Green and Sparkly

I often talk about trademe and the purchases I get online. I'm not sure that I have ever really gone into the competitive part of my personality that "winning" online auctions really taps into. It is quite the slippery slope I can assure you. Last week I may have learnt a valuable lesson about bidding for things when I've been drinking. Let me explain....

My Derby League put on a quiz night fundraiser last weekend for our upcoming trip to play in the Great Southern Slam in Adelaide in the next few weeks. It was a heap of fun and we had some awesome prize packs up for a silent auction as well! A couple of the silent auction packs included $50.00 vouchers for one of my favourite local vintage clothing stores- Peachy Keen. I was running the bar fro this fundraiser (dressed as a pirate wench but that's another story) and decided that I was going to bid on one of these packs. All the money goes back to my league- AND it meant I could get some vintage clothes shopping under my belt too!



To cut a long story short there was alcohol involved. Specifically THIS mixed with some of THIS. I also managed to set myself up with an "Auto-bid" on the silent auction. In the end I ended up paying my league $70.00 for an amazing prize pack that included the much coveted voucher, some long derby socks, derby t-shirts, VIP season passes, vodka, a "Whip It" dvd and some Dickies clothing. Essentially I only really needed the voucher- so it was kinda funny that I paid $70.00 for a $50.00 voucher at the end of the night... I stand by my bidding however and regret NOTHING.

So this all ties into today's post as this was the dress that I spent the voucher on. this is another frock that I have had my eye on for quite some time. I am actually amazed that nobody snapped it up before I did in fact! Green and sparkly with a harlequin diamond pattern. Oh god yes.





The sleeves are slightly bell shaped - so it sits really nicely on the top. At first I was unsure of the length on my short legs but it seems to be ok. I have broken it up with a black PVC corset belt and this also ties into the black patent mary-janes.

I actually dreamed about this dress the night before I went in to buy it so it was meant to be. Right?! You can't fight fate afterall...

How D'ya Like Dem Apples

I have had my eye on this dress for quite a while now. It has been in "This Is Not A Love Shop" on K Rd for the better part of a year. Until quite recently it was actually a full length 70's dress. I have been known to buy long 70's dresses before and then not really wear them. While I am a sucker for them- I often feel like they make me look a little .... squashed.
(Such is life when you are 5"3 I guess. ) When I saw this one had been adjusted- I decided that was a sign I was supposed to have it!



There are a couple of specifically appealing features in this frock. First up I love the the sailor-esque flap around the neck line. (I'm sure there is an actual word for this however I do not know it so it can be a sailor flap. ) It also continues around the back of the frock for a nice flow in the overall design.

Another great part of this frock is the colour combo. Bright green , navy blue, and a greeny yellow all on a white background. Also apples + stripes = awesome.



I have teamed it with tights and some green faux crocodile heels in this picture- but have found that the dress works well with long black boots and bright green sneakers too. Ah the options!

Flowers And Polka Dots

It's no surprise to you all I'm sure- that a new dress will make for one very happy Fliss. New dress excitement is hard to compare to anything else and will usually eventuate in the need to wear said new dress straight away.

This particular new dress caused the same excitement of course. Especially since it was purchased in Wellington in a flurry of other purchases on my Regina Spektor road trip a few weeks back. It was in a high end second hand clothing store called "Missy's Wardrobe" (or something to that affect anyways) on Cuba St. I was hesitant as the price tag told me it was $92.00- but after a quick scan around the store all the dresses were on sale. I tried it on and decided that I would have to get it if was $40.00 or less. I was happy to find when I got it to the counter that it was down to a remarkable $25.00. Quite stoked about that!



I am drawn to bright colours- with green , red and yellow combinations being among my favourites. This dress has all of those sorted AND even throws in some black and white polka dots for good measure. Heh.

This dress was obviously homemade at some point. I know this as it doesn't have a tag- and secondly as they have inserted a baby pink zip. An odd choice given that there is no pink in the dress anywhere. I was happy to find that it is crinoline capable too. I did try out the red petticoat first as it picks up on the fabric so well- but I couldn't escape the thought that I looked like a christmas tree.



