Riviera

Apparently it's going to hail tomorrow.
Winter weather. Bleak, miserable, gloomy. Cold with a capital C. All-round-yuck in general.
It's got me California' dreamin' (and there she goes, breaking out into 60s minstrel mode). Or rather stuck in un reve de St Tropez. A pair of K. Jacques (next on the *spend*thrifty purchase list). Carefree denim cut-offs. Tank tops. And just running around bare-legged and carefree. As you do (when you're playing beautiful muse)

All this pining for summer and balmy weather. I totally blame it on my new olfactory obsession which makes me smell like iced peach teas, vanilla sundaes, a guilty whiff of a clandestine Gauloise and tropical evenings (it is that yummy). It makes me just a tad obsessed with my newest find at the temple of all things girly-grunge and perfect, Arabella Ramsay (I have never successfully walked in and out without finding something to spend more money on...with the subsequent crushing guilt feeling making me dishonestly promise never to walk in again).

It's the perfect effortless throw-on. A re-worked Riviera inspired blazer courtesy of What Goes Around Comes Around (Come summer - I will probably be crushing on their customized punk-ass flannel shirts) A bit 1950s Monaco gentleman. Perhaps a little louche Miami Vice. Comfy and adorable as hell. It's totally perfect thrown over a little dress for that la garconne feel. Or with a tank and those much-desired-for beat up Levi's cut-offs (story about those later...arising from the death of a previous much loved pair of shorts in rather unsavoury circumstances)

I've found my new lover for all seasons.

Lots o' love on the boardwalk this weekend kids

xx

Bec

Blazer - What Goes Around Comes Around
Tank - Vanessa Bruno
Bling - Stolen from Grandma (literally...that's not a label...)
Shorts - Vintage Levi's (from Arabella Ramsay)

Harry - The Poet

When I first met Harry many moons ago (back when I thought the law school was a magical place...that's how long ago) - I knew I'd found my new M.M.F (alas no, get your mind out of the gutter...or is that just my mind? It's not a dirty acronym - but rather Mutual Muse Friend)

M.M.F = That friend who totally 'gets' your tortured artist side. Like your penchant for old French literary magazines. Vinyl records. Jeff Buckley. And a good glass of Scotch at night. And your somewhat bizarre dreams of reviving Beatnik nights and living like Kerouac all over again. Or maybe that's just Harry.

A true troubadour.
Poetic. Francophilic. The only person with whom I could practice my terrible with a capital T francais (or rather should I say 'mon francais tres rouille') Constantly looking like a vision out of a bygone era of travelling folk singers. And yet totally modern at the same time.

How can you not totally love a man who has the most amazing vintage collection ever? Comprised of paternal hand-me-downs (case in point - that leather snake-skin embossed blazer, cowboy belt and boots beat up to perfection) and finds discovered in many an op-shop around the world (that very Americana shirt was apparently in fact an Italian discovery)

Every single ensemble the man puts together seems to have a bit of a tale behind it.

Qualifying note - My father has nothing cool to pass on to me. What I've gleaned from old photos of him is that he was more tryhard Asian 'Bee-Gees/Travolta' than infinitely cool Dylan. Enough said.

The only thing I can really say every time I see Harry is that he's my personal version of a reincarnated Bob Dylan (and don't stone me - I know Bob's not dead) but it makes me feel all happy and nostalgic for a time when revolution was about free love and not war. And you roamed the country in beat up boots and a broken down car. And songs were about poetry and liberty. And doing something different. Because you could change the world a little like that.

Merci mon ami...tu m'inspires meme aujourd'hui.

Love & Peace

xx

Bec

PS. Harry truly does live the Dylan-esque dream and plays in a folk band with his acoustic guitar which you can see at many a law student society barbecue. We are also thinking of forming a breakfast club with a special emphasis on espresso if you would like to join. And there is of course the obligatory beatnik party.

No really. I kid you not.

Absolutely Fabulous (Brunswick Street)

Meeting fabulous people (in their rather ab-fab surroundings) makes me ever so happy!
And getting to have a chat to Sam was definitely the fantabulous highlight of my little trip to Brunswick St.
Am I repeating the word fabulous (and/or variations thereof) far too much in two sentences?

Truth is. It cannot be helped.

Mind you, it's easy to get distracted by the temple of all things borderline crazy/camp/cool at Shag. But hello...beyond awesome tuxedo blazer...90s leather pants (actually old Sportsgirl...in case you were wondering. One of those moments where I'm left drooling in 'Good Lord, that is so wrong and yet so awesome at the same time')...nifty shirt...suspenders and combat boots. And then there's the hand-made neckpiece. Just stratospherically amazing with a capital A?

