out of the bag

question time

2012-01-23T09:12:00.000+08:00

Blogging for me, began from a selfish impulse and it's basically "me, me, me" all the time. It doesn't do justice to all the wonderful blogs I have come across that have inspired and informed me and made me feel normal to be so exceedingly interested in style.

Hence, I am attempting to "de-me" this space a little, and turn it over to some of my favourite bloggers, through a series of Q&As. Pret a Porter P, Miss Sophie of les anti-modernes*, Hannah-Rose of Capture the Castle, Aissa of The Chic Pragmatist, Lindsay K of Un Petit Bijou and Amanda of Assembled Hazardly are not the only bloggers I follow, but they each represent a distinct point of view and style that I find interesting.

Doubtless many of you would have read their blogs, but there's so much more to a person than what they post, and hopefully this little project sheds just a bit more light on them.

I'll be running one interview per week, when I return from Vietnam.

To those celebrating Lunar New Year, happy new year!

do better this year

2012-01-19T09:36:00.000+08:00

Russh magazine's zodiac tableaux with Susan Miller's predictions for 2012. Too bad it doesn't tell me how I will fare shopping.

With another year over, it's time to take a long hard look at how I fared shopping for clothes and such in 2011.

I set a limit for myself to buy just 10 things last year, but argh, I flunked that challenge, and bought twice that. I feel like I didn't buy much - I spent less time shopping and looking at clothes and I remember mostly rejecting stuff. And yet, busted all the same.

It's frightening how little awareness I have of my spending habits, and generally speaking (not just clothing-wise), I need to get more organised about money management.

I set out four categories of shopping at the end of 2010. Looking back over 2011, my 20-odd items fell into the categories as follows:

a) Cute but unnecessary buys

A sleeveless white cotton top with a little contrast collar from COS. Cute, but something I bought only because I was on holiday and feeling indulgent.
A pretty daisy-print shirt, bought on the same holiday. Again, indulgence.

b) Good staples I depend on

Some shirts (checked, leaf print, all cute)
Some knits (2 pullovers, a cardigan).
A pair of loafers, a pair of flat sandals, a pair of suede Chukka-style boots.
Black cigarette pants. Boring but necessary.

c) Dream purchases

Chanel bag, Cartier watch. No regrets there.

d) Out-and-out mistakes

Tory Burch Reva flats. They're actually great dressy flats - I wear them for weddings and various dressy dinners - but on a daily basis that gold medallion annoys me a lot.
That ivory silk Sykes Silk shirt? I wasn't impressed by the quality for the price, and I rarely wear it because as it turns out, I'm a cotton girl 99% of the time. It was one of the things I had to buy in order to realise I could have lived without it.
Black A.P.C dress. Actually, I like this dress. But I've come to realise my dresses go largely unworn, and so I feel like this was a waste of money. I haven't bought a dress since and I'm going to keep it that way.
Print trousers from Sessun. I have been really, really, wanting a pair of printed trousers all year and caved to the novelty during the ASOS sale. I regretted it a little after I clicked buy, and to add insult to injury, it didn't fit. I've returned it.

I did not meet my aim of cutting down on categories a) and d), even though I thought I was doing well on that front. Clearly, just because I resisted the charms of 20 cute tops doesn't make it okay to buy one cute top.

This year, I will avoid:

The temptation of formal, dressy things: I get it into my head that I need smart dresses and dressy clothes but actually I don't and I always regret the ones I buy that just sit in my closet, reproaching me. I may make an exception for a "dream purchase" but it better be mind-blowing.
Novelty items. I keep falling for these, when things slip from comfortable to boring. But the charm is usually fleeting.
Shirts. I added three to the mix last year, and I feel like I have a very comfortable total.
Knits. Unacceptable to buy so many when it's so hot here. I'm deluded by the air-conditioning into thinking it's okay to buy just one more.
Shoe break. My ballerinas are probably going to break down by the end of this year, but other than that I think my current roster of shoes will go quite a long way.

I've broken the shirt resolution already but I think the shirt falls into "dream purchase" category, so I'm not at all apologetic.

So one more time, with feeling: 10 items, and no more!

PS: Editor of Up and Down Town gave me an award - I'm deeply gratified.

I love an opportunity to tell the bloggers I follow how much I like them, so I am passing on the award to five other bloggers, as per the rules of the award:

- Quiet Houses
- Garderoben
- A Crisp White Shirt
- maxima/minima
- indigoalison

This award meant for blogs with less than 200 followers.
The rules:
1) You are to thank the giver, who gave it to you.
2) Reveal your 5 blogger picks, and let them know, by leaving a comment on their blog.
3) Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4) Hope, that the people, you have sent the award to, will forward it to their 5 favorite bloggers.

I'm in Vietnam as this post comes onto the blog. Happy Lunar New Year to all those celebrate it!

Picture from russh

realisation

2012-01-17T10:18:00.006+08:00

A package was waiting for me yesterday at the office that declared its contents in no uncertain terms: small, rectangular, wrapped in brown parcel paper and taped up with thick white tape that said "MARGARET HOWELL".

It cheered me up to no end, but I had no time to revel in the moment (the sight of my email inbox quailed me).

This morning, I opened the package to find a tightly wrapped bundle of bubble wrap.

After spending about 10 seconds compulsively popping a few, I unwrapped it, and, looking like it definitely travelled a few miles to get here, was this -

I lifted the lid, and found this -

Joy.

I'd thought of a luxury items as something lush, ornate, couture workmanship, materials so fine I fear to sully it. And sometimes are like that.

But looking at this shirt, I understood why MH is such a hit in Japan - it has the kind of simplicity that has been refined and refined without losing that sense of "rawness" and that's very much in tune with a certain Japanese aesthetic. The silk cotton has raw, rough/smooth quality that feels very no-nonsense; the seams, collar and cuffs are neat and precise but they are not meant to look razor sharp and slick.It's very unassuming, elegant, and it's very confident in its simplicity. I like that. It feels luxurious to me in a way that's different from say, a Birkin bag.

In the grand scheme of things, the workmanship is not the main reason why I bought the shirt (after all, a lot of companies do shirts well). It still comes back to the spirit in which MH designs her clothes, and that spirit comes across very well in her clothing. As long as this spirit holds true for me, I will happily justify her high prices and buy her clothes again when the right piece comes along.

the space between

2012-01-14T00:04:00.000+08:00

On a train somewhere between Brussels and Paris, November 2011

My impending trip to Hanoi, Vietnam next week (we're getting away for the Lunar New Year this year) reminded me of the joys of travelling - something I need to badly remember, as my frenetic week drew to an end.

One of the things I love about travelling is the ample time for solitude. A good part of your trip is bound to be spend getting somewhere – train, plane, subways, boats, buses etc – and with a good hot drink, a fully-charged iPod, some reading material (optional), you have at least one good, stress-free hour ahead of you to simply let your mind rest and your thoughts flourish.

Commuting at home is different – there’s a task lying ahead of you (one you might not want to do) and there’s always an underlying source of stress waiting to be tackled. On a holiday, travelling is just that: you’re in between places and free to observe, no pressure. I hate flying, but I enjoy time spend on trains and buses, watching scenery fly (or sometimes, crawl) by, making up stories about fellow passengers, playing DJ with my iPod and conjuring the perfect playlist for the journey, reviewing photos on my camera.

One of my most beautiful journeys ever was on a bus (12 hours!) from Zagreb to Dubrovnik in Croatia – it was like travelling through postcards of Croatia’s stunning landscape. There were forests and streams straight from a Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale, wide scrubby plains and hillsides that brought to mind the Byzantines, and craggy coastlines falling away into sapphire waters. And one hell of a driver – he wound his way through winding mountain roads swiftly and smoothly, no jerky turns and brakes.

One of my most memorable was a four-hour bus ride in Vietnam where my friend and I chatted with three middle-aged Israelis who told us amusing stories about serving in the Israeli army, explained the Hebrew alphabet, and bought us ice-cream.

One of the most hellish was a 25-hour (yes you read right) train ride from Xi'an to Nanjing, when my father, my sister and I foolishly decided to travel across China during the biggest human migration of the year - the Lunar New Year. For 19 hours of the journey we stood in a packed carriage, taking turns to sit on our backpacks. The upside was the calm and dignity of our fellow travellers, which made the trip as painless as it could possibly be. And my iPod saved my life.

My style notes for such a trip: my most comfortable trousers – the only time I wear leggings – a big cozy sweater or cardigan over a soft t-shirt – shoes you can easily slip on or off, a scarf you can roll into a neck pillow when you decide to sleep, things that are dirt proof. Lose the sweater/cardi if it’s a hot weather trip.

What’s your favourite journey?

all i need...

2012-01-11T01:59:00.006+08:00

After yoga today I window-shopped in town before I headed to work, and oh, how lovely it is to feel summer-weight clothing in shops again. It's wonderful to look at shop windows and see looks that really inspire me because I can actually wear them.

The 3.1 Phillip Lim spring/summer collection had me cooing over the pure, sculptural forms; my heart fluttered at these breezy Vanessa Bruno Athé spring trousers the colour of Ming porcelain (both the Athé and main collections are actually really lovely).

But when you get down to it, Vanessa Jackman is right. All you need to usher in warmer days is something loose, white and crisp, bare legs, comfy shoes you can hop, skip and jump in. Forget shopping. Hello sunshine*.

*If this dratted rain stops.

Picture from Vanessa Jackman

connecting

2012-01-10T01:49:00.003+08:00

"One of the things I've always liked about clothing is the potential for a positive connection to someone else - either the designer, the seamstress, a fellow admirer, or the original owner, etc." - Editor

I remember that comment made by editor on a post last year because it simply and elegantly captures how I feel about certain purchases - you're not just buying things to clothe yourself in, it's an appreciation of something personal to you.

I've long felt that way about Margaret Howell's clothes. I don't need any of the things she's designing but ever since I came across her designs and her design philosophy, I've felt the desire to buy something of hers when the magic item comes along. A bit like rooting for your favourite sports team, to put it clumsily. When I was at the V&A last year, I took pleasure in checking out the staff uniforms, which she designed.

I spotted the magic item a couple months ago, and have been stalking it since. It did go on sale, but it's sold out in my size online.

However, after a helpful, responsive email exchange with the shop in London, I found that my size was in stock and they would happily ship it to me from the shop - which is remarkably helpful - and they even provided me with the measurements.

So, I committed to it. Certainly I don't need another striped shirt, but the curved collar, the shirttail hem, the 3/4 sleeves, and oh yes, the fact that it's by Margaret Howell, proved powerfully persuasive.

So there you have it - my one sale purchase of the season (I returned the trousers that didn't fit). It feels like a positive end to a year of shopping.

P.S: I've posted this quote by Margaret Howell before, but I don't see why it shouldn't be repeated -

"I am a hands-on designer and make is integral to my philosophy. It's crucial how a piece of clothing feels when worn. I've always wanted clothes to be the way I drew them - relaxed, lived in, a natural look.

I am inspired by authencity in nature, people and places; the same quality I look for in fabrics whether Harris tweed or Irish linen....I enjoy pulling these threads of British quality, tradition and skill together in clothes that are meant to be worn in the real world, where good design is about living with thoughtful style."

Picture from margaret howell

notes for january

2012-01-08T12:58:00.004+08:00

Kensington Gardens, London, 2011

My desire to post leaf pictures is directly proportional to how tired I feel. Any delusions of easing into the new work year were knocked out of me, with work raining down on me like punches. In fact I have work to finish right now, but posting something pretty feels very, very pivotal to my ability to get past the next hour or so without wanting to stab my hand.

Anyway, a few things I've been thinking about since the year began...

Why isn't "A Dance of Dragons" available in paperback already? I want to read a 1,000-page book without straining my wrist.
Must remember to bring sunglasses out with me now that the sun has started showing its face again, following a month of daily rain.
Prices of organic veggies are getting quite a bit more affordable now. Hurrah!
Buying trousers online was a really bad idea.
Stalking a sage-and-white striped shirt. But is it time to stop buying striped button-downs?
Almonds are a really good snack. Just satisfying enough, so I automatically stop after a handful. It's also a somewhat healthier alternative my dark choc digestives habit.
Rewatched some old "30 Rock" last night. So good. Where did it go? Why isn't it back?
I really need to start planning that family trip to Hanoi happening in two weeks.

a charm

2012-01-06T00:30:00.000+08:00

I had been saying that Aurelie Bidermann's braided bracelets reminded me of the friendship bands we used to make for each other and wore until they disintegrated. Well, I got one for Christmas, unexpectedly.

Even more unexpectedly, for a no-jewellery person, I've been wearing it often. It's thin enough to wear with my watch without scratching the watch, and I like the way they look together - it's less serious, more laidback, a little kitsch. It's has the look of a lucky charm. And something about the burst of colour looks right for life in the tropics.

My only complaint? The paper clip fastening makes it a total bitch to put on and take off by myself. I've bought an cheapo little clasp and attached it to make my own fastening. Speeds things up quite a bit.

testing me testing me

2012-01-04T01:20:00.002+08:00

"Surreal shopper" by Herbert Matter in Harper's Bazaar, discovered through Prêt à Porter P

Over the past couple of weeks, there were more quiet spells than usual during work hours that left me with too much time in front of the computer, drawing me dangerously close to being seduced by that general atmosphere of “Shop, shop, shop!”. Bored, I started seeking the thrill of the new, and nearly dropped a lot of money on things I don’t mind owning, but didn’t really want. In the end, my wallet escaped largely unscathed (I did buy a pair of trousers), but I’m a bit shaken by how obsessive the mind can be when it comes to my weakness for beautiful clothing.

I was saved by my distrust for online shopping. I have bought quite a few things on the internet and sometimes it’s worked. But just as often, when the item arrives, I know immediately it’s something I would have never bought had I seen it in person and tried it on first – the shoe is just a little too snug at the toe, the shirt sleeves are bigger than I thought, the material feels all wrong, the colour is just a little off. Or, it just looks overwhelming ordinary.

Things can be elevated to a god-like status over the internet – maybe it’s gets re-blogged endlessly on Tumblr, maybe it’s been worn beautifully by someone super-chic and captured on a street-style blog, maybe it will forever be immortalised on a page in the designer’s lookbook, pristine and perfect on a model after hours of styling and shooting.

This idealisation makes me think that item XYZ can’t possibly be a bad purchase. I forget that life is not viewed through artful photography and flattering lighting, and I’m not that stunningly cool girl on Vanessa Jackman. I forget that I have no idea whether the fabric is going to feel right. I forget how shoes often don’t fit right on me (because I’m between sizes) and they should be tried on for certainty. I fall in love with the image, the branding, the enthusiasm of someone else who already has it, the thrill of the new, and I click “Buy Now”.

Of course, experienced shoppers and ebay experts know how to track down a savvy bargain or a real treasure over the internet. And sometimes I score with brands I’m familiar with and with safe items like tops, or I’ve already seen the item in real life and I’m hoping to find a better deal on the internet.

But otherwise, I think it’s good to remind myself from time to time not to get carried away by what is visually inspiring. So, I will:

Remember that life does not look like how Garance Doré photographed it,
Also, life is not a lookbook.
Close the browser window if there is any nugget of uncertainty about fit.
Know what parts of my body are tricky to fit and avoid things that are iffy in those areas.
Not risk buying shoes online unless I’ve tried them on before.
Remember return shipping is costly and wasteful (shipping anything from the US costs me at least US$35, from the UK it’s some GBP20-30).
Remember that the thrill of the chase doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth owning

PS: I came across that picture on Prêt à Porter P while I was thinking over this post, and it was so perfect that I had to steal it.

down time

2012-01-02T18:01:00.002+08:00

I ate well, drank well, slept well, watched too much Downton Abbey, and had plenty of time to be by myself and be with family and friends. All in all, New Year's was a far more relaxing break than Christmas, and I couldn't think of a better way to transit into 2012. It's going to be a bumpy year ahead, but then what's new?

Hope everyone had a lovely break!

notes for december

2011-12-23T00:03:00.001+08:00

My navy cardigan. I never stop loving this colour but when the December rains come and almost everyday is wet and grey, the richness of the colour feels just right.
All-butter shortbread from Marks and Spencer. One of these days I'm going to get down to baking some but for now, instant gratification from M&S is just what I need.
Nescafe Alta Rice instant coffee - I decided to cut my flat white habit (saving me about $100 a month, a flat white or latte goes for about S$5 here) and went back to storing instant coffee at my desk. This stuff from Nescafe smells so good that people in my office are constantly badgering me for some.
汤圆, or glutinous rice balls. My family is big on 冬至, or the Winter Solstice, even though it's not really celebrated in Singapore in as a big a way as it is in China or Taiwan. It's basically a time for families to reunite as everyone hunkers down for winter, and rice balls are traditionally eaten. We glazed the rice balls with powdered peanuts mixed with crushed black sesame seeds and melted brown sugar. So comforting.
Jet's "Get Born" album. Reliving old times.
My white Gram high-top sneakers. I don't usually wear them more than once a month but I'm really on a roll with them this month. I bought them in Berlin in 2007 and they marked the end of my sneaker era - I graduated and began working and sneakers were no longer suitable every day. More reliving of old times.

This time of the year makes me nostalgic and wistful, but also eager for the coming year. I'm taking a break from posting until the new year, but I'll still be reading blogs as usual, and I already have posts planned for 2012 that I can't wait to share.

I still can't quite believe that people read this blog, and to those who have commented and shared their thoughts here, you've made this space more interesting, more fun, and less self-absorbed.