I have noticed lately that I have a lot less frocks in this shade of green than initially thought. This is possibly the most represented colour in the entire wardrooom- but not so many frocks in it strangely enough.

I managed to save the first wear of this dress for an astounding 3 whole weeks! I saved it specifically for the after party of my derby teams season debut. We are the green team after all- so it seemed like an apt occasion for the first wear.

Woolen Hoody Dress

This is a dress in the loosest sense possible. It may be technically closer to being a long hooded jumper- but I am attempting it on its own merits anyway.

I have always liked the Nordic design that is well illustrated in this garment. Traditionally (to me at least) this has included a lighter coloured band across the bust and sometimes the sleeves, and featuring designs that usually incorporate 2 additional contrasting colours and a pattern with snowflakes. This one was especially appealing to me as it is in a beautiful bright shade of turquoise blue- and has a hood and pom poms!

I am yet to decide if this dress will see the light of day being worn just as a dress. I think it probably needs a pair of dark skinny jeans underneath it. I am not a jeans kindofa girl though- so may need to think my options through a little further...

Brown and Khaki. Again.

I do really like this colour combo when the weather gets colder. I put this partly down to the fact that these boots match it perfectly!

I don't have that many long sleeved frocks in the collection. A lot of the time I "Winter Up" the dresses myself by teaming them with tights, boots and cardigans. This is a dress that need no such preparation.

It was another inspired Spacesuit purchase from years gone by. (such a good hit rate with that store... Bring it back to Auckland already!!)




I have never really gravitated towards brown as a colour- but I am still glad that I chose this dress in that shade. (I would call it "Chocolate" but I spose a less tactful person could describe it as "Poo brown")

The collar of the dress is a crocheted lace and almost victorian in the detailing. It has 3 buttons on the bust- and the crotchet details are continued as an empire line and then again around the waist. There are gathers on the sleeves that give the impression of "puffs" and the hemline has a bubble finish as well. Quite a lot going on in one frock really.

I have teamed it with my favourite scarf. This scarf was knitted for me by one of my best friends a few years back and I love it. I'm sure I would have loved it if I found it in a store too- but knowing that it was handmade specifically with me in mind makes it that much cooler!




The boots tie the whole ensemble together quite nicely I think. I'm sure it has been mentioned here before- but my boyfriend always calls me a ninja when I'm wearing these boots. My house has 2 flights of wooden stairs and I'm not especially light on my feet at the bast of times. Add 7 inch resign platforms under my feet and you would think a herd of elephants are stomping around the house!


Another good thing about this colour combo is the coat options I have with it. There are a few khaki green coats in the wardroom and I have a couple of beautiful brown ones too. They are so good I think they deserve their own post in the coming months. Stay tuned for the impending coat collection!

Rainbow Plaid

My Monday was VERY Monday this week. I wasn't particularly inspired all round really- and the "meh" kind of stretched throughout the day. I partly blame this one the hangover I was sporting on Sunday. I'm getting too old to assume I will only feel bad one the day after such frivolities sadly...



I decided to combat my "meh Monday" by stopping in for a quick look around the rainbow op shop on K rd on my lunch break. I'm glad I did- as I found this gem of a pencil skirt for $3!! I have a rule that anything that costs less than a cup of coffee is a no brainer purchase.

The plaid in the fabric is extra cool given that is is rainbow coloured on a black background. This makes the accessorising options for this skirt pretty much limitless. Yusssss....



I have decided to go fro a sunny yellow approach this time round with yellow stilettos (also $3 from trademe) and a yellow hair clip to tie it all in together. This co-ordination can also be achieved with red, green or bright blue. How very versatile!

Blue Zebra

It's no secret I have a soft spot for animal print. Especially when the background is a bright colour.

Electric blue is a shade I had not yet acquired such an animal print in- so the decision process for this skirt was a fast one.




The skirt was bought from Valley Girl. The Newmarket branch to be exact. My experience in this chain is fairly limited- but boy do they know how to put on a sale! The day I went in literally everything in store was reduced. I'm not talking any pitiful $10.00 off either. They had racks and racks of clothing down to $9.00. It wasn't even out of season stock. The most expensive thing I saw was $39.95- and even when I got to the counter this skirt was reduced even further. I was prepared to pay the $19.95 on the price tag- and was pleasantly surprised when it only came to $14.95.



