the what i wore project - week 15

here's a snapshot of the last week's looks and wasn't there a lot of one legged action.  my favourite bird is the flamingo, so maybe i was channeling.

so i haven't quite got the post easter sugar fix out of my system which may have contributed to the length of my last weeks 'what i wore' post, and i still have bunnies and they stand to attention every time i look up at them above my desk.  sorry bunnies, your day's are numbered.

i did mention last week that i had been working on a project all over the easter break and on Monday night we launched our new look huudaverti website. this was such a mammoth task, but it felt really great to have made this important update and i think continuing to grow and change is not only important for a person but necessary for a business.  if we don't continue to evolve, we are at risk of not being prepared for opportunities that may present in the every changing world of fashion.

now i'm gonna get down to business for week 15 of the year.

i had to think about what day it was, because with the extended break, i looked dressed for a weekend, but it was actually monday. every sunday i go for a massage in west end at i do thai massage it started as a bit of an ad hoc thing to do, but it's now a weekly necessity. they also have a little boutique attached and i got this dress from their the small collection they used to have there. they don't have much of this brand left but have just got a whole lot of new stuff in there from other brands. half the fun of sharing my ootd's is now also about finding a back drop where i can feel like i am not just posing against the same wall all the time and this was a great one.  it is behind the lift bakery cafe at highgate hill.  yum yum!

i wore dress from i do thai massage, west end.  the brand is mr & mrs wardrobe from indonesia. shoes are from nine west.

tuesday back to work and i often head up to the sports ground at annerley as they have some fun places for take photos.  on this day, i snuck through the gates of the bridge club and when i saw this little building, i was in love and couldn't wait to go stand up against it take some selfies.  it was amost mystical there, it was a bit chilly, and the light was amazing which just added to the beauty of the backdrop.

i wore, a black thick crepe dress i had made some years ago, but it's still a super fave.  shoes are from novo and my necklace is from robert kennedy fiji.

wednesday - upcycle and recycle - i put on this outfit and wasn't quite sure - was it the shoes, was it too much pink - no, cause you can never have too much pink, was it the pom poms, the sparkles, the velvet, the embroidery.  after a few twirls in the mirror, i went yep, there is too much of every thing, but fuck it, it all works and off i went.  i headed off in search of a backdrop and at the girl guide hall in annerley, the kids have painted on the building and as soon as i saw it, i knew that with everything i had going on in my outfit, that this would work perfectly.

i wore a pink velvet top that i made from a piece of left over fabric which i added pom poms to the bottom. a skirt that i got in india.  it never fitted, because it was so tiny round the waist, but i loved it and ended up cutting it off and making it a short skirt. i added a gold sequin belt that i made and my shoes are from betts.

thurday.  i actually don't read fashion mags or follow any style guides. everything i make or wear is what i put together from my own imagination and today it was red red red.  the annerley sports area has featured quite a lit in my backdrops this week and these great water tanks at the rugby field became the simple highlight for such a strong outfit.  when i looked down over my red top and saw my red shoes peeking out from my red pants, it looked great.

the red didn't stop their, cause i also wore some red eyeshadow and a very very red lipstick from natio called rush.

i wore black singlet from uniqlo, shoes from mollini.  the floral open sided top, red stretch sateen pants and belt were made by me.  the earrings came from fiji.

TGIF - this was the longest shortest week ever and it was the day i needed toast - done my way. i like to toast it, let it go cold, by forming a toast pyramid, then slather it with butter and put vegemite on, but only down the centre.  quite the runway strip going on, but this way, i get the love of the butter and just the right amount of the good old aussie tradition, that is vegemite.

this was also the week i had a personal training session on wednesday and was rendered useless by my robot legs by friday. i needed to get grounded,  and that required a bit of an urban look where i was easily able to perform some stretches as required in the office. my backdrop was under the lychee lounge west end and was the right place for this one. sometimes it's only after i see the photo that i notice all the detail and i love those pipes that are attached to the wall.

i wore metallic top from just jeans, elastic bottom pants from target, metallic converse hightops gifted from my niece, my favourite mis matched heart earrings and a last addition, a necklace from sri lanka.

could saturday be any more fun?  this dress is a party in itself and as i headed into the davies park markets for my usual saturday food fest, i drove past this roll-a-door, that i drive past every week and knew that this had to be the backdrop.  the dress is strong, the back drop is strong and kapow, they both just work.  

this is also the day that my little friend Miss H, from last week's post looked in amazement as i walked into the coffee shop and i have had a dress like this commissioned for her.  she will love it.

