Fashion

  • Stylist Amy smiles at the camera, looking put together and confident in a black wrap top and matching black pants, accessorised with a chunky earring.
    Fashion,  Featured,  Plus size fashion,  Travel

    Wear your sets like a stylist

    As the weather warms up, we’re all pulling our matching sets back out of our wardrobes. I know I don’t need to tell you just how easy coordinates make it to dress for spring & summer. A matching top and bottom set is such an easy, breezy way to look super put together, and they’re usually so comfy to boot! But how do you avoid that feeling of déjà vu, especially if your set has a distinctive print? “Uh-oh, it’s that look again!” When fashion enthusiast, body confidence champion and personal stylist Amy Abrahams – a.k.a. @wearthedamndress – tried on some of Oh Ramona’s best-selling sets, she truly embodied styling…

  • Two people smile joyfully wearing Khòlò's colourful clothing.
    Fashion,  Featured,  Plus size fashion

    RIP Khòlò – but not really!

    If you follow the Australian fashion scene, you’re likely still reeling from the rapid wind-up of inclusive Australian fashion label Khòlò this winter. I know I am! As a relative newcomer to the brand after a long stint overseas, I’ve loved getting to know the label – characterised by bold, colourful, statement prints; easy-to-wear designs with thoughtful details like extra booby buttons; and an inclusive size range of 6 to 26. I was thrilled when they said “yes” to allowing my little fledgling business to stock their product, and the inclusion of the brand has really helped shape the Oh Ramona aesthetic. I’ve gleaned so much joy from watching people…

  • Clothes rack displaying many colorful women's or femme tops.
    Fashion,  Jewellery,  Retail

    Peninsula Pop-up Series

    Catch Oh Ramona all over the Mornington Peninsula this spring & summer! It’s the softest of soft launches, but it’s still a launch and I’m so excited! Ideas long-percolated are starting to take actual shape and are ready to test out on actual humans. So if you find yourself on the Peninsula please come and say hi and check out our wares, including: Inclusive sized pre-loved and vintage apparel from Australia and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Stunning, handcrafted jewellery from the PNW: Premium greeting cards, original art prints and sassy stickers from the PNW: Dates and locations

  • Portrait of a young femme person with pouty lips, medium skin tone and dark hair slicked back into a high ponytail with a pink scrunchie. She's wearing pink butterfly sunglasses and pink heart-shaped dangly earrings with a palm tree, and a lavender wool turtleneck. Behind her is a partly obscured pink neon sign that might say "Gimme some."
    Haus of Dizzy is one of the designers tapping into the Barbie trend. Photo by Nynno Bel-air. Haus of Dizzy
    Culture,  Fashion,  Jewellery

    In a Barbie World

    Well, the year’s most anticipated film has finally arrived, delighting women and girls all over the world. In the United States, the Barbie movie made history, with the highest-grossing opening weekend ever for a film directed by a woman. Congrats, Greta Gerwig! And while I haven’t seen the film yet, I feel like I’m seeing it everywhere. My social feeds are jammed with Barbie-themed posts and LOTS of Margot Robbie, who stars in the titular role. The podcasts I listen to are talking about the soundtrack. Even at my 9-5 workplace, there’s been a noticeable uptick in pink attire – especially Pantone 219 C, a.k.a. Barbie pink. When I recently…

  • Silhouette, profile of an African-American woman's head and shoulders. She's wearing a natural hairstyle with a yellow, red, black and green headband and heart-shaped earring. Beneath her it says "Juneteenth" in green decorative text and "Freedom Day" in red and yellow.
    Culture,  Fashion,  Music

    Happy Juneteenth!

    This year, for the third time, many American employees are enjoying a day off to commemorate Juneteenth – the day that slavery finally ended in the United States. Why for the third time? After all, Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Texas over 150 years ago – on June 19, 1865 (tragically, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued). Well, the 2020 social upheaval and rise of the Black Lives Matter movement following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many more Black Americans spurred many cities, states and companies to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, and in 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day…

  • Fashion,  Jewellery,  LGBTQIA+,  Lifestyle

    Wear it with Pride

    June is such a wonderful month in the United States! The sun starts to come out for extended periods, the days are longer, and everywhere you look, you see rainbows! June is a time to celebrate LGTBQIA+ pride, and commemorate the first Pride marches that were held in several American cities in 1970, following the previous year’s Stonewall uprising. It’s not only America that celebrates Pride month in June – many other countries also celebrate during June. It’s a time to fly that rainbow flag with pride, either as a queer person, or as an ally. Designers and brands are getting increasingly creative with their pride-inspired offerings. Check these out:…

  • Display of a variety of handmade gold and silver jewellery on a neutral, flat background
    Fashion,  Jewellery,  Retail

    Is Betsy + Iya’s Summer Series the future of boutique retail?

    Spoiler alert: I think so. Why though? Because it offers even more of what shoppers want from brick-and-mortar retail in the first place. But let me back up – what is Portland-based jewellery designer and retailer Betsy + Iya’s Summer Series? It’s a series of trunk shows, pop-ups and sales spanning the summer. In their words: “Join us all summer long for events featuring some of the most popular artists & designers in our shop. It’s your chance to browse an expanded selection, seconds, limited editions, and one-of-a-kind pieces from some of our favorite lines.” Trunk shows bring the designer into the retail space, with their full product offering, giving…