Today is my 32nd birthday. More importantly, I made it. In October 2024, I was worried that I wouldn’t get here at all. I’ve only spoken about it privately and written about it in stories — I know some of you have seen them and I still appreciate all the kind words. For anyone else, I spent 2024 seriously struggling with my health following a Covid infection. In February 2025, I finally crashed. Hard. Life threatening anaemia, a superficial thrombosis extending from my mid thigh to ankle in my left leg, Baker’s cyst immobilising my right leg, systemic inflammation, borderline systemic infection. I’m not fully recovered, but I’m able to live again and I’ve been feeling improvements month over month. It’s a gradual recovery, but a recovery nonetheless.
Astrologically, I’m an 8th house Sun and it felt like an 8th house profection year at its most intense and archetypal — crisis, trauma, reckoning after reckoning, near death, and a rebirth that is still slowly unfolding. I still have bad days, sometimes bad weeks. I still cry because it all feels like too much sometimes. I still feel upset that my distance vision was significantly and permanently damaged. I still struggle to talk about it without talking too much or trailing off mid sentence.
Still, I believe that I can eventually alchemise this as I have done before in the wake of terrible and traumatising experiences in the past. I’ve never forced forgetfulness. I actually don’t want to forget. I hold the memories close as a means of keeping perspective. It doesn’t seem like such trouble to be stuck in traffic or have plans fall through after you’ve survived something so much worse. I’d rather be stuck in a long line at the pharmacy than unable to stand in it at all. I don’t keep the memories to dwell, I keep them to remember where I’ve come from and what I’ve survived.
I think one of the hardest and most important things is to disallow the trauma the privilege of becoming your identity. It can’t be undone and the scars are terrible, but we are never truly defined by what we’ve been forced to endure and survive. It’s our choice to live, love, grow, fight, be ‘difficult’ when it’s in our best interests, when to forgive and when not to forgive, follow our northern star, and accept that moving forward sometimes involves following the path back far enough to find an adjoining path that leads in a better direction. I’ve had 32 years and I’m still learning, but I don’t think that we should ever stop learning and allowing ourselves to grow and evolve.
It’s not anyone else’s story, it’s yours and you’ve got to roll — with the hand that life has dealt you, the changes, the good times and the bad times, the seasons of your life that you didn’t ask for but will surely learn something from. I still believe that everything happens for a reason, it’s only that sometimes that reason isn’t revealed to us with as much haste as we might desire.
With love,
A
2 October 2025
Silver September
Earrings from F21 | Blouse from Suzy Shier | Gold Chain Belt from Thrift Sho
Floral Skirt from Thrift Shop | Metallic Platforms by Marc Jacobs C/O Shopbop
Floral Skirt from Thrift Shop | Metallic Platforms by Marc Jacobs C/O Shopbop
You Got The Silver
Silver Hoops from Claire's | Vintage Black and Silver Scarf | Sheepskin Vest from Winners
Vintage Gold Chain | Flared Jeans by Blank Denim C/O Shopbop (Similiar) | Silver Platform Heels by Marc Jacobs C/O Shopbop
'How is it I haven't got anything else silver?' I wondered, sitting on the floor in front of my closet. A sequinned silver cocktail dress, a gold glittery pair of pumps I bought years ago for $5, a red sequinned cape, but nothing suitable to wear with a pair of Marc Jacobs silver platform heels a la Bianca Jagger circa 1973.
Then I remembered a black and silver scarf that, like the burgundy slip I wore in another recent post once resided in my childhood dress up box, might just work. Rifling through the much too small basket in which I keep my scarves, I finally found it and pulled it out, hoping it might be long enough to wear as a top. Slung around my neck and crossed over, it had just enough length to comfortably tie at my back. 'That's the top sorted, then'.
But what to wear with it? Nothing revealing. A long, a-line black skirt? Too matronly. A tight black midi skirt? Too self conscious. Shorts? Never. After bit of a trying on, tossing aside, and repeating, I eventually settled on a pair of bell bottom jeans by Blank Denim. The silver and denim seeming to both suit one another and contrast one another appropriately.