i wore layer upon layer dress from huudaverti, slides that i got from rio de janiero, red tear drop earrings, and hair accentuated with beaded bobby pins that i made.

sunday is here again and i frocked up to head out for my morning coffee, before my weekly massage. i look in awe at this giant tree on montague road at davies park west end and took the opportunity to use it as my backdrop. it's an amazing tree and one that i plan on going back just to walk around and investigate it further.  i am not sure how old it is, but it has so much depth an character. it's beautiful.

i wore dress made by me and hand beaded with motifs from india, and beads that go all the way round the neckline. shoes come from venice and i left the house with washed wet hair and some virgin coconut oil on my face and a splash of lipstick.  i felt very smart, but also fresh.  this dress does have a downside though, it has a sheen and it once caused me to nearly slide off my workseat, which would be so unfashionable, but totally funny, if there were no injures.  it comes with a safety warning.

another wrap up done and i love that i am documenting all my looks. this was also the week that we started to get a little chill in the air in brisbane and i decided while doing some more post storm clean up - yes 5 months and still sorting it out - that i would get a blanket out that my nana knitted before she died.  she has been gone nearly 10 years and this has never been used.  how silly.  it's out of the bag now and on my bed, where it deserves to be. 

and with the arrival of the blanket out of storage, it's not going to be long till i need to think about getting the winter gear out of storage and ready to wear.  i am ready for a change - bring on the boots.

the what i wore project - week 14 or is it week 2?

it's technically week 2 of my what i wear/wore project, but it's actually 14 weeks in to the year, so figured, i would count along with the calendar, rather then when i began, which was week one, or really week 13, just to add some numerical confusion.  holy moly better have some more chocolate, cause that is bound to help me think clearer.

this is how my week looked,  plenty of colour - of course - and a few pairs of shorts.  given we are in public holiday mode this week,  the opportunity to wear stuff that is NSFW (not safe for work) is always a plus.

 

monday's look is an easy start to the week and one that is fun and comfy.

the spots are kind of crazy which adds to my sense of appeal as i like to describe myself as a squiqqle, rather then a straight line, so if something is a bit quirky, it will certainly grab my attention.

i wore spotted pants and pom pom necklaces made by me, top from suzanne grae and shoes from betts

 

tuesday i grabbed this dress out of the cupboard.  hadn't worn it for ages, but it is really cute - as everyone said throughout the day.  I put it on to do a few mirror moves in and then gave it the thumbs up.  it needs a slip underneath or it's NSFW, so instead of bothering to take it off and add said slip, i just put a pair of loose pants underneath, added a belt and the beads and declared it a fashion win.

i wore dress made by me, pants from katies, shoes from novo, belt gifted to me and beads from st vinnies at annerley. 

 

wednesday - april fools day - and i did manage to pull off a prank at my local coffee shop ugees.  i am a soy drinker and my usual coffee was delivered by Belinda and i took a sip and as usual it was lovely. i waited a while till i had another sip (so it looked like something was wrong) and when another coffee was brought out for someone else, i picked mine up and held it out to hand back saying that i think there was a mistake as my coffee was made on dairy.  Belinda was genuinely shocked and surprised and said really.  Nope, i said, april fools. i did manage to fool her with my poker face.

this was probably my favourite outfit of the week. i got this dress at SWOP, a clothing exchange store in west end.  it is really cute and i did make the effort to put on a slip underneath.  it was also a popular piece and with floral sparkle how could it not be.

i wore dress from swop, shoes from whittner, belt gifted to me and it didn't really need much else.

 

thursday was the new friday and that meant dress casual in the office day. jeans, jeans, jeans was the chant of the morning and hearts was to show my respect for the upcoming four day break.

i wore top made by me, skinny jeans from target, shoes from mollini and necklace from robert kennedy fiji.

as i write my post today, i have flicked back and forth to facebook to see that sadly Tess Holliday is being trolled and bullied online through fat shaming people and groups and she has posted a message which has received 45,000 likes, about 700 shares and numerous comments on people standing up against bullying.

HER POST: Just so you trolls are aware, I'm in contact with Instagram and Reddit and your fat hate pages won't be around much longer. So instead of bullying others you might actually have time to work on yourselves and try to be happy instead of projecting your problems on others. If I can defy the odds in my industry and be the first model to be signed to an agency, you best believe I will shut you all down and change the laws against this kind of bullying and vile behavior.

go Tess. it just blows my mind to think that there are so many people out there who can only find joy from taunting others and making themself feel better by making others feel bad.

