the sunday session 11 - it doesn't always have to be fast

oh man - this week i am gonna let the fashion do the talking, cause i got nothing but 7 looks that i loved - well i guess i wouldn't wear them if i didn't love them - and of course there's only one i will debrief....but which will it be cause it's so hard to choose now that i am not doing the full outfits rundown each week.  can you guess which one?

it's pretty obvious that i make most of my stuff, cause i tell everyone about it on my instagram  or my instajan as i like to call it and having that creative streak provides me with so much clothing joy.

i am the "end to end" of my clothing journey most times. i see fabric, i decide what i want to make, i make it, i style it and i wear it. it's such a fulfilling thing to be able to do and it means i can just do and wear whatever i want, without having to be a slave to fashion so to speak. i never read fashion mags or follow fashion shows or fashion trends - i am really just pulling stuff out of my own head and going with it.  i like that, it keeps me feeling fashion free.

when i do buy stuff, i love to get pieces that are vintage (a preference that has fallen by the wayside), or pieces that have a distinct lack of popularity about them, giving them a sense of longevity.

this week, i am not going to debrief my incredibly talked about homemade leopard skirt and top - as smoking hot as it was and felt, but a purchased look- the lee cooper jeans and the stripy vintage top.

well the jeans i picked up recently from Big W were super long flares.  So much so, that i needed to be at least an extra foot taller just to wear them with pluggers, so i gave them the chop.

And don't you just love it when you walk into a shop and you literally hear a piece calling to you.  me me me, look at me, i 'm waving to you, come and say hi...you know you want to!  that's exactly what that vintage top from OTC on flinders st, melbourne did, but there was a conflict of interest in my mind for some not so flattering reasons.

high neck - accentuates my boobs - i try to avoid
horizontal stripes - an urban myth
sleeveless - hello batwings - yes they are going to jiggle in sleeves, or sleeveless
unnatural fabric - need i say more, but i know it will last - forever
the colour combo - yes yes yes... it far outweighed any of the other negatives and at a bargan price of 10 bucks, it was a no brainer.  i can see a squillion things this top will go with and i am hoping the weather stays warm enough so it can get another outing soon.

so for 10 bucks (on sale) and second hand, i consider it a win for me and for the environment and what i loved about this outfit was that it actually felt balanced, even with some of the not so flattering reasons.

with so much emphasis on fast everything - fashion, love, food, living, i really like to keep a grounded approach as to how i spend my cash on the fash and everything else - and investing 10 dollars on a piece of clothing that has already been around the block, made perfect fashion sense. and yes it was cheap, but it's not new and i can see longevity with it and that's important. there's only somethings i like fast and fashion isn't one of them.

i'm not comfortable knowing that someone has created pieces of clothing and got paid very little for them working in unbearable conditions so they can eventually be discarded when they are are no longer fashionable. i do think about this when i buy clothing.

i also love to re-wear my much loved pieces and over again and finding new ways to bring them to life, it resonates better with my sense of purpose and slower living.

i did get some other pieces on sale from the second hand shop and i know they will be much loved in my wardrobe for a long time and it feels good knowing that my choices are considered and heartfelt.

so for someone who didn't have anything to say, it seemed i had plenty to say - about something. happy styling folks and i'm glad that top called to me across the shop - it's a keeper

the what i wore project - week 24

First up - here's all my looks from this week, in what was quite a higgeldy piggeldy weather week here in brissy.

But now.......FFFAAAARRRRRKKKKK

As a result of the devastating storm in Brissy last year, there were a number of things that sucked about it and two of them were these.
1. my clothing got damaged due to water, dye running, debris etc etc
2. my sewing room got demolished - literally, it was trashed along with my machines, every piece of thread, pins, some patterns, fabrics etc etc

the impact of this has now come to light in a way that has seen the majority of my weekend walking around both garden city and indooroopilly shopping centres, looking for some new winter wear.

FFFFAAAARRRRKKKKKK!
the best part of this was, that i probably exceeded the required 10,000 steps per day as i went in search of fashion.
the worst part of this was that there was not much on offer that was different and appealed to my sense of style.

when i mentioned to someone that i was going to garden city, they proclaimed that it was like going to a chinese factory outlet - and that is just what it felt like.  mass produced, cookie cutter outfits that offered me no joy at all.

i tell a lie - i did find three totally impractical things that made it into my wardrobe, from a shop called Sha Sha at Garden City.

