Dressing Up

I mentioned last time that my love affair with op shops may have started simply with bits and pieces required for fancy dress costumes.  Needless to say, that is still going on into the present, and for my children as well.  Looking back at my early photos, I think it was also part of a natural progression from home-sewn (by Mum), through home-sewn (by me) to dressing on a student's income. 

The earliest fancy-dress outfit photo I can come up with is of Michael and me dressed as a leprechaun and an Irish washerwoman (that is a potato in my hand), for a Telecom Australia Revenue Branch function in 1977. His waistcoat certainly is op-shop wear (I'm not sure about that object on his head), but my lovely little hand-embroidered apron was a real find.  It is another item that I still have, and it comes in handy often. I wore it occasionally during my bush band days and it recently almost made it on stage in a production by the Mount Cotton Drama Group. I'm pretty sure that Heather wore it for something at school once as well.

Then there was the 1950s party in 1978 when I needed a full skirt. No problem.  Unfortunately the only existing picture of the complete outfit is sadly out of focus. I then found photos of the schoolkids party in 1981.  I can't remember whether my uniform was from St Rita's or All Hallows.  I think friend Greg here may be wearing his actual uniform.


Of course, I often find really nice clothes.  This next photo shows me in an op-shop dress at a wedding, albeit a rather informal one, in 1982. It was obviously pretty hot, too, as Heather is stripped to her underwear.  For those Brisbaneites who go back as far as me: do you remember the truly wonderful Julian Jones and the Avengers who were the resident band at Snoopy Hollow disco?  They did a fantastic cover of The Moody Blues' Nights in White Satin. Well the entertainer at this wedding was THAT Julian Jones. I think I may have been a bit starstruck.
 

Now for another op shop treasure.  For my everyday china, I acquired a plain white fluted set, which over the years I have managed to increase to a twelve-person setting, plus milk jug. If a sugar bowl exists, I have yet to track it down.  However, a few years ago I stumbled upon the matching casserole dish and I just love it. especially the handle on the lid, which resembles a lotus bud.  Unfortunately, it also makes the piece fairly tall, which means with the lid on, it will only fit on one particular shelf. I can live with that.

Finally, may I introduce you to my favourite local op shop, the RSPCA shop, 18 Edinburgh Castle Road, Kedron.  In its previous life, it was tiny, cramped (but good), and on Gympie Road in the corner premises of the former Kilcoy Butcher, next to the bike shop.  When it closed, I mourned its passing.  Recently it reappeared at Kedron, bigger and better, in the old Adept Party Hire premises.  Lots of good stuff here, and at reasonable prices. I also like being able to donate stuff directly to them, rather than via a bin.