The stars are brightly shining

(1. Cheapskate Chic via Mister Mort, 2. Anywho, 3. Copenhagen Street Style,
4. unknown-sorry!)

I love this time of year and have spent the last few days merrily wrapping presents and baking treats. This year I felt extra creative and made my own wrapping paper and cards using stamps and ink, and decided to extend my appalling cooking skills by making these decorated chocolate rum balls. Ok, so 'extend' might be an overstatement seeing as the only cooking required was boiling some butter and melting chocolate, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. Christmas is the only time of year I bake sweets, and like every year I am now wondering why I don't do it more often. It is so relaxing!

This time last year I was in France and experienced my first winter Christmas! It was delighful, I really think cold weather and the festive season go together. But, I must say I do enjoy the good old Aussie Christmas, complete with lots of seafood, sunshine and swimming. Although, Melbourne's weather is looking far from summery at the moment, and while it is still quite mild and definitely no where near snowing, I can't help thinking back to last year, the snow, the Christmas markets, the mulled wine, the crisp air.

For some reason the three outfits above speak Christmas to me this year. I would love to be wrapped up in a beautifully printed coat/blanket/poncho, drinking said mulled wine, eating copius amounts of food, and lulling the day away with good friends and family.


Alternatively, this would also make a fun Christmas day outfit...



(via here)

Merry Christmas!

Arnsdorf Shopping Night

Tonight I finally made it to the Arnsdorf Pop Up shop on Gertrude St. in Fitzroy for a special shopping night with discounts, samples and free drinks in collaboration with Michi Girl.

(Photo from here)

The store itself is gorgeous, with lots of racks of colour co-ordinated clothing that are all impeccably made. Besides the discounts, which were generous with up to 40% off and samples going for only $100, it was so exciting to see the entire collection in one place and feel the beautiful fabrics and see the quality of each piece up close. I really can't gush enough about this label, I am so proud that we have labels like this in Melbourne.

I love love love Arnsdorf but at the moment, as a student, I can't afford it full price so was very happy with the prices. I limited myself to one item, but have been thinking about a few others and may just have to go back after Christmas....

After much deliberation with a friend I decided on the black organic linen cropped bustier. It feels wonderful on and I love the back detail that adds a clever twist to a classic shape. I have been trying to find more cropped tops to wear with my many high waisted skirts, shorts and pants, and this is just perfect. I am so pleased, I can now only hope the Pop Up store becomes permanent.

The other pieces that I can't stop thinking about....

TV Sample Sale Joy

This morning I trekked over to the TV Sample Sale at their studio on Lonsdale St. I had high hopes, as last season their sample sale was really great with heaps of current and past season stock at decent prices. I was not disappointed this time either, and managed to get two samples from their current summer collection Army Dreamers. Excuse the poor photographs, I really should invest in a better camera soon, but my point and shoot digi will have to do for now. While these photos absolutely do not do the garments justice, they give a good enough idea.




First I picked up the printed top, which is unbelievably soft with beautiful drape in real life. It is a departure from my usual muted or monochromatic taste, but I was drawn to the divine print. It is similar to the print used in the collection, but is slightly brighter. I love that it is a casual cut with such an extravagent print, and that I can roll the sleeves up, tuck it in high-waisted shorts, or let it hang.


Secondly is a top version of the perforated dresses from the collection. It is a more dusty pink than the photo suggests, and again was a sample colour and didn't go into production. I can't wait to wear it with navy and cream, or under a nude sheer blouse.


They also had the knitted hat from my Wishlist on sale, but after trying it on I realised it really should stay in my imaginary wishlist as I looked like a sea creature crossed with a crazy old woman - not in a good way.


Anyway, in conclusion it is a great sale and it is on until Saturday so if you have some cash to burn head on down. Details here

Wishlist

From top left:
Comme des Garcons shoes from Colette
Materialbyproduct dress from Not Just A Label
Yves Saint Laurent hat from etsy (sold while I was stupidly trying to decide if I needed it. OF COURSE I NEED A YSL HAT. sometimes I am silly.)
Junya Watanabe sandals from eBay
Arnsdorf shirt, shorts and nude leather belt from My Chameleon
VPL bra from Creatures of Comfort
Tigerlily bikini from Bird Motel (sold out)
Bernhard Willhelm dress from Creatures of Comfort
TV hand knitted hat from TV
Acne black zebra pants from Acne Online Outlet (sold out in black)

Seeing as the festive season is upon us and everyone is making wishlists I decided to jump on the bandwagon and make one myself. Whenever I make wishlists I like to go all out and include items that I am very unlikely ever to own (due to being expensive or sold out). Regardless of the unattainability factor, I really enjoy making wishlists because it gives me a clear indication of the kind of things I like at the moment. I can make a coherent story and make sense of all the spontaneous and instinctive urges I have when I see certain items. It also gives me ideas for when I go second-hand shopping and for DIYs.

Although this wishlist does include one item I bought recently that had been on my "never going to happen but I love you and will continue to fruitlessly search eBay for you" list for a long time - the Junya Watanabe SS08 sandals. They are on their way to me now via eBay where I got them for a bargain price. I can't wait until they arrive and I can experiment. They are my first pair of colourful shoes and will be perfect for this summer (and every summer after that, and in winter with socks, and at home when I am cooking, and ALL THE TIME)
Not so unattainable after all.

Hermaphroditus

"Orlando, to me you were and always will be,
whether male or female, the pink, the pearl,
and the perfection of your sex."

I love these images of Maleen Dalan's graduate collection entitled
Hermaphroditus - Gender Confusion.
It is wonderful to see a menswear collection that plays with androgyny in a new way.
See and read more here

(un)Fashion

Another book I recently purchased is (un)Fashion by Tibor Kalman and Maira Kalman. A collection of photographs from around the world, (un)Fashion "scans the globe to show how real people dress: at world and at play, on the streets, and for ceremonial occasions".
Here are a few of my favourite images from the book...

The photographs are inspiring to me for so many reasons. The variety of people shown, the colours and textures, the unusual fabrics and unexpected combinations, visually captured my attention and revealed so many different approaches to dressing. Whether for tradition, utility, necessity or as a result of eccentricity, the clothing shown felt very authentic. While I am quite obsessed with street style blogs as a source of inspiration, lately I feel like every photo, outfit and city is blending together. Sure, there are always stand outs and I will continue checking out my favourite sites regularly, but this book was a refreshing change, a much needed slice of the unfamiliar in the increasingly homogenised internet landscape.

For Sale

I am selling a pair of H&M black lace up wedges in size 38.

They are in as new condition.
I bought them from Shoes and Your Mom but they are slightly too big, so selling them for AU$95 (what I paid) including registered post Australia wide. Will also ship worldwide.



More details and photos here
Email me or leave a comment if you are interested!