Head to Toe

I guess my luck has turned right around. Ran into uni today to fix up the problem of not having a student I.D. (for 6 months now...my wallet got stolen six months ago, my laziness is boundless). It's supposed to cost $25 because I don't have a police report to prove that my wallet was stolen rather than simply lost. The lady who processed my I.D. just gave me a smile, said "you seem like you've had a rough few weeks" and waived the fee. Sometimes, kindness from random strangers is all it takes to turn around a drought of happiness.

High collar melon tank, Wisteria Lane Mulit-split maxi skirt, Sunnies: Market HQ
Wedges: Ebay
Belt: Op-shopped
Yellow Clutch: Ebay
'I' canvas tote: Alphabet Bags
Dakota Wallet in Green: Status Anxiety







Speaking of wallets...this Status Anxiety Dakota beauty in the most amazing lime green is a relief to both my coins and my cards. I finally have a legitimate wallet to house all my bits and bobs to reduce the (very high) risk of losing everything I own because until now, I've just let it float around akimbo in my bag. Also, signing up for pretty much every loyalty card available makes me feel like a bonafide grown-up (even though I have about 4 loyalty cards for juice bars but no driver's license...)



And speaking of droughts...where the hell has all the sunshine gone? Tomorrow is the 1st of December, meaning the first day of Summer and the first day of the last month of the year. I feel as though someone has mugged me for all my time and my right to a normal Summer. This muggy humid excuse for the start of Summer has got to end before I hurt someone.

P.S. How good is head to toe Mink Pink?

Truth

I realised I've never really posted just a portrait of myself, so here's one showing off my new Breo sunnies before I dashed out the door to my internship (not kidding, I yelled at my sister to take a photo of me, posed for 30 seconds and sprinted to the train station).

And just one of the songs I've had on repeat for a while now. So beautiful.



Truth - Balmorhea

Vicious

I'm sorry, but can somebody explain to me how it's possible to remain cool and composed in the face of a doberman ready to completely shred you into tiny pieces? If that doesn't make this the coolest editorial spread to ever exist, I don't know what does. See that (pretty sick) all-white pantsuit in the second image? I would be staining it with the release of all manners of bodily fluids.

Christie Brinkley shot by Chris Von Wangenheim for February Vogue, 1977

Cylk

Granite-print dress: Cylk
Grey snakeskin belt: Vintage
Basket weave geometric wedges: Kobe Husk
Gold armour cuff: ASOS
Black bag: Tilkah
Necklace: House of Harlow
Nail colour: Sportsgirl



Aussie label Cylk makes eco-friendly knitwear with a focus on luxury basics made out of super fine bamboo, silk, cashmere, linen and modal. Their collection is the type of thing you'd want to bury your face in and maybe sneeze into because even kleenex doesn't feel as great. Not that I'm recommending everyone to buy quality knitwear and silk pieces to use as handkerchiefs..unless you're rolling in it and that's your thang. The marble print on this dress is somewhere between subtle tie-dye and a stormy sky. Seriously phenomonal. Don't get me started on the Kobe Husk wedges. The traingles and basket weave makes me feel like I'm doing an arts 'n' craft class at school. Nothing better than the smell of DIY glue paste (and I mean this in the most non-illicit manner possible. I was 5. C'mon.)





I haven't had the greatest past couple of weeks. I lost my weekly train ticket last week, accidentally left my new one with my boss, broke a 50mm, got fined $200 for not having my student I.D. on the train after 12 hours of work and I have accumulated more mysterious cuts and bruises than I usually collect during the week (#firstworldproblems).

The $200 fine makes me cringe in a mix of fury and sadness everytime I think about it. I asked how long I have to appeal the fine, and the conversation went something like this:

Small, upset, meek Jess on the verge of tears: How long do I get to appeal it?
Big and burly transit officer representing ~The System~, towering over Jess: 21 days.
Jess: But...I'm on uni holidays and I don't know if the office for student I.D.s are open until February...
Transit Officer: There are no buts.

Sometimes I really wish I had my license.

Watch the Queen Conquer

I popped by Queen Justine Vintage's pop up store on 374 Crown Street, Sydney the other day to find almost too many good things in one place. I swivelled 360 and I don't think I got enough photos - Justine and Cassie (of RaRa Superstar) had visual merchandised the shit out of every nook and cranny of that space.





Looking through the racks uncovered some skimpy silk pajama underthings, crazy vibrant print silk blouses, hand-dyed denim cut offs in all the colours of a Skittles rainbow and cropped singlets, brought back to life from vintage t-shirts. The other side of the pop-up was Ra Ra Superstar's gear, and her stuff is funkier than the name. She breathes life back into vintage fabric by twisting and cutting and sewing them into cute new shapes.