Mixing a bit of silver and gold, I opted for big silver hoop earrings and a chunky gold chain necklace worn as a bracelet. I've been getting more into wearing jewellery and accessories lately. If only partly to distract from the state of my hair. As a finishing touch of sorts, I threw on a shaggy vest. Because, although it's summer, a little sheepskin never hurt anyone.
Queen of Hearts
Heart Sunglasses by Wildfox C/O Shopbop | Earrings from Forever 21 | Vintage Satin Slip | Vintage Chain Belt | Vintage Floral Skirt | Vintage Pumps
'Does it look like I'm wearing someone's bedding?', I asked myself as I zipped up a previously unworn floral skirt that my mother bought in the late 1970s. I'm told it had a matching top that, unlike its skirt counterpart, did not survive the decades gone by. By the time I was pulling off the nearly forty year old price tags, I'd decided it didn't look like bedding, at least not enough to preclude wearing it on a sunny summer afternoon.
Having ruled out wearing it with black or white, black being too much of a contrast and having nothing suitable in white, I got creative. Whilst going through storage bins last summer, I came upon a box of dress up clothes from my childhood. Amongst the frilly dresses and silly accessories, I found an old burgundy slip and put it aside, momentarily revelling in the novelty of now being able to properly fit these old forgotten clothes. Then, this past week, standing half dressed in the bedroom and trying to figure out what to wear, it dawned on me that the colour of that old slip might match perfectly with the shades of dark red in previously mentioned skirt.
For shoes, I opted for another 'previously owned by mum' piece. A pair of low heels in a neutral cream colour from the late 70s. What with the skirt's big, bold pattern, I thought understated and classic shoes would be best.
As for accessories, I've actually gotten little more into wearing them recently. First, my gold chain belt which has made several appearances on this blog in recent months. Second, a pair of 1960s influenced dangling earrings from Forever 21.
And last (but certainly not least), a pair of Wildfox Lolita sunglasses. If I remember correctly, the first online purchase I ever made was for a pair of cheap red plastic heart shaped sunglasses when I was a teenager. Moving up in the world 'n' all that.
Blush
Summer Dreams
Gold Hoop Earrings from Forever 21 | Vintage Floral Scarf | DL1961 Instaslim Jeans C/O Shopbop | Vintage Chain Necklace
For this summery 1960s inspired look, I paired a vintage floral scarf in
vibrant shades of orange and yellow with a pair of DL1961 high waisted
blue jeans. I always have a look through the scarves when thrifting, the larger ones can make for lovely sarongs and tops during the warmer months. And the jeans immediately caught my eye, the fit and colour reminding me of a pair I had years ago. Still have, actually, though they've seen better days. For accessories, I opted for gold hoop earrings and an old chain necklace worn as a
bracelet.
Summer has arrived on the island and not a minute too soon.
Summer has arrived on the island and not a minute too soon.
Velvet and Gold
During
Shopbop’s recent sale, I was having a little browse when I came across a
pair of velvet bell bottoms. On sale for under $20. Could not help
myself. Kind of wish it was Christmastime so I could wear them everyday.
For a 1970s inspired look, I paired them with a blouse tied at the waist and an old suede jacket. Otherwise, I opted for simple black pumps and a gold chain belt I recently found at the church thrift shop nearby. It was $2. Just a little obsessed with it.
For a 1970s inspired look, I paired them with a blouse tied at the waist and an old suede jacket. Otherwise, I opted for simple black pumps and a gold chain belt I recently found at the church thrift shop nearby. It was $2. Just a little obsessed with it.
Blue Jean
Blouse from Suzy Shier | High Waisted Jeans by Levi's C/O Shopbop
This is the kind of outfit I will never get tired of. Effortless, classic, can be dressed up or dressed down. It makes me feel put together without feeling overdressed and that’s just what I need some days. Because even if you’ve not got it all together, sometimes it can help to dress the part and pretend.
I posted a similar look back in November as winter approached – going for a retro inspired look complete with bell bottom jeans, faux fur coat, and cowboy boots. Now, as we’re getting into spring, I’ve tentatively put away the faux fur and boots. Tentatively. Because no matter how much I’d prefer it to be bikini weather from here on out, I’ve a feeling we’ve still got a cold day or two left before spring fully kicks into gear.