Y-E-S (PLC taught me how to spell that...no wait...kindergarten did)

After five minutes of just pure *jaw-drop and gasp* spasticity, I was then suddenly hit with a wave of: 'God, I am supremely untalented.' I have pretty much tried my hand at every hand-made crafty type thing on the planet (including self-painted tops and step-by-step cross-stitching) and epically failed at all. Supreme moment of talent envy. Especially when I realized it was the man's side hobby.

And therein lies what should be my mission for the week: Start developing a beyond fabulous hobby.

Cross stitch anyone?

Love

xo

Bec

Aren't You A Pretty Rainbow Thing!

I wish I were cool enough to pull off rainbow colours (I'm sure I had some sad pitiful attempt during my regrettable high school years with knee high rainbow toe socks...I actually found them the other day...they have some merit as foot warmers as long as nobody sees them)

Point is - I wish I were awesome enough to wear several colours. At the same time. But I'm barely looking passably stylish with black (oh I do love black)

Anyway this handicap (yeah it totally is a disability) - makes me super jealous of uber-cool people like Steph who can effortlessly rock things which look like what my totally 'stuck in the Make Love Not War' era primary school art teacher would wear if she had the opportunity to blend all her favourite colours into a ridiculously fabulous sweater.

Get colourfully trippy.

And who knows...somewhere over the rainbow...dum dee dum...

xx

Bec

The Conservationist

'Reduce your carbon footprint by decking yourself out in vintage goodness'

If somebody had tried to promote environmental awareness/conservation to me like that in school, I probably wouldn't have been overcome by the fact that according to the CERES board survey - it would take a grand total of 5 planets to sustain me (I think that's kind of horribly funnyl though...in a terribly un-PC evil intergalactic ruler type way)

In any case - I am totally about going green now. I buy organic cotton tees (they really do feel better), recycle my paper, eat organic and to the greatest extent possible I do buy Fair Trade coffee. But it's always lovely to meet that person doing that little bit extra for the planet. Like Edward (I also made the faux pas of assuming his accent was American when he is in fact from Canada...and I really should remember that people in the US of A do in fact have a much cooler neighbour) who makes a rather dapper/dashing representative for the Australian Conservation Foundation.

The outfit is amazingly 100% vintage (I'm terribly obsessed with the blazer and the too-awesome-for-words feathered chapeau) and the boots (sadly unavailable unless you care to get them hand-made in Vietnam)

Sad boot envy or not - it's a great example of that cliched and much abused saying: 'Walking the talk'

And I like to think that my aim to improve my op-shopping eye is really part of me doing my part to save the planet (Captain Planet all the way!)...

Go Green & Much Love

xo

Bec

PS. My PLC compadres - You will be either most pleased or disgustingly shocked to discover that I did in fact do MY extra bit for the environment by joining up with the ACF

A Girl & Her Ferragamos

My mother once told me that every girl needs to come into possession of three indispensable items when she transitions into womanhood (either via a super lucky hand-me-down or purchased as of one's own accord):
1. Hermes silk scarves
2. A Chanel quilted 2.55 bag
3. A pair of Ferragamo pumps

Number 1 - I managed to acquire using the good, time honored 'But I need to look professional for work' excuse.
Number 2 - A very special early 21st birthday present once again using the phrase 'You'll never need to get me another present again in my life' (What a blatant lie...lie...lie...I am now trying to convince aforementioned gift-givers that I need a Proenza Schouler PS1 satchel for ahem...tax deductible work purposes...Convincing? I think so)
Number 3 - Was sadly missing. Namely because they'd become a little ubiquitous after my countless trips to Asia (my eyes were practically seared with their image in multiple candy coloured hues)

'Lo and behold my one vintage triumph. Ever. In my lifetime.
Admittedly...they caught my eye mostly because I thought they looked rather Hermes-esque (you could be fooled too!)
The most fabulous pair of 80s court pumps ever...with a cute solid little heel. I felt like I had instantly received a massive hit of 80s era, power woman, Melanie Griffith in Working Girl-esque mojo. And who said shoes couldn't make you happy?

So begins a long and beautiful relationship.
And I think that three item list definitely needs adding to...Hermes Kelly anyone? The Dior Lady bag? Chanel ballet flats?

Love & So so so much happiness

xo

Bec

A Different Kind of Picasso

There's nothing better than finding those hidden gems in your mother's wardrobe.
This is my mother's vintage Paloma Picasso chain bag (apparently she used to do bags AND bling) from the early 90s.

They totally don't make babies like this anymore.

Plus it gives me the slight (somewhat falsely earned) satisfaction of saying 'I own a Picasso'

Love

xo

Bec

Cuffed Denim & Tri-Coloured Boots

Every so often you spy something relatively cool in relatively bland settings.

Like these boots.

