What I Actually Wore #129

Serial #: 0129
Date: 01/07/2013
Weather: 18°C / 64°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

This is a very cute outfit! While there are a lot of quirky items, the minimal colour palette of tan, gold, grey and white keeps it from looking too over-the-top, especially when you remember in the office I would have shed the coat, hat and bag. Nearly all of the items are still in my closet too. The socks wore out, and the skirt I gave away to a friend, and only now that I look at it fondly again do I wonder if I should have kept it.

Because the skirt is quite wild, I deliberately chose to wear a neutral grey jumper, and picked out the pompom bandeau to match the circle print on the skirt. I continued the circular theme with my silver bauble earrings and a pearl ring.

The vintage 70s suede and rabbit fur trimmed coat is a beloved favourite. I’ve told the story before, but years ago I learned from a random stranger on a tram that this particular coat was inspired by the 70s film Dr Zhivago. Apparently it was very expensive, and that stranger had it in red. She was so impressed to see that I had found one in such good condition, and urged me to take good care of it.

The truth was that the coat was in terrible condition when I bought it: the original lining was completely shredded, the fur trim was coming away from the suede panels, and some of the buttons were detaching; I paid only $40 for it.

I persuaded my oldest sister Blossom to remake the lining for me as a birthday present (she has been a seamstress since way back). That turned out to be a labour of pure sisterly love as it was a huge job. I managed to fix the buttons myself, and also the detaching trims (that occurred some time after the coat left my sister’s loving hands) by gluing scrap leather on the reverse to reinforce the weak seams. Fortunately my sister had left the bottom of the lining open, so I was able to access the inside easily.

Now I wear the coat only occasionally in order to preserve its life as long as possible – I just have to wait for the weather to cool down and autumn to finally begin!

Items:

Jumper: ink
Skirt: Anthropologie
Socks: Philippe Matignon
Hat: vintage 50s
Coat: Stephen Dattner, vintage 70s
Earrings: handmade
Ring: Autore
Tote: Elise Carrel
Boots: Roc

Photos: October 2013

What I Actually Wore #128

Serial #: 0128
Date: 24/06/2013
Weather: 12°C / 53°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

This outfit amuses me, nearly four years on. I was still on my Ballet Russes kick, but I remember the sheer number of colours in this outfit was a rebellion against my own edict of not wearing more than 2–3 hues at once, as well as being inspired by a life drawing I did twenty years before in art college.

I remember somewhat quixotically selecting two fluorescent soft pastels that were amongst a 12-pack I had bought cheap. (Reduced probably because no one else had wanted to buy it.) I chose hot pink and lemon yellow. As a testament of my drawing teacher’s trust, she did not comment until I was close to resolving the drawing, after the additional introduction of cobalt and neutral shades. Then she told me that she had been very dubious at the outset, but admitted I had successfully pulled the drawing together. It was even framed and exhibited at the end of the year.

And here is the same colour palette rendered in cloth! All the garments are contemporary; only the hat and earrings are vintage, a 1920s cap with feather pom-pom, and woven cane hoops which are possibly 70s or 80s.

The hot pink long sleeved tee is a woollen merino knit, one of Kookaï’s trusty basics; the acid yellow top is by Veronika Maine, a favourite Australian label; and the linen skirt I bought in Spain. My other accessories include a cobalt Italian patent leather belt I bought on sale in David Jones, a local department store, French over-the-knee socks I wore to death, and a pair of wedges I bought from an online sale store.

Unusually for me, I put the outfit together the night before, and even ironed it then! I really liked it then (my notes say), and it still makes me smile, especially because of the inspiration behind it.

Items:

Tee: Kookaï
Top: Veronika Maine
Skirt: Celia Velo, souvenir from Spain
Belt: Alta Linea
Socks: Philippe Matignon
Hat: Merimac Hat Co, vintage 20s from Etsy
Earrings: vintage
Ring: souvenir from Vietnam
Wedges: Finsk

Photos: September 2013

What I Actually Wore #127

Serial #: 0127
Date: 19/06/2013
Weather: 15°C / 59°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

This outfit is a nod to the season with its blue, grey and black tones, but it manages to steer clear of dreariness and Normcore. A winter triumph! I love different tones of grey worn together – grey is my black, really. I wouldn’t want to wear it day in and day out, but all-grey outfits are lovely.

