Out of the Box

Taylor Swift in Gorman

2012-11-08T20:14:00.002+11:00

Image from here

When I saw this outfit on Taylor Swift, I tried to ID the cardigan online but no one would say what brand it was. I was curious because I have the exact same cardigan, and there was no mistaking she bought it from Aussie label Gorman. I've had mine since early this year. Taylor was here early this year too, btw.

Today, my daughter asked me if I remember my Gorman scarf and I thought she would tell me the cat ate it or something - I'd have been devastated! Well good news is that, she told me Taylor was photographed wearing a dress in the exact same print!

Image from here

Again this dress was not ID'd properly. And again, there is no mistaking that this is another Gorman piece. I know, because this dress was from the same collection as my cardigan. I nearly bought this dress but the cutie-patootie candy-stripe thing kind of put me off it, because I am old! But because I am a sucker for stripes, I got me a scarf instead - but with the exact same fabric!

Isn't it cool? I'm in with the kids! Ha! P.S. Both items are no longer available on the Gorman website.

Favourite Trouser Length

2012-11-06T07:17:00.001+11:00

If

(1) repeating clothes or styles (within a two-week period at the very least) doesn't bug me as much,
(2) finding the right pants/trousers is not that hard for a shortie like me, and
(3) wearing high heels is always the first option,

then, I'd wear my pants/trousers like THIS. EVERY. DAY. Or at least every day that I have to wear them. For me, this is the perfect length, the perfect tapering, the perfect amount of skinny. If I had a magic wand, I'd turn all my trousers to this length and this cut.

P.S. Still not a fan of denim-on-denim (even though I have to say Jenna Lyons (above) does it so perfectly in this picture ... but I love how she looks in those jeans.

(Image credit: Fabsugar)

Bridesmaid Dress?

2012-10-31T22:51:00.002+11:00

Such a beautiful rich colour, right? I'd be thrilled to get this in my quest for a bridesmaid dress but alas, even its' diffusion line price point will not convince me at this point. It's available here if you're a Size 0.

J.Crew Shipping to Oz - Rip Off!

2012-10-19T21:14:00.000+11:00

J.Crew has been one of my favourite American brands since ... well, since I decided I can afford their stuff. Ha! Seriously, I make a couple of trips to J.Crew when I'm in the US and "stock up" a bit - obviously only a bit cos they're not exactly cheap.

I waited so long for the day they ship to Australia, and when they did, I shrieked in excitement - only to be disappointed by the ridiculous price difference. When you set your shipping destination to Australia, the prices go up significantly - about 30% if my calculation's correct.

Take this top for example. I bought the exact same stop from a J.Crew store in Old Town Pasadena for 30 USD - it was on sale with further markdowns that day I went in store.

What a disappointment. Well, at least they have free shipping at the moment. But shipping costs seem to be factored into the price of each item anyway. Sigh. I really wish they'd be kinder to their Australian market.

Missha BB Cream: My Review

2012-10-16T19:31:00.001+11:00

It's been over a month since I started my Missha BB which I wrote about here. There's a number of Missha BB creams but the one pictured above is the one that I use. It's called M Signature Real Complete BB Cream, with SPF 25.

I still use my Thalgo Collagen Cream to moisturise, then I put on the BB cream on top of it. Initially I only used BB cream (without moisturising first), but I soon discovered that the BB cream sits nicer on my skin if it's moisturised first.

My first few tries with the BB cream, I was pretty sure I put too much of it so I was kinda self-conscious that I might be looking like I have that ghastly "foundation mask" on. After a few days though, particularly when I discovered moisturising first before putting on the BB cream, I became more comfortable with putting this on and applying it evenly.

It stays on quite well, and that says a lot because I'm not one to touch up on my make-up during the day. I put it on in the morning, then I take it off at night - no touch ups in between, not even powder nor blotting. I find that when I clean my face at night, there's still a significant smudge of tint that comes off when I wash my face, or when I use facial wipes.

It does cover up in a natural-looking way, if it is applied well. Of course nothing looks like naturally flawless skin so no, this will not give you a flawless look, but it does make a difference.

