sun + spots.

wearing: spotted dress - 80/90's Cue from vinatge&retro store in Adelaide, belt - Witchery, shoes - Diane von Furstenberg, sunglasses - Tom Ford, cuff - ASOS, earrings - De Beers.

wear: lunch on my 1st day in the Gold Coast.

well a big hello to everyone from the sunny, but not so warm Gold Coast! i've come up for a quick family visit before uni gets too crazy (p.s. i think the Gold Coast should be better known as Australia's answer to Florida - Boca ain't got nothing on the early bird deals Sizzler was offering on the way from the airport!).
but of course more importantly than the Gold Coast itself is what i overstuffed my suitcase with to wear whilst here. and to Virgin Blue Australia, i sincerely thank you for rounding down baggage weights and understanding that 'carry-on luggage' means anything you can physically carry onto a plane. your observance of guidelines, as always, makes me a happier traveller.

so, outfits! this dress is the PETA-friendly answer to Cruella DeVille's puppy habit and was literally my find of 2009. out shopping one day when i popped into the vintage/retro store a friend used to work with on Frome Rd, Adelaide (holla!) and saw a girl pick it off the rack whilst i was chatting away. long story short - i ended up with the dress. don't ask questions.
wore it to the Polo a few weeks later and by jove was i glad i had as i hands on hips swear that every single other girl there was wearing one of five dresses. maybe i had just missed the memo? similarly again, wore it to some questionable 'Adelaide society' event last year only to stand out like crazy. must say i don't mind that though - i'd rather be the only one in the room/field with the balls to go out and find something different than look like everyone else because that's what the cool kids are doing.

saying that though, Adelaide does get a bad rep for being a backwater fashion hole when really that's not the case. i was a bit upset to read this weeks Grazia on the plane over and find only half a page (three photos) dedicated to Adelaide's street fashion. especially when the boutique owner they'd asked to sum up the Adelaide girls style had done such a good and interesting job by describing the various post-code based fashions and trends you see around Adelaide. (and p.s. we're only preppy in my neck of the woods cause that where all the colleges are and thus rugby jumpers and pink or white bows on pony-tails are everywhere. that and we're snobs - just ask my housekeeper.) 

anyway, as it turns out online shopping is the greatest equalizer ever created; and i'm from Sydney. end of debate.

(see - i really do wear shoes!)

p.s. a big kiss to all who've been so nice and encouraging so far. it feels pretty good. my hair feels pretty happy too.