 

2 x jumpsuits and 1 x leopard side split overdress,with this fabulous high neckline. this was also the first time i did a dressing room selfie and given the current state of fashion play, may be the last.

 

in this outfit, i am thinking that there must be a disco somewhere in the world, because with this leopard overdress on that black jumpsuit, there are only good moves to be had.

so, apart from these items, i came away empty handed in the clothing stakes.

i know it's an ongoing issue for women who don't wan't to feel like they are just looking like the next person who walks by and for me, it is especially frustrating, as i just need to wear things that express who i am creatively and individually.  Sure i can walk into a shop and put together some looks, but there has to be a element of difference to what i want to put on.

So what to do - well i did the only thing possible and that was to buy some chocolate eclairs from bread top so i can add to my muffin top and then i headed to spolight to start the very very expensive task of replacing all the things that were damaged in the storm. and i look forward at sometime soon, getting my pedal to the metal and creating some looks again.  i have really missed not doing any sewing, as it has been nearly seven months.

so here's a wrap up of this week's looks, without any other blabbering apart from the outfit and where it came from.

monday i flashed some skin and wore target boyfriend jeans, rhinestone belt from wrangler DFO, top from nyc gifted from my sister, birkenstocks and of course a big janijans smile.

tuesday it was cold so i rugged up and wore black velvet jeans from sportscraft, red suede men's shoes from stone, puffer vest picked up in sarojini market new delhi and a black turtle neck jumper from coles fairfield.

wednesday it wasn't too hot or too cold so i wore tree tube skirt from best and less carindale, black jumper from coles, boots from jo mercer and various necklaces.

thursday well it was warm again so i wore black pants from country road, top from suzanne grae and my lee vest that i sequined at the back with a big red love heart.

friday i wore a comfy casual look for the office which was skinny jeans from target, a black sequin belt i made, a batwing chiffon top from target that is open at the back, over a black long sleeve tee.

these boots got the first outing of the year and i love them soooo much.  the heel is just right, the pointed toe is just right, the studs are so right and the length is just right.  it's a goldilocks moment and they are from mollini, but i had to search the countryside to find them and eventually picked them up in a dress shop at cabarita.

saturday it was market day and that meant a stop to my most favourite vego stall at west end market. for me it wasn't too cold so i wore those same skinny jeans from target, my western boots from wrangler DFO , and a very sheer cheesecloth top from tree of life carindale and i couldn't wait to get my hands on a spinach and fetta pie.

sunday it was cold again - make up your mind brisbane weather.  i took this photo down in west end where there was a big sign saying under surveillance.  great, i thought, i can bust some moves before the cops come.  i wore skinny jeans, diadora sneakers from suva, fiji, a silver puffer jacket from uniqlo new york and also hottest of hot pink cap from old navy in nyc as well.

well that was my week in fashion and my very disheartening weekend in shopping for fashion. actually, now i come to think of it, i went to target at buranda last week and was equally disappointed with what is often a place of a few good finds.

i really don't know what to make of it all.  the desire to continually produce this mediocre stuff can't go on forever....surely. i know that people are very vocal about wanting fashionable items, especially in the plus size market, but for me, it just isn't hitting the mark and i am not sure what the answer to this is or how i can stand out from the masses when all i see is mass production. i guess that continuing to create the looks that i want to wear is more important now, then it ever was, if this is the future of local fashion that i am being offered.

the what i wore project - week 20

this week was and still is action packed.  not only was i heading off to fiji for our fourth showing at fiji fashion week, but i had to finish all my work work, before i could leave to go to fiji for my fun work.

as my departure date grew closer, the list of things i needed to finalise grew longer.  things such as finalising my fabrics for our collection, last minute shopping in the form of chocolates, crumpets, soy milk, vegemite, promite, getting some strategic waxing (really, you want me to put my leg up where - this is hair removal, not a bloody yoga class) and the list went on. i also had to go and have my first ever try at having some fake eyelashes put on. This wasn't like a slab of lashes, but individual ones as i am so in love with the ones that a colleage has, that i decided to try my own.  Now, i haven't taken this lightly - i don't even pluck or wax my eyebrows, so doing this was quite the commitment, but they do feel long and lovely.

