, as it was an alternative drop... I believe chicken may have played a role somewhere, but as I have an aversion to that particular type of white meat, I must have blocked it out...

The plummeting temperature gave me a chance to finally wear this amazing vintage, long-sleeved kaftan that a dear friend found in India & was kind enough to send me for my birthday. To me, it is a work of art with spectacular hand-embroidery at the neckline, cuffs & hem in a soft shade of gold to counterbalance the harsher black & silver horizontal woven stripes with a tiny hint of teal between them. Scroll down for a closer view of its grandeur:

As usual, black suede & neoprene heeled booties from Corelli & a pair of matte 40 denier Razzmatazz tights "anchored" the look, as well as a boxy patent Novo handbag to carry all the essentials (not pictured). 

With such a heavily embellished kaftan, jewellery was kept to a minimum - a chunky bronze & onyx ring in the shape of oval on one finger & a round bronze & black painted "Yin & Yang" ring on another. Both of these beauties were from my local Tree of Life store & their relaxed, "boho" vibe really added that little extra something to the bold look...

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