Frocktober - day seven

On Tuesday I was pondering just how long it would take me to wear a cocktail dress to work.  While this may not be a full on cocktail dress, given I've worn it to cocktail parties and a wedding, I think that it qualifies. However I've also taken the sensible precautions of wearing a thermal top and thick tights today.  With rain and a top of 15, I've decided that today is one day I'm not going to freeze!  The colours are actually a fair big brighter than the photo shows, so it is making me cheerful on a grey, cold day.

I was almost caught out this morning by another issue associated with dresses and skirts, particularly where they are made of a soft flowing material.  It is something all women dread and which most of us have seen at some point - the horrific sight of a skirt caught up in pantyhose!  I had been to the loo and was about to leave the stall when I realised something wasn't quite right, I did a quick check, and sure enough if I had left in that state I would have been showcasing my bottom to the world - or at least to the office.  It was an important and timely reminder to me that I must be that extra bit careful!

The flowy skirt will be an asset later today though, as I'm going dancing after work.  This dress is dance tested, so as long as I can keep it out of my tights, hopefully I can avoid showing off my underwear for one more day.

Frocktober - day six

It is serious corporate wear today.  I haven't worn this dress since last summer and I had forgotten just how much I like it.  However it is my only dress with a high neckline so occasionally if I don't think about it as I sit down I throttle myself.

I did go dancing in my black and white pansy dress last night.  It has a great skirt for dancing, not too flared and all revealing which is nice.  However the straps didn't want to stay in place so a few times I think I flashed a bit of bra - luckily I was wearing a nice black and white one which matched the dress!  Oh well, such are the issues of dancing in dresses.

Last night was one of those nights which confirms what a magical activity dance really is.  A couple of my good friends had not had the best of days.  One had a day which can really only be described with a string of expletives.  But after a dance or two, they were all smiling and feeling remarkably better for it.  I think it is a combination of the exercise, music and friends - with maybe a little touch of indefinable pixie dust magic - that does it.  I certainly know that even on the nights where I have to pry myself away from the couch and drag myself in, I always have a great time.  Next time, however, I might just dance test my dress first!

Frocktober - day five

I love Frocktober.  I love wearing the dresses, raising the money for the OCRF, being part of the frock community.  And nothing beats the outpouring of support I get from my family and friends.  However, Frocktober does come with some challenges.

As I've already mentioned the weather does not necessarily encourage dress wearing.  There is a good reason why you aren't supposed to plant your tomatoes before Melbourne Cup day (the first Tuesday in November) in Canberra - it can still be damn cold!  As a result, stockings, tights and pantyhose are all very much required, as are jackets, jumpers and cardigans.  This year however cardigans appear to be out of fashion, I can't find a decent fitted waist length one anywhere!

The next challenge is the volume of dresses.  Frocktober is about raising money for the OCRF - not spending it on a new wardrobe, so the aim is that you don't buy anything new.  There is also no rule (unless it is self imposed) about wearing a different dress each day.  However when you are photographing each outfit, it just inspires you to try for variety.  I think it is unlikely that I will get through the month without a new dress (especially when I just saw a whole section in the Target catalogue of great dresses) and there will definitely be double ups, but my saviour is my gorgeous friend The Divine Ms N who allows me access to her AMAZING wardrobe.  You will see plenty of shots of her gorgeous dresses in the weeks to come.

The final challenge probably doesn't apply to most frocketts, but the thing is, I'm a dancer, and more to the point I do a dance style which involves much spinning and dipping.  As a result, the attention one pays to one's underwear must increase in proportion to the now much higher likelihood of it being on public show.  You can be assured that for the next few weeks at least I will be paying as much attention to what is under the dress as what is over it.

You know what they say about a challenge - it makes life that much more interesting!

Frocktober - day four

Owing to the wonder that is a long weekend (and we get another one next weekend - yay!) today is the first workday of Frocktober.  Being a frock lover I do have quite a few work appropriate dresses, however given I have to get through an entire month, I predict it won't be that long before I wear a cocktail dress to work.

I love this dress, it is a simple design, but I accessorise with giant petticoats to give me somewhat of a 1950's silhouette.  You can't see it, but today's petticoat is bright blue.  As a result it has me swishing all over the place and you all know that I do love a swishy skirt.

