Madame Butterfly

I have recently been reintroduced to the amazing-ness that is Saturday morning "Garage Saling". It's a pretty great way to start your weekend if you can commit to the early start. Coffee in one hand and a list of addresses in the other. Getting to rummage through piles of unwanted trinkets, knick knacks and having that moment where you realise you've found a true treasure in amongst the junk. I've managed to accumulate all kinds of unexpected gems this way but I am always extra stoked when I come across great clothing. You couldn't ever count on finding an incredible vintage gown but sometimes you are lucky enough that one finds you.

Friends of ours were moving to New York and were having an early morning "everything must go" sale at their place. It was a nice mix of BBQ breakfast, social beers, a chance for people to stop in to say their goodbyes, and lots of well organised (but extremely varied) items that weren't going to be travelling with them. I did manage to convince myself that we were paying more of the social visit than looking to buy stuff off them. My best intentions dissolved within 5 minutes of arriving and soon I had committed to helping the cause by taking a set of shelves, a set of vintage postcards and an oil heater. I was about to head back to the BBQ in the courtyard when my eye was caught by something beautiful floating on the back of the lounge door. There hanging up in front of me was the most incredible 70's gown in shades of marigold, deep browns and reds. It was one of those actual jaw dropping moments that stopped me in my tracks for a moment while I registered just how amazing this dress was. It actually took my breath away in those first few seconds and I knew that this dress was something really special.

After checking that it wasn't out with the rest of the items up for grabs as a mistake I found out as much as I could about its history. It was bought originally for a fancy dress party. It had made it out a few more times since- but only ever in a dress up context. It had been very well received in all of its wearings and while my friend was sad to be giving it up- it just hadn't been worn enough to make the cut of the clothes going to New York. With it's fitted bodice, floating full skirt and long winged arms it was indeed a work of art- but a hard one to get into a regular wearing rotation.

 The warm colours and the floral pattern are indicative of its 70's creation and with it's long pointed sleeve/ wings it manages to be elegant without being too hippy. I love that the colour evolves from the bright marigold flowers of the main dress into the contrasting red, browns and black while keeping the same big bold flower pattern throughout. It works well and even though there are a few key points of difference in the cut of the dress itself- the fabric makes the most of being bright without diminishing or overpowering the gown as a whole.

I put it on as soon as I got it home and immediately felt like a princess. Or maybe a butterfly. Whatever the label. It was graceful and delicate anyway. These words aren't often ones that are paired with me (ever!) so it did actually feel like there was a kind transformation when I put it on. I was enjoying gliding all around the house and watching the fabric float all around me when my default unco setting burst the bubble. I had managed to get one of my "wings" caught on the banister at the top of our stairs. With so much fabric to get caught there hadn't been any obvious tension in my sleeves to stop me moving. Sadly I kept going and the banister ensured that the dress didn't keep moving with me. The sound of that fabric ripping felt like a lead weight in my stomach. Luckily for me it was a relatively small and very fixable rip- but a timely reminder that even in a chiffon winged gown I'm still not going to be able to pull off "graceful" for more than a few minutes.

To reduce the risk of another rip I have been admiring it from the stationary safety of the mannequin in the wardroom. I may not have found many places I can wear this frock yet, but at least I can appreciate it as a work of art in the meantime...

Silver Rouched Ridiculousness

So another Christmas has come and gone. Turns out the end of the world didn't happen- and we are screeching towards the final days of 2012. There is a very high chance I said this last year but it feels like I actually blinked and missed much the last 12 months. 

Yes. We are almost completely past the festive season now and I suspect many of you  experienced an increase in overeating and hangovers because of it. I am very fond of this time of year (for many reasons) but thank god it only lasts a couple of weeks. I can get as festive as the next girl but there is a lot to be said for pacing yourself these days. I'm getting too old to be able to live through the hangovers. Its a sad fact- but its totally true. Long gone are the December's  of my twenties where I could celebrate many consecutive nights with a glass of bubbly or 3 and be fine the next day. These days there needs to be a lot more glasses of water in between drinks- and sober nights in between the festive ones. If you are reading this and lucky enough to be still enjoying your 20's- for god sake make the most of your stamina while you can. It will disappear just when you think you are untouchable and it sure sucks when you realise how good you had it in the sobering light of your mid thirties. It's always nice knowing how good you have it before you lose it. Sorry. I will end my finger waggling old lady rant here.

