Aussie Curves - Races

Aloha Petals!

I inadvertently took today off as it's the Scotsman and my 7 year anniversary today.According to the husband-man once you get married,you don't count the anniversary of the day you got together.I say screw that though! Love is always a cause for celebration!

So anyways,this is the first time since I can remember that I've ever actually went out anywhere for the Melbourne Cup.Hell,I've never even been to the races despite having to drive past Randwick Racecourse for 6 years when I worked in Bondi.It just never tickled my fancy.

Anyways,here's my hastily put together (and photographed) outfit for our Melbourne Cup lunch outing to the St George Motorboat Club. We had a great time,there was a fab atmosphere and we may consider getting tickets to a proper luncheon - function type thing next year.

As for this dress,I purchased it from Ebay aaaaages ago.......I've hardly worn it as it just doesn't feel like 'me' despite being a vintage repro number.The colours are very muted and too neutral for my personal taste and the dress just feels too conservative and dainty lady like,for me personally.

I do think it's a gorgeous dress,don't get me wrong.......it's just not moi.I felt quite uncomfortable in it,more so psychologically than physically.I really can not fault this dress for comfort and cut and style.The material breathes,the cut is gorgeous (though I do prefer things a bit more cleavagey ;P ),the skirt length is just lovely and 50's like and the skirt flows beautifully.

I would've felt more me had it been more colourful.........and OMG there are soooooo many gorgeous dresses from Lady V in more my style................

OUTFIT DETAILS

Dress - Lady V London (Ebay - 2 years ago)

Belt - ??????

Shoes - Big W (current)

Hair Frangipani - Hot Dollar (old)

Sydney Life #1 - Sydney Vintage Fair

Me and vintage go wayyyyyyy back.Back before op-shopping was cool and vintage was everywhere.Back before all the shops in Newtown raised their prices ridiculously and everyone was into sustainable fashion.


Mama Frangipani is an avid lover of all the old classic films and film stars.Papa Barchen's all time favourite actor is James Dean and his fave movie Rebel Without a Cause.I grew up with several very camp,gay Uncles who would lend Mama F 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' , 'Victor Victoria', 'The King & I', 'West Side Story' (Mama's 2 favourite films) and we would watch them on the weekends curled up on the sofa.Oh and on video of course as it was the 80's.I had the hugest crush on Ms Marilyn Monroe (and She Ra and her purple friend.) Mama and I watched a telemovie of Marilyn's life and I think seeing her tragic story and vulnerability made me fall in love with her there and then.Even at such a young age I was a sucker for a tragic love story (The original Little Mermaid was my my favourite fairy tale growing up) and till this day I remember vividly the scene of her all alone with her pills,just wanting to be loved.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane

Anyways,in happier subjects I fell in love with not only the beautiful women,but the gorgeous dresses, make up and shoes of that era too.In fact I managed to find a vintage reproduction Handfasting dress that was a cross between Marilyn's/Jane Russells 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' wedding dress and Grace Kelly's 'Rear Window' dress,but that's a post for another time.

Les Miserables,Phantom of the Opera and other musicals would blast from our cassette player while Mama cooked on the weekends.Thinking about it now,there were concepts that were probably too advanced for a child.I remember my Mama trying to explain to me what a whore was when I 'Lovely Ladies' came on one time.

I was obsessed with Les Mis and Phantom and devoured them in all forms when I was a kid - the musicals,all the different film versions and the children's versions of the books till I grew old enough to read the actual novels myself.

When I started earning my own $$$ in high school,weekends off were spent trawling through Newtown's King St,Glebe Markets and an old favourite,Mister Stinky's although it seems to have become more of a costume hire shop now as opposed to the treasure trove of awesome vintage-second hand clothes it used to be.

All in all I was a camp,female loving,vintage adoring,semi goth weirdo bookworm as a kid.And that's pretty much continued all my life. (Side note:I thought Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers were married when I was young - like 7 or 8 years old.I was absolutely devastated when I found out they weren't)

Although,I only recently really started indulging in dressing how I wanted as vintage is very few and far between in fat sizes and only the last few years or so have the vintage reproduction companies cottoned on to the fact that we fat chicks not only LOVE vintage stylings but they are very flattering to our figures.Although at $90 upwards a pop,my wardrobe has to accommodate for modern fashion too :( LE sigh.

Anyways,I've digressed a whole heap.The point is anything retro - vintage and I'm there.So when the Princess texted me to say there was a Vintage Fair on at Redfern,we were there! 