The only problem with long weekends is that I spend the rest of the week in a strange fog of confusion as to what day of the week it is.  This was compounded today when I got into the office and for awhile didn't realise that none of the office clocks had been changed to allow for daylight savings.  Everything is now updated and I seem to currently have a handle on the time and date but I'm sure it won't be that long before I trip myself up again.

I hope you all had a fantastic long weekend and are feeling very relaxed on this gorgeous spring day.

Frocktober - day three

The sun made an appearance today, so there are bare arms in the photo!  However the wind was chilly so the reality is that S was holding my jacket while he took the photo.

Today is a public holiday which means I have had three days of sleep ins in a row!  What absolute bliss.  I love public holidays, they are so relaxing.  When the day off is coming out of my holiday leave I feel like I have to get the most out of it, take real advantage.  But a public holiday, well that is just an excuse to be lazy and relaxed.  Which is exactly what we are doing today.

I hope everyone who has the day off is enjoying it too!

Frocktober - day two

My second dress for Frocktober is one of those great items of clothing that come with a story.  It is a cute strapless mini dress with a black background and an electric blue bamboo pattern.  Being a cold, wet and windy day it needed a jumper over it, however a jumper was the last thing on my mind when I bought it.

This dress was bought on a hot steamy evening in the night markets in Siem Reap in Cambodia.  My friend Rob and I were wandering through the markets when I spotted its vivid colours.  Rob pretended to be my husband who didn't want me to spend money to bargain the price down which I think meant I got it for just a few dollars.  It is fun and cheerful and every time I see it reminds me of that great night in Cambodia.

Frocktober - Day One

It is the first day of Frocktober, so the weather has helpfully put on a cold, wet and windy day, just what you want to inspire you to wear a dress.

But Frocktober isn't really about wearing dresses, it is about raising money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.  Choosing a charity to support was never an easy thing for me.  I'm pretty passionate about education, so that sort of inspired me as does support of human rights.  I've sold badges for Amnesty International, Jeans for Genes Day, Red Nose Day and Hawaiian Shirt Day, I've door knocked for the Red Cross, I've donated money to all sorts of charities and volunteered for charities and non-profit groups.  I did all these things because as someone who lives a very comfortable and privileged life, I think it is important.  However I must admit I never really felt really, deeply passionate about a cause.

What a difference personal experience makes.  Losing my Mum's best friend to ovarian cancer has made me really passionate about a cause.  For me Frocktober is about saving women from a terrible disease that I watched kill someone I love.  It is also about healing.  About dealing with Sue's death and just how much a part of my life she was.

This is the story of Sue's illness.  It is not a happy story, but it is an important one, so I'm breaking the happy only rule that runs this blog for one day.

In May 2010 my little sister got married. On the morning the house was full of excited women, there was the bride, bridesmaids, my Mum and her best friend Aunty Sue. Sue may not have been related by blood but she had been a part of our family my whole life and I don’t think you could have been more excited than she was. In fact Sue had spent more than twice as much on her dress than Mum had on her mother of the bride outfit.

Mum had been worried about sitting alone at the front of the church while we all did our bits in the ceremony. She needn’t have. Sue held Mum’s hand as Dad walked Jessica down the aisle, she was one of the first to congratulate the newly married couple and she danced the night away at the reception.

A couple of weeks later Mum and Sue had a week away at the coast to recover from all the wedding excitement. It was then that Mum discovered Sue was having some abdominal pain and when she had a massage the massuse suggested she get her ovaries checked out. It didn’t seem right, so Mum insisted Sue go to the doctor.

Doctor’s appointments followed. On the 6th of July Sue had a scan which showed metastatic masses in both ovaries. By 13 July we found out that she had tumours on her liver and in her stomach. On the 2nd of August she was admitted to hospital for surgery. She never went home, she never ate another meal. After several weeks in the hospital and some very difficult decisions about what treatment to have or not have, they moved her to Claire Holland House, Canberra’s hospice.

Sue died on the 17th of September 2010, just two months after she was diagnosed. She was laid to rest in the dress that she had worn to my sister’s wedding and danced the night away in four months earlier.

Before Sue was diagnosed I didn’t know anyone who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but since talking about it, I’ve discovered just how common it is, and just how hard it is to diagnose.

Frocktober is for me a tribute to the wonderful woman that Sue Gane was, and this is why Frocktober isn't sad for me. Sue was a talented dressmaker and made me some of my most memorable frocks. Through Frocktober I have a way to remember this fantastic woman and honour her memory.  So it doesn't matter what this weather throws at me, I will be rocking my frocks!