Of Stranger Sensibilities

Art Basel Hong Kong

2013-05-24T22:07:00.000-04:00

If you’re currently in Hong Kong, you’re in luck as Art Basel Hong Kong is on right now from May 23-26. Formerly known as the Hong Kong International Art Fair, MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd. has bought it to join Miami and Basel on the world stage. You can bet that I would be there in a heart beat if I was anywhere near Asia. The online catalogue looks amazing and with that many participating galleries, one can only expect great works to be available on view.

Also Kisha has kindly invited me over to her blog, Chronicled, to share 5 things that I want, need, visit, learn and eat, this week. Check it out when you can :)

FEATURED ARTWORKS (CLOCKWISE): GERT AND UWE TOBIAS, UNTITLED, 2013; YAN PEI-MING, PORTRAIT OFFICIEL, 2003; YUE MINJUN, CONTEMPORARY TERRACOTTA WARRIOR NO. 10, 2007.

Look Out for Me in D.C.

2013-05-23T13:19:00.001-04:00

Enough of general malaise, sadness and melancholia around these parts (at least for now)! I have finally finalized my summer plans and I will be in living and interning in D.C. this summer. How exciting! I feel like D.C. and I were meant to be: I fell in love with the city after visiting for this past spring break and it’s now my favourite city in the U.S. by far. First, I will be in Montréal for my sisters’ high school graduation but after that it is to D.C. I go.

I just realized I haven’t shared zip about my spring break trip to D.C. so here are some pictures of Oyamel, a Mexican restaurant that has come highly recommended by Aurelie. Thanks for the rec! This place probably has some of the best guacamole and ceviche I’ve had ever and you can bet I will be back this summer. I can’t wait to hang out with my greatest blogger pal Jada, whom I had met through the blogosphere and more, but if anyone needs a buddy for new eateries/concerts/galleries/museums/festivals/outdoor adventures in either D.C. or Montréal this summer, be sure to hit me up!

The Difficulty in Moving On

2013-05-17T15:31:00.001-04:00

With the current weather so sunny and warm, I haven’t been spending a lot of time in front of the computer these days. Perhaps it is this, coupled with the general anxiety I have as a rising college senior, that I haven’t been thinking about fashion much. At least in a substantial way.

On the odd occasion that I do think about fashion, it is always twinged with certain sense of melancholia, especially after all the recent Bangladesh accidents. It feels wrong to talk about “silly” things like aesthetics again, when so many have died for fast fashion. A particularly gruesome image of a man crushed under the rubble at the collapse of Rana Plaza continues to haunt me. I can’t help but feel partially responsible, even though it has been years since I bought anything from the known brands that used Rana Plaza for their manufacture of goods. What is particularly upsetting is to see so few mainstream fashion blogs (the big personal style ones) even mention in brief, anything about the tragedies in Dhaka. More so, I have yet to see any fashion magazine discuss the events either.

I want to argue that fashion is more than clothes, that it’s about capturing the zeitgeist and creating a channel for self-expression; nowadays, I just see D-E-A-T-H. It might feel overly dramatic, but for every piece of clothing (especially fast fashion) I notice, I can’t help but wonder: who has suffered for it this time round? I have always known intuitively, ever since I started buying fast fashion clothing as an pre-teen, that fast fashion sounds too good to be true. Though I have matured much since, with the full extent of the hidden social costs revealed before me, I have incredible difficulty in moving on past these tragedies to more lighthearted anecdote and musings in my continual discussion about fashion. Even menswear, which generally focuses more on quality and craft rather than trends, has lost its allure. I might be happy and thus learnt to deal with being small, but I highly doubt many others ever will be.

I wonder if there is any others, who feel as strongly as I do about the general appalling state of consumption habits in fashion, especially amongst the younger demographic that I belong to (ages 18-24). Perhaps there are more important issues that us Millenials have to deal with—terrible employment opportunities for one and chronic underemployment for another—yet the choices we as Gen Y makes, continues to matter with profound impact on the rest of the globe. Is there an easy(-ier) way out of this mess we’ve made?

My Current Uniform

2013-05-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Finals are finally over (well they have been over for a while now but it’s been hard getting back into the blogging game)! I’ve taken these photos a long while ago in mid April but it still holds true even now in mid May (can you believe it!). EVERYTHING goes so well with my chinos it’s insane. My jeans are definitely put on the back burners for the most part. The weather so far has been uncharacteristically cold...or maybe just last year was uncharacteristically hot. Either way, it’s pants and jackets weather still—not that I particularly mind.

As for other news, all the media attention over Bangladesh factory disasters, most prominent of which is Rana Plaza collapse and the latest being the Tung Hai Sweater Factory fire last week, has prompted changes in regulating the industry. This is great, yet more still needs to be done. Alas it is an absolute abomination that it had to take so many preventable deaths to warrant even minute changes in the fashion industry.

I have been creeping on all the great discussions on the topic, from Jess to threads on /r/femalefashioadvice to Lin. With regards to Uniqlo in Lin’s post specifically, this is a evidence of just how hard it is for well meaning customers (like Lin) to ascertain the origins and manufacturing process of their purchases, unless they are part of some convenient PR campaign (see H&M report at Jess and Everlane’s latest factory video). For those who argue against more regulation, it is economics 101 that for markets to be perfectly competitive, there needs to be perfect information, which is not the case here. As some someone who has tried to look into Uniqlo purely out of sheer curiosity, I have trouble finding the latest reports and figures too, since most of the up to date information is entirely in Japanese. Some things are mentioned, but only in vague statements in their annual report.

Two steps backwards, but at least one small step forward. What will this mean for the future of (fast) fashion?

P.S. Thanks for all the interest in sponsorship! I will respond shortly.

This Summer

2013-04-30T11:23:00.001-04:00

I’m always jealous of the beautiful mood boards that so many graphic designers make and display on their blogs nowadays. Taking a page from Miss Sophie (who else?), here is my amateurish attempt at a mood board for the summer.