One of the Christmas traditions I have picked up in the last few years is playing with Masters of Metal in their annual Christmas Extravaganza. What better way to celebrate the silly season than to don a mullet wig and rock out to some sweet 80's glam rock? Seems like the right thing to do to me.


As previous posts have shown I've had a few years to put together a couple of different themed MOM ensembles now- but there is one slight problem I have encountered. Once you wear an outfit as a piss taking 80's glam rock costume- it sure is hard to break away from that vibe and wear it with any credibility later.  Such outfits get pigeonholed this way and it makes utilising these rare opportunities for further wearing much harder. Basically once a dress is a MOM dress- it's likely to only ever be a MOM dress. I'm more than happy to commit to a sweet outfit for his band- but when I only get to play with them once- or twice a year tops it can be a little sad too.

That brings us to the topic of today's post in fact. Now to be fair- I did buy this frock specifically for Masters of Metal. At first that is. It's definitely one of those dresses that just has so much going on all at once that at first it seems... well. Ridiculous. Rouching. Metallic. Cowl neck. Lace insert. It's more than your average garment would attempt to pull off- but somehow it works. Even weirder is that the longer you look at it the more credible it slowly starts to seem. So much in fact that I kinda want to wear it outside of an 80's glam rock theme to see if it can hold it's own. I am all for pushing the boundaries of your average dress code if I have something I really want to wear- but a dress like this needs a semblance of occasion I feel. Even I know that it isn't really a Saturday morning cafe brunch frock- or a pop down to the supermarket outfit. I do sincerely hope that I stumble across the right time to bust it out on an unsuspecting public without over thinking it too much more than I already have. I'm hoping that in a burst of epiphany- I will just know when it's time is right.


At the bargain price of $20 (trademe of course!) I'm sure I have already got my monies worth really. In fact- I even bought another one that is almost identical as I'm that convinced that someone else I know needs one in their lives at some stage! I really should stop doing that I know- but if something can bring me that much happiness I feel obligated to help another one find someone else that will feel the same way.... I know. I have a problem- but I get almost as much joy out of watching someone else fall in love with a piece I have sourced as I do falling in love with a piece myself. You just know when someone truly appreciates a garment in the way it deserves and it sure warms the heart. I have had many a vintage clothing store owner comment on seeing that same spark in me and we end up just feeding off each others excitement. I know that the doppelganger of this one will end up in good hands eventually and I'm looking forward to being the catalyst for the happiness it will bring the right person. But with that long winded tangent I digress...

In my attempts to break free of the context I have forced upon it in previous wearings- I'm not even going to post pics of it being worn in all of its glam rock glory. I'm hoping that once I take away the white ruffled stiletto boots, the lace fingerless gloves, the teased hair/ridiculous wig and the multitude of chains and bracelets it may paint a very different picture. I may have typecast it myself but I'm hoping it's not too late to try a new context and set a very different precedent. I'm also hoping that the photo's will help me to see it's full potential outside of a dress up theme. If not- at least I got to wear it with credibility just once even if it was only for these photo's!

One more and final  noteworthy point is that other than that depicted in these pics- every other time I have worn this dress I have worn it backwards. I don't know what it is about the style but I seem to  feel more comfortable with the cowl neck at the front and the lace insert at the back. I think it stems from a vaguely constricting feeling I get with anything that is too snugly fitting around my neck. I always mean to wear it in the way it was designed but change my mind at the last minute. Kinda weird really that I took pictures the way I've never actually worn it now that I think about it- but maybe it was my brains subconscious way of giving it that new context I was talking about. Lets assume I had a flash of secret prophecy in fact and just run with that shall we?

Red Knitted Piano Jumper

I don't know if it's because I was a true 80's child that I have such nostalgia for these years. I was there for all of them for a start and spent a lot of my formative school age years deep inside them. Seriously though.  What a great time to grow up. We had glimpses of the mod cons that technology would be bringing us but there was still a simplicity. A wholesomeness to life back then. Kids toys were pretty epic but we still wanted to play outside. Television shows were off the chart and with only 2 channels in NZ until 1990- TVNZ had a pretty captive audience. Weekends were book ended by "What Now" and "RTR Countdown" or an endless stream of Sunday night Disney Family movies. (depending on your bedtime of course....) Kiwi cuisine was for the most part still pretty bland but thanks to microwaves at least it was fast. The times they were a changin' but little did we know the cultural cusp we were existing on.  Of everything the 80's touched - not many things evolved and expanded quite the same way that music and fashion did. Both became brave and experimental in both inspiration and execution while also giving us so many more choices and options. For a small country with 2 television stations and only a handful of high end family run department stores; this was a huge turning point.