Happy holidays and see you all in 2012!

a good vintage: on the shelf

2011-12-20T13:20:00.000+08:00

A few of the older editions of US Vogue I still have - how I wished I kept more. As a child and as a teenager, I was fascinated and intimidated by fashion. They were windows to an aesthetically refined world, that bore very little relation to my everyday life of as a schoolgirl in uniform. They were an education in fashion, art, film and photography, and even now I can trace my preference for certain things back to them, even as I have come to see the aspects in which they are lacking.

It seems silly to some of my friends and family at first when they learn of my library of magazines, neatly shelved, arranged by title and year, tended carefully the way I tend to my novels and other books. But there's a difference between these magazines, and publications like Cosmopolitan, or Glamour, or Cleo. The photography is among the best - Irving Penn, Peter Lindbergh, Annie Leibowitz, Patrick Demarchelier, Herb Ritts, Helmut Newton. There are pictures in there I would gladly frame up, and I love that such photography gems were available for a few dollars on newstands around the world, every month. Now that some of these photographers have passed on, I often think, why didn't I keep more of them?

Anyway I thought since I'm on a nostalgia trip - it must the end of the year making me sentimental for lost time - I would go through an issue thoroughly and see how I feel about these pictures a decade on.

This is one of the oldest issues I still have around, from April 1999. By then, my magazine habit was full-fledged - I didn't buy every issue but every month, I diligently went to Tower Books (just above Tower Records) and decided which titles were worth parting my pocket money with. (Tower Books and Tower Records were a browser's heaven, I spent hour in them choosing books, magazines, and music.)

I remember I loved the ball skirt and tank top look on the cover because I'd loved Sharon Stone wearing her then-husband's shirt with her Vera Wang ball skirt to the 1998 Oscars and I thought that was terribly glamorous and offhand at the same time. I've lost my taste for this look by now, but Sharon Stone's look? Still utterly timeless.

I loved this Ralph Lauren campaign with Gisele - the purity, the ease, the feel of luxury. I wonder whether a designer could build a luxury business now on such designswhen people can get the same looks at Zara and Uniqlo? The quality might be crappier, but not everyone cares.

This Liz Claiborne look is so very Ashley Olsen now -

I liked this editorial more for the mood than the clothes -

The Yohji look on the right, I'll always love. It's sculptural and easy, somehow -

There's also nothing especially interesting about the clothes in this editorial, but the all-American styling is a great frame for Lauren Hutton. These preppy, WASP-y editorials were very common in Vogue then.

Everything in this editorial of white shirts prove what a staple white shirting is (okay, as if we need anyone to tell us that). The actresses may not faded into obscurity, but the clothes live on.

This feature of the Star Wars prequel costumes was one reason why I bought this issue. I liked Star Wars as a kid and was pretty excited by the prequels. Who knew they would be so blah? The costumes were great though. Audrey Marnay is really working them.

The Fendi Baguette! Not an issue went by without one for at least two years, I think. For something hyped as a new classic, I think they look quite dated. What do you think?

Katherine Betts, who went on to a short-lived stint at Bazaar, created the Index section still found in the current Vogues.

I prefer the way Vogue does these shopping pages now, because they cram relatively less products on the pages and usually center it around a model or society It Girl so it doesn't look just like rows of product.

I really wanted one of these then. I wonder what happened to them?

There are lots more I haven't bothered to capture - including a timely article about how the new dot-com rich spend their money (this was before the tech bubble burst in 2000) and women working in the IT sector. Those really captured a portrait of the era: confident, optimistic, a shift from traditional sectors to the new. There was also a funny piece on being suckered by sample sales, and an essay by the legendary fashion journalist Amy Spindler, former style editor of The New York Times Magazine, on her battle with cancer. She died, but passed away in 2004 from a brain tumour.

I'm a tad surprised at how much of what I saw in the magazine I would still happily wear, although perhaps 12 years isn't all that long ago. Still, with the Kurt Andersen essay in mind, I feel like it's not a bad thing that not ALL clothes have evolved and innovated beyond recognition - surely sometimes good design endures to become a classic?

Which are the magazines that captured your style imagination?

made me think

2011-12-16T02:02:00.000+08:00

Just a couple of things I found time to read while (sadly) eating dinner at my office desk.

1) A really nice roundtable on GQ about menswear blogs. Read it here.

A lot of good points raised, and I found that I could identify with this particular sentiment (which doesn't sum up the discussion, so you should still go read that):

Aliotsy Andrianarivo (blogger, This Fits): "What's challenging to people who are just starting out [is] trying to pull off [Brunello] Cucinelli in a week—you see it in a lookbook and you want to buy all the pieces. I had a certain degree of that starting out. The blogosphere can encourage that."

I admit, I felt that sometimes too, when I started paying attention to shopping for clothes, although I don't believe I have acted on that impulse to buy an entire look. Did you?

2) This piece by Kurt Andersen for Vanity Fair questioning just how much has design and culture changed in the last two decades. I'm still thinking over his argument and how I feel about those two things.

time to mature

2011-12-14T19:50:00.005+08:00

Lucky magazine

I saw this issue of Lucky a few days ago when I was getting my hair trimmed. Kirsten Dunst look a little artificial on the cover and in her editorial, but this particular picture of the stuff she loves and has worn in grabbed at me - it's nice to see a celebrity feature where you see their beat-up stuff. It feels a little more real, and reminds me that the best things in my closet are the oldest or most well-used things. A little like this nice tumblr called It's Worn where people submit pictures of things that look better with age.

And Kirsten, in her own words about the stuff featured in the picture:

“This is Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton. It’s simple and doesn’t have too many tchotchkes; I like that it has no hardware. I use it every day. I’m not kidding: Every. Single. Day.”

“Whenever I’m getting my nails done, I bring a bottle of Chanel. They make the prettiest colors.”

“This is called Passage to Hell. It’s an addictive smell, very spicy and womanly. I usually wear it at night. And I guess I wear it pretty often, because it’s totally empty.”

“I’ve had these A.P.C. shoes for two years and I’ve already had them refinished. I wear them all the time—with dresses, with jeans. They’re really comfortable.”

“I don’t relate to happy poetry. This book is incredibly honest. What can you say that doesn’t sound ridiculously pretentious? She’s fucking Patti Smith.”

“This William Eggleston photograph reminds me of The Virgin Suicides. It’s beautiful.”

“My best friend Molly took me to Disneyland for my birthday last year and I got this [Disney button].”

Picture from lucky magazine

the message

2011-12-09T23:28:00.001+08:00

I took this picture last month, but I didn't have a post in mind.

Then I came across this post on Put This On, and it struck me because it put a finger what I've been finding amusing when I read menswear magazines, blogs etc:

"I’ve lamented to friends that people care too much about the authenticity of their clothes, but don’t demand the same authenticity in people. There are people who dress like international men of leisure, but they’ve never travelled outside of the country; people who dress like they come from elite universities, but aren’t terribly well read; people who dress like early 20th-century factory workers, but … live in 2011. "

Obviously, it's not that only a lumberjack can wear a plaid shirt, but personally, I hope that whenever I meet people, their clothes aren't mere costume. You want to know people who dress like they live - that's authentic, honest, confident, and inspiring.

There are different motivations behind people dressing the way they do - they dress like the person they dream of being, they dress to fit in, etc - but whatever it is, I think the ones we admire are those who have more than just the right props.

I think I am drawn to simple, non-statement clothing and styles, because I feel fake in anything else. Sure, I have my influences, but I don't feel like they show up in how I dress. And as much as possible, I never want to give anyone the impression I'm something that I'm not.

Thoughts on that Put This On post? And what do you want your clothes to say?

*EDIT: Thanks everyone who commented, from your comments I realise how judge-y I sounded and probably a little belittling as well, which was unintentional and should have been better explained. I'm not against aspirational and inspired dressing, just against the shallow pursuit of solely a "look". I think we have all come across extreme cases like that and that's what I find distasteful. But of course it's fine to wear a hunting jacket even if you don't hunt. I'd love a pair of riding boots, and I only ride bicycles.

a good vintage: "two for the road"

2011-12-08T02:23:00.001+08:00

Magazine: "Two for the Road", US Vogue 2000
Photographer: Michael Thompson
Fashion editor: Tonne Goodman (of course!)

This is classic US Vogue editorial from 2000 - beautiful American sportswear, a fresh outdoors-y setting, Gisele.

Sportswear started out as a term for separates (blouses, trousers, skirts) - the opposite of suits and dresses, the opposite of looking perfectly "done". This is what I mean when I say sportswear, I don't mean hoodies or things made of nylon.

Coco Chanel had the right idea when she started doing jersey separates for women, but apart from her, Americans like Claire McCardell and Clare Potter are considered the true precursors to modern sportswear. Whatever the origins, sportswear for women sprang from a desire for a polished but relaxed look, a desire for clothes that suited women whose lives were becoming increasingly active, fast-paced, emancipated.

Because of these ideals, I'm quite sentimental and attached to the idea of American sportswear, and I consider it a foundation for my style.

I like this edit because it appeals to my dual desire for a life in a city, and out. It prescribes classic, clean lines, fresh neutral tones, a fuss-free attitude. There's nothing edgy about the clothes, and it's very safe styling, but you wouldn't look at it and deride it as "pandering to Middle America". Instead, you look at it (well, I did anyway) and see a celebration of classic sportwear, a lifestyle to long for. The look is simple but sophisticated, and it has that gloss and polish that is a Vogue signature, the sort of aspirational thing they used to do so well.

These days, I rarely want to be the woman in a Vogue editorial, but back then, when I was 16, I looked at this, and thought, 'That's how I'd like to dress when I grow up'.

Pictures scanned by burbuja8910 via tfs

surface matters

2011-12-05T20:55:00.001+08:00

"You could have used something else and your skin would have been better, but you never know because you choose that one cream and you think it works, but you don’t know if you could have looked even better with another cream." - Inez van Lamsweerde on "Into the Gloss"

I feel this truth of this quote more acutely now that I actually see my skin ageing – it’s no longer an abstract I read about in magazines. In theory, I accept ageing as due course. In reality, I have to restrain myself from losing all control in the beauty section of a department store and start flinging money at La Mer, La Prairie, SK-II, etc.

Still, I'm trying my best to fight the panic. I had been flirting with the idea of serums and other more potent products than my standard regime of moisturiser… and moisturiser. But a fling with Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrat e left my skin breaking out more than usual and so I gave it to a friend. Testing out samples of other serums didn’t move me either.

So I came back to square one in the end – stick to my routine of a good cleanser and moisturiser and let go of the insecurity driving my burning desire for a miracle product. Instead, I’m dedicating this post to the little things I love that makes me feel better about my temperamental skin.

I’m big on moisturising – my skin is happiest when it's well-hydrated, so I devote a lot of time to finding the perfect one that hydrates without getting greasy in the tropical weather.

I’m not especially brand loyal, and I also think that often there’s no big difference between one product and another in terms of functionality – most things on the shelf are probably pretty effective, but no one brand works for everyone. It comes down to a mix of personal brand preference and finding something your skin “takes” to. You just have to keep trying until you find something that works.

Scent is very important to me when choosing a product. I find the smoothing on of something that smells fantastic very therapeutic and calming – at the end of the day it’s part of my “winding down” ritual.

Brands I’ve always liked are Shu Uemura, L’Occitane, Jurlique, and Aesop. All of them make great cleansers that clean very thoroughly without drying me out, and smell fantastic – Shu Uemura’s Foaming Cleansing Water, L’Occitane’s Imortelle Brightening Cleansing Foam, and Aesop’s Amazing Face Cleanser especially. I rotate between these three.

Jurlique makes the best exfoliating scrub I’ve ever tried – it smells like breakfast (oatmeal, honey, a hint of something tart) and your skin feels amazingly smooth (but not raw) after. It also leaves me with this zingy, glowing feeling. I can only describe it as sheer awesomeness.

Exfoliating is a big part of my routine – I do so at least once a week because humidity makes my skin clog up so fast. I also like Kiehl’s Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Mask every other week for a real good clean.

I’ve had to change moisturisers a few times to keep up with the changes in my skin – it dehydrates a lot more than it did in my teens and early 20s. I no longer wash my face with cleanser in the morning because it’s too drying – water does the job these days. Shu Uemura’s Depsea Moisturising Lotion has been the best moisturiser for me by far, but recently I made the jump to Aveda’s Botanical Kinetics Hydrating Lotion – it is hands-down one of the best-smelling moisturisers I have ever tried, and it does the job well.

I’ve been taking a bigger interest in Aveda because of their eco-credentials - the company, though owned by cosmetics giant Estee Lauder, is committed to responsible packaging, responsibly sourced and natural ingredients, buys wind power to manufacture its products, and doesn't conduct animal testing. Now that they have a store in Singapore, I have more opportunity to try out their products. Jurlique is also good if you want to try products that are grown and sourced sustainably. ASOS stocks a decent range of “green” beauty products, although that is probably cancelled by the carbon footprint of the shipping, haha.

For body, I like body lotions from Aesop (primary for the smell) and L’Occitane (excellent hydration, and smell). L’Occitane and Aveda are also my go-tos for shampoo, but when my budget is low, I like L’Oreal – and their new sulfate-free EverPure range rocks. It’s for coloured hair but it works pretty well for me, and smells amazing – rosemary and mint.

So that’s my beauty routine, in one very rambly post. Share yours? Even better, do a post! Everyone should have an Into The Gloss moment.

PS: I have fine lines forming under my eyes, and think I need to consider eye cream. Any recommendations?

Picture from restoration hardware, via remodelista

the present situation

2011-12-02T21:49:00.000+08:00

I don’t celebrate Christmas, but with several birthdays falling around late November all through December (including my younger sister’s), I tend to get caught up with the gifting frenzy around this time of the year. After a couple of agonising weeks of brainstorming, shopping, consulting friends over group gifts, and shopping again, I finally crossed every item off the list, and I’m quite pleased with myself for finding the right thing for the right person, keeping all the co-gifters happy, and within the allocated budgets. I should be paid for this. Why are all my skills so unprofitable?

I don’t like online shopping but I am quite grateful for the invention because it means I can do some of this in between work at the office, saving me some time. 2 of my gifts were found this way, and I’m satisfied that they also happen to be things not commonly-found in Singapore – another advantage of online shopping. Moreover, I could take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals – something previously US-centric but thanks to internet, now helping me save some pennies. The downside was placing my orders before the Christmas crush – which caused a certain amount of stress.

So one cooking-mad friend will get a measuring cup that’s also a digital weighing scale which I ordered from the Williams-Sonoma website – thank goodness for the 50% discount on shipping or it would have been uneconomical to ship it here. I’m pairing it with a copy of Frank Bruni’s autobiography, “Born Round”, which is so good, I miss seeing his food pieces on NYT so much.

Another friend will get the whale print pillow from Mengseldesign, found on their etsy store. I have the same print framed on my wall, was very tempted to buy the pillow for myself. I’m pairing the pillow with a candle from Aveda – they just opened a store here, and I need to do a separate post on them: I’ve always loved their products and eco-consciousness and love that I no longer have to track them down in odd hair salons in Singapore. The candle smells like vanilla, ginger and cassia, and makes you feel like you’re in a spa. Also, it’s quite reasonably priced as candles go.

I don’t think much of the bags and clothes at Bimba & Lola – quality doesn’t match the price – but I like going there to look for accessories like belts, jewellery, and scarves, which are decent quality and comparatively well-priced. I found the super-cute polka-dot scarf for a friend – love the dark grey matched with chartreuse and the trim of zany animals. It’s subtly humorous. Also, it was 50% off! Definitely my best bargain.

The terrarium - from a company here called Paperus - goes to a guy friend who is very neat, precise and likes things just so. Self-explanatory why a terrarium makes perfect sense. And they’re so pretty!

Finally, not pictured, but my younger sister will get a gift I bought in London – a red python wallet from Prada – purchased with contributions from my mother and older sister. I consider it a good deal because it’s a lot cheaper in London, nearly 40% difference factoring in the tax refund. Designer goods cost so much here now, especially with the euro and GBP depreciating so much against the Sing dollar – I’ll never buy something designer here if I can help it.

So that’s 2011 gifting all wrapped up, and a pat on my back. Of course, in the course of all that extensive shopping I saw many a thing to move my heart – an Aurelie Bidermann ring, Koto Bofolo’s “La Maison”. As a substitute, I bought myself some Valrhona chocolate. Ah well.

Pictures from paperus, aveda, williams-sonoma, bimba & lola, mengseldesign

a good vintage: on course for resort

2011-11-30T16:20:00.000+08:00

So many of my favourite editorials come from the late nineties and early 2000s. If I had to pick an era that defined my style, it would be those years, when I started reading fashion magazines, where Liz Tilberis and Kate Betts were as doing really interesting things at US Harper's Bazaar, models like Amber Valleta, Kirsty Hume, Maggie Rizer, Angela Lindvall and Gisele Bundchen were in their heyday. I was drawn to the US glossies (magazines like i-D and The Face and Dazed were not on my radar) - I loved American designers, and I found classic American sportswear to be my cup of tea: easy, simple, luxurious. The magazines were about a shiny, happy life, glamorous but clean-cut. At 13, they seemed the ideal.

I came across some of my favourite editorials from the period recently, and was struck by how modern they still feel. Here's a selection from one of them from 1996, starring the evergreen Linda Evangelista. It features some of my favourite motifs: boats, the sea, cozy knits, bare feet, a carefree ease to the clothes.

Magazine: "On Course for Resort", US Harper's Bazaar November 1996
Photographer: Patrick Demarchelier
Fashion editor: Tonne Goodman

One thing I also love about these images is that the digital retouching was far less extreme then - you can still see the genuine texture of their skin, and everything is not hyper-sharp. They felt real.

a woman is a woman

2011-11-28T21:35:00.000+08:00

I "girl-ed up" over the past weekend for a lunch. There are times when I feel like wearing a dress is the only appropriate option and this was one of those instances, to say the least.

