Daily Outfit: The Shirt Off His Back

Today’s outfit is just a little bit devious. You see, recently my Boyfriend went on a trip for work, one of the stops of which was London. Of course, his luggage went missing, and he needed to buy new clothes for a conference he was attending. I had asked him to stop by the T.M. Lewin store in London to pick me up a set of collar stays, so naturally, he decided to kill two birds with one stone and grab some work shirts and ties there. The shirt I am wearing today is one of those.

I have been lusting after this shirt from the moment I unpacked his luggage. We’re fairly lucky in that while I am taller and his shoulders are a little broader – the Boyfriend and I can essentially share the majority of our clothing. And while we have very different tastes when it comes to clothes; this classic navy and white striped Shirt is something that I think most men could agree is very desirable.

Today’s criminally sourced outfit was:

Navy and white striped business shirt – T.M. Lewin, London Store
Orange wool vest – XXXX, Etsy
Navy silk necktie with white pindots – John & Lois, thrifted
Gold-tone tie clip and cufflinks - gifted
Brown leather belt – Country Road
Lightly distressed bootcut jeans – Armani Exchange A|X, thrifted
Brown leather laser-etched shoes – Raphael Steffens

The criminal element of this outfit is in the fact that I don’t really intend to give the shirt back. Ever. I’m basically planning on washing it and then stashing it safely in my half of the wardrobe. There is a pink and white shirt I could offer him in exchange, which would suit him much more than it suits me... But where is the fun in that?

Daily Outfit: Show Your Bones

In my charge back to dressing corporately while at work, I completely managed to forget that while I love a good necktie, there are other things that go just as nicely with a decent business shirt. Case in point, the strand of carved ox-bone skull beads which I paired with a fairly conservative blue Oxford cloth shirt today.

Daily Outfit: The Tyranny of a Shirt

I’ve been strictly opposed to both the colour orange and polo shirts for quite a while now, so today’s outfit is something of a shock for me. I’m slowly letting go of my colour hang ups and embracing everything orange – as it is my favourite colour, and I’m now aware that it doesn’t actually make me look as washed out as I previously believed. However, polo shirts are a whole other kettle of fish. My problem with the humble polo shirt stems from having worked retail for a cumulative total of roughly 9 years. As a result I still associate polo shirts (and black Slacks, for that matter), with work uniforms.

Daily Outfit: AliciaHannahNaomi Love

Today's post is a dedication to the amazing craftsmanship of Melbourne Jeweller Alicia Hannah Naomi, whom most of you probably know as the leather-clad creatrix behind SeaofGhosts. I am a huge fan of Alicia's work, and so when I saw her post about the Pan ring prototype she had created, I contacted her immediately to find out whether I was able to commission one for myself. It arrived this afternoon.

Daily Outfit: Repetition Repetition

Part of planning my daily outfits up to two weeks in advance is realising that there are a finite number of different combinations of clothing I can plan; before I either have to do something REALLY drastic. Like cutting the crotch out of some jeans and wearing them as a sweater; or to wear a repeat-outfit. This actually happened sooner than I had thought, on account of my being lazy actually, and looking back through my previously planned ensembles for inspiration for new ensembles.

Daily Outfit: Middle-aged McDonald

Let’s not pussy-foot around the issue here people, today’s outfit was a mistake. I had intended this week to be an All-Star week of my little book of planned daily outfits, as I have been rigorously planning what I wear weeks in advance in a new book for ten-whole weeks as of Sunday. However, yesterday evening passed me by in a haze of honey chicken, True Blood and FanFiction, and I awoke this morning in a rush, and all my careful planning went out the window.

Daily Outfit: Fun Ran

This morning I was up early and beside Lake burly griffin here in Canberra, with thousands of other Canberra’s, to watch the finish line of the Canberra Times 10 kilometre Fun Run. Of course this sort of thing usually holds all the appeal of Lesbian Porn for me; however today was different because my best friend Mags was running the 10 ks.

