I love the bohemian look; it’s relaxed and feminine and goes well with my unruly hair. It was formerly adopted by those who live the unconventional, artistic life who didn’t hold much consideration towards fashion and allowed their free-spiritedness to be articulated through the loose-fitting patterned rags they’d put on their back. How ironic considering it has become a fashion phenomenon that a million girls are attempting to mimic. It has evolved from being regarded as ‘gypsy-like’ to ‘hippie’ and more recently to the 21st century label of ‘boho-chic’.
cosmopolitan.com
Vanessa Hudgens pulls the look off remarkably well as she stands as this era’s ‘Boho Chick’. I don’t know what I think about having flowers crown your head, personally it’s a little too 70’s-esque/flower power for me, however there’s something about the easy simplicity of channeling the bohemian look that makes it appear so pretty and effortless.
Myself included in the million girls wanting to look like V Hudge, I found a summer dress that encapsulates the bohemian flair that I want to achieve. It also intermingles with the appearance of a 60’s smock dress in the way that it just hangs there like a tea-towel, so yes it is very comfortable and light-weight.
Yesterday was the fabulous and famous Melbourne Cup day, and it is in fact so fabulous that Victorians get a day off for it. Yay for public holidays! In my true traditional Melbourne Cup style, I attended a BBQ with family and friends and had a joyful day of eating plenty of food and inevitably losing in the sweep not unlike every other year.
This racing carnival, the outfits have been bursting with colour and fascinators have been bigger (and more ridiculous) than ever. Since I didn’t have the chance to attempt an extravagantly colourful races outfit for myself, I incorporated colour into the day’s outfit with my orange 3/4 pants. I feel like a hip 50’s housewife in these pants.
Well, judging by the bright hues of green plastering braches and nature strips, spring is well in force but is taking its time to bring the increasing warmth with it. No matter though, in the rare glimpses of summer I tossed off my jeans and let my legs breathe. Ahhh, the unfamiliar yet refreshing feel of a warm breeze. I’m even sporting florals to express my spring jubilation.
The top is actually a playsuit. My growth spurt has forced me to stop wearing it in its natural form due to the over-exposure of, um, flesh.
Excuse me from my lengthy absence from the computer, but I have been travelling around France for the last month. Now that I’m back, I cannot believe that it ever happened. I spent a large period of time on a French exchange which was incredible for both my French-speaking skills and my immersion into the culture, and then I spent the remainder of my time floating around France. Not so much floating in a variety of areas, but I actually spent a great portion of time wandering around magical Paris. I have only ever been there once before which I barely recall, and I finally discovered the reason of why so many people boast about the famous city.
Just a man on his bike in Paris
Walking down the cobblestone streets and getting lost through the maze of classic French architecture was an exhilarating experience which left me wide-eyed and alert at all times, for both the picturesque sights and the danger of pickpockets. Being an inhabitant of such a young country as Australia, the rich history that could be found along the streets never failed to amaze me. The city possesses an old charm that I found to be thoroughly irresistible, and the opportunity to grab a crepe or baguette at every street corner was truly a winner. And boy, did I take a liking to the local cuisine. However I unfortunately did not have the pleasure of tasting frog legs or escargot.
Alternately, I was lucky enough to experience the sights of the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre, as well as various chateaus including Versailles and the most stunning cathedrals. To put it mildly, France is filled with them. Without a doubt, my emotional visit to the Notre Dame is one that will always remain in my memory.
To tick off a couple more experiences from my French wish list, I gazed at Paris by night from the top of the Arc De Triomphe and the highest floor of la tour Eiffel. It’s funny how the Parisians disliked the Eiffel Tower initially, because now it is one of the primary motives of why people visit the beautiful city and in my opinion, it is a rather attractive structure. Seeing Paris from the iconic landmark was fairly magnifique, if you pardon my French.
Château de VersaillesSacré CœurThe LouvreA Gallery in the LouvreIn les Sables-d’Olonne
I stayed in les Sables-d’Olonne with a local family who very kindly brought me into their home. Although it was only for a couple of weeks and the language barrier proved to often be difficult, I formed a close bond with the family and the beautiful town.
Nantes- yes that is a mechanical elephant.Île d’YeuArc de Triomphe
I would also like to add that I was in the city during Paris fashion week, which sounds exciting in theory however there was no opportunity to score tickets to any of the shows or catch a glimpse of any celebrities. Ah, c’est la vie. Fortunately I kept myself busy by deeply engaging myself in the shopping culture.
So that closes my little French adventure which was easily one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The remarkable people I met, the food, and of course the sights make me believe that there is no doubt in my mind that I will be back for more of the beautiful country sometime soon.
All photography is courtesy of me ladies and gents.
