Frocks & Frou Frou

Skirt: Laura Ashley

Shoes: Naturaliser

Top: Giordano

Cardigan: City Chic

Skirt: DIY!

Shoes: Schuh

A few weeks ago I spotted a navy blue skirt with heart pockets at Forever New which quite caught my fancy. It was too tight, too short, and the pockets - which were the same colour as the skirt as itself - didn't stand out nearly enough for my tastes, so I decided to have a go at DIYing my own version of the same. I didn't feel too bad about ripping them off, since as you can see they seem to have pinched the style themselves from Top Shop:

I actually used a dress pattern and tweaked it, but to be honest it was such a basic DIY that you could probably whip one up easily sans-pattern. Like my elasticised waist skirt it's basically a few yards of fabric gathered into a waistband.

I mocked up a placket and sewed buttons on it myself, but it doesn't actually open, the skirt fastens with a zipper at the back. To make the heart pockets I used the same applique technique that I used to remix my stripy Dorothy Perkins Top but I used iron-on interfacing on the backs of the hearts to give them a bit more sturdiness, and I left them open at the top so they were functional.

I was thinking it'd actually be an easy remix for any plain skirt you might have sitting in the wardrobe, or you can check the racks at your local thrift shop, too for a cheap and cheerful DIY.

Wandering past today (on the hunt for non-trashy looking Maneke Nekos) I spotted another very cute looking piece in their window:

I have to say - this has been one of my favourite seasons from City Chic in a long while!

Top: Giordano

Cardigan: Big W

Skirt: Portmans

Belt: City Chic

Shoes: Schuh

The way to Lilli's heart is... through her stomach?

Actually, that's probably not that far from the truth... The Sophisticate wooed me with fabulous restaurants, so there's probably a kernel of truth to it, but actually it's this new belt from City Chic that's set my heart aflutter today.

It was an exercise in impulse buying when I saw it in the shop last weekend. Theoretically I'd gone in to check out the new polkadot jacket I'd spotted online, but somehow this made its way into my shopping list as well. 

It's elasticised, so it's a great waist belt, and I'm looking forward to seeing what other outfits I can pair it with for that all-important pop of red.

Meanwhile, I've dusted off my favourite Schuh shoes, but they're really looking quite fragile now. Schuh doesn't seem to be making this style any more alas, and I'm trying to draw out the life span of the shoes, because I LUFF them, but I'm thinking about whether or not it's possible to hand them off to a shoemaker and ask them to make the same shoe for me IN ALL THE COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW (but mostly red). Anyone ever had this done?

Cardigan: City Chic

Top: Inspyre @ Harris Scarfe

Jeans: Sussan

Shoes: Diana Ferrari

Just a touch of red today to cheer up a dreary Monday.

I'm a bit cross with this cardigan actually, somehow it seems to be getting shorter and shorter. I'm sure when I bought it it sat on my hips, but now it's definitely skimming my midriff.

My only other red cardigan is also a cropped one, so perhaps I'm destined to only have shortwaisted red cardigans?

Cardigan: Dorothy Perkins

Long-Sleeved t-shirt: Giordano

Skirt: City Chic

Leggings: Ambra

Shoes: Naturaliser

I'm loving patterned cardigans at the moment, and this one - navy, with polkadots! - was crying out my name as soon as I spotted it on the Dorothy Perkins website. As usual for DP knitwear it's a bit thin, but the style's great.

This winter's the first time I've really toyed with navy and black together - I'd always thought it was one of those unspoken rules (like "blue and green shall never be seen, except with something inbetween") but since I'm a big one for breaking ridiculous fashion "rules" anyway....

Boden used to be the best bet for patterned cardigans, but other retailers are starting to catch on. Try Dorothy Perkins, Giordano, and definitely Friends of Couture - the number one cardigan on my lust-list is from FoC, and is called Magic at Midnight. Yes. Yes it is.

Blouse: Victoria's Secret

Cardigan: Barkins

Shorts: City Chic

Stockings: Ambra

Shoes: Naturalizer

Right. So. Bought the shorts-shorts (sorry Haz-Mo's Mama).

I like 'em. Especially on hot, hot days. But here's the thing... they don't photograph that well. Or, rather, my legs don't photograph that well in them.

Stockings help, and I've seen so many girls in the streets - different shapes and sizes - rocking the short-shorts with with a pair of semi-opaques recently which I think is a marvelous way of getting double duty out of an item of clothing that usually wouldn't leave the house on anything less than a thirty-degree day.

I was worried that I'd feel self conscious with so much thigh on display, but I didn't attract any unusual attention, and actually I was pretty wonderfully comfortable as The Sophisticate, my housemate and I meandered around the shops today.

Bit of a splurgie weekend actually, but more about that later this week.