I waited on the terraced lawns overlooking the finish line, and of course I actually missed Mags finishing the race altogether. Because I am that spectacular of a friend. I met up with her afterwards however, and learned that she completed the whole 10 kilometers in under an hour! I am so fucking proud! I couldn't run that in under an hour, or probably at all, even with the cast of Teen Wolf luring me forward with a bucket of KFC dangling from a stick...

Daily Outfit: Dreaming of Denim

If I have said it once I have said it a thousand times– I love my jeans. 

Not specifically the pair I wore today (Though they are among my favourites), but all jeans and denim trousers in general. As a wardrobe staple they are, time and again, the most forgiving and understanding garments. They can tend to be a little stayed and plain as a result though, and I am starting to feel that I could really do with more jeans in my wardrobe.

Daily Outfit: Second Skin

I love this leather Jacket from Zara. A little while ago, when I was coming out of my six-month hiatus from dressing like an adult, I really wanted a leather Jacket that wasn't the standard black or brown colour. I considered white, because they're relatively accessible, however the colour never really sat right with me. I happened to chance upon this in the Zara store in Sydney, and it was the only XL they had in the store. Needless to say, I grabbed it and ran to the counter.

Daily Outfit: Thrifted-Monday:

Today, being a Monday, I set out to bring my A-Game. The more I write about it the more I agree with myself that dressing up on a Monday is so important. I think it works in the same way that casual Friday does, just in reverse. On a casual Friday you’re dressing down, allowing yourself a taste of the weekend earlier than you probably should. On Monday, however, you’re steeling yourself for the working week; and you can do so by dressing up.

Suffer for Fashion:

I have been thinking recently about how much money I have spent on clothes and accessories in my relatively short life span (twenty-six years). When you think about it – I’ve really only been clothing myself since I was about 15 – making it only 12 years of independent shopping that we are talking about. In that time, I have spent A LOT of money on A LOT of clothes. The tragic thing is – I don’t really have a great deal to show for it.

 

The oldest Item that I have in my wardrobe is a blue raglan sleeved T-shirt that I bought for maybe $5 at an Op Shop in my hometown.

Daily Outfit: Julep

I have been craving a Mint Julep since I purchased this gingham blazer, which is actually a whole suit, in November of last year. There is something so Southern Gentleman feeling about the garment that I find myself worrying that the acquisition of this is just the latest step in my evolution into Colonel Sanders (The KFC guy – I feel old having to explain that). This is probably why the blazer has not got a lot of wear since I purchased it. I really wanted to pair the navy with a pop of bright orange today, to really play the colours off one another.

Daily Outfit: After Gianni

I have a turbulent love/hate relationship with the designs of Gianni Versace. I think it started when I was in early high school and I was only starting to appreciate fashion. I believed that Versace was pronounced ‘Ver-sah-chae’, and was subsequently humiliated when it was publically corrected. This theme was continued later in life when a Versace-obsessed ex-boyfriend of mine disappeared from my life, leaving me heartbroken and hateful. Versace became a symbol of my ex, and for years I vehemently loathed the house of Versace.

Daily Outfit: Seersuckered In

Today’s ensemble is an exercise in persistence.

A year or two back I purchased a blue and white seersucker blazer from a Church Fete I was attending with my mother and grandmother. I saw it on the rack amidst hundreds of sad old faux tweeds, and fell in love instantly. My best friend Mags, not so much. Like several other items of my clothing (A skull-print singlet, a coral bomber jacket), she exhibited an instantaneous and almost violent dislike to the blazer. 

In hindsight I can’t blame her really. It was, I’m fairly certain, a women’s jacket, which fit me poorly, and which I styled horribly. There were also several items in her wardrobe which I was less than delicate about (my apologies, Mags).

