Fashion - David bowie

Pre trial jitters:

So im on the train to the city. Ive got my highheeled boots with me in a bag ( i know, deja right? not gonna let a repeat of that happen even if i have to stash them in a library locker for a few hours.) anyway, chose to bring them because i find something tacky about red heels and black stockings. To the job trial im wearing my ochre jacket, jewel tones wrap around dress (another great item picked out by my mother; see the trend here?) and my black riding boots. Doesn't matter too much since they're gonna change me into clothes from the collection but he first impressions.

Walking out to the train station i did stop and turn around and put a slip on since the dress was clinging to my stockings - which i took as a positive sign. Im not totally uncouth, i just need to channel my mother ;p

Post trial:

first thought? "Thank god i wore the boots", feet are feeling tender.....

Instead of doing a one hour trial (apparently it was supposed to be 2hrs) i was in dizingof from quarter till one until a quarter till 5. The newer girl that was there said that that was a good sign. I have a second trial next week and if that goes equally well as today then i start training the next day apparently. Hm.
As Im typing this the tram Im on has paused outside the Brunswick st location. Weird.

"His clothes are loud, but never square. It will make of break him so he's got to buy the best, cause he's a dedicated follower of fashion"

- The Kinks Dedicated Follower of Fashion


Suddenly the other day I felt like I was falling into an antipodean adaption of The Devil Wears Prada. In my effort to find employment I applied at the Dizingof boutique on Brunswick St. The sales girl was very eager about me applying for the position and getting me set up with an interview. Literally within a half hour of me leaving the store she had called me with an appointment for an interview. Sounds good right? Let's add to the action of the narrative, let's describe the mise-en-scene. 

Dizingof is posh. The capital of 'Swish'. It may not have a location on Collins St but if I remember correctly it's CBD location is a door down from Hugo Boss. I have walked by this store and admired the designs but not even let myself in because It wasn't going to be my price point. So, when I did walk in at Brunswick St location I had my 'A' game on right? No. I had been rained on, was carrying my Country Road carry all bag, had slept the previous night at my mate's, was wearing the same outfit as the day before and sporting day old makeup. What was I wearing? Oh the height of sophistication for me. I had on my nice brogues, tight jeans, a paisley blouse and grey V-neck jumper. No idea what my hair was doing. Apex of fabulous, right? I did get an interview though.

Yesterday was my "interview". I say "interview" because it ended up being a 6-8 minute discussion. The interview was supposed to take place at10am at their QV location but there was some sort of last minute change and they needed me to come back at 12.30. Of course I said that that would be fine. I went down the road to the State Library and flipped through a Lucien Freud exhibition catalogue.*

Nothing like flipping through an artist who's work you really admire to bring home the disappointment in yourself for being worked up over a retail position vs. at home painting. Anyway I grabbed a cappuccino at Mr.Tulk's to pep myself up and went back into the unknown.

I walked up in what I thought was an outfit that hip-ly mixed classic and avant-garde. I wore opaque black stockings with my chocolate suede high-heel ankle boots, had on my black turtlenecked long sleeve dress with my fancy asymmetrical top i picked up in Port Fairy. To top it all off I wore my ochre winter coat, which my immensely fashionable mother picked out for me. I suppose i was aiming for art gallery owner but a little less black? Less severe? Well, it felt a lot like this:

She assured me for the trial they'd have something for me to put on. My trial is on Thursday afternoon, must bring my heels and stockings. I either blow her away or get 2 more chances to do so or no go. Of course I'm hoping that ACMI or one of the other gallery opportunities I applied for will save me from my own public humiliation but I kinda like the challenge. Is it the job I would have picked or would expect people to associate with me? No, but I don't plan on failing either.

It's not that I have a problem with fashion, in fact one of the reasons I moved back to Melbourne is that people give a damn what they wear out in public (I have a physical revulsion to sweat shirts and sweat pants). I love fashion blogs, picking up a Vogue and buying a ridiculous fashion item every once in a while. However I just don't feel 'stylish'. Part of that is due to the fact that I literally think I could spend the rest of my life in one set of clothes. RM Williams Cuban heels, Black skinny jeans, a black v-neck t-shirt, a dark or tweed blazer and a jumper for when it's colder. maybe i'd shake it up with a grey t-shirt or a button up for special occasions but, seriously. I may like dressing up, doing my hair, etc but I never feel more myself or more confident then in the afore mentioned outfit.

So, the gauntlet has been thrown. Can the cruddy art student turned nomadic graduate pull off being a posh sales girl/stylist?

Stay tuned to hear about the trial and the training. Hiring would be a lot like this right? Hahaha.

*Will talk about the Lucien Freud catalogue in a later post, have a review on it since I read it all in the 2 hours I had to kill.