There’s spring in the air, and spring means all things green again!

I love how secretary dresses from the 70s only need a little prompting to transform into gorgeous 40s style frocks. In this case, a belt.

It’s also fairly warm, what with the long sleeves and woolly fabric. Don’t get me started on the pleats! They make me ridiculously happy.

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Dress: Armstrong & Son Vintage

Boots: Next

Bag: LA Vintage

Earrings: ???

Watch: eBay sourced Rado

Stockings: Leona Edmiston

My nails are in horrible condition right now. They’re hiding underneath a layer of matte black polish. I thought about doing something special with my hair today. I’ve been told it’s the thought that counts…

Ciao!

Weeeell, more like the day before yesterday, but you get the idea, right?

New Years Eve in Edinburgh is a pretty big deal, so I was lucky to able to experience it! We decided to opt for a low key house party, organised over the internet with strangers (!) as we’re fairly new to town and didn’t know anyone. All in all, I have to say it was a wonderful evening. Though, being starved of any human contact for last three weeks sure did make me talkative!

My adventures in austerity have meant that I’ve been cutting my own hair. It was scary at first, but I’ve been dyeing my own hair for years, so it wasn’t too much of a challenge. After a pin curl set it was short enough for a lazy faux bob a la Zelda Fitzgerald. Or at least that was the plan. I paired a comfy, if not a little baggy, black cashmere jumper with a wool skirt as was good to go!

Jumper: Isle

Skirt: Vintage

Pashmena: Gift

Boots: New Look

Bag: Vintage (Out of the Blue Flea Market)

I guess being St Patrick’s day and all I should have worn something green. But this dress was calling to me. I’ve been watching a lot of Twin Peaks recently, and the black, grey and red plaid reminds me of the opening theme song. It’s the kind of dress I’d wear out to the diner for a slice of cherry pie and a damn fine cup of coffee. Ya know?

It has some beautiful details, like the black button cuffs at the elbow, and snap-buttons all the way up the front. The cotton is also super-soft.

It’s getting on to autumn in our part of the world. Here in the sub-tropics, that kinda just mean comfortable. I’m looking forward to wearing cardigans again!

Dress: Vintage (Brisbane Vintage Fair)

Bag: Vintage

Shoes: Melissa

Belt: Vintage

Cameo: Antique

Sunglasses: ASOS

Hope you had an amazing weekend!

Click for larger!

• Black & white button dress
• Black textured tights
• White Doc Martins
• Strand of pearls
• Silver snowflake earrings
• Silver & amber ring
• White satin headband
• White & clear umbrella

It rains & the world is full of greenery & life. This is what I wore to the Doctors! Because of the rain it’s a little bit cooler here in the tropics, so I can get away with wearing longer sleeves & some tights. You have no idea how excited I was! As a bonus, it was an incredibly pleasant walk to the Doctors surgery. (Don’t worry, it was nothing serious, just a vaccination.) I love the weight & feel of these pearls. Really, I can’t stop playing with them. They bounce about when I walk & clink against each other & they’re individually knotted, which is a handy fail-safe should they break.

Have a lovely weekend guys!

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• Black velvet high-waisted skirt with button details
• Black satin blouse with tie
• Black patent pumps
• Black faux-croc handbag
• Silver & amber ring
• Silver bangle
• Silver snowflake earrings

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This is what I wore to my job interview! Or as Queen Michelle calls it; Job Shop Style! I wanted something that was professional, neat, tidy & just a little bit fashionable. Minimal jewellery. I know black is very generic, but it’s also very safe! My trusty Mary-Janes are broken at the moment so I wore these lovely patent pumps instead. Look how shiny they are!

I was really excited & optomistic walking to the interview but when I got to the reception I started feeling a little nervous. So I sat & read Orlando to try and clam myself down a bit. I know that I become terribly introverted when I’m nervous & a job interview isn’t the best time to clam up! I think I did pretty well because I was asked back for a second interview. These people seem super nice & I’ll be thrilled if I get to work with them!

It’s New Years Eve! A time for celebrating with good friends, which is exactly what I did – & here’s what I was wearing when the clock struck midnight!

• Black ruffle dress & red satin ribbon
• Red wool beret
• Red patent PVC peep-toe pumps
• Vintage Czech cameo on black satin ribbon
• Silver snowflake earrings
• Black handbag

This is my attempt at the messy hairdo. I don’t think I succeeded much; making messy hair look effortlessly chic is an ironically taxing exercise. For my NYE celebrations I choose a house party hosted by an old school friend of mine where we sat around & talked & giggled & drank till midnight. I drank gin & tonic mixed with lime & a little Campari – super delicious! It was one of the best NYE parties I have been to in a long while. We even had sparklers!