New life motto: Too many roads, so little time.





They close this Friday and both Justine and Cassie are lovely, lovely people - so be sure to pop by and pick yourself up a reasonably priced vintage treasure, or one cut up and disguised as a cute summer frock. If you miss it, Queen Justine Vintage has a site opening soon. I ran away with some insanely well-fitting black palazzo pants (think American Apparel disco pants...but PALAZZO. There is no better combination), and a snake print velvet mini cross-backed romper. A stylish revisit to the days I wore exclusively denim overalls (when I was about, 5...so this is a major upgrade).

Queen Justine Vintage
374 Crown Street, Sydney
Until this Friday the 25th of November!




Left: Queen Justine, center: Queen of sleep deprivation and eyebags, Right: The beautiful superstar - Cassie

Sunflower

Dress: Vintage from Etsy
Heels: Havoc by ASOS
Belt: Op-shopped
Rope clutch: Another el-cheapo Ebay find
Lopsided broken sunglasses: Vintage from Surry Hills markets

There is a special place in my head reserved for deep shame at my eternal, hopeless, soul-crushing uncoordination. These outfit photos are taken by the beautiful Kristal from The Gypsy and the Fox because something straddling the line between hilarity and tragedy happened. I broke my third 50mm lens. My THIRD. ONE. How it is even possible, nobody knows. My clumsiness knows no bounds. I struggled to decide whether to laugh hysterically or sob even more hysterically. Here lie the last photos taken by a sad little 50mm doomed to a violent death as soon as it landed in my hands. You didn't have a chance, buddy. R.I.P.










El-sneako shot of bloggers being pretty and bloggy (...and very colourful)



Was treated to a cute little Breakfast by the good people at The Iconic. Sarah Gale - the wonderwoman behind it all took us through some pieces and a few trend moodboards for Winter 2012. She put a different spin on my clumsiness - she called me consistent. From now on I'm not going to say I'm uncoordinated, or clumsy. I'm bloody consistent at being clumsy and I'm good at it.







The Iconic has Lonely Hearts, Ginger & Smart and Ellery sit comfortably next to Ladakh, Dr Martens and Minty Meets Munt. It's sort of like high school once you think about it way too much in the shower. High School is really the one unique situation in life where you get thrown in direct and immediate daily contact with an eclectic mix of people that you may not otherwise have ever tried to speak to or meet outside of a schoolyard environment. It's a beautiful thing.

The best part, though - 3 hour shipping. I'm not kidding. 3 hour delivery. You can run around carrying the curse of uncoordination and let everything you eat dribble onto your outfit for tonight and then replace it in 3 hours. Convenience.




With the charming Sarah Gale


Detail shot of Kristal's crazy-ass H&M suit


YOU ARE PATHETIC, JESS

Shoe Party - Tony Bianco AW '12

I knew yesterday was going to be a big day and that I would undoubtedly be a tired little ragdoll by the end of it...but the exhaustion that shot me in the face point-blank when I slipped in between the sheets of my bed last night was beyond words. 7am-6pm at two different jobs and then got to end the day with a visit to the Tony Bianco A/W '12 Blogger preview and some hot thai food on an even hotter evening.



Meeting Anthony (Tony) Bianco was incredible (and gorgeous Jasmin from Friend in Fashion). The fact that he was even there in the first place to meet us made me want to fold him up like an origami crane and keep him like a trophy on my bookcase (amongst all my awards for participation and completing reading challenges..when I was about 8). He was so lovely and I am still star struck.


Vintage Princess



I love how they grouped the shoes on different tables - there was a reptile print party going on on one table, and then mammal print on the next, a boot party, a colourblock party and an understated black essential heel party. All were equally fun to attend (I am losing my grip on this metaphor) and I have my eye locked on a pair of gold platform pumps.








UH SNAKE PRINT AND A CURVED HEEL. It seems like something Angelina Jolie's character in the movie Wanted would wear, while curving bullets in the middle of a rainforest




Seahorse clutch that Lucinda from Thrift and Thread made herself. Talent.





I had to wake early this morning despite needing a good rest because of an interview and roamed around the city afterwards for a good two hours, not doing anything and with my eyelids half closed. I ended up at my workplace, yelling incoherent gibberish at my poor co-worker. Turns out sleeping is sort of essential for survival.




Tash from Breakfast With Audrey's pretty feet