Make up for the summer = beach waves + a touch of bronzer + a perfect orange red pout with MAC’s So Chaud. Armed with best white tees ever, you can bet they will be part of my uniform this summer, though I have to say Marlon Brando as Stanley from A Streetcar Named Desire will always be the ultimate god of white tees everywhere. After my internship this summer, I hope to get off the grid to Vancouver Island and spend the rest of my summer bumming on the beach with a lot of books in hand. The Django Unchained (2012) soundtrack will also be on constant rotation (not pictured).

For everything else, I read Gear Patrol.

TO FINALS!

IMAGES FROM 1, 2, 3.

New In: Everlane

2013-04-28T21:35:00.003-04:00

A few days ago my Everlane goodies arrived. You should have seen me skipping my way down to the campus center mailroom. The one showcased above is the Box Cut Tee, which had been high on my want list for spring. I also got the V (neck) White and a zip backpack in Military.

I wasn’t planning to do a post on them exclusively, but Kali expressed interest in reading what I think about them so here you go. I LOVE IT. I know I have been saying that quite a lot, especially after getting my Barbour coat finally but I mean it most sincerely. I think it’s due to planning and thinking about one thing so much that it becomes something of an obsession. Everlane more than delivered, on the account of the huge hype the label has received as of late from the Internet. These are the BEST tees I’ve ever owned, hands down, even compared to my mum’s CK ones and to the ones by Uniqlo (to which I am still a loyal customer). You cannot get better crisp white tees anywhere else, even without regarding Everlane's low price points. If you were wondering why the tee looks rather wrinkled, it’s because I’ve been wearing them nonstop since I got them — my friends can attest to that.

An unexpectedly great thing about Everlane is that they’re made in the USA, namely an entirely guilt free purchase in light of the horrific factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (For reference: I have talked about fashion sustainability issues already before here and Jess just wrote an analysis on this particular instance on her blog.) I suspect is it due to this tragedy that Everlane has revealed parts of their factory process on their website to differentiate their practice from the grand majority of bigger labels out there.

I won’t bother reviewing the V neck as it is pretty standard in the way it looks on me. I am reviewing the Box Cut Tee instead, simply because the fit is more unique than most. I’m 1.71m (~5'7") and usually wear around US size 4. I ordered all tees in M and they were all true to size. I have slightly broad shoulders from swimming as a kid and the shoulder seams sit on the right spot. The length of the cropped tee is shorter than expected, though it does not come as too big a surprise since my boobs are so much bigger than the model of the Everlane lookbook. I don’t mind it so much as it does not reveal anything, however ladies with bigger busoms should keep this in mind when ordering the Box Cut Tee. I like how menswear-ish it is in design, though still constructed with the female body in mind so I get to have the best of both worlds. Hip hip hooray for female menswear lovers everywhere! The weight of the cotton of both tees feels substantial to me. Everlane will now be my one stop shop for all things basic tops. It’s just too bad things go out of stock/on the wait list so quickly. For a review of their silk/cashmere offerings, see Miss Sophie of Les Anti-Modernes.

A big thanks to my friend G for taking these photos. I was not compensated by Everlane in any way for this post. If you would like to sponsor me for the summer, click here for more info.

At Into-Mind

2013-04-26T19:01:00.001-04:00

Anuschka of Into-Mind (I have talked about her previously here) has just published the guest post I wrote of my own personal style profile. In many ways it’s similar to my earlier post on basics, except in this one I write a lot more on my background and how I have developed aesthetically speaking over the years to where I am now. It was so much fun collaborating with her — go check it out now.

Here are some of the outtakes that were shot on the same day with my friend A at my school’s botanical garden. I really should go more often. Have a great weekend!

The 411

2013-04-23T00:15:00.003-04:00

I haven’t been thinking too much about fashion lately, hence so little long form type pieces on curating as of late. I couldn’t bring myself to give a fffffffffff about Coachella. I bought flowers (for the first time ever, see above) for my friend, who was the piano soloist for my college's spring concert this past Saturday. ~~420.~~ I started to hit the gym again. I bought tickets to a Youth Lagoon concert next month. I am seriously indulging now that my favourite TV shows are now back on air, namely Game of Thrones and Mad Men. My friend just introduced me to Misfits (how can I hate Ramsay Snow now that I know it’s Simon???) and now wants me to start Netflix’s new show, Hemlock Grove. Trying to stay on top of my school work is going to be a challenge. One that I will readily accept of course.

It hasn't all been fun and games chez Joy. I haven’t settled on an internship yet for the summer. I have been sidetracked by the insane (alleged) Boston Marathon bomber manhunt at the beginning of the weekend. The recent massacre in Syria. The restaurant bombing in Iraq. So much human casualty and blood shed all round.

Sigh. The complete fashion media fast (blogs, videos, magazines alike) this past few days has helped put things into perspective for me. I appreciate the clarity it lends me in my thoughts and opinions about fashion in general, regardless of how depressing some of the news can make me. Thank god the weather is beautiful outside. The effects are much like the experiences gained from imposing a shopping fast on yourself. I strongly encourage you to try it, even if it it means not reading my blog :P

I am slowly picking up the pieces again, first by reading interviews on Jenna Lyons and Tavi Gevinson. I am sure I will later move on to my long list of unread posts on Feedly next. Has anyone else “unplugged” from fashion before?

Modern Details Nº2

2013-04-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

I really enjoyed doing the last Modern Details, so I figured I would try my hand at it again. It is so much fun digging around the wardrobe for the pieces I love, things that get their fair share of wear but otherwise don’t get enough appreciation for their beauty and character.

