Seeing photos of vintage-clad cyclists on their bikes, wheeling their way around historical Ballarat, made me want to be part of the “Ballarat Tweed and Ride”.  I’ve always been a lover of vintage style, so this event was something that I just had to go and see. Unfortunately, covid hit the first year I planned to go, followed by having to work the following year. This year, the date was finally free for me to attend the event! The weather was just perfect for a trip down to Ballarat. Vintage Fashion There’s something special about dressing up in vintage style and roaming around a city li ..read more

Labassa Mansion, hidden in a cul-de-sac in Caulfield North (Melbourne), has re-opened to the public and did it in style, opening its doors in collaboration with the MIMC (Melbourne Millinery Competition). The theme for this year’s millinery competition was “Little Black Dress”. The Chapeaux and Champagne team (which I’m part of) and our millinery loving friend dressed up for the occasion and went along to check out all of the beautiful works of the millinery on display. None of our creations made it into the top 20, but we were excited to see all the other beautiful designs. The Melbourne Inte ..read more

Melbourne is in lockdown again. Facemasks are the new norm on the street. So why not up the game a bit and create some designer facemasks. Real nice fabrics combined with an additional 2 layer cotton lining and well made – no rushed sewing or mass production in sweatshops. Quality masks – uniquely designed for the Melbourne Fashionista. Have a look here for the facemask collection by velvet&tonic Designer Facemasks by velvet&tonic Usually creating beautiful millinery we decided to create some designer facemasks – they are maybe a bit over the top right now. I can’t see these luxury fac ..read more

How much fun was The Park! The Pony Bar and Motel was smaller than we remembered from the previous Melbourne Cup carnivals, but it still offered us some great photo backdrops. With a couple of beds thrown into The Pony Bar to make it a motel, seating space was a little awkward and reduced. The beds did invite you to lie back and relax! Unfortunately for most fashionistas, our outfits didn’t allow us to do that! Fashion Photo Opportunities The Pony Bar and Motel could have been closer to the FOTF (Fashions on The Field) stage so we could enjoy it more. Even a minute’s walk to the bar was a feat ..read more

This year, fashion took a jump back in time and we loved it! We saw the resurgence of styles from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and the ’80s. Puffy and over-sized sleeves continued to show up in the masses! Prints and florals were top picks of fashionistas, apart from Derby Day. While there were a lot of off-the-rack outfits, it was lovely to see so many custom-made outfits or even better, outfits which the ladies made themselves. The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival sets the trends for 2020 – Racing Fashion Trends 2020! One of those self-made outfits (made and worn by Carena West) won the National tit ..read more

More than 100 outfits from Gabrielle Chanel is now on exhibition at the NGV in Melbourne, and it’s a must-see for fans of the designs from this renowned French couturiere. Chanel’s innovative designs in fashion, perfumes and jewellery are on display alongside one another, charting the evolution of the famous “Chanel Style”. The exhibition premiered in Paris in 2020. It has now made its international debut here in Melbourne’s NGV. Chanel Exhibition in Melbourne In this fabulous exhibition, you can get an appreciation and understanding of what makes Gabriel Chanel one of the most influential des ..read more

Lockdown Blues & Fashionable Facemasks It might be one week into our six-week stage 4 lockdown, but I feel like we’ve been in lockdown since March. We have to wear facemasks now! We had a few wonderful weeks to feel a little normal again and see our family and friends, but I can’t help feeling a little down and frustrated – like a lot of you out there! We’re seeing people from different parts of the world travelling to beautiful destinations and lounging on beaches. Our fellow Aussies up in the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia are free to roam as they please! They have be ..read more

Ok, so I did live in my activewear (if I bothered to get out of my pyjamas) most days while in lockdown. This wasn’t different from the times before COVID-19. I lived in activewear most days anyhow! There wasn’t any reason to dress any other way during our time in lockdown. Nobody was going anywhere so there was no need to dress up. This time has been a very uninspiring time for the fashionistas who loved too dress up and head to the races for the Fashions on The Field competitions. Outfits had already been planned for many race days in Autumn and Winter and it was looking like those outfits w ..read more