More and more, I grativate towards wearing my dresses with flat sandals, and so on Sunday, I gave this formula another spin. I know my accessories don't match, but the day turned out pleasantly enough. In a dress and flats or heels, a little part of me always feels like I'm masquerading as a more demure person, but sandals feel relaxed and easy.

Some field notes on the charms of a dress (with lots of stereotyping):

a) men hold doors open for you
b) men pull out chairs for you
c) men fetch drinks for you (generally, men really like dresses)
d) mothers approve
e) it's nice to feel the sun on your legs
f) they are cool to wear in the heat
g) they are versatile and go from day to evening quite easily

So, not writing dresses off yet then.

fallen, gone

2011-11-25T01:22:00.000+08:00

A string of memories, brought on by a spray of my favourite scent.

i)
I remembered the time you and I sat in that café at Kinokuniya with the bad food and good coffee and discussed our mutual admiration for Susan Orlean and "The Orchid Thief", and how we were going to brilliant journalists like her, the kind that's genuinely fascinated by what other people dismiss as ordinary. We talked about flowers and writing and and possibilities. Flowers, coffee, warm afternoon sun, the quiet hush of a shop full of paper. The smell of hope and optimism.

ii)
It had been a long, somewhat dispiriting day of diving, seeing the ruin caused by activities like ours, and while we were waiting for the boat to dock, the light became a dim gold, a breeze carried the sweet, heavy scent of frangipani over to us, as we watched the sun gently dip onto horizon we left behind. It doesn't seem possible to feel loss and contentment all at once, but we did.

iii)
We sat on a sidewalk after one too many drinks and it was chilly and damp in the worst possibly way, but we talked like we had all the time in the world. I carry your words in my heart and it's still the best advice anyone has given me. Every time I pass that tree and see the white flowers bloom, I think of you.

I have used this perfume for close to a year now, but recently, for the first time, it made me remember all these things.

Do your perfumes bring back any special memories? Do share.

excursion to the theatre

2011-11-23T01:12:00.003+08:00

I went to catch Kevin Spacey in "Richard III" yesterday evening. For the first couple of scenes, it was watching something in a foreign language - my brain could not compute Shakespearean, and I'd never read the play. Once I got used to it though, I thoroughly enjoyed myself - it was an electric, vigorous performance (I really liked Haydn Gwynne's performance as Queen Elizabeth), the gaunt, arresting, set design, the coherent direction (Sam Mendes) that made the play easy to follow for strangers to the story like me.

I had thought of putting on a dress (oh, the poor neglected creatures in my closet) but in the end I stuck to the cream silk shirt I already had on (which tends to billow at the back like pajamas), dark jeans, and leopard loafers.

A glimpse of my outfit, as I sat on the bus, sleepy and hungry.

I was wide awake after the play though. I'm not a big watcher of plays, but there's something very intense about watching people throw themselves into a character right in front of you, and sometimes you leave with a little bit of them inside, which is unsettling.

notes for november

2011-11-17T12:33:00.002+08:00

My dark selvedge denim jeans. I’ve been wearing my softer, more beaten up jeans all year, but it’s high time I continue to break in my 4-years-old-but-still-paper-crisp denims. The gorgeous inky colour is the perfect way to change the mood of my usual denim-and-shirt outfits – sharp and crisp.
The “Drive” soundtrack. Saw the movie last week, and can’t stop humming “Real Hero” by College. Oh, the movie was good too.
“Community”. Please bring it back, NBC.
Two new soft bras from COS. So comfortable, pretty but sleek.
Jo Malone’s “Vintage Gardenia” cologne. One year on, I’m still in love with this perfume. It has a way of bringing back certain memories. Should probably do a separate post on this one.

And I leave you with this fine quote from a Robin Browne*:

"Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend."

* - This quote has apparently been mistakenly attributed to Stephen King and Andrew Futral. I can't say with 100% certainty it was Robin Browne but I'm pretty sure it's not Stephen King, and since Andrew Futral says it was Robin Browne, then I'm taking his word for it...

EDIT - A postscript: I just realised my post title sounds awfully like Joy's (I knew it seemed too familiar when I banged out this post). Yes, I'm unoriginal, guilty as charged!

et tu, A.P.C.?

2011-11-14T10:37:00.002+08:00

I love my new shirt. I like the hefty yet soft cotton, the lack of a placket (I've read that no placket = more formal but actually it reminds me of pajamas, which I find charming), the hidden top button which created a neat look when fastened, the shape of the collar, the muted colours that remind me of a 70s kitchen. I loved that the shoulders fit mine perfectly, and that it was lean but roomy. I liked that it had real mother-of-pearl buttons, cool when you touch it to your lip (the things you learn from GQ).

I wish this post was just that, about a pretty new shirt, but it's not.

I don't own a lot of A.P.C. even though I've loved the brand since my university years (that's about 8, 9 years now?). It's expensive for me, and much as I love the aesthetic I know in my heart it's not always worth the money. Still, I like the branding, I like the style, I like that it hasn't had to change its style too much and it still thrives as a business. And the shirts, for me, have always been nicely made and worth the splurge.

When I bought my shirt in Paris, I noticed the label said "Made in Tunisia", and decided to Google around and see if I could find more about A.P.C.'s manufacturing practices. I know it's too simplistic to judge by the "Made In XX" label alone (there are sweatshops in Italy staffed by illegal immigrants too), but I was curious, and these days it's always interesting to see what turns up.

Well, I didn't anything, so I'm unenlightened on that front. But I found this interview of A.P.C. founder Jean Touitou, which left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Some parts, I found myself nodding along -

"I do not belong to celebrity culture. If people only knew what actresses are paid to sit in the front row at the shows in Milan or Paris, they would want to kill somebody. If they only knew 10% of what's going on, like brands that give bags away to young actresses and tell them to go in that restaurant on that day and leave the restaurant at 15 past 2:00, and hold the bag up for the paparazzi that will be there. This is a fact."

"If you're a young actress, it's now expected that once you start making it you'll receive a bag from Chanel. It's become a rite of passage. And it works, it's huge publicity for them. But at some point what's sad about it is that the very famous Chanel bag 2.55—which I really love, my grandmother had one and my mother had one—is all over the place. I can't look at them anymore."

Other parts, I did not -

"I don't know why designers want to show big spectacles in China. You go there and you get so depressed. There's no culture, nothing. The streets are ugly and people do not know how to dress themselves. You go to India and you find all these inspiring people to look at. You go to China and want to kill yourself. That's not very nice to say but those people are taking over the resources of the planet and we cannot do or say anything because they have all the cash. I'm a bit hysterical over China, but I'm sure I'm right. I'm committed now to wearing Scottish knitwear. I consider it a political statement. It's not even that much more expensive than Chinese knits and it lasts a lot longer."

The ignorance and lack of sensitivity behind this statement upsets me. To say something like that, without even seeming to consider the reason behind WHY people "do not know how to dress themselves", is breathtakingly offensive. I take it he has no idea that Mao Zedong killed a millenia of Chinese culture with his brutal regime and turned into a wasteland of poverty, corruption and artistic death.

And his response is to wear Scottish knitwear. When he manufactures in China, India, Tunisia, Poland, Romania? Has he ever listened to himself speak?

There are cities in China that are grim and depressing - I remember passing through Taiyuan, a heavy industry city and being shocked by the pollution and the poor urban planning. But he seems to be putting down an entire country based on aesthetics, and that is distasteful, without appreciating the socio-political context in the first place. And what does that comparison with India even mean?

If Jean Touitou wants to make statements about globalisation and capitalist economics, he has to do better than this. As such, he's just left me feeling depressed that I spent all these years admiring his brand and his business, and paying good money for his clothes.

What happens when you love the clothes, but can't reconcile that love with the creator and his beliefs?

too much

2011-11-10T10:50:00.001+08:00

Lula, #13

Even though my two-week break involved shopping, and I wasn’t exactly free of the internet (we had an iPad with us), it was interesting to be away from internet fashion inspiration, coupled by a limited quantity of clothing.

I admit it: blogging and reading blogs make me think about clothes more. In fact, it makes me over-think it sometimes. And overwhelms me. Other bloggers have talked about this. But I think I hadnt fully understood this.

I maintain that all this blog stuff isn't all bad - I’ve gone on at length about why thinking carefully about what I buy and wear is good thing and how blogging and blogs have helped.

I like the inspiration from blogs – people sharing inspiring pictures and personalities and design – but being away from all that made me realise how there is such a thing as too much inspiration: you can feel weighed down by too many “references” in your head. Instead of picking up a grey sweater and having a deluge of images from various Tumblrs running through my head, it felt nice to have a single image that wasn’t result of having seen it repeatedly on the internet. It was just something I saw once, ages ago, and remembered. A quiet, serene pleasure.

A few weeks after I started my Tumblr I decided that I would post only when the image felt like exactly what I wanted that day, and not simply reblog every pretty picture I see. Another rule I set for myself was that I wouldn’t post anything I wouldn’t wear. That significantly curtails how much I post. And I appreciate my Tumblr more as a result.

The problem with the Internet is that people tend to not remember where they see or read something - often I find myself saying "I read this somewhere on the Internet, I forgot where." Because we can immediate Google something and find out, we forget things. That's a sad thing, when we're talking a beautiful photograph. It's also my bugbear about Tumblrs, and the reason why I caption even the things I reblog. So that I remember.

I clean out my Google Reader list regularly, and I think my trip crystallised for me the importance of doing so. Just like how having a well-curated wardrobe makes you appreciate what you have better, it’s important to avoid sensory overload.

randomly,

2011-11-08T03:41:00.002+08:00

in no particular order, moments from the last 15 days.

The grass (grass!) display at the Kew Gardens in London

Scented candles in bell jars at Laduree

The Bernar Vernet installation at Versailles, being dismantled the day I was there. Sounded dubious on paper, looked brilliant in real life

My childhood idea of what a museum should be like, brought to life at the Galerie Palaeontolgie at the Jardin du Plantes.

The cafeteria at the Kew Gardens, such a beautiful mix of wood, mid-century furniture and light. Not to mention amazing fish pie.

Any moment, I thought they would stand up and start walking

Catching the sun in Brussels

Sitting next to this charmer while having the meal of my life (one of many meals of my life) at La Cantine du Troquet.

Only at Versailles would you find an abandoned-looking outdoor "salon"of pink marble.

Respite at the Kew Gardens

The mother of all chocolate chip scones from Whole Foods. And yes, that is a chocolate chip scone, half a dark chocolate brownie, corn bread, a bowl of yogurt with fruit, and coffee, for breakfast. Yes, this is what we call the breakfast of champions

I chose this outfit specially for the Kew Gardens

Petit Trianon green. For my future home.

Facades at the Grand Place, Brussels

~~Cabbage roses~~ I've been informed it's ornamental kale, and heather at Columbia Flower Market in London

Horrible macarons, superior chocolate, and sandwiches at the cafeteria (read: peasant) section of Angelina at Versailles

Fall

Best coffee of the trip - subtle, silky, nutty - at Borough Market in London

Wrapped up sculptures at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Strangely alluring in their own way.

Bacon and stilton sandwich at Borough Market. Should have had another. So going to try making my own, if I find bacon like that.

EDIT: Need to thank Ammu (I did go to Byron for burgers and Les Senteurs!), Cato of Solo un Sogno, leen (I loved Fin de Siecle and L'Archiduc!), and everyone else who chipped in good advice or whose blogs provided a treasure trove of ideas of where to go.

portrait of a girl who had too much sugar

2011-11-06T23:01:00.001+08:00

Camped out at Laduree on the Rue Royal, Paris. I don't actually like macarons and would take Pierre Herme ones over Laduree's any day (Americano Pamplemousse! Be mine!). But you can't beat Laduree if you want to revel in that "I am in Paris" glow. And need a snack.

I'm home and in the middle of clearing the 400+ emails that landed in my phone (I thought switching off push-mail would mean I'd never have to see them, but no) when I touched down, but can't wait to share more from my trip.

bon voyage, part II

2011-10-21T23:55:00.001+08:00

Behold, my travelling outfit. The outfit I will be in for at least 14 hours as I cross oceans and continents. The outfit I may be trapped in if there should be any delays, or if my luggage goes missing when I land, or if I miss a connecting flight, the list goes on. Picked for maximum comfort should any of that happen, with consideration for the need to look presentable.

And what's in that big blue bag of mine, you ask? (I'll assume you're asking.)

1) A zipped pouch, compartments optional.

One that fits your passport and boarding passes, forms, departure cards, pens, bits and pieces of paper confirming your bookings, directions etc, passport photos, some cash, and other miscellaneous things you always need to fish out whenever you're making you're way through an airport. I like having all this stuff together in one place, within handy reach - it drives me crazy to root around for things while balancing luggage and trying not to look vulnerable in a foreign country. My phone is usually in here as well.

Chicer types than me may like a plain leather one - like those Comme Des Garcons ones - that can double up as a clutch?

2) Reading material
I like forcing myself to choose something at the airport bookstore - you surprise yourself when choices are limited. That's how I picked up my first Iris Murdoch book.

3) Sweets
Many a ruffled feather - usually having to do with missing a train and trying to sort out an alternative - have been soothed by introducing a sweet at an opportune time. Bonus if it's a mint that can freshen that sick feeling in your mouth after an overnight journey without a clean bathroom at hand to brush your teeth.

4) Face-care for long journeys

For me this usually means some face wipes and a travel-sized portion of my favourite facial moisturiser. Even if a shower isn't available to me, I usually feel better if I can wipe clean my face and neck. I try to save sachets of samples that sales assistants dole out, and I always ask for a few sachets whenever I'm buying moisturiser. They are perfect for overnight flights. The little tubs Sephora gives samples in is also useful for these things.

And concealer. Self-explanatory.

5) An inexpensive watch
I don't always know for sure what kind of neighbourhood I'll end up living in when I travel, and for the most part, I think it's glaringly obvious I'm a tourist. Wearing an expensive watch is just setting myself up to be mugged or scammed, so usually I usually opt for something basic and water-resistant, plus it wouldn't kill me if I damaged or lost it.

6) A snuggly scarf that you won't worry about dirtying
Keeps you warm, and adds instant flair. It's awfully handy to a big piece of cloth to cover up when you need to (in conservative countries) and if you're feeling gross about whatever bedding you're stuck with in some dodgy accommodation, it's something to lie on. This doesn't happen often, but it has happened to me so I guess you can never be too prepared. Anyway, it's more convenient to keep warm on a plane in a scarf than in a sweater, in my opinion.

7) Music
When that baby in the next row starts wailing.

8) Camera
Because I can't check it in, for fear of damaging it. A heavy, cumbersome drag.

If I sound a bit grumpy, it's because I hate flying. Only little people, who fit comfortably into airplane seats, or people who fly business class minimum, or people who magically fall asleep at will, could love flying.

Well, off I go.

statements

2011-10-19T03:45:00.000+08:00

Maya Villiger

It's mid-week, and excited as I am about going away, I feel like I'm fraying at the edges, trying to hold the rest of me together to get the work done, and keep my wits about me. Work tripped me up a bit yesterday and got me down a bit. Still, nothing to do but to dust it off, and plough on.

I like this photo by Maya Villiger a lot (the way she's been capturing the most interesting people in last six months or so has really captivated me on a new level). It's not about her outfit exactly, even though she looks very chic, it's that air she gives off. She looks over her shoulder, as if to say, "Well, what are you waiting for?" A terrific attitude for Wednesday, the mid-week limbo.

Meanwhile, something from an article I read on the WSJ magazine:

"Yves Kandaiz, a Sapeur friend of Kalubi, arrives dressed in a flowing black all-Yohji-Yamamoto outfit—a skirt and hooded-jacket combo that makes him look like one of the sand people in "Star Wars." Brazzaville Sapes worship classical fashion. Kin Sapeurs, they tell me, adore Yohji because his style is violent and brutal, in line with the spirit of their city. Where Salvador and Elyfontaine, over in Brazzaville, dressed, strutted and spoke like someone from a Somerset Maugham novel, Kalubi and Kandaiz take to the streets in an utterly different way: Kandaiz extends one arm and holds his jacket open, as if spreading a wing, to reveal the Yohji label inside. Kalubi stomps in the dirt like he's marching off to war.

I admire their attempt to find a style that reflects the anarchic, neo-noir atmosphere of their world. But Kin is a broken-down shell of a city and there's no constancy in the Sape culture here. Life in today's DRC grinds people down, lays them to waste. The corruption that plunders the nation's mineral wealth has even trickled down to its snakeskin suits. Elegance and extravagance just don't seem able to offer an escape from problems that run so deep."

The concept of dressing to make a point, executed by the Sapeurs of Congo. A deeply fascinating read.

Picture from turned out

bon voyage, part I

2011-10-17T23:08:00.000+08:00

I'm off to Europe soon for a couple of weeks with friends, and I'm quite excited about the prospect of dressing for cool weather - us tropical folks find it extremely novel and some of us even try to travel when it's spring or fall in our destination countries that we can wind scarves around our neck and sight-see without melting into a greasy-faced, sticky mess.

I love to pack. I've always been on the budget end of travelling and I backpack regularly, so space is precious and maximising it became quite the obsession. In the past, I packed things I would never want to be seen in back home, because I didn't want to bring things I'd worry about ruining, but I've realised it's possible to pack my "regular" clothes and still navigate the challenges of budget travel well.

