Treasure Hunters

Apologies for the slight hiatus ladies, the weather has been so miserable that I just feel like sleeping. Plus I feel like I have hardly been at home! After going to Melbourne I took off to the country to visit my brother and my two gorgeous nieces – one is 3 and a proper ratbag at times and the other is 4 months and so beautiful it hurts. I was teaching the baby to poke her tongue out and she was laughing so hard she was all chubby cheeks and toothless gums. Too cute!


But back to Melbourne and my so far elusive search for the perfect black pants. In the past this search has always proved a struggle – too long, too short, too tight or too baggy. Many times I have given in and just bought a pair out of desperation, only to give them away to a friend or to charity after a year of non-use. I lay my frustration firmly at the feet of the clothing companies that steadfastly refuse to churn out anything other than skimpy hip-hugging pants (for a suit? Really?) or wide legged monstrosities that, unless they are worn with a skin tight top (again, office appropriate? Not with my assets), make one resemble the rear of a bus. No thanks. I know exactly what I am looking for: black, pleated, structured fabric, cropped to the ankle. I have found the right cut many times but there is no way this side of the apocalypse I will ever been seen anywhere in pants made from jersey. Jersey pants are like leggings: not real pants (unless you have the body of a supermodel, then you are legally allowed to wear whatever the hell you want). But I digress. While doing some online research for the grand girl’s weekend, I compiled a list of potential black pants candidates: three pairs that were the right cut and the right fabric but obviously needed to be closely examined for the inevitable flaws…


Except, this time, I hit gold with the first pair. Unbelievable! Where have these pants been my whole life??? They were exactly the shape I was after in a wool/linen blend that is just thick enough for winter but will also breathe sufficiently for the warmer Spring months before the insane summer heat sets in and I refuse to wear anything other than shorts or sundresses. But not only do they look great they are insanely comfortable. I think I wore them four times last week alone! Haha.

black sucks for seeing detail but they have front pleats and tabs on the waistband to pull them in or loosen them - good for after yum cha! source: country road

I also snapped up something I had been contemplating for a while – a plum coloured knit. I loved the colour but was slightly scarred from years of maroon school uniforms to wear it before now. The colour itself is quite neutral, fitting in well with my current wardrobe colour scheme, but also colourful enough to add a little something to my current winter palette of black, white, cream, grey and navy. As with my favourite crimson red pashmina, it adds a little pop without creating too much of a statement – unlike my hot pink pashmina, for which I really need to be in the mood to have everyone stare at me. Teehee.

i love the extra detail in this knit - frontal inside-out seams, shoulder panels and the cuffs are a smaller looser weave knit to the body. source: country road

Unfortunately it wasn’t all sunshiny. The leopard shoes were totally the wrong shape for my feet and actually extremely uncomfortable and difficult to walk in – and I am a well practiced heel wearer! This was a total bummer as I had to go to six different stockists before I found my size, only to be disappointed. *Sigh.* I was rather proud of myself though, in the past I would have just bought them anyway and hoped for the best. It was a small victory but a victory nonetheless! I did find these others by the same brand:

source: tony bianco

However I am still unsure of the shape. I really had my heart set on the pointed ones despite the fact that these suit my feet extremely well and are much more comfortable.


Have you ever compromised on something and found a better investment? Or did you always regret not waiting for the perfect one?

Last Chance to Wear?

Although I am loath to admit it, I am getting to the age where all of a sudden my friends are getting married, buying houses and starting families. A little scary considering I’m not long out of university. I have been noticing a trend toward getting married younger and younger among my friends and acquaintances that directly contradicts what the newspapers are trying to tell me, i.e. that I will be old and wrinkly with shrivelled, lifeless ovaries before I even think about getting married and procreating because I am too selfishly wrapped up in my career to notice that my body is decaying around me. Fun.

So, what the hell does this have to do with my wardrobe? Well, I have an undeniable penchant for dressing like a school girl. Currently, I am wearing a kilt I bought in Edinburgh (unfortunately it is an ex’s clan tartan but I still like it), navy v-neck sweater, black tights and my favourite black patent brogues (they look like Darth Vader’s helmet… if he was a cone head). And whilst this may seem to directly controvert my whole concept of creating a classic French-style wardrobe, close observation of French girls my own age has led me to believe that they too like to have a little fun with their wardrobe, supplementing in a few carefully edited chain-store items each season whilst still maintaining their core wardrobe of quality classic items.

With that in mind I decided to invest in a (fake) leather pleated skirt. I bought it on eBay for much less than the original price and made myself plan at least five outfits to go with it pre-purchase. I have also instituted the “1-in, 2-out” rule in my wardrobe which basically means I pawn off items to charity shops, eBay or friends every time I buy anything. One such friend has spent the whole day twirling around the office, receiving compliments off everyone about her lovely new skirt. Hilarious.

Anyway, I know this skirt has a limited lifespan – no one wants to see a thirty-year-old non-fashion-magazine editor in a leather skirt… not that I am turning thirty anytime soon – but I am determined to have fun with fashion without wasting money on items that don’t suit me and which I will never wear. Each item will have to pass the rigorous Outfit Test and fit in with the rest of my classics.

Further to my current leather fetish I also bought a pair of intensely 80s high-waisted black leather pants on eBay for $10. Don’t worry I’m not having an out of body hipster experience. After reading some posts on A Pair & A Spare about DIY leather shorts I decided to have a go. And I was rather impressed with the result. They actually go great with my collection of Breton tops and the McQueen scarf that I bought in London the last time I was there. They look a lot the ones in the picture but I have paired them with a black wide belt I already owned to pull them right in, so as to emphasise my waist and avoid looking whale-esque. Score.

*Update*
The 4-5 Seasonal Items purchase index:
-leather skirt
-leather shorts
-black loafers
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