Fashion

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What I wore: Fuzzy coats and horror brooch

Every year I look forward to winter, getting excited about finally pulling all my fuzzy jumpers and hats out of the cupboard, imagining myself rugging up in adorable vintage gloves and cardigans and prancing about in tall boots.

 

And every year July hits and I am sick of being cold and tired of planning outfits that cover the greatest possible amount of skin.  I just want to wear something that looks cute without shivering through the day.  Luckily a few weeks back I got gifted a bag of second hand clothes from my friend Judith, and in the bag was this amazing nobbly grey coat. It’s heavy and warm, like wearing a blanket, but it still looks super chic.  I’ve been wearing it non-stop, both to work and on weekends.

 

This past Saturday I adorned my new coat with a brooch from Cherry Loco that I’ve had for months but I haven’t worn nearly often enough.

 

I am wearing:

  • Hogwarts raglan tee from Jay Jays
  • Grey Boucle coat (gifted)
  • Checked jeans from Forever 21 (thrifted)
  • Black motorcycle boots from Big W
  • Redrum brooch from Cherry Loco Jewellery
  • Deadpool locket necklace (gift)
  • Ladybug stud earrings from Louvisa

 

Something about this outfit gives me a bit of a Judd-Nelson-from-The-Breakfast-Club vibe. I think it’s the combination of boots and long jacket and red checks that does it.

 

I can never get enough Hogwarts tees.  This is the only long-sleeved one I own.  I wear it so often because the colour palette means that it teams with lots of colours that I typically wear: red, blue, purple and black.  This one is a staple of my winter wardrobe.

I thought about doing a smokey eye to go with my slightly grungy look but instead opted for a clean copper eye.  I watched a makeup tutorial the night before where Detox did a fierce copper eye look and it reminded me how much I love wearing copper eyeshadow.  It’s a very eighties shade, but it’s so flattering on blue eyes and looks brighter than black or grey shadows.

 

This warm, textured coat is breathing new life into my winter wardrobe.  It’s been the perfect thing to pair with so many lighter-weight dresses and shirts to make them winter-appropriate and I’ve loved experimenting with it.

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What I wore: body con dresses in winter

Lately I’ve found myself in a bit of a wardrobe rut.  Winter has begun and it’s been icy around these parts.  As such, I’ve found myself reaching for the same warm and cosy clothes over and over.  And that’s fine, but it’s making me feel bored and a bit sluggish. I’m the type of person who needs to dress up once in a while, to put on something fun to sweep the cobwebs out of my brain.  For me, trying something new with my clothes is like a cup of coffee for my soul.

I pulled out a body con dress I was given by a friend a few months ago.  I wore it a lot in summer, but now that the weather has cooled off, I hadn’t reached for it in a while.  I decided to pair it with thermal leggings, boots and a slouchy jumper for a sassy winter look.

I am wearing:

  • floral body con dress
  • Black fleece-lined tights from The Reject Shop
  • Black knitted jumper from Cotton On
  • Black vegan leather boots from Ebay
  • Moonstone ring from Louvisa
  • Dr Frank brooch from Erstwilder
  • Vintage silver earrings.

This almost all-black ensemble felt like the perfect backdrop for my Dr Frank brooch.  He’s one of my favourite Erstwilder creations, and I’m particularly smitten with his tiny pearl necklace.

I paired a few makeup products that I don’t usually wear together- a smokey purple eye with a pink lip and I was pretty happy with the result. I have been wearing a lot of dark lip colours lately and it was a refreshing change to wear something a bit punchier.

It’s so easy to update your summer clothes for the cooler months.  Adding warm legwear, a jumper or cardigan and boots brings your body con dresses forwards into the new season and means that you can get twice as much wear out of them.

 

Do you wear body con dresses in winter?  How do you style yours?

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What I wore: a birthday in Wonderland

For as long as I can remember, I’ve adored Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass.  As a child the story opened up a world of impossible creatures and grand adventures.  The older I get, the more I appreciate the surreal elements of the story and the riddles hidden within. Alice in Wonderland has also had an influence on my personal style and I’ve done a number of Alice themed outfits over the years.

When ACMI in Melbourne revealed that they were holding an entire exhibition devoted to Wonderland, I was keen to check it out.  And what better day to head along to this event than my birthday?  My lovely boyfriend David and his mum and stepdad came along with me to celebrate my 32nd birthday.

When I was choosing what to wear, naturally I knew that it had to be Wonderland themed.  I had two dresses in mind, one that reminded me of Alice and another that was more Queen of Hearts in style.  Ultimately I decided that on my birthday, I really wanted to dress in a manner inspired by the accidental heroine of Lewis Carroll’s tale, Alice.

I am wearing:

  • Vintage blue and white checked dress
  • Black bodysuit from Missguided
  • Razzamatazz polka dot tights
  • Black and silver flats (thrifted)
  • Vintage playing card bracelet
  • Teacup earrings from Disney Couture
  • Teacup ring from One Day in Paradise
  • Teapot ring from Equip
  • Crinoline petticoat from Vicious Venus
  • Kitty ear fascinator from Louvisa

I blended numerous Wonderland elements into this outfit.  I wanted to look like a pinup, rockabilly version of Alice.  I wore my hair up in a pomp and added my kitty ears as a nod to the Cheshire Cat.  I kept my shoes low and comfortable but added a pop of colour with bright blue polka dot tights.  My crinoline petticoat gave my skirt a full look, mirroring the way that Alice’s skirt poofs out when she’s drifting through space down the rabbit hole.

