On My Wall-Coat, Qi Pao, Freis

My love affair with clothes sometimes extends to putting them on the wall. Apart from providing me with a daily opportunity to admire them, it breaks the monotony of wall pieces. Unless they are elaborate I tend to use them in more casual places, normally near my bookshelf or in the passageway.

A few pieces have been specifically bought to be hung. One of the first that I bought here was the embroidered coat below that I found at the Glebe markets. Sure it's machine stitched and quite likely made in China but I like the colours and it feels vaguely Spanish to me. The akubra was a gift and the brooch is hand made from stuff I had.

Another early piece was the qi pao below, bought at the Paddington thrift shop. It was a tad expensive by thrift shop standards but has served me well. The padded nature of the coat makes it easy to hang with less droop. The silk is quite delicate, the pink and olive green on a duck egg blue background quite lovely - the picture does not do it justice. It seems quite old but well preserved and I often wonder who once wore it. The beads are also from the thrift shop.

The third piece below is a recent acquisition and I am unsure whether it should go on the wall. I am not quite sure why I have been wanting a Diane Freis piece for long because her dresses are not exactly the kind of clothes I wear. I put it down to simple nostalgia, it is very 80s and the mix of prints which is a Freis trademark is also a characteristic Indian 80s trend. Her pieces turn up here and there in ebay auctions and the vintage shops stock a few but they are expensive. Imagine my surprise then to find a day dress at a modest price at my local thrift shop (so keen have I been on a Freis that I spotted it from a distance on a crowded rack). It falls beautifully when worn - but not so much on the wall - so I might have to think of a better way to display it. It looks a tad girlish but it appears Freis designed for the mature woman.

A closer look. You can see the ultra feminine collar details and the signature mix of prints.

One last curious detail that I noticed was what in patent language I might call a fastening means. The dress has buttoning on the padding on the shoulder (remember the 80s!) so I assume it was added to make sure the dress remained on the hangar. Or to make sure the bra strap didn't stray (ah those days of modesty!).

PS: Spent some time admiring the details of the dress: it's excellent condition, the number of fluted bits beneath the sleeve (for volume?), the accordion pleats for the dotted fabric at the bottom and the fact that the dress can fit anyone from size 6 to 14. The sheer volume of the dress is combined with a perfect fall, maybe this is why she worked in georgette.