For this look, I wore same shirt as in that November post but this time, rather than bell bottoms, I opted for a pair of 721 Levi’s. The wash of the jeans, called Cerulean Valley, is perfect for this time of year. While I love dark wash denim, I think it’s always nice to have a lighter, slightly brighter option during the spring and summer.
LBD
Dress C/O SheIn | Jacket C/O Chicwish | Thrifted Belt | Secret Sheer Tights | Steve Madden Pumps
Little black dresses, like trench coats, blue jeans and other classic pieces of clothing, may change
slightly over the years but will never really go out of fashion. There really is
one that suits almost everyone’s tastes and personal sense of style.
Some are a little flashy with embellishments, sequins, or beads. And some are more
simple and versatile, like this one from SheIn. I prefer the latter,
myself. Because it doesn't stand out too much on its own, it leaves plenty of room for you to style it according to your personal style by what you wear with it. I
went with black pumps, sheer black tights, a leather belt in a
contrasting colour, and a loose fitting army green jacket.
I hadn’t had a reason to really dress up recently, so I spent a
little more time than usual fussing over how to style this
dress. A few years ago, I would’ve gone for all black accessories and red lipstick
would’ve been a given. I’m still fond of all black, even if I don’t wear
it nearly as often as I used to. Red lipstick, though... I keep putting
on red lipstick only to wipe it off and apply something more neutral
instead. Old habits die hard. I should really get
around to changing the name of this blog.
Bell Bottom Blues
Hoop Earrings from Forever 21 | Blouse from Suzy Shier | Thrifted Leather Belt | Bell Bottom Jeans by Mother C/O Shopbop | Steve Madden Pumps
In the interest of being totally upfront, I’ll admit that I’ve spent the past half hour trying to figure out what to write to go along with the photos above. You'd think after a few years of writing these posts, you would get a handle on it. You would think.
The most annoying part is probably that I can sit down and write pages and pages about other things -- thoughts, feelings, memories, and so on. And I do. The quality of such writing can be a bit dodgey from time to time, but that's why there's a backspace button. But when it comes to writing these posts, half the time, my mind is like an empty warehouse. And yes, that was a very little reference to Bowie's Five Years, except he had too much to say while I've got tumble weeds rolling around.
The most annoying part is probably that I can sit down and write pages and pages about other things -- thoughts, feelings, memories, and so on. And I do. The quality of such writing can be a bit dodgey from time to time, but that's why there's a backspace button. But when it comes to writing these posts, half the time, my mind is like an empty warehouse. And yes, that was a very little reference to Bowie's Five Years, except he had too much to say while I've got tumble weeds rolling around.
I’ve always been more of a visual person when it comes to style, fashion, makeup, and whatnot. I enjoy it. I think I’m okay at doing it. Shit at writing about it, though. How many times can you write variants of ‘I paired up X with X for an X kind of look’ before losing your mind?
Maybe I just need to take a different approach of some kind.
So, what can be written about an outfit like the one in the photos above?
The blouse is an old one from Suzy Shier. I've loved crossover style blouses for ages. I think they look feminine without being too girly, sexy without being too over the top. A kind of perfect in between. The jeans are by Mother Denim and feature a raw hem. I don't usually go for pre-distressed jeans, preferring to do it myself through natural wear and tear, but I feel differently about raw hems. To me, there's a difference between buying a pair of unhemmed jeans and buying a pair of practically shredded 'aren't your legs cold?' jeans. The belt is, like I said, a thrift shop find. The pumps are an older style by Steve Madden. And the hoop earrings are from Forever 21, one of my favourite places for cheap jewellery.
Another thing that could be said is that I need to carefully trim off a few inches from the length of those jeans. While I love how it feels to wear bell bottoms with pumps, it’s just not practical to be walking around on about 4 inches of extra fabric the rest of the time. Still, I’m tempted to wear them out with pumps once more before taking the scissors to them...