 

Fun cup and saucer earrings from Disney Couture to call back to the Mad Hatter’s tea party.

This playing card brooch was a gift from one of my friends last Christmas and I just adore it.  It’s so unique and it was the perfect adornment for a trip to Wonderland.  So much of the style of Alice in Wonderland is inspired by playing card motifs, from the Queen of Heart’s court to the guards that protect her castle.

I went with a 1960’s inspired makeup look, with a pop of blue eyeshadow, cats-eye eyeliner and nude lips.

David and I snapped a few selfies while we were waiting to go into the gallery. At this point I was so excited and I was rearing to get inside and see what the exhibit had to offer.

This was the first time I’ve ever been to an exhibition at ACMI where you have been allowed to take photographs inside.  I took quite a lot of photos but I don’t want to share them all because it would spoil the exhibit for any Melbourne-based readers who are yet to check it out.  There was so much to see and do, and the whole experience was very exciting and interactive.  There was a large section dedicated to Lewis Carroll himself, with original notebooks and letters in his hand.  The exhibit showcases costumes, props and artwork from many of the early Alice in Wonderland films as well as animation cells and concept art from the Disney version.  There are a lot of exhibits that show how certain visual effects were achieved and lots of props for you to take your picture with so that you look smaller or larger than usual.  My favourite part was a room filled with costumes and props from the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland, including Alice’s suit of armour which is just stunning.  The exhibit ends with a tribute to all the ways that Alice has permeated pop culture, from Gwen Stefani’s music videos to The Matrix.

I had so much fun at ACMI and it was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday.  If you’re an Alice fan and you’re in Melbourne between now and the 7th October, I definitely recommend that you check it out.

 

What would you wear if you went to the Alice in Wonderland exhibition?  Would you take inspiration from Alice or a different Wonderland character?

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What I wore: royal purple

A few weeks back I was on my way to pick up the office’s stationery order when I passed the local Red Cross shop.  In the window was a gorgeous long-sleeved vintage 70’s dress in the most lovely shade of purple.  It was a fairly simple design, a straight skirt, boat neckline and button detail, but my eye was instantly drawn to it.  The following day I made the decision to go to the shop in my lunchbreak and pick up the dress.

Alas, when I arrived it was no longer in the window.  My heart sank when I realised that it had probably been sold, and I resigned myself to taking a quick look in the store to see if I could find a consolation purchase.  And there, on the rack with the other dresses, was my purple marvel.  Silly me!  It hadn’t been sold, they’d just changed the window display!  I snapped it up for $5 and walked gleefully back to work with my treasure.

I am wearing:

  • Royal purple vintage dress (thrifted)
  • Black boots from Ebay
  • Mrs Doubtfire pin from Amy Blue Illustration
  • Celtic knot brooch (gifted)
  • Art deco earrings (thrifted)

I wore this particular outfit for mother’s day brunch with my family.  I chose my jewellery carefully.  These two brooches are to pay tribute to two mothers who are important to me but who weren’t present for Mother’s Day this year- my late Nana Dot and my ex-mother-in-law-now-friend Judith.  The Celtic knot was a gift from Judith and I always think of her when I wear it.  I chose Mrs Doubtfire for Nan because it was a film that she loved and we used to laugh our asses off watching it together.

 
I’m thrilled with this dress.  I have very few long-sleeved vintage dresses, so this was the perfect addition to my winter work wardrobe.  The colour is superb and the slight stripe texture makes it a bit more interesting than just a block colour.  I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of this now that winter is here and the temperatures are dropping.

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What I wore: no capes

It’s been a couple of years since my last cosplay.  After a stint as Tank Girl at Supanova I unintentionally took a hiatus from cosplay.  I didn’t make a conscious decision not to do it anymore, I just no longer felt excited about creating and wearing costumes.  But recently I started feeling the itch to cosplay once again.  And Free Comic Book Day presented the perfect opportunity to rock a new character costume

I’ve got a short list of characters I want to cosplay, and Edna Mode from The Incredibles was at the top of that list.  I adore Edna’s super sharp style and lightening wit.  Like so many cartoon characters, her look is simple but instantly recognisable and pretty easy to translate into a cosplay costume.

Naturally, an all-black ensemble was vital.  Edna’s outfit has an armoured look to it, and it’s very structured.  I chose this heavily sequinned dress for the bell-shaped skirt and the rough texture.  I added leather-look pants with pleated details on the knees and thighs for a tough look.

I actually bought new glasses specifically for this costume.  These are the 7001 from Derek Cardigan.  I normally go for very square or cats-eye glasses, but Edna’s frames are extremely round and heavy.  I actually really like the way these frames look and they’ve become my go-to glasses lately. It’s great to step outside your comfort zone and wear something you haven’t tried before.