The three-quarter sleeved tee was a basic I bought new (a rare occurrence) from Kookaï; I bought two exactly the same, one in this blue-grey, and another in a lighter smoky grey. I wear them a lot, so they were worth the investment. The blue suede boots were also purchased new, years ago, but everything else I am wearing is second hand.

Another good basic item is the grey wool cardigan by Satch, which I have also had for years (and still wear). A couple of years ago I found another exactly like it, but in a warm grey colour, almost brown. I don’t wear that colour as much however.

The poufy skirt was one that was much admired whenever I wore it, although it has since gone in one of my wardrobe culls. The boots, hat and umbrella are all still in circulation. Made from heavy cotton, the blue beret is vintage 1940s and came from an American Etsy shop. I am thematic with my silver raincloud earrings, and the other jewellery I am wearing is an onyx ring and bangle, both souvenirs of overseas travel.

I still really like this outfit. It makes me actually look forward to autumn, and singin’ in the rain!

Items:

Tee: Kookaï
Cardigan: Satch (now defunct)
Skirt: Morrissey
Hat: vintage 40s
Earrings: Portobello Lane
Bangle: souvenir
Ring: souvenir
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Boots: Robert Robert
Umbrella: vintage 70s

Photos: October 2013

What I Actually Wore #126

Serial #: 0126
Date: 10/06/2013
Weather: 16°C / 61°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

It was a rather chilly day today, and I dressed for the weather. This outfit was built around the cashmere jumper, which reminded me of a cheerleading sweater when I first saw it on eBay. It’s in a favourite shade of robin’s egg blue, and I also love cherries!

The pleated navy and cream houndstooth wool skirt is a vintage (possibly 80s) find from years ago, while the 1940s beret-style platter hat is a purchase from Etsy. The jewellery is a mixture of handmade (silver bauble earrings) and souvenirs from travels (various ‘charms’ collected on a sterling silver chain).

The suede shoes are also favourites; I still wear them, and will continue to do so until they fall apart! They’ve already had their soles repaired once or twice. I used to have a pair of tights that exactly matched the cherry-red of the leather, but after they were ruined I was never able to find another pair that matched so closely. These are over-the-knee socks I am wearing, held up by suspenders as they always sag.

I call this cute look preppy with a vintage cheerleading twist and a cherry on top!

Items:

Jumper: vintage
Skirt: David Jones
Stockings: Sock Shop
Suspenders: Warners (on Shop Style)
Hat: vintage
Jewellery: handmade, souvenir, vintage
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Shoes: Wittner

Photos: October 2013

What I Actually Wore #125

Serial #: 0125
Date: 07/06/2013
Weather: 17°C / 62°F
Time Allowed: 8 minutes

In my notes for this outfit, I have recorded the fact that a colleague, upon seeing me, called me an ‘apricot disco’, to the great glee of everyone in the department. Fortunately, all the women in my department had already admired my copper knit, so I was not discomposed – and I had also received a compliment on my outfit that morning from a perfect stranger. She was an American, and exclaimed, “Now I'm loving your whole look!”

The open weave of the knit is coated in copper paint, and it is not warm at all. I layer it over a long-sleeved linen tee, but it is still not warm enough when I go to the theatre after work that evening. The scallop-hemmed suede skirt was a real favourite of mine, and I am a little sorry that I have since got rid of it, donating it to a charity store. I had suddenly decided I no longer liked the broderie anglaise decoration along the bottom.

Those taupe-and-tan wedges were an extremely expensive purchase for me, and I was quite distraught when early on they were utterly ruined in the rain. I noted that they were made from glove leather, and while this meant they were very soft, they really were not hardy enough for Melbourne’s flighty weather. Who expects leather shoes to be badly watermarked by rain?!

All the other items are still in my current wardrobe, although the tote is rather more worn now. The coat and hat are both vintage velvet with fur trim; the coat is 1960s, but the hat is possibly older. All in all, I still approve of this outfit.

Items:

Tee: Seed
Jumper/Sweater: Blesse'd Are the Meek
Skirt: Chine (label now defunct)
Hat: vintage
Coat: vintage
Tights: Columbine
Scarf: souvenir from Hong Kong
Earrings: boutique
Ring: souvenir from Hong Kong
Tote: Elise Carrel (label now defunct)
Wedges: Habbot