New Discovery: Style Stalker

My littlest sis is down visiting from Cairns during her school holidays, and I took her shopping in Paddington last week, in a failed attempt to find her these cute Melissa flats (I know, I know, too much Melissa talk. I would stop if they would stop making such damn desirable shoes!):

Zen Girl Flats -  AUD$79 at Melissa Australia

Luckily though, the trip was not for nothing - anyone familiar with Brisbane knows Paddington is a very fashionable part of town, with many clothing boutiques lining the streets. Unfortunately these boutiques (even the op shops) are quite pricey, so it's not exactly a shopping spree kind of place. Or at least, not for me. I'm a bit of a scrooge when it comes to spending money on clothes - I have to really, really like something to spend more than $100 on a single item. However we did find a few great pieces, in particular, this Military T-Shirt from Australian label Style Stalker:

This tank is really versatile - the shirt fabric means you could dress it down, say by wearing it with skinny jeans and converse sneakers, but the epaulet detail means that you could also dress it up with a cute highwaisted skirt. You know what else I like about this top? The price - it sells for AUD$59 at Style Stalker's online store.

Upon making the singlet discovery, I did what I always do when I find a piece of clothing I like - I looked up the label online. And while not everything of theirs is quite my taste (studded leggings with mesh insert panels? No thank you) they do have some cute pieces at reasonable prices, so I will definitely be keeping my eye on their work.

Check out my other favourites from their range below:

Bustle Skirt in Black - AUD$79

One-Shoulder Bow Dress - AUD$149

Stud Skirt - AUD$89

A Very Retro Summer in...

Well we are only into the first few days of Spring down here in Australia, but already it's hot and sunny like summer. As Eugenie and I are both big lovers of retro fashion, particularly the pinup era, I thought I'd do a write up of retro fashions available for this Australian summer. However there is soooo much great stuff around, I couldn't cram it all into one post. Seeing as cataloging by colour is just as good as any other arbitrary method of cohesion, I've decided every day I'll be posting 'A Very Retro Summer in...' until I run out of wedges on the colour wheel.

First up is sunny, happy yellow. Yellow can be a hard colour to pull off - it is after all, the colour of jaundice. If you don't think you can do a whole outfit, choose a statement piece like a bangle, badge or shoes.

Soda Fountain Dress in Ginger - US$44.99 at ModCloth

 

Charming Yellow Polka Dot Dress - US$44.95 at Daddy-O's

 

Vintage Yellow Stripe Blouse (size medium) - US$15 from Etsy seller gugu

Vintage Slouchy Polka Dot Top (size medium) - US$15 from Etsy seller Oh LeoLuca

 

Vintage Bright Yellow Escada Pencil Skirt (size medium) - US$45 from Etsy seller VSshop

Marigold Pleated Skirt - Discounted to US$29.20 at Tulle4us

 

Vintage High Waisted Short Shorts (size 8) - US$18 from Etsy seller lemonlively

Espia S Flats - On sale for US$252.65 at Chie Mihara

 

 Zen Girl Flats in Yellow - AUD$79 at Melissa

 

Affair Flats in Transparent Yellow - On sale for AUD$55 at Melissa

 

Vintage Woven Handbag - US$17 from Etsy seller halfCaf

 

Interchangeable Purse with Vintage Frame - AUD$45 from Mintd seller Anita's Bags

Orange Slice Polymer Clay Studs - AUD$8 from Mintd seller MistyAurora

 

Indian Pith Helmet - US$28.95 at The Village Hat Shop

Stay tuned for further colourful retro adventures!

Melissa Shoes

Melissa is an Australian based company and their plastic shoes are just devine. A few friends of mine have Melissa shoes and say they are super comfy - not really the first adjective I would go to when discussing plastic shoes, but apparently Melissa have achieved the improbable. They collaborate a lot with other well known designers, and the results are often bright, happy shoes that you want to wear day in, day out.

If I could afford to buy a pair in every one of those colours, I would do it in a heartbeat. The Mary Jane style ($190AUD) is from their ongoing collaboration with Vivienne Westwood. Earlier this year there was a bit of a web frenzy over the Lady Dragon Love Heart heels ($185 AUD) - very popular as wedding shoes for the quirky bride.

I strongly recommend checking out their website and online store as there's something for everyone in there - from strappy sandals, to flats and high heels. All made from plastic and all perfectly adorable.