Night Moves

Sorry I'm a little late on this one guys but last night was pretty exciting for me.  It was the EP Launch of J-Pan Fan, the first band that I've styled.

The show was phenomenal. That sound! They were tight, hookie and Emma's voice is just, I'm sorry but there's no other way to describe it than, f*** off good. And they all looked smokin'!

I had intended to take a bunch of pictures to show you all but my camera had other plans and this is pretty much the only one I got. Don't worry, there were plenty of photographers there and I will be sure and let you guys know when something is up.

Until then, don't stop the rockin'.

Blazer: Target
Necklaces: Cotton On & Gift
Bangle: Gift
Ring: Jay Jays
Singlet: Myer
Skirt: Myer
Boots: Thrifted

Puppies

Today’s outfit is bought to you by, shoes. I customised these puppies a while back but this is their first trip out. I’m pretty pleased with them. The shoes themselves are men’s and a good size or so too big for me. But I just couldn’t pass them up. 

 
Which leads me to todays favourite shoe related discussion:

Me: Yeah, they’re too big for me but I just couldn’t pass them up
Work Lady: Why, were they super cheap?
Me: No, actually they were rather expensive
Work Lady: So...they’re too big, too expensive and men’s, but you couldn’t pass them up? *Scrunched up face*

Hey, sometimes you just can’t explain love.

I’m pretty happy with the adventure that I went on to piece today’s outfit together. I wanted leggings but all of my pairs are packed away with my Autumn/Winter clothes. So, a dig through the first suitcase I found (oh yeah, there’s a whole lot of them) and there they were. Which was lucky. But the best part was everything that I saw in there. It was like greeting all of the cute little puppies you’ve seen but forgotten about. It was great! I can hardly wait for Autumn. And the fact that it’s only 3 days away is pretty good because patience is not a virtue I am familiar with.

I know Queensland though, and I know it’s gonna be a good while before it’s anything that resembles cold. But as long as it’s less than 30 I’m happy. Happy as a girl that just found a suitcase full of (live) puppies.

Bow: Customised from Junk Shop
Necklace: Kleins
Dress: Myer
Belt: Cue
Leggings: Myer
Bracelets: Rubi
Shoes: Customised from Elizabeth St Arcade

Poindexter

Oh hi there. Sorry, I didn’t see you come in. I was just brushing up on my Industrial Hydraulic Technology.

New glasses number two Ladies and Gentlemen. How sweet are these? I figure I’ve injected a little fun (sensible, stigmatism related fun) into my every day with these babies.

I wanted to go full nerdy with the outfit today but as I added piece by piece I realised that I’ve gone more “sexy nerdy chick” to quote The Man. Thanks sweetie! Bless boys that love girls in glasses. They’ve been mostly well received around the office. Not that I care what other people think. I like ‘em, who cares what they think? But I do find it funny when people just don’t. quite. get. it.

These shoes are lucky to be here today. I took a spill in them the first time I wore them (at the train station, during peak hour, embarrassed much?) and they were immediately placed in the Goodwill pile. OK, they hurt my feet too. I’m not that fickle. But I think they’re so pretty. And they remind me of something my Grandma would have worn. Plus they have the tiniest little heel that makes my legs just a smidge longer and I know that I’m a lady and don’t need heels to prove it but there’s something about the way your hips sway (which is probably really bad for your back) when you walk in a heel. Really it’s more of a wedge anyway. A little grip on the sole and padding against the toes and they’ll be good as gold mate. Can you tell I’m trying to talk myself back into keeping them? Looks like I don’t take much convincing huh…

Come to think of it, perhaps I was subconsciously inspired by this little diorama that I made out of my new glasses box. There are horses on this cool bangle that Mum gave me. And I certainly sound like one clip clopping around in these shoes.

As an aside, isn’t “whinny” a great word?

Glasses: Spec Savers
Earrings: Diva
Shirt: Target
Singlet: Witchery
Bangle: Gift
Skirt: Target
Shoes: Big W

Spec-tacular!

Ahhh, I am the master of Dad jokes.

I kept today’s outfit quite simple for two reasons. One, it is stinking hot again and two, because today I wanted the focus to be on my new glasses.

Aren’t they swell? They are. I know. And I can see! I mean I could see before but now the computer screen that I spend the better part of my waking hours staring at is all crisp and clear. There is quite a difference between these and my last pair that I got 5 years ago. These actually have a little bit of magnification going on and I tell you, I felt Old Father Time laughing and slapping his knee as I put them on.