More recently I replaced the original Jacket with a blazer from Etsy. I was adamant that I needed a blue and white seersucker blazer to complete my wardrobe. Mags inspected this new blazer and gave it a begrudged nod of approval, however, I never truly believed that she approved. As such, I have not worn this blazer since buying it.That is, until I decided to wear it today with the following:

Blue and white seersucker blazer – Meeting Street, Etsy
Orange wool vest – Etsy
Blue and white checked shirt – T.M. Lewin, Thrifted
Black resin and silver Medusa head cufflinks – Versace, ebay
Brown leather belt – Country Road
Lightly distressed ARC jeans – G-Star
Brown leather Shoes with crosshatch detail – Raphael Steffens

I was skeptical as I was getting dressed this morning that this ensemble would work. I was convinced that it wouldn't. However, when I was dressed and standing in front of the mirror, I suddenly felt that not only was the ensemble working, but that the blazer was in fact, somehow tying all the elements together. I’m giving the ensemble a 9/10. I’m not sure Mags would approve though.

Daily Outfit: Rinse Cycle

I had a fairly hectic weekend, between working Friday and Saturday nights, making the Boyfriend’s prehistoric birthday cake, having his folks over and going out for Yum Cha– there was just never any time to get things like laundry done. As such, when I pulled out my outfit planner this morning I realised that 40% of what I had planned to wear was in the wash!

This actually worked out in my favour, however, as the outfit I had planned was not really one of my best, and while what I actually wore today isn’t going to knock any Sartorial socks off; it is comfortable and something that I feel that I look fairly good in. This made my transition from weekend to working-week that much more bearable. It’s also a little relaxed, which I could do with a dose of for this week.

Birthday Love:

Today is my boyfriend's birthday.

 



 

Being the gooey romantic that I am, I wanted to make some small token of my affections here on the Blog. This shitty collage doesn't even remotely my feelings justice. He is the sinceerest, sweetest man on the planet, and every day the life that we share together brings me an endless source of joy. I couldn't be happier.

 

So happy birthday Sexy Panda - I love you.

 

 

Xx

 

P.S. If two dudes kissing and being happy groses you out, go eat a dick! It's 2012!

Daily Outfit: Business Casual

Business Casual is a funny term. It is, according to the ever reliable Wikkipedia, the most common form of dress required by workplaces in America. It’s also highly open to interpretation. I’ve often thought that I slot easily into the Business Casual slot, because I wear jeans to work almost every day. However, I’ve been reading up on Business Casual in preparation for a thorough wardrobe overhaul, and I’m starting to feel somewhat of a square peg in a round hole.

It seems that affectations of a Business or Corportae wardrobe, such as neckties and blazers, are placed towards ‘Overdressed’ on the spectrum of Business Casual, and items like cufflinks, collar-stays and tie-tacks and bars are completely off the scale all together. It seems that I am something of an anomaly – a hybrid of Business and Casual, but closer on the spectrum of Business.

Proof is in the Plaid:

This morning I unintentionally broke my own rule about dressing up to face Monday looking your best. I had planned the ensemble two weeks prior, and forgotten about it until I opened my little book of ensembles and put it all together. It definitely isn’t one of my best. I’ve given it a 5/10.

Tangerine Dream:

These orange ‘Andrew Pant’ Chinos by Polo really seem to divide people. They either love the colour, or they hate it. No one gets around to discussing the shade of orange (dull tangerine to bright peach, they seem to change), or whether the pleating at the front works for or against my body shape (I’m thinking against); or even whether I should be shot for walking around with exposed hemmed cuffs! Everyone is stuck on loving or hating the colour.

Lobster Diaries:

The Lobster is sort of my spirit animal. I’ve come to realise this over time – mostly because of the ridiculously intense reaction I have to anything Lobster related. I mean, when I saw these Pants for example, I literally screamed “MINE!” and spent two days earning my boss’s ire by staring at the eBay window, making sure no-one outbid me. I did a much similar thing with the Necktie (of which I now own three...). I don’t really have a ‘reason’: I love eating Lobster and I love them as a creature as well. I just really like Lobsters.

Orange Monday:

I knew that I would be walking into a mammoth day at work, and being a Monday, I wanted to face the week looking a bit sharper. I have been loving the colour orange lately - and this Shirt that I snapped up at the Polo Outlet store in Homebush is probably my favourite orange thing in my wardrobe right now. Not only is it orange, but it has a button-down collar, and is checked. Win, win and win! I really liked having a pop of bright colour in my outfit as well - it really livened the whole look up.

