The dilemma

The weekend before last, we spent Sunday in Greenwich- so green, so relaxing, and felt a million miles away from the centre of London despite being a stone's throw from Canary Wharf. We caught a ferry down the river from Westminster, ate fish & chips and strolled around the market and park. Bliss.

In Greenwich market, there is a vintage store- incredibly, I've forgotten the name of this place, but there is only one. You'll find it if you look.

The store was nice enough- a mix of eras, some of it a bit tatty, but also some fun pieces. I flipped through the racks for a couple of minutes, nothing really catching my eye. Until I found this skirt (and a simple day dress- will post a pic of it at some stage).

You know those stories of people that find, like, vintage Versace in a car boot sale or Chanel in Oxfam, or something equally ridiculous? This is my story.

This skirt is vintage Dries Van Noten. It is in perfect condition- not a stitch out of place. 

The dilemma then? I think it was about £20. It would have cost upward of £500 to buy new and I could easily sell it for at least £300 on ebay. The shop lady  clearly didn't know what she was selling. I thought about telling her for all of half a second before throwing my money at her and running out the door.

I adore this skirt- this is me doing a celebratory jig.

(Skivvie- Uniqlo; Skirt- Dries Van Noten; Necklace- a gift from B; Boots- Opening Ceremony)

Would you have said anything?

Thought not.

Tx

A mighty big ruffle

No other way to describe it really.

Like a big, crunchy, gothic tribute to the type of thing you see around the neck of a sad, french clown. Or a confused ballerina a la Tim Burton- especially with the straps I like to wear criss-crossed around my torso.

On the plus side, this thing is so big it makes the rest of me look relatively small (if a little bobble headed). On the minus side, a sudden gust of wind and it will slap me in the face. I know. It did today.

(Jeans- Lee; Boots-Acne; Shirt- Country Road; Ruffle- Sass & Bide; Bag-Givenchy) 

I wore this to work, reasoning that the monochrome palette and sobriety of the rest of my outfit balanced out the silliness of my ruffle. My colleagues thought otherwise.

This does remind me a bit of the frill necked lizard from the old Australian 2c coin. That might make me love the ruffle even more.

Happy Monday!

Tx

Ker-ching!!!! Jackpot!!!

...Of the vintage sunglass variety.

We spent today pottering about- a lazy start, a lunch box from Ottolenghi eaten while we perched on a neighbour's planter box, and a stroll through Portobello market. All in all, a lovely, lazy Sunday (as  all Sundays should be). But despite our best efforts to accomplish very little, B and I unassumingly hit vintage gold.

The place? Hilary Proctor on Portobello Road.

The merch? A myriad of furs (from boleros to full length coats, all kinds), bags, and mens jackets (B snaffled up a fantastic Harris tweed jacket that fits like a dream)- all of exceptional quality. And, obviously, sunglasses. That Hilary has an incredibly discerning eye.

I was grieving the destruction of my blue framed Marc Jacobs sunnies, which I have worn incessantly for about 2 years and were sand-blasted to smithereens in the Moroccan desert dunes. But in this little bag (Delilah making a cameo appearance in front of me)... lies my summer eye-wardrobe.

Item 1: Classic gold-rimmed vintage Dior's with graduated rose tinted lenses and cut outs at the side. Very 70's poolside glamour. A little OTT and a bit glitzier than my usual style, but I fell in love with them instantly.

Item 2: Another pair of vintage Dior's with a bit of a 50's reference. I really dig the slight cats eye shape-since I can't carry off the very streamlined cats eye shapes that are everywhere at the moment (particularly adore the ones in the latest Prada campaign but they unfortunately make my head look like a tennis ball... albeit a slightly less fuzzy and yellow version) these are a great compromise. I also love the silver checked detail at the corners that reminds me of some sort of futuristic snakeskin print.

(T-shirt- Antipodium; Jacket- Onitsuka Tiger)

 Item 3: Giant, square YSL's with nude frames that fade to clear across the nasal bridge. Also with graduated lenses, but a little more 80's with chunkier frames and ostentatious gold logos on the sides.

As an aussie, I feel naked if the sun is shining and I'm not wearing sunnies. So I was overjoyed to stumble across a treasure trove of beauties on what was, in truth, a very wet and grey London afternoon. A veritable journey through the decades. I'm pleased as punch.

K- when you come to London in June, I need to take you there.

Here's hoping we get at least 3 days of sun this summer so I get to wear each one.

Ciao,

Tx

Spring has sprung!

If not entirely evidenced by the weather, at least in my attire?

 (Skirt- Asos; Shirt- Rittenhouse; Cardigan- The Kooples; Shoes- Opening Ceremony)

You can just about make out the blossoms on the tree behind me. And, apparently, on either side of my face. Or are they moose antlers? Hmmmm....

 Anyhoo... a close up on my lovely pansie-style clip on earrings. A gift from my bestie, K.

Ciao,

Tx

I'm baaaaaaaaaack...

