Frocktober : Week Four

I've been avoiding this post, just a little, because really - who wants to put a collage of ten goofy selfies on their blog? Not me. But here it is. Frocktober, the last ten days. (In case you're wondering, it's not too late to sponsor me. Go ahead, click on over, cough up a fiver or two for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Thanks.) It's been six frock less days (well, not completely frock less. I have frocked up for dinner most nights). Have I missed it? Well...yes and no. 

Yes because it was fun being a part of something; it was ace getting those 'you've received a donation' emails. And yes, because I always like having a little project to do, something I'm committed to and accountable for each day. And yes, because we raised just under $1300! So great and way beyond all my expectations. Thanks again for all the support! 

But also no because it was harder than I thought it would be. Which sounds so stupid and kinda lame. I mean, I'm complaining about wearing a dress everyday? Get a grip lady! But it was tricky. No 'uniform' to fall back on; having to actually think about what to wear each day. And don't even mention the often uncooperative weather (it was a very windy month here in Sydney!). (Clairey Hewitt wrote a bit about this too, about the surprising challenge of wearing a frock every day for a month.) 

And then there was the whole selfie business (which stupidly I hadn't even considered when I signed up). Taking and posting a photo of myself every day was something very far outside my comfort zone. But I did it. And towards the end I didn't care so much about my weird looking knees or my shiny, frowny face. I felt a bit more comfortable in front of the camera, I had a bit of fun. And I realised my legs are pretty ace, actually. I might even do a few more 'what I wore' posts. Might. Quite surprising what a journey a month of dressing up can be. 

Frocktober also forced me to have a good, hard, honest look through my frock-drobe. I've rediscovered hidden gems and I've parted with a few frocks that really just weren't me. I've also re-embraced a bunch of frocks that were relegated to the 'too booby' pile while we were living in Korea...

Korean ladies love tiny skirts and super short shorts; they'll wear bottom bits so small you sometimes think they've forgotten to put pants on. But their busts stay very well hidden - even the lower neck area is a no go zone. In the early days of moving to Seoul I made the mistake of wearing a tee with a slight scoop neck, and I've never felt so conspicuous and so uncomfortable. From then on I was pretty cautious about my necklines, and a lot of frocks became unwearable for a few years. But - in Sydney these same frocks look positively chaste! So welcome back, booby frocks! 

Outfit details: 

22. Frock - Totem / Sandals - Zara 

23. Denim Sack of Awesome (number six - and yes, I know technically it's chambray) - French Connection / Sandals - ALDO / Bangles - Kate Spade 

24. Frock - made590 / Heels - ModCloth / Movie star hair - Desmond & Molly Jones

25. Frock (well, more a tee shirt really) - Threadless / Sandals - ALDO 

26. Frock - ModCloth / Heels - Anne Klein / Really messed up pose - A crazy day

27. Frock- Threadless. That is all. 

28. Frock - Ganni via asos / Belt - Sportsgirl (I think. I bought it years ago.) / Heels - ModCloth 

29. Frock - H+M / Blouse - American Apparel / Heels - Hoehyundong Underground Shopping Centre 

30. Frock - ModCloth / Heels - Nine West 

31. Frock - ModCloth / Cardigan - Marks + Spencer / Heels - Midas / Brooch - Samah Designs on Etsy / Goofy Grin - Thanks to you!

Frocktober : Week Three

Week three - DONE! We are in the home stretch people! And I've raised my target again - hit $1K, now aiming for $1300. Really amazing. I thank you. The ovaries of Australia thank you. And if you haven't donated yet there's still plenty of time to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation - just click on over. Even five dollars is awesome, if that's all you can spare. 

Week three was a busy one for me, and a rather emotional one too. Lots of ups and downs. There was a photography workshop with Brooke Holm, where I got to meet the ever colourful Gourmet Girlfriend in real life. And I met Megan Morton too which was pretty ace. (More on that at a later date). I went to a play and saw some art and ate lots of food, and stayed out late on a Saturday night for the first time in a very long time. I battled stinking hot days (Sydney) and hail storms (Melbourne) and I got to hang out with some of my favourite people. Hurrah! 

Outfit details: 

15. Denim Sack of Awesome (number four) - ASOS / Ankle boots - Novo 

16. Frock - Oasis via ASOS (now half price!) / Slingback heels - Vintage Bruno Magli (from an Etsy shop which seems to have closed down) / Belt - Gorman 

17. Shift dress - Gorman / Top - Witchery / Ankle boots - Novo / Overexposed photo - Exhaustion 

18. Frock - A Wear via ASOS / Top - Uniqlo Heattech (aka the best thermals on the planet) / Scarf - Zara (I think) / Ankle boots - Novo (get the impression I'm a bit in love with these shoes at the moment?) 