Tri-coloured awesomeness...two shades of brown + black no less...

Lace-up in that kind of really cool early 20th century governess type way...

It's seeing things like these that make me wonder why I have no op-shopping skill or cred whatsoever (Unless you have a penchant for belly dancing outfits or ladybug costumes) Plus noone seems to want to share their thrifting secrets with me! Is it some kind of conspiracy to keep their hard-earned cool intact?!

In any case...the sad truth remains...I have never found anything quite that awesome.

Yet.

Love

xo

Bec

A Vintage Classic

While trippin' on Monday - I spotted this absolutely divinely dressed girl and was almost afraid of going up to her and saying "Um...hey can I take your photo" on account of her being ridiculously gorgeous and effortlessly stylish. However - thanks to Jen's latent motivational guru capabilities a request was made, a few snaps were shot and I feel ten million times more sartorially inspired for it...(who ever knew? I maintain she could totally write a pep-talking book on how to approach the enigmatic and preternaturally cool...although my suspicion is that she is only able to do this because she actually belongs in this sublime category of humanity unlike most of us mere mortals)

The moment I saw this ensemble - I seriously stood there for like 5 minutes pretty much drooling...



The details of the vintage 80s shirt are just out of this world. The touch of broderie anglaise and the beyond pretty buttons add a certain girly charm to the oversized masculine cut of the piece (awesome vest detail included). It has to be one of the most unique pieces I have ever spied. It inspires me to go trawling in op shops again with the sad realization that I will probably most likely not find anything with a quarter of its awesome factor...



And the shoes! Yes...Noted. I have a brogue fetish. But cream and tan! With a slight heel! Slightly nerdy librarian hotness to the max!

I think I'm seriously in love...

Love

xo

Bec

Alexander Wang & The Queen

Question of the day:
How do you make a T by Alexander Wang dress (the only Wang piece a girl on a budget can afford) look absolutely nothing like its androgynous, draped-on-a-model-off-duty, slightly grungey and 100 % sexy self?
Having said that...complete side note...it is an absolutely amazing dress (just the right amount of bagginess and the perfect length) and is just one of those pieces that you can throw on without thinking and walk out of your house knowing that you look passably stylish. I like to think it's the Wang effect. Totally.

Answer:
Do like the Queen and dig out a silk scarf (vintage Dior in this case)
Yes she does often do the Babushka look which I'm not a big fan of (although Audrey Hepburn did wonders for that look and Vogue did tell me to experiment with scarves so I may come round to it eventually)...but scarves are totally my go-to accessory for everything (a tip usefully inherited from my grandmother and my mother...3 generations of women...it can't possibly go wrong) hence earning me the creative nickname of 'Scarf Girl' at work or 'The Air Hostess' ('Please note the emergency exits through the Level 31 windows when you feel like killing yourself while doing spreadsheets...')

In the words of mi madre: 'They pull an outfit together' (She with her raidable boxes of Hermes scarves knows what she is talking about...) although it's a line more usually used in conjunction with her raised eyebrow expression of 'What the hell are you wearing...your non-existent cleavage is showing...'

More importantly...they do give that requisite touch of prim and elegant polish thereby giving you the illusion of being one of the 'ladies who lunch'...

And while Chanel tweeds, cashmere twinsets and pearls may not be the outfit du jour yet... It makes for some unexpected (and just slightly rebellious fun) when you mix the elements of Buckingham Palace, scones and tea with a bit of rock and roll...

Oh yes.

With love and squalor

xo

Bec

What The Leprechaun Would Have Worn...

Both these photos were of unexpected sartorial discoveries (it was an unusually well dressed pair of girls making the most of their afternoon) while sitting on the grass on St Patricks trying to avoid a Guinness shower coming from all directions...

I fell in love with the way Girl Number 1 decided to make her footwear slightly more interesting. The socks (both in pattern and height) scarily remind me of things my mother used to buy me when I was 5 (back when it was tres chic to wear socks with ruffles and/or patterns on them) but they just go really well with her truly unique lace-ups which makes for a really refreshing cute take on school girl chic




As for the bag...what can I say? I have somewhat of an eternal love affair with the vintage brown satchel (or a mini-satchel as the case would be here) Every girl I believe secretly lusts for one...and believes that somewhere out there...there is THE ONE (satchel that is) waiting for them in some godforsaken little op-shop in the middle of nowhere. It's a fantasy you've all had before. Don't deny it. Utilitarian, slightly nerdy and totally effortless. It's kind of like the boyfriend you wish you had...

Or maybe a leprechaun at least...

Love

xo

Bec

All Beat Up & Beautiful...

If only we all had one-of-a-kind "I am a gloriously eternal chic student" beat up satchels...


Major bag love.

Love

xo

Bec