These days, I sometimes still travel out of a backpack for long trips even though I'm not always slumming out in dorms in hostels. It just feels much easier going around on the subway from airports or crossing train platforms, etc, or when you rent an apartment on the sixth floor of some gorgeous old building with no lift.

I've learnt that:

Black, grey and navy pack really well and they look fresh even after a few wears.
Anything you pack should match at least three other things
Minimise outerwear
Do laundry on the go to save space; bring detergent. I like the type for delicate items because they're usually concentrated so a little goes a long way, and they smell awesome.
Washed silk and linen knits pack really well
I still don't know how to travel without jeans - unless it's a beach holiday
Understand your shopping habits: I notice I almost never fail to buy scarves and shoes, so I pack as little of those as possible.
Always ask for free samples when you buy skincare and toiletries - they are convenient for short trips and the packet ones are great for long transits to freshen up. Sephora, Aesop,and Kiehl's are generous
Keep your suitcase only three-quarters full for shopping and gifts. There was the time I had to bring home two bottles of wine and a beautiful Murano glass dish as a wedding gift...

So I'm packing:

Outerwear -

One beige trenchcoat (may skip this, a bitch to pack)
One grey blazer

Tops/sweaters -

One grey chunky knit sweater
One navy sweater with red and white striped cuffs
One black cardigan (buttons up into a sweater)
One blue and red striped pullover
One navy washed silk shirt
One blue and white cotton checked shirt
One celadon and white print cotton shirt
Two t-shirts for layering

Bottoms -

One pair of dark blue skinny jeans
One pair of black skinny cropped trousers

Footwear -

Off-white Converses
Beige suede desert boots
Flip flops - I don't like walking in rented flats barefoot, but neither do I like keeping my shoes on the whole time

Bags/accessories

One grey jersey scarf/wrap
One navy messenger bag

Underwear + pajamas + socks

If I have extra room, maybe I'll bring a fascinating cashmere infinity scarf I got for my birthday that I've never used, and maybe another sweater.

By the way, anyone been to Brussels? I have a couple of nights there, and would love some restaurant recommendations.

the echo chamber?

2011-10-14T23:06:00.003+08:00

So, did I just make you want a Charvet shirt?

I keep coming across comments about how blogging and reading blogs for some seems to have fed their desire to shop and consume more (indigoalison just gave her take), and have been thinking about whether I was honestly affected by this.

When I started blogging, whenever I saw something cool on someone else’s blog, I would instantly start a round of online shopping to see where I might find something like it. Only my dislike for online shopping held me back from doing real damage to my bank account.

My thirst for shopping grew when I started working and had more money to spend on clothes, and also when I decided I wanted to move on to better-made clothing. I was also transiting to the demands of dressing for work, and suddenly, it seemed like I had new things every week. Building up a foundation of basics, upgrading to better-quality clothing, and figuring out what works best on me – it was a never-ending whirl of shopping, with misfires galore.

Blogging and reading blogs provided me with inspiration and an idea of how “real people” dressed and shopped. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about what people were buying, what labels they were wearing, what editorials they posted – I saw it as educational. I tentatively posted shots of my outfits, sometimes just so that I can go back to them and understand what worked and what didn’t. I posted endless pictures of stuff I coveted as an outlet to let off shopping-lust steam. I wrote about designers I admired and celebrities who dressed well. I talked about new things I bought.

Along the way, I read about shopping bans on the now-defunct Observation Mode (she was one of the first), marveled the joys of a small wardrobe and other thoughts on consuming by Editor, understood the connection between inspiration and real-life dressing on Pret a Porter P (Star Wars chic, it’s possible!) and, as an aside, delighted in the threads on building a wardrobe on The Fashion Spot.

My blog wasn't scintillating stuff (nope, not the next Susie Bubble then), but it was all a great exercise in understanding what I like and how I want to look, and how I want to consume. I rarely got comments on blogs and I wrote for me and no one else, but increasingly it became gratifying to come across other blogs and like-minded bloggers. It was interesting to share and discuss things that, in my non-virtual world, barely gets 5 minutes of my time.

My blog may have started as pretty much a “this is gorgeous, I want!” or “look what I bought!” or “look what I wore today” sort of affair, but I think as I sought to become more thoughtful and considered about what I want from clothes, the blog has evolved as well. Blogging became part of policing the mind – forcing myself to write about why I want something became part of being more disciplined about shopping. Writing about what I love and exploring the connections I have to clothes that’s beyond material, allowed me to appreciate what I have more.

So, with all this navel-gazing about dressing and finding personal style, I’m not surprised if it seems like all this has become an echo chamber of sorts, amplifying the process of getting dressed into disproportionate significance. All this going back and forth between blogs about building the perfect wardrobe, is it actually blowing all this out of proportion and feeding a desire to shop? Even worse, has everyone come to develop the same “good, classic taste” as a result of some items becoming incredibly popular on blogs and seeming desired by everyone?

I supposed there is something to be said for blogging breaks (from reading blogs and blogging) but personally I haven’t felt the need. I believe many bloggers, don’t actually think about this stuff every hour of the day – we work, study, take care of our families, fight with enemies, empathise with friends, read, exercise, watch television programmes, films, travel, cook, volunteer at non-profits, worry about the state of the world, save for a rainy day, sleep.

My life does not revolve around wardrobe planning, and I’ve always assumed that about the blogs I read, so that’s always contextualised things for me.

What do you think? Do you think blogging and reading blogs makes you want more more more?

Picture from self service magazine #34

shopping: a dissection*

2011-10-13T00:45:00.002+08:00

I'm still thinking about shopping habits, and thought one of my outfits this week nicely illustrated what I thought.

Here, I'm wearing a shirt, cardigan, jeans, loafers, and a watch. More accurately, I am wearing a microcosm of my shopping habits, each item illustrating a particular frame of mind when I buy something.

The no-brainer: The cardigan
It's about six years old, and one of those basics with serious legs (even though it's missing a button), more than I could have ever imagined whenI shrugged it on, found that it checked all the right boxes, and bought it, in maybe 10 minutes. I didn't have to think about buying it, and never once did I ever question the purchase. This is the perfect example of trusting your instincts and knowing when something is genuinely a good buy.

The carefully-considered investment: The watch
For years, I chewed the cud over which was the perfect design, how much I should spend on it, and set aside some cash from time to time until finances and opportunity crossed paths, and I finally bought it to mark a significant occasion. This was a painstakingly considered purchase but not an agonising one; if you're buying something you want to wear for life, what's a little time?

The emotionally-charged impulse: The jeans
It was a bad day, I was shopping my feelings. Fortunately, in this case, it worked out - I actually like these very much and wear them frequently. Unlike certain things I ended up giving away.

The gamble: The loafers
This was when loafers were still an occasion thing, rather than a staple - at that point I wasn't actually sure if I could stylistically work them into my wardrobe on an everyday basis. Now, I consider them a necessity. I guess I made the right bet. I've made plenty of wrong bets though.

The "variations on a theme": The shirt
Shirts are a staple, and I knew I wanted a couple more casual-ish ones that I could wear any day of the week. When I saw this, I knew this was the perfect addition to my family of blue shirts. These buys are meant to be slightly different versions of the same thing to keep my uniform from becoming boring. Once I hit a happy balance of variety and consistency, I'm content.

How would you categorise your purchases?

* - I know it seems like I have nothing better to do then to think about shopping, but once I start on a train of thought, I have to get it out. Hence this post. I assure anyone reading this I'm actually a gainfully employed person with a healthy social life and don't shop all that much.

look what i didn't buy

2011-10-11T02:14:00.001+08:00

Sarah Maingot

Lately, the number of items of clothing I liked but didn’t buy has exceeded the list of what I did.

There was a Black Fleece shirt I decided against because I didn’t want another blue and white striped shirt, even though I was deeply in love with the collar (also, I wasn’t sure how it would fit). There was an adorable terry-knit striped tee from Rag & Bone (I didn’t really need another tee). There was a sweet polka dotted silk blouse by A.P.C Madras (fabric just a little shiny?). A cozy Steven Alan cotton knit jumper with striped sleeves. All of these things would have made me pretty happy and are probably not terribly regrettable, but a sense of inertia about shopping seems to have overwhelmed me.

Exhaustively analysing potential buys drains the urge to shop out of me. And usually, when something is right, it requires no such analysis, and there’s no guilt. So whenever I hesitate too much, I usually abandon the idea of buying it, and move on.

Hence, my spells of shopping lust have been brief and infrequent, and I was largely unmoved to shop in August and September. Except for the Chanel bag (if it's a fulfillment of a fantasy it shouldn't count as mere shopping, no?). Have I finally conquered the impulse demon?

Meanwhile, 10 things I’ve been enjoying, while not shopping:

Any of my jumpers, and this WSJ mag editorial celebrating jumper goodness
My blue and white checked cotton shirt
Gardenia perfume from Jo Malone
Daims (nutty butter almonds covered in milk chocolate)
My beige suede "desert" boots (these impostors from Topshop are doing very well)
"The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver (what took me so long?)
"Be better than the Gap!" – uttered with earnestness/irony by Ryan Gosling in "Crazy Stupid Love"
My Chanel bag
Stephen Fry telling me clever things on “QI” (you will not believe the eco-footprint of keeping a pet dog)
Yoga

Picture via discotheque confusion

words

2011-10-06T13:35:00.004+08:00

"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true."

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Full text of his Stanford commencement speech here.

Sometime last year, I was walking by the waterfront at Marina Bay with a friend. Towers of glass surrounded us, the view of the city before us was splendid. We sat on a bench, and I took out my iPhone, and played The Strokes' "I'll Try Anything Once". After that it played U2's "All I Want Is You", and more songs along the same drift, songs I threw together into a playlist months before, that months later became the perfect things to listen to in silence, perfect for the unspoken, but understood thoughts we shared. I felt like we were seeing everything from a great height, suspended in time.

I think about all the little moments this little bit of technology created, how it makes it possible to take the most age-old pleasures - listening to music with friends - and have it happen whenever we like, whenever it feels right.

Steve Jobs didn't invent the mobile phone or portable music player but he turned it into something easy, something instinctive, something everyone could own and make their own moments. Pixels + chips = magic. Who knew?

weekend in the city

2011-10-03T17:22:00.004+08:00

Okay only Andy Murray actually played at the Thailand Open this year, but the occasion was perfect for me and my friends to pick up "I heart XXX" t-shirts (mine is Nadal) for the day we finally organise a proper trip to a Grand Slam to watch some epic tennis. I spent the weekend in Bangkok for some tennis and major Thai food action. The finals wasn't the most thrilling (Murray massively outplayed the poor promising-but-green Donald Young) but the semis were not too bad, and the doubles finals was surprisingly exciting.

While passing Kinokuniya in Bangkok I noticed they sold those Japanese catalogue-type magazines they lovingly produce in Japan for clothing brands each season, usually sold with a fee tote bag. I've seen quite boring ones where it's just one item of clothing after another, but the A.P.C. this season is rather good, as neatly summarised on the cover:

"Kiko Mizuhara in New York" is rather good. Love her hair.

Another nice one, really puts you in the mood for autumn.

And the ubiquitous free tote bag. Camou is so not my thing but the colours of this canvas one are rather nice. It also came in super-handy in Bangkok for us to toss odds and ends into, like "I heart" t-shirts, endless bottles of water (only way to beat the heat and dust in BKK) and snacks (Bangkok never fails on the bakery front, so much good bread).

Don't mind the crap pictures taken on my Blackberry camera (mine is a rather cheap BB with a correspondingly rubbish camera...)

tempting me...

2011-09-29T23:20:00.005+08:00

Slipper-like loafers from Massimo Dutti. Soft as butter when I tried them on, not too dandy, and and a nice break from my driving shoes. But so unnecessary.
Pajama shirts. Must. Have. Piping. The relaxed fit, the unstructured collar. And they come in the most adorable combinations (this Steven Alan one is dots + contrast piping!). And who should make me fall in love with this look? Ryan Gosling, of all people. But again, so unnecessary.
Brooks Brothers Black Fleece club-collared shirt. Love the collar, obviously. But...you get the idea.

Relaxed tailoring, a little twist on favourites - the very things I have a weakness for. Argh.

Also, more shopping news - COS launched an online store. So I can see in advance what I can buy in Europe.

But perhaps it will do to be moderate in spending so that I can have some extra cash to buy one of Phillip Lim's beautiful "kite" tops when his spring collection comes out next year. I liked it so much I checked it out on Moda Operandi, but it wasn't available...

Pictures from massimo dutti, brooks brothers, barneys

mood swings

2011-09-29T00:24:00.001+08:00

The week before last, I took a picture of every outfit I wore. I thought there was a post in there somewhere.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

In differences probably imperceptible to everyone but me, I can trace the arc of my moods by how I dress. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being sucky, 10 being brilliant.

Monday: 7
Mildly optimistic starting my week, hence the blush pink, with my crisp raw denim jeans, but I'm still lingering over the laziness of the weekend hence the bagginess of the top. That's my usual work bag - a messenger bag from Longchamp - for days where I have yoga; it fits lots of stuff.

Tuesday: 5
Already flagging (Tuesdays are the worst days for me) and I seek solace in a sweat shirt that's a little tatty but so soft, and a very comfortable pair of skinny jeans. I carry a Chanel bag because that's why I bought it right? To lift myself a step above slob. And so that the nice-ish bar my friend's picked for drinks lets me in.

Wednesday: 5 .5
Trying to rally. Put on a shirt to look smart, but the shirt didn't survive tucked in by the end of the day.

Thursday: 6
Fully in work mode, but I put on leopard print loafers because I refuse to give in to the grind without a fight. This actually cheers me up a bit, especially they amuse my colleagues.

Friday: 6.5
Not actually the end of the week because I was on duty this particular week on Saturday as well. Still, I pretend I'm part of Friday buzz in the air, and put on a dress for once.

Saturday: 5.5
The office is always cold on Saturdays because no one is around so I wear my plush terry cotton sweater with the cheerful striped trim to comfort me. It always reminds me of something I might have worn as a child, especially with the trainers. The desire to retreat into childhood is definitely related to the gloom of working on Saturdays.

Sunday: 8
Recycling day! I recycle my favourite striped shirt (you can't really tell it's striped in the pictures) from Wednesday for brunch. I then recycle the black dress from Friday, wearing them with my two-toned flats this time, for catching the ballet.

washing over

2011-09-28T14:25:00.005+08:00

Photographer: Kevin Tachman

Lindsay K had a great post about being inspired by the collections at fashion week today, and it was perfect timing, because I had just seen the Giorgio Armani collection on Vogue.com and I was actually moved enough by the collection to want to write a post. It wasn't a collection where I wanted to wear every look - in fact there are only a few pieces I could actually see on myself - but the spirit of the collection, and overall sensory experience of looking at it, was inspiring.

I love it when Armani does his metallics and greys and I always associate a particular shade of oyster satin with him. This collection, inspired apparently by water, made full use of those effects - it shimmered and rippled. You could practically feel the smooth caress of the expertly draped and cut fabrics on your skin, like water skimming off your body. Like the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection I coo-ed over a few weeks back, there was a precision to the softness, and in this instance it was masterfully done - there was still a delicate flutter to the sharpest edges.

The softness of this jacket, amazing -

That trio of dresses that closed the show reminded me of an Armani look I loved so much when I was a teenager (the Olsen twins did something very similar in their spring 2012 collection for The Row) -

Getting dressed today, I only wanted soft fabrics that feel like liquid on skin. Inspired indeed.

Pictures from vogue.com and tfs

EDIT: Added link to Lindsay K's post. Left it out by mistake!

the fever

2011-09-24T23:11:00.001+08:00

Trendy Crew

No, I wasn't the picture of gamine chic a la Emmanuelle Alt's daughter at age five, but I was shopping with my friend for her niece and thinking about what I really did used to wear, and a memory of a beloved hand-me-down came to mind.

It was the first piece of clothing I remember coveting. I know some children complain about hand-me-downs but I absolutely desired everything my older sister wore before me, because I had to do everything she did. She's five years older and she always played with the kids of my parents' friends who were her age, and I was always a little in awe of them. As soon as I was old enough to "rationalise", I wanted to do the same things so that I wouldn't be "left out".

My parents, too, encouraged this longing; they often said: "You must wait your turn, some day it will be yours." It felt natural that I would have to earn my right to wear her clothes.

So, this dress. It had stiff white layers of tulle-ish stuff for its skirt that I thought fit for a fairy queen. The bodice was midnight-blue velvet, so plush, so precious. The fuchsia ribbon, so pretty, had an air of the beauty queen sash about it (boy, I was frilly). I lived for the day where I would slip it on, and life would be perfect.

The day I finally donned the dress came. It was my birthday (I was 4? 5?). A party was thrown in my honor, and I wore the much longed-for dress, with white patent Mary Janes, and little white socks with a lace edging - just like how I'd always imagined it. I had a ribbon in my hair, songs were sang for me. I didn't feel the need to twirl and invite admiration, I understood that I looked fabulous and that was that.

I wore the dress again several times after that, sometimes just to prance around at home. Before long my baby sister came along, and then it was her turn, and she had her day in the sun, and the dress passed on to some younger cousin of the clan, and was lost to us.

Obviously, the fevered passion for the dress is long gone, but even now I recall quite powerfully the magic it held for me. My style preferences greatly evolved after that, but this dress, in all its gaudy finery, reminds me of the pleasure of anticipation. Clothes should make you dream, even as they are grounded in the practical needs of being clothed and warm, etc. The passion and profound satisfaction I cultivated over this one dress made me think: is there any point in buying things that don't come close in provoking such a depth of feeling in me?

(I know I should post a picture of me in the dress, but couldn't muster the energy to go unearth my mother's photo albums.)