what was hilarious though was that during this relaxing time with the therapist, we were chatting about make up and i explained that apart from a bit of lippy, mascara and some eye shadow, i thought had reached my full make up potential about a year ago. but no, i am doing a bit more now - my red stila eyeliner is now a must have item. i didn't even know how to put eyeliner on until about 6 months ago but a lesson from mecca cosmetics fixed that. i just was never that into all of this stuff, regardless of how razzle dazzle my outfits may be. a simple face wash some coconut oil when i remembered was pretty much my routine.  anyway, i am doing a bit more in the make up department and when i told her of this, she offered the compliment that i have started looking after myself....actually i said, i have always looked after myself, so with that faux pas, she proceeded to ensure my transition into falsies was quick and painless and one that i am happy with.  the fact that my sister said i have drag queen lashes, doesn't deter me at all. it just makes it all the more fun.

so this week i am only showing 5 looks that i wore and the reason for that is that i am now in Fiji, as of Friday night and i literally have no clothes.  i bought the bare basics. a pair of shorts, swimmers, 2 tops, pj's, what i wore on the plane a dress to wear to an event and a pair of pants.  not much for 3 week's vacay, but that is okay, because i am going to raid my sisters wardrobe or the huudaverti sample rack and just make up some new looks each day.  i just had too much other stuff to bring, so figured i would just leave my clothes back home.  genius! but it is a little weird not quite knowing that you can go to your fall back faves if you need to.

well, here is what i wore pre-fji for my busy busy week at work and what because a very chilly brisbane.

Monday i wore this heavy cotton drill dress with classic art. I made the dress with fabric from spotlight and the boots are from jo mercer.

Tuesday i wore an animal print tube skirt from huudaverti, really old black top from temt, boots from jo mercer, vest from uniqlo melbourne and western belt from wrangler dfo.

Wednesday i wore gold denim skirt from huudaverti, black top from unknown, boots from jo mercer and lee denim vest from Big W that i sequined the heart onto the back of.

Thursday i wore something to keep me warm as it was bloody chilly so i dressed for the cold weather apart from the shoes - but that's a brisbane thing. this red velvet suit if from sportscraft, my jumper is from harris scarfe, shoes from betts and belt made by me.

i refrain from wearing anything suit like as i just don't want to be responsible for causing anyone to drop what they are carrying, or fall over at the sight of me in such a constructed look.

Friday i wore something comfy to travel in.  jeans from target, shirt/dress from tree of life, poncho from davies park markets, birkenstocks and a smile of someone who is about to go on three weeks leave.

i got to work super early on thursday - it was cold and clear and i decided to take a pic of our beautiful city that is brisbane.

so tonight i am in suva, staying in a little bure at my sisters house.  it is cool, raining and even though it is just 2 hours difference, from home, i am feeling tired but very excited about going into her cupboard tomorrow to see what i can dress up in. my trip was uneventful, unlike my last one when i got the final boarding call at brissy and i hope to try and update my looks everyday. however with fashion week just around the corner and a collection that is still in progress, i will be on high alert for the next 2 weeks.  then it will be true holiday time.

bula.

the what i wore project - week 19

this week, i am confused.  and i am confused about the weather.  i want to pack all my summer stuff away, but it just isn't getting cold enough yet.  I head off to fiji for fiji fashion week on friday. I have a week there before the shows, and then following that, i have another week, where i hope i will be able to have some much needed r&r and go to the beach, do some snokelling, drink some cocktails and just do NOTHING!

leading up to my departure this friday, i have had so much to do, that this week has been all about work and i didn't really think too much about what i would wear, as it wasn't top of mind. apart from my new western boots - i really just wanted wear one of each every day though, cause i love them so much. but that might have been a bit too weird.

what was great this week, was reading a blog from sugercoatit about the little moments app review and the photo a day challenges.

back in 2010, when i started blogging, i decided to take a photo of myself everyday for a year and it kind of grew from a little challenge i set myself to something where i began to write about things happening in my life that were personally challenging or fun, while sharing fashion, food and stories over the year. here i am on the first day and the last day of my year of taking a photo.