I had a few pimples and bumps on the face, particularly around the edges (e.g. chin, near the ear) in the first few weeks. BUT, and that's a big BUT ... when I had the nasties, it was also the time when I started using (again) this moisturiser from SK II, which unfortunately never really agreed with my skin. When I stopped the SK II moisturiser, the pimples and bumps went away.

More recently, this BB cream went with me to Hawaii where I was under the sun most of the time, and it held up really well. Then from Hawaii, we went to LA where it was unseasonably warm for fall. The BB cream didn't fail me there either. (We had 30+ degree-days in LA, the hottest being 36 one day!)

I loved it so much that even on a trip to Sephora, I didn't even look at foundations, even the Nars one that I have been using for more than a year.

Over all I am really happy with this little BB cream and I hope it agrees with my skin forever. We are stepping into the Australian summer and I hope it holds up in the kind of heat we get around here during that time of year.

Recent Buy: Animal Print Shoes

2012-10-15T06:38:00.001+11:00

I love animal print in small doses that's why I love shoes (and belts) in animal prints, especially if they are in cow leather or pony hair. Now, combine animal print with studs (another great love when it comes to embellishments) and I get giddy like a girl with a teenage crush on a school day.

I set my mind to find this (as I wrote here) but when I was at the store - specifically Zara at The Grove in LA, which always seems to be my "lucky" Zara over there - the lovely store assistant brought me these to try.

And then on the same day, still on a leopard print spree I suppose, we continued our shopping in another mall and I ended up getting these from Nordstrom.

These reminded me of the Gorman pair I was crushing in on before I left for the holiday. So yeah I bought two pairs of fall shoes when it's summer (soon!) in Australia. Oh well.

Prada Baroque

2012-09-23T10:07:00.001+10:00

So I gave in to my pre-holiday craving that I've obsessed about for months.

Cost consequence: contact lenses, just so I can see in these fabulous sunnies.

US Must-Buys

2012-09-14T19:02:00.000+10:00

A few nights ago, my husband declared over dinner that he has done his shopping list for our US holiday: two pairs of suits (gulp!), three business shirts, jeans, belts, and cufflinks. So never to be beaten when it comes to shopping lists, I made one for me too!

I suppose more than a shopping list, this is my MUST BUY list. Or more like, MUST NOT GO BACK HOME WITHOUT list.

Jo Malone in White Jasmine and Mint Cologne - This is now my signature scent. I don't want to use any other scent - and this is what I've used for the last year, through winter and summer. I only ever use so little so this size has lasted me a looooong time since it was given to me. Available here.

2. Coach bag, either the Ramblers Legacy (top) or the Willis bag in British Tan. I have not seen either of these bags locally - and in any case, I might as well take advantage of the cheaper prices while I'm there. You can see more bags like these online.

3. St James sailor tee from J.Crew. Over the weekend, I felt a tinge of panic when I found the armhole seams of my favourite striped tee from J.Crew was starting to come apart. That shirt has been used and abused and despite my efforts to alternate it with other stripe tees, nothing was ever good enough so I always end up using that shirt. Now it feels even more awesome because it's so worn in! I have to have a replacement though, so thought I might as well go for the ultimate in sailor tees - St. James!

4. I am hoping by the time I get to go shopping in the States, this Loft striped coat will already be on sale (fingers crossed). If it isn't, then I might just close my eyes and buy it full price - because I think it is still a good price point. I just hope though that this is still in store.

5. Zara stuff, especially shoes. I noticed - besides the significant difference in price points - that we simply do not get the good stuff locally. Like these shoes, they are current season but I doubt I will see this here until next year.

How I Do Chest Workout

2012-09-09T10:59:00.001+10:00

And these, my friends, are the closest I ever get to a chest workout these days.

Ordered by weight:

1. Anthropologie (old)

2. Sportsgirl Poolside Necklace - available here

3. Lovisa

A Bridesmaid Dress For Me

2012-08-29T22:47:00.003+10:00

I'm going to be a bridesmaid at my cousin's wedding in January, and I still have no idea what to wear. The bridal entourage were only given a colour swatch, and we were told to pick whatever cut/style we like. I guess that's what makes it harder to pick one ... there's just so many to choose from!