 

we are often so hard on ourselves and when you have other people shaming you, how hard must it be to even begin to feel good inside. I guess the #effyourbeautystandards is a start and for me, it's acknowledging that i am so much more that just a body and that's why i swapped out the original picture i had above and put this one in showing me jumping - happy, having fun and showing what's really underneath that fabulous flamingo top and not really giving an EFF about it.

i've seen a few posts this week about people not wanting to show their body in public, or being shamed for showing their body in public.  be true to yourself and have the courage to pave the way.

friday - i wore shorts and top made by me, havianas and a body that has given my 48 years of a fabulous life.

 

saturday and it's my usual trip to the markets. feeling a bit upmarket if i say so myself.

i wore top from huudaverti, brocade shorts and belt by me and sandals from nine west.

 

and sunday, the day where i ate myself stupid with chocolate and also went for my weekly thai massage. well, this massage was a bit different, because as i took off my thongs to enter the place, i just happened to step on the only bee that was in a hundred metre radius and it stung me right on the little toe.  OUCH! the bee sting hurt, but not as much as the thai massage. same time next sunday, but without the bee.

my outfit was pretty fun and the highlight of this was my denim vest, that i purchased from Big W and then sewed the heart sequin motif on the back.  you can't buy that motif, cause each individual sequin has been sewn on lovingly by me.

i wore velvet shorts from huudaverti - there are still some available - old tshirt from valley girl, vest embellished by me, belt i made myself, havaianas and necklaces that i have had for many many years.

the fashion highlight doesn't stop there, because there is a real community where i go for my daily coffee in west end.  and one of our newer members is Miss Harper. I say she is a new, because she is only 3 (i think) and has been a regular since birth and probably before.

she greeted me at the door with some easter eggs (more chocolate) and then went about her business of drinking a milkshake, helping out in the store, patting dogs, and being a cute as a button.

 

she was pretty chuffed when i told her i had something to put in her fantastic bronze vinyl pocket. and apparently, i am a nice lady, who wears sparkles and gives out chocolate.  i sound like a fairy god mother....

i am not sure where her outfit came from, but it all works and it may just well reignite a love of pockets for which i usually am very vocal about not liking.  i look forward to seeing Harper and her fashion as she has got it all happening. maybe we can collaborate.

well that was a busy week as i have pretty much worked since i finished my real job on thursday arvo to now and this long weekend is just about done. but i will be sharing what i have been working on soon.

so i have seen and heard some good and some not so good things to do with body image this week and i hope that those who are strong, stay strong and those who are struggling take small steps towards living the life they deserve. be kind to yourself and others.

the what i wear project

I thought it might be a nice thing for me to do a bit of a wrap up of my week - really it's a wrap up of what i wore, because i'd love to think that maybe there is something that i wear and share that may inspire someone to think differently about how they style an outfit or even decide to wear a look that they may not necessarily think works.

Inspirational is how i have been referred to for some aspects of my life and i used to cringe at the thought of having public compliments, but not anymore, i accept them graciously, and feel happy that maybe something i have done or am doing makes a difference to someone else's life - in a positive way.

Not only do i share my fashion, but i have been blogging my way through a book called Don't sweat the small stuff and this project came about at a time when a great amount of turmoil started occurring in my life and it seemed like a way to help me get through it and it's not only helped me, but others as well.

I was really surprised this week when somebody messaged me and complimented me on my style and told me that they were taking more risks, adding more colour and suggested we go shopping.  I was blown away.

So, my plan is every sunday to do a quick share (wrap up) of what i wore, which may be pieces from our huudaverti label, pieces i just made ad hoc or items that i pick up along the way.  I am a lover of wearing things over and over so don't be surprised if items pop up more than once - in a different incarnation of course.  So here goes......

well monday rolled around and i put on a tube skirt.  There's a blog coming about said tube skirt, cause it wasn't something that i was comfortable in, or so i thought.

i  wore huudaverti animal print tube skirt, teamed with black top from temt (really really old) and a floral over overshirt i made (also a few years old) teamed with a sequin belt, shoes from betts and earrings from fiji.

tuesday saw me donning another tube skirt.  white top or black top, white or black - it went on for ages and eventually the white top won the battle.

i wore skirt from best and less on sale for 10 bucks, tshirt from target, shoes from whittner and necklace gifted from a friend.  this look was a little out of my comfort zone - well the white top and shoes were, but i went with it.

