Beyond Blonde

August 07, 2018

I'm off to dig at an archaeological excavation of a Roman villa in Sussex in August and one of the things along with ensuring I have the right equipment with me is, am I wearing the right gear? I'm a fashion savvy sort of girl and 'glamorous' is an adjective that has been applied to my sense of style, so what does a glamorous girl wear when digging in a hole for roman antiquities?

Firstly, the correct pair of pants is the most important item of clothing to get right. They need to be serviceable, washable and practical while still looking good. I need pockets that items aren't going to fall out of - I can't mess up the stratigraphy by introducing an iPhone LOL to the roman layer. Site security can be negligible so I need to have in my pockets the important along with enough capacity for a lipbalm and tissues. They also need to fit properly. No one wants to see 'archo crack' when you are kneeling down! LOL! 

I've found a good pair at Cotton On and reasonably priced at around $40AUD.

Secondly, good sturdy shoes. Some sites require steel capped boots. Vindolanda excavations did and there is no way to find anything glamorous with them so it comes down to straight Health and Safety requirements being met. There's a little more lee-way at the Sussex dig so I am opting for sturdy walking/hiking shoes that are waterproof and provide support when walking on uneven ground. I have a pair of Merrells at $150AUD (sale price) from Anaconda.

I do like to inject a little style into the workwear so my wide brimmed panama hat is both stylish and will protect me from the summer sun. A striped cream and gold Tshirt will complete the outfit and rotated with a long sleeve striped Tshirt depending on the weather. A sturdy backpack that can take bottled water, notepad, lunch and snacks, an umbrella and a reference book rounds it all out. 

Glamorous? maybe not but I'm trying!

August 15, 2016

I have been walking the streets of Hampton Court and Stamford these last few days - part of my UK adventure and I have been struck by one thing in particular as I engage in the common past time of people watching. That is, women my age (that is over 50 <3) have adopted a "uniform" and it is everywhere....

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It begins with a floral loose fitting shirt, in itself not bad, but often in either bright shades or variations of lavender. This is worn over 3/4 length cotton trousers. I dare not call them shorts and not culottes! Accessories are flat "comfortable" (code for hideous) sandals which would not look amiss featuring in an orthotics shop. Perhaps they are. I am sure the whole ensemble is comfortable but it is hardly stylish. No matter your height, who looks good in 3/4 length pants???

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I like every other woman over 50 am undergoing changes to my body that menopause and age brings and which are unavoidable however, I am determined not to join in this uniformed brigade of women! If this outfit is 'dressing my age' then I refuse! 

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I will wear my black skinny jeans with espadrilles (still comfortable!) and a classic white T. I shall wear my pretty, plain boho shirt, leggings and heels for dining out. I shall stick to the classics espoused by Chanel - black, white and worn with a belted trench coat when the weather calls for a jacket. You will find no hues of purple and lavender in my wardrobe!

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Be brave, rebel, do not dress your age, dress for you!

How could one resist the invitation to a 'meet & greet' with Mr. Manolo Blahnik at the NYC retailer Bergdorf Goodman's? Not me for sure! The visit to New York coincided with the opportunity to celebrate a milestone birthday, so to add in my shoe hero from episodes of Sex In The City and the trip was booked. 

Bergdorf Goodman is my favourite American department store - it entices you in with the promise of pure luxury. The windows are always heart stoppingly beautiful and at Christmas, pure joy. My birthday though is in March and so along with the St Patricks Day parade, watching an episode of Letterman being taped and a visit to the cafe made famous by Friends, NYC did not fail to delight. But the highlight was the ascent via escalator to the Shoe Depart of BG - stepping off and into heaven, I was offered a glass of champagne. The event was in full swing! Women of all ages were strolling through the displays of Manolo's designs luring us in. With a purchase of a pair of MB's, one also gained the privilege of meeting the designer and having your purchase autographed....and the ladies were ladling out the cash for the opportunity.

Like Dorothy's red shoes from Oz, Manolo's sparkly version whispered to me..."buy me, buy me!" and on another stand, the blue shoes of Carrie's romantic dramas stopped me in my tracks...oh to have to make such a choice.

Mr Manolo  Blahnik is of course, a very dapper man. Coiffed silver grey hair, immaculate suit, he held himself a little apart from the crowd but still approachable. He smiled and greeted the ever growing line of women clutching their new shoes to them and offering them to him for his 'blessing'. I had the pleasure of meeting his sister at the Chelsea store some years earlier - equally dapper, equally approachable....my husband was sure she opened the store just for me as she confused me with Kylie! Its a sweet memory made sweeter by the romance of the time and the red high heels that came home with me which are today still treasured.

Sometimes the luxury is not in the purchase at all but in the experience and this was one. I did not buy the shoes but I have the memories of an event and experience that is both unique and irreplacable and surely that is the very definition of luxury.