Little Sparkles (where the sun don’t shine)

I own lots of sunglasses. I don’t swap them as often as I change other accessories, though when an outfit calls for something special I certainly do. But none of my sunglasses cases – even the designer ones – are particularly glamorous. Why is that? And those enormous hard cases! (Calvin Klein I’m lookin’ at you.) Those certainly don’t fit in a little handbag. And yet one doesn’t like to scratch the lenses either, tossing unprotected sunglasses around willy-nilly.

Enter the vintage sequined evening purse by old Aussie label Jendi. It caught my eye in a charity shop, and I thought it would make a fun sunglasses case. It is satin lined too, so no fear it will damage those precious designer lenses. Admittedly, it’s too large to fit in the little handbag I ordinarily carry, but it’s just fine for my work tote bag. All those sparkles mean it’s easy to find within the roomy interior (where the sun don’t shine) too! 

The Killer Thongs

These shoes tried to kill me on Monday. True story. I know they don’t look dangerous. They have no heel to speak of. They look so innocent, as though they’d never stepped on an ant and crushed it into oblivion in their life.

Souvenirs from Vietnam, by Majanh Handicrafts, they are entirely made of leather. I like the simplicity of their design: elegant curves, neat stitching, natural tan leather, the thin plait for the thong, no silly dingle-dangles. They are well-made, and the soles are quite solid leather. However, this makes them inflexible, and wear has simply made the undersides even more slippery. This is what makes them so inimical. And yet they are so pretty in their extreme minimalism (sigh), so easy, and convenient! I am loathe to get rid of them.

Knowing how slippery they are, I always climb up and down stairs very carefully. But on Monday it took only one moment for the right thong to take advantage of my inattention. My foot shot out from under me and down I went.

Fortunately I was almost at the bottom and didn’t suffer any serious injury, but this incident really brings new meaning to the term ‘fashion victim’.

A Scottish Tilt

The Vintage Hat Series: lilac wool felt 1940s tilt tamHat styles of the 1940s almost defy description, there was such a myriad of unusual and daring shapes, unlike the 1920s for example, when the cloche reigned supreme. The milliners of this later era were extraordinarily inventive, for of all women’s clothing, hats were not rationed during the war. In all that variety, one of the most common characteristics was the tilt: hats sat at a rakish, almost impossible angle on the head. They were supported by a band or strap that went around the head.

This lilac wool felt hat, trimmed on the sides with two bows, resembles a tam o’shanter, the traditional Scotsman’s bonnet; women’s versions are known as a tammy, or tam. The name comes from Robert Burn’s poem Tam o’ Shanter, after the eponymous hero.

The Vintage Hat Series: lilac wool felt 1940s tilt tam

… hats sat at a rakish, almost impossible angle on the head.

Doing away with the traditional pompom, the milliner cleverly conceptualises one with a circular woven section in the centre. The strap at the back forms a hole, through which I was able to pull my ponytail, although it was unlikely to be worn like that in the 1940s. It’s interesting that they didn’t try to hide the strap as milliners do nowadays, but rather made it a striking and integral feature of the design. It’s certainly not a hat for a wallflower!

Here is another, more traditional tam that I own.

Bright Stars

Bright Stars :: Loftus // DC // No flashHere are those starry tights when they were pristine. I went on a bit of a binge in The Sock Shop last winter and bought several pairs of brightly coloured tights. Interesting tights can be hard to find in Australia for some reason (department stores are so conservative), and one must look for them in boutiques or specialty stores.

Sadly, The Sock Shop closed down not long after I bought these tights, but fortunately I discovered there is a tiny outlet (about a quarter the size of the original store) in Southern Cross station of all places, amongst the newsagents and florists. (Note to self: keep an eye on it in case it disappears too.)

And of course there is always online shopping. I’ve bought great over-the-knee socks and tights from Free People and Asos, but here are some specialty sites: Sock Dreams (recommended by my friend Audrey, thank you), Tightology, Sweet Pins, and the UK’s The Sock Shop. Happy stocking shopping!

Spring Instep

I’m celebrating the spring equinox today with a delicious pair of peachy pink leather sandals. This pair called ‘Alice’ is by Skin Hello Midnight, from the Through the Looking Glass collection. (Other quaint names include ‘Tea Party’, ‘White Rabbit’, ‘I’m Late’, ‘Important Date’, ‘Wonderland’ and ‘Snow Drop’.) They are actually from Spring 2012, but I bought them on sale during this past winter, and haven’t had a chance to kick my heels in them yet.

Today, inspired by Botticelli’s painting Primavera, I took these heels for an outing to the Royal Botanic Gardens, and photographed them in a lawn carpeted with white starry flowers (the coloured ones I added in). Aren’t they pretty enough to put a spring in your step?