 

doing a photo challenge is a really great way of exploring creativity and feeling like you may be going beyond your day to day routine. the reason i say this is because when i reflect on all the great things in my life, i have pursued the things i love or thought i might like to try and that has given me contentment.  this is one way that i discovered a lot about myself and began to explore other creative parts of me that i never knew existed. instead of saying i wish i could do something, i actually did it and now it brings me a great deal of personal satisfaction, regardless of what may be going on around me. if you are looking for a simple way to start to explore other aspects of your life, then a photo challenge is an easy way to start.  what are you waiting for.

so onto the week that was.

monday - well it wasn't cold that's for sure.

i wore a chevron a-line skirt and seersucker top made by me.  belt from the $2 shop, shoes from jo mercer and heart earrings.

tuesday i had the day off work as i had some personal appointments and i hitched up my wagon and headed out.

i wore white dress from tree of life, boots that i got at the wrangler store at dfo and hoop earrings.  so, i had wandered into the wrangler store many times on trips to dfo and to me it was just a bit daggy. last sunday however, there were boots, boots and more boots and i ended up buying 2 pairs for much much cheaper then one full price pair would ever be. so if you are looking out for some western gear, then it's worth a trip and they go up to larger sizes as well, which was a bonus.

wednesday i just grabbed a couple of things from the cupboard and threw them on, making sure i matched the carpet with the curtains so to speak - animal print top and animal print shoes.

i wore satin pants made by me, leopard top from new york that my sister gave me, shoes from novo and peacock earrings that i picked up at target a few years back.

thursday at work we were doing a bit of a team building exercise, so i dressed for a potential physical activity.  glad i did, cause we ended up outside on the wet grass and all got covered in dirt.  brilliant.

i wore orange pants from sportscraft dfo, top from tree of life, shoes from jo mercer and earrings from fiji.

friday was the outing of my second pair of boots and a very bejewelled belt.  these boots are super comfy and as it was a little chilly, decided to bring out the long sleeves.

i wore skinny jeans and top dolman top from target, boots and belt from wrangler at airport dfo.

saturday i underestimated the chill in the air and threw on this outfit for my weekly market trip.  i was bloody freezing, but thankfully, the gates to the volleyball court were open and i snuck through and put my feet on the warm sand and imagined i was in fiji.  not long to go now.

i wore jeans from target, havaianas from byron bay, spotted raglan top made by me, scarf knitted by my mum and borrowed sunnies, as i left mine at home.

sunday i wasn't taking any chances on the weather front and i dressed for the cold and by 10am, i was freaking boiling.  hat, jumper, vest, closed in shoes - it was tooooooo much.

i wore boyfriend jeans from target, jumper from coles, fur zip up vest from suzanne grae that i got about 4 years ago and pink converse. the cap came from some random shop in the city.

a few weeks ago i got my son to give me a haircut. he had no choice really, as i insisted. it was good, i worked on a bit more after the initial scissor hands, but this weekend i decided to check in with my hairdresser sunny from FGdolls at west end and i alerted him to my own hair cutting adventures. it wasn't the first time. i think i gave myself my first hair cut around age 6 and have been happy to chop when needed ever since.  he said that my "accident" wasn't too bad and gave me a tidy up that is runway ready.

today was also mothers day and i got to catch up with my son, his girlfriend and her parent's last night for tea.  we went to the loving hut in mt gravatt - mummas choice and enjoyed a buffet of vegan delights.   we had a swell time and i got a card with glitter.  awesome.

 

and also today, i made scones.  how can i say no to such tasty little floury, jammy, creamy bundles of joy.  i can't. scones are the best and i have a confirmed appointment to give my son's girlfriend a lesson on my return from fiji.  i will probably also make some when i get to fiji, as i didn't spend mothers day's with my mum and i know that i, i mean she will love to eat them.

and also today, my lovely friend aileen dropped around and bought me a gift to take away. i actually went to officeworks today to find a book to take with me so i can make notes about stuff and i didn't see anything i fancied and voila - she dropped by with the perfect one.  how great is she. thoughts and ideas are coming my way.

well, next post is from fiji, and i can't wait. glad i didn't pack away my summer digs, cause i think the weather will still be totally tropical. it better be!

have a great week and get ready to go on vacay with me.  fiji here we come. it's fashion week time and there will be plenty of glamour to blog about.

the what i wore project - week 16

black is black
i want my colour back

this week, i didn't intentionally set out to wear all black, but by the time it got to wednesday, i was already immersed, in one of the most beautiful colours there it.  i actually really love black. it was probably my favourite before hot pink.  i love black so much, that i even went as far as to die my hair from blond to black, way back in 1998 and i couldn't imagine having it any other colour.

this was also the week where talk turned to Matilda Kahl, the art director who has worn the same "uniform" of black pants and white shirt to work for the past 3 years.  I understand her motivation, but as someone who loves to express through clothes and believes that since work is really the majority of our day, week, month, year and life (unless i win a big lotto), then i am going to use these hours to dress in ways that make me feel like i live a life that isn't just about work.

as much as i enjoyed the all black looks, i am excited to be getting back to randomness in the colour wheel tomorrow.

so how did the week of wearing black pan out

monday - start of the week - fuck fuck fuck - can see why matilda kahl opts for the uniform, cause monday arrives with a thud and it's what the fuck am i going to wear today, day.

as it turned out, i loved wearing this outfit.  there was a little bit of sparkle, to make me feel like i could be anywhere else but the office and of course with the glasses, i could probably have driven past the office, cause they don't exactly provide the best vision - but damn they look good.

i wore black tube skirt from huudaverti, top from suzanne grae, shoes from whittner, heart earrings from nyc and brisbane (they are mismatched) and glasses from davies park market.

