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!

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.

Bustier Collective

More and more we're beginning to see classy ways of wearing a bustier top, be it with a pair of chandelier earrings or pant suit with sneakers. Or you could pull a T-Swift and pair them with high-waisted pants, hiding any trace of a belly button and allowing the world to ponder whether you have one at all. Still, they're an item worn by the extraordinarily skinny women of the fashion world, but there's plenty of plus size women who are making the trend their own. Again, high fashion isn't really pandering to these kind of women, and any kind of progress is small but with Beth Ditto walking at the latest Marc Jacobs collection at New York Fashion Week is definitely a step in the right direction (haha puns). Of course the trend is also trickling down into the high street, with brands carried by Asos such as Missguided making some really cute, pattern bralettes with lace and metallic finishes. I'm dying to know if you guys know of where to buy cool bustier tops!

1- unknown, 2- Kayla Scott by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia May 2015, 3- Photographed by Theo Sion for for The Gentlewoman FW 15, 4- Vanessa Axente by Josh Olins in 'Island Dressing' WSJ Magazine, April 2015. 5, 8, 11- FKA Twigs performs on Day One of the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival on July 31, 2015 in Montreal, Canada. 6- Frankie Rayder by Raymond Meier for British Vogue, September 2003. 7- Lauren de Graaf at Fausto Puglisi Spring 2016 RTW. 9- Chloë Sevigny. 10- Malaika Firth - Diane von FurstenbergSpring-Summer 2015.

I'm feeling 22

Wearing: Vintage crochet tank from Tunnel Vision, vintage blouse, shorts and hat from Target, Chloe Sevigny X Opening Ceremony shoes and Zana Bayne harness. 

Another year, another year closer to reaching the cold embrace of death. Just kidding (but I'm actually not kidding). Today I turned 22 and I still have my original hair and teeth. I'd call that a win. It feels pretty corny to say "my God Margaret, look how much I've changed and BLOSSOMED INTO AN ADULT"- but I've felt more comfortable in my own skin these last few weeks and it's been rewarding to dress weird at uni once more. Partly because I get to dabble in creative processes, but I've gotten some pretty cool responses too from friends.

Brooding

I'm really looking forward to finally seeing the David Bowie exhibition at ACMI in Melbourne, and as a consequence of that I've of course created a moodboard. It features some of the photographs that accompanied Grimes in her interview with The FADER magazine (which I highly recommend), as well as Kate Bush and Beth Ditto. Basically the unifying theme is transformation viewed from the eyes of a teenager. It is those years which seem the most pivotable, informative and malleable in terms of who we are and who we will become. It is less easy to transform ourselves in our twenties, and then into our thirties and forties without it being labelled as a mid-life crisis. Despite its difficulties it is always worthwhile to reexamine and have the courage to re-imagine ourselves but is fraught with the social perils of alienating our loved ones and those around us. This narrative is something that I come back to time and time again, which makes me think these feelings are part of the human experience in general but more closely associated with youth. Seeing someone else's life chronicled through outfits, but also the makeup they wore onstage will help inform these thoughts, but open many more questions. 

1- Kate Bush performing “Babooshka” on the Dr. Hook Show, 1980. 2 & 3- Grimes for Fader Magazine Issue #99 August-September 2015 by Ben Grieme. 4, 5 & 6- YSL.com. 7- unbenannt by Czar Kristoff on Flickr. 8- Marjan Jonkman by Greg Kadel for Numero. 9, 10 & 11- sadkejawaan. 12, 13 & 14- Exile on Prince St by Susan Meiselas. 15- Damaris Goddrie shot by Bryony Wright. 16- Cry BB by Hannah Kristina. 17, 18, 19, 20 & 21- Beth Ditto in POP Magazine (2007), “Size Zero” by Steven Klein. 22 & 23- Chloë Sevigny releases No Time for Love, a photobook filled with snapshots from photobooths and candid images of the men in her life, from her father to her first loves. Available on InnenZines.com