hump day. i love the tree of life store - have loved it for so long as i really connect with some of their stuff, not all, but a lot of it. in the 70's when i was a teenager - crikey doesn't that sound wild - i had an original indian wrap around skirt and i have a photo of me wearing it but do you think i can find it.....NO!  i was on stradbroke island with my sisters and i know i shared it on facey, but i can't find it.  grrrr.

so i had tooed and froed with the indian skirt but was inspired to get one after the aussie curves post challenge about inspiration. I didn't think it would compliment me, but it did and it got complimented all day long.  it just required some simple styling, cause the skirt really did most of the work.

i wore skirt from tree of life, top from target, shoes from novo and earrings from dissh.

thursday - i was busting to wear this combo that was a look that we showed at the curvy couture roadshow.  it was fun, it was comfy and when people saw it on me at work, they were loving it. expect the unexpected.

i wore top and skirt from huudaverti, belt gifted to me, shoes from whittner.

TFIF - thank F it's friday and i decided to whip out the tie dye jeans i made and make it a little more formal for work.  and i was really happy with this look.  again unexpected, yet suitable.

i wore jeans from target tie dyed by me, dress/top made by me, love necklace from target or tarjayyyyy if you are feeling posh.

 

finally it was the weekend and it's then i can relax and put on whatever i like.

my weekend ritual/routine is going to the west end markets and this week i decided to frock up.  i had a lunch date with girlfriends at the spaghetti house southbank as well and felt it necessary to really frock up.

i wore assym dress from huudaverti, sandals from jo mercer and then gold dress and earrings from huudaverti, shoes from whittner. i need to make a mention of the earrings. at the curvy couture market, i was talking to nick holliday -yes, tess holliday's partner, and he had nice things to say about these earring, so of course a pair went in the goodie bag we gave her.

 

and finally it's sunday and it's still hot here in brissy, so i whipped on  a comfy kaftan for my morning outing.

i wore kaftan purchased in fiji, giant gold hoops from lovissa and shoes from nine west.

my weekend was topped off with an invitation from my son to have scones. i will never say no to making or eating them.

 

the day didn't quite stop there, because i decided that i needed a haircut.  he isn't a hairdresser but what can possibly go wrong with a pair of scissors and a couple of elastic bands.  well, i will wait and see tomorrow, after i open my wardrobe door and begin the "what will i wear today" pose and the "i can't do anything with my hair today" craziness following the much needed hair washing and either relief or horror as to what the cut looks like.  

have a great week and i am not wishing my life away, but i can't wait to see what makes its way out of the wardrobe and onto my body this week.

Aussie Curves challenge - bridal

I may no longer be a married lady, but that isn't going to stop me sharing a post about bridal.  No relationship breakdown is ever nice, and for me it certainly wasn't what i was expecting when we made the commitment.  Sadly though a series of unplanned, un-navigatable events occurred that ultimately changed our relationship. I'd describe it like the continuation of the tides - they ebb and flow and you know the shoreline and then something happens and the sand moves and the shore is no longer the same.  I know it's called, erosion, but i'd prefer to think of it as a shift in the sands.

I did love my wedding and the dress was one that i had in my head and then had it made into reality by my mum. after searching and searching for just the right materials. I am non traditional that's for sure, so there was no white frock, veil or any of the other things that are associated with weddings - yes there was a rings, cake, a bar tab and a honeymoon, but that's about it.  Oh and i was given some pansy's out of my cousins garden.  they were given to her by my beautiful nana before she died and had flowered around the same time as the wedding.

Well here's the dress - it doesn't look as good hanging on a coat hanger, as it does hanging on a body, but it is full of detail - such as bells, crystals, sequins, braids and all hand sewn on by me in the time leading up to the day.

The dress is a black stretch top that my mum attached to the skirt she made.  It was tricky to do, but she is amazing and used her skills to make it work. It was hard to find the right top, but after a fair bit of looking around, i found one that felt just right. Once the pieces were joined, i set about embellishing.  As i said everything here is hand sewn on and each individual bell, crystal and the motifs below had to be put on one by one.

 

 

 

 

     

On a trip to india my sister and i came across a place that sold amazing beads, trims and motifs and i decided to use some on my dress and on my shoes.  The individual glass crystals and bells came from Bead Trimming and Craft, which is now at Stones Corner.

So that's my bridal post - and i am sorry, i can't share pictures of me in the dress cause it's just to weird.  What i will do though is wear the dress again, cause it is beautiful and holds great memories of a great day and I certainly shouldn't feel sad for having had such a great relationship with so many wonderful experiences along the way, including this one.