Baby You're the Best

Look at #2 Son looking all flash and cool for his Year 12 formal.
We all know how many hundreds of dollars parents lay out for their daughters to look special on their big night out.
It's mind boggling how much cash and energy is spent on looking super-spesh.
But you know, I think it's way cooler how my son looked at his watch at 3pm and announced it was time for a shower, had a shave, got dressed and stepped out the door smelling amazing and looking a million bucks.
Later he told me all the girls were falling asleep by 8pm because they were exhausted ... gosh all that spray-tanning, hair-do's, makeup, nails, blah blah blah ... it takes it out of a girl.
All the boys looked fresh, cool, and proud to be looking good.
Mama was proud too.
So she wore a 1930s silk nightie.

Besties since preschool.  That's 13 out of 17 years folks, almost a lifetime.

It was treat time on Sunday and Advanced Style was a treat for the eyes and the soul.
We laughed, we cried.
It was wonderful.

On Monday, it was all business in the courtroom.
And in the bathroom.
And waiting for hours outside.

Hold your precious ones close my friends.
Love Desiree xoxo

Polyester Girl

Forever drawn to the wild, psychedelic prints and saturated colours of clothes from the late 60s and 70s, it seemed natural to collect the polyester pleasures that made my heart soar.
However it wasn't long before I remembered my mother's words about man-made fabrics; they just don't breathe.
In cooler climates it didn't seem too much of a bother but here in Brisbane, my wardrobe was getting jammed with amazing gear, yet I had nothing to wear.
Nylon, crimplene, nylon-jersey, polyester of every weight and thickness in every colour under the sun greeted me merrily each morning: "pick me, pick me Desiree!"
It finally dawned on me why there was such an abundance of beaut maxis, flares and jackets in the op shops and markets ... they were an instant sauna in a bag and people in our sub-tropical climate simply couldn't abide them.
So I sold off and gave away a large portion of my polyester friends *sniff*.
I'm afraid I cannot bear to have clothes hanging in my wardrobe that I can't wear for comfort reasons, instead adhering to a cotton-only policy for 1970s gear and drawing on my life-long love and adoration of all things 1930s and 40s.
Rayon was an inexpensive, affordable and hard-wearing fabric during that era, and since it's a synthetic manufactured from wood pulp, it seems a more humidity-tolerant fabric.
What a relief!  I love the styles from the 30s and 40s ... the details are beautiful, the fabrics fare incredibly well for their age and I like the tailoring.
But if you've been popping over here for a while, you'll probably know I never, ever wear any era from top-to-toe ... not my scene.
Modern synthetics are still very dodgy in my opinion, but depending on the cut, they can be worn on days like today ... the last day of winter.
So today I chose a few bits and pieces that I can get away with before the sauna cranks up for six months of summer.
An ode to nylon in its many forms.

Earrings and FREEK necklace - Bones Couture

1940s slip, lace coat, Top Shop shoes, spiked headband, other jewellery, gold powder compact, feather hair clips, gold belt - all from op shops, markets, eBay

Dime a Dozen

I've been in a style funk for a couple of months now.
In limbo for this long, my it's no fun.
Then our local Vinnies and Salvos recently shut up shop for a couple of weeks and reopened in vastly improved, bigger premises just a few doors away from their original digs.
Days later, I was strolling down the street and spotted a new shop, Pop Up Vintage.
Clearly the planets were aligned and it was time for a jolly good rummage to whet the appetite.

I've been wearing cast offs since I was a kid and I can't recall an occasion when I didn't get excited about wearing someone else's clothes.
I learned to sew at a young age and was sewing most of my own clothes by 16 then once I started working I loved treating myself to new gear.
But I always returned to second hand clothes and to this day, I get more of a thrill from finding something odd, used and inexpensive than prancing about in clothes from over-priced, pretentious boutiques.

During the 90s, I wouldn't have been seen dead in saggy floral frocks like this, even when they were popular here in Brisbane.
It was strictly black all the way for me back then, which I still love, although these days my black outfits are usually highly decorated.
But ever since I grabbed this fine cotton frock from Pop Up Vintage for $12, I've worn it nearly everyday.
Just goes to show it's never too late to change your mind about style.

