Like a Cat...

Every now and again I buy completely out there things that can in no way shape or form be considered ‘pared back’ but I still like to think of them as ‘classics’. A prime example of this is my leopard print faux fur coat. It is gorgeous and I love it, a real wardrobe ‘hero’ so to speak. I found it at a vintage fair I was attending and I like to think it was fate that led me to it. I had been stalking eBay for a number of weeks but nothing was really what I wanted or was just phenomenally expensive. US$8000 for a real leopard skin coat? No. Just, no. On so many levels, no. In any case most of the ones I spotted (no pun intended) were really furry. Like Animal-the-Muppet-style furry and I have no desire to look like a teddy bear. I know a two-year-old with one of those super furry leopard jackets, she looks super cute. I would look ridiculous.

So anyway, I was faffing around trying on some hilarious vintage hats when I spotted it. It was perfect. Late 50s/early 60s boxy style, cropped sleeves, furry but with a close trimmed pile and small spots. Even better it had big leather covered buttons. Like the kind my dad has on all his height of fashion 70s cardigans. In other words: leopard print perfection. And it fit like a glove. I remember standing there like an idiot staring into space and wondering how close the nearest cash-point was when the shop owner came up to me and said these magic words “It’s $110 but if you’re undecided I can knock it down to $90?” I think I may have actually squealed out loud. Very embarrassing. I couldn’t get a good photo so you will have to imagine how it looks… Sort of a cross between these two beauties:

source: teen vogue

source: the gloss

And when I wear it I feel like this:

source: handbag fairy

Or this:

source: glamamor

Or even this:

source: delicatessen!

(I’m slightly hyper today, in case you hadn’t noticed)


On a more serious level, I find that the kind of wardrobe I am aiming for needs to have the occasional stand out or hero piece to stop it from stultifying. As mush as I love my new pared back approach, I sometimes want to be a bit frivolous and that is where this coat comes in. Not that I wear it out with a vinyl catsuit and matching leopard print stilettos… Though that would be quite a sight to see I would imagine. Haha. Underneath my clothes are the same, usually my black merino sweater and a black pencil skirt or my new(ish) black pants for work or over jeans and a tee for casual. It also looks pretty cool over shorts with tights and loafers for a bit of a grunge twist if I’m feeling that way inclined. But mostly I love the sense of old school glamour it instils in my wardrobe, I certainly always feel elegant when I wear it. And let’s face it ladies, it’s not like leopard is going out of style anytime soon!


Is there something in your wardrobe that is a real standout that you just love? Or even just makes your feel a bit screen goddess-ish?

A Note on Minimalism

I love the idea of a minimalist wardrobe – in case you hadn’t guessed. A small edited selection of items that mix and match in interesting ways to create a range of outfits with which one never gets bored. Easier said than done. Some days I want to dress like a librarian in a mid-length skirt, big glasses and minimal makeup. And some days I feel more like a rockabilly burlesque star –this is where the leather shorts come in, as do my many varieties of gel eyeliner.


In most respects, however, despite my fondness for dressing in character, my style is quite minimal. I tend toward neutral colours like black, grey, navy, khaki and cream, choosing to ad pops of bright shades with my accessories, depending on my mood. I don’t do ruffles, frills or flounces either. Every time I see ‘romanticism’ being touted in a fashion mag I snort audibly with derision and turn the page. Skirts and dresses have started to appear only recently in my go-to wardrobe but for a long time I refused to wear them unless threatened with dismemberment on the eve of someone or other’s wedding. Perhaps it stems from being quite a large child/young teenager, but I have always preferred the sleeker, cleaner silhouette that pants provide.


While I would love to be a true minimalist, along the lines of Fleurette, right now I want to experiment a little. Especially since, for the first time since leaving school, I have the financial freedom to be able to cultivate a collection of classics that will last me until I am old and decrepit and being wheeled around a nursing home muttering obscenities at random passers-by... oh yeah, I’m going to be one of those old ladies. I guess what also attracts me is the idea of longevity. Investing in clothes that will not readily fall apart so that I can wear and love them for years on end without having to update my core wardrobe.


That said, I am totally on the same page as Miss Sophie with the love-hate luxury syndrome. Yes, I can save up and afford it and yes, I love it, but should I really have it? My own Chanel purchase (more on this later) was riddled with guilt about the approximately two million people that had just been made homeless in Pakistan by the devastating floods they had been hit with. Don’t get me wrong I adore my bag and I am forever grateful that I have been put in a position to have purchased one under my own steam at a comparatively young age, but it still bites a little.


On a lighter note, I have uni tonight, so this is what I wore for work/class:

lafillemalgardee