Frocks & Frou Frou

Cardigan: Target

Dress: Now @ Kmart

Hat: Morgan & Taylor

Socks: Aussie Sox

Shoes: Chie Mihara (via ebay)

I have a confession to make. I have a Great Big Fashion Crush on Emily from Some Girls Wander. Her style is gorgeously feminine and retro, and she manages to pull off hats, fingerless gloves and knee-high socks with an aplomb that I can only dream about.

Some Girls Wander is the only straight size fashion blog that I read with any kind of regularity, and it always leaves me feeling like diving headfirst into an op-shop, embracing red lipstick and dusting off those hats that I keep buying and never wearing. The last one being a kind of somewhat more discreet version of Aretha Franklin's famous inauguration hat.

I loved the hat. I think I realised at the time that there wasn't much of a chance I would ever wear the hat, but I loved it, so I bought it.

Sure enough it sat on my dresser being neglected, until I picked it up and realised that at some point during the months since I had bought it Suki had made short work of the little veil.

This, combined with a recent post that J over at Fatshionable did on hats, inspired me to finally muster the courage to pay homage to my favourite fashion blogger and take my own foray in Wanderland.

Jacket: Dream Diva

Jeans: Piper Woman @ Myer

Singlet top: Kmart

Shoes: Zensu

Business meets pleasure in this awesome curvy jacket from Dream Diva.

I remember how excited I was when I saw it - finally, someone was doing business-wear in plus sizes that weren't all about boxy shapes and shoulder pads.

Of course, I don't work in an office, so it took me a few weeks to convince myself that it would a be a Good Investment (and I've barely worn it since then, so it looks like I may have been fooling myself after all) but I know a few curvy office girls who were over the moon when this popped up on the Dream Diva website who no doubt have been wearing it regularly since then.

Sadly Dream Diva seems to have gone somewhat the way of City Chic, and aren't doing that much professional-wear anymore.

What is it with Australia's Plus Size labels and party clothes? Every shop for curvy girls seems to cater exclusively for either older women with a penchant for hanky hems and random dangly bits or party girls in their teens and early twenties who like nothing more than strapless party dresses, boob tubes and denim mini skirts.

Do we really not have the market to sustain plus size labels that have something that falls in the middle? Something like a Witchery for girls that don't have the proportions of a twelve year old boy? Any ideas?

Dress: CKM

Leggings: Kmart

Shoes: Zu

Oh dear, here's one that I prepared way back in Melbourne, and apparently it was so long ago that I can't actually remember who made it! It's one of those super-cheap brands that you can find in every cheap & cheerful clothing shop in Melbourne.

I'm actually not entirely sold on the dress - it's a bit too tight, and a bit too short, and a bit too... young. It sort of reminds me of one of those old-fashioned Victorian bathing dresses.