Now that it’s nice out again, I’ve been alternating with these Melissinos sandals and my white Chucks. I have first heard of Melissinos from my professor, who was with me on the trip to Greece last summer. The final push to shove came from Lindsay, who mentioned them in her post on handmade sandals. I’ve blogged about my trip to Melissinos already but I’ve never shown my sandals in detail. The model of this particular pair is Socrates, while the other pair is Olympia, just so you know.

They were affordable, despite being custom made (I can’t remember the exact price on the top of my head but trust me they were college student budget friendly). I’ve worn them so many times now that the soles have molded to my feet. The leather straps have become soft and supple to touch. I’ve oiled these sandals with olive oil twice only, since I didn’t want them to get too dark. Incidentally, I made the other pair too dark so I will try to get rid of the oil buildup and stain them again from scratch. I have heard from Ask Andy forums that cheap vodka should do the trick. For this pair, I probably should have watched off the salt stains, which had accumulated from the trips to the beaches on the weekend last summer in Greece. However, I’ve grown to like them as they remind me of all the good fun we (follow classmates on the trip) had mucking around on the shores of Glyfada. What a sentimental sop I’ve become. They are, after all, the marks of something well worn and loved.

In case you were wondering, the nail polish is OPI's Monsooner or Later.

Indulgent Mornings

2013-04-15T19:48:00.003-04:00

I went out east this past weekend to visit some high school friends. It’s slowly becoming an annual tradition since I visited during the marathon weekend too last year. My friend overslept due to the Yard Fest this past Saturday, so I bought some magazines to read along the Charles while I waited for her. Out of Town News in Harvard Square has the best selection of international fashion magazines in Massachusetts. It felt particularly indulgent to sit by the river reading alone, with only runners, Canadian geese and the odd rower for company.

The wind picked up and my friend was finally ready, so I turned and headed back towards the Square for brunch. I wouldn’t mind spending most of my weekend mornings like this.

This was written originally for publication Monday morning but then, of course, I fell asleep. I hate to be so US-centric on the blog, but I just want to give my condolences to all the Boston Marathon runners and supporters who were either killed or injured during the explosions.

Modern Details Nº1

2013-04-11T13:56:00.000-04:00

I finally got my copy of The Gentlewoman today and devoured it as soon as I was done with my essays. I also highly recommend reading Three Thousands’ interview with The Gentlewoman’s lady-in-command, Penny Martin (found courtesy of Lin). While I enjoy sharing insights into the way I curate and other aspects of wardrobe building, at the end of the day I don’t like being in front of the camera. I absolutely love the Modern Details feature in The Gentlewoman, and while I may never be nearly as witty as Catherine Roux (who is the writer of the feature for the magazine), I can use this format to do my usual show-and-tell without me having to pose. The pieces that will be featured in my own version of Modern Details aren’t necessarily expensive nor are they particularly luxurious by any standard, but they are what defines and gives my wardrobe its personality that renders it unique from other curators’ capsule wardrobes out there. Think of it as series of homages to my favourite details.

The first piece of my wardrobe that I'm featuring is my boarding school hoodie that I bought at the school book store the first day of class freshmen year of high school in 2006. It’s a pretty mundane garment considering it was mass-produced before being stamped with the school insignia and motto but makes incredible sense for me to feature it first, as it is probably the oldest thing I have with me right now in college.

I know I sounded like I absolutely hated the school in my recent birthday post, but while they were many lows, there were also highs. The only reason I thought it was relevant to bring up my high school then was to show that it was during a particular low that led me to fall in love with fashion and all its trappings. So yes, if you were wondering, there were great moments that I still think of fondly now...many of the memories which can be found embedded within this hoodie.

It is easy to romanticize about the entire high school experience now that I’m no longer there. Fabric paint stains from making crew team t-shirts senior year. A ripped seam from the class clown who wanted to try on a smaller size for laughs. Another small acrylic paint stain from studio painting class junior year. Sharpie marks from making posters for the literary art magazine for club fair. The colour is completely faded from countless cycles in the washer and dryer but it also means that it’s perfectly soft to the touch. The crazy thing is that I’m still able to fit into it seven years later, in a shrunken sweater kind of way.

The best thing most of all is that it can serve as a kind of an ice-breaker, in that a random stranger or two would recognize the name of the school. It’s an odd mixture of alums, alums of rival schools or someone who knows the school from the either of the two aforementioned kinds of people.

I want to thank those who deigned to comment on my more recent outfit posts. I ended them with small critiques of personal style blogs because I had missed the opportunity to comment on personal style bloggers when Suzy Menkes’ article exploded, in that I don’t think I get the right to complain about them if I can’t bring myself to even comment on it. At first, I thought if you’re going to put some serious time in your hobby, then the least you can do is to try and do it well. That was the idealist in me talking. After digesting your comments, I have now come to the conclusion that blogging is a medium that can be taken really in any direction across the spectrum. They don’t bother me all that much really—I can count the number of personal style blogs I read on one hand. Just as there are many less-than-satisfactory blogs out there, there also a remarkable number that continues to delight over and over again. The lesson? To each their own.

Spring Formal

2013-04-05T14:34:00.000-04:00

Feeling extra puny on this fine Friday spring morning today—humour is my best defense against stress. Spring is REALLY here and the way the rays of the sun streamed into my room woke me up with a smile. What can I say, I love the sun. Yesterday, I led a group of the most adorable second graders through the school’s art museum, hence the formality of the outfit.

My pair of chinos is going to be a huge staple of my wardrobe come spring and summer. The twill fabric is made from cotton, so it's breathable for the hot humid weather ahead. I also don’t like to wear jeans too much in general—I find it can be something of style crutch to rely on jeans too often. I have nothing against denim per se, but wearing pants made of other materials (ex. chinos in the spring/summer, corduroy in the fall/winter) allows the individual to experiment more with colours and textures. Jeans are so ubiquitous that the simple act of wearing any other material makes you stand out, and makes a basic outfit (such as the one presented here) more visually interesting than it would be otherwise.