Apologies for the muted expression, but I was feeling a bit glum. I have a junk food hangover you see. No more nachos for me in the near future I think.

• Black jersey shirt
• Black velvet high waisted skirt
• Black patent PVC pumps
• Black ribbon (around left wrist)
• Pearls, pearls, pearls! (the faux kind: around neck, on ears, in hair)

A while ago I went on a shopping spree for faux-pearls. I love the shape & colour of pearls, & how lovely they look en mass. Pearls seem to me to be the epitome of femininity. I used to raid my mother’s jewellery draw for her strings of pearls & wear them whenever I could get away with it. I think that sometimes pearls really deserve to be the centre of attention. To take advantage of the white-on-black contrast they provide, I like to combine pearls with simple black clothing. Though, I have been known to wear pearls wrapped around tartan skirts, coiled around my ankles & thrown over bold T-shirts!

Also, my brother & I picked this cane lawn-chair up from the side of the road. Isn’t it awesome? It needs some tender loving care, but it should make for the perfect garden seat on hot summer days don’t you think?

One trend seen on the runway recently was black. Somewhat Victorian, Lolita & neogoth, it seems black is back. Unless you have a clothing budget proportionate to price of a new home (you lucky girl if you do!), most of the lovely clothes on the runway will not make it into your closet. You can however borrow from these designs and use them as inspiration. Dammit, I know I am – these photos from the Alexander McQueen show just make me swoon! Here’s a rundown of the basic elements seen so far.

The Inspiration

Chanel

Lanvin & YSL

Balenciaga, Givenchy & Collette Dinnigan

Alexander McQueen

Andrew Gn

Images courtesy of Style.com

The Look

Several elements are recurring here, first up, the blouse & it’s all in the details. These Victorian inspired blouses begin with fabric covered buttons leading all the way up to a high collar, accented with simple & dainty lace, ribbon or ruffles all in black or white. That word again; simple. The look is somewhat androgynous & the feminine ribbon, ruffles & lace are merely accents. They shouldn’t shouldn’t steal the show! The blouses are accented with decorative cuffs, both the frilly kind & the simple over sized button-up kind.

Trousers are long, lean & high waisted. Also black, they taper at the ankles or are worn with a small boot-cut. A lot of emphasis is placed on the high waistline, so draw attention there with modest belts or buttons.

The coat. Military-esque styling lends these coats a structured style. Only the YLS coat is worn loosely or over sized, while the rest are tailored and fitted. The cuffs on the coat are designed so the the details on the sleeves of the blouse can show though, which lends everything a slightly Victorian look. Even if patterned, these coats are again, all black.

Skirts & dresses are high waisted & embellished with soft ruffles & pleats. Chanel opts for long, loose & flowing full-length skirts, whilst Alexander McQueen creates doll-like skirts ending just above, or just below the knee. Underskirts or pleats at the side provide volume & the whole thing is yes, you guessed it, black.

Make-up is pale & somewhat neutral (which I must confess is a blessing for little o’l anglo me!) The colour is of course black, but as for the placement, you have two options. Opt for black smokey, even batwing, eyes a la Lanvin & Balenciaga. Both Evan Rachel Wood & Amy Winehouse have been bringing black rimmed eyes back lately. The other option is to paint your lips with lashings of blood red, purple, or even black lipstick, the glossier the better. Their lips may be lovely, but don’t wear your bangs like the alien & eyeless YSL models or you’ll bump into things!

Make it yours

So you want it on a budget? I’d suggest investing in some good quality accessories & trying some DIY restructuring. A good place to start might be a pair of black tight-fitting gloves in satin, rubber, PVC (oh my!) or leather. Purchase some lengths of soft white linnen or silk & use them to make a cravat or wrist ties. You could replace the buttons on an old blouse with some fabric covered ones & add a bit Victorian flair by stitching on some premade ruffles or lace. For something more simple, wear a plain black skirt with black pumps or mary janes & a pair of white tights. Thrift stores are great places to pick a bargains. Keep a look out for useful items & remember, if the clothes you find are not black already, it’s very easy to dye them.

Extra Credit

• Check out these sets on Polyvore for more inspiration.
• Read Gala Darling’s article on Neogoth.
• Peruse what Popsugar has to say about black lips & dark eyes.
• As well as what Claire Coleman wrote at Mail Online.
  

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