 Before I slip into the ramblings of a mad woman writing about 80's music I will get back on track. From here on in I will try to just give you the ramblings of a mad woman writing about 80's fashion or more specifically knitwear.


The later half of the 80's (from where I was at least) heavily featured bright and chunky knits. Much of it was over sized. Even more of it was variations of a template using neon colours, geometric shapes, different textures and squiggles. There were squiggles everywhere. There is a very real chance that my view of knitwear during these years is based predominantly on my own wardrobe at the time but years of op shop rummaging seems to back me up. Knitwear was heavily patterned and multi coloured whatever the palette of choice. There was (is?) something for everyone who wanted to dabble and support our national wool industry. Woolrest was even the prime sponsor of the 1983 Miss World Competition that shot our own Lorraine Downs straight to the dizzying international and highly coveted "Miss Universe" title. Wool was breaking away from it's daggy (ha) reputation and we were happy to jump aboard and see where this thing would take us.

I just need to quickly apologise for the "dag" pun but the one incorporating "following like sheep" was much worse.

Somewhere in between the first industrial knitting machine made for personal home use and the niche carved out by infamous figure David Bain and his garments of choice lies today's subject. It wasn't knitted for me personally but god knows I had 2 Grandmothers that would have been more than capable of making this happen if only I had thought to ask. Whoever was the original recipient was I just hope they loved it the way it deserves to be appreciated. In saying that there is a certain comedic quality to imagining a punk or goth 14 year old boy  being given this for Christmas from an elderly relative. I just hope he waited till she wasn't watching before he  rolling his eyes or going into involuntary facial twitches when he realises he not only has to try it on for her but people have cameras. Whether it harked from a happy place of intentional design for it's original wearer or a teenage boys darkest nightmares his friends see him wearing it in the family Christmas photo's. It sure is in a loving home now.

I stumbled across it on trademe. I may have typed piano as a search word in the clothing section. It sure seems like something I would do after all- but I seem to recall this one may have found me in a much vaguer category in a general browse. I could go into some deeper philosophical thoughts about fate versus luck when it comes to finding clothes. I could also go into ridiculous detail about the difference between me finding that special something and that special something finding me and how I differentiate the 2 but I won't. You will just need to trust my gut feeling on this one. Even if I hadn't found the trademe listing myself there is a very real chance that someone else would have pointed me in it's direction. Piano keys are a pretty obvious thing to be related back to me so I have a pretty sweet collection of keyboard themed accessories gifted over the years. (scarves, belts, rings, bracelets, tights, headbands... the list goes on) I will confess there is an inclination to throw myself into this P.O.F completely and wear them all together but I won't. Even I have a line I don't cross and I'm pretty sure a head to toe piano key outfit is falling on the wrong side of it. I will save that one for when I am closer to 60 and can use my well earned elderly eccentricity as an excuse to really go to town on it. Seriously. The outfits of my golden years are already being thought about....

The red is bright and tomatoey. It goes with my current favourite red lippie and I have many options for co-ordinating around it in while being subtle yet deliberate. A closer look at the stitches in the keys suggests that it was machine knitted  but still not mass produced.  I have matched it with red boots that are maybe knocking on the door of a little too matchy but a pair of classic black chuck taylor hightops would finish the outfit off perfectly too. Not only would they tone it down a notch while not having to give up on my obsession for matching colours- they would work well with the tights in the pictures, darker shiny lycra leggings or jeans.

I love this jumper. I really do. The only thing I would change about it is it's size. When I bought it is was clearly listed a woman's size 10. It was photographed flat on the floor and I imagined it would be much smaller than it turned out to be. You will see in the photo's that wearing it as a dress isn't too much of a stretch for me but turns out it also fits my lovely man who is much MUCH bigger than me. What started as a joke in him trying it on for shits and giggles quickly escalated into it going to work with him as an ironic participation in a loud shirt day. Essentially he used my awesome new jumper as a novelty dress up joke. (The joke hinging around the fact he is the last person you would ever see joining in on an office dress up theme.) It was even briefly passed on and worn by another friend of ours in his office- although I know he was wearing less ironically being  a man of  loud persona and many musical talents. The most impressive part being that standing at close to 6 foot 7 the jumper still fits him perfectly. This knitted piece of incredibleness is many many things but a woman's size 10 it is not.

