30% off today only!

You knew it was coming - time for another famous Frock You sale, and this time it's a corker: 30% off one day only (Wednesday 11th November)! If you've got the newsletter, you've already got a rundown of the most awesome buys - for kids, this summer is F-rockin', for bubs, it's all about prints, and for ladies? The (hot, steamy) sky's the limit - go nuts with neutrals, stock up on basics, get your Chrissy party frocks and shoes sorted, or just pick up some damn cool tops and swan around knowing you are the shiz. Or whatever it is kids are saying these days. To whit:

(does that makes sense? It sounds much nicer than "'ere, check this out, like", anyway. Oh and these are pieces not in this week's newsletter, cos you know, you've probably already seen those. and stuff. Prices below include the 30% discount)

One Teaspoon April Rose Fringed Tank $55.96 this is a nice fresh mauve - and not mauve like your mum's eyeshadow in 1985, more like a girly, swirled, pretty mauve in a loose fitting tank with fringing. Typically One Teaspoon (though that is a juxtaposition) it's so up-to-the-minute it's in a different time zone. One Teaspoon are not followers, they do their own thang and they do it with flair.



GRAB Button Through Stripe Top $48.96 this is a super cool piece you can throw on for casual days when you don't want to be a total dag, but can't really be arsed dressing up. Plus, it's stripey. It's kinda cropped and loose and lovely, so we've popped it over the GRAB Foil Jersey Seam Tank $27.96 which comes in a gorgeous peach shade (again, not peach circa 1983. We hope).

Sunny Girl Jewelled Dress $48.96 A fab party option, it's a new take on the LBD and has cute gemstone (well, plastic beads) detailing on the sides. Detachable straps mean you can have extra support if you need it, or you can go strapless and add a nice sheeny moisturiser or faux glow. Remember body glitter and stuff in the late 90's? I do. I loved it. And I have a tub of it I'm busting to use again - I found it for my Tinkerbell costume for Halloween. The early 90's have come around again, so surely the late 90's will be next? OMG will Britney be retro? But anyway, cute dress. And a bargain!

For the under-2's, onesies are so darn awesome - team them with chubby legs and cute little soft shoes and watch old ladies everywhere go "aaaw!". This 'sweet' print by Itch ($24.46) is a winner - bright, original and uber cute, you won't even notice food stains on this one!

And the over 2's can look suitably cool and brooding - let yer tshirt say it all, man. The Dragstar Tshirt by Munster ($27.96), teamed with skate shorts and a wicked hat, will rock the playground. And possibly the Kasbah.

The Oatmeal - Totally LOL

You know how sometimes you know you should be working, cleaning, eating or otherwise engaged in a productive task, but dang, you just can't be arsed? This is when sites like The Oatmeal come in handy.

A mix of random comics, titillating anecdotes and assorted quizzes that shit on anything Facebook can come up with, it's truly a LOL a minute - dare I say it, perhaps even a LOL every 30 seconds. I'm talking the types of LOL's that begin as a snicker, then a furtive glance to make sure no-one is seeing that you are giggling at 'Things Bears Love', then a full on GIGGLE, then a "check this out LOL" in your nearest chat window.

Such is the way we can spend late nights in this millennium. Awesome.

Divalicious

Diva, who are only a notch behind Supre on the dance music ear-blasting scale, now have an online store. This is awesome in so many ways, because let's face it, Diva is pretty rad. They really do have every outfit covered, and even though it's not the best quality stuff *cough*, for the most part you can update your look for under $15 so who cares!

The current issue of Madison showcases a gorgeous pair of circular drop earrings for the grand old proce of $22.99. I sifted through our local store, which is the size of a toilet cubicle but they cram an awful lot of stuff in there, to no avail. But never fear, I thought bravely, as I elbowed yet another pudgy teenybopper who was staring blankly at that sparkling wall of silver out of my way. I can buy it online!

Well, as it turns out, I can't. It's a cruel trick from the Divas above - if I can't find it, I'm only going to want it more and therefore hunt obsessively 'til I can find them. They're not on the website - please don't tell me they're last season! Or even worse - please don't tell me they were part of your wicked Buy One get One free sales and I missed out?

I compensated by spedning $5 on a statement necklace I'd spotted in Shoptilyoudrop last month (reduced from the advertised $29.95, I might add) and another $5 on a jewelled headband which was also reduced from $29.95. So in effect, my $49.90 saving compensated somewhat for my lack of dangly ear decorations.

But. I. Will. Find. Them. Or something else sparkly...

(Short) Notes on a Scandal

It's rare that you see anyone at the races who looks glam in a non-trashy way. Men have it easy - shirt, tie, nice pants; but for ladies usually it means flimsy frocks, ridicluous headpieces and heels that are kicked off by lunchtime. Ok ok, so there are of course lovely fillys who frock up beautifully, but for the most part when you think 'races' you think 'stumbling around clutching a bottle of wine in one hand and shoes in the other'. Does make for a fun day out though.

