Alice and Lennon

In memory of:

The heatwave New York experienced last week (short-lived, but glorious)...

And of Summer in Sydney, where most days are spent by the beach, in and out of the water, with friends and family like Lois Vega (the total babe featured here with me) and Elaine Kwok (the beauty behind the camera lens), who turned up at the beach this particular afternoon, camera in one hand, with the other hand ushering me into the water for an impromptu photo shoot.

Here's to heatwaves. May New York experience one again VERY SOON. In the meantime, I'll just hide indoors from the rain (it's literally storming as I type) with a glass of Beaujolais, binge-watching Friends for the millionth time whilst looking over these photos (yes, the water really is that blue. And yes, I really was that tanned). Oh, Summer. Come back to me. <3

“All in all, it was a never to be forgotten summer — one of those summers which come seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going — one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing, come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world.”

— L.M. Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams

“Summer is the time when one sheds one’s tensions with one’s clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all’s right with the world.”

— Ada Louise Huxtable

Photography & Edits by Elaine Kwok (teawithnostalgia.com)

Wearing: Somedays Lovin' Bikini, Urban Outfitters Sunglasses, Subtitled Shorts, Topman Hat

Wearing: Showstopper Teddy by Flora Nikrooz. Holding: A Bouquet I made =) — Wearing: **Showstopper Teddy** by Flora Nikrooz. Holding: A Bouquet I made =)

I received this beautiful lingerie from Finding Rosie a while ago now, and I thought it would be sweet to photograph it on my Instax Mini 8 camera, considering the romantic colour palette and vintage look of the pieces. However, let's just say that I'm not exactly a "modernist" (which certainly explains my love for old film style photography!) which is fine, except for the fact that I am basically technologically illiterate... so I found myself running around Brooklyn for a week in search of a good scanner (I tried three different places -- too blurry, too dark, too low res, Internet Cafe manager too creepy, etc) and I eventually ended up just photographing them on my canon and cropping and editing them on my phone...!

Wearing: Showstopper Teddy by Flora Nikrooz, Flower Crown from Forever 21, Satin Kimono from Hong Kong Markets — Wearing: **Showstopper Teddy** by Flora Nikrooz, **Flower Crown** from Forever 21, Satin Kimono from Hong Kong Markets

The Red "Showstopper" Teddy I'm wearing here is by Flora Nikrooz and it certainly lives up to its name! It is so cute worn as both lingerie and pyjamas. I don't usually opt for red when choosing clothing, but coupled with the mesh, ruffles and floral detail, I couldn't imagine it in any other colour, and it was too beautiful and romantic to pass over.

Wearing: Ever Yours Slip by Mimi Holliday, Forever 21 Beaded, Velvet Choker — Wearing: **Ever Yours Slip** by Mimi Holliday, Forever 21 **Beaded, Velvet Choker**

Wearing: Showstopper Teddy by Flora Nikrooz, Shirt by Zara — Wearing: **Showstopper Teddy** by Flora Nikrooz, Shirt by **Zara**

Wearing: Ever Yours Slip by Mimi Holliday, Flower Crown from Forever 21 — Wearing: **Ever Yours Slip** by Mimi Holliday, **Flower Crown** from Forever 21

Wearing: Ever Yours Slip by Mimi Holliday, Flower Crown from Forever 21, Resourced Vintage Kimono by Urban Renewal — Wearing: **Ever Yours Slip** by Mimi Holliday, **Flower Crown** from Forever 21, Resourced Vintage Kimono by **Urban Renewal**

The second piece I chose is the "Ever Yours" Slip in peach by Mimi Holliday. I love slips because of their versatility. They can be worn as pyjamas, lingerie, an undergarment or in some cases, a dress. I often wear a slip under my more sheer vintage dresses. This one is a beautiful, pale peach-pink colour and I love the lace at the bust and hem.

Wearing: Ever Yours Slip by Mimi Holliday,, Vintage Coat — Wearing: **Ever Yours Slip** by Mimi Holliday,, Vintage Coat

I love that Finding Rosie only stocks a carefully curated collection of labels on their site (www.findingrosie.com -- and you can find them on Instagram here), because honestly, scrolling through pages of bras can be pretty overwhelming and everything they choose is gorgeous, so the work is done for you. I've discovered new favourites like Mimi Holliday and Flora Nikrooz (check out their Instagrams here and here, and they also stock one of my favourite lingerie labels, Lonely lingerie from New Zealand.