Picture from trendy crew

it was always you

2011-09-22T14:50:00.000+08:00

I had flirtations with other contenders, and backed out from buying it once, but in the end, there wasn't anything else quite like it.

Thanks to an alert from eileen, I found this beauty at a price within my budget, second-hand of course. Size-wise, it definitely not for work bag, so I won't claim this is worth it because I'm going to get tonnes of use out of it. What I do love is that I'm just a little closer to the myth of Coco Chanel, and I love that it's a good example of enduring design, and I love the note of polish it strikes against my resolutely casual style.

Despite that I've heard way too much about its deteriorating/ho-hum quality even as prices have become astronomical, I think it's not a bad buy if you can find a second-hand one at a decent price. For example, in the case of the "reissue", re-introduced in 2005, it's better to buy ones made before 2007, for better quality, I've been told. If you persevere like Le Portillon, you may even find an original 2.55 from the 1960s, when Coco Chanel herself still reigned at the house. Alas, I had no such luck. It was hard enough to find a reissue in a classic colour to begin with.

I thought long and hard about buying this - I don't usually spend so much on any one item of clothing. It's been a relief so far in that it's slipped quite seamlessly into my life, whether I'm in shorts and loafers for Saturday brunches or cleaned up for a dinner in a nice restaurant. The instant I pictured buying it I immediately saw myself in all kinds of scenarios and outfits carrying the bag and I have a feeling this is the sort of bag that kills my desire to buy other similar bags - much like how with the current 3 large day bags I rotate between, I haven't seriously wanted a new day bag in a long time.

Time will tell if this splurge pays off, and in the meantime I shall revel in the giddy joy that comes with bringing home something you feel is quite perfect.

first position

2011-09-20T00:29:00.003+08:00

Arthur Elgort for Vanity Fair September 2006

On Sunday, I caught the matinee performance of “Don Quixote” by the Mariinsky Ballet (formerly called the Kirov) from St Petersburg, and I’m still feeling exhilarated by the experience. I enjoy watching ballet, especially classical ballet, for the sheer theatrical grandeur (costumes! sets!) and of course, for the grace and rigor of ballet itself. But watching it for the first time in a long time on Sunday reminded me that I had forgotten the sheer athleticism of ballet.

Like many middle-class Asian kids, my parents signed me up for all kinds of classes to “enrich” me as a child – violin, art, and ballet. I like violin and art enough but lacked the discipline to make up for a lack of aptitude, so it was ballet I stuck to for seven years, graceless as I was. I certainly wasn’t any good, but I liked the challenge of having to blend grace and beauty with power and strength. I was a sporty kid but ballet taught me discipline and precision. It taught me to face a crowd and perform without being crippled by shyness, it was an excellent foundation for the various sports I later participated in. The class was entirely populated by girls, and it was there I learnt how to navigate the treacherous waters of female friendship – how to make friends, how to deal with enemies, understanding the rules of clique-dom and facing off bitchery – essential skills for adolescence. Quite an educational seven years.

“Don Quixote” brought back fond memories, even as it provided me with some of the best three hours I’ve ever spent with anything. The costumes were gorgeous, the sets were lavish, the choreography a classic repertoire one never tires of, the orchestra a perfect partner. And the dancers themselves were pure joy to watch - not perfect but there were enough breathtaking moments to carry the whole performance through.

I thought of the elegant layers ballerinas don in practice today – the muted palette, the soft silhouettes, the comfortable materials. I paid tribute in the tiniest of ways, wearing a blush pink top the exact hue of the ballet slippers I donned as child – a little detail only I know.

Here's a few more images from the lovely Arthur Elgort shoot of the Vaganova Ballet in St Petersburg for Vanity Fair. I still have this issue, and will try and snap some good pictures of the whole feature.

And I found a terrific Flickr set in the course of looking for pictures for this post, check it out here.

EDIT: Here are more pictures, as mentioned -

Pictures from here and here

stream of consciousness

2011-09-17T17:28:00.004+08:00

Visual inspiration is important to me, and for the last few months, I've been finding the format of Tumblr very useful for a bit of a personal pick me up, style-wise. I like the way the archives display in a grid format - you immediately get a sense of what you gravitate towards. I noticed my blue shirt fetish right away, my preferred colour palette, and the absence of skirts and dresses. It's like a giant moodboard and it somehow keeps me on track, in reinforcing what I like, and I rarely feel tempted by styles I don't work for me anymore.

Like many photobloggers on Tumblr, crediting images is a problem. I have slipped once or twice, but I'm determined to not reblog anything that isn't credited or links to the actual source, and any posts I upload I always credit the person behind the image, and link to the source.

In any case, I find it to be a lovely tool for collating images of things I like, without picture-vomiting all over my blog.

Anyone Tumblr-ing? What do you think your Tumblr says about you? Share your links!

look to the light

2011-09-16T20:07:00.002+08:00

Photographer: Alasdair McLellan for The Gentlewoman

Olivia Williams was my favourite discovery of "An Education" - she's a wonderfully nuanced actress along the lines of Cate Blanchett. So The Gentlewoman has absolutely stolen my heart with their cover - when you think about all the obvious tabloid favourites that make magazine covers, stuff like this feels so...right. It's like righting a wrong. Or many wrongs.

You can get quite the exciting preview here on their website. I feel like the magazine is really hitting its stride, judging by the line-up and the editorials, and I can't wait to get my hands on this one.

Picture from style list via tfs

a slip of a thing

2011-09-15T23:23:00.003+08:00

vogue.com

I've been casually checking out some of the spring collections in New York, because it's always nice to look at clothes and styling ideas that make sense for tropical Singapore. Not a lot grabbed me, but I really liked the easy silhouettes of the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection - it was ethereal and graphic at the same time. The textures were soft but the edges were clean and sharp, and it made for a very subtle, appealing contrast. Don't think pastels are my cup of tea though.

I was very taken by the particular look above, and I love the clean elegance of the top and the deliberate way it stands away from the body, but gently so. Definitely something I'll be eying when it reaches stores next year.

Picture from vogue.com

short takes

2011-09-15T11:35:00.004+08:00

Garance Doré

It's only Thursday I know, but I felt like getting into the mood for the weekend early. My weekend uniform over the last few months have revolved around one thing - shorts. I have always worn them, but lately, I seem to wear nothing else. I love the sense of play you get with a pair of shorts - it speaks of relaxation, fun, motion, fresh air.

I'm particular about the length - too long and I look frumpy, too short and I don't even want to go there. And unless I mean to slob it out, I try to "dress it up" - often I tuck or half-tuck my tops, and always with closed-toe shoes or nice flat sandals. I always wear a belt. This is probably the only item of clothing I "dress up" in my closet. Not with heels though; it's not my style.

Some of my favourite inspiration for shorts "looks" -

1) Scott Schuman for The Sartorialist, 2), 3) & 4) Vanessa Jackman, 5) Garance Doré

I get by comfortably with a denim pair, a khaki linen pair, and for fun, a lace pair. Here's me, in some past outfits.

Pictures from the sartorialist, garance doré here and here, vanessa jackman here, here, and here

light as a feather

2011-09-11T16:35:00.002+08:00

Spring arriving at my friend's garden in New Zealand, Stella McCartney's horse and country hideaway, Artichoke Cafe and Bar

It has been a peaceful sort of Sunday, with lazy meals on a soft, cool day, quietly catching up with friends. It doesn't escape me that today marks a decade since 9/11. I remember I was in class when news of the attack broke. Since then, we've lived 10 years in its shadow, walking to the light, but feeling that faint, almost indelible chill nonetheless.

It's good to spend today feeling content, unburdened. Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn, time for mooncakes, tea, and family.

Pictures from vogue

roll me one

2011-09-10T18:54:00.001+08:00

Maya Villiger for Turned Out

For as long as I can remember, I have been rolling up my shirt sleeves. I can’t do a proper cuffs-fastened-at-the-wrist look, it does something to the proportions of my body that makes me look ungainly. I look like I was forced to dress up.

In any case, I’ve become very fond of the rolled sleeve. It suits my casual style, it makes me look like I mean business (like brunch, you know, deadly stuff), it’s also quite convenient not to worry about getting food on it. I push up my sleeves when I'm wearing a sweater too. Naturally, I really heart this post on Turned Out embracing the joys of a rolled sleeve.

I like it best with the cuff just below my elbow so that I can comfortably bend my arms, but the just above-wrist roll is also quite nice - a more demure, elegant look.

With me, the neat, chic, pulled-together look just isn’t meant to be.

Picture from turned out

point of difference

2011-09-07T15:01:00.000+08:00

Scott Trindle for "Untouched"

Hurrah for the the nth picture of a girl in t-shirt and jeans on this blog. I can't help it - I love a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, it's my idea of the perfect outfit. It looks good on men, women, old, young, it's timeless, it's practical, and there are tonnes of shapes and styles you can choose to define the look your own way. I love how the simplicity of it seems to set off a person's personality - you really see a person in an outfit like that, it's a confident look.

In an outfit so simple, the thing menswear blogs call a "point of difference" is important. First of all, the fit and quality has to be as good as you can buy. The texture of the fabric, the colour of the rivets on the jeans, the thickness of the cotton, the fit - it's all going to be screamingly obvious and you should be particular. You can tell when someone isn't.

Most of my t-shirts are white, with a couple of greys and blacks. I like my t-shirts soft, but not too drapey - it needs to feel...cotton-y. I also like a linen knit tee. No silk for me, the beauty is in the basic. As for jeans, I like them to have as little stretch as possible, and I prefer them faded - I get a lot of satisfaction watching my jeans fade over the years.

Accessories are another point of difference. I prefer something non-intrusive because it's an outfit like that is not about a statement accessory. I keep it simple with a belt with my jeans - always the same mahogany woven leather one I've had for years. My watch adds a touch of polish. Unless I want to make my shoes the focal point, I stick to my Converses, and plain ballerinas. Never heels.

If you're Raquel Zimmerman, the point of difference should be obvious...

Picture from models.com

change of heart

2011-09-06T12:34:00.001+08:00

via muus

I had the happy luck to borrow this Celine Classic Box bag from a friend with a very... comprehensive collection of bags. Hers is a lipstick red, it looked terrific with my outfit, and it was pretty terrific to use as well. I may be in love.

I've checked out this bag before at the boutique, chatting with their admirably patient sales people, trying it on. I felt a little unused to such a boxy bag, and I wasn't fond of the two-compartment interior, because I've never found a satisfactory way to store things in such confines. Also, the design is a little too much like the Hermes Constance, which feels a tad unoriginal.

But it was gorgeously made and heavenly to touch. I left thinking, 'nice, but not for me'.

A year later, I feel quite different. Carrying it around, it seemed to enhance my outfit. I liked the spot at which it hung, near my bottom ribs. I like the feel of the leather. I liked that it gave me an air of polish. I liked that in a sea of Chanels (why is it that every party I attend is stocked with people who buy Chanels like I buy sweets?), it was quite unassuming.

I've been thinking whether it's the "small day bag" I've been looking for. I visualise it sometimes when I'm getting dressed. I'd be looking for the right bag to bring out with me, and it would come to mind.

I still have misgivings about it. For one, does it deserves its price tag, it being a from house not known for its bag-making skills? And frankly, since I use a big bag five days out of seven, what is exactly is the point of a small day bag?

Let's see how I feel about this by the time my trip to Europe swings around this October. If it feels right, the trip will be the perfect time to pick it up.

Picture from muus

"later he would tell her that their story began at the royal hungarian opera house..."

2011-09-03T13:11:00.002+08:00

In between the duties of everyday life, I have been losing myself in a beautiful novel, “The Invisible Bridge” by Julie Orringer, set in Hungary and Paris. I loved Budapest when I visited years ago, found it to be a more magical and haunting city than its more famous peer, Prague. It may lack Prague’s fairy-tale prettiness, but its fraying romantic beauty was built on a grander and somewhat more solemn scale, and walking through its tree-lined boulevards and along the sweeping Danube, you feel the echoes of its turn-of-the-century glamour and its tumultuous history, like ghosts. You don’t need a travel guide to know the place, it envelopes you the minute you hop off the train and enter the glorious, soaring, delicate beauty of Keleti station. I love the way Hungarian sounds too - their name for the Danube is the Duna.

Anyway, the book. From page one, it did what Budapest did to me – I fell into the book and was immersed in the world and the lives Julie Orringer conjured. Pulling my eyes away from it was like waking up from a deep sleep; everything around me feels alien and harsh. It follows the life of a poor Jewish student who moves to Paris in the years leading up to World War II, and the events that follow. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to spend a melancholic afternoon curled up at a comfortable spot, in the beautiful thrall of this novel.

P.S: An older post of mine on Budapest

summer days: the sleeveless shirt

2011-08-31T10:15:00.003+08:00

I used to find this a rather mumsy item of clothing, but I've come to see that a sleeveless shirt is a true friend of the tropics. It keeps one cool and comfortable while retaining the tailored elements of a classic shirt, so the overall feel is still smart. It's light and easy under jackets and sweaters, which is perfect for staying fresh in our humid weather. It works for the beach or a professional meeting. The trick to not looking like my mother is to size up for a slouchier fit and look for something without darts at the waist.

This is an old shirt I bought on ASOS. From time to time, I have been tempted to trade it up for a nice, luxe silk version from Adam or Joseph, but I've come to be very fond of this old workhorse and in the end I saw that it would have been wasteful and pointless to replace it. So here's to a real wardrobe hero, and I look forward to many more years of staying cool in the heat in you.

two ways

2011-08-29T19:52:00.001+08:00

Sofia Coppola - always style inspiration to those of us who like uncomplicated dressing. It also reassures me that she dressed rather dubiously when she was younger too (not that it stopped her from racking up a enviable roster of beautiful boyfriends); we all start somewhere. The two outfits above are basically my uniforms for office, though I throw in the odd Converse.

I haven't been very interested in new clothes of late; I'm enjoying all the looks on La Garconne and Totokaelo, but anything I show more than a passing interest in always ends in the same thought: "I pretty much have something similar."

I suppose I have finally hit an equilibrium of finding a practical uniform and having enough variety of things I love to make getting dressed a simple , but enjoyable process. Little thrills to start the day on the right note.

I'm curious, does everyone love these moments of wardrobe equilibrium, or should I be worried that this actually precede a stage of boredom that will set off some manic shopping craving at a later date?

Pictures from zimbio and fashionologie

words of inspiration...

2011-08-25T13:18:00.000+08:00

From "Pie in the Sky"

... from Josh Charles, whom I first crushed on in "Dead Poets Society" when I was 13, and love on "The Good Wife". He was interviewed on Mr Porter, and we appear to be style soulmates, because he says things like -

"I think my personal style has one trumping component: comfort. If it's not really comfortable or practical, it won't work for me. I will say that the older I get, the more I care about what I wear. But I tend to wear a lot of the same things. "

"I'm really a jeans person. That's my definitive staple, and everything builds around that. I always have to start from a place of wanting to feel comfortable. And once you nail that down, it will carry through in your attitude and the way you carry yourself. But when all else fails, I resort to my default trio: jeans, tennis shoes and a simple white T-shirt. "

Picture from imdb

titles

2011-08-23T11:10:00.001+08:00

As far as my priorities are concerned, paying for, say, a downpayment for my own flat would rank way above buying a couture dress or coat, but I have always loved couture techniques and the fantasies spun from them. The happy bridge between my interest and reality comes in the form of beautifully-photographed fashion books, and I am always on the look-out for a good one - something's that's more than just pictures of pretty dresses, or a catalogue.

I like the ones that share the couturier's inspiration and influences, and frame the creations in a context. In other words, it's as close as a guided tour of the archives as I can get.

It doesn't even have to be by a designer I love. I'm a passing admirer of Kenzo and don't know much about his work, but the book by Antonio Marras released last year was brilliant - it felt alive, and immersed me into the world of Kenzo and it's a gorgeous, enriching read.

I couldn't go to "Balenciaga and Spain", so "Balenciaga and Spain" came to me. Sort of. I ordered this book as part of my birthday cache (yeah we're STILL talking about my birthday) and I wasn't disappointed. I've always been interested in Balenciaga (past and present) and I've long been curious about Balenciaga's Spanish roots (all that Infanta gowns), and this just wraps it all up for me. Plus, Hamish Bowles! Love his elegant writing, and his enthusiasm and breadth of knowledge of couture is to be treasured.

I also ordered something to add to my collection of Irving Penn books - "Still Life". Being introduced to his work was the greatest gift US Vogue gave me.

And I have been lusting after "Lee Friedlander: Photographs Frederick Law Olmsted Landscapes - after I read this feature in The New York Times. Lee Friedlander's work has always fed my romanticised view of America (my first book was "America by Car") but the parks in this series was a dreamscape on a whole new level. I can look at all these pictures for hours.

It was a very indulgent order but like the Peter Lindbergh book I bought earlier this year, I feel that these images represent an aesthetic that's being replaced, and I want to hold on to some of them. There's a rawness to them even though they're done with a perfectionist's eye. When I read fashion magazines these days, I rarely relate to the hyper-stylised, hyper-saturated images. I'm not asking for photography to all look this way (even Peter Lindbergh moved on, his new work looks very different), but I wish I saw such styles more.

(Next on my list: Annie Leibovitz's "American Music", maybe something by Stieglitz, and Koto Bolofo's "La Maison").