Top: Inspyre @ Harris Scarfe

Skirt: City Chic

Shoes: Wittner

Hoo-RAH! I got home today and found a great big parcel of Splurge from Dorothy Perkins waiting for me. Not a moment too soon because I am Fed Up with my wardrobe and ready for something fresh and new and shiny.

Surprisingly the bulk of the order's pretty excellent - with the exception of one candy-floss pink cardigan that doesn't quite hit the mark right - so you'll be seeing lots of new stuff in the next week or so.

The weather in Melbourne's finally (touch wood) starting to cool a little, and today we even got some rain, so I've taken my boots out of the closet and dusted them off in anticipation.

Dress: Dream Diva

Shrug: City Chic

Leggings: My Size

Shoes: Wittner

I bought this dress to wear on New Years Eve and loved it, but all night long the boning in the sides were cutting in under my underarms and being generally very annoying.

They didn't seem to be doing any actual good - the dress pretty much held itself up anyway - so I got my trusty sewing scissors and did a bit of impromptu dress surgery.

The "bones" were just little strips of plastic, and the edges were cut straight, which explains why the corners were so damn prickly - without them the dress is very comfortable and, teamed with a shrug, I can even wear it with a bra... mmnnnn.... practical....

Top: City Chic

Jeans: Sussan

Shoes: Ben Sherman @ Solestruck

Said a reluctant good bye to Mum yesterday afternoon before hitting the Nancybird warehouse sale in Northcote to finally realise my dream of owning a Nancybird handbag of my own. It was madness at the sale, but I managed to snap up a handbag, and a wide belt for a song.

Meanwhile check out the amazing necklace that my little sister gave me for Christmas:

Dress: City Chic

Shoes: Monambi

Woo! Thirty-five dresses in, and we're finally nearing the end.

I had to put this one in today, but I'll be posting a new (blush!) frock that I bought for New Years tomorrow, and then we'll be basically done! For now, anyway!

I'm getting prettied up as we speak, so just a quickie... Happy New Years, everyone.

Dress: Igigi

Shrug: Igigi

Belt: City Chic

Shoes: Zu

Man alive! It's freeezing in Canberra today following the drenching rain yesterday.

Unfortunately, I didn't bring any cooler weather frocks on holiday, and have had to don jeans and a cardigan, so you're getting another "here's one I prepared earlier" for day 30 of Frockapalooza.

I'm still recovering from Christmas, currently for lunch my Mum and I are having left-over turkey, then maybe some Christmas Pud for afters. With custard. Mmmnn... custard. And brandy butter. Mmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnn brandy butter.

Suki's finally started talking to me again, and I'm about to catch up with Haz-Mo's Mama, so apart from missing The Sophisticate all's right in the world.

I'm trying to get permission from my little sister to put a Frockapalooza post up from her - on a recent visit to Melbourne she bought a very swanky dress from Dream Diva for New Year's which I'd love to show you all because she looks so beautiful - let's see if we can convince her in the comments, c'mon Bella... share, share, share!

Dress: City Chic

Shoes: Zensu

Necklace: Gifted

Busy, busy day today. My little sister is visiting from Canberra, helping me with carstock. We had a long and generally profitable day, but I'm absolutely exhausted.

Tomorrow's going to be a hot one, apparently, so stay tuned for something really breezy.

Dress: Remixed from an American Apparel Top & City Chic Skirt

Shoes: Wittner

Oooh - here's a glam Frockapalooza entry.

Last night I attended a (pretty awful) singles night with a couple of girlfriends. I frocked up in my remixed one shoulder dress which was made from an American Apparel top that was riding up and a City Chic skirt that was falling down.

It's a bit of a hash job, but it must've looked okay because my favourite pick-up line from the night was "I don't know what you look like normally but you look pretty good tonight" (be still my heart!)

Dress: Vintage @ Thrush

Shoes: Zu

Belt: City Chic

Top: City Chic

Skirt: Portmans

Belt: Portmans

Shoes: Schuh

Headband: Elastic Wasteland

This outfit must be, really, the very epitome of Frocks & Frou Frou. A full floral skirt, silly red shoes with bows on them, and a magnificently Frou-Frou headband that looks like it's walked off Frida Kahlo's head and on to mine:

The delicious Kiki at Elastic Wasteland (easily the coolest brand name ever) sent me this some time ago, but this is the first time I've been able to blog it. It's an awesome summer statement headband and beautifully made. She's also got necklaces (love!) which you can see Sonya wearing on No More Mumus

So, this is my 199th post (woo!) which means that it's time for Frockapalooza!

I discovered upon the last cull of my wardrobe that I owned more than enough frocks to wear a different dress every day for a whole month without repeating!

The challenge was set.

Starting tomorrow I'm going to blog a different dress every day until I run out of dresses. There's a couple of new ones (blush) and a few favourites, and it'll carry us over Christmas too.

At the end of Frockapalooza I'm going to host a clothes swap/sale and clear out some of the overflow!