My version of sight seeing in the last few weeks has constitued going to some of my favorite hidden gem stores around Melbourne. While I will list them for you a little down the track, today I thought I’d show you where all that pocket money has disappeard to!

No one item was very expensive, (this is how they trick you into draining the wallet, stealth style) but each one has a brilliant style factor for making something everyday that bit more extradordinary. Beautiful and useful? Of course!

Small bird clip that can be worn anywhere – $6.00

Faux pearl and felt snowflake earrings – FREE with purchase! ( Um yes, I bought a jacket on sale for $65 but it still counts as a bargain!)

I spotted this purple plaid beauty case from the far end of the store and immediately fell in love. I figured it would be around $90 but went in for closer inspection anyway.  It is the perfect size for carrying shampoo bottles and hair brushes when travelling, something that I don’t yet have a purpose built bag for, so when I saw it was actually $19.95 I had to have it!

This is actually a blush pot from Missha. I have been looking for a new cool and bright base eye colour but most I liked have been around the $40 mark.

This one however, is twice the size as well as being the perfect shade and was only $8!

I’ve been using it to great effect the last couple of days, so there is a tutorial in the works on how best to use it too.

This was a random find in one of those Chinese bargain stores and at $2 I couldn’t leave it behind.

You may have seen these around before, in fact I’ve been eyeing them off for a while before I finally gave it to the red, shiney, hypnotic surface. Ohhh…

Yes, it is APPLE hand cream from The Face Shop! It is only about $12, but there isn’t a whole lot in there. However this is one package I will use and use when it is empty so I still consider it a good buy. Besides which my hands smell and feel divine!

All that booty and it all came to $48.00 or about a week’s worth of take out coffee.  I know which pick me up I prefer!

Over the last few outfit posts you will have seen a few extremely cute new additions to my wardrobe like this stunning purple cardigan and these bow bangles. Each of these pieces are by local Melbourne label Friends of Couture.  I absolutely love Friends of Couture and you will have seen me wearing their pieces for some time now, remember this little lamb cardigan? Occasionally you come across a collection that you think to yourself, ” Oh that is all so me, I just have to have it!”, well that is the way I feel about everything FOC does.  They have a brilliant knack of combining vintage inspirations with super cute detail and modern chic, which  is why when they invited me to review their latest collection, Paris After Dark, I jumped at the opportunity.

Jo Matheson, (chief designer) and Candice DeVille aka Super  Kawaii Mama

Nicole looks stunning in the “Little Red Ridinghood” dress is azure blue with the red striped Matelot top underneath.

Paris After Dark is the new Autumn Winter 2010 range by Friends of Coutures head designer Jo Matheson.  Inspired by the romance of vintage lines and a strong traditionally French colour palette, Jo has created something that is both wearable, collectable and very very head turning. The collection takes a journey from the flirty and feminine lines of sweet floral chiffon with a distinctly 1930’s flavour and meanders through to stunning, slightly puffed sleeved cardigan with beaded art deco detailing. I particularly love the Hotel DeVille cardigan in a soft, buttery cream wool with deep blue beading.  There are the iconic pieces that take wardrobe staples and give them just that much more punch by creating a strongly waisted silhouette and drenching you in azure blue; as well as classic boat necked tee’s with stripes that Gigi would have been proud to wear.

Jo Matheson is responsible for the beautiful Paris After Dark collection.

Hotel DeVille Cardigan (left) clearly must have been named after me! Little Drummer Girl cardigan (right).

The feminine detailing doesn’t stop at the figure flattering cuts, but continues through to corsages, bows (that can even be worn in the hair!), tulle skirts and the softest of soft cropped angora cardigans. (I don’t know about you, but the snuggle factor of angora wins me over every time.)  I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to find a local, accessible label that knows how to combine current trends with timeless classics in such a seamless way. For example, they’ve taken the military feel (so popular in that Balmain jacket) and managed to capture the essence of the style in soft, wearable cardigans that make the most of our assets without having to cash in any to buy them!

When I start to think about “Paris After Dark”, my mind drifts to Parisian bordellos (clearly I watch too many films), smoky eyed women in sumptuous fabrics, with kissable lips and strokable hips.  Jo has woven this intensity and edginess into some of the darker pieces in the range using velvet and sequins (bows!), strong shoulder lines and strategically placed zippers. While our Parisian girl by day may be all feminine pinks or jaunty stripes, at night her walk takes on just a little more wiggle in body con electric blue, violet and black.

Oh, and for those of you who have been drooling over my high waisted jeans… let me tell you, this collection has the most amazing pair of wide legged, high waisted black pants, Sartori.  With flat fronts, button detailing, even button on suspenders; when I tried these on, they fit like a glove and I even gave a little Squee in the dressing room.  You are going to LOVE them. ( Watch out for an outfit post with them next week.)

See them on the left? Awesome Sartori pants!

Friends of Couture pieces get my seal of approval for not only being infinitely stylish and cute, but also for their quality. I’ve worn some of their pieces over and over and over again in the last three years, washing the knit wear and popping it back on the next day, and they have kept their shape, their colour and their edge. I can’t say that for a lot of modern pieces in my wardrobe, especially not those others of a comparative price.