For a little pizzazz in an otherwise simple outfit, I added my Vivienne Westwood shoes. Mere words cannot describe friends. The problem though, is that they always rub my feet raw. I never thought I’d be that girl, who wouldn’t stop wearing shoes that made her cry, just because they were so damn pretty. But they’re Vivienne Westwood! I never in my lifetime thought I’d own a piece of Westwood.

WESTWOOD!

So I’ve decided to give them a rest until winter when I can safely wear them with a layer of tights between us. Until then I am currently sporting 4 band aids and a slick of Lucas’ Paw Paw Ointment. If you’ve never tried it before it’s fantastic for rubbing shoes. Just apply some (or some Vaseline) to the part of your foot that it’s rubbing and the shoe will now just glide over. Incredible folks.

Glasses: Ben Sherman with Spec Savers
Dress: Kmart
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood with Melissa

Number 8

When I was 8 years old I remember thinking that the sexiest outfit ever was a short tight mini skirt paired with an oversized sweater or men's shirt. And I still do. Mind you, the sweater I imagined at the time was a heavy cable knit paired with equally large hair. Yes, I was born in the 80's.

Image courtesy of IMDB

I also remember a scene in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film when they're out at the farmhouse and April is wearing a tight short skirt and a men's shirt. Again, I must have been all of 8 and I thought she was just the coolest chick ever. Turns out 8 must have been a pivotal time for me.

As I can't very well wear a short, tight mini skirt to work I went the next best thing with the pencil skirt. Once I paired this shirt with it I realised that I also reminded myself of George from The Sartorialist. Page 60 for those of you reading along at home. I think it's the extra high roll on the sleeve.

Now as a treat, a pic from the weekend. It was an action packed one let me tell you. This pic is from Sunday when we went to Shnookies house to watch UFC 110. I took full advantage of the opportunity to dress appropriately. Note the singlet worn inside out to subvert the message. I know, I impress myself.

I also rocked the hair style suggested last week by Yes and Yes and absolutely loved it! It's definitely going to make repeated appearances.  I used to be a lot more experimental with my hair, particularly in High School where I remember winding my hair around a coathanger (it was waist length back then) to achieve a look not dissimilar to a Teletubby. Ah, youth. But this style is that perfect compromise between Teletubby and Upstanding Citizen.

And that's my favourite kind of compromise.

Sunglasses: Cotton On

Shirt: The Man's by way of Myer

Skirt: Target

Shoes: Rubi

UFC 110 Outfit

Singlets: Kmart, Big W

Skirt: Cotton On

Shoes: Myer (Aren't they just the raddest thing EVER!!)

Double Time

Friday! And an early mark at work too! Today is a good day. We’ve got a big weekend planned and it all kicks off this afternoon so I thought I’d do something a little indulgent today and go denim on denim. I’ll change before we go out because the venue we’re heading to is known to be 3800 degrees in the middle of winter. But until then I am in Denim Land and loving it.

I, like any other self respecting lady used to hold fast to the denim on denim rules. Which essentially was the old adage “Double the denim, double the ladies” which I took to mean, unless you subscribe to a certain sub culture, just don’t do it.

Friends, that all went out the window when I met this awesome little number. I’d been searching for a chambray shirt a la Some Kind of Wonderful and this guy practically leapt out of the sale rack and into my arms. It was love. It’s been too warm to fully express my feelings by draping myself in it every day (and believe me, I would if I could) but now that it is (ever so slightly) getting cooler I have found myself in it’s arms once again.

The thought behind today’s ensemble was “Bruce Springsteen Fan”. This could also be “80’s Mid-American Girl” but the Bruce Springsteen one sounds cooler. Plus I watched a bunch of his clips a couple of weeks back and have a minor crush. Because I’m only human. Come on, it’s The Boss!

Shirt: Cotton On
Singlet: Target
Belt: Was Mum’s
Jeans: Sportsgirl
Shoes: Ross (Man I miss that place!)

Break

Sometimes I think that I put too much pressure on myself style wise. I’ve set such a precedence that I feel flat and bland wearing something that’s not different or outrageous.

I don’t like this. I like to be able to wear what I feel like when I feel like it. And when it’s 10:30pm and you’ve worn everything in your wardrobe in every conceivable combination and you’re tired and your eye is doing a weird bloom thing and none of your clothes resemble the sweet ass stuff in the Swinging 60’s Fashion Style book that Sophie got you for your birthday (thanks Sophie), well sometimes you just wanna pull something together for the morning and not worry about it.

Not that this is a bad outfit. It’s just fine. I like the colours and it’s not a combination that I’ve tried before. This cardigan is perfect for the current weather and I almost feel like a regular office worker. And therein lays the problem. The only time I seem to feel comfortable in “office wear” is if it’s exaggerated, or I’ve created a story behind it. I don’t have a story behind this one. I don’t feel like a librarian, an equestrian teacher or an old school journalist.

