Some Advice For The Heat Of Summer

It is spring time in Sydney and already you can feel the earth itching to unleash the power of rebirth and renewal. On the weekend, as I had offered earlier in this blog, I took to the country to escape the madding crowds of election day. As I walked the earth along the road I could feel the heat rising up from the road and I stopped  by a tree which was located next to a shed. I thought there was a wasps nest on top of the roof from the heaving dark and ominous murmur that was pulsating in that vicinity.

'Is that a wasps nest?' I asked my walking companion Wes, pointing to a small mound above the eave of the shed. 'If it is, we ought to keep the children away from it'.

'No, it's not coming from there, it's the bees in the tree above you'.

It was. The bees were busy darting around pollinating flowers. For a moment I stopped and pondered on how insignificant they must find our Australian election. A real sense of mirth overcame me and I shook my head like someone who had just stumbled across some rather simple yet resounding understanding of life. For the past three weeks we had been totally consumed by Australian politics and yet, whilst back in nature, it was evident just by passing your eyes across the green valley, that things were picking up based merely on the season rather than anything Tony Abbott or Kevin Rudd were saying on our television screens or any forum that was presided over by the ABC's Tony Jones. Here, amongst thriving pasture and hopping kangaroos, runaway hillbillly goats and craggy rocks, of crows and magpies, sheds and fallen trees and winding creeks, nothing, not one aspect of the place, gave one thought to who was moving into the Lodge the following week.

You are most likely wondering why such a long diatribe to arrive at a point about fashion?

 Well, this summer, I am not looking to trends. I have decided to be a little more like our Australian farm - unchanging in the face of change but changing naturally, and with the seasons. This summer I am going to wear only the colours that I want regardless of whether they are on trend or not. I am going to wear pink, which I think has been off menu for far too long. I am going to wear lilac. I am going to wear more collared t shirts in vibrant designs and I am going to start to make short sleeve shirts which don't look like they belong on a navy officer. I am going to wear bow ties with short sleeve shirts and no jacket. I am going to sew myself light weight woollen shorts. I am going to wear linen, a battle I have fought for years. I have hated linen with a passion for so long, but, I am not going to fight the heat of summer this year. I am going to do everything to enjoy the season as it comes and be more like an Italian and embrace those fabrics which are designed for the season. So, below, I thought I would post my palette for the Australian summer 2013/2014. These are the wools and cottons I am now going to search for.