Fur-Vintage; Beanie- Gap; Jeans- Current Elliot

Rather a long break this time... I got all caught up with... life, really. Some lovely travels, some new studies, too much food and drink. I can't complain.

A bit of a backlog to update you on (and will post some pics from the last few months soon), but have noticed a slight obsession with head gear of late.

Exhibit 1: See beanie above that kept my head warm all winter

Exhibit 2: My little shrunken boater hat from Japan. It just balances on the back of my head and a strong gust of wind would blow it right off but I still love it, impractical as it is.

Hat- Japanese boutique; Glasses- Vintage; Midriff- Zimmerman; Singlet- Topshop; Harems- Gorman; Cardigan- The Kooples; Bag- Givenchy

 (A close up on the hat and a bonus sneaky peak of my fabulous sushi plate- the finalists in the Sushi awards at the Hyper Japan festival in Earls Court a couple of weekends ago)

Exhibit 3: A random headscarf that I wore to work one day. Surprisingly good at keeping my overgrown fringe out of my eyes- bonus!

Scarf- Mums; Cardigan- Zara; T-shirt- Topshop; Skirt- Metallicus; Shoes- All Saints; Necklace- Elke Kramer

Exhibit 4: My floppy Muji hat

Hat- Muji; Dress- Country Road; Brooch- Gift from K

I've also recently invested in a bigger (aka regular sized) version of the shrunken boater that I found in Victory Vintage. Will post a pic of the two hats together at some point so you can see them side by side and get a sense of scale.

What next? A sombrero? A helmet? One of those swag hats with the corks hanging off?

Promise not to leave it so long till the next post.

Ciao bambinos x

The curious case of the inflatable pants

I've worn these pants before on the blog and they weren't quite so voluminous- but I kind of like the jodhpur-esque effect in these photos. Teamed with a simple bodysuit and a woven raffia bib necklace I've had for years but still gets worn on regularly:

(Pants- Topshop; Bodysuit- Wolford; Shoes- Mollini; Necklace- Marni)

Having a minor Carmen Miranda moment...

Tx

Lookalikes?

A really simple outfit (just some grey jeans and my trusty Acne boots down below) but this sweater makes me laugh- picked it up for a snip from a charity shop many years ago. In truth, it is very acrylic and a little bit itchy but I like the sweet faux-suede shapes pasted on the front.

Tell me the face and the design on the sweater aren't the same?

Tx

Peace, love and orange pants

An outfit from this weekend. Double peace signs because I was on my way to Liberty for a wee shop- picked up some 'Pulp' perfume by Byredo (smells like figs and apples and cedar wood, divine) and this fabric to fashion into a new frock.

(Pants- Zara; Shirt- Country Road; Jacket- Dries Van Noten; Boots- Acne)


I've had these Marni earrings for a while but still love them- they look like paper petal disco balls, hanging off some slightly tarnished looking, oversized crystals. Conseulo, am convinced you design your accessories just for me... sigh...

Had to share my feast that B and I inhaled that evening- a double cheese souffle (that, yes, I cooked them in soup plates but it worked, they rose!) and a prosciutto, nectarine, basil and buffalo mozzarella salad. Was delish, and notice that I had already changed into my comfiest, roomiest pants in anticipation of the potty belly that followed soon after.

Tx

Easy breezy summer frock...

...For another glorious day here in London. Here I am doing a jig- partly because the weather is so lovely, and partly because I was off to dim sum with J and E. Yummmmmmy!

Still dancing about, building an appetite for my dumplings, and getting so excited my arms have gone all blurry (tee hee!) but I think it mirrors the soft-edged, muted toned print on the frock. It reminds me of the paper towel pictures we made in primary school with food colouring and dish soap.

Topped with an old Elke Kramer necklace-come-monacle:

Hope you all had equally relaxing weekends?

Tx

(Dress- Gorman; Belt- H&M; Shoes- from Greece; Necklaces- Elke Kramer and the viking necklace from some Swedish brand I've forgotten)

Tomboy chic(ken)

A simple outfit I wore to work last week on a non client-facing day.

I still love this sweater that I picked up in a vintage store in Vancouver earlier this year- it has a really wide mesh weave, great billowy sleeves that I usually push up at the elbows, a very 70's colour scheme, and of course... who doesn't love a chicken with a bow on its head?
(And the little blue bird? A gift from my best gal K)

Teamed with a simple t-shirt, cuffed jeans and some blinged out brogue style shoes...

A close up on the shoes: silver and black houndstooth babies that look like unlaced mens shoes. I often wear these as I like the unexpected print, and the kicker- super comfy too!

Am spending the evening watching Aussie Masterchef- I am beyond addicted to this show.

Enjoy the weekend folks!

Tx

(Jeans-Acne; Sweater-Vintage; T-shirt- American Apparel; Shoes- Marc Jacobs)

Been a while, crocodile...

 Admittedly a huge delay between posts- juggling work and social commitments hasn't left me with much time to navel gaze on my outfits, but I'm back in action. Thanks for your patience- I'll post some retrospective outfit shots soon.