If it were my wedding, I'd like my bridesmaids to wear drape-y dresses in a neutral colour, in a style that doesn't scream BRIDESMAID - not that there's anything wrong with that - but if it's my wedding then that's what I want. Like this dress below, but with accessories.

Image from Fabsugar

To me this dress is worth the splurge since it's not bridesmaid-y at all, so it can be worn over and over again after the wedding! Also, this dress comes with a few tricks - read on!

However since it's not my wedding, then I have to follow the rules and get me a purple bridesmaid dress. This dress from Monique Lhuillier's diffusion line - available here - is the best colour match I've seen online.

This shade of purple is what's in the "brief" supplied by the couple getting married. I wish though that I can get away with plum - because I really love this dress below!

I just realised I've been eyeing the same dress but in different colours! The purple version is available at Nordstrom's online Wedding Boutique for bridesmaids - look here. And like I said, this dress comes with a few tricks - it can be worn many ways! You can be a bridesmaid for five times and have a "new" dress for each wedding! Even if you're not a bridesmaid, surely there are other occasions where a dress like this will be appropriate. It's got a shorter version too, look here.

This one from J.Crew looks really nice too. I think a cocktail length might be more appropriate.

And if I may just selfishly squeeze in another dress that doesn't fit the brief BUT makes for a totally awesome bridesmaid dress ... this one from Neiman Marcus looks super fun and breezy and light - available here.

Agh! Which one? A bridesmaid dress is on my US shopping list. Probably the first one I need to cross out of that lllliiiiiiiiiisssssssst!

Moisturiser+Sunscreen+Foundation OR A BB Cream?

2012-08-24T19:42:00.001+10:00

Three products:

Thalgo Collagen Cream - available here

Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 30

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

Or just this one?

Missha BB Cream - available here

I heard about BB creams a while back and dismissed it as another marketing hype. Never really got sucked into the hype until recently when I started planning what to pack for our upcoming holiday in Hawaii and thought, what if I don't have to bring all of the above (moisturiser + sunscreen + foundation)? So this is what got me thinking and reading up on BB creams.

By some coincidence, I found this Korean brand of skincare and cosmetics store in QVB called Missha. Walked in and tried some of their BB creams and although I was quite impressed, I walked out knowing I'd be wanting to find out more about this brand and BB creams in general. Turns out Missha is one of the best/most popular brand of BB creams out there, but as usual, Australia gets the heftiest price tag compared to practically everywhere else. This put me off buying it.

Then few days later, I walked past the Missha shop when the "50% off everything" sign called out my name. So I backtracked and went into the store. The BB cream pictured above was reduced to something like $18 (from originally $36), which makes it easier to accept defeat if it doesn't work out for me. Actually, if you think about it, even with the full price, it's really not that bad considering this product will replace three - which could cost more than a hundred bucks, depending on the brands you use. I even bought a loose powder from there, which is meant to go with the BB cream nicely - or so the sales assistant says.

I am excited to try this one and see if it works. I used it for the first time today but I want to use it a few more times before doing a review. Fingers crossed, it doesn't wreak havoc on my skin.

Are You Petite?

2012-08-22T08:39:00.002+10:00

Can you relate to the above?

Anthropologie just released their Petite line.

Am I just about to find maxi-dresses that don't need to be altered?

Pre-Holiday Cravings

2012-08-21T18:09:00.002+10:00

This.

Prada Baroque sunglasses available here

~~And~~ Or this.

Karen Walker Super Duper Strength sunglasses available here

I am currently obsessed with these two sunglasses at the moment, it's driving me nuts. I'm going on a holiday in 5 weeks and my guts are telling me to buy these now and not expect to find any of these in the Duty Free shops. Except I don't have 300 bucks lying around right now.

July

2012-08-19T10:15:00.002+10:00

To say that July was a tumultuous month is well, a tad too dramatic, but it actually kind of was. Work was too hectic, home life was also too hectic. Ok, so I'm not about to go into the details of my hectic July life.

Oh, and we also got a cat at the start of this month. BUT I'm not blaming the cat.

I went into a shopping ban around this time as well. But as soon as I typed those words, the mid-year sales began and soon enough I found myself sneaking some shopping here and there. My daughter constantly reminded me (read: nagged) of my shopping ban every time she caught me (1) sneaking stuff into my closet, (2) wearing something new, and (3) trying on something. She said I only stick to the shopping ban when I shop with her and her dad. HA!

