everything carly findlay learnt from a dress

I’ve chosen my wedding dress. It’s white, pouffy and very traditional. I got married to Adam in 2016 and I felt so beautiful in this dress. It allowed me to layer for comfort and looked stunning in photos. Then, in 2025, I wore my wedding dress once again – to a large hardware store to take photos for Frocktober. My vision was to catch people’s attention and hand out donation cards, and also to say a big F U to ovarian cancer. It made me feel empowered. I was spreading important messages about being diagnosed with, treated for and surviving ovarian cancer, fundraising for ovarian cancer research, and also having some fun while doing it.

A good friend came with me to take photos at the hardware store, and a store employee was like my maid of honour – carrying my dress, taking me to various aisles and hyping me up. We laughed a lot. I posed in the garden section – a little like traditional wedding photos. And then I got angry – holding chainsaws! I wrote a couple of hard-hitting posts using these photos. One post was about how I was angry about getting ovarian cancer and the other post was campaigning for better government support for cancer patients who suddenly get sick and can’t work.

In the last decade or so, I’ve become known for my fashion, alongside my disability advocacy and writing. I love bright colours and no longer dress to hide. I enjoy wearing clothes by small, ethical Australian brands. Recently I’ve enjoyed finding gems on Depop and eBay. When I had cancer and felt really sick, dressing up made me feel better. I loved wearing bright dresses and coats to the hospital. I even wore a floral robe to radiotherapy every day.

For Frocktober, don’t pressure yourself to wear a new dress every day – wear what you have, borrow from friends, op-shop, up cycle or craft an outfit from things you find around the house!

This story was told in partnership with Frocktober, the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation’s fashionable fundraiser for ovarian cancer research. There are many ways to Frock Up for ovarian cancer: frock up for a day, a week, or go all-in for the 31 days of October. Visit the Frocktober to learn more and join the frocking fun.