By the way, I've been drowning in work - it's the Presidential Elections in Singapore, so lots of activity to cover. Nothing like the General Elections though...the President of Singapore doesn't have much executive powers. Nonetheless, there hasn't been much time to blog, but that should change soon!

monday blues

2011-08-15T02:29:00.002+08:00

clockwise from top left: nobodyknowsmarc, unknown, garance doré, garance doré, mario testino for us vogue july 1999, unknown

When I look through all the pictures I have stored on my computer, I noticed a dominance of blue shirts. I love a blue shirt, possibly even more than a white shirt, because I love the colour of the sky and sea, and probably because I spent 12 years of my student life clad in blue school uniforms. It's just a little more "workman" and humble-looking than a pristine white shirt (not than I don't love a white shirt), a little friendlier somehow, but no less elegant.

These few pictures are my favourite for the moment - and I'm inspired to wear a different blue shirt to work every day this week. I have four variations - on the fifth day, I shall simply repeat my favourite.

Pictures from tfs, garance doré here and here, move slightly, nobodyknowsmarc

winter is coming*

2011-08-11T00:33:00.009+08:00

Vanessa Jackman

The world has, for the moment at least, appears to have gone to the pits, what with riots in England and our Titanic of an economy steering itself into another iceberg, threatening a slow, painful death. And this while we're still reeling from the Norway bombing and shooting, to say nothing of the the famine in Africa. Bad times.

I felt like a Marie Antoinette after an email exchange with a friend over handbags. I am shamefaced by my frivolity, but a part of me is relieved, and grateful, that I'm in the position to even talk about handbags. Some of us have so much.

Still, even now, I was today struck by a thought about... dressing.

I've always been attracted to comfort dressing, but these days, even more so, given the state of things. What do you wear when you have that nagging feeling of apprehension and faint dread at the back of your mind? How do you dress as you mentally prepare yourself for whatever comes?

I feel inspired these days by clothes that mean business. Smart, chic, yet comfortable things built for mobility. The things I pull out of my closet these days are weathered but sturdy, unassuming in their strength and durability. Shoes I can run in (my desert boots, trainers), crisp shirts just softening at the edges from lots of wear, any of my jeans, a chunky pullover whenever the weather permits, or an unlined jacket. Clothes that are sober, but not grim.

Vanessa Jackman, Maya Villiger

These looks are of course too hot for me to wear in the weather. But I like their air of self-sufficiency and purpose. I don't feel good about the world. But my clothes help me get on with it.

*Fans of "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R. R. Martin, anyone?

Pictures from vanessa jackman and turned out

mid-week thoughts

2011-08-03T19:18:00.002+08:00

Garance Dore

I like to slow down in the middle of the week to kick back and reflect, and also think ahead about what's next.

To do: Get more sleep, pay my taxes and get my work goals in order, and buy some nice coffee and snacks to keep at my desk so that I stop drinking the piss and Snickers they sell at the office.

What I did manage to do this week so far: Getting started on "Just Kids" by Patti Smith (a birthday present), going on a 10-km walk at a nature reserve near my house with a friend before work, and deciding against buying a sleeveless linen shirt in the Outnet clearance sale because although I would like a more upscale version of my old ASOS one, it has served me well enough over the years. One of the things I'm trying to do better when it comes to shopping is to resist the urge to upgrade for the sake of upgrading, when the item in question is not at all poor in quality and fit.

I have the day off tomorrow, so I'm going for yoga, and then kick back with a friend, watch "Captain America" and show her the spectacular blister I got from the walk (I don't understand how it happened, I wore thick, cushy socks).

I love this Garance Dore picture. I wouldn't wear tie-dye trousers, but I'll love to channel that easy, barefoot vibe.

How's everyone's week so far?

Picture from Garance Dore

aura

2011-07-29T12:15:00.000+08:00

Maya Villiger for Turned Out

"I think "aura" is something that only somebody else can see, and they only see as much of it as they want to. It's all in the other person's eyes" - Andy Warhol

I like this quote. I thought of it today because:

i) I was wearing faded jeans and a white loose linen knit pullover and someone (whom I don't especially like, she being catty), said with a (catty) laugh, "You really love that top don't you, you don't seem to wear anything else. And with the exact same jeans too."

I would have rather not said anything, because, really, did such a comment deserve a response at all? But to ignore an acquaintance in front of plenty of people we both know would be rude (as if she cared when she made that comment). So I responded: "Oh, I don't know what else I'll rather wear." And I meant that in the most neutral, matter-of-fact way possible.

I don't think she'd get it the way I meant it. For instance, Maya Villiger's girls on Turned Out are so appealing to me, whereas other people may just see a bunch of girls with messy hair, awkwardly baggy clothes, and a profusion of grey sweatshirts. But it's all in the other person's eyes. When I look through Turned Out, I feel like I've found a tribe of women who understand why the right pair of shorts and the right t-shirt is the best outfit in the world, and for whom a fraying grey sweatshirt is a beautiful thing. Imagine if I tried to explain this to my acquaintance. She'd just think I'm being pretentious.

ii) I found an old bracelet I bought at the V&A museum in London in 2007. It cost maybe GBP3, I can't remember. I do remember that I liked it because it was described as a medieval design, a example of how a typical woman of that time began adorning herself (something like that). It looked so simple, so unassuming, and yet decorative. I found it touching, compared to all the ornate jewellery sitting nearby.

I wore it for the entire trip and for nearly a year after I got home, and then I put it away and haven't looked at it since until yesterday. It's curiously modern no?

I like the idea that if I looked back a thousand-odd years, a woman would be wearing this going about her business, and today, I could wear it, and go about my business. It doesn't mean anything to anyone but me. And I liked that thought and decided to wear it today.

Picture from turned out

sense

2011-07-27T14:22:00.006+08:00

US Vogue November 2007, via gens du mode

This was posted on Muoti Mielessä today, and I thought it was worth reblogging, given what S, and Amanda have been blogging about of late. I still have this issue of US Vogue, and if anyone wants the full read, I can try and take a really good pict and post it, or type it up.

(click on the picture to enlarge it.)

aisle matters

2011-07-23T16:58:00.001+08:00

Between, work, celebrating my birth, and being an active participant of a dear friend's wedding (as bridesmaid,which includes: hen night festivities, tea ceremony logistics, 'gatecrashing' planning, wedding playlist control freak etc) taking place this weekend, I haven't much time to blog, although I've found time to enjoy the posts of all my favourite bloggers. So I offer up a lame post of my outfit for the wedding dinner.

The bride was cool with guests wearing white/cream, so I decided to shave my legs and give my lovely meringue Vanessa Bruno dress a much-deserved flutter. Shoes were a bit of a problem - my favourite option for this dress is usually flat sandals but I didn't have an appropriate pair for a formal dinner. I hadn't had time for a pedicure either. In the end, I went for my sister's trusty leopard heels. This is the third or fourth time I've borrowed them for one formal occasion or other. Should have bought a pair of my own, but hey, borrowing is free.

(If I find a good shot of myself in the PURPLE (!!!) bridesmaids' dress, I promise to post it. Just for laughs.)

**EDIT: I wanted to say that my heart goes out to Norway after the bombing and shooting - shocking, bewildering and heartbreaking.

a moveable feast

2011-07-18T23:11:00.003+08:00

I've been busy celebrating my birthday (self-absorbed, much?) and all anyone needs to know about it is that everyone should try an artichoke like that at least once in their lives.

Will resume blogging when I recover from all the gastronomic glory.

counterintuitive

2011-07-12T16:17:00.002+08:00

I'm all for being sensible about shopping, but I admit, sometimes I buy things that don't make sense. Here's a story about one of them.

I'd always wanted a Mulberry Bayswater ever since I saw one - I like the classic but unfussy shape. Against the backdrop of crazy It Bags taking over the world, it was unpretentious, but still luxurious.

A few years ago, my mum and I decided to buy one for my older sister, in classic tan leather. I thought perhaps it was high time I invested in one, and perhaps I could buy one in something classic too.

Instead, in the boutique, my gaze lit upon one in mirrored bronze leather, all polished and gleaming, like an artifact rescued from some dusty ruin.. I'm not one for glitz and shine, and yet I couldn't take my eyes off it.

The rational, investment-minded person would have bought one in a classic neutral colour - which is precisely what we bought for my sister - but after thinking it over a day or two, I bought the bronze.

There have been times when I have thought - why didn't I buy something in tan leather? It would have been so me, so right, so versatile, so perfect with everything I have.

But sometimes you want things that go against the grain of sensible, and while I never thought I would spend a significant sum of money on insensible things, there I was, with what is easily the shiniest bag on the street.

I've stopped using over the past 3, 4 months, mainly because work is more casual these days, and also because it's not the best option for days where I go for yoga before I head to work. But I missed it today and decided I needed to bring it out again.

It looks quite awful in this picture - it is such a bitch to photograph - and the actual colour is as seen in the first picture; darker and not quite so orange. You'll simply have to trust me when I say that in spite of how it seems to go against my penchant for low-key, simple things, it actually feels perfectly becoming and natural when I use it. Some things can't be explained.

the opposite of dissatisfaction

2011-07-11T00:58:00.001+08:00

Photograph: T Magazine

I love how complete this photo of Margaret Howell* in her East Anglia retreat is: the warm afterglow of having just eaten satisfactorily and in no hurry to clear the remains from the generous table, with plenty left for later, the soft light that seems to suggest time isn't rushing anywhere, her comfortable yet engaged posture, suggesting that she is concentrating on a fulfilling task, surrounded by simple, well-chosen art and design that tickles the mind, the promise of fresh air outside, completely at ease in her own space, asking for nothing more.

I aspire to this feeling of "completeness", of self-sufficiency - that feeling of contentment, of feeling that you have met your exacting demands, and everything is what it should be. Someone else will be walking into this room, or perhaps she will be leaving it in a moment to attend to something else, possibly mundane, possibly thrilling, but there will be this feeling, this moment to look back to, where there was harmony and freedom from anxiety, want, or need.

* - The whole photo essay is a pleasure for the senses. Click on the link below if you haven't seen it.

Picture from nytimes

obsession, broken down

2011-07-08T17:17:00.001+08:00

Rag & Bone spring/summer 2011, shot by Gianni Pucci for Style.com

A top I had been admiring has been slashed to near-bargain levels in the Net-a-Porter sale, and for the past two days I have been resisting buying it, because of the desire to just enjoy the clothes in my wardrobe, and I really don't want more stuff.

I came dangerously close to caving in several times. Internet shopping is evil like that, you can do it any time you are in front of the computer, with minimal physical effort and no friend nearby to restrain you. I had made what I consider level-headed arguments each time talking myself out of it, but the siren call always came back.

I finally shook free of the obsession when I realised what kept coming back to haunt me - that I would regret not buying it. I've had these moments when I felt despair over a missed opportunity -a certain pair of flats, a bag. I know this isn't a groundbreaking revelation, but I hadn't realised I was among those who felt this way about stuff.

I guess I won't know for sure if I will regret giving up on the top, but when I got down to thinking about it, for every one thing I sorely regret not buying, there usually about fifty others I forgot without a second thought. So probability is on my side, and let's face it, something new will come along to haunt my mind and test my will again.

Picture from style.com

putting away the jeans for a moment

2011-07-07T13:07:00.003+08:00

Photographer: Vanessa Jackman

In honour of the heat, I've giving my jeans a rest and finally giving my much neglected dresses their day in the sun. I'm taking advantage of my casual office rules to wear my Keds and driving shoes with simple, short shifts.

If I weren't recovering from a hideous broken toe nail from running, I would wear flat sandals too.

Photographer: Scott Schuman

It's been a while and I've forgotten the charms of wearing a dress and feeling the hems kick in a flirty way.

Pictures from the sartorialist here and here, vanessa jackman

via want & worth, words to treasure

2011-07-04T15:33:00.000+08:00

"I'm searching for a new proportion. What interests me is the 'space' between the person wearing the clothes and the clothes themselves - the airiness, the movement, the silhouette."

"Fabric is everything. Often I tell my pattern makers, 'Just listen to the material. What is it going to say? Just wait. The material will probably teach you something.'."

"For me, a woman who is absorbed in her work, who does not care about gaining one's favour, strong yet subtle at the same time, is essentially more seductive. The more she hides and abandons her femininity, the more it emerges from the very heart of her existence."

"I wanted people to wear my clothes for at least ten years, so I ask the fabric maker to make a very strong, tough finish. It's very close to designing army clothing."

- Yohji Yamamoto as quoted in the V&A exhibition guide

Yohji fan or not, the principles behind his work are admirable and inspiring. I read this on editor's always thoughtful blog Want & Worth, and found them too good not to share. Good words to carry with you, no matter what one does.

summer days: seaside in the city

2011-07-03T18:26:00.004+08:00

I've loved sports and spending time outside all my life, and I'm always drawn to clothes with an outdoorsy motif, while still looking perfectly appropriate for an urban setting. Here are some of my favourite things that echo a bit of that homespun vibe I posted about a little while back, and remind me of spending time by the sea, measuring time by the position of the sun.

This for me means stripes, a touch of the espadrille without actually having to wear espadrilles, my favourite woven belt on my favourite khaki shorts, and little palm trees on my useful little cardholder holding my travel and office passes.

And here's me, gleefully wearing all of them. Bit overkill, doing so many posts of my outfits recently, but sometimes, I feel like I have to demonstrate what I mean. This is quite a typical weekend outfit for me - swapping my usual jeans for some shorts, while the top half is mostly unchanged from what I wear on weekdays.

summer days: junior edition

2011-07-02T16:09:00.003+08:00

Photographer: Scott Schuman for The Sartorialist

Note to self: Start them young. Such a lovely, practical, evergreen outfit that spans generations.

Happy weekend!

Picture from the sartorialist

my life in blue

2011-06-30T02:43:00.000+08:00

I was tidying my wardrobe over the weekend when I found a pair of jeans I haven't worn in ages. Back in the day before skinny and straight leg jeans became the rage, I too, wore boot-cut jeans, haha. I wore them around the house, trying to remember what it felt like to wear these daily, and whether I could wear them out again. They feel tighter now!

But first, my denim history.

I got my my pair of "grown-up" jeans at 10, when my sister handed down to me her Guess jeans (I was tall enough at 10 to wear adult sizes). This was the 90s', before Guess moved into their "Paris Hilton" era, and I felt quite cool even though I think today we would refer to them as "mom jeans". I wore them with T-shirts and vests and felt insanely fashionable (I wore bicycle shorts and Body-Glove T-shirts too, the little hipster raver I was).

When I was 13, I saved up and bought my first pair of jeans from Calvin Klein'Jeans, because ckOne was the fragrance and and Jenny Shimizu and Kate Moss were the girls to be in the 90s, and it was probably my first big "brand" obsession - the day I officially became a victim of marketing. I wore these jeans so much that they wore out at the butt and knees and I had to patch them and chop them into shorts.

If anyone is wondering why Levi's wasn't a part of my life, when I claim to be a denim fan, it's because I've never found a Levi's cut for girls that fit. Nor did men's 501s do anything for me. Maybe today I could find a way to rock them, but back them I just felt spectacularly gawky in them.

When I was 17, I bought my second pair of jeans, from Mango - the only pair of jeans I could find then that did not have a huge flare - it was the reign of boot-cuts in 2001. I'm 5'11, and a US 8, or French 40, and until these high street brands from Europe came to Singapore, I could hardly find clothes that fit me well - Singaporean and Asian labels are made for smaller girls. Mango was also the beginning of "fast fashion" for me - chic clothes I could afford on a student's allowance and my part-time tutor wages.

I outgrew the Mango jeans when I decided I wanted real denim, not stretchy cotton made to look like denim. Around this time, my dad would also buy Levi's for me when he went to the US, but everything then was a boot-cut that didn't go with the Chucks permanently on my feet.

I started working at Diesel in 2004 as a part-time sales assistant while I was in university, and this was the beginning of my affair with "premium" denim. It coincided with the boom of brands like Seven for All Mankind, Rock and Republic, Hudson, etc, but I was obsessed with Replay, Diesel, Evisu.Unlike Seven et al, I liked the solid denim these brands used, and I was convinced they were the better deal than what Topshop, Zara, and Mango were offering me, even though I would paying through my nose for them. Around this time I started aspiring to better-made clothing too - I remember falling in love with A.P.C. when I did a summer programme in Paris. Buying better jeans was part of it all.

Working at Diesel gave me a great employee discount, and my very first pair are the ones you see me wearing. They looked comfortable with my sneakers. They were made of a yummy hefty denim that cried out to be weathered. The slight flare felt slacker cool and a little breezy So Cal, not fashion-y and crying to be worn with stilettos. The style was the right fit for my look at that time - I lived in cotton t-shirts, denim skirts, shorts, flip-flops, sneakers.

I wore these constantly for two years before I moved on to straight-leg jeans in 2005 (Diesel started making them) and then before long I bought my first skinny jeans in 2006, and basically, the narrow leg has reigned. I find them to be the best style for a flats girl like me, and I like the elegant, gamine touch of a narrow ankle. It took me a while to adjust my style to fit the new cut of my jeans - I see now that my jeans have always strongly influenced my style.

Trying on my boot-cut jeans again threw my current idea of myself for a loop, but I also felt strangely right. We never leave our selves behind, entirely, it seems.

Are there any style flashbacks sitting in your wardrobe? Would you resurrect them?

simple is best

2011-06-27T12:16:00.002+08:00

It always feels good when you can limit the number of items of clothing to the bare minimum. I also love that these trousers are stretchy enough to practically do yoga in them.

summer days: home spun

2011-06-24T00:01:00.001+08:00

From top left: VDC catalogue, VDC dress, Erik Jacobs for NYT, A.P.C. bag, Castaner shoes, Steven Alan shorts, Steven Alan top, Zara top, Scott Schuman for The Sartorialist

Hot, sticky days make me crave gauzy, rough, materials - linen, canvas, straw, cotton gauze, chambray. Fabrics like these don't stick to the skin and let air circulate, and they evoke a sense of ease and the outdoors.