Those three words provoke a variation of reactions. Some believe that grunge belongs in the period of Nirvana and Pearl Jam and that’s where it should remain. Others, typically the younger generation embrace the style as modern and effortless. Personally I love it, which may be because I am venturing through my teen grunge phase at this convenient time. You would think that the designers from Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent attended festivals and walked through city streets in order to obtain inspiration for their most recent collections, as the style is reminiscent of what tends to saunters down the street these days. The fashion houses that opted for grunge this season had a distinct contrast against what other designers did, as the look is relatively casual, youthful and messy. It’s very different and suprising for high fashion brands, however I’m thrilled that it has been done. Now people may consider me as ‘high fashion’ rather than ‘angsty adolescent’.
Prim & pretty is not the look for the incoming autumn/winter, but rather dark & edgy. So I took inspiration from Givenchy to channel this new wave grunge. Patterned maxi skirts paired with baggy jumpers proved to be a key combination for the brand which I attempted to imitate with slightly less punk.
Skirt – asos
Jumper – Bettina Liano
Sandals – asos
Bag – ?
Personal note: Should load up on the eyeliner and red lipstick next time I aim to channel some grunge.
The other night I went out with my family for my lovely sister’s birthday. We threw on our finest and set off for a très classy evening at a fancy restaurant, expecting a night of delicious food and bad birthday singing. Needless to say, it did not disappoint, and the food turned out to be better than the singing.
It just looked so photogenic
I wore a midnight-blue and gold 80’s-esque number (minus the shoulder pads) that I recently bought. As soon as I saw it I grabbed it and knew I had to try it on because it’s reminiscent of a pink and gold dress that I used to wear back in the days of feathery scrunchies. Who doesn’t miss those days. I brightened it up with my red bag and finished it off with some smashing lippy. Red lipstick always makes me feel as though I can pull anything off.
Leather for winter is like being offered free money: always welcome. And especially this year with a massive revival of the silver-studded biker jackets from a couple of years ago and the clunky leather boots, leather (real or fake) is always on trend for winter one way or another. However I chose to downgrade the edgy, lethal look black leather usually provides by pairing it up with a relatively dainty dress that is often too delicate in appearance to wear on its own. Incorporating my vintage leather jacket balances out the wildly feminine look and also makes the dress wearable in winter, which is a bonus.
It was suspiciously not bone-cold chilly the other day which granted me the luxury of deciding not to don a coat outdoors. This was exciting because I don’t own a coat that compliments the dress to my liking, so a single layer could suffice in the pleasant temperature. I bought the dress yonks ago from a small market and thankfully leopard print in public continues to be acceptable, and although I’m not entirely convinced that the kinky print can be pulled off as a beacon of sophistication, I am completely sold on this dress.
The over-the-knee socks worked well in the weather and to liven up the outfit I adopted a vintage bag that I discovered during my annual exploration through my mother’s wardrobe. She may have owned some timeless pieces, but there was plenty of rubbish among the gems that she is convinced will come back in style ‘sometime soon’. I don’t have the heart to tell her that it’s 20 years past the time.
Wowzers. It really has been a while and the only excuse that I can offer is that I have been super busy doing non-fashion related things (namely being locked up in my study with coffee and trackies while cramming my butt off) which has left me with basically zero time to document anything really. I apologise profusely and regret that I have neglected my blog for this while. But no need to dwell in the past, because presently it is officially winter, and for those who are accustomed to my repetitive rants would be aware of my enthusiasm for the chilly season. And it has by no means disappointed, because already in June the temperatures have fallen drastically close to snow weather and I have spent copious amounts of time wishing I had a whole wardrobe of coats to flaunt in these freezing temperatures. Of course snow is practically unheard of in Melbourne, but if climate change is legitimately transpiring then anything is possible.
Anyway back to my point. Unless you tend not to part with your lovely heater, you would have realised that monochrome, which is a fancy word that refers to the black and white trend, is huge. So colossal in fact that black and white are the only visible colours in select stores- I do not jest. I’m not complaining about this, purely because black and white are relatively flattering on most people and ever classy as an outfit. Personally, I find limiting your outfit’s visual appeal to these two colours (or shades, take your pick) makes it appear a little stiff for casual wear, so I tend to employ some other colour to make it pop.
Below I am wearing my 50’s 3/4 pants which provide that pop effect, and is accompanied by a black trench coat to protect me just in case snow-like substances appear from the sky anytime soon. I am probably crazy to wear clogs in this weather but with scarf like that, who cares.
When it comes to May, you know that the year has made progress. For me, May is the in-between month that is prolonging the wait to the busy mid-year stuff that always seem to occur annually. In Melbourne, it represents a quick window of opportunity when wearing jackets isn’t such a necessity, so I try to maximise this occasion.
This year I am once again pulling out the over-the-knee socks, because to put it bluntly I love them to death. My online shopping carts are full of them in all different colours and patterns, and if only my budget allowed it I would purchase them all. They are kind of useless to wear during the especially cold days, however for May days like these they are perfect with shorts or a skirt.
Shirt- Wish
Shorts- Forever New
Bag- Forever New
Shoes- Betts
Belt- Cotton On
Socks- asos
Oh, and I realise that the last time I blogged was too long ago. When my busy schedule allows it, I will try and update it as soon as I can!
I Like Your Shirt 