July 2022 – Shrimptank

What to Wear

Posted on July 24, 2022July 24, 2022 by Sarah

Real talk.

It’s always fun going on TV, or going to a movie premiere and having your photo taken.

But let’s face it, it’s different for boys and girls.

Men can turn up in pants and a T shirt, and wear the same one to every event, and nobody bats an eye.

Women on the other hand are expected to front up in a cocktail dress and heels for a 5 minute chat on a morning show, and heaven forbid they ever wear the same thing twice. That would get everyone chatting, in the wrong way.

But it’s ridiculous. First of all, women should be allowed to turn up wearing whatever they’re comfortable in. If they want to wear nice pants and sneakers to a morning show, they should.

Second of all, who is paying for all those outfits? Mother Nature.

Buying an outfit to only wear once is ridiculous. Not just for your bank account, but think of all the clothing that women buy to only throw away.

Fashion is one of the most polluting things on the planet. We should all be comfortable buying things we will wear many many times, and then actually doing that.

I came out with a very small amount of clothes. I like to travel light. I was going to be here for two weeks, so only brought a few pairs of pants, 3 sweaters and three shirts.

Then I attended some premieres, and thankfully I was staying in Newtown, so I thrifted some dresses. Super cute, easy on the wallet, and I didn’t have to feel bad I was buying something new.

I have bought a couple new pairs of pants, but they are ones I’ll wear all the time, as well as a couple washable merino wool sweaters, which I will also wear non stop. So I don’t feel bad about buying sustainable fabrics that I’ll wear till they fall apart.

But tomorrow I’m going on The Morning Show. A quick chat, in the AM, and I’m searching for what to wear.

I’m not going to wear a cocktail dress and heels. That’s just not me. Especially at 10am.

So I’m going to exercise some gender equality, and wear pants and a top. Something I’m totally comfortable in, and something that I’d actually wear all the time. If I’m going to be talking about me, I think I should also look like me.

The Shrimptank mantra is “Small on the Earth” I try to live it. Every day.

So here’s my options for tomorrow. I’m going to let y’all vote on what I wear tomorrow. Pick from 1-12. Outfit with the most votes is what I’ll wear.

Party Sneakers!

Posted on July 13, 2022July 13, 2022 by Sarah

So I’m currently in Australia, and I was only meant to come for two weeks. But then I decided to stay a bit longer, and then a bit longer again.

I had brought four pairs of shoes, which I thought was generous. I had a pair of black sling back heels, a pair of tan heels, both to go with outfits for either the court appearance or my media interview, a pair of white canvas sneakers, and cap toe ballet flats.

Problem is, I’m not a fan of heels, and the ballet flats were not a good fit. So I was down to the canvas sneakers.

So I’ve now bought two pair of shoes while I’ve been here.

The first pair were an Australian icon, the RM Williams boot.

I had RM William’s as a kid, and used to ride in them. I figured they’d be great for back on the ranch in Texas, and they make a nice dress boot while I’m in Sydney. Chelsea boots are having a minute, and everybody is wearing them with skirts and dresses as well as pants, so I decided to rock them on the Moulin Rouge Red Carpet.

It was a rainy night, so my feet stayed dry and warm while we walked from the performance to the afterparty. I’ve recently bought insoles for them, because there’s a weird line inside where there’s a piece of leather under the heel, that has a couple mm height that just cuts off under your foot. They’re also a hard sole, and my feet get sore if I wear them all day. They do look fabulous, and are very practical. I can’t pull off the skirt and boots thing, being so short. It just cuts my legs in weird places making me look shorter, but with black pants, it creates a nice long line, making my legs look longer.

Then I did a photo shoot for Stellar Mag, and they couldn’t find heels for me in my size. They ended up getting a nude pair of heels from Nine West, which were pretty, but just a bit too big, and super tall, which made my legs look amazing, but I couldn’t walk in at all.

So yesterday when I went to the Big Brother Finale, I decided to wear comfortable shoes that were also cute. My capsule wardrobe here in mainly black, and I did also buy a pair of cute adidas shoes for a charity tennis match, and they’re great for daytime, but not for evenings. So I went into Bared Footwear, which is an Australian brand, who actually stocks a size 4.5 in store!

I’ve been looking forward to visiting Bared, because I had found them online while in the US, and they fit ALL the Shrimptank criteria. They have my size, they’re designed by a podiatrist, so I don’t have to worry about if it’s going to flare up my tendonitis. They all come with a Fit Kit, which has interchangeable insoles, so you can make them fit perfectly. They even had the little dots to put on your feet to help break them in.

They give back to the community, donating 1%. They’re focused on sustainable sourcing and ethical manufacturing. When I bought them, there was no plastic packaging. Each shoe was in a fabric bag, and the box itself was the tote. They’ve got twine handles, so there’s no need for a plastic bag to carry them home in. I was so excited to actually try on a pair of shoes in a store, instead of ordering them online and hoping they fit. They actually measure your feet in store, like when you were a kid, and they brought out two sizes to make sure I got the right ones.

My favourite type of shoes are brogues, and they had a pair of Brogue sneakers, so I knew immediately which pair I wanted, but there was lots of other super sexy sneakers that stole my heart. They had sparkly ones, some with leopard stripes, and black or white soles. They even had ones with zippers if you don’t like laces.

But I grabbed this pair, and I wore them to the Big Brother finale, with a long leopard print skirt, and not only did they look cute, but they were super comfy. We had lots of walking, standing and dancing, and they lasted all night, with no complaints from me about sore feet. So they’re a total winer.

If I need dressier shoes, I’ll go back and get a pair of their heels. They had lots of really nice ones, but it’s still too cold for me to be wearing any of the strappy ones I liked. There’s a pair of wedges I’ve already got my eye on.