Perfect match in pink

When you find a garment you love, buy it in multiples, in different colours. Have you ever heard that fashion advice? I love this coat/dress and get compliments every time I wear it, so am always on the lookout for something similar.  Last week I got lucky!

I found this bright pink linen-blend dress for $7 at All Sorts in Boronia (where, by the way, there are four opshops within minutes of each other!). Having already realised how versatile and handy my orange coat/dress is, especially in this crazy warm/cool weather Melbourne’s having lately, there was no way this pink version was going to escape my clutches.

When I got home I realised it was nearly exactly the same colour as these pants I made! Perfect match!
Initially I might have overlooked the coat/dress because it’s a size 14 (I am usually more like a size 6-10, although sizing is so random I don’t really take that much notice of labels) which makes it too big to be flattering as a dress on me, although if I cinch it at the waist it could be OK. Note that I’ve had to roll up the sleeves – there’s nothing like too-long sleeves to make clothes seem too large.

(Also note that the hem on the left is coming undone and will need fixing… I didn’t realise it was that obvious when I took these photos!)

It’s by Italian brand Simona and I’m guessing from the gold buttons and the fact that it used to have shoulder pads (I can tell as there are velcro strips in the shoulder seams) that it’s a relic from the 1980s. The gold buttons might get replaced once I can decide what I’d use instead.

Even though it’s so obviously ’80s when worn as a dress, it looks quite different and a lot more contemporary as a long jacket. The sales lady at the opshop got quite excited seeing it worn in a way she hadn’t expected and told me I should put a photo of it on Pinterest! For now though, this blog will just have to do 🙂

It amuses me that my orange coat/dress was $14 and this pink one was $7. By my calculations the next time I find a coat/dress it will be $3.50, which would be totally fine with me. I wonder what colour it will be?