The best part about all these materials is that they are easy to care for, and they look best rumpled. I like them best when they are clean and spare - they'll still look right in the city while bringing to mind rustic joys.

Pictures from the sartorialist, vdc here and here, steven alan, la garconne here and here, net-a-porter, nyt, zara

outgrown

2011-06-21T13:41:00.000+08:00

I used this bag to death after I received it as a birthday present in 2008, and it shows. It looks battered, there’s a hole where the corner of my laptop always rubbed it, and the colour has faded a bit – it hasn't quite been the same since I brought on a beach holiday where the sun and the saltwater got to it.

I loved the roominess, the cute balloon-like shape, and the bright colour, and I remember finding it incredibly practical for work and weekends.

I have since acquired a few more bags, and have been using this less frequently. In fact, I haven’t used it at all this year. So I thought I would revive it today and brought it out with much anticipation, having missed its cerulean hue.

30 minutes after I left the house, I wished I hadn't. I found the handles far too small to sit comfortably on my shoulder, compared to the generous shoulder straps of the other bags I’ve been using recently. I was annoyed I had to bring out a second pouch in my bag, because the bag has no internal pockets for the things I usually chuck in there, except for a small slot for my mobile phone. This being a yoga day, I was carrying my packed lunch in a separate carrier and I felt more cumbersome than usual because the bag did not hang securely from my shoulder.

I carried this bag almost every day for three years, without complaint. I still love the shape and colour, and I don't mind how worn it looks, but it lacks the ease I’m accustomed to from my other bags. I suppose the bag wasn't perfect to begin with (sidetrack: why are Longchamp Pliage bags so expensive when they don't hold up all that well?).

I still expect to find this bag reasonably useful to keep around (it folds away nicely for holidays and is perfect for the beach), but its staple days look to be over.

Isn’t it sad to grow out of things you once loved? What are some much-loved things you guys have grown out of?

summer days: colour

2011-06-18T10:31:00.001+08:00

Photographer: Tommy Ton for Style.com

When it gets hot, layering is out of the question. I like wearing lots of white and cream, but I think wearing colour is part of being a native of the tropics. And wearing a single shot of a bright colour is a simple, minimal way of creating impact without fussing with too many layers. The idea is to create a graphic punch.

Photographer: (from top) Vanessa Jackman, Scott Schuman

It doesn't have to be complicated. Instead of reaching for one my usual white t-shirts, I throw a a mustard-yellow T-shirt, and it's still jeans and t-shirt me, but the sunny version. love to find one in the perfect shade of turquoise, just like one I had when I was a kid, but no luck.

If you're someone like me who's more likely to get excited about different shades of grey and cream, there are some easy colours to start with. Any shade of blue but navy is a good choice for the colour-averse. Breton-stripe lovers can try a t-shirt in navy and red stripes. Mustard yellow is another colour that is bright without being scary. I also love blush pink, which is like wearing off-white, but a little more romantic. I like grass green as well.

Happy weekend!

Pictures from style.com, the sartorialist, vanessa jackman

the practical dresser

2011-06-16T14:01:00.001+08:00

Photographer: Maya Viliger

How I dress:
Step 1: Occasion

Step 2: Weather

Step 3: Comfort

Most of the time, as I get dressed, I have nothing. No ray of light moment when style icons flit through my head and I immediately think of a mood to channel. I know what I love of course, but a lot of it is deeply ingrained reflex.

So these days, it's whatever jeans I'm feeling that day (slouchier, skinnier), pick a top according to the weather (t-shirt, button-down, pullover), and ballet flats or loafers, or sneakers. My new desert boots have also added a bit of spin.

Bag of choice: my large grey YSL tote or, more so, my navy Longchamp messenger bag - so much to lug around, and all the better if I do it hands-free, since I take trains and buses.

I've neglected most of my other bags for months now. I also feel my desire for a small purse waning slightly (only slightly), because I can see how I'll use it only once, twice a week.

My dresses have also fluttered in my closet, unworn, because jeans just work better for work.

I'm enjoying my practical dressing phase, all thanks to my relaxed dress code for work.

Over time, I have formed my own little set of rules for practical dressing:

Buy no-nonsense, low-maintenance fabrics. Hardy materials like cotton and linen and washed silk are fuss-free choices. And they are all luxurious in their own way.
Buy good quality accessories that aren't precious. I don't own anything I'm worried about tucking under a chair (so long as it's not a bathroom, and it's dry). Awesome bags and shoes speak volumes - essential if you're a basic dresser.
Cut, cut, cut. Important for anyone, but I'm a basic dresser and not playing artfully with layers, so whatever I have on needs to stand on its own. Simple things with maximum impact.
If I'm tugging and fiddling even before I leave the house, I change.
Wear what I feel like wearing, not what I think I should be wearing. Even if it means I'm wearing the same thing over and over again.
Buy what I'll wear on a Tuesday afternoon, not a Saturday night. All the pretty special occasion things just never get worn - a couple of pieces are enough.
My friend says I have a siege mentality - I'm happiest when kitted out in things I will be comfortable in if I'm going to be trapped wearing them for the next 36 hours. I think it's something ingrained in me ever since my family and I were stuck in some random airport FOREVER with no luggage because of a missed flight.
I get my hair trimmed regularly - good hair is obvious when you dress simply, and it's easier to handle in the mornings.
You can skip/shorten the make-up routine if you take care of your skin (eat well, sleep more).
Flat shoes over heels. Always.

Picture from turned out

put it out there

2011-06-15T20:58:00.002+08:00

Photograph: Sofia Coppola's beauty cabinet in Vogue Paris Dec/Jan 04/05*

"And my grandmother—I was really close to my grandmother—she was always like, ‘When are you going to write for a real magazine, one that I can pick up at the newsstand?’ So I started writing articles. All the journalism school advice tells you to write a proposal and send it to the magazine, and instead I was like, ‘I’ll just write the article.’ Like, how much more effort does it take to finish the article and write it in the voice of the magazine? Because the letter—the pitch—is kind of not in the voice of the magazine. So I wrote a piece for New York Magazine about an artist and that got in. And then I wrote a piece for Condé Nast Traveler. I always give people that advice. I don’t know anybody that followed it, but it’s definitely my number one get-ahead-in-magazines advice: write the article, don’t write a proposal. Then I had a friend who worked at Vogue and she called me and was like, ‘A beauty story just fell out at the last minute. Will you come up with something over the weekend? You know, maybe they’d look at it. Who knows?’ I was like, ‘Alright,’ and the story I wrote was about this makeup artist that was just starting her new line and it was Bobbi Brown." - Jean Godfrey-June, Lucky Beauty Director, on In The Gloss

I don't work in a fashion magazine, and neither do I have much experience trying to get started in that industry, but I do work in the publishing business, and I found this interview incredibly interesting to read - it's the sort of thing you should come across early so that you know what to do when you want to get started on your career. The part I put in bold I find to be especially good advice - it's the best way for people to judge if they want your article and you. I think the hardest thing for people to get over it the rejection - the sting of it, especially after you put in all the effort to craft something you think is wonderful. But if you are thin-skinned you probably shouldn't be in journalism.

With so many online websites these days, almost anyone can get a writing gig of some kind, simply by submitting a piece. You probably won't be paid much, but it's an opening wedge into something bigger.

Anyway, I loved her whole piece on In The Gloss, which I'm sure many of you have read already, since everyone is a fan. Her passion for beauty reporting is infectious. If you haven't, go here.

Incidentally, I also bought a copy of Lucky, for fun, and have some thoughts about the magazine poking about my head. Let's see if I can turn it into a post...

* - edited

Picture from tfs

additions

2011-06-15T10:59:00.000+08:00

I really like it when things I've been eyeing unexpectedly go on sale. My goal to buy 10 items this year has definitely been scuppered, but there is always next year...

Unfortunately, one of my sale buys was kind of a bust.

I had been admiring this A.P.C. Madras sweater on ASOS, but was not prepared to fork out GBP175 for it. Then I chanced upon it on Urbanoutfitters reduced to US$99 from US$250, and it seemed like a sign - after all, I never shop on UO and it was pure chance that I encountered it.

I knew it was trouble when I unwrapped the package and my hand touched an alarmingly warm, soft, dense pile of fabric. The sweater was described as 97% cotton terry (3% elastane) so I had optimistically assumed it would be like one of my light cotton terry sweaters - quite wearable in the tropics.

Nope, this was dense, weighty stuff, rather a little too warm for the climate. I loved the way it looked when I tried it on, but a tiny part of me wilted, knowing it was a little too heavy.

I'm debating whether to return it, or simply give it a try for a while, since the math after all the shipping fees just doesn't work out. Not to mention the hideous carbon footprint of flying a sweater back to the US - bad enough shipping it here already.

Perhaps I can just sell it off later if I decide I'm not getting much wear. Or if any one of you is a France 40/UK 12/US 8 and needs a sweater, I have a lovely one (size large) for sale...

Happily, my other sale buys are a bit more of a success. The A.P.C. shirt is fantastic - the fabric is a crisp cotton gauze, not too thin, not too thick, the print playful in a subdued way, and the finishing is good. I think A.P.C. workmanship is sometimes underwhelming for what you pay but in this instance I was 100% satisfied. I can't wait to wear it.

I bought the Tory Burch flats from the Outnet on Monday. My sister has a pair of those and I found them very comfortable, except for the elasticised heel, which took a while to get used to. At GBP70, they are a very good buy - full-price would have been another story, for what it is.

(I have to say, of the three, the Outnet shipping is the best - superfast, clothes securely packed - although all three soundly beat ASOS.)

Pictures from asos, la garconne

evening

2011-06-14T14:34:00.000+08:00

The Van Gogh Alive exhibit, at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore. You can read more about it here. His paintings were scanned and projected as videos on giant screens, with music playing, interpersed with photographs of his family and his inspiration. It was an immersive way of experiencing works we may have seen before, or find familiar - sometimes the enture screen is just filled with his brushstrokes. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to rove around the exhibition on Saturday after hours, feeling like I had the whole place to myself.

What was the occasion? It was a party to mark the close of ScreenSingapore, a film festival. I was the guest of a friend, and we were both infinitely more excited about being at the museum for the first time (it opened recently), and feeling like the works were only on show for us, than we were about the actual soirée. There is also a terrific Salvador Dali exhibit going on, and we skipped the fashion show to linger over the exhibition, generally having a ball of a time because when you are the only people there, there's no need for the usual hushed tip-toeing at a museum or gallery.

Anyway, my outfit.

I hurriedly snapped this on Saturday morning while the light was good, before I changed out of it to do, you know, normal things. The jacket is far better looking than it appears in the photo - single-button, nice drape, slim lapels. At the event, I did the fashion thing of draping the jacket over my shoulders, just for fun. I felt thoroughly comfortable in a sea of gowns and cocktail dresses, and consequently, it was easy to be sociable, and do all the professional things expected of you at such functions. It felt right.

back to business

2011-06-13T13:51:00.000+08:00

Photographer: Nathaniel Goldberg for Vogue UK July 2011

It's a terribly autumn-y editorial for the weather I'm having, but this edit was the reason why I decided to buy this month's issue of British Vogue - even with the boring Vanessa Paradis cover story. British Vogue has been a increasingly hit and miss for me in recent years, but they are still responsible for some of my favourite images in this year's issues. I love the colour palette of this particular shot - brown, ivory, blue, warm yet subdued. You can feel the autumn chill just looking at it, not to mention the rich, heavy warmth of her coat.

And Stella Tennant - love her otherworldly face and her attitude. Without her, and also the lovely set-up of some of the photographs, it would have been another editorial full of trouser suits. Her purposeful stride sets the tone for the work week ahead.

Picture scanned by honeycombchild on tfs

a funny thing happened...

2011-06-11T11:04:00.004+08:00

...when I wore these jeans on Friday. Unexpectedly, it was that time of the month. Nothing embarrassing happened but I think maybe I'll reconsider my airy declaration in my post about white jeans being low maintenance. I sure as hell felt pretty paranoid all day.

Happy weekend!

repeat offender

2011-06-09T11:38:00.000+08:00

I've found that my clothes have fallen into a very consistent vibe over the past few years. New buys for my wardrobe tend to be variations on a theme, or upgrades of existing items. For better or worse, I could reach for almost anything and my overall look would be pretty much the same, haha. Dressing is easy, and quick.

I noticed a consequence to this a couple weeks ago, when quick as lightning, I bought two tops online. One is a long-sleeved cotton shirt, and one is a navy cotton pullover. After the dust settled over the transactions, I realised I had gradually become the kind of person that buys the same kind of things repeatedly.

I have always consciously avoided that, the only exception being when it came to jeans (I kind of went insane in 2005-2007). For instance, I declare myself a Breton stripe lover, but I only have two striped tops.

But in the last two years, I've developed a weakness for nice button-downs. It started with a blue and white striped shirt I bought in 2009, and ever since then I've been steadily acquiring them, telling myself I was building up a small selection of basics. I've certainly wandered past the 'necessity' border and into 'want' territory - I keep seeing variations in stripe and material I want to buy - a skinner stripe, a softer fabric, a cuter check, an irresistible combination of blues.

Another thing I can't stop eyeing lately is lightweight pullovers, which is plain silly considering the weather here. After buying that great grey sweater in April, I've bought another sweater. this time in navy. And I had to fight the urge to buy a cream one from Steven Alan that's on sale at La Garconne.

What can't you stop buying?

summer days: shades

2011-06-08T10:36:00.001+08:00

Photographer: Scott Schuman for The Sartorialist

Sunglasses = eye protection +cool. So much punch in a single accessory. I don't need to go into why they're necessary health-wise and fashion-wise on sunny days, do I?

I'm quite boring about this, my one idea of perfect sunglasses is the Ray Ban aviators. "Top Gun" got me young. It's a little badass, a little glamorous, utterly classic, and okay, it suits the shape of my face.

Also, I love the little Ray Ban convention in "Reservoir Dogs" where everyone is rocking some awesome design by the brand - Quention Tarantino is a big fan - the Wayfarer, the Clubmaster, the Predator.

Photograph from "Reservoir Dogs"

A close runner-up to aviators for me are Steve McQueen's Persol 0714 ones in "The Thomas Crown Affair". He loved them so much that he also wore them in "The Getaway", and in real life too. They are sporty, elegant, and have a dash of charm and wit. See how ridiculously good he looked hauling sacks of money.

Photograph from "The Thomas Crown Affair"

What's your favourite style of sunglasses?

Photographer: William Claxton

Pictures from the sartorialist, t magazine, laist, lexposure

phoebe, leelee, and kiki approve

2011-06-07T20:42:00.002+08:00

Photographers (from top): Tommy Ton for Style.com, Getty Images

Slipping on a jacket and trousers for a glittering night out is obviously a more popular idea than I'd expected, going by how many of you liked the idea in your comments to my previous post, and well, some of the chic attendees of the CFDA awards. I like Phoebe Philo's shirt cuffs, Leelee Sobieski's Lauren Hutton-ish vibe, and the fit of Kirsten Dunst's suit (alas, not the shininess of her beautifully slim lapels).

I'm warming to the idea, but I think ultimately I'm going with whatever my mood is for the day.

Pictures from just jared, style.com

dress-up

2011-06-06T17:02:00.002+08:00

Photographer: Gerald Estadella

Fancy dress time. Going to a charity dinner as a guest of a friend. Apart from the opportunity to check out the latest museum in Singapore , the ArtScience Museum, I think I accepted partly because I was looking forward to the thought of dressing up, and wearing some of the things in my closet that don't get much airing because of the lack of occasion.

Still, I belong to the school of preferring to be underdressed than over-dressed, even when I'm dressing up (that last sentence might not make sense on first reading).

I'm partial to an ivory Vanessa Bruno dress because I love it but don't wear it often. But I've also been boying with the idea of borrowing my sister's awesome black jacket and wearing them with my grey crepe trousers, with a simple black satin tank underneath and one of the kick-ass gold necklaces our aunt gave us in February. I'm not quite Lou Doillon in Tom Ford, but I think I should be passably presentable.

Besides, if tuxedo jackets are cool enough for Freja Beha, Lou Doillon and Emmanuelle Alt for Paris Vogue's 90th anniversay party (not to mention men in general), it's good enough for my dinner.

Picture from i can teach you how to do it

summer days: white below

2011-06-03T10:42:00.000+08:00

Photographer: Tommy Ton for Style.com

I was going to call this post "white bottoms" but that just sounded so graceless and unappealing. (I had quite a lot of trouble trying to think of a good title this time.)

I'm always be inspired by women who incorporate lots of white in their wardrobes - the look immediately evokes summer glamour for me - Greek islands, azure seas, a salt tang in the air.

White bottoms are a great way to leverage on all your trans-seasonal tops - just switch your dark jeans and trousers for something white and you instantly look breezier, even if you're wearing a black long-sleeve crew-neck on top.

White jeans can be hard to find if you're not stick-thin, but I've found that the slouchy-straight/tapered cuts work quite well on most people. The trick is of course, getting good quality denim - I hate thin fabrics where you can see the outline of the pocket because the material isn't opaque enough. You can have the pockets removed, but I still prefer a fabric with proper heft. Fabrics other than denim work too.

Photographer: Justin Hollar for Madewell

Once you find the right pair, it's like a magic bullet. The same goes for white skirts - I love the way my mum looks in her white denim pencil skirt - and I also like white shorts. In the perfect white cropped trousers, you could channel Jackie O - who really knew how to rock white capris in summer to maximum effect.