Have I styled myself into a corner? Am I that girl now? Something I’ve always loved about my style is that it’s indefinable and can change dramatically from day to day. Maybe I’ve just forgotten that about myself.

Cardigan: Witchery
Top: Target
Skirt: Was Mum’s
Shoes: Rubi

Schooled

One of the guys at work and I dissected today’s look this morning. He said the hair was a bit Princess Leia which wasn’t really what I was aiming for. I responded that I was kind of going for more of the School look and then suggested perhaps I was Princess Leia in High School to which he made appreciative groans and I edged away awkwardly. That lady has a special place in a lotta boy's bedrooms.

I was actually inspired by that Aerosmith clip with Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler. You know, Crazy.



Which I was just totally busted looking up at work. Haha. My reputation grows.

The silhouette of this dress is so exaggerated that I almost feel that I can’t wear it “seriously”. It always has to be a bit of a costume. Not that I ever really dress seriously and not that my clothes aren’t always a bit of a costume. Isn’t that what getting dressed is?

I think one of the saddest things about growing up is that we stop dressing up and start getting dressed. Bo-ring. I’ve come to realise that in my regular pay-the-bills day job that it's likely I’ll never be approached for a promotion, because of the way I dress. And you know what? I’m not phased at all. My real life, my joy is in dressing, in the time outside the office, the time spent with The Man, with my friends and family. This is my life and if I can’t dress and do things the way I want this time round when do I get another chance?

Shirt: Cotton On
Necklace: Dotti?
Dress: Kmart
Singlet: Myer
Shoes: Chemist

No Weather Girl

Drawing on yesterday’s exercise in What Not to Wear on a Really Hot Day I knew exactly what I was after today.

I love this dress. It has had intimate moments with a needle and thread on a number of occasions though and every time I wear it I think, “OK, this is the last time” and then somehow it ends up back in my wardrobe and I find myself eyeing it off on another hot day.

And you know what? After all that we ended up with flash flooding. Wouldn’t you know it? I am not a good weather guesser (I think you’ll find that is the technical term). It is still hot and muggy with the humidity currently at 88% though so no wardrobe regret here.

This head scarf has been a resounding success throughout the office. I have been called “Mamie”, “Sadie” and on other occasions, “Rosie”. But the amount of ladies (of all demographics) that have sidled up to gush that they just love the head scarf thing I do is really heartening. Thanks ladies.

I had a srs bzns meeting this afternoon in which I met a committee of srs bzns type people for the first time and I think there was a general air of surprise that I was not in fact the cleaning lady. Ha ha. Tonight I will relax in the knowledge of a job well done.

Scarf: Jay Jay’s ?
Dress: Sussan
Belt: ?
Shoes: Target

Recess

Today I took a South American style and mixed it with Sarah Livingstone from Heart Break High which is a show from my teenage years that those of you outside the Southern Hemisphere will likely not be familiar with. 

She used to wear her hair in this style and I thought it was so cool. My hair was to my waist at that stage so it was a little tough to emulate successfully. So here I am today, 13 years later wearing the same style that a High Schooler wore in the 90’s. Some days I am so pleased with my choices.

It is stinking hot outside so this cardigan wasn’t my first choice but the lack of sleeves on this dress feel a little inappropriate for work (see? I do have boundaries) so I stuck it on. It’s not too bad in the office with the air conditioning. Which, incidentally, wasn’t working this morning so the cardigan was discarded for a good half an hour until they got it sorted. But we’ve since returned to our original programming.

The Man and I went to GoMA to see the Asian Pacific Triennial yesterday. It was such a good time. I really must make an effort to go more often. All kinds of phantasmagorical things there.

As soon as I saw this wallpaper I knew that I needed a picture with it. The clash against my shirt and shoes was just perfect. I also knew that if we owned our apartment practically every surface would be covered in this gorgeous print. It was from an installation about young Indian people leaving home to move to Australia, Europe, and the USA etc for a better chance at life. It was really well done. Everything on show really was fantastic.

Before I go I want to introduce my new honey. Don’t you just love it? Sure it weighs a tonne without anything in it but I don’t care. This is true love guys.

Cardigan: Was Mum’s
Dress: Trade Secret
Leggings: Valley Girl
Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Bag: The Fashion Station

Gallery Outfit
Shirt: Thrifted
Singlet: Woolworths
Belt: City Beach
Buckle: Gift
Skirt: Cotton On
Shoes: Kmart
Bag: Gift