Trips down memory lane.

We went out for dinner to celebrate my younger brothers birthday tonight and despite starting off with more than enough time to get ready to go out (I don't usually take that long), I ended up running short of time and throwing together my outfit in less than five minutes after several phone calls as well as having problems with our power which kept shorting out for some unknown reason, making it very difficult to do or see anything! 

I ended up wearing a few pieces of clothing that I haven't worn in a while but that used to be solid favourites of mine. 

The dress was the first Vintage piece of clothing I ever bought when I was sixteen and although I've changed it a little bit over the last few years (I really can't help myself, I alter almost everything in my wardrobe at some point just to kept it interesting) it still just reminds me of everything I used to think pretty vintage dresses should be; light, airy and in a floral print. I haven't worn it in quite sometime because I really don't tend to dress in such girly, girl things any more, yet I think with the right styling it can be worn in a different way that doesn't have such an overwhelming girly kind of vibe. 

I paired it with a more up to date crop military inspired jacket of mine to give it a bit of edge and wore with over the knee stockings.

Due to it being rather bitter at night at the moment I threw on a coat of mine that again I haven't worn for quite sometime. This coat will always mean something to me because it was my main purchase in Europe when I had the opportunity to travel over to Austria to stay with family friends in Vienna when I was sixteen. I stayed for three weeks over Christmas and New Years and their Christmas present to me was a day trip to Paris with them and this is when I bought this coat on the Champs-Élysées. It's quite a tight fit now when worn over another jacket but it still just works.

I took some quick pics when I got home,but they're not the greatest - I was already feeling ready for bed then but I felt like writing before going to sleep.

I've started mixing some different prints- such as the dress and the coat. I love how mixed prints can look but it has to be done to perfection otherwise it just doesn't work and can be extremely bad! I want to experiment a bit more, I tend to have a good eye for that kind of thing, I've just never worn such bold mixes on myself but I'd love to mix prints like the amazing Mondo Guerra from season eight of Project Runway!

On that note, I'll leave you with my two favourite mix print works from designer Mondo Guerra whilst on Project Runway...

Falling in love all over again.

I know these aren't exactly new news now but I just happened to come across this collection of photographs by Ruven Afanador for Elle Italia again and fell in love with them all over again. 

Whilst I do like some of the garments and I do think the styling of the outfits has been done exceptionally, it's really not what I like about the photographs at all, in fact, I feel slightly bad in saying it but I hardly notice the clothing at all, something very unusual of me.  I just find all the other aspects within the photos more interesting and attention grabbing, the clothing almost becomes an after thought. They are no doubt amazing photographs and I do indeed love them, but really I don't think they achieve what they actually were meant to being for a fashion magazine, it's a fine line for sure.

Illustration and photography collaborations.

I absolutely love collaborative photography and illustration works. It would be so amazing to be able to do both parts of it for yourself ... potentially something I'll try my hand at, working back into some of my photography work. 

Here are some of my favourites by other photographers and Illustrators...

Above: Photography by Emily Abay and Illustration by Bec Whinnel. 

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Above: illustrations by Gustaf Von Arbin

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Above: Laura Laine Illustrations 

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Above: Another lovely Collaboration - photographs by  Macushla Burke and Illustrations by Kelly Smith 

Bringing out the animal within.

Here in Australia, especially Perth we can be a little behind in the global fashion trends. Even though Internet and even things such as Fashion TV (FTV) on Foxtel has made it a lot more accessible to view the trends straight away when the rest of the world does, there will always be the slight problem that our Seasons are the reverse of the 'Fashion World'. 

This winter, I'd have to say one of the most recognisable styles on the streets and in stores would be animal inspired such as animal prints, faux fur and even feathers. 

I do love a good leopard print, but it really does have to be done correct; it can so easily go from chic to tacky. I found a lovely leopard print dress a few weeks ago that while it was so now and done really nicely being in sheer chiffon (of course lined where it needed to be), but decided against it simply down to the fact that I don't have spare cash to splash at the moment what-so-ever and this really makes me focus more on the longevity of trends that I buy into. 

Instead, I decided to buy only accessory pieces that allow me to inject some current trend into more classic outfits. I've almost completely stayed away from the animal prints and instead bought into some faux fur pieces such as my vintage grey faux fur stole to picked up at a market in Melbourne a little while ago.

I think the animal inspired trend will evolve further still and I think that it's already evident to see that it's being interpreted in a stronger way with the focus on reptile skins and lots of leather. I think that I'm set for now just with a red snake skin clutch of mine and some solid leather pieces such as my eighties high waisted leather pants.

A Gentle kind of cruelty.

I absolutely adore Ray Ceasars artwork, they have such a presence and always seem to linger on in your mind for a while after viewing. His artworks are actually highly detailed 3D digital images which just mimic traditional painting techniques. 

Head over to his website for more ...

http://www.raycaesar.com/

Black and white stripes.

I've always loved the simplicity of black and white in anything from photography through to fashion. Previously though when wearing black and white it would be contrasting blocks of black and white against each other, for example my high waisted black leather pants worn with a white chiffon top. If I were wearing an outfit like such then I'd normally pair it with a bright red clutch or shoes, or just something that gave it a bit of a pop. 

Lately though, while I still love the classic look described above, I've really been loving wearing black&white in a more striking, graphic way; in bold stripes.

 

Even just as detail features on a garment can still make a bold statement...

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Givenchy took inspiration from a 1970's David Bowie making the style even more bold and graphic playing with juxtaposed angles of stripes.

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I found this jacket of mine at an opshop a few months back for $12. It was something like a size 14 but I bought it and just altered it (took in the seams and put some darts in) and now it's a good fit on me. 

The bold graphic impact that comes with such black and white stripes is great by itself, just worn with all black, however I do still love contrasting it against one other block of colour such as the red clutch or a coloured skirt like the green one below. 

I've liked wearing the jacket how it is but I'm thinking that at the end of winter, when I don't want the warmth of the jacket as much, that I might crop it of at the waist and really tailor it to flatter.