                



To give you a sense of scale- if I was standing next to Carl in this photo I would be lucky to come up to the bottom of the black keys on the sleeves. I should also point out I haven't asked permission to use his photo showing how well he rocks this jumper.  It sure isn't a choice for the faint hearted and he carries it off in a way that not many others could. He should be proud. Hell if I didn't love the damned thing so much myself I would be tempted to give it him.

Carl- if you ever read this I promise you can borrow it anytime you want. I will even throw in the matching glasses you are modelling to complete the ensemble. You are welcome. Or I'm sorry. Whichever is more appropriate at this juncture....

Let The Sunshine In

Not being the type to shy away from bright colours and bold patterns I am somewhat used to people commenting on my use of them. This year in particular I have found more strangers than ever before approaching me in the street, office, cafes to let me know that they are picking up what I am putting down. While I don't need the reassurance of strangers as such, it is still nice to know that someone appreciates what I am doing enough to tell me. Apart from one lady who yelled at me out of her car before chasing me down the street and cornering me in a shop. It took away from the compliment itself and left the whole situation quite firmly in the "creepy" zone. The intense look in her eyes combined with the sense that she was the stereotypical type of woman to own 30 cats sure added to the experience. I think the part that scared me the most was knowing that there is a very real possibility that I will be the same when I get to her age. Maybe if I am brutally honest it could be closer to my outright destiny. I will almost surely be terrifying younger women by chasing them down streets to talk about their clothes when I am old enough to be classed as properly eccentric. I may have a bit more room yet to grow into this impending phase of my life but truth be told it probably isn't even that far away.....

But I digress.

Todays featured outfit certainly isn't one that blends into the background by any stretch. I have been using it to force my own sunshine into Auckland's grey days this Winter and it sure has freaked people out with it's migraine inducing brightness. People just cannot help but comment. Most of these are based around "Gosh that's a bright dress" (which can portray admiration or terror depending on the tone)  or a variation of "You are your own little ray of Summer". (usually from the older end of the age spectrum). Whatever the comment. Whatever the intent behind it. I am well aware that there is a degree of "balls" required  to wear this dress with the confidence it deserves- and on the right day I'm pretty sure I can.

As is often the case the dress found me. I had left the house to get a key cut in St Kevins Arcade and this little number was part of the window display in K Rd's infamous "Vixen". It had me transfixed instantly but I managed to break free of the spell and carried on my errands. It's one thing to walk away from a moment like this. It is something completely different when it comes to obsessing over it afterwards. Once that initial "I love it" seed is planted in my head it can be very difficult to move on. In this instance I recognised early that it was already quite far under my skin and could prove to be very distracting. Instead of letting it dominate my thoughts over the next few weeks I went back an hour later to try it on. I had to be prepared for the outcome either way. If it fit me I was ready to commit to the purchase. If it didn't, at least I could stop dwelling on it and move on. Either way it was the first step to breaking the spell I was under and getting control of my own thoughts again.

 (I feel like I need to acknowledge those last few sentence. Yes. This is an accurate depiction of how such things play out in my head. I realise that not many people obsess over such things the way I do but then not many people have an entire room full of clothes boasting a similar history either.  Instead of being vaguely embarrassed of myself when I catch myself deep in the "over thinking" zone I now choose to look at is as "deliberate and well thought out". At this point in my life I am not just comfortable with my passion being much closer to an obsession. I am outright embracing it. )

I did feel a little bad at making Mikey behind the counter take apart his window display for me to try it on- but only for a split second. As soon as I had it over my head it just felt right. I was already sold but if I needed another sign to push my decision it was the reaction I got when I stepped out of the fitting room. The reaction of an audible gasp followed up with a "You cannot leave here without that dress" was made all the better by the fact that it came from a complete stranger who was just browsing in the store. Someone who had no way to benefit from giving me an empty compliment. There was no turning back. It was definitely coming home with me.

The style of the dress itself has elements of a few different era's. It has the full pleated circle skirt of the 50's while still managing to convey the 70's with it's exaggerated collar and extreme polyester fabric. Not a common mix of decades influence but one that works quite well in this instance. 