We went on the last day,which was a Sunday.Unfortunately I went home empty handed,possibly because all the good stuff was gone already,or because vintage plus size is very slim pickings.Oh and everything I did like was wayyyyyyy outta my budget ($200 necklace anyone?) The Princess did pick up an awesome vintage PINK trunk.Collecting vintage trunks is her 'thing' and she even hauled a few over from her 3 year stint of living in the UK.Oh,and the pink trunk features in this post.

I still had an awesome time browsing the stalls,watching the fashion shows,lusting over the cars and dresses,people watching and virtual shopping all the things that were out of my budget/size range.

The lovely Nora of  Nora Finds

I didn't remember the names of everyone else,except Emma as I know her from her blog.If anyone knows who these lovely ladies and gents are please let me know so I can link back to them,if they have blogs/websites/businesses.

I fell in love with this lovely lady and her lovelier frock.

The gorgeous Emma from Emma Aime

So damn kitsch! I heartbreakingly had to leave them behind.

Humphrey B. Bear.Aussie childhood memories.

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This would make a beautiful wedding dress for someone.

OOTD #5 - Casual Colourful Tropics

Monday of the long weekend,I hung out with la familia as we hadn't hung out in a while and my Papa Barchen is not well at the moment so it takes a lot to motivate him to get out of the house.

Pa Barchen had requested somewhere to get some fresh air,so to our family that usually means the beach.We headed out to La Perouse which is somewhere we have been going to for beach walks,exploring Bare Island and awesome fish n' chips since we were tiny toddlers.

It was blowing a gale,so excuse the windswept look.This is one of my go to outfits for work and just casual days out running about/shopping etc.It's colourful,uber comfy,floral,kitschy and tropical.I'm a sucker for anything kitsch,floral or tropical.Tropical flowers just seals the deal.

Bare Island in the background

OUTFIT DETAILS

Top - Big W

Skirt - New Look (Glasgow - old)

Leggings - Big W

Thongs - Havianas

Hair Frangipani's - Ebay

Bag - Typo ($5 in the sale)

OOTD #4 - Purple in the Park

On Sunday of the long weekend,we had a baby shower for 2 sisters in Centennial Park.Yes,both sisters are preggers and due just weeks apart.Happily weird coincidence,aye?

The Princess and I didn't really know anyone,so we just hung out with Mama Frangipani and her BFF's,our 'Aunties'

As someone who is still not quite ready/sure about the whole children thing and who definitely couldn't afford them at the moment even if I did want them I must admit to a little meltdown in the ladies,as we seemed to be surrounded by 20 - 30 something married couples,who all had babies and their shit together.i.e. Careers,mortgages,the white picket fence etc. Yes,first world problems I know.STFU drama queen!

The Princess gave me a verbal Alexis - Dynasty bitch slap by reminding me that I have a lovely,happy and fun marriage and forwent all the mortgage and career thing to go travelling and have some awesome adventures.....but that's a story for another time.In any case it worked,my sister is always the voice of calm and reason,despite being 7 years younger.

One thing I am confident I do have together is this outfit.

It's one of my go to outfits as it makes me feel gorgeous and confident and happy.Purple is my favourite colour and colour always lifts my mood.Being scandalously low cut,I had to wear a cami underneath,despite the 32 degree heat plus a black skirt underneath as due to my ample bubble butt skirts tend to hang low in the front and rise high in the back.I didn't want to give an x-rated show when I bent over in the middle of Centennial Park.

I bought the dress for $10 in an Autograph sale without trying it on,even though it's 2 sizes smaller than what I would usually take.The sandals were also bought in a New Look sale (Glasgow) for 3 quid/$5.The belt was $2 in another Autograph sale.Yeah,I'm pretty lucky with bargains in the sales.

Mahoosive Hair Flower...Check!

OUTFIT DETAILS

Dress - Autograph (old)

Cami underneath dress -Big W (current)

Skirt underneath dress - Big W (old)

Belt - Autograph (old)

Necklace - Gifted (Tree Of Life)

Sandals - New Look (Glasgow - old)

Parrot Earrings - Accessorize (Glasgow - old)

Mahoosive Starburst Lilly Hair Flower - Paddys Markets

Sunglasses - Cheap shop in Cronulla

The Baby Shower,lovely setting and an even lovelier day.

One of the beautiful mums to be.

After a few hours at the baby shower,the Princess and I made our way to Bronte beach.Miracle of miracles,we got a parking spot! It's hard enough at the best of times,but Sunday it was 32 degrees,and the local Eastern Suburbs team The Roosters were playing in the NRL Grand Final that night. 

Of course,all those factors combined and being a long weekend,Bronte looked like human soup.The water was absolutely gorgeous though and we pretended to be mermaids frolicking in the ocean for a few hours.

The Princess and I were mermaid princess sisters in that little swimming hole next to the ladder .

My favourite Sydney beach,Bronte.