Blue suede shoes in the age of innocence

Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Julia gets rushed by the mob, and is swept up in the arms of her bodyguard on the most patriotic day of Australia's calendar. Lookit them. *sigh* It's all so Whitney and Kevin Costner, isn't it?

It was quite a shock to see the footage of our Prime Minister bundled ungraciously into her waiting car as protesters stormed her on Australia Day. The poor woman was of course wearing a skirt, but instinct led and she managed to keep her knees together as she was stuffed into the car's back seat.

But I love how what would have been an incredibly unnerving experience for the PM means just one thing here in sunny Australia: let's talk fashion!

Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The lead photo on Fairfax's website at this moment is of an activist brandishing his trophy, our Cindarella PM's shoe, lost in the scuffle. The accompanying piece by the fashion editor on Joolia's choice of footwear just shows how unruffled we are by her dramatic escape from an angry crowd.

While other countries fret about assassination attempts on their heads of state, we see it as a chance to pass comment on her sensible (if blue suede) shoes. The innocence of a young nation.