Sew sisters: the Melbourne gala where “it’s not weird to touch everyone’s clothes”

When a bartender asks Shelley McColl, one half of the Frocktails organizing committee, what the party's playlist is, she tells him it doesn't matter. Soon the din of women talking will be too loud for anyone to hear the music.

Melbourne Frocktails, now in its 10th year, was started by a group of 30 sewers who decided to go out to dinner wearing outfits they had made. When photos from the evening were shared on social media, others wanted to join in.

The event grew so quickly that organizers had to start issuing tickets. Even though they are moving to larger and larger venues, they still sell out in minutes.

The popularity of Frocktails has extended far beyond Melbourne. Not only are similar events held across Australia, from Darwin to Adelaide, but there are now Frocktails in New York, Seattle, Montreal, Cape Town, Wellington and Edinburgh.

In Melbourne, as guests enter The Bank on Collins, a large bar and function space located in a classic 19th century building, they receive the signature cocktail of the evening, a Gin Cushion. It's served in a coup, sprinkled with lavender petals and tastes fittingly sweet.

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