This pair of chinos is a relatively new addition to my wardrobe—it’s not the same pair as the one seen in my ‘Cashmere and Pearls’ post from before. The last pair was bought hastily over the internet, and while it fit relatively okay considering the circumstance, it was not 100% satisfactory. If it’s a piece of clothing that you will wear often, I think it’s fine that you should seek better alternatives if you're not happy with it, seeing as its imperfections will annoying you. Every. Single. Time. It's okay to indulge yourself in finding “the perfect _______ ” this way : it's not worth torturing yourself daily (or however frequent you wear this particular piece) over the little things. I have since donated my old pair. I can’t wait to show just how seamlessly this pair of chinos works with other pieces of my wardrobe, to many degrees even better than my current small collection of jeans.

If there is something that bothers me about personal style blogs, it’s not the fact that they are so commercialized per se (though that is still a factor in itself), it’s that the bloggers themselves fail to provide a bigger context and insight as to how they paired the different pieces together. Neither do they provide any sort of examination of their stylistic vision, whether their particular outfit of the day is in line with that thinking or not etc. For a person who can barely cook to save her life, I read a ton of food blogs. I find the very best food blogs (Orangette, Poor Man's Feast, Local Milk, Not Without Salt, Manger, to name a few on the top of my head) not only provides the most beautiful photos or the tastiest recipes, but they all craft such wonderful stories to give you personal insight into their process during which the food is prepared. Of course, they all paint a highly romanticized relationship with food that’s not realistic, but it demonstrates how food can be personal and meaningful.

I don’t see why personal style bloggers cannot adapt the same approach for their blogs, in trying to tell better stories through their clothes. There is so much tradition and meaning behind clothing. If there was none to be found, I highly doubt there would be such institutions such as the Costume Institute at the Met devoted entirely to the exhibition, preservation and research of such stories. Perhaps it is all the more difficult when you are a slave to fashion and to the different mandates of seasonal trends—you’ve never given yourself the opportunity to understand yourself and what YOU really want from clothing. The aforementioned food bloggers and their audiences skews older than your average fashion blogger but the stories and ideas are not bound to age. It’s sad to see so little self-examination in your average personal style blog. Are there stories to be found in H&M and Forever 21? (Edit: I know I sound entirely facetious in this last line but I'm actually quite serious.)

Notes from March

2013-04-02T17:57:00.000-04:00

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS.

I trolled you!!! MUAHAHAHAHAH. Of course, I can’t say I timed it too well. I should have posted it earlier in the day for maximum troll-age, however I had underestimated the amount of work that I had to do so I couldn’t post till the end of the day. In hindsight, it was probably more believable. :P

To be honest, I had no idea what to do for April Fools, until I remembered that I took some pictures of my baking sesh with my friend. I did have a première birthday bash (I called it “The Party Beyond the Wall”) so it was grounded in reality. When the comments first trickled in, it was damn satisfying but after seeing how people were genuinely bummed (save for Jess) actually made me kinda sad. Sorry! *Internet hugs*

Mashable made a great list of all the pranks pulled yesterday. Yesterday I was most fooled by HBO Watch's announcement that Peter Dinklage will be replaced in Season 4. I was also rickrolled through a link to the announcement of the release of the next book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by G. R. R. Martin later this year. GOD DAMNIT.

Other things I've found of note last month:

The Prada Candy perfume promotions (as seen above). Directed by Wes Anderson starring Léa Seydoux, it’s so cute and actually fun to watch.
An article on ‘Gucci Addiction’ at GQ. I can’t wait to write about this more in depth on a later date.
Bernard Arnault got knighthood. What has this man done to deserve such recognition? (The same can be said for Sir Philip Green of Top Shop fame.)
Slate Magazine on Minimalism.
Style Terms Every Man Should Know at GQ. Definitely something I do know from years of reading menswear blogs. It's sad to know that I probably know so much more than actual male friends.
A “Talk Ivy” interview at Ivy-Style.com. ABSOLUTE DIVINE READ for reasons you know why.
The opening of & Other Stories by the same folks behind H&M. Is this the rise of what I term, “smart street” (as opposed to the current “high street”), or no?
Farewell to Fung Wah by The Newyorker on Youtube. SO FUNNY. I will miss it only because I never got a chance to take the perilous bus journey to NYC and always opting instead for the much safer (more expensive) Peter Pan. I'm a wuss like that.
Reinventing Fashion Criticism by Final Fashion. Such a good critique on the current (or rather the lack of) fashion critique within the industry. Meta-critique?! I don’t “cover” fashion week anymore unless it’s something truly worth saying/noting, or if you’re my favourite brands ever (MHL or Carven), but even then I don’t find fashion week in general is all that relevant to what I’m trying to discuss on the blog anyway? I don’t know. Again, mayhap more about this later.
Brand Attachment and Judging Ethical Behaviour by Jess of Empty Emptor. Definitely something to keep in mind as I do more research into Uniqlo's practices as promised.
Sterling Archer as a Style Icon. Of course he would be, turtle necks and all. Get it, get it, GET IT?
Something to note about LA and fashion labels, especially after all the hoopla over ~~Sledi~~ Hedi Slimane's abominable collection for ~~YSL~~ Saint Laurent Paris.
To end on something economic-y, China surpasses US as the number one global trading power. Not surprising at all if you ask me.

The reason for so much posting is 1) the guilt from April Fools and 2) I'm hitting second midterm season in the semester and it's time to get down to business (to defeat the Huns duhhh). I know posting will slow to a bare trickle if any so I'm compensating for it now. I know I'm behind on replying to people's comments so I’ll get on that. Meanwhile I can’t wait to plan for next year's epic prank.