For this Monday morning I'm wearing:
blue felted wool Puffer Jacket – Country Road
orange and white check Shirt – Polo Ralph Lauren, DFO Outlet Homebush
navy silk Necktie embroidered with footballers – Lands End, thrifted
brown leather Belt – Country Road
slightly distressed relaxed fit ARC Jeans – G-Star Raw
brown leather Shoes with lattice detailing – Raphael Steffens

I'm not sure that everyone would agree - but I've given today's ensemble an 8/10 in the rating system that I am using for my own entertainment (as you do). This ensemble was comfortable all day, practical, and featured my favourite colours heavily. I'm in week 8 this week - and I think after week 10 I might feature a week of my highest-rated ensembles so far. I'm keen to see if anyone agrees with me :p

Xx

Daily Outfit: Rule-breaker

Rules are important. I'm a bit of a stick in the mud at the best of times; but when it comes to clothes and how I dress I really do believe that there are rules that should be followed if you want to look well put together. I'm not saying I always follow these rules - hell, if I'd been posting in April this year you would all be asking "Are you shitting me with this? You basically wore pajamas to work!"

Daily Outfit: Bow-Tied Up in Knots

I am mortified to admit that I do not know how to tie a Bow-Tie, and that all the Bow-Ties that I own are the cheat sort where they are already tied and all you have to do is hook them together. It's sartorially equivalent to admitting you walk around with a sock in your Y-fronts or tissues in your bra. I think that especially given my age (twenty-seven come December 30) - I should own and be able to tie a Bow-Tie by now.

Daily Outfit: Monday Morning Alchemy



Monday’s are hard. The alchemic laws of equivalent exchange are at play, and if you don’t get things right, the consequences will be dire. Monday sets up the way that the rest of the week is going to go down: A shitty Monday filled with niggling little chores and duties, strained interactions with colleagues, and braved in a crumpled and dirty shirt; will buy you a week of much the same. I know this through hard-won experience of the fact. What you put in on a Monday is what you get back for the rest of the week.

Daily Outfit: Sunday Cinema

Today I had a date with Mags for lunch and viewing The Dark Knight Rises. It is honestly the first time I have been to see a movie before 7:30 PM in... God, it's been so long I can't even tell you! It is a whole other world.

Competition: Cocktails and Dressing Well

Creating a good cocktail and creating a good ensemble are a very similar process when you think about it. In each instance the basic idea is to take a collection of separate parts in different quantities, blend together and present artfully, in order to create an appealing, unified whole. And, in both instances, those that are able to do so are lauded socially as possessing a marvellous talent. Think about it. Bar Tenders and Stylists – who doesn’t want either of those as a friend? Or cocktails and great style – who is turning down either of those?

My best friend and I love a good cocktail and any opportunity to dress up, and we have been planning a trip to Melbourne for a little while now to indulge in both.

Daily Outfit: Thumbs-Down

I'm easily amused, especially at other's expense. Never is this more the case than at work. I greatly enjoy presenting something of a hyperbole of myself in the workplace where we are thrown-together in the necessity of employment; just to see how others will react...

Daily Outfit: Going Away to College

Growing up in Australia in the 1990’s, especially in a small rural town in the middle of nowhere, something that I did a lot of was watch American movies. I especially anything aimed at the ‘young adult’ market that featured themes of growing up, coming of age, finding love... or being brutally hacked to death by some freak in a mask. Anything that featured a University Campus and the students that went there would be high on my list of things to watch.

I revelled in the ‘Going away to College’ mentality of these films. The campuses in the films were always incredibly manicured, the students exceptionally well dressed (even when being butchered), and the whole Collegiate lifestyle really appealed to me. As did the idea of escaping my small country home-town to a big city where it wasn’t really that abnormal to be gay.

Daily Outfit: Brunch

It was a nice sunny day here in Canberra, so the boyfriend and I decided to make the most of it and indulge in a little brunch.