Yellow may not come across as particularly neutral but block colours in frocks can prove to be very versatile. There are many options in the colour palette to compliment and set it off when picking accessories and shoes-  but some certainly work better than others. Red with yellow can feel very "McDonald's". Green with yellow can feel a bit like "Australian sports team". It didn't take me long to realise that pairing it with a deep cobalt blue was the best way to get the most out of both colours with the perfect balance of neither toning it down too far or over intensifying an already bold base. I had the basic concept ready but wanted to give this outfit a special occasion in which to unveil it in. As luck would have it there was a friends 40th a few weeks later so I decided to wait till then to bust it out officially. The ensemble was mapped out and complete. I didn't need anything else to realise the vision. Or so I thought....

A week or so later I walked past the window of Vixen again on my way to our local bar. Not only was my eye just caught by the window display it stopped me in my tracks completely. I literally ground to such a halt that my long suffering man (whose hand I was holding at the time) came close to girlfriend induced whiplash. I could feel myself being physically pulled in closer to the window in the same way that cartoon characters float on the smell of a hot baked pie. There in front of me was the most perfect pair of statement shoes to compliment my dress. I don't think I ever could have imagined them better. Yellow vintage pumps from the 70's with a splash of cobalt blue detailing and a smattering of black polka dots. The shop was closed so I took a photo on my phone. I spent the entire next day not just thinking about them but actually dribbling over the picture. Needless to say I ran back there as soon as I could to try them on and they fit. They were now forever cemented as the perfect finishing touch to an ensemble I was already very excited about.

When you put the shoes directly next to the dress there is a subtle but noticeable difference in shades of yellow. The shoes have a warm orange undertone while the dress is definitely has more of a cooler lemon shining through. As I am almost guaranteed to be not just the only person to notice, but the only person to care I can let this minor fact go. The block colour of the dress is offset by the blue leopard cardi to give it some texture (a plain blue cardi was just too flat) and the black tights pick up the black in the pattern while providing the contrast to make both the yellow pop and to further tie the blue in. The shoes work like a dream to pull the entire context together and work just the right amount of each colour to give it balance. Plain yellow, blue or even stock standard black shoes just aren't enough. It isn't just that these shoes match the palette I have chosen here. They actually lift everything to the next level. They give an impression of everything else being carefully chosen to work with all of their elements rather than the complete opposite.


I am yet to even try to get these shoes into another outfit or consider replacing them in this one. Even if this frock and shoes only ever get worn with each other I am still happy. What they may eventually lack in versatility they certainly make up for it by complimenting each other so well. Like Bert goes with Ernie or Lucy goes with Desi. Pretty cool on their own but the dynamic they create together is undeniable. At some point I may well stumble on different wearing options for both pieces but I also get the feeling that I have already tapped into some weird next level clothing nerd chemistry and one that could not be topped. It doesn't often get better than this. I have plenty of other items and ensembles that I can put my energies into fine tuning and testing new ideas. This one is perfect already.

Masters of Metal Halloween

I always look forward to playing with Masters of Metal. Not only do I get to rock out to some sweet 80's glam rock tunes but this time I got to do it as a Glam Rock 80's Bogan Skank Zombie!

On the weekend we played one of the Armageddon after parties. (for those not in NZ it's like a much smaller comicon.) It made for a very surreal afternoon. We had to pack our gear in through the rain into a foyer full of wet nerds. We got to watch a Dragonball Z screaming competition while we waited to get to the stage. I saw one of the actual Bush Whackers. And after all of that we got to rock out at the Logan Campbell Centre playing to a crowd that included a viking, a banana, lots of skeletons and a lobster. It all made for one incredibly surreal day!

Until the afternoon of the gig I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to wear. While I had the back up outfits of shows gone by- I wanted to push the theme a little further this time. I started with this sweet green wig I originally bought for the last years Christmas show. I figured that it encompassed the Halloween theme of the party while also tying in the metal bogan-ness I wanted to capture.

Lycra shiny leggings seemed like a good idea too and it all fell into place when I added the faux snakeskin corset front tank top. Yes. This was already in my wardroom. Stop judging me.

Accessorising is always fun when you get to ignore the usual rule of less is more. Bangles, white lace fingerless gloves, pearls, studded belts (one with piano keys), green Spar Kill necklace and green eyeball heels and I was good to go. Gosh that's a lot going on in one outfit....

I am very tempted to bust this same ensemble out at our annual Christmas show. I imagine that this particular outfit won't be getting much wear time otherwise!