Sansa's Favourite

2013-04-01T22:12:00.000-04:00

Did anyone else also catch the première of Game of Thrones season 3 last night? Freakin' epic as usual. If only they were like Mad Men in airing two episodes back to back for their season 5 première. What's novel about watching HBO's hit TV show this time round is that I know completely what's ahead for the most—I finished A Dance With Dragons over spring break earlier. My knowledge of what's going to happen hasn't dampened the suspension and tension of the show much, but it is just rather strange to see story lines still unfolding before you on screen when the books are already deep in discussion on the consequences of said plot lines. I have to admit that I do, on occasion, go on the forums to talk about different conspiracy theories and the interpretation of certain prophecies. You can say I'm perpetually under the nerd glaze.*

For my birthday/première party, I made Sansa's favourite dessert in the books and the show: lemon cakes. These babies are seriously lemon-y. For someone who only ventures into the kitchen on the rarest of occasions (this being the one of them), I'm glad these turned out as well as they did. My friends all gave more than two thumbs up. Wash it down with a good pint of mead or ale and you're all set for a perfect night of epic TV watching (the GoT Blond Ale aren't shipped to my area until next week).

I have said previously that I don't feel all that much different after turning the big 2-0, but now that I've thought more about it, along with so much success in baking, I have decided to stop blogging about fashion and will turn my attention towards writing a food blog. After turning 20, developing my own style and mastering the art of curating my wardrobe, I no longer see a point in talking about curating anymore. I am done with fashion and I plan to retire style blogging. The old style/fashion posts will remain, but otherwise the categories will be revamped to reflect the new direction in content. Thank you so much for following me for the past two years!

The recipe originally appeared on The Inn at the Crossroads.

Elizabethan Lemon Cakes II

This is an original recipe, based on cake receipts from A.W.’s Book of Cookrye (1591) and The English Huswife by Gervase Markham, 1615. A round cake such as this is described in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, where it is compared to the shape of the medieval round shield, the Buckler. Our changes: The original recipe didn’t call for lemon, which we added in. It also didn’t specify a type of seed, so we opted for the classic pairing of lemon and poppyseed.

Ingredients:

~2 cups unbleached flour

1 pkg. yeast

3 Tbs. warm ale (or water; marsala can work, but watch the yeast)

dash of baking soda (optional; can dry out cakes a little!)

1/8 tsp. salt

1 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tbs. poppy seeds

Juice of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lemon

For glaze:

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbs. honey

Sift together the flours and salt; set aside in large bowl. Dissolve yeast in warm ale, along with 1/8 tsp. of the flour mixture. Your yeast should bubble up after a few minutes, indicating that the yeast is still active. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and seeds, followed by the lemon zest and juice. Gently add the yeast to this mixture, then begin to fold in the flour. Use as much flour as is needed to make a smooth, thick batter.

Grease your cupcake pan, and fill the cups 2/3 full. Bake in middle of oven at 325° F for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly before turning onto a cake rack. While they cool, mix the lemon juice and honey for the glaze.

When the cakes have cooled significantly, brush the glaze on. This will take several passes since the glaze soaks into the cake. You can also poke holes in the tops of the cakes with a toothpick for the juice to run down into. For an extra lemony kick, try topping your cakes with lemon curd!

*as defined Peter Dinklage on his recent appearance on The Daily Show

The Big 2-0

2013-03-31T12:32:00.000-04:00

I have officially entered my third decade of life and am finally out of my teens!!! I can still remember when I was 13 in high school and thought that some of the 19 year old seniors (and some almost 20 year olds if you were either a Chinese or South Korean student) were impossibly old. Now come to think of it, I really don't feel all that much different than when I was 13.

If it’s possible, I think I was quite possibly even more “mature” then than I am now. I was this angsty, bitter, cynical teenager, who in an effort to escape the WASPy conformist atmosphere of her boarding school, delved into the arts and sought refuge in fashion. The campus was big enough that I could wander off into the woods, away from human contact and much of civilization, to pore over magazines and books that none of my peers seem to be interested in. I have to thank fashion for taking the edge off of what could have been the darkest and bleakest hours of my adolescence. The things that I have witnessed when a lot of money, lack of parental supervision and teenage hormones are involved! It doesn’t seem all that bad now when I look back on it retrospectively, but it all felt too RAW and REAL for me to deal with it then. I survived to tell the tale. Perhaps this explains my utter distate and avoidance of drama and desperate attention seekers alike (and yes, fashion peacocks included).

To turn the conversation back to style, while I still at times don’t feel internally all that much different than I was 13, externally stylistically speaking, I have finally settled into a groove. I am finally more or less comfortable in my own skin, and thus have very little desire to upset this happy balance I have found for myself by experimenting beyond my comfort zone. It’s not being complacent as much as knowing what works and doesn’t, through mistakes both good and bad over the years. I am glad that I can afford to be lazy as my body shape hasn’t changed all that drastically throughout my high school years, save for my height.

Since people seem receptive to more personal style photos in the Curating + Collecting series, maybe I could also share more personal anecdotes and vignettes, lending more context and flavour to the discussion of wardrobe curation. While more empirical and analytical blogs are absolutely important and are utterly vital to the conversation, the atmosphere can seem a little cold at times were we to rely on that entirely. We are but two sides of the same coin. Maybe I’ll eventually find my own happy medium in talking about wardrobe curation, in the middle ground between the two. To the beginning of my 20something years ahead (which will hopefully not be ANYTHING like the girls on Girls *shudder*).

+ BIG WET KISSES TO JADA WHO CELEBRATED MY BIRTHDAY EARLY IN DC AND TOOK THIS PICTURE FOR ME.

Praktisch

2013-03-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

As part of an attempt to be practical about building the wardrobe, I must introduce you to two bloggers whom I find are the best at giving the readily applicable advice: Maria of Lost in a Spotless Mind and Anuschka of Into-Mind. I don't feel as comfortable giving specific tips as I think my strong suit lies in the more theoretical/analytical part of curating the wardrobe. I'm not too methodical about it either—it's all up in my noggin when I curate. I don't lay out Excel spreadsheets and carefully catalog each item, though I think it might be fun to do on a slow weekend afternoon sometime soon. I'll update you guys and share the list should I get round to it.

