Shoe Porn

All Tied Up :: Tinto 1848 // C-Type Plate // No flashYesterday I did quite a few photoshoots, and at the end of the day I snapped these eye candy shots with Hipstamatic just for fun. The new Tintype 1848 package makes just about anything look good. Not that you’d ever have a problem with wicked shoes like these.

Temptation :: Tinto 1848 // C-Type Plate // No flashBlack strappy sandals by Urban Soul, dove grey wedges by Finsk.

See more of my photos on Instagram.

Criss-Cross :: Loftus // C-Type Plate // No flash

Autumnal Tunes

Autumn seems finally to have really and truly arrived here in Melbourne. The temperature has dropped to lovely mid-20s; the sun shines gloriously with that special golden tone you see in autumn; leaves are slowly beginning to turn and the birds chirp busily about their business.

Inspired by the season, I’ve styled an outfit here I’ve never worn before. It’s all cosy knits in tones of warm greys and pinks and peach (ugh, never thought the day would come that I donned peach – summer fruit season is over!).

The newsboy cap – a style I almost never wear – has an asymmetrical cut in peach coloured velvet, and is designed to sit on a jaunty angle. So here is a hat with two crosses against it: newsboy and peach, and yet I’m rather fond of it. The vintage cap is from Georges, Melbourne, a posh department store that has opened and closed over the decades.

From Pony Clothing is a sugary pink scarf knit with random ribbons and tinkling shells. It’s extremely long so can be wound round and round the neck, which epitomises the perfect winter scarf, don’t you think?

The cardigan was bought last winter, by Lili’s Closet for Anthropologie, and the grey knit tee underneath is Italian merino, bought many years ago. Some basics really do last the distance. My beautiful cream leather gloves with a lace insert are vintage, and were bought on Etsy, also last year.

Excuse me while I commune with my little Robin Red breast now. 

Underwater Treasure

Beautiful, red coral, a living sculpture that has captivated both men and women since antiquity – from the warriors of Gaul who ornamented their weapons and helmets, to Roman children who wore branches hung around their necks to keep them from harm – has been harvested almost to extinction. Coral was especially popular in the Victorian age, but nowhere more so than in the Far East, travelling from the source in the Mediterranean Sea – the Italians were specialists in working it up into jewellery components.

Portrait of a Girl, Domenico Ghirlandaio c1485Paulina, first wife of Sir Codrington Edmund Carrington; Thomas Lawrence, c1806Prized for the skeletal branches and its rich reddish pink hue, coral can be polished from the naturally matte branches to a glassy shine. Due to its relative softness, it is usually carved or used to make beads. Today coral beads are made of non-precious sponge coral, with branches made from bamboo coral. Both are dyed red.

Rare coral Bacchante cameo necklace, circa 1860Pair of Italian hand carved vintage coral cameos set in 14k gold bezel and wire. The profiles depict the goddess Hera, wearing a tiara, and the goddess Ceres wearing ears of wheat on her head.

My two vintage necklaces are Berber, made from coral-like beads. They probably aren’t precious, given that the rest of the beads are composed merely of brass – I bargained hard for them in Fez though. I also saw the most incredible antique Berber necklace in Essaouira, a coastal town in Morocco, that dropped more than two feet (seriously!) and was composed of branch coral. The antique seller’s asking price? Over £1000. 

My red ring is carved jade from Vietnam; the blue ring on my middle finger is lapis lazuli and sterling silver that I made myself; and the second glass and sterling silver ring is a copy of a 1920s Rhoda Wager piece.

To see more breathtaking antique coral jewellery, check out this Pinterest page.

This picture was inspired by a wonderful under-the-sea 1933 Vogue by the illustrator Benito (below). For censorship reasons the fish in the foreground was positioned to prevent a birthday suit malfunction.

Polka Face

Since my recent experiment with black feather eyelashes, I have fallen in love with falsies. I am usually too lazy or too hurried to put on eye makeup, but these little darlings have changed my mind. So fun! So cute! And now I have polka-dot feathers to dance with too. 

What I Actually Wore #0076

Serial #: 0076
Date: 27/07/2012
Weather: 14° – brrr! 
Time Allowed: 8 minutes

This simple workaday outfit started with the hat, and, with the chilly temperature in mind, warm woolen trousers. The striped jumper added a graphic element, and the raspberry suede heels a shot of delicious colour. The 50s velvet bandeau is new, and I am utterly smitten by the periwinkle colour. How funny that is such an American term – Aussies don’t use it at all, and would simply say ‘bluish-purple’, or possibly hyacinth. This is most likely due to the fact that periwinkles are not a common flower here at all. But I just love the colour.

Most of my pieces of jewellery are souvenirs: the ceramic earrings from Spain, the red carved jade bangle and the onyx ring from Vietnam. A lady at work tells me I look very French, but, given my Slavic heritage, I suspect that is due to nothing so much as that old cliché of the black and white striped top.

Did you notice I am wearing black trouser socks under my peeptoes? Once upon a time I would have considered that a profound sartorial no-no, but these days I am fine with it. On the other hand, I would not wear sheer pantyhose with peeptoes or sandals though – that would ‘seam’ a bit wrong!

Items:

Top: Meredith
Pants: Ming
Hat: vintage 50s
Earrings: souvenir
Bangle: souvenir
Rings: (0nyx) souvenir, (silver) Roun
Shoes: Zoe Wittner