Discount Disciples

Wearing: Discount Universe shirt, vintage blouse, Asos skirt and Dr Martens boots.

As you can probably tell, this shirt is approximately one trillion sizes too big for me BUT it's perfect for layering. I wasn't meant to buy anything this month but I had to buy this vintage blouse for $6 plus postage because I knew deep down that's the kind of regret one takes with them to the grave. One thing I forgot though when it comes to buying vintage is just how itchy old synthetic fabrics can feel against naked skin. The plastic buttons were maybe clear once but they've aged terribly and are the colour of pale ale so I plan on replacing them soon when I stumble upon the perfect, tacky flower buttons. I feel like Enid Coleslaw would have a really good button collection if she weren't already enamored with pop culture and into sewing rather than filling her sketchbook. As always, citing a fictional character as a reference to steal clothing/ craft supplies from is generally counter productive but hey! I've always felt more represented by figures of the imagination, rather than real people.

Cloud Nine

Wearing: Discount Universe halter top, Target trousers, gifted bangle and Chloë Sevigny x Opening Ceremony boots.

I was well and truly feeling myself in this outfit. The pants and bracelet are pieces my mom bought me, as she insists on buying my clothes despite my many protests. So I thought, why not wear those pieces with two of my favourite things I bought for myself? I have the terrible affliction of forgetting about amazing pieces I purchase months ago, and forgetting that even if I have worn them there aren't any pics on my blog. I'm citing this amazing sequined halter top, which is not a style that I would normally wear but it was actually fun to show a little skin for once! Aside from making my body look hot this piece if so well made, each sequin was hand-sewn and the fabric is surprisingly heavy but also stretchy. The previous owner either 1.) did not wear it much or 2.) looked after it. Whatever the case may be I'm extremely grateful I snapped up this archive piece when I did- it's one of my absolute favorites from the Australian brand!

I must have a snake in my boot

First I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise for the deception in case you were looking for snakeskin boots. I'm obsessed with snakes in fashion, but rather than wearing their skins I'm digging prints and patterns. Take this Poppy Lissiman clutch and Hayley Elsaesser dress for example. Both gorgeous pieces which I currently cannot afford.

Trial and error

Wearing: Vintage blouse, Romance was Born jacket, Target trousers and Chloë Sevigny x Opening Ceremony boots.

If I had a super power it would be owning a lot of cheap, dollar store make up without the cool and ironic 90s colour palette (i.e. icy blue, pearl pink and rare shades of purple and green). This brings me to my next point, note to self: someone with my complexion should never wear this colour gloss.Maybe it would have been more effective if it was a lipstick? Err?? I don't know. The disadvantages of being young and ignorant is that you aren't completely self-aware and know the nuances of your body. I guess the advantage is that there's plenty of time to figure all that out. For now the only proven method I have is trial and error (which I seem to be pretty good at). I thought I'd hate wearing such plain and basic trousers with these two prints but in hindsight it looks pretty good. Plus it's not a total shock when you look at my feet, which seem to be covered in tiny belts rather than an actual pair of shoes.

Boiler Room

Wearing: Country Road dress, POMS earrings and Dr Martens boots.

Things are starting to heat up! And I mean that both with my impending deadline (I'm as cool as a cucumber) and weather-wise. Melbourne seems to have skipped breezy, romantic transeasonal weather and dived headlong into Summer. It's forced me to delve deep into my closet and find my comfortable cotton dresses. It seems within the last year I've grown up a little and none of my dresses really screams out at me the way it once did. One of the first things on my to-do list once I finish is a wardrobe clean out and some eBay listings. I did however, want to show off this cute button up dress which I've had for a couple of years now, but never worn on the blog. They look wonderful with these fuzzy earrings, and I decided to go with my trusty Dr Martens, but I definitely need to invest in some espadrilles and sandals for summer.

Swamp Witch

Wearing: Romance Was Born dress (worn as skirt), thrifted bloused, thrifted cardigan, Dr Martens boots and DIY fringe cape.

As I come closer towards the end of my candidature, as well as writing applications for my PhD and completing my thesis I've become more drawn towards problem solving through words as well as experimentation. I know what tasks I have to do but can easily feel overwhelmed and paralysed at the thought of not being able to write well. Dreaming of new outfits has been my escape from academia and through creating a different set of problems has allowed me to work different parts of my brain. The DIY cape was originally a decoration I used for my twenty-first birthday last year but couldn't bear the thought of throwing it away. I was also really inspired by Patience Hodgson's outfit from Splendour in the Grass this year, designed by the lovely Rachel Burke from I make it, You wear it. I wore it with a 70s aesthetic blouse I picked up from a thrift store last year, inspired by the discussions surrounding Slimane as the creative director for Saint Laurent. This outfit has undertones of a rockstar, reimagined with interesting colours and textures. 

Interstellar

Wearing: Josh Goot dress, Romance Was Born skirt and Lipstik jelly sandals.

First of all I apologise for the clutter in the background but I ran out of time this morning and decided to take these outfits photos at uni rather than at home. Also it was raining this morning and I had too much to do today to wait for the weather to cooperate! On the plus side you can see the archaic (pun intended) folders in the background jam packed with palaeontology papers! While it's not totally inspiring to see my messy office space it does remind me of when I first started reading fashion blogs, particularly The Fashion Void that is DC. This later morphed into Moohoop a Tumblr blog and in 2011 Brooke Kao stopped writing altogether. She was among the first wave of fashion bloggers who really pioneered blogging as a platform for self-expression and although her photos weren't polished, her guide of vintage and thrift stores within Washington propelled her to success. I guess today I just really wanted to be vulnerable and removed from the realm of commercial, air brushed photos and perfect hair.