There are no absolutes to curating, but guidelines are always helpful, whether you are a beginner or not. Especially if you are a beginner, you want to know how to start don't you? I read these bloggers regularly myself, and while I don't necessarily apply all their tips, I learn so much from their insights.

Maria is a true professional. Her job is, after all, to train fashion consultants and the like. Thus expect nothing but extremely well laid out posts with easy to follow advice and tips. I just love how thorough she is in her posts and how much ground she covers too, from maintenance of clothing, to styling tips to how to dress according to your body type and shape. Her blog is the style manifesto you wished someone had wrote, the style guru you always wanted—a blog of solid, stable, tried-and-tested, timeless advice that anyone could use.

Anuschka's blog is fantastic in her incredible attention to detail. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing escapes her eyes, with her laser-like focus on how to put together the most immaculate wardrobe. Furthermore, she can takes wisps of passing inspiration and distill into actual pieces within a cohesive collection. No one sees the bigger picture and the smaller picture at once as well she does. Her methodical approach to dressing spills over to also other aspects of her life, in both jewellery and makeup. If only I could be nearly as organized!

I am sure everyone can glean and learn something from even the most casual reading of these blogs. The best of all, it's all very digestible and not dry. Professional how-to style books can also learn a thing or two from these two. They would be the ones to email for questions on curating, while I hammer away on the boring stuff like the economics of curating ;)

My Personal Take on Basics

2013-03-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

For the longest time, I've restrained myself from posting too many personal style ‘outfit’ type photos. The reason is because this blog is a reaction against the explosion of personal style blogs within the realm of the fashion blogosphere, which has led to a severe lack of more intelligent and interesting fashion conversations.

Over time though, I do realize that there is value in personal style blogs. One can plainly see just how that individual translates their theories and ideas about their own personal style in real life. After reading all my extensive writings and ramblings about basics, it only makes sense that you should see some examples of my own personal take on them.

My own personal style can be considered—to be honest—quite ‘bland’ compared to most outfit photos out there, and most definitely, to the flashy peacocks of street style blogs. However, this perhaps is exactly the point: the following photos are of what I actually wore on the day these were taken and are representative of what I wear on a everyday basis to lectures, cafés, galleries, concerts, cinemas etc.

As boring as my personal style may seem, I actually really love wearing all the pieces I currently own. A grand majority of the clothing I own are from Uniqlo. I don't experiment much at all as I feel confident and comfortable in my existing style. My style tends to gravitate towards pieces that are easy to maintain and unfussy to wear. I am quite the simpleton. Most items tend to be neutral colour palette-wise but I do like to wear prints on the occasion, providing that silhouette remains clean. My style bible remains to be Take Ivy by T. Hayashida (there is a recent 2010 reprint that you can find in stores and online). I know what I value most in terms of how to prioritize certain ‘investments’—I am always willing to go the extra mile to find a well fitted shirt than spend it on a handbag or a purse. (On that note: I never got a new bag after my last one broke two years ago so now I don’t even have real one on hand at all.)

By showing how I operate within the parameters of my curated wardrobe, you see how flexible, adaptable and unrestrictive ‘curating’ can be without sacrificing anything on the creative interpretive front. I admit I can get over my head in discussing curating on more abstract terms, so if people do find these types of concrete examples valuable then I will try and incorporate more of them in the future. Just be forewarned that many pieces will get “recycled” as I don’t shop all too often.

Peacoat Redux

2013-03-24T20:57:00.000-04:00

I did say that I would be taking better photos to showcase the peacoat I bought from Uniqlo a while ago, didn't I? Well here you go, as seen wearing it while exploring historical Old Town Alexandria, a short metro ride from DC away.

Spring break was short but sweet. Now that I'm back at school, this means that blogging will resume as usual. I definitely missed reading people's blogs and hope to pick up right where I left. I look forward to sharing some other photos of my spring break very soon. Have a great start to the week!

+ COAT, UNIQLO. PURSE, ZARA KIDS. SCARF, GIFT. KHAKIS, UNIQLO. LIPSTICK, CHILI FROM MAC.

Take It or Leave It

2013-03-20T00:40:00.003-04:00

one gift set 3 layering bands from glamrocksdesigns. two reigning champ crewneck navy. three everlane box cut tee white. four everlane ryan tee black. five reigning champ crewneck heather grey.

Like all my “want lists” in the past, these are just somethings like I would like to have but hey if I don’t manage to get around to acquiring them, well that’s okay too. Reigning Champ is a brand that I have been meaning to talk about more – they are a great brand hailing from my hometown of Vancouver, Canada. They make THE best basics for men. That however does not stop me from seriously lusting after their pieces.

I have been meaning to post more during my spring break here in DC but my internet has been quite spotty so far. So I'm afraid you would have to make do with only this post for now until I'm back at school.

+ THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST.

Hello Spring Break

2013-03-15T18:01:00.001-04:00

Can't believe it's already spring break! It's ridiculous – the whole past week was a blur between midterms and re-watching Veronica Mars since it broke $2 million on Kickstarter in one day! What's crazier than realizing Veronica Mars premiering almost ten years ago in 2004, are the actors that I recognize from other projects and some of which are now stars: Paris Hilton (well not so much but I forgot she was even on the show), Max Greenfield who's in New Girl with Zooey Deschanel, Leighton Meester who was in Gossip Girls, Jonathan Bennett who was Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls, Amanda Seyfried (no explanations needed) and of course Aaron Paul who's now on Breaking freakin' Bad. Booyah! And that's all just in season one.

