You will wear hats and gloves at all times

A-Dubs from In Professorial Fashion, which is one of my favourite blogs written by three very smart and funny women, wondered how I could wear tights in hot weather. The answer is Sister Imelda. 


Sister Imelda was one of the more fearsome nuns who taught me during my thirteen years of schooling. Mel - as we all called her when we were certain she was out of earshot - was intractable about correct school uniform. We wore our hats, blazers and pantyhose all year around, including through the Australian summer. 


The result is that even as an ornery aging adult I am still uncomfortable going anywhere important (like work) without a jacket and pantyhose (although I've been able to manage without the gloves and hat). I also hate eating outside, always carry a clean handkerchief and automatically stand up for people on buses, even if they're younger than me. 


So hear I am in my all purpose Target work dress, my op-shop Stephen Collins belt, my current favourite Aerosoles and a pair of Wolford pantyhose. (The blazer is hanging in my cupboard, just out of shot.)

I'd pinned an old Edwardian brooch to it. 

I found that, sans safety chain and working clasp, in a bowl of tat in an op shop. It cost me a dollar - a lot less than what it cost to have it repaired! This pendant is a favourite - a little enamel butterfly from a similar period. 

I love the colours. I bought that from the Bondi Markets a few years ago for five dollars (and added my own chain). The earrings were a cheering-up purchase after I had been retrenched many, many years ago. 

 They're fishtail pearls, which is a cute way of describing badly shaped pearls. I love them.  


None of my accessories would have lasted five minutes with Sister Imelda, who called all jewellery "pagan googars" and would confiscate anything aside from plain gold stud earrings and watches. I never had jewellery confiscated but was once put on a week of bloomer detention. That, of course, is a story for another time.