Metal headpieces at the Melbourne Cup. Pictures / Supplied.
Crowning Glory
Metal headpieces are trending for the summer party and festival season and make a fun alternative to jewellery. Think Game of Thrones rather than Disney princess for a look that I love.
Though the crowd at New Zealand's biggest race meeting at Christchurch last week generally favoured fascinators, we are betting on seeing headpieces filter through to twilight meetings at Ellerslie and for other special-occasion dressing. Fashion-forward younger racegoers at the Melbourne Cup (pictured) were quick to adopt this new way to avoid hat hair.
Leather headpieces and metal crowns are also emerging as an alternative to traditional headgear. Their defined shapes suit the fit-and-flare fashions of the moment more than floral headbands and tiaras, which are best left to brides and fairy obsessed little ones.
To get the tough-pretty look, repurpose a necklace or check out accessory stores for pieces designed especially to sit securely. Kookai stocks a gold coral headpiece for $60, with a comb to secure it at the rear, as well as a Roman-style metal wreath headband with side clips, available in gold or gunmetal. Glassons stocks multi-chain hairpieces priced from $12.99 upwards.
Staying on track
Seasoned racegoers and fashion judges prefer the drama of millinery to headpieces and bare heads, but if you are opting for the latter for a dress-up day make sure your hair look is polished, but not overdone. Loose waves, a sleek pony or a casual updo work well.
Australian Nicole Warne, a vintage style site blogger, showed the way with her kiss curls on Melbourne Cup Day.
With Auckland's big race meetings looming, including the New Zealand Herald Boxing Day races and the city's Cup Week in March,
Viva
has been studying raceday fashion form closely, including a birdcage view at the GH Mumm marquee in Melbourne, where celebrities gathered to sip champagne and try their hands at sabrage, the Napoleonic art of knocking off the cork and neck of a bottle with a sabre.
At Flemington, hatinators were again the ruling favourite headgear, although smaller feather fascinators were much in evidence at Addington and Riccarton. Step it up, Aucklanders. We reckon fascinators should be left off altogether if they look like an after-thought. Instead, we recommend the extra height and structure of a hatinator, especially effective in bold colours worked back to match graphic floral dresses.
For men, the must-have is a well-cut suit, with bold blue being the in hue, worn with tan shoes and belt to indicate an obvious break from office attire. International Australian models Jordan and Zac Stenmark (pictured) showed how to co-ordinate colour and stayed on to party as the Mumm marquee was transformed into a Cote d'Azur-themed club.
Bewitched
Witchery is the latest fashion brand to add makeup to its offering. Rather than the usual capsule collection of nail polishes or lipsticks, the Australian company has a wider selection of cosmetic basics, including eye and cheeks shades, bronzers and glosses.
The colours are, as you would expect, fashion forward, and the packaging is smart matte black, with prices from $9.90 for eyebrow pencils to $21.90 for palettes. Witchery has also recently introduced swimwear and an essentials collection to its stores.
Brow beaters
A pop-up brow bar opening at Westfield Albany on Monday next week will introduce the
range to the New Zealand market. The American company, based in Beverly Hills, is known for shaping celebrity brows and will also sell its tools and kits for at-home use through beauty salons. Brow shaping and styling services will be available at the pop-up, at the Farmers end of the mall, upstairs, for an introductory deal of $20. The company is taking the selfie obsession a step further, running a browfie social media campaign.
Safety in numbers
Help keep the beaches safe this summer, while protecting yourself with SPF50+, 4-hour water resistant sunscreen by buying Surf Life-Saving New Zealand products. Last summer, the not-for-profit charity patrolled more than 80 swim spots and saved over 1000 people. Their non-greasy fragrance-free sunscreens are priced from $9.99 at selected supermarkets and pharmacies. We like their handy rollerball which clips to a gym or beach bag.
- VIVA