Back to the fashion and spring break talk. Guess where I will be for spring break? Hate to disappoint but no GGW in Florida for me. I'll be going to DC! I have quite a few things planned, being the Fieldmarshal that I am (courtesy of the MBTI test I took on The Nife): visiting museums, concerts, places to eat etc. – but I would love to meet up with anybody who's in DC from the March 18th to the 24th. I hope they have last minute student ticket sales at the Kennedy center as they do in Lincoln center. I'm pretty much down for whatever. Please let me know if you have any recommendations for things to see/hear/eat/do in DC!

Basics vs. Classics

2013-03-11T22:14:00.000-04:00

+ MALGOSIA BELA BY KORAY BIRAND FOR HARPER'S BAZAAR POLSKA MARCH 2013

I’ve been thinking about the concepts of both basics and classics a lot, ever since Jess started to write about the classics (parts 1 & 2). Ever the astute scholar, she definitely gave me a whole lot of food for thought. It made me deeply question why exactly am I so utterly bonkers for trying to find “the right basics” (you may chart my journey starting from the summer of 2011). Are those two the same things, or they different? If so, how then?

I won’t be delving into what are the classics in particular or how did certain items became part of the classics canon – that has already been written thoroughly by Jess herself. From my understanding of “the classics” in general, they are definitely shaped (ironically) by a certain paradigm from the fashion establishment of the day. (I did not find the idea of paradigms from which we view society and vice versa apparent until I started taking my ‘History of Economics’ class FYI.) Classics are supposed to be considered timeless staples that can withstand the ephemerality of fashion, however it makes complete sense that they should conform to an ideal. Namely, that ideal has to fit within a certain framework that is dictated by the society and culture of the time period. As socio-economical structural changes occur (i.e. corsets), the canon changes accordingly to adapt to the new era. So while classics may withstand the changes over the short term (in weeks, seasons and even decades), it’s hard to say what is going to constitute as a classic over the longer term (over a century – or does it matter since we won’t even live that long). Thus, it is possible to see that there is a certain standard the classics does deviate towards to and how one might to begin to differentiate the classics from basics.

The reason why I propose that classics and basics are two fundamentally different things is because basics don't necessarily conform to some kind of canon. It is most certainly not a style like classics can be defined as such (due to the canon), but rather as a genre of foundations for the wardrobe. Basics does have classic connotations, in that basics can be seen as simple pieces, which in turn can be seen as classics because they are so simple and “basic” that they would outlast the fickle nature of fashion cycles. If one were to draw a Venn diagram, basics is one circle while fashion as dictated by designers, stylists and editors another circle, and classics would be where the two overlaps.

Most people will benefit the greatest by seeing the basics as a mere label for clothing that serves as the workhorse staples in your closet, regardless of what your style is. For most women living in Western society, what is deemed “the classics” would constitute the majority of your basics (the LBD, white button down etc.). This is the easiest method that I use in explaining to friends and family my shopping habits and also to correct them (hur hur) when they think building the wardrobe from scratch via the basics is utterly boring and conformist. It would be conformist should you choose to build a wardrobe strictly with basics as defined as “the classics” to the dot, but depending on your lifestyle (sedentary vs. active), age (not defined by the number per se but the mindset and attitude), industry (creative vs. conservative) and location, it can differ wildly from one individual to the next. Basics is what you make of it.

For more on my own personal take on basics: coming soon.

Team Americano

2013-03-09T19:34:00.003-05:00

If there is one team I can get behind, it's Team Americano. Everything by Gant Rugger again is pitch perfect. There are no words as to describe just how beautiful everything looks (and no it's not neccessarily the dudes themselves). Long time readers by now can understand how it tickles my fancy for all things PITA.

More text heavy posts to come as the week starts! Here's to the redditor who says I do not post all that often (don't worry I lurk there too occasionally though not particularly in the FFA subreddit).

This is not a sponsored post and the opinions are all my own.

Winter Essentials+

2013-03-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I neglected to mention in my last post is the blogging is truly the ultimate therapy. The ability to upload and share your unfiltered thoughts helps relieve the stress and tension of everyday life. It’s a suspended fantasy we live in on the interwebs.

Now that we’re (hopefully) in what will be the final stretches of winter to spring, I thought it would be fun to share a little something other than clothes for once. Amanda’s Beauty Regime post was the inspiration here, though this particular post of mine is nowhere near as exhaustive.

During the entirety of my cold, these lozenges were the lifesavers for my throat. People often forget that the snow reflects a lot of UV. This winter it has been particularly snowy so I’ve applied this SPF moisturizing lotion daily to everywhere that’s exposed to the elements because I am lazy like that. Why not kill two bird with one stone?

I got these two in Vancouver a while ago. I thought they made for the perfect winter manicure. The Deborah Lippman one is in "Glitter in the Air" and the OPI one is in "Pirouette My Whistle." I like to layer the Deb Lippman one underneath and the OPI one on top.

From L-R: Impassioned, Chili, So Chaud, Media, all by MAC. I’m not a big makeup person but there's something about the transformative power of lipstick that I love so much. My wardrobe is mostly neutral so these are a fun way of incorporating more colour in my otherwise relatively drab wardrobe. I don’t wear these everyday but on the occasion they’re so much fun.

After a whole lifetime of buying chapstick (expensive lip balms included) and losing them one after the other, I’ve had enough. I went a bought a tub of Vaseline instead and I'm so glad that I did, partially a) I don’t really bring it out with me often so the chance of me losing them is very small, b) no scent/perfume = no irritation, and the unintended side benefit of c) working well to moisturizing the raw area area my nose from all the blowing and sneezing during my cold.