Overall, I was going for a 1970s influenced, effortless and casual but still slightly glamorous look. In my mind, there are two distinct kinds of glamourous seventies looks. There's the kind of glamour Jerry Hall and Bianca Jagger epitomised. And then there's glam, the kind of glamour Marc Bolan and David Bowie used to break the rules. This time, I was thinking more along the lines of the former. But that’s not to say I’m not down with sequins and glitter. There’s a time and place for everything.
P.S. Shopbop, one of my favourite online shops that I collaborate with on this blog is holding their first big sale of the year. The spring sale begins today, running until 11:59pm on 5 March. Perfect for group purchases, with big discounts available dependant on your total, or just doing a bit of spring shopping as there currently are thousands of items on sale. Click here for more information.
Velvet
Dressing Gown by Only Hearts Lingerie C/O Shopbop | Trousers from Urban Behaviour | Steve Madden Pumps
When is a blouse not a blouse? When it’s a skimpy dressing gown masquerading as a blouse. Sometimes something comes along that's too good to be kept in the bedroom. This was one of those times. Gorgeous rose print burnout velvet deserves better than to be worn only to laze around in on a Saturday morning.
For a Kate Moss inspired, chic-but-with-a-bit-of-an-edge kind of look, I paired this dressing gown by Only Hearts Lingerie with high waisted black trousers and classic suede heels. And In keeping with the ‘lingerie as outerwear’ theme, I opted to wear a black lace mini slip underneath. After all, Only Hearts Lingerie’s slogan is 'for the shameless romantic to be worn anytime, anywhere'. Not that I really needed any encouragement.
Now, theoretically (yes, 'theoretically'...), you could wear an outfit like this on a night out, get home late, ditch the trousers and pumps, take off your makeup and wash your face (we're not complete savages), and fall into bed. Get up the next day, get yourself sorted out, throw the dressing gown back on with a t-shirt, flares, and flats and go. Wouldn't you wear a velvet dressing gown to a Saturday morning farmer's market? I would. Then again, I can recall wearing these heels to the grocery store one time a few years ago. That, actually, I probably wouldn't do that today. Probably.
Paisley
While I can be a little picky when it comes to prints and patterns, I
love the muted colours and paisley print of this Free People blouse. To me, it has a lovely laid back, almost bohemian feel to it. In keeping
with that laid back vibe, I decided to pair it with tapered blue jeans. Absolutely shocking, isn't that? I had bell bottoms on to start with, but decided I
wanted to go with something a little more form fitting.
Still, for a more chic look, I would pair it with classic black jeans
(just super plain ones like this pair by Blank Denim). Alternatively, for a more
colourful and retro look, perhaps a pair of trousers like these corduroy bell bottoms by Rag & Bone. Loving that shade of burgundy. I’ve
actually got my eye on those. Although, I do realise that they may
look a little out of place as spring comes on. Then again, I don’t
really believe in following rules when it comes to style. I think, more than anything else, style is about what you
personally like.
In true form, I didn’t really bother with accessories. And for shoes,
I went with my well worn and well loved leather flats. Even after
years, I still find that they seem to go with almost everything. What
ever will I do when they finally come apart in a way that can’t just be fixed
with epoxy…
Sunday at 9
It's just like me to pair an Agent Provocateur bra with a $1 satin skirt from a thrift shop.
You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can't take the trailer park out of the girl. Something like that.
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Ride
Faux Suede Jacket C/O SheIn | Black Turtleneck C/O Shopbop | Jeans from Suzy Shier | Steve Madden Pumps
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Outfit | Bell Bottom Blues
Faux Fur Coat C/O Chicwish | Blouse from Suzy Shier | Bell Bottom Jeans C/O Shopbop | Thrifted Cowboy Boots
Since skinny jeans made a comeback years ago, I had worn them almost exclusively. Until earlier this year, that is. I've been broadening my horizons. Although, that seems more than a little silly to say when we're talking about something as superficial as what kind of jeans to wear. Still, last summer I started with a pair of low rise flared jeans from a Sidney thrift shop that cost me $1. Now, as the weather gets colder, I've been favouring this pair of dark wash Blank Denim high waisted jeans.
For this look, I paired them with a lightweight blouse from Suzy Shier and an old pair of cowboy boots I bought from a nearby thrift shop. The faux fur coat is from Chicwish's A/W line last year.
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