19. Frock - Marks + Spencer / Peep toe heels - Moschino / Weird knees - Mother Nature / Underexposed photo - Exhaustion

20. Denim Sack of Awesome (number five) - Zara / Sandals - ALDO / Arms of steel - Low weights, many reps 

21. Frock - ASOS / Flats - Ecote via Urban Outfitters / Jazz hands - By popular demand / Humiliation - It's for a good cause...

I didn't realise how much ASOS I was wearing until I put this list together!

ps. If you want a better look at each outfit and/or each ridiculous facial expression you can find bigger pics on my Instagram (posting daily) and on my sponsorship page (posting almost daily).

Frocktober : Week Two

Frocktober week two, in which I manage to look like a complete goose in every photo except one (pick which one!). We're at the halfway mark and - I never thought I'd say this - I'm a bit over frocks. Oh to be able to throw on a pair of jeans and a tee! (By the by, I'm pretty sure I'd be a little less over frocks if you sponsored me...)

It's a bit sad knowing that once I've worn a frock I can't wear it again until November. I'm a uniform kind of girl, not a wear-something-different-every-day kind of girl! At any one time I have a handful of outfits that I rotate through the week, but not this month. I've been very conscious of not binging on my most favourite frocks in the first half, I'm trying to spread them across the whole month. But it's tricky!

For week three I'm taking frocktober to Melbourne - hurrah! And there just might be jazz hands (yay!) and wearing my hair down (blergh!) in a future selfie... 

Here's all the outfit details: 

8. Frock - Ark + Co via ModCloth / Bodysuit - H + M / Heels - Nine West / Lipstick - Rouge Coco Shine in Sari D'Eau / Smile - Courtesy of all you wonderfully generous people! 

9. Frock - Marks + Spencer / Belt - Namdaemun Market / Slingback heels - Vintage Bruno Magli from an Etsy store that seems to have shut down

10. Frock - Anna Thomas / Heels - Midas 

11. Denim Sack of Awesome (number three) - Gorman / Flats - Ecote via Urban Outfitters / Photo of Ferdi the Handsomest Hound in the World - My Heart 

12. Frock - Gorman (again!) / Belt - Zara (I think) / Heels - Midas (definitely)

13. Frock - Uniqlo / Sandals - ALDO 

14. Frock - Ruby by Leona Edmiston / Flats - Zara / Goose Bumps + Blue Lips - Sydney's crazy Spring weather

ps. If you want a better look at each outfit and/or each ridiculous facial expression you can find bigger pics on my Instagram (posting daily) and on my sponsorship page (posting almost daily).

Frocktober : Week One

Well, for someone who very rarely puts themselves in front of the camera this isn't confronting at all. Nope. Cough. But, it's all for a good cause - I'm wearing a different frock every day this month in support of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. 

There's currently no early detection test for ovarian cancer, which leads to a high mortality rate. The OCRF is working at developing awareness of the symptoms and causes of ovarian cancer. They're not government funded, so to do their good work they rely on people like you and I handing over our hard earned cash. So, if you have five bucks to spare, sponsor me! 

One week in and I'm slowly getting over my dread of the selfie. And - in even better news - we've raised $600! Wow! A big thanks to all of you who've donated, I really appreciate the support. And thank you too for all the lovely comments on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook. It's made posting the daily photo much less traumatic. 

Anyhoo, here's all the outfit details: 

1. Frock - Marks + Spencer / Belt - Zara / Heels - Midas 

2. Denim Sack of Awesome (summer weight) - Uniqlo / Flats - Ecote via Urban Outfitters (these are my absolute favourite flats. This is my third pair in 18 months, I wear them until they fall apart.)

3. Frock - Whistles via ASOS / Ankle boots - Novo 

4. Denim Sack of Awesome (winter weight) - Muji / Ankle boots - Novo 

5. Frock - Gap / Flats - Urban Outfitters / Ridiculous expression - All mine 

6. Frock - Mata Traders / Pretend high heels - Stylists own 

7. Frock - Gorman / Belt - Gorman / Ankle boots - Novo / Frown - From when I hadn't reached $500 yet. Frown no more!

What I Wore : Etsy About Page

If you're an Etsy seller you'll no doubt be aware that some time back they introduced a new feature - the 'About' page. Basically it's a space that lets you tell potential customers a little more about who you are, what you make, and how/where you make it. So a little while ago, before the crazy travel times really got started, I put together my about page. I'm quite pleased with how it all turned out (you can have a look here). 

In the shots of me (which were taken with a self timer whilst my camera was balanced precariously on the kitchen bench) I'm wearing one of my favourite dresses from Sydney shop of awesome made590 (alas, they no longer sell this one, but they do have lots of other great stuff...). The white belt is from Zara.

Come fly with me...a postscript on what to wear

Plane Outfit C by ejorpin featuring a double breasted coat

Clearly I'm no fashion-guru-type-person. I like frocks and I like shoes but that's about where it ends. On the rare occasion that I do put up a 'what I wore' post it's generally because I'm ridiculously overexcited by the fact that a) I managed to put an outfit together, and b) it looks okay on me.

