I discovered many things during my holiday in Dubai, but none more amazing and thrilling to me than what I learnt about their culture through the language of fashion.
Generally speaking, the West has a very uninformed view of Middle Eastern fashion, what it is and all the hidden secrets. My education began in a most unexpected way.
One afternoon while wandering The Dubai Mall alone, I took myself on a mission to capture the beautiful fabrics and finishes of the pieces I’d seen in the windows of the Souk. Incredible colours, fine embroidery and jewelled hems all called my name. I had very much wanted to purchase an Abaya on my trip, but after seeing these jewels, I was a little afraid to look at the price tags. So I stayed at arms length, appreciating from outside the glass.
As I wandered along, a well-dressed young man smiled at me from the doorway of one of the more opulent stores, “Please come in, have a look around.” I almost shook my head but tentatively stepped inside, a bright and gleaming countertop catching my eye. This was no ordinary store. Like being dropped into a museum gallery, I realised at once that what I could see was something extraordinary. True artisan works of the highest quality, showcased like a medieval tapestry.
Eager to demonstrate their wares, he began to remove the fabric piece by piece, placing it softly on the countertop. He could see I was hesitant to touch the pieces and immediately started to drape them over my shoulders with, “please, see the quality of this stitching. Each piece is unique and takes over two years to complete.”
Stunning, utterly stunning. The weight of the fine silk, the hand rolled hem, the carefully selected colour variations giving depth and life to the motifs. I began to exclaim at their beauty and compare fabric weights, asking questions as I went along. We looked at each other and realised that the other had a true appreciation for the skill in these pieces; he offered to dress me in the full ensemble.
In my family we have a little habit. Some would call it a bad habit, I prefer to think of it as an eccentricity. We sing about everything. Yes, you read that correctly, it is often like a broadway disney mash up over here. Every little thing that triggers a line from a song has me singing as much of it as I can recall. My dad did this right throughout my childhood and is now amusing my girls with the same habit. It became a running joke for my brothers and I, often mimicking his rather flat rendition of Beatles songs at odd moments.
I’m just as bad if not worse. When I found this amazing blue velvet vintage style dress at Vicious Venus in Melbourne, I already had the sounds of “She wore blue velvet“, running through my head. (The era of that song tells you quite a bit about my childhood upbringing). It is a beautiful slinky midnight blue velveteen, with the perfect drape and fall. It may not be an obvious choice for a Melbourne summer evening dress, but with travels taking me to all climates, I always buy a great piece when I find it. Unlike a lot of these slinky type of dresses, it hugs in the right places (not the wrong ones) and mearly glances past the bits you don’t want to spend all night sucking in. Because really, if you’re going out for a great night on the town or a delicious dinner, the last thing you want is to feel like a stuffed sausage! I actually decided to go up two sizes just for this reason, then had the shoulders tailored for a better fit.
I’m surprised (well not really), just how often we get stuck by the number on a sizing label and refuse to buy anything bigger or smaller due to vanity, rather than just finding what fits us best. If there is one piece of advice I can give you about dressing well and looking glamorous, it is to buy the correct fit. And if you can’t buy the right fit, spend the few dollars to have someone tailor it just for you. For something you really love and you know will become a go to piece, it is worth every penny. Even though I do have the skills, I don’t have the time, so the wonderful Jayne at Empire Room here in Melbourne does my alterations. as a professional costume maker and seamstress, Jayne is worth her weight in gold!
Such a fabulous dress required equally fabulous shoes and these are simply amazing! Covered in crystals, these heels from Bordello are my new favourites. The last in their shoes are so well made and suit my feet beautifully, making every pair I own incredibly comfortable. Once I discovered that this last worked for me, I’ve gradually been building up my collection of pieces, including all their mules.
This was the outfit I had planned in my head for Christmas festivities, but the way things worked out with travelling and trips, I haven’t had a chance to really get out there in it. Instead I plan on putting it out there on the red carpet for the opening of the Strictly Ballroom musical on Saturday evening; which given the musical stylings this set off for me, seems all too appropriate!
With our Melbourne Sumer currently hitting temperatures of 41 degrees Celsius, this heat inspired me to create some new looks that keep your hair totally out of the way.
I’ve created this tutorial especially for those of you who are looking for headscarves that completely cover the hair, so it is perfect for those with hair loss and doesn’t rely on the scarf being pinned into the hair.
Each of these looks was inspired by different hats from various eras; a 1930’s turban, a 1940’s beret, a 1950’s headscarf and neckerchief, and a 1960’s pill box hat.
After a few hours in front of the mirror with my trusty long scarf, a few dress makers pins, jewellery for accenting and even some hair clips; I’ve created some truly new and unique ways to wear your scarves.
And don’t worry if you don’t have one this big. Simply drop into your local fabric store, choose a pattern you love and ask the staff to cut it to the same dimensions.
The scarf I’m using in this demonstration is a long scarf I bought when I was in a bind at the airport, having misplaced my sweater, and needing something to work as a wrap too.
Dimensions – 67cm wide x 174cm long or 26.5 inches wide x 68.5 inches long.
This is one special daily outfit today. As a part of my role as a Mercedes-Benz Championship blogger for The Race Around the Web, I had the opportunity to spend the day driving around in the hot off the boat, brand new B Class! I think I may have finally found my perfect car with its seriously luxe glam factor. We went a little crazy taking outfit shots for this one because it just felt like the perfect synergy between my own style and how gorgeous this car is.
I fell in love with the sleek curves, glossy red body and plush pale leather seats; but mostly I fell in love with the pure drama of it!
If you want to be in the running to WIN this absolute stunner of a Mercedes-Benz B Class, amongst other amazing prizes, check out the Race Around the Web and the Super Kawaii Mama Championship track now! And make sure to use that “Share” button at the bottom of the post, cause I’ll bet if your best friend wins it, they’ll take you cruising in style too!
*All original images by Helen McLean for Vintage Current – Images may be reproduced with appropriate permissions. Feel free to add to Pinterest, Tumblr etc…*