 

Cotton frock - Pop Up vintage shop

1960s beauty case, Demonia shoes, jewellery and 1940s fur cape - op shops and markets

Tights - Sock Dreams

The black sequin 80s top was a closing-time $10 bargain from Camberwell Market in Melbourne during our recent adventures and I found the cotton stretch skirt at the Red Cross shop.

When I took it to the counter I was told if I bought two items I'd get the third for free, so I found two more skirts and paid just $10 for the three.

Bargain-ous!

I haven't worn tube-style skirts since my Madonna days in the 80s, so I'm cracking open yet another time capsule.

1980s sequinned top - Camberwell Markets, Melbourne

1950s leopard-print beret and 1970s beaded bag - Nelly of Vintage Wishes

Fishnet top - online sale

Skirt - Red Cross op shop

Jewellery - all op-shopped

1970s leather boots - second-hand from local boot makers

I've unpicked part of the waistband of this fab 80s taffeta skirt as it's too small.

I can't wait to finish it as I love it!

It's the second of the three-skirt bargains.

The kilt was the third of the three-skirt bargains.

After my recent wardrobe purge, I realised I'm low on skirts and a Scottish kilt for three bucks?

Yes please.

This is my favourite t-shirt in the world.  

I have no idea what will happen when Miss Camel Toe goes to t-shirt hell, but it's not worth sweating over.  

She only cost me a few bucks, so it's no great financial loss, yet Miss Camel Toe has attitude and understands me.

Green leather jacket - Camberwell Market 
Black t-shirt - online second hand shop
Bangles, earrings - op shops
Pink tights - Sock Dreams
Shoes - market
FREEKY necklace - custom made by Phussy

I trawl op shops and second hand markets for ideas when I'm in a style funk.

What do you do?

Baci,

Desire xox

Schools for the Deaf in 1950s ... and Ballet

Skimming Blogger search stats is a rather amusing way to waste a few seconds.
Yet I'm still scratching my head over how someone landed on my blog while looking for 1950s deaf schools.
Nevertheless, real life has been a little more interesting than some people's strange internet habits these past couple of days.
For a start, it's been deliciously "wintery" here in Brisbane.
Snort away, I realise how utterly ridiculous autumn temperature ranges from 7-19 degrees celsius must seem to people living in climates that enjoy four proper seasons.
But it's all relative to what one is used to isn't it?  After all, I can stomp around in Docs and long sleeved shirts to avoid sun damage when it's 30+ degrees if necessary.

Early yesterday, this was the morning view from the back deck where I enjoyed my coffee.

Later in the day, my attempt to distract about 200 school girls from their soccer matches was a partial success.
It was The Stylist's special request that I "dress crazy" to come and watch her game ... I told her I would just wear my normal clothes, yet I must have looked like a neon orange field line marker judging by the sweet gasping faces.

Yesterday The Phoenix bought last minute tickets for The Stylist and I to see the ballet Coppelia last night.
So she and I got to wear fur and tights and sleeves.
And go out.
At night.
Woohoo!

I found her owl patchwork bag in an op shop this week for $4.  It's brand new and she loves it.  Win.

The wee lassie is rocking one of my 1940s fur capes and my comic tights.
I love that she can wear some of my gear now, no doubt the next thing will be shoes at the rate she's growing.

Killing time at the train station and on the empty train to South Bank.

Once we got to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (with bright pink blusher intact) we were very pleasantly surprised that the ballet patrons had bothered to dress up for the occasion.
This good news follows sharp on the heels of the rant in my last post, complaining about the casual culture that seems to be poisoning our DNA.
Bravo to heels, sparkle, hair-dos, bling-bling and eyebrows, it was a feast for the eyes!

There was a children's story time telling the story of Coppelia and colouring-in between acts, which was lovely as there were people of all ages attending.  A little girl told her mother at the next colouring table: "I want all of that lady's outfit!"
Clearly a child of discerning taste.

Not a very exciting shot, but as you can see we were seated in "the gods" because it was a last minute ticket race, yet it didn't hinder the performance in the slightest, the theatre is so beautifully well-designed.
The theatre filled up quickly while the wonderful orchestra warmed up.

And these are some of the images I nicked off the intawebz of the Queensland Ballet's performance coz obviously no pics allowed during the performance and rightfully so.

I hope you have a fab weekend, tomorrow's Mother's Day here and we've got a full house tonight. 
Baci, D xox