But if you read my post on Saturday you would have discovered I have fairly strong opinions on what's acceptable plane attire. To recap - no shorts, no thongs, possibly no singlets, no leggings as pants, no pyjamas, and nothing ridiculously impractical or uncomfortable.

Plane outfits can be a bit difficult. Aside from walking that fine line between something you're okay to sleep in and something that is suitable for public consumption, there's the added trickiness of possibly changing seasons, dealing with airplane air conditioning (or the lack of it, sometimes), and having to wear/carry whatever isn't going to fit in your suitcase.

So, here's a few outfits that I'd consider plane perfect. Some are based on outfits I've worn on real life long haul flights, like the bottom one which is basically head-to-toe Uniqlo! The top one is pretty stylish, I think (and I'm a bit in love with that houndstooth dress from ModCloth...). The bottom two are a little more casual - one for cooler weather (knit + boots + scarf) and one with a more Summery feel (crop pants + peep toes + pops of yellow).

Plane Outfit B by ejorpin featuring fringe scarves

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Plane outfit A by ejorpin featuring a cotton tunic

What do you think? Do you have a plane outfit you swear by? I'd love you to share it  if you do! And if you're on Polyvore come find me!

ps. I'm new to all this Polyvore embedding stuff, so if the links for the products etc don't work I apologise. I'm currently on a big boat in the Mediterranean somewhere, but I'll fix it as soon as I can!

What I wore...

Well, weren't you were all so ridiculously nice to me for my first what I wore post?  You've really only got yourself to blame for my continued narcissism...Here's pretty much what I'm living in at the moment, now that my favourite season is here.  

For me, Autumn dressing is all about not overheating, not turning in to a red cheeked sweaty mess (so glamorous, right?).  I love Winter layers so when the temperature drops I'm sorely tempted to start playing with boots and coats and fun knitted mittens.  But I hate overheating with a passion, and there seems to be some arbitrary day when the air-con is turned off and the heaters are switched on regardless of the fact it's still 22 degrees and sunny outside...so instead I turn to leggings and shift dresses and I stay cool and happy.  

My favourite thing about this outfit?  It is so very easy to wear.  It's one of those outfits where in your head you feel like you're strolling about in your PJs, but you actually look pretty damn pulled together. Plus, the best shoes ever  - I love the colour blocking - which are surprisingly comfortable despite the rather high heel. Also, the bag (see below).  Thank you for bringing a burst of sunshine in to my days, Kate Spade!

Dress: Mango

Stockings: Not sure, but they are 200 denier and they are ace!

Shoes: Nine West

Bag: Kate Spade

Piggy: Fruit Fly!

It's kind of strange that both posts have featured a Mango dress, because I don't really like Mango all that much (although I do like Penelope Cruz!) and I find their sizing is all over the place.  Some non-Mango posts (maybe some vintage!) will be along shortly, depending on whether you all shower me with compliments again...

What I wore...

Well, I've finally succumbed to complete and utter narcissism - presenting my first (and possibly, though hopefully not, last) 'what I wore' post!  I've been toying with doing some of these after seeing them here and there over the past 12 months, and especially after seeing them on lots of blogs that aren't 'fashion' blogs.  But then I was kind of put off after asking the husband to take some pics of a favourite outfit one day - his reply? 'that's a bit weird, don't you think?'.

But then I read this great post by Jess from Epheriell Designs about fashion as play which really struck a cord.  Yes, dressing up should be fun!  As a kid I was a tom boy and a bit of a geek - the nerdy outsider with good dose of 'alternative' thrown in.  I had trouble putting together an outfit that I was happy with, putting together something that told the world a little bit about me.  So it's been a pleasant surprise that as I've got older I've started having fun playing dress ups.  And hence, you get to put up with the most narcissistic of blog posts.  Indulge me, please?

I bought this dress from Mango years ago.  I didn't love it at the time but it has gone on to become a firm Summer favourite, the kind of frock that you know you'll miss when it finally does fall apart.  I like how the fabric has aged to, with the background dark blue getting a lovely washed out look which makes the colours jump out even more.  Plus ruching.  And pockets.  Love.  The shoes are my current favourites - wooden platforms from the 70s.  The wooden sole is curved up at the front so you kind of rock back and forth with each step you take!

Dress: Mango

Belt: Zara

Cardigan: Hong Kong street market

Shoes: Vintage Marmalade

Dachshund: Jonathan Adler!

ps. Notice I don't say on what occasion I wore the outfit?  That's because if I dressed for occasions in my actual life I'd be blogging pictures of me in my pyjamas or my week old track pants saying 'what I wore whilst tweeting' or 'what I wore whilst buying the dog food'.  I realised I while ago that I'd have no fun (and spend my life in jeans and a t-shirt) if I always dressed appropriately for the 'occasions' in my life.

ps. Ignore my tan lines, okay?  Thanks...