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.

You liked me cause I was blue

Wearing: Thrifted cheongsam and shirt, Asos Mimi pointed flats.

These little gem thingies are the greatest thing I've ever put on my face, and feel free to quote me on that. I guess what I liked most was devising a way to wear these beauties without the marginalization of a group of people. Plus my eyeliner just looked badass today. I've had this outfit on my mind for a while now and it felt so good to wear it. This dress is a little tight on me, so I do have a bit of a belly here but I don't care. It's nothing a good, billowing shirt worn open can't fix. While the photo editing is not quite there yet, I don't have time to spend hours and hours photocopying bits of scrap booking pieces for the perfect science/ vintage cross over. I'm saving that for when I finish- as well as television and video game binges. I'd love it if you guys could recommend me some witty shows with complex women to watch!! At the moment all of my energy is going into my thesis, and it's so surreal that it will be finished soon.

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.

First you get close then you get worried

Wearing: Turban Hats4Ladies (etsy), Miss Shop blouse, Target pants, Miu Miu clogs and Deadly Ponies bag. 

It's strange how my sense of style has changed within the last year, whilst many days I try to challenge myself staples are becoming more and more important. These simple black trousers (something Mum picked up for me) are plain but I'm really into the tailoring and tight cuffs. It's also nice to create an outfit around one piece but then revisit some of the pieces I already have in my wardrobe. Feeling like I have so many things to do but in such a short amount of time has really taken its toll- both on my health and how I manage stress. It comes as no surprise I haven't had much time to indulge in the creative process, aside from how I dress and apply my makeup for that day. Even then documenting each outfit and curating images on this blog has become harder and harder. I can't wait to sit down and fill all my empty notebooks with lots of lovely thoughts and writing, as well as create mountains of different collages and sketches! 

Jonathan Saunders Fall 2015

Abstract cumulus clouds, square boxy sunglasses and loosely coiled turtlenecks all contributed to the revival of the 1970s at Jonathan Saunders, whilst everyone else remained firmly enamored with the allure of the sixties. A departure from fringed suede and billowing dresses, Saunders focused on the synthetic or plastic fantastic if you prefer.There was something very Wonka-esque about the entire assortment of candy-colored outfits which drifted down the runway to the tune of George Michael's Careless Whisper. Perhaps it was the eye-popping combinations of purple and red softened by shades of grey and brown. But there was nothing diminutive about this collection, in fact Saunders adopted the mantra of "less is a bore" for this season specifically and cited the music which he chose for the show as something which put a smile on his face. The collections I find most inspiring are those where the designers always demand more of themselves and of their art. In this case Saunders has reconciled work and play beautifully by simply enjoying his craft and being able to create moving art.

Although those technical powder puffs opened and more or less defined the show I fell completely in love with the stripes. Notably Saunders opted for vertical stripes over horizontal stripes, breaking that age old fashion rule. You know me I find so-called fashion rules to be a complete bore and restricting. It's because of these rules that my mother will dictate what I can wear, at what time of day and where irrespective of the harm she may be causing to my self-esteem. So basically, fashion rules suck and creativity is awesome but it looks so glamorous and chic with a pair of laced up thigh high boots. These stripes in particular look more dreamy, colourful and playful than any vintage piece which has had to for survive decades. The same goes for materials such as vinyl which often degrade and can flake which can be exacerbated by wear. It's a real shame but sometimes despite all the love and care our clothes receive it's important to remember that they are material objects and do not experience change and growth the way our bodies do over the course of a lifetime. So sometimes the most healthy thing we can do is to buy something new and enjoy it's short but beautiful lifetime and make sure it gets lots of wear and simply look at each scuff mark as a little memory.

Another aspect which I enjoyed almost unexpectedly were the trousers paired with a simple colour block sweater. They were chic but understated and suited for a more emasculated, 1970s counterpart of Mad Men. The only thing that seemed missing was a cute little clutch purse or something else to create contrast. Even in a frozen snapshot I admire they movement and flow through them, as well as the legacy of slightly frumpy stretched flare pants that went around in the 1990s. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, you should definitely check out this post by Style Bubble here. Although admittedly these pants by Saunders are the cats meow and nothing can quite compare to their lovely tailoring. The simple knitwear made me feel like I was transported to the packaging of a Kodak film roll or something as equally antiquated but colourful. The variation of stripes, as well as vertical patterns emulating wallpaper and interior designs of the seventies made for a smorgasbord of colour. Pleated panels were also used as a substitute for more stripes making the transition from straight vertical stripes to curvilinear rainbows.

I'm not someone who normally delights in the mod aesthetic, save for Shirley Kurata who is definitely a celestial being and not of this world. The narrative of a secretarial workspace has also been recently popularised by a number of designers, choreographing their shows to the typical closing time of any office space. Jonathan Saunders goes beyond each of those two ideals but maintains their whimsical nature in spire of a somewhat dreary or minimalist setting. That brings us back to the Willy Wonka vibes that I mentioned earlier minus a creepy cane or sinister subtext. I can't be the only one who had nightmares haunted by little orange men with green hair or confectionery creations turning on their consumer in an act of revenge. Childhood trauma aside, this upbeat collection was in its own way the physical embodiment of Saunders enthusiasm and delight in his work. It is people like him and Bill Cunningham who take such joy in their work that I idealize above all others. Happiness and good health is what will always matter first, what you're wearing and looks are not nearly as important in the grand scheme of things.

*Images via Vogue.com