Darling in Deco

 

*

Dress: Sacha Drake silk, embellished silk

Heels: Jo Mercer leather

Bag: Sportsgirl woven straw

Bangle: Gift, vintage shell mosaic

Bracelet: Gift, vintage shell pieces

*

Avid readers of this blog will already know how much I absolutely adore not only art deco styling but the complete works of British mystery author Agatha Christie & the fact that famed director Kenneth Branagh has decided to take on the role of Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot (made famous by Sir David Suchet, in my opinion) and film a plethora of new films based (somewhat loosely, as the case may be) on his most famous fictional cases & set during one of my all-time favourite time periods is cause for celebration! To wit, I donned this absolutely divine cream, navy & blue floral print silk wrap dress with peaked cap sleeves, bias cut & embellished belt from Australian designer Sacha Drake to truly immerse myself in "Death on the Nile" & the heady world of 1937 Karnak and Luxor aboard a luxury ocean liner with a handful of seriously devious & fabulously rich individuals... all with secrets that they'd be willing to kill for... I styled it up with a pair of silver leather strappy heels from Jo Mercer to add some height to my five foot frame, a natural woven straw bucket bag from Sportsgirl to carry all the essentials while adding a jaunty "sea cruise" vibe & a pair of matching vintage shell jewellery pieces in the form of a chunky mosaic bangle & large piecemeal bracelet, both with a distinctly ocean blue tinge to complete the look.

For those wondering, I did enjoy the film, however if I'm truly honest, I must admit that I consider it to be third in line for this particular tale - after the David Suchet version from 2004 & the Peter Ustinov version from 1978 which was a literally smorgasbord of superstar performances from Angela Landsbury, Jane Birkin, David Niven, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow & Olivia Hussey to name but a few. I found it to be a bit slow in some spots (the same as I found with Branagh's version of "Murder on the Orient Express") & some of the changes to Christie's work were unnecessary & in one particular case, quite upsetting. Regardless, it was enjoyable for the amazing scenery, the stunning costumes & the cunning murder plot which many find to be contrived but I consider to be a hallmark of Christie's work, where the timing always works perfectly & every little piece falls into place as if by magic. Have you seen the film? I'd love to know what you thought of it in the comments section.

Scroll down to see more pictures of this beautiful look... including a little photobomb from a certain furry feline interloper...

I'm With Cupid

 

*

Dress: Shein organza, satin

Booties: Wittner matte leather

Tights: Razzamatazz 40 denier nylon

Bag: Swinging Chicks Shop via Etsy velvet

Necklace: Gift, faux pearl, beads

Bracelet: Gift, faux pearl, beads

*

Finally sharing all of the gorgeous pictures of this stunning ensemble, styled up to attend a recent art event in my beloved River City. This utterly divine & fabulously whimsical, baroque-inspired blue cupid print organza puff-sleeve mini smock with ruffled neckline & soft satin lining from online emporium Shein really pops against the heavy, edgy black of my leather heeled ankle boots from Wittner, black matte 40 denier nylon tights from Razzamatazz (the absolute BEST option for the unpredictable Queensland winter weather... little tip: buy them in a bigger size than you need to stop any sweating as the humidity rises) & sumptuous handmade black velvet knot bag from Spanish boutique Swinging Chicks Shop (via Etsy) to carry all the essentials (it's surprisingly roomy... like the TARDIS of evening/black tie bag options). To complete the look, I added a matching faux pearl & faceted bead necklace & bracelet that were given to me for my birthday a few years ago by some dear friends - the perfect finishing touch.

Scroll down to see more of the look...

Styling Separates

 

*

Top: Blue Illusion x Chyka Keebaugh silk/cotton, embroidery

Pants: Blue Illusion x Chyka Keebaugh silk/cotton

Belt: Blue Illusion x Chyka Keebaugh silk/cotton

Sandals: Ziera leather, suede

Clutch: Gift, woven straw, leather

Bangle: Gift, vintage 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles silver

Bangle Stack: Gift, vintage Mexican silver

*

I know, I know, I'm as surprised as you are... SEPARATES! Matching separates, to be fair, but separates nonetheless... This utterly divine set of navy cotton/silk top, three-quarter pants & belt with beautiful white floral embroidery from Chyka Keebaugh's recent collaboration with Blue Illusion just HAD to be the exception to the "no pants or skirts, only dresses & jumpsuits" rule that I have had in my wardrobe for so long & looks beautiful when styled up with a pair of silver leather & suede art-deco-inspired heels from Ziera, natural woven straw semi-circular clutch with silver leaf shapes (gifted to me years ago by a dear friend - thanks Jenny) & some of my most beloved vintage jewellery pieces in the form of a silver bangle from (sadly now defunct) 20th Century Antiques & Collectibles at Coolangatta & a stack of Mexican silver bangles from some lovely friends who currently live on the other side of the world.

Scroll down to see more...