Today's outfit is super casual and reflecting today's (relative lack of) activity- sleeping in till midday, eating a big english breakfast takeaway from the couch, lazing on said couch catching up on the week's missed TV, a very late lunch at Itsu (so delish, will never set foot in Yo Sushi again), and some grocery shopping.

Very simple, but who wants to wear something fiddly on a glorious day like today? The weather gods have smiled on this fair city- hope it lasts a little while!

Tx

(Top-Gap; Trousers with belt- Topshop; Sunglasses- Vintage; Shoes- Russell & Bromley; Bag- Longchamp)

A peek at some of my Dublin vintage loot

I mentioned the vintage bounty I found this past weekend. Loved this frock so much I wore it straight away! Here's me demonstrating the swishy-ness of the frock, styled up with some tights and sandals:

 (Dress- Vintage from Perk Up! Dublin; Sandals- Swedish Hasbeens)

I especially love the muted colours and graduated tan base tones that make this polyester baby so 70's, and if you look closely you can see the tiny pleats all over the back, chest and skirt of the dress.

This scarf was a recent purchase from Athena Procopiou at Liberty. I call it my 'Frankie the fox' scarf (don't know why I feel the compulsion to name my things. I just do). That Liberty scarf hall is something else... once I had the cashmere yumminess of Frankie wrapped around me, I was doomed. Handed the card right over.  

Liberty is my idea of heaven. I blame the impeccable merchandising in that place- it's light and roomy, everything is displayed so artfully on tables instead of crammed together on a rail or straggling from hooks on a wall display, the sales people are not pushy at all... a breathe of fresh (retail) air, just a stones throw from the bustling high street. In fact, got so giddy on the Liberty scarfy loveliness I bought another one by the same designer (will show that soon). May need to eat beans on toast for tea for the next couple of weeks, but scarf happiness is worth it. And I like beans :)

Next dress was also a Dublin find- not sure the fabric of this sundress (a kind of love child of faux-suede and velour?), but it is buttery soft. Nixed the matching belt and paired it with some black and sequins to lift the beige-ness:

(Dress- Vintage from the Fluorescent Elephant in Dublin; Skivvy- Uniqlo)


The belt is a cherished old friend that came with a different dress, but I love the mix of colours and sequin sizes and it is surprisingly versatile.

(Belt- Gorman)

Some little silver and lapis drop earrings my dad bought me years and years ago:

And my trusty nude patent Russell and Bromley brogues. Definitely wear flats more often since moving to London- was once a die-hard heel devotee. Don't know what these bad boys are made of, but they never seem to get scuffed or smudged despite being such a light colour.

Will post the rest of my vintage Dublin purchases sometime soon!

Tx

Charmed by Dublin (to be sure, to be sure)

Back in town after our city break in Dublin, feeling relaxed, refreshed and ready for the week ahead.

A quick outfit post from Friday (can't remember the reason for the pout... potentially a grumpy morning face?)

(Dress- Witchery; Scarf- Tsumori Chisato; Boots- Acne; Tights- Tabio)

Clumsily drawing your attention to the floral-on-floral combination. You can't see that detail of this scarf but it is huge when unfurled and has a really simple, graphic image in the centre, framed by tiny liberty print blossoms. I fell in love with it when I bought it in Japan a few years back.

These tights always divide opinion. When I was boarding the plane on Friday night, the steward scanning in the tickets apologised to me 'in case I thought he was staring at my legs' and explained he was actually looking at the previous passengers' rolling suitcase. I hadn't thought he was staring at my legs. His embarrassment made it clear that he had been. Or perhaps wasn't staring any more as he had been temporarily blinded by the acid brightness of the tights...

Saturday outfit, a melange of prints and textures for exploring the town.

General itinerary: hearty fry up for breakfast; morning trawl around the vintage stores in Temple Bar area (Perk Up!, Jean Cronin, the Fluorescent Elephant and the Loft Market are highly recommended); obligatory trip to the Guinness Brewery; late lunch at Leo Burdock's (amazing fish and chips); afternoon snooze (the height of indulgence in my book- blissful); bar crawl in the evening (my fave was the Exchequer- spectacular 'Gingerbread Jack' cocktails ); possibly MacDonald's and Burger King after that (I know. I know. So bad, but so good).

(Flannel checked shirt- Uniqlo; Vest- Vintage from Tokyo; Skirt- Vintage from Copenhagen; Boots- Acne; Tights- Tabio)

A close up so you can see the pattern on the knitted vest- was glad I thought to pack the flannel shirt and woollen vest as it was chilly in the city, especially when walking by the Jiffey River.

I love this skirt- a proud vintage bargain. The flowers look like they've been hand-painted onto the skirt as the print has a slightly grainy quality, the colours are a little muted and you can see the brush strokes.

Will post a few more pics of the trip tomorrow.

Hope you had an excellent weekend too?

Tx