I broke my own self-imposed shopping ban only for compelling reasons. (Again, I'm being too dramatic here.) For example, when I saw this Urban Outfitters shirt that looked like the Equipment shirt I've been wanting to buy, I just had to jump on the chance. UO's shipping rates to Australia also makes it so tempting to check it out every now and then. $60 versus $166 (at sale price)?

And then there's this one time I went to Zara with a super-enabling girlfriend and found the ankle boots I have been fantasising to wear - IF only I could pull them off. I tried these on and knew I was most likely going to put them back on the shelf because a midget like me just can't make these work. BUT my friend - super honest and and never minces words - told me otherwise. So I let go of the hesitation and body issues and broke the ban (again).

Lastly, perhaps the most exciting (albeit sneaky) purchase of all is this dress from Gorman. I declared I was going to wear this to my husband's 40th birthday party - wherever that may be. I walked into the store with all dresses at 50% off so I just had to have this one, don't I?

I know, I know. Not my proudest moments but I made up for these by bringing lunch to work (some days). Oh, and I bought "classics" so the cost-per-wear kinda makes it ok? ;)

Mixed Metals

2012-06-30T17:52:00.001+10:00

LBD from Hi, There by Karen Walker

2012-06-24T20:27:00.002+10:00

One day at work my friend turned up in a black Hi There by Karen Walker dress which I absolutely adored. I wanted one for myself. It was a dress for all seasons really, and I was jealous it was from two collections ago so I was pretty sure there's no chance I can get something similar.

Or so I thought. A few weeks later, I was browsing through racks of dresses during Myer's Super Saturday Offers. There was 40% off full price Hi There dresses that day, and I found the "winter" version of the dress! And I just happened to snag this dress in my size. At first the belt which adds a girly touch to it - tan with gold bow clasp - was missing but I eventually found one in the belt bin by the change rooms. YUP! There is a belt bin in the change room that is meant for just that - belts that come off dresses and they all just sit in the bin until someone notices their item is missing something.

Which Boot Are You?

2012-06-17T14:04:00.001+10:00

It's Boot Season! The boots I have on most frequent rotation are right by our entry way at home. And almost everyday - despite the fact that he sees them everyday - my husband makes it a point to remind me in more ways that I have one too many. He does not know of course there are a few more pairs upstairs. HA!

The black pair with almond-ish toes and stacked heel have become my fave by default to wear for work (except Fridays). They look really polished with dresses and skirts.

The black and brown pairs in the middle are my absolute go-to pairs when I am wearing jeans. Their heels are perfect for when you are on the go and their leather have just that worn out look and feel to it, with the right wrinkle and slouch.

The cowboy boots are a nice contrast with casual dresses. I have to admit these are probably the least worn out of the knee-high ones only because I feel I am too old for that look.

And the odd pair out ... I have not mustered the guts to wear these with dresses/skirts and tights, even though that's what I had in mind when I purchased this pair. Most of the time I end up wearing these with bootcut pants or some black skinnies.

Mid-Year Resolution: 3-Month Shopping Ban

2012-06-13T19:10:00.000+10:00

It is ironic that just when I have been doing (a little bit ) more shopping - which I could write about in this blog - that's when I barely find the time to post.

I changed jobs around March this year. With the change of jobs came the requisite wardrobe upgrade. You see, my previous job was in the 'burbs, and pretty much isolated too from everything else. The project environment did not really require anything more than smart-casual, and so the clothes and shoes that I 'amassed' during this period consisted mostly of casual stuff - and lots of flat shoes! So when I said goodbye to that place, I knew a wardrobe update was in order.

I am once again working in the city (Sydney CBD), where, as a good friend reminded me, "suburban office clothes just don't cut it anymore" - no pressure, thanks very much. Oh, and my job title's different now too. So since then I've been building up a wardrobe of business-casual-bordering-on-the-corporate stuff. Suddenly the silhouettes I've avoided for a long time are now the ones I gravitate towards, like this one below.

I got this dress from Oxford last March. I've worn it once since.

