cheap thrills

I've been looking for a varsity style jacket since I spotted a bec & bridge one in shop til you drop a few months ago. It was styled with a miniskirt, flats, and a ballerina bun, and I wanted it. But it was also $350, and, as I've previously mentioned, I just can't justify spending that much on a single item.

Today I found it. Or, them, to be more precise. Two varsity jackets, warm & comfy, that fit perfectly - and all for just over one TENTH of the price of the one I'd originally wanted. And from KMART of all places! Sure, the B&B one is of an undeniably better quality, but realistically, trends come and go, and come next year, I'll probably be denying that I'd ever wanted it. So yes, I was willing to trade quality and fine work(wo/)manship for a $331 price difference. Sue me.

sad.

Sometimes I go through my wardrobe and find treasures hidden in it - purchases made what feels like eons ago, that I'd completely forgotten about - but then again, sometimes these things are not so much treasures as they are junk. And then sometimes, whilst putting an outfit together, I suddenly remember a different type of treasure - an item of clothing that, once upon a time, had been a favourite, packed away because of a change of season, or a fear that it would fall apart due to overuse. An item of clothing that would go perfectly with that outfit I'm planing. But I'll get back to that in a sec...

It's gotten really cold, really suddenly. Today made my fingers numb and my bones hurt. And as a result, I've finally come to terms with the fact that it's probably time to pack away the slinky dresses, tank tops and denim cut offs. Probably.

Yesterday, during my ritual planning of outfits for the next (few) day(s), I suddenly remembered one of the aforementioned old faves. My vintage navy blue blazer. I see your lack of excitement. 'So what? What's so special about that?' I hear you murmur. It might not sound like anything too fancy to you right now - but let me tell you a little about this blazer: we go wayyyyy back, me & it. I picked it up two autumns ago, from my local Vinnies store. It was double breasted, had deep lapels, and a pocket on either side, perfect for warming cold hands on autumn days. It also had shoulder pads - thin ones that gave structure, without making my already broad shoulders look too gaga-esque. It was a size 10 and it fit PERFECTLY - a rare occurrence for a vintage find. I wore it religiously over A/W09 - so much so, that one day, while perusing the blazer section of another Vinnies store (dragging a couple of uni friends along), one of my male friends (a super smart medical science nerd, with very little interest in shopping or fashion or what people are wearing) asked 'don't you already have a navy blue blazer??' Yes. Yes I did. And it was worth ever single one of those 25 cents that I'd bought it for. Oh, did I forget to mention the price? Yes. 25 cents. What can you get for 25 cents these days?! NOTHING. Seriously, it wouldn't even get you half a zooper dooper. But I got this, amazing, perfect piece of clothing for twenty. five. cents. I don't even think it'd be possible to work out cost per wear. Let's just say it's like an inverse exponential graph...it continually decreases towards zero, but never quite reaches it.

Anyway, the blazer. I wandered into my clothes room (fyi I've now started sleeping in my clothes room - so let's just call it my bedroom now), and into the short jacket section of my wardrobe - aside: my boyfriend thought it was hilarious that I has a 'light & short jacket section' in my wardrobe. He laughed for ages and ages, and mocked me and denied having a 'light jacket section' of his own, despite these garments clearly being grouped together in his own wardobe - and to my distress, was unable to find it. I checked again, went through hanger, by hanger - I was determined to find it. Yet by the time I got to that last hanger, I was still empty handed. It sent me into a frenzy - I checked my long jacket section, my coat section, my dress section, the wardrobe in my other room, and still, no avail. And today, I mourn the loss of my old friend. I wish I could show it to you - I even went as far as checking all my facebook albums for a picture where I was wearing it, but not a single one. Which is surprising, because I wore that thing heapppssss.

Sadly, a picture-less blog tonight.

Till next time lovelies! xx

channelling the 70s.

I woke up on Friday morning and decided that on that particular day, I'd be going for a vintage 70's look. Yes, deciding on my outfit is one of the first things I do in the morning. Sometimes, it's also the last thing I think about before I go to sleep, even when I'm going nowhere fancy in particular. Sometimes, I even get back out of bed, just to see if a particular outfit I'd pieced together in my head actually works that well when it's actually on. I'm not ashamed to tell you that I often find myself up at night playing dress ups, for hours at a time. It annoys the crap out of my partner, who stays up waiting for a phone call - 'Sorry darling, I got distracted by shoes!'

Anyway, I digress. On that particular day, I was feeling that 70's vibe. You know, the type gracing the glossy pages of the magazine; plastered all over the shopbop newsletters. If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you'd know about my obsession with high waist wide leg pants as of the last few months. While I've still not found the perfect pair (besides, you know, the ones that come with the $600 pricetag), I've found a few that have been pretty close.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but a few weeks ago I came across an outfit in one of those aforementioned shopbop newsletters, where the chick was wearing amazing camel high waist wide legs over a gorgeous, white, feminine blouse. She had a tan belt knotted over her waist, and wore her hair soft and flowing (I tried to find that particular picture, but it seems to have gotten lost in the abyss that is my inbox. I didn't even take note of the designers. I know, I suck). Anyway, the point is, I fell in love. But I knew there was no way in hell I was going to be able to afford that particular outfit, and still be able to eat for the next few weeks. I wish I could show it to you - it was really quite breathtaking. The closest picture I've been able to find to it is Olivia Palermo at the Mango Spring/Summer 2011 Collection Presentation in Madrid, Spain (pictured below) but the editorial I'm remembering was much more dreamlike - whimsical, yet strangely, somehow demure at the same time. The point is, it inspired me. And I set out on a mission to emulate that look, only on a much more affordable scale. I was pretty happy with the result, I must say.

Olivia Palermo at the Mango Spring/Summer 2011 Collection Presentation

Bardot blouse ($20 down from $80); Camel trousers (a bargain $4.95!); Belt (stolen from my sister's wardrobe); vintage leather bag ($55 from Glebe Markets); Tony Bianco for Wanted wedges ($60 down from $200); Rubi double ring ($2 down from $13); Cotton on Sunnies ($2 down from $20).

Okay so I cheated a little with the belt being my sister's. I found the pants accidentally, in a temporary shop selling mostly junk in Market City. They weren't exactly what I was looking for, and I wasn't completely sure that I wanted them, but I figured for $4.95 it didn't matter so much. Luckily that I made that decision, because I once I ironed the crease in myself, I LOVED them!

That wasn't the outfit I originally started blogging about by the way. This is what I wore on Friday - a little bit of my twist on the same general look...

Top ($10 from @topshop); Verge vintage style trousers ($50 down from $290); Vintage bag ($4 from St Vinnies); Temt Cuff ($4 down from $20); Temt necklace ($4 from $20); Rubi Sunnies ($2 from $20); Tony Bianco for Wanted wedges ($60 from $200); Lovisa ring ($7)