 

tuesday - who wore it better.
i have been dying to wear this dress, and so it seems, did my sister.  it's a little shorter than i would normally wear to work, but wow, it made me want to walk tall and i could feel the walk tall envy all around me.

i wore, dress from huudaverti, shoes from novo, earrings made by my sisters boyfriend
she wore, dress from huudaverti, shoes that made her want to jump and glasses to shield her eyes from the tropical panorama of fiji.

wednesday - the day that i felt there was no turning back from the black. i know what they say, but i can't say that i actually know if it's true. but for this week, once i wore black, there was no turning back.

wednesday was also the day i decided to see if i could find out if i was imagining if someone was actually going into my work drawer and taking my gum.  i decided to place it strategically in my drawer and check the next day to see whether any was gone. #dontbetakingmygumgumdumdum

it was also the day i needed to get my shit together and finalise my designs for fiji fashion week.  they aren't going to do themselves, jan-maree! so on my drive home, i decided to stop and soak up the sunset and i encourage everyone to do the same. it's so nice to just sit, enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the light, the end of the day and the journey into wine time.

i wore pants from country road, top from suzanne grae, shoes from betts, earrings from fiji and necklace from india.

thursday - i knew this dress had to come out of the closet this week, cause not only is it black, but it's beautiful.  the design is good and the texture is gooderer and it feels quite refined (not a word i usually associate with myself) but surely it's okay just this once.

i wore dress made by me, shoes from betts, random waist tie i pulled out of the drawer and earrings, of some kind.

also, there was no movement on the chewy problem. it was all still there!

friday is casual day in the office and don't i look casual.  i grabbed these pants out of the wardrobe and promptly set about finding something black to go with them.  it needed to not only be black, but to be something that i felt would not only compliment them but also protect the downstairs area, cause the god damn zip keeps coming down.  I will not part with them though, cause i love them.

i wore wet look jeans from target with zip that falls down, singlet from uniqlo, peacock necklace from sportsgirl, shoes from whittner, and top from h&m new york, circa 2005 and i did actually buy one for my sister in fiji, cause that's a thing we do. one for me, one for her.

saturday came and i was ready to twirl.

i twirled with my girl Miss H, outside the coffee shop.

i also grabbed a burger from wild rissole at the boundary street market.  i am a vegetarian and he has a vege pattie, but it's made of mushrooms, so straight away i am not winning. he also has a haloumi burger which was fantastic and the guy decided he would try and help me bridge the mushroom gap by offering me a mini mini pattie to try.  i tried, i survived, but i still don't like mushroom.

i wore tulle skirt made and handed over willingly from my sister, yonks old top from temt, belt made by me, necklaces that i have had forever, and haviainas, which according to some, let the outfit down, but according to others, look great. i also won't be eating mushroom burger from wild rissole. but he does make a great burger if ever you are there.

i also attended a 50th birthday (trial for my impending one next year) and decided to dress like i was going to a party and that required some sparkle.

as i also own a convertible - it's a volvo - and it's awsome, it's so fun to drive around sans top and just look up at every opportunity.  i wasn't driving, cause driving and keeping your eyes towards the sky wouldn't be smart, but it's pretty cool to have that view, unless of course you fly under birds.  

i wore silver vinyl skirt made by me, beaded top from sri lanka, shoes from whittner (haven't they had a run this week) and the crazy chair i was sitting in was from st vinnies in west end.  also volvo headlights, do amazing things for ones glow.

sunday - last but not least. it was massage day - my weekly ritual and the day the reign of black would end.

i wore shorts and earrings made by me, sheer top from  suzanne grae and cap from target to hide dirty hair.

so black is black and i need some colour back. come on week 17.

seems only fitting that i share this awesome 70's song which will either make you want to get off your chair and dance, or leave you totally mesmerised by the era that was disco.