So truth be told I have been getting a number of things "out of the box", or more like the shopping bag in most cases. And at this point I really should NOT be buying anymore. I admit I got carried away by the urge to buy lots of new stuff - I felt every purchase was justifiable given my recent career changes. And now I need to recover from over-spending!

From this point on, I will only write about stuff I have already bought, when it comes to shoes/clothes/bags - in short, stuff I don't really need. I will also try to write just how much I save just by not buying new clothes/shoes/bags/stuff I don't really need. But occasionally, I will write about stuff I wish I have but don't and can't - at least for now.

And this is where I'll keep my savings - in my very posh MoneyPhant
from Georg Jensen - part gift, part purchase - but mostly gift.

THIS IS MY PLEDGE. I will stop buying clothes/shoes/bags/stuff I don't really need for the next three months*. Stuff I don't really need include:

Clothes
Shoes
Bags
Accessories/trinkets including jewellery, scarf, sunglasses
Home decor
Linens - towels, sheets, cushion covers
Magazines
New books - hello, Public Library!
Stationery
Make-up

Hmmm. I'm feeling kinda sick just thinking about it. BUT I believe I can do it. (Affirmations!) Here I go. SHOPPING BAN'S ON!!!

-----------------------

*Well, it can't be more than that. I have a US holiday coming up - it will be completely neurotic if I don't buy clothes/shoes/bags while I'm there, don't you think? After the holiday I will go back to my SHOPPING BAN PLEDGE and start again from there. Just keeping it realistic, you know.)

Spring and Winter

2012-06-04T22:31:00.001+10:00

I got these (top and scarf) from my SIL and MIL as a belated birthday present. I love how they sent me Spring colours just as about Australia's going into Winter. If it were up to me, it will be Spring for about half the year, and maybe three weeks for Winter just to get my boots and coats out of hiding. Both top and scarf are from Zara, btw.

After searching high and low for the perfect-fitting knee high boots for work, I finally settled for these ones from a local brand called Bonbons. I love the no-fuss classic shape, appropriate for work wear with mostly dresses and skirts, and practical heels for all of that #everydayimshuffling thing. When I tried these on, I loved everything except the fit. I was prepared to let these go when I was told that boots can be altered as well, as in custom-fitted to my legs. So I paid for the boots, then took them straight to the cobbler. Five days, 3 fittings, and 65 bucks later ... I now have a pair of boots that fit me to a tee.

New Favourites

2012-05-25T15:05:00.000+10:00

I have two new favourite dresses that have survived their first wash really really well, given their delicate fabrics.

I fell in love at first sight with this dress on Anthropologie's [last] Spring catalogue. It originally retailed for more than a hundred bucks. I normally don't buy anything online that's more than a hundred bucks without seeing and trying the item first, so I held back. You can imagine when it went on sale at 40% discount, I nearly fell off my seat in excitement. I'm so glad I was able to snap it up at my size. If I my aversion to repeating clothes frequently was not bordering on the neurotic, I'd definitely be wearing this dress all the time. Even during winter.

Now this dress is something else. It is vintage, with the original buttons still perfectly sewn in place. Even the extra buttons are still attached in the inside seam. I haven't worn it out yet but it's the perfect length and looks awesome with a tan pin belt.

What makes this dress even more special is that one of my best friends gave it to me. She picked it up herself from racks and racks of clothes because she said this dress is so "me". I love it. Probably the most perfect vintage piece I have ever owned. I can't wait to wear this dress out in the warmer season ... but I'm happy to just know it's in my wardrobe now.

Chucks

2012-05-19T09:21:00.001+10:00

Not too long ago, my husband sort of randomly exclaimed that he's always wanted a pair of leather Chucks. Where did that come from? He very rarely asks for these things so when he does it sort of gets me rattled. He normally would just say "I need new shoes" and that's it. This time he was precise about it. Leather and Chucks.

So I asked why he never told me (until then) and his answer was rather sweet but a bit back-handed. He said he didn't want me to focus my time on those shoes when I go shopping because for my stuff (and my daughter's) alone, we take a LONG time.

Then my 13-year old sounded out an "Awwwww", followed by "I want high-top white ones too, Ma."