A Classic In Green Leather

"Classic" is not a word I throw around lightly. Especially when talking about clothes. To me the word conjures images of Audrey Hepburn in a little black dress, Jackie O in a Chanel suit, and I only have to mention Marilyn Monroe to know that you are already picturing her in the same iconic dress that I'm thinking about. These women made these pieces the timeless classics that they are today- but you don't need a celebrity of yesteryear wearing an outfit to prove it can stand the test of time. 

The humble trench coat may have been given a bad rap over the years (thanks to a stereotypical image of a flasher and dodgy guys on street corners peddling fake rolex's) but it's simple cut and strong lines have kept it current through many decades. All of them in fact since it's inception in the 1850's. Thanks to Burberry, we have a coat that with a good fit will be flattering on anyone.

My version of this classic has a definite army feel. I don't know if it's the leather (soft and buttery) or the shade of green (dark and forresty)  but I can't help but feel like some sort of glamorous war time spy when I'm wearing it.

While it is a very flattering cut, there certainly isn't a lot of room for weight variation. A few cheeseburgers could be all it takes to pull at the buttons and destroy the clean lines completely. There has been at least one Winter that I didn't think I was doing it justice so it stayed on the rack!

To roll with my idea of "war time glamour" I have played around with my scarf options for these pics. I am more likely to wear one around my neck in real life- but it sorta suits the head scarf version too. Doncha think? I also imagine it working with an unconvincing french accent. You know the one.

"I shall say zis only waaance...."

I honestly don't know why, but a fake moustache just felt like the right thing to do here. I can't explain where that particular gut feeling came from but I stand by it enough to include the photo in this post!

Green and Yellow Tulips

I do love splashing colour around on a cold day. I know that I have already touched on this subject a BUNCH of times now- but why oh why do New Zealand women insist on wearing such dark colours in Winter? After a quick "previous post" check I can see I touched on this just a few posts ago. So I will save you my drawn out diatribe on it again. This time. This dress is a timely reminder for me of how well other people can react to a stranger wearing bright colours when so many.... just don't.

It was a bout a month or so back now. My lovely man and myself decided that we would get up early on a Sunday morning and go and make a day of it. Armed with coffee and cameras we went on a mission to get some good early morning sunrise shots out over Auckland harbour. It was a beautiful day. Crisp air with just enough sunshine to warm our bones. After our first stretch of adventures- we went to the Takapuna markets for a look around and to get some more coffee.

These markets are great and I would love to get over to them more often. It is a very eclectic mix of stalls full of plastic toys, fresh produce and flowers, faux designer sunglasses, home made crafts and the odd "garage sale" looking spot full of bric a brac and curio's. There really is a little bit of something for everyone.

I think my man must have seen the bargain crazed glint in my eye when I saw the possibilities of a good rummage- so made a plan to go have a coffee and read of the paper while I did so. I was more than happy to have a wander and meet him afterwards. Half the fun of markets like this is not knowing what you are looking for exactly, but knowing when you see it. I came out  with a beautiful vintage crystal bowl, a cake stand, some freshly cut white proteas and an Ella Fitzgerald record. As I was on my own at this point I was more than happy to do a slow meander through the stalls checking out everyones wares. I swear that I have never had so many strangers come up to me in such a short space of time to tell me how much they liked my dress. It wasn't even just the little old ladies either. I managed to get a pretty good spread of people in the range.

This story finally ties in with the point of the post as the dress is question is the one I am writing about! (Insert B Grade horror stabbing organ music here while pulling a shocked face)

This dress hails from Smoove on Little High St. I have a pretty good track record of loving the dresses I have bought from there in the past- so I am happy to spend a little bit more on them than I would usually be prepared to on a frock. (Around $80.00 a dress but they do deals on 2 for $140.00). The day I bought it I accidentally (no.. really) caught them on a day they were having a 50% off sale. A smarter person may have relished in the money they saved on their purchase. I did not. I just bought 2 of them. And I regret NOTHING.

The tulips on the fabric are in gorgeous bright shades of marigold yellow and orange. This is nicely off set by the kelly and kermit greens of the leaves- and set against a black background for optimal effect. I haven't had this dress over the Summer months yet, but it has provided me much wearing mileage over Winter teamed with black tights and boots (or green heels) and a perfectly matching marigold yellow cardigan.

Thanks to the strangers that told me how lovely I looked that Sunday morning (*BLUSH*) I now have a very positive pairing associated with this outfit these days!