Edna’s makeup was kind of tricky, because in The Incredibles she doesn’t appear to be wearing makeup. I kept my look polished and fresh, making my brows heavier and doing some more extreme contouring that I do for day-to-day.  I contoured my cheeks and around my mouth to make me look a little more jowly and shaped my nose to be a tad rounder to recreate the shape of Edna’s face. I kept my lips light with a slick of nude lipstick.

 

I picked up so many new comic books on Free Comic Book Day.  My favourite offerings were The Mall, which was a very nostalgic 80’s teen romance mixed in with a crime story.  Crush was gorgeous, a tale of a young man dealing with his first crush and I really enjoyed the lightheartedness of the Adventure Time Fiona and Cake story.  Naturally, I loved Tank Girl as well.  And the artwork in Street Angel’s Dog was unlike anything I’ve seen before.

After a very long day of standing in line, waiting in stifling shops and lugging bags of books I was grateful to jump on the train back to my boyfriend’s house.  He’s never seen me in cosplay before so that was a hilarious first for us.  I was ready for a long shower, a shampoo and a Marvel movie with the man I love.

 

I loved being Edna for the day and allowing myself to jump back into cosplaying.  I felt a bit disappointed with myself when I lost interest in cosplaying, because it used to be something that brought me so much joy.  But sometimes we grow out of hobbies that we used to love.  And sometimes we just need some time and distance, and suddenly our interest bubbles up again and we get to become reacquainted with that fun and creativity that we used to know.  And when that happens, it’s an awesome feeling.

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What I wore: Come up to the lab, and see what’s on the slab

When Erstwilder announced that they were releasing a Rocky Horror-themed collection I was beyond excited.  The Rocky Horror Picture Show is one of my all time favourite films, and I adore the aesthetic of the movie.  I had no doubt that Erstwilder would do an amazing job of translating that vibe into a line of jewellery.

 

Overall I wasn’t super impressed with the Rocky Horror collection.  Unlike the Grease collection that came out last year, I thought that this collection lacked range.  There were a lot of “portrait” style brooches and fewer conceptual pieces that evoked the general feel of the film.  I felt like this collection was a lot more literal, with more actual representations of characters rather than subtle winks to the theme. There were a couple of pieces that I just flat out didn’t like (such as the Riff Raff brooch) and some that were kind of cute, but that I wouldn’t personally wear (such as the Damn It Janet nameplate necklace).  I ended up getting two brooches from the collection: the Dr Frank  and the Science Fiction Lips.

I thought long and hard about what to wear Dr Frank with for his maiden voyage.  And I thought he’d be most at home amid a sea of kisses, leather look trousers and sky high heels.

I am wearing:

– Dr Frank brooch from Erstwilder

  • Kisses blouse from Target
  • Leather look jeans from TK Maxx
  • Red rose heels (thrifted)


I bought these jeans a few weeks ago to use as part of a cosplay costume. I’ve fallen head over heels for them.  I never expected that I’d want to wear a pair of leather-look trousers, but these are just so freakin’ comfortable.  They fit like a second skin and they stretch and move with you.  They’re also incredibly warm so I expect they’ll become a part of my winter wardrobe.  They’ll be perfect for pairing with teeshirts or vintage blouses for a tough edge.  I  love them.

Did you snap up any of the Erstwilder Rocky Horror collection? Which pieces were your favourite?

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What I wore: Benalla Shorts film festival.

I feel very blessed to be from Benalla.  Even though it’s such a small town, we have a lot going for us.  There’s the yearly Wall to Wall street art festival, a huge number of amazing cafes and restaurants, gorgeous picnic spots and the mural.  A relatively new event that’s sprung up is the Benalla Shorts film festival, which showcases short films made by local and national film makers. This year I scored tickets to the event and frocked up to attend.

 

I was very unsure about what to wear.  I wanted to be dressed up, but not over the top.  It was also absolutely stinking hot the day of the festival so I needed something that would be cool and comfortable.  So I opted for billowy, printed trousers and monochrome accessories.

 

 

I am wearing:

  • Black and white silk trousers (thrifted)
  • Black tank top from Uniqlo
  • Black patent heels from Nine West
  • Leopard print fascinator from Dangerfield
  • Art deco locket (thrifted)
  • Cubic zirconia earrings (belonged to my Nana)

 

 This turned out to be the perfect outfit to wear to the film festival. I was so comfortable and I felt confident in my monochrome ensemble.  The fascinator was a fun touch, and added the perfect amount of whimsy to the whole outfit.  I feel like without it, I’d have looked a bit more casual and that’s not the vibe I was going for.

 

The festival itself was so much fun.  The winning film was called iRony, an animated take on how technology and social media is affecting our life in a negative way.  The most impressive thing about that film is that it was hand-animated, written, narrated and produced by one person….and he’s eighteen.  I was blown away by the sophistication of the film from such a young filmmaker.  I also voted for a film called Munchies, which was an adorable claymation feature about a farmer with a snail problem.

 

I feel that my black and white outfit was perfect for a cultured afternoon of short films.  I hit the mark and didn’t feel overdone or too casual, and I was truly confident in the way I looked.