Wear › Stack

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ComplexGeometries Jacket (similar here)
ComplexGeometries Tunic (similar here)
Helmut Lang Leather Leggings (buy here)
Rick Owens Geobasket Sneakers (buy here)
Alicia Hannah Naomi Necklace and Rings (buy here)

“Are you happy with the length?” he asked as I pulled on the leggings for the first time. “Yeah, I like how they scrunch at the bottom,” I replied through a mouthful of hair that had fallen into my face as I leaned over to adjust the folds near my ankles. As I flipped my head back up he laughed and said “That’s called stacking – it’s a sufu term all the hardcore denim-heads use to describe the folds of fabric at the ankle.”

Having a fasshun boyfriend is not without it’s educational perks.

This outfit is from last Saturday, when I joined my lovely friend and fellow Whitehorse Jewellery student Sami by the river for her 30th birthday celebrations. It was a mild afternoon with lots of shade and a slight breeze but the temperature cooled rapidly after 3pm so I was glad for my jacket.

As sworn, I finally added the Helmut Lang buffed leather leggings to my wardrobe – and I’ve worn them every weekend since I got them. The fit has relaxed a little around the hips and thighs; I’m hoping that this is as far as they’ll stretch because at the moment they feel beautifully moulded to my body.

Although they look killer with heels and ankle boots, I’m really enjoying how easily they can be dressed down with an oversize tunic and dunks.

The Avalon Rising Oversize Rosary weighs over a quarter of a kilogram, it’s definitely not an everyday piece – but perfect for special occasions. I felt that the chunkiness of the matte black onyx really held the whole look together tightly.

Design › Nadia

nadiaring_byaliciahannahnaomiAlicia Hannah Naomi Nadia Ring

Back in September last year I created a little ring out of a tiny double terminated tibetan quartz stone I had as a gift for Nadia’s birthday. I named it after her and it got a lot of love on Instagram. So much love that I had several commissions for it, despite it not being part of my collection. Based off it’s popularity I considered adding it to the collection but as each stone is so uniquely different in shape, size and shade I feel better not including it. I’m still taking private orders for it, however, via e-mail.

Shop › Tabi

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tabi4Maison Martin Margiela Tabi Boots

When Margiela released the clear heeled Tabi Boots early last year I went from being a mere admirer of the style to realising how much I’d actually like to own a pair. They went on sale and I almost bought them then, but held out because I was about to embark on a trip to Japan. I saw them in person for the first time at the Margiela store in Omotesando, Tokyo and was awe-struck to see something so iconic in the flesh. They weren’t on sale in Japan yet so I left them behind, and by the time I got home I realised that my money would be better invested in the classic black heeled version instead. I searched compulsively online and could only turn up one store with my size in stock. They were full price.

So I waited.

I waited and waited and waited. For ten months I waited, and when they still hadn’t gone on sale and I still wanted them as desperately as the day I first saw them I knew I was being foolish. I e-mailed the store and the customer service team confirmed that they were never ever going to go on sale. They only had one pair left in my size. I mulled. There were still no other pairs I could find online in my size that had popped up for a better deal in the mean time. So what was I waiting for? I had already saved for so long for them and had enough money to pay for them. They were a no-risk purchase – there was nothing transient about the design or my desire for them.

So I bought them.
And I’m in love.

After quizzing several Tabi owners I’d drawn the conclusion that these were no ordinary shit-kicking boots like my Acne Pistols. The leather is infinitely soft, and the craftsmanship is delicate. They aren’t to be worn every day but (like most things that come with a hefty price-tag) if cared for, would last for years and should look better with wear.

I’ve only worn them once because since the weather’s cooled down in Melbourne I haven’t had anywhere nice to justify their wear. So I stare at them every day on my shelf and do not regret purchasing them for a moment. I’d like to thank the customer service team at the store I purchased them from – Totokaelo – their pre and after-sales communication has been excellent. Although the shipping is expensive to Australia I highly recommend shopping with them, it was truly one of the best online shopping experiences I’ve ever had.

Do you have an item you waited a very long time to buy? Was it worth the wait?

