Racing - Vintage Style

Today is Melbourne Cup Day here. It is such a major event on the racing calendar that we have a public holiday in honor of the occasion. This of course means dressing up, donning an appropriate hat and placing a bet in the hopes of winning your fortune. For most of Melbourne's race going women, this is an opportunity to lash out on bad spray tans, dodgy home made fascinators and end the afternoon shoeless in the park. I, on the other hand, choose to spend today decked out in full vintage splendor, courtesy of my recent O.S trip.

Outfit Details: 1950's Black Eyelet lace dress, Teal blue slip from Anthropologie, Shoes from Luca and Marc, 1950's hat.

Stylish Spoilers

Being the first of October today, it stands to reason that my November Marie Claire should arrive in the post box today. Here is a sneak peek at what it has to offer and my initial reactions. Please forgive the image quality, I shot these while reading on my lap holding a Semillion in the other hand.

YES

I'm searching for the perfect wide brimmed summer hat and this is just the ticket. Although at $420 I may just be looking for its twin.

NO

Just because it's a dress doesn't mean it's race wear! Aside from one DeLaRenta number, I'd classify these as perfect for everyday wear but certainly not special enough for the day of days on the racing calendar.

YES

Great Hair! Simple, sexy, breezy and very glam.

YES

A behind the scenes look at one of the most glamourous ladies of the silver screen Hedy LaMarr. Fabulous.

YES

The rise and rise of Cosplay. So much fun, so kawaii and a good way to stay young on the inside.

NO

Bad, bad overdrawn lips. A ten foot pole comes to mind for these.

YES

Old Hollywood glamour and THE BEST shoes! On my summer wish list big time.

YES

High waisted, rear laced bikini. Sexy, vintage and suitable for adult audiences. I think this just may be my perfect summer swim suit.

Swanky Panky

Given my recent adventures in outfits of drama and decadence, this weeks Swanky Panky finds yet another way to take your glamour factor up a notch - with a stunning Chapeau. While this post will most certainly make my Northern hemisphere readers jealous, those of you in Melbourne will be rubbing your hands with delight as I introduce Boring Sidney.

"With a BA in Apparel Design and a Minor in Costume Design, Belle has had the opportunity to design costumes for some 25 plays or musicals over the last 18 years... It was in the theatre that she learned the art of Millinery. It is with a love for the bizarre and quirky, a solid sense of humor, and a driving need to create, that she started Boring Sidney/Belle Millinery 10 years ago." - Boring Sidney

I think I would possibly wear this Marlene Dietrich while taking covert meetings with a Private Eye, comissioned to discover the secret shopping haunts of my fashion nemisis.

Lightweight canvas and denim cloche Sunny Days hat, for those of you currently enjoying Summer and sick to death of the same old raffia numbers.

1930's style hand blocked hat Ingrid Bergman in Teal is just so lucsious and lady like. In this number you'll never have to carry your own groceries again.



This off beat Steam Punk number really tickles my fancy. With the goggles it makes me think of women first learning to drive and how wonderfully socially inappropriate they were. Remove the goggles and you have yourself one snappy versatile hat.

So until you are fortunate enough to add one of these beautifully crafted pieces to your collection, give the lonely hat in the back of your closet a much needed make over with a quick trip to the craft store. You'll discover one of the secret beautifiers of hats - they make you walk taller, adding inches to you height and making you feel slimmer. And if that doesn't make an addict out of you I don't know what will!

Anyone Fancy a Bonnet?

As I get ready for the big Easter weekend away, I start to wax lyrical to the girls about my perfect Easter Bonnet. So, as all of the most stylish and hip people do, I headed on down to Etsy for some shopping goodness. And Oh MY! I stumbled upon the most perfect and fabulous hats I think I have ever seen.

The Costumier and Milliner extraordinare, Kim Brown-Dye of Topsy Turvy Design on Etsy brings us this sumptuous visual feast to whet your appetite for an Easter chapeau. Based in Oakland, California; Kim handcrafts costume accessories and stunning millinery for stage, film, play or just for your personal pleasure. And there is none of that 'of the rack' stuff here. Kim creates everything made to measure just like they did in the olden-days. So if you have a hat-hankering or you fancy yourself a little extra bedroom action, skip on over to her official site www.topsyturvydesign.com and be prepared for your heart to race.

P.S (I may be a little too late here in Australia to organise anything for myself this Easter, but come Spring Racing Carnival here in Melbourne, I'll be a head above the sea of wobbly, DIY fascinators! Thanks Kim, I'll be in touch!)