Today, someone who was not Bec Hewitt wore SHORTS to the races and the world is in an uproar. This lady is studying to be a Doctor, and as it turn out, is originally from Tassie. Chantal Thornton said she wanted to do soemthing "a bit edgy, different and still appropriate", making the very good point that she didn't have to worry about her dress flying up in the wind. Not that many drunk tarts worry about that either.

She spent $1500 on her oufit (which really has nothing to do with anything except to show that she's put some effort in), has great legs, and is accessorised nicely. Nothing about her outfit is offensive, except to members of the Victorian Racing Club who warned her not to wear it again. Are they suggesting people routinely wear the same outfit to race days? That notion seems about as antiquated as making a fuss about tailored shorts. Ok, so if Jean Shrimpton hadn't worn a mini-dress way back when, we may have been saved from eyefuls of cellulite today, but surely stuffy old insitutions need a shake up from time to time. AND THEY'RE JUST SHORTS.

Locally, we know of a fellow who was refused entry to the local racing club on a stinking hot day, because he wasn't wearing a jacket. Nobody inside was wearing one either, but he wasn't allowed through the door until he had a jacket on. I'm all for dressing appropriately and presenting yourself well, but there comes a point where it all just gets a bit ridiculous.

How come Bec Hewitt was lauded (well, ok, not totally bagged) for wearing this? White shorts and a bra-style top...ummm...?

Sources: Herald Sun, The Age

Halloween - apparently, not invented by Hallmark

I've never been a fan of Halloween - it's always been a slightly puzzling Americanised tradition I only read about in Sweet Valley Twins books or saw in films. But, my daughter has a really cute Little Red Riding Hood outfit we got for Bookweek a few months ago, and it'd be a shame to wear it only once! So this year, I'm going to suspend my cynicism and just get involved and have fun. My Tinkerbell costume is hanging at the ready (not scary I know, but it's pretty short and my legs aren't supermodel-esque so a few people will be given a fright, no doubt).

Being the curious soul that I am, and also so I can justify this sudden change of heart, I decided to look into the origins of Halloween. It makes the whole dressup, carved pumpkins and faux spider webs seem a bit more classy if you can back it up with a few Stephen Fry style quotations. Plus, it's sure to impress intoxicated naughty vampire nurses/gothic porn star/assorted pseudo-dead types at the pub.

It would appear Halloween originated in an ancient Gaelic tradition known as Samhain (sow-in). This came up on several Google searches, so it must be true. Samhain celebrates the end of the 'light' half of the year and the beginning of the 'dark' half, making the basis of Halloween as about as relevant as snow globes at Christmas over here. But anyway. Other Celts held similar festivals, because it was believed that the border between this world and the next became thinner at this time of year, letting the good, the bad and the ugly of the spirit world pass through. By wearing a mask and disguising yourself, you escaped harm from these spirits; though presumably slutty vampire costumes will attract attention, so be warned...

When the Romans conquered the Celts the incorporated the festival of Feralia, their own late October festival of the dead, into Samhain. When it became fashionable to be Christian, various Popes called Gregory tried to downplay this pagan festival by moving All Saint's Day to Nov 1st. Thus, the eve before All Saint's Day became All Hallow's Eve, which in our lazy lexicon eventually became Halloween.

The carving of pumpkins into Jack-o-Lanterns has various origins. One version involves a greedy old drunk Irish farmer known as Stingy Jack, possibly fuming at what a comical stereotype he'd become, who tricked the devil into climbing a tree, and trapped him there by carving a cross into the trunk. The devil then cursed him to wander forever at night with the only light he had, a candle inside a hollowed turnip. Whether or not the devil is still up that tree is unknown...just as colourful is the story that wives in English villages used hollwed out vegies as lanterns when they were out at night looking for their intoxicated husbands. The men's beer goggles mistook the lanterns for ghouls and ran away in fright, to the great amusement of the wives (although this does defeat the purpose of going out to look for them in the first place). The women thought it was so funny that they and the children continued the tradition.

Pumpkin carving didn't actually catch on until the 1800's, when Eurpoean immigrants headed Stateside. The folk back in Old Blighty didn't actually have pumpkins, so imagine their delight at being able to carve these big orange things instead of turnips! Catching on in the Southern colonies first (those crusty old Protestants up north wouldn't hear of such nonsense), by the turn of the 20th century the whole country was celebrating with mischief, fireworks, bonfires and fortune telling. Unfortunately the KKK saw this time of year as free reign to don their white sheets and hang and burn things with abandon, and many pranks turned into vandalism and crime. The 20's to the 50's saw a move to make the celebration less ghoulish and more about, erm, commercialism. Well ok they didn't say that, but it was developing into the horrific marketing ploy that we know and love today. Buy costumes, lollies, decorations, chuck a party...and according to Wikipedia, in 2006 Americans were expected to spend a whopping $4.6 billion on Halloween. That's a whole lotta pumpkin.