I absolutely love my new watch by Seiko. For the longest time, I wanted the Cartier Tank after seeing it on Lin but it’s not exactly the most utilitarian thing for your average college student. Same goes for my mum's heirloom watches. I need something that doesn’t look too fancy and won’t be prone to theft. My dad got this for me at a mom-and-pop watch store when I was in Hong Kong this winter break that was super affordable. I like the Mad Men vibe of the small watch face – something Peggy might have worn on her first day at Sterling Cooper. I often find the modern day preference for ginormous watches faces to be overwhelming on people with smaller wrists like me. It makes my hand feel instantly more delicate and feminine. It’s great not having to take my phone out of my pocket to check the time (plus I don’t like bringing out with me to class anyway).

What are your random winter essentials this season?

Spring Cleaning the Mind

2013-03-05T08:30:00.000-05:00

+ FIFTY SHADES OF WHITE BY MIKAEL JANSSON FOR WSJ MAGAZINE MAR '13

How does one even begin again after my last post? I spent most of the weekend before the post moping, not doing much, save for the odd shower. I sent an email to my professors and excused myself from classes that Friday. From past experiences though, constant sleeping in and not having a schedule is one quick track to depression. So I forced myself up as the week started again and resumed my normal schedule of classes. I also made my way to the gym for the first time in the semester to get my fair share of endorphins. Boy am I unfit.

My friends were incredible. They took me to Petco (my first time ever). Apparently it was a vaccination day so there were a ton of adorables doggies of all different breeds around for me to play with. Pet therapy is the bomb. That wasn't just it though. They also brought me to the mall to visit dun dun DUN, Forever 21. It must have been over two years since I've been to a Forever 21 store. Honest. And I cringe as I type this: I bought three items of clothing. The quality is shit (to be expected) and rather slutty (therefore not fitting in with my existing wardrobe at all), however they were purchased under extenuating circumstances and I really needed the extra retail therapy.

I had originally planned to stay away from the blog for at least 2+ weeks. What made me really snap out of it though was learning that my professor's wife gave birth over the course of the week. Literally witnessing life moving on before me was surreal. Classes were cancelled (yay) but geez were those giant spoonfuls of perspective pie! Since, I've recovered from a bad cold (the things you contract when you visit your boarding schoolmates at ~~Lena Dunham land~~ Oberlin) and managed to complete two midterms and problem set. Woot woot.

Bet you guys thought I would forget to say one big giant THANK YOU to the Internet. You people are supposed to be creepy and scary. The numerous kind and sweet tweets and emails I received were anything but. You guys know who you are! Even others who did not send me a personal message per se, thank you for continuing to read this blog and giving me a platform to share all sorts of random fashion-related thoughts I have on the spur of the moment.

It's been a while since I've shared things I've like on the web on the blog:

The recent layout change inspiration came from After Visiting Friends. Coincidentally the book also features the macabre theme of death. I'm sure the book is good but the site is just beautiful to look at. I made the overall font size bigger because it wasn't showing up well on my dad's PC at work (LOL I know) but I intend to write more in the future anyway, so here's to not straining your eyeballs as much.
Three sweet new fashion blogs I found. They're all so creative and fresh!

I watched the Beyoncé documentary on HBO Go. Man did she sound like a megalomaniac. That is not to say that she isn't a great strong role model for young girls and I still love her beyond reason. Here's NYMag's review of it for you.
So much about fashion bloggers and the fashion industry has been written since Suzy Menkes' article got blown up on the blogosphere. I've got nothing particularly interesting to add but I loved reading these two responses in particular (apart from Leandra's and Susie Bubble's):

Batty Mamzelle, "Criticism/Uncensored: Why Fashion Bloggers Are Not Journalists, and How They Killed Their Credibility"
Beautifully Invisible, "Fashion Blogging: It's Not Just About Pretty Pictures"

Scott Simpson's essay, "You Are Boring"
Mantone: A Manly Guide to Wearing Color
Q&A of Amancio Ortega on Business of Fashion, whom I have mentioned previously in What's the Big Idea.

Thank you Marlene for featuring me along with some of my own favourite blogger ladies, such as Hannah-Rose and Fen Frances. Thanks Kali for your thoughts on my one-off piece – it's good to know I'm not just talking to myself. A "rebuttal" may come as time permits. Thanks Katrina for linking me in your links loved. Thanks to Joshua Baker of Becoming Minimalist for sending a crap ton of traffic my way.

Can't believe March is already here! God knows I need spring desperately.

Grief

2013-02-25T15:35:00.002-05:00

For the longest time, I've debated whether I should broach the subject of the recent death of a dear friend on the blog. To see one of my favourite bloggers, The Epicurean Dealmaker, do so so eloquently on his has given me the strength to attempt to begin to find closure through the blog.

It is not the first time I've talked about death on the blog. Way back in the spring 2011, I touched upon briefly how the post had been inspired by the passing of my grandfather then due to old age. This time round however, marks the first time that somebody I have known might have passed due to foul play. We still do not know why or how yet. The results from the autopsy were inconclusive. Police investigations are still ongoing. My dear friend shall remain nameless here as her death has already been thoroughly dissected, discussed and scrutinized more than enough times by the public. The reason why I wanted to acknowledge her on the blog, is because is it through this very blog you are reading that I got to meet her.

It started out with a few comments back and forth, which resulted in a series of exchanges of tweets, e-mails and Facebook messages. This all culminated in the most illuminating and rewarding four hour long chat in a coffee shop downtown Vancouver last year. This blog has succeeded above and beyond by allowing me to connect with wonderful likeminded souls, such as my friend. I count myself as one of the fortunate few who had the privilege of knowing her during her tragically short life.

I have spent the past weekend in utter shock. Surely they've misidentified her body? Perhaps they've gotten the wrong picture? All her e-mails and messages from when we last spoke are still there. I could almost will myself to imagine that she would be there to respond back to my messages. It is only now that news of her death – the brutal finality of it – has begun to sink in. If you are reading this from above (or anywhere for that matter) dear friend, know that you are sorely missed by friends and family alike. Rest in peace.

Please excuse my absence from the blog for the time being. I will return soon.