I had such a good experience that day that I told a few other people about how good the sale was. One friend came back to me a few days later and regaled me with tales of her $170.00 shopping spree on my advice! Gotta spread the shopping love I say...

Pastel Flowers

This frock has been kicking around in my collection for quite some time now- and I will admit I have worn it a grand total of ONCE. In my striving to work my way through more of my obscure outfits so I have attempted to try a Winter spin on a Summer dress. Black tights are great for that- and a black belt ties that all together quite nicely I feel...




This dress came with a fabric belt. To be honest I don't think it does a lot for the overall shape of the dress so I have decided to use it as a headband instead. It seems a pity to bot use it for something... right?


The cut itself is quite simple. A v neck, sleeveless style with a frill around the bottom. The colours in the fabric are quite hard to get an accurate picture to represent. The green is in reality much much brighter - and I like the contrast between that with the pastel shade of pink and baby blue with outlines of indigo.




I quite like the "winter" approach to this frock. I'm sure I can get it into a higher rotation with a bit of additional effort!

Green and Orange Plaid

I cannot sew. There. I've said it. This is a fact that often surprises people. It is often assumed that owning the sheer amount of clothing that I do- it would be a natural skill to posses. Its not a skill that I haven't tried to learn. Just one of those things that my brain does not seem to be able to compute. 5 years of sewing classes at school and I still cannot thread up a sewing machine. Apparently it is so (sew! hehe) painful to watch me hand stitch that I get the needle taken off me. I always envy people that have this skill. I think it would be the coolest thing to be able to change outfits, take patterns from the good ones to replicate and even just fix stuff.

This skirt is an item that reminds me of my lack of skills in this area. The zip has been broken now for the last 4 years. Yes. 4 years. I have it held together with safety pins. Not the classiest fix- but it works.




I have owned this skirt for quite a while now. It must be coming into the 6th year of solid wear now. There is something really Wintery about a good brightly coloured plaid. It looks so good with black tights and a black jersey. You don't get much brighter than Kermit green and Tangerine orange!

I briefly attempted making this a year round skirt. It did not take long to realise that the colouring is nowhere near as effective when put directly next to my skin colour. Definitely a combo to keep against the black of my Winter tights legs.




I have teamed it with the standard long sleeved V neck top, black tights and boots and a green ribbon for my hair.

Khaki Hoodie Dress

I know a lot of people are begrudging the colder weather setting in- but I am actually ok with it. I would always much rather be too cold than too hot. If you are cold there is always something else you can do. You can put on more clothes, get a hot water bottle, sit in front of a heater... when you are too hot you run out of options much much quicker.

Impending Winter also means there is an entire section of the wardroom that will get some attention with the temperatures dropping... YAY!




This outfit was one of these. I have a soft spot for this colour combo in Winter- and have a few outfits that this applies to now. Khaki green and brown is vaguely Autumnal too I guess. Plus- it goes so well with my previously posted Harajuku boots!

This dress is an interesting mix of features too. No sleeves, stripey fabric, hooded, bubble hemmed mini with a tie around the hips. Quite the ensemble really.





Another additional feature of this outfit is the pin I wear on my chest. I was wearing this dress the day it arrived in the post (trademe purchase) - and it has become part of this outfit permanently. A tiny weeny little Fender Rhodes pin. Just like the full size one that lives in the Wardroom!

Bell Sleeved

I feel like I have been neglecting my first love era of vintage frocks lately- the 70's.


I haven't bought a new 70's dress in quite a long time. I have been all distracted by 40's glamour and 50's circle skirts. Right up until I found this great little number on Cuba St that is!

It is a great combo of cut and pattern. The cut is a short mini shift dress with bell sleeves and a square neckline. (replicated on the back but a little lower)


The pattern is a navy blue and white check with diagonal stripes AND a floral twist in bright green, red and yellow. So many options for accessorising!


I have teamed it with patent yellow stiletto's in this picture- but have worn it with tights and black boots and also tried it with red heels. It works in all of those directions.

Heartbreaker

This frock has very swiftly become one of my favourites. It is a flattering vintage cut in a striking red and black floral pattern. What else could a girl ask for?