Sources: Wikipedia, history.com, deliriumsrealm.com

Baby Teresa - Buy Once, Give Twice!

We've got a funky new label on board at Frock You - Baby Teresa, a Tasmanian label (woo!) launched just last month. The range consists of cute onesies and rompers, but with a difference: for each piece purchased, another is donated to a baby in need, anywhere in the world. Aaaw!

They come in nifty little gift boxes, and make an extra special gift becuase you're not only giving a gorgeous little outfit to a baby you know and love, but also to another who you don't know and doesn't know you, but will appreciate it just as much. And, if you know of or are involved in a charity that might benefit, get in touch with Baby Teresa's brilliant creators Kirsty and Sammie - they want to donate a Baby Teresa outfit to at least one baby in every country in the world!

The first range consists of two styles, Hieu and Lan, named after two Vietnamese orphans supported by Foundation Lotus Child. The idea is that a onesie, whether it be short or long sleeved, is basically an all-in-one outfit, so you have the opportunity to fully clothe a child in need. So simple, and so worthwhile!

Short sleeved onesies are $29.95, while long sleeved rompers are just $34.95. The feelgood factor, at risk of sounding like a Mastercard ad, is priceless.

Target. Right On.

I am sitting here eating my hat. And my words. And also a piece of banana bread we baked this afternoon. Yum. See, I've finally given in to something I never thought I would. And it happened in a department store.

I haven't even told husband yet (but I should note, he would like me to mention that he is not as cheap as I make him out to be, and thinks nothing of spending thousands on band gear and mountain bikes. A few hundred bucks on a handbag or pair of shoes is a completely different matter, though) - like all good Gen X-ers, I'll just blog it out. Despite getting to view collections 6 months before the general public and being marginally obsessed with all things fashion-y, I find it hard to plunge headlong into most trends; because for one they are just that, trends, and for the most part nobody was to look like they overdosed on Supre; and for another an awful lot of trends just do not suit an awful lot of people, but these people insist on wearing them and thus ruining the illusion for the rest of us. My case in point: harem pants.

We don't exactly live in a fasion capital ,but for the most part there are a decent amount of trendy kids lolling about the place in the latest must-haves. Probably they work at Sportsgirl and therefore have to wear these pieces, but anyway. And I know what you're thinking, harem pants aren't exactly the 'latest' look. One of my friends absolutely lives in them (seriously, prior to this whole thang I never ever saw her in the same thing twice, and I've known her for at least 10 years) but she is tall and willowy and therefore looks pretty good. And she is always at pains to tell me how ridiculously comfy she is.

Maybe I was having a fat day, or just thoroughly enjoying a bit of 'me' time. At any rate, I had one of those awesome Target moments where you walk by an overstuffed rack of reasonably priced clothing, and suddenly spot just one lonesome piece hanging there, not belonging. 'Buy me!' it calls out pitifully. And then it happens to be your size and the only one there and just the style you've been pondering for awhile (which makes it a good buy, not a spur of the moment regret. Truly). These pants were just the shape I thought I'd need if I was to delve into this look - at not quite 5'4 and fairly petite, for the most part baggy pants swamp me and make me look short and wide which is generally not the desired outcome. Should I? Would I, even though I would have to explain to everyone why I jumped on the bandwagon so late? (Yes obviously, 'cos, um, here we are).

So I clutched them under my arm in the manner of a shoplifter and headed off to browse the kidswear, where I had another, and possibly the best Target moment of all - a cute skirt which was admitedly a ripoff of a more pricey one I had my eye on, only one left in my daughter's size, but no 20% off sale this week, for a change. Oh well, not like it was exxy anyway. Passing by one of those red scanner things, I had a juvenile urge to play checkout chick, and to my delight it scanned up at half price! Oh, Target, depiste your questionable tshirt prints and unkempt cosmetics section, how I do love thee.

In the privacy of my bedroom, I slipped into my new pants and turned to the mirror, not quite daring to look. What if my fashion moment turns out to be a failure? But, rejoice! Just the right cut and shape, crotch in the right place (ie not on the floor) and man, they were comfy. Like tracky pants without having to try and look sporty. I've given in, I'll take my seat at the very back of the bandwagon and happily sit there all summer, the breeze rippling through the loosely fitting jersey of my latest wardrobe additions.

So the moral of this rather long-winded story is, don't knock it til you've tried it. Well not quite, as I have tried these previously and never been able to find the right pair. Perhaps, don't knock it til you've tried Target?

Department stores not your thang? Buy online:

Living Doll Drape Harem Pants $39.95