Melbourne = Unromantic? Sydney = Derivative? Prove Him Wrong!

If you are not already following The Sartorialist, please at the very least have a good look. Scott Schuman's blog was named by Time Magazine as one of its "Top 100 Design Influencers" and with good reason. He has an amazing talent for photographing street fashion and finding the core essence of his subjects. I love his images and can find inspiration in just about every one of them.

I was therefor, very excited to see that he is currently in Australia as a guest of The Australian Tourism Board at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week and managed to stop in Melbourne for two days.

In an article published on Tuesday he was asked to compare the women of Melbourne and Sydney (*yawn*)..... Clearly the journalistic agenda of the so called "Melbourne/Sydney rivalry" is alive and well. But I shall leave that subject for another rant.

He said Melbourne women had a "very serious" style preferring "over design" along the lines of Comme Des Garcons and Yohji Yamamoto and flats over heels.

"A lot of times they kind of dummy it down a bit and kind of dowdy it down, which to me I don't find that romantic," he said

"Where here [in Sydney] they work out hard, they are beautiful girls and they really play that up. But somewhere in each place there's that difference. Heels and all that don't always make the look."

Read the article in full here.

Now, I don't mean to get defensive about the town I love, or it's gorgeous Harbour City sister, but exactly how much of Melbourne did he see in two days to qualify 'A lot of times..."? Plus the fact that he was quoted after spending one day at RAFW (making that around two days in gorgeous Sydney) suggests that his view is somewhat skewed.

I got the feeling he was saying that essentially, Australian women just aren't put together very well. Yes, we are beautiful, but we lack true sophistication or self awareness of our style.

This Kitten disagrees. A. Great. Deal.

I want you to prove The Sart (as much as I love him) wrong.

In fact, I want you to rush out and capture a photo of yourself or someone who you believe embodies their own sense of style or romanticsim. They don't have to be Australian, but they must be photographed in Australia. Email them to me at vintageverve(at)hotmail.com by Friday 9th May 2008.

Naturally there will be prized awarded. Romantic, stylish, Australian and cutting-edge-cool prizes god damit!

Whew! I worked myself into a bit of a tizz Kittens. Better take a Bex and lie down.

Indecent Obsession?

Just how many shoes does a fashionista sista need? How many pairs is too many? Is there really such a thing?

Even a girl with a strict budget like myself seems to be able to accumulate a vast array of footwear fashion. At the moment I am aquiring at least two pairs a month. In certain circles I been known as "Shoosie" I'm actually starting to run out of proper storage space for my tootsie covers.

So I thought I'd let you have a peek inside Vintage Verve's shoe closet so you can tell me: is 48 pairs of shoes too many for one vintage kitten?




I've got them all!

Casual Trainers
Wedges
Stilettos

Platforms
Pumps
Peeptoes
Sandals
Ballet Flats
Kitten heels
Thongs (Flip Flops)
Boots....

The only ones I can think I am missing are Taser Heels from Imelda!

What is it that you can never say no to one more of? It might be handbags, brooches, perfume bottles or lipsticks. Perhaps you can't say no to another Tim Tam. What wiley ways have you devised to you keep yourself in check?

Every Girl Deserves: Red Shoes

Don't you just love statement shoes? I've posted before on my love of them. Without a doubt, I think that a pair of red shoes has the power to lift, not only your entire ensemble, but your confidence and mood. Red shoes say "I have flair, style AND the confidence to pull them off" plus, I have never, EVER heard a single person say anything negative about any of the four pair I personally own and wear.

I think we all need a few more Dorothy moments in our lives!

Here are my newest additions:

Red patent leather, kitten heels and bling! What's not to love?

What are your "statement" pieces and how do you style them? Share your thoughts with me Kittens.

The One That Got Away...

Have you ever looked at something a couple of times, gone back and forth, ummed and aaahed, then finally made up your mind to go ahead and buy it, only to find someone has beaten you to it?

Oh the misery!

Here is the object of my covetous desire:

While waiting for an answer from an overseas seller on the postage options available, someone else snatched this one away from me.

I even have the shoes to go with it!

To make matters worse, I have a looming deadline for an important event where not only am I a VIP, but the theme is "Vintage Glamour". I almost cried as I kicked myself for not buying it yesterday, when it still could have been mine.

I'm off to lie down and have a Bex. Maybe drown my misery in Champagne. *sniff*

It makes me want to know Kittens: how do you make yourself feel better when you've had a less than perfect day? I'm in dire need of inspiration!

Enter This!

The eternally cool and super stylish Super Kawaii Mama is running the BEST competition this side of the 1960's.

Taking inspiration from the award winning TV drama Mad Men, SKM has put the call out for YOU to send her your very own Mad Men styled outfit.

Set in a Madison Avenue Advertising Agency in the 1960's, Mad Men encapsulated the style, social and political attitudes of the day. It's compulsory viewing, especially for vintage enthusiasts.

More information can be found here.

So get styling and send your photos or video to Super Kawaii Mama before May 4th. I'll show you some of my own submissions at a later date.

Elegantly Waisted - A Vintage Vixens Secret Weapon

As a curvy girl, I am forever being thwarted from wearing many authentic vintage pieces as I am unfortunately many (sigh...many) inches away from a 26 inch waist. So, I have a secret weapon that I am going to share with you.

Late last year I purchased this little number from What Katie Did:

The "Dorothy" underbust corset has a steel busk (the metal hook and loops at the front) and steel boning sewn into the lining. It pulls tight with strong nylon lacing at the back and can reduce your waist by up to 4 inches. That's right Kittens - 4 INCHES!!

Now since I purchased my corset I have lost a little weight and it a little on the big side now, particularly under the bust, but it is still very wearable under both vintage and modern dresses.

The pink gingham print makes it almost too pretty to hide under clothing, but it has yet to venture out over the top of a crisp white shirt. I always seem to lose my nerve to use it as outerwear!

I just love the way it defines my waist and gives me killer curves a la Joan Holloway.

Do you have a secret weapon to help you with your look? Whisper it in my ear.... it'll stay between you and me Kittens!

Covet

Covet (v) To desire strongly.

I have no real needs (material or otherwise) that are not met. I am however human and therefor I want things.

Sometimes they are treasures:

(First Edition of Rebecca)

Sometimes they are frivolous:

(Christian Louboutins in every colour please!)

Sometimes they are incredibly unlikely:

66cm waist (That's 26" for my non-metric readers)

...and sometimes they are very simple:

(a nice, hot cup of tea)

This week, I finally procured something I have been coveting for quite some time (stay tuned for more details), but I wanted to ask you Kittens:

What do you covet? Has it been a long love affair? Is it something you've seen recently? Is the object of you heart's desire not an object at all? Tell me all!