I had it on my trademe watchlist and had mostly forgotten about it. I certainly hadn't bid on it anyway. It didn't reach reserve so the seller offered it to all watchers for $60.00. That is more than I would usually spend on a dress over the Internet but I guess she caught me at a moment of weakness. I'm so glad she did too!

The brand is"Heartbreaker" and it fits perfectly. The cut is so good I am seriously considering getting the pattern replicated so I can have more of them in different fabrics. In fact- yes. That pretty much has to happen I think.

I like the detail of the contrasting collar and bands on the sleeves. Also the black band around the waist coupled with a belt in the same fabric as the rest of the dress. Very effective.

It has been on quite high rotation over the last fornight or so. This dress has been worn to dinner, to a brithday drinks, to work, to another dinner.... so versatile!

An Ee Tee

I am not really a T-shirt kindofa girl. I wil wear them to bed- and occasionally when I'm sick. That's about it.

This T-shirt was something special though. Mainly as I knew it would give my family and boyfriend a good laugh. I should maybe explain.



E.T was what 90% of all my childhood nightmares were made of. Seriously. Anytime I heard noises at night or thought something was under my bed- it was him every time. Sadly for me the object of my nightmares also happened to have a wee spell of extreme popularity in the early eighties. This meant that the creepy little alien that made me cry had his image on EVERYTHING. My poor Mother would have to walk me through toy stores with my eyes closed. She tried to help me overcome my fear by buying me one of those books with tapes and the chimes that tell you when to turn the page. Just made me scream. My parents also tried taking me to the movie when it was released at the movies for the second time- when I was little older. I just sat through the whole thing with my eyes closed. I watched the movie for the first time with all senses when I was 16- and to be honest I was still uneasy.

Upon telling my boyfriend this traumatic tale from my childhood- he gave me the dvd for Christmas. I still have not watched it.



When I saw this t-shirt in the Salvation Army Store this week it made me laugh. This really was the most ironic t-shirt I could ever possibly wear. And besides- when I'm wearing it I don't actually have to look at the silhouette that used to make my heart race in horror.

Sweetly Floral

I was lucky enough to be in Wellington this week for the Regina Spektor concert. She is one incredible lady. She is also the reason I got to do a spot of clothes shopping in the Capital on Monday while everyone else was at work. Heh.

More specifically- I shopped Cuba St. Spacesuit is one such store.

I cannot gush enough about how great that store is. I won't go into how gutted I am that our Auckland store closed. I know I've had that particular rant on this site already. We'll take that part as read then shall we....

I made a beeline for Spacesuit as soon as I hit town on Monday morning. I took so many things into the fitting room I could hardly close the door behind me! I think I may have set some unrealistic expectations based on the last 2 times I have shopped there. Out of 30 or so dresses I tried on- this one was the only one that was worth bringing home to live with me.

Something about this dress reminded me straight away of the 40's. The pale coloured roses on a dusky background combined with the buttons down the front. The kind of thing one may have worn to a picnic perhaps. Maybe a touch shorter than anything actually worn in the 40's of course....


I have worn it with a pair of shoes bought the same morning. From the Recycled Boutique in the same vicinity in fact. I have never owned a pair of shoes this colour and after wearing them today I think I know why. The colour is not too far off my skin colour. I think I need a little more contrast at the end of my legs. The good thing is that being a pale brown- they will be pretty easy to change colour. I am thinking bright green at the moment- but haven't committed to anything just yet.

I also learnt a valuable lesson today I think. I learnt there is a fine fine line between Boho Chic- and Prostitute. Turns out its all in the jacket.



The jacket is an old one. White-ish fake fur vaguely reminiscent of a taxidermy polar bear from the 60's. It isn't one I wear very often but needed something that worked in with the colour tone of my dress this morning. It wasn't until I was physically walking down K Rd on my way to work that I realised a short dress under a white fake fur coat does mutter (if not scream) "Hooker".
I was so convinced that this was the case that I didn't even put it on after work while waiting for my boyfriend to meet me. Our meeting spot does happen to be one of the more notorious prostitute hang outs around the area- and I wasn't taking any chances to be confused with one of the working girls. Even if I was freezing...