Frocktober is a month long fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
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It's 31 days of frocking up, which given the recent warm days in Ballarat, might be an easy feat.
Ballarat influencer and Finding Femme blogger Liana Skewes said Frocktober was not only about raising money for research but opening up conversations about ovarian cancer.
"Awareness is about thinking about the symptoms of ovarian cancer which are often confused for many other medical ailments that afflict women and people with uteruses," she said.
"If women become more aware of the symptoms, they're more likely to put two and two together and then perhaps go and get checked. Ovarian cancer is something that has, unfortunately, a very high mortality rate because of late diagnosis because the symptoms are so subtle and often associated with other things."
Ms Skewes said a dress was a great conversation starter - she and fellow Ballarat based blogger, and dress-lover, Lisa Taylor from She Loves Ballarat.
![Ballarat fashion girls, Liana Skewes and Lisa Taylor in their brightest frocks for Frocktober. Picture by Kate Healy Ballarat fashion girls, Liana Skewes and Lisa Taylor in their brightest frocks for Frocktober. Picture by Kate Healy](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/116320384/2f2525eb-6e36-4c30-8cc9-e6f3bd57af7a.JPG/r0_0_6192_4087_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Where to find a frock
"If your workplace offers you the opportunity to wear a dress and you show up people say 'wow, what are you wearing', there is an are opening to a conversation right there," she said.
While 31 days of wearing a dress can be daunting, Ms Skewes said it's a chance to be creative and also be social.
"You can get together with friends and raid each other's wardrobes or go to a clothes swap event," she said.
"Facebook Marketplace is a great way to get more clothes and going to the amazing range of op shops that we have in Ballarat there's always fantastic stuff - you get really cool retro things like very distinctly 80s pieces or 70s pieces or 90s which are super trendy at the moment."
How to style a great frock
Ms Skewes said spring can be tricky but layering can help.
If you only have a little black dress, it can easily be styled different, was another style tip from Ms Skewes.
"There was a woman who did a little black dress styling; she wore the same little black dress every day for a year," she said.
"The way she adjusted it was always accessories. If you have one particular dress -wear a cardigan, a different belt, wear a little top over the dress, she wore skirts over the top of a dress as well."
Ms Skewes and Ms Taylor said they're fans of dressing up and being playful with their style.
"I find it really really, really fun to dress up in things and especially to thrift and to style new things with stuff I've already got," Ms Skews said.
"It's like endless possibilities."
Ms Taylor said dress up was also about fun for her.
"It's something to just enjoy thinking about a little bit more every morning when you're getting ready for the day," Ms Taylor said.
Both ladies agreed taking time to get ready in the morning can help feel more confident and ready to take on the day.
"You put your best foot forward when you walk out the door when you made that little bit of extra effort to be your bring best self out for the day," Ms Taylor said.
Ms Skewes said it was a great way to be conscientious for the day ahead.
"It's a lovely way to be in the present moment," she said.
Frocktober was started in 2007 by a group of friends sitting in regional Victoria, and in 2021 the first Frocktober raised $1 million for ovarian cancer research.
Donations can be made to indivuduals or team via the website frocktober.org.au/
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