Wear › Bored Of Silence

Rick Owens Biker Jacket (buy here)
K-Mart Sheer Asymmetric Top (similar here)
Helmut Lang Leather Panel Leggings (similar here)
Zara D’Orsay Pumps (similar here)
Alicia Hannah Naomi Necklace and Rings (buy here)
Rick Owens Clutch (buy here)

Contrary to my prior announcement not to expect any outfit posts, here’s what I wore last night.

It’s been way too warm to wear these leather leggings until now, I’ve been forlornly staring at them in my closet praying for a cool change. Having purchased some half-a-dozen leather leggings online with no success (including that one Rick Owens pair I later sold because they didn’t fit) I decided to stalk out a pair of Helmut Lang’s in person first so I could make my educated purchase at a later date. I’d heard good things about them and I was not disappointed once I tried a pair in person.

I’d had the intention of purchasing a pair of the normal leather leggings but when I found them in person I also tried the patina leather (Helmut Lang’s version of the Rick Owens blister leather, a kind-of bubbled/distressed leather with a satiny suede-like tactility) and was surprised how much I loved them also. When these patina/embossed combo panel leggings popped up half price in the Lane Crawford online sale two months ago I didn’t think twice. I really love the effect of wearing the jacket and pants together of such similar leather finishes.

In my opinion they’re the best leather leggings I’ve come across in terms of fit and quality (yes, even better than the Rick Owens blister leather leggings; but this opinion is bias to my body shape). If I have to pay full price for the normal leather version I will save up until I can afford them because they are worth it.

I’m totally aware of the irony of wearing a Helmut Lang rip-off top with my Helmut Lang leggings. In my defence I didn’t know the top was a Helmut Lang rip-off when I bought it some eighteen months ago. I’d like to upgrade it to a real one at some point, but it seems that I’m now saving for another pair of Helmut Lang leather pants first.

Style › Conundrum

OAK OAK ASYMMETRIC TEE

After a glorious month off classes and my casual job, I almost forgot what it was like to be forced back into my ‘workshop uniform’ with regularity. I was finding the joy in getting dressed again, and I was happy. But now I’m back at uni again and this year I have more contact days than last year so I have even less sartorial freedom than I had last year. Don’t expect many upcoming outfit posts.

Technically I can wear whatever I like to uni but the thought of dripping acid on your carefully chosen Rick Owens Lilies tank is pretty traumatic. I don’t actually have that many accidents in the workshop and I wear protective gear, but I have too strong an emotional attachment to my wardrobe to risk it this way. Despite this sentiment, I still hold a nonsensical resentment towards paying for clothes with the sole purpose for workshop use. It seems – when it comes to curating my wardrobe – I’ve trained myself a little too well.

Real talk: when I work from my home studio I dress abysmally because nobody sees me. I usually wear my “pyjamas” (leggings and oversize band t-shirts) and that’s okay because I’m not actually “dressed” (and subsequently not sacrificing my clothes). But I need to face the fact that I’m at uni four out of five days this year, and I’m running out of clean (workshop appropriate) clothes.

I’ve done the miles – visited cheap and cheerful retailers both in person and online. From ASOS to Topshop, Supré to Valley Girl, K-Mart to Target — even if I could justify parting with money in these stores for workshop-only gear, I don’t actually LIKE anything! Surprise surprise.

In the back of my subconscious there’s a gentle reminder that part of my struggle over the last few weeks has been influenced by the unseasonal heatwave we’ve had in Melbourne – having to dress for the workshop in the sweltering heat is a double whammy of difficulty for a fashion-goth like me. As the weather begins to cool down again I’ll get along better in my myriad of black denim and plain black tees.  But while it’s still a little too warm for the denim I’m stuck in this self-inflicted conundrum.

On the opposite side of the fence – rather than asking why I can’t bring myself to spend a little on clothes I can only wear in the workshop, one might question why I am prepared to spend SO MUCH money on clothes I actually end up wearing for only a fraction of the year. It’s a deeply disconcerting question knowing that I intend to spend the rest of my life in a workshop – if not at an educational institution then one of my own.

Since I absolutely can’t bring myself to buy poorly made clothes made out of uncomfortable fabrics and won’t compromise my style to suit my predicament, I’ll continue to dedicate my spare time to the hunt for the perfect mix of dark style and every-day affordability. If you have any suggestions feel free to shoot them my way.