Daily Outfit: Mental-Dental

I am absolutely terrified of the Dentist. I’m terrified of most medical procedures actually, with the exception of things that I know intimately, like having food poisoning or a cold. Anything else sends me into full-blown panic cycles where I convince myself not only that it is highly likely I will die, but in fact that it is really the only possible outcome, and that it will be hideously, unbearably painful.

Daily Outfit: Obsession with Orange:

 

For a long time I resisted my love of the colour orange because I believed that the colour simply didn’t suit me. I tried desperately to redirect my sartorial urges for all things orange into stationary or home wares, even my tattoos. However, sating my lust for the colour this way didn’t really work, and like a true junkie I had a stash. A file on my computer called ‘Orange’, full of images of men and women wearing bright, burnt orange proudly and making it work.

Daily Outfit: Mr. Lobster

Today I had an appointment with my amazing Hairdresser Elise, so this meant that it was time for the boyfriend and I to have our monthly 'Date Night' afterwards. However, in light of our new attempt to eat healthier, we decided to forgo our usual Chinese haunt the Takee Roast Inn, and instead visited a Japanese place up the road for pickles, sushi, and a cheeky beer.

Daily Outfit: Sham-rocked

Today's ensemble was a bit of an experiment. I purchased this sheer Hoodie from ASOS a while ago, and while I have worn it a few times, I've never really felt like it's worked for me. To be honest I'm not really convinced it ever will.

Daily Outfit: Gridiron and gold-tone

 

There's so much of my life that is in a state of flux right now. I'm feeling uncertain about my path in life, and so instead of focusing on the variables, I am retreating into routine. I am forcing myself through breakfast, going to the gym four out of seven days, and planning every ensemble I wear up to two weeks in advance. I am writing the things that concern me down in a little book and trying not to devote too much energy to them once I have. I am drinking less tea. I have started using a great new line of skincare which I am really excited about. I am investing in new TV series' like Mob Wives and Grimm.

All of these things I do, I do to stave off the uncertainty. 

Daily Outfit: Palm trees and sheerling

I purchased this sheerling lined leather Jacket before I decided to commit to adopting a new, Prep-adjacent wardrobe. I got it and a similar piece off ASOS for an insanely low price when I was thinking of adopting an entirely different look. In any event, it hasn't received much love from me since I purchased it a while back.

Daily Outfits: A darker shade of Prep

I have been actively making an effort to dress more like how I wish I looked at all times, rather than just rolling out of bed and throwing on the first things I find. If I think about my perfect wardrobe, I think a darker shade of Prep:
a largely collegiate or Preppy look, lots of dress shirts and embroidered ties paired with well-tailored blazers, the stereotypical view of Preppy that most people outside the US only have on account of Hollywood. However, there is no divorcing the fact that I live in my jeans, and I am not giving them up any time soon. Navy is the dominant colour, with traces of burnt orange and crisp white.

Daily Outfit: A spark in the gloom

Today was a truly miserable day here in Canberra. The misty rain never seemed to lift, casting everything in a damp, blue-grey light, and people in the office grumbled endlessly about the weather for ducks.

Daily Outfit: The Neglected Wardrobe

Ladies and gentlemen, a confession. I, Grant Heino, am a recovering wardrobe neglector.

Now that I am getting back into the swing of Blogging, I'm finding that not only am I coming up with ideas for where I would like to take things, but I'm also thinking more and more about my daily outfits. But things haven't been Rosy for a while now.

Daily Outfit: Sunday style

Today I headed to Yum Cha with my mother in Canberra's answer to Chinatown. It was a beautiful sunny winter day, and true to my self, I spent it inside eating Chinese delicacies and then getting my sewing room in order.

Daily Outfit: Deadliest Catch

It was not intentional at all, but I sort of planned an ensemble for today that has left me looking like I should be hauling up crab-pots out of the freezing Atlantic Ocean while swearing at the camera on Deadliest Catch. I don't necessarily think that this is a bad thing, and as a look I sort of dig the combination, sort of L.L. Bean meets Red Lobster meets Australian suburbanite homosexual...