And so given that these days my best friend is Online Shopping, well it was a pretty productive family therapy two nights ago. Huddled around our super cluttered Mac Station, all three of us scoured online and got both of these from ASOS, with free shipping to Aus. Oh, and I got a 30-dollar voucher too so these shoes were waaay cheaper than local prices. ;)

I struggled to stop myself from getting these polka dot ones - and I managed not to. Wait, is Restraint a virtue? I think it should be.

Image credit: All images from ASOS website.

Sparingly Leopard

2012-05-15T22:21:00.002+10:00

I am one of those people who love leopard-print but only sparingly. I have a hard time picturing myself in a leopard-print dress or shirt or pants - but I don't have a problem at all with my leopard shoes and accessories.

I'm still in love with these Witchery flats.

And I really like these cone-heeled ones too from Halogen. They look like a claw, it's crazy!

But this year I am hoping I get to splurge on this kind of leopard print.

Image from Louis Vuitton

My only concern is that ... well, let's just say my scarves go through a lot of abuse. I am so not careful with scarves and my love of necklaces kind of conflict with my love of scarves too. I really shouldn't be spending all that money for a scarf to end up getting snagged everywhere.

Oh well. Maybe I'll just get me some more leopard-print shoes. Ha!

Cropped Pants for Work

2012-05-12T08:30:00.000+10:00

One fashion tip that style-savvy people constantly dish out is that when you find something that works for you, buy it in multiples. And that's exactly what I did when I found these cropped pants.

This had such a nice autumnal hue to it that I was drawn to the colour first, then the cut, then the contrast band, then the fact that I didn't have to have them altered. It's such a nice colour to ground florals and bright tops. Then I saw the same style in this dark grey colour.

Only the colours are different.

After about a month, I saw another version of this and ... well, they said buy in multiples. So my third pair is a blue-grey-black houndstooth version of this, only a tiny bit longer. Can't find any pictures though.

So I've been wearing these pants to work and nobody believes me when I tell them where I got these from. One colleague even thought she only heard it wrong and was sure I meant a shop that she's never been to.

You just might be surprised ... ready? Click here.

Studs on shoes and I'm in love.

2012-05-10T09:00:00.000+10:00

I love me some studs. And yep, I mean these studs.

Those Topshop studded slippers were my go-to shoes over the last Christmas holiday in the Philippines. Those are some seriously comfortable shoes. They are the poor girl's version of these fabulous Louboutin's.

The Witchery studded ones are a good pair of dressy flats - these can take me from my morning commute-plus-walk-to-work routine, and even through the day if I can't be bothered to change into pumps when I get to the office.

And what do you know, I even found "matching" studded skinny jeans for ... *drum roll, please* ... TWENTY BUCKS! Yep, 20 bucks from Valleygirl.

Of course I won't be wearing them together, are you kidding me? Not something I should be wearing together (as in, in the same outfit) of course. I really just couldn't resist the pair of studded jeans for that price.

So how about the ultimate dream stud?

Top left, clockwise:

Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats

Valentino Rockstud t-bar pumps

Christian Louboutin spikes metallic flats

Valentino studded two-tone pumps

I can only dream!

"Crazy" New Shoes/Black Coated Jeans

2012-05-07T09:00:00.000+10:00

One day I had a bad day at work and felt it was the absolute perfect excuse to buy me some crazy shoes. So I went home, took the family to the shops, and asked for a one-hour time-out.

And you know what time-out means when I'm having a bad day. It's time to hit a shoe store. Or any store for that matter. But I wanted some crazy shoes.

After about an hour of trying on so many pairs of shoes in the same store, I decided to go for these from Staccato.

I know, even my definition of "crazy" shoes is not really that crazy. The colours ground the style quite well, and plus the wedge and platform make the height bearable. The store assistant who was obviously wanting to make a sale (and yes, she was also really nice) put the heel height this way:

"Because it's a platform shoe, it really only feels as high as where the platform starts/ends - pretty much where the ruler is." So that's about 3 inches high.

I wore the shoes with these coated black jeans (that has a very leather look to it) from Zara last Friday, with a caramel knit tunic to cover the lumpy bits around the tummy and hip area.

I think my new shoes will be a Casual Friday favourite! And these jeans are so awesome too!