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"Ethnic" dressing

by lillipilli
Top: ??? @ Shirts and Skirt Markets www.shirtandskirtmarkets.com.au
Hat: Adelina Design @ Rose St Markets www.rosestmarket.com.au
Gauchos: Ping Pong Clothing
Shoes: Joanne Mercer www.joannemercer.com.au
As you may or may not know, I am (fractionally) Chinese, and this year I’ve been discovering all sorts of interesting things about the family history.
Apparently my great grandparents came over to Australia from the B’Tau village (famous for a Bean Curd Factory) in the late 1800’s to set up a general store in the New South Wales goldfields. Apart from an ill-fated trip back to China to educate the children (it resulted in the kidnapping and eventual death of my Great Grandfather, Chung Hin Gee) we’ve been here in Australia ever since.

The family in 1908 (apparently the baby is my grandpa)

It’s nice to have a link to such a wonderfully established culture, and I only wish that I’d been exposed to more of it as a child.
As it is, apart from the fact that I make a mean Fried Rice, the only Asian thing about me is my almond eyes, so when I saw this Cheongsam-inspired top at the Shirts and Skirts Market in Abbotsford, I knew I had to have it.

I like Ethnic-inspired clothing. For general-wear it toes the line between fashion and costume admirably. Remember a few years ago when Cheongsams were all the rage? I was having a field day, because I actually looked legit in them.

I also really like Saris and Salwar Kameez, and there’s some fantastic places to find them online, including www.eshakti.com who I’ve ordered from before, and provide gorgeous custom-made clothing inspired by Indian clothing. Perplexingly they don’t seem to ship overseas anymore, but customers outside of US & Canada can always try a shipping service, if you see something you Must Have.

So what corner of the world are you from? Do have a national dress that you’d be prepared to wear out in public? Lederhosen, anyone? I know at least one of you is descended from the Bolyen family…

11 thoughts on “"Ethnic" dressing”

  1. Tee hee, that’s me! I’m royalty! Possibly. Maybe I should find some ruffled neckwear, or perhaps a big stinky feral wig? Or walk around with my head under my arm? Stylin’, that’s me. On the other side I’m convict stock, so maybe I should get scurvy.

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  2. i spend far too much of my time doing family history! I’m pretty much Anglo-Celtic. Mum’s side very Irish and Dad’s very English.

    On dad’s side my 2nd Great Grandparents are Geoffrey Rushs 3rd great grandparents making us 3rd cousins once removed.

    Dad’s uncle went to Hollywood around 1914 leaving family and ended up working in movies for a time with Fatty Arbuckle at Mack Sennet studios.

    Must explain where my son gets his love of drama and theatre.

    No royalty or ethnicity yet though

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  7. Love the top – the pattern on the fabric is lovely!

    Unfortunately my family history is pretty much mongrel Brit. And I dress accordingly, LOL.

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  10. I’m a total mutt! I’ve got: French, Greek, Polish and Russian in me. So er, many ‘traditional’ costumes to choose from. 😀

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  11. Aha! I suspected that you were of Asian descent, before I noticed your eyes…it was your legs!

    Actually I have similar legs, same as my mother, & her mother….makes me wonder if I have some exotic ancestry which I have yet to uncover?

    Reply

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