Yes, I could go on and on about how fab this range is, but you really must see it for yourself.  If you are in Melbourne you can head straight to the stores at:

225 Chapel street, Prahan

186 Sydney Road, Brunswick

Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Melbourne CBD 311 Swanston Street, Melbourne

And, because one can’t possibly not share something this good with the rest of the world, you can get your hands on some of these fantastic pieces for a ONE DAY ONLY 20% off Valentines Day Sale in the online store!! Just enter “bemyvalentine” at the coupon section at the checkout for 20% off on ALL stock!

***EDIT: Just to clarify they do sell online and will ship to ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! So get in there while the Aussie dollar is still a bargain!***

So yay for awesome new designs and a great big yay for special sales too!!

I’ve been asked the question recently about where to buy vintage in Singapore? I haven’t had the opportunity to do a totally exhaustive investigation, but when I get the chance to spend a week or two doing nothing but visit Singapore’s vintage scene, you’ll be the first to know!

In the meantime I thought I’d let you know about two favorites that I actually have had a chance to visit.

First up.. Dust Bunny Vintage.

I came across Dust Bunny when hunting online for some examples of good quality vintage bags.  I was so impressed with their range and variety as well aas the calibre of what they had.  I was thrilled last week to receive an email telling me that they have just revamped not only their online store but their real world store too, and now have over 700 sq feet full of vintage dresses, hats, shoes, bags and jewelry! That is a lot of vintage!  Not only do they have so much stock that you’ll need to spend the day there and take a packed lunch,but they even offer inhouse alterations and customisations.  So no more buying something that just ends up living in your project pile for a year. If you’re looking for great iconic 1970’s, a bit of Philip Lim or Alexander Wang, then this is the place to be.

They can be found at :

• Blk 112 #01-203 Bukit Purmei Road, Singapore 090112

As I wandered through Haji Lane (a must do expereince for tourists in Singapore I’m told), I came across a delightful little store where a ginger cat wandered around my feet and another snoozed on the window sill. It was calm, light and airy; something not often associated with vintage stores, but in the case of Dulcet Fig they have the perfect mix of old and new.  Everything is well displayed and can be clearly seen, so no digging around is necessary.  They carry both their own Dulcet Fig label as well as a selection of vintage. The vintage pieces consist mainly of cute little 1970’s frocks and a good range of accessories.

Dulcet Fig can be found at 41 Haji Lane, Singapore

If you have any favorite vintage stores in Singapore you’d like to recomend, then please leave me a comment. But they must actually carry vintage to make it onto my list, not just second hand or vintage inspired.  If I get a good enough list together then perhaps there may be another investigative trip on the horizon sometime soon!

What are your experiences with vitnage in Singapore? Can you find what you want or if you’re a real vintage lover like me, do you simply look online for everything you need?

You’ll remember me slaving away over a new creation here right? Well, here is the final product!

It was the perfect outfit for a summer’s evening dinner with friends.

As I was making the dress I was imagining all the combinations and different ways of wearing it, but one of the problems that always happens here in Melbourne with our unpredictable weather is deciding on short or long sleeves.  Thank goodness for Friends of Couture ;and their brilliant range of cardigans that came to my rescue.  This little darling is called “Daughters of Pleasure” and has the most delightful cotton lace detailing as well as cut amber coloured buttons. They come in a few different colours including greens and pinks, and if you’re quick you can still get your hands on them while they are on sale – reduced to $39.99!

Outfit Details

Dress: Made by me to a vintage pattern in a cotton sateen fabric

Cardigan: “Daughters of Pleasure” by Friends of Couture

Shoes: Grey patent leather bow shoes from Shoo Biz

Earrings: Vintage 1960’s clips on beaded earrings in  sea green shades. (Divine!)

I love this dress pattern so much, and I’m feeling so inspired at the moment that I’ve bought a whole new selection of fabrics to make some different varieties!

Let’s see how it translates into a whole range of looks!

All of my favorite things – All at once! Monday and Tuesday this week were unseasonably cold. Wind, rain the whole box and dice.  So many poeple hate that about Melbourne, but I love it – it means I get to play with some of my favorite winter pieces all year around!

Can I just say I LOVE this outfit?  The dress was a fantastic find at a vintage fair.  It is a classic Misses (that is young lady’s) piece form the 1960’s.  It isn’t the most ideal fabric, as at the time all those doddgy man made fabrics were all the rage.  But the detail!  The little lacework collar that looks like frosting on baby blue gingerbread. The box pleating and the big covered buttons.  A brilliant dress found for the brilliant price of $40!

One of the best things about this dress is that it lends itself to being styled in so many different ways, it just depends on what side of the bed I wake up on.  Today’s outfit inspiration wasn’t actually the dress though, but these GORGEOUS bangles from Friends of Couture.

Aren’t they just like coconut ice lollies?!

I am also in total love with this new lipstick from Loreal in their Sheer Gelee range. It is the perfect Cherry shade, goes on smooth and soft, stays moisturising and even smells like raspberries! You can read a little review of it here over at Beauty Swatch.

Outfit Details

Dress – Vintage “Pretty Girl” label

Bow Bangles – Friends of Couture

Hair Bow Bunny – Nicole Linder on Etsy   Coloured Stockings – Columbine

Shoes – Tokyo & Paris by Le Pommier

Feeling the girly vibe yet?