Photographer: Unknown (anyone want to enlighten me?)

White bottoms are not all that high-maintenance - I'm not especially careful but I never dirty mine, except maybe at music festivals but that is to be expected, and it's nothing a run in the washing can't take care of - which mean I wouldn't buy something in a delicate fabric.

So go forth, and take your place in the sun. Happy weekend!

Photographer: Natalie Joos shot by Aram Bedrossian for Tales of Endearment

Pictures from tales of endearment, purse forum, tfs, style.com, bernstein and andriulli

goodies for the skin

2011-06-01T11:29:00.000+08:00

Some of my skincare products ran out recently, so I thought it timely to try out a few new things.

First up was the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate which Fleurette and a good number of my friends have raved about. I admit I bought this at a vulnerable moment (don't buy beauty products when you're feeling bad about your skin!) because I felt like my skin looked dull - it's definitely a sign of ageing! I love the smell - so soothing as you press the oil onto your face. I use it every alternate night. I'm impressed that I can use it on its own without a moisturiser (this being humid Singapore), and it might be imaginary, but the texture of my skin looks better too.

It's made from a mix of natural essential oils (evening primrose, lavender, squalane), and upon buying it, I did wonder if I just spent money on the same essential oils you can get from any store. Hmmmm.

The only way to find out if a beauty product has been effective is to finish using the whole lot, and stop for a week or two and see what your skin looks like without it. If it noticeably degenerates, then you know you have a winner. I guess I've got six months to go to see if I have a winner.

The second product is my body moisturiser - I love the Boots Body Cream I bought in Thailand, inexpensive and the texture and scent was amazing, but I've finished mine, and there isn't a Boots here.

In any case, I've been wanting to gradually switch to organic products, so I checked out Aesop and Jurlique. Aesop has killer packaging, but I didn't like the way any of their body creams (called Body Balms) smelt.

So off to Jurlique I went, and I plunked for their Jasmine Body Care Lotion, because it smelt heavenly and the texture was perfect for our weather. It makes me feel like I'm in a spa.

Both products have a great scent, but it isn't chokingly overpowering (some Body Shop and L'Occitane products have that problem). Some people prefer unscented products, owing to sensitive skin perhaps. But it's never made a difference with me, and I like the ritual of massaging something that smells soothing into your skin (good for circulation too, all that massaging).

I had never used Jurlique products before so I opted for this as a starter product - if I like it I may try more of their stuff as I go along - I'm running out of sunscreen next.

Apart from growing their ingredients on their own biodynamic farm, they also have minimal packaging made from recycled materials - not sure if the plastic is though. If you think about your carbon footprint and all the chemicals we wash off our bodies every day, I think it's worth looking at where you can minimise there, and taking small steps in the right direction.

jane, redux

2011-06-01T01:12:00.005+08:00

Photographer: Laurie Sparham for Focus Features

I went through a re-read of all the 19th century romances that so enamoured me as a teenager with their Byronic heros last year and early this year (leading me to see Céline's fall 2011 collection through a rather romantic lens), so my interest was piqued when I saw that "Jane Eyre", starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, was playing in the theatres.

I enjoyed "Wuthering Heights" and "Pride and Prejudice", and of course, "Rebecca", but I admit when I read "Jane Eyre" at age 12 or 13 I was a little put off by how incredibly melodramatic the plot was (I read the rest when I was about 16). I think back then I wasn't quite used to 19th century literature; I remember I struggled to like Dickens.

But the film - directed by Cary Fukunaga - cast it all in a new light for me, especially on the character of Jane - she's more sober and forthright than I remembered. It helps that she was so superbly played by Mia Wasikowska, who has this luminous, subtle way of letting emotion flit across her face without overdoing it that reminds me of Cate Blanchett.

Mr Rochester, on the other hand, was exactly how I remembered him - charismatic, but kind of an ass. Michael Fassbender, whom I crushed on in "Inglourious Basterds" and was awed by in "Hunger", did a good job of not overplaying him - I think the subtlety of the movie as a whole saved it for me.

So I've dusted off my copy of the book and started reading it again, and I wonder if 15 years will change how I feel about the book.

Picture from nytimes

first class

2011-05-29T05:51:00.002+08:00

Photographer unknown, picture from goal.com

I file this report at six in the morning, because the beautiful game is worth it. Before I rhapsodise about the superb class act that Barcelona was in the final of the Champions League as they powered over Manchester United to a polished, well-earned victory, can we just take a moment to admire the fineness that is Barca manager Pep Guardiola?

Photographer: Shaun Botterill for Getty Europe

This man, a one-time Barca man himself, rocks the hell out of a suit.

Photo: Getty Images

He is forty, and a father of three. Apart from his melting good looks, I can't think of a forty-year-old man who can work a skinny suit and tie and still look elegant, like he does.

In any case, hugs to Barcelona for their deserved win, and I'm dying to give Lionel Messi (in top pict, right) a friendly cuddle. He's gifted as hell, and he has a scruffy boyish charm that's so earnest, he makes all other footballers look like they are only out for the glory, even if they aren't. No one has his magic feet. Magic feet that delivers. Man U, bless them, never gave up and created some moments for themselves, but they were thoroughly out-classed. Hats off the Man U keeper Edwin Van Der Sar for saving quite a few.

When a team you support wins, it feels like all is well in the world.

Pictures from goal.com, zimbio, kickette

summer days: white shirt + jeans + flat sandals

2011-05-27T09:02:00.000+08:00

Photographer: Scott Schuman

This outfit packs a couple of good tips for summer, but first of all, let me just say how much I love this woman's fantastic attitude. She looks like she doesn't take any of this too seriously.

And onto the serious stuff.

First of all, her white shirt. A white shirts such a duh classic recommendation, and it's all-season, but it really dazzles in summer because it looks so good in the sun. The key to beating the heat is finding one in the right fabric. I like silk cotton, but they are usually sheer and need layering, which can be unpalatable in humid weather.

I really like linen in the right weave and weight - not too crisp, soft and washed. A lot of people don't like linen shirts, probably because they wrinkle, but everything wrinkles in the heat anyway, and linen is one of those things that actually look good wrinkled - they're meant to. Buy something that's pre-washed, or go a size up, because linen shrinks on first wash, depending on the weave. I like the ones at Uniqlo this season.

The second part about her great look are her flat sandals. Birkenstocks! Not the first thing that springs to mind when you think of chic but I think she's pulling it off nicely with nice sporty vibe.

It's nice to bring out some simple flat sandals when the sun comes out. I've seen S of Mommy Style, Kate from Quiet Houses and Garderoben with their chunky low wedges/sandals and it's an instant update to an all-season outfit like jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt - like the sun coming out and everything looks different in a new light. I like the classic K Jacques ones too for a sleeker look.

Driving shoes - not penny loafers - are also a great, relaxed, sporty touch that's says summer. My friend has a yummy mustard yellow pair that adds colour in a subtle way, and I also like them in camel leather, or perhaps sky blue.

All in all, I think a relaxed white shirt, cuffed jeans, and flat sandals are a great uniform to for summer.

Do you guys have a summer uniform?

P.S - Thanks to Alexandra of Her Ribbons and Her Bows for recommending this series of summer days posts...I haven't been as organised as I should, and have mostly rambled on when inspiration strikes.

Picture from the sartorialist

desert storm

2011-05-25T17:33:00.002+08:00

I only meant to pick up underwear when I went into Topshop, but these ended up coming home with me (along with underwear). They look like the Clarks Desert boots that I love but look horrible on me, and they aren't too much for the tropics. They are also the first flat boots I have ever tried that work on me. Bonus: they were on sale.

I'm quite happy to have a new pair of shoes to break my usual ballerinas/loafers. Things can get monotonous when you only wear flat shoes so it's fun to have something come along that feels different but still resolutely me.

and there was light

2011-05-24T20:26:00.000+08:00

Photographer: Mario Testino
Magazine: US Vogue July 1999

Sunshine, and a shirt the colour of the sky. I complain about the heat, but I really quite love the sun.

Picture from tfs

rumpled shirts

2011-05-23T15:01:00.003+08:00

Bottom, from left: Emeric Glayse for Jalouse, Lachlan Bailey for Muse, Scott Schuman for The Sartorialist

Inspiration behind today's outfit. The Zara shirt I have on is a favourite favourite favourite shirt. I don't need to feel particularly inspired to wear this shirt, but sometimes what I choose to wear is informed by some of the images I have floating in my head. And it adds to the pleasure.

Pictures from quiet is the new loud, the sartorialist, faking fashion, fashiongonerogue, that kind of woman

leisure suite

2011-05-20T12:17:00.003+08:00

Photographer: Benoit Peverelli
Magazine: Vogue Paris March 2008
Stylist: Melanie Huynh and Geraldine Saglio

Seeing images of this particular En Vogue feature from Vogue Paris made me nostalgic so I decided to post it up in its entirety. Three years old, and looking pretty fresh for me. I like how the introduction of simple accents and accessories freshens up simple outfits of denim and cotton - camel leather accessories, fringe, grey suede, black leather with metal accents, ethnic flair. All in small doses that add personality without being trendy. We all need that kick in the pants in our wardrobes sometimes.

Wonderful casual looks to ring in the weekend!

Pictures from tfs

behind the line

2011-05-19T01:01:00.001+08:00

Photographer: Charity De Meer for J. Crew

These days I either don't post, or feel a barrage of them lining up waiting to burst forth on my blog. Just thought I would share an interesting new-ish Tumblr - J. Crew's 770 Behind The Line blog. It's got charmingly random street snaps of chic New Yorkers and their outfits, behind-the-scenes pictures of their campaigns, inspiration behind their collections, and my favourite - a regular Pet Project series that runs every Friday about PETS. Mainly of dogs, which I love. It's one of the most well-designed brand blogs I've ever seen - perfectly in tune with the brand's aesthetic and surprisingly personal; a lot of brand blogs feel a bit mechanical or like an afterthought. But I guess it's no surprise since J. Crew's website has always had a touch of the personal; unusual for such a behemoth.

From top: posts by Ashley Sargent Price and Alison Griffin; Halsey Anderson and Jenny Kong; Tracy Rosenblaum

Pictures from 770/Behind The Line

feet on the ground, head in the clouds

2011-05-18T02:54:00.000+08:00

Photographer unknown except for middle: Sarah Maingot for Mixologies; and bottom left: Tommy Ton for Jak and Jil

I've been content in slouchy cotton t-shirts or rumpled cotton shirts with fitted, faded jeans rolled up the ankle, beat-up ballerina flats, a no-nonsense bag slung over one shoulder, a cozy, chunky knit to fight off the manic air-conditioning in the office, hanging out with Liz Lemon. Looking through apartments to rent for my one-week stay in London in October. Also, returning to yoga after basically living in the office until last week.

I can't stop thinking about the hefty, armourial yet organic quality of Elsa Perretti's Bone cuff for Tiffany & Co, stunningly delicious prime rib from one of my favourite French restaurants in Singapore. Still tucked in the corner of my head is a quilted navy bag from Chanel (sigh). Re-reading Orhan Pamuk's "Snow" is making me crave a visit to Turkey and its remotest regions.

I often wander between the boundaries of contentment and the desire for a touch of fantasy. (I'm speaking of the simpler pleasures in life; this has nothing to do with the weightier headaches I face elsewhere, like at work for instance.)

I have no big point to make with this observation, except that I get to throw up a whole jumble of pictures I'm inspired by at the moment.

Also, I've noticed that as I got comfortable with my wandering eye, I've gotten better at not acting impulsively on it. This is good for my wallet, and good at reducing those regretful moments of 'Hmmm I didn't want you that much after all'. A happy place.

Pictures for collage from serenaded, the imagist, mal du siécle via quiet is the new loud mixologies via discotheque confusion, tfs, elegancia, jak & jil

summer days: the jumpsuit

2011-05-16T00:45:00.002+08:00

If anyone is confused, this is a re-post, because Blogger kind of went batshit a few days back and my post mysteriously disappeared. So, um, enjoy, again.

Photographer: Scott Schuman

Well, with the General Elections over and done with, it's time I distract myself a little with the simpler pleasures in life. I will post more about my thoughts on the outcome of the election (overall good, with some personal disappointments) a few weeks from now, as I am interested in how I will view the whole matter with some "cooling off" time for perspective.

So, on with clothes, and dressing thyself.

There will come a day where jumpsuits aren't age appropriate anymore, but at present, I think I'm getting away with them. I have always worn some variation of this in lieu of a dress; less so after I left school and started work. It's a little more playful, a little more sporty, and a nice variation on wearing shorts all the time.

I don't think her jumpsuit is the best or the coolest I ever seen, but I like how she managed to wear it without looking infantile. She looks cool in a preppy way, but still very "city".

I don't wear mine so short. This one I'm wearing is from Gap and I think I bought it in 2008. It's chambray (such a great, lightweight alternative to denim) and it came with a matching belt, but I prefer it with my own woven leather belt.

I also have one from Zara, bought in 2009. It's linen and utterly soft and comfortable. Both are also holiday staples when I expect to be out in the sun and walking a lot, and it's somehow easier than wearing separates.

I refuse to call it a playsuit or a romper - it sounds terribly wrong.

P.S: If anyone is wondering whether it's inconvenient or awkward when you have to go to the loo, the answer is no.

Picture from the sartorialist

choice

2011-05-07T02:14:00.000+08:00

Photographer: Ailin Liefeld for Freunde von Freunden

Today is 7 May, Polling Day.

A few of you wanted to know more about how the elections and politics in Singapore. It's hard to sum it up and my own feelings about the subject are still developing, so it's probably going to sound on the jumbled side.

The ruling party in Singapore, in power since independence in 1965, has had an extraordinarily successful run - primarily because under its dominance it took Singapore from a developing country, a former colonial outpost with no natural resources except for its geographical local as an advantage, into a developed country in a span of 40 years.

I admire greatly the work of our founding fathers, but I've always believed that past results are no guarantee of future performance, and I've always hoped for more credible Opposition parties to step to the plate and deliver the alternative voices and check on power we need.

And this year, the Opposition delivered an extraordinarily well-qualified crop of candidates (there are still jokers, but we have come a long way, trust me). All but five seats in the Parliament are being contested (uncontested seats automatically return to the incumbent, in a situation we call a walkover) - and for the first time in a long time, we are truly measuring what Singaporeans want (in the last election, there were seven walkovers).

I believe self-awareness is one of the hardest things to achieve in a person, and the same goes for any organisation or collective power. I do not believe that a party with such dominant power will be able effectively govern and correct its own flaws and mistakes and I believe the time has come for a change where credible alternative representatives should be elected, and the fat from the ruling party trimmed. And I can point to several performance lapses in the last five years since the last election that supports my point, but I shall not bore the non-resident readers. This post here by a local blogger might help, if you are interested.

We've finally reached a point where some of us have a real chance at making a difference with our vote, because the Opposition party has given itself a kick in the pants to really give Singaporeans genuine choice, and I appreciate that deeply.

We are riding on a momentum we might not see again. Will Singapore see change, and change for the better? I'm almost afraid to hope. We're a pragmatic lot that doesn't thrive on change, and the superiority of the ruling power is deeply engrained in us, me included. Overnight change, revolution, that's not our style.

But the important thing is that choice has finally come to us, perhaps even too soon for many of us to contemplate and make a truly considered decision (so many of us are politically immature). But I feel privileged to be able to mark this moment, and to know what hope and possibility looks like. It's a reminder not to settle for less.

Picture from freunde von freunden

top to bottom

2011-05-05T11:55:00.005+08:00

It turns out that the best place in my flat for taking pictures of my outfit that aren't too grainy...is the laundry room. Figures, since the place with the best natural light goes to airing my laundry (it is still a crappy picture because I am using a crappy camera). In any case, I like this sweater so much that I wanted to show you guys what it looks like on. This is also pretty much my work uniform now, though I also wear ballet flats and loafers. Such a contrast from my uniform in January.

Anyway, No Signposts in the Sea has done a pair of great posts here and here on style narratives and blogging, and I highly recommend it. I've often been reluctant to do outfit posts because I'm lazy, and also in the past whenever I did them they don't feel right - I wasn't interested in sharing my thoughts on style in such a manner.

But I've come to enjoy it whenever bloggers do outfit posts - and not always in a slickly photographed, editorial-ish manner - ever since I've come to discover blogs with similar aesthetics and goals to mine. And I realise that I enjoy the narrative people want to share with the world.

I suppose I'm doing one of my own as a quid pro quo, hah. I don't see myself doing one every day (I'm lazy) but I think doing outfit posts from time to time is my contribution to expressing what I believe my style narrative to be, and to the overall coherence of what I'm trying to say about style and design with this blog.

Read the posts and share what you guys think?

one woman colour story

2011-05-04T11:52:00.003+08:00

Photographer: Tommy Ton

It's kind of a rainy, damp, day in Singapore, and the damp, chilly air is making my nose run, and the bones in my hands ache slightly (I have "wind" in the bones in my hands, as us Chinese say). So instead of a summery photo, I've got this one that fit the bill better. Just like in this picture, I sometimes manage to wear about six different shades of blue at once.

Picture from Jak and Jil

being political

2011-05-02T17:08:00.002+08:00

We're smack in the middle of General Election fever (although Osama's death is taking some of the heat off that), but wow, exciting times. After Polling Day on May 7, we could wake up in a different Singapore**.

As such, work has been killing me, and I spend a lot of time sloshing around in muddy fields visiting rallies and political walkabouts. I have reached a stage of unprecedented sartorial consistency: no other shoes but Chucks for the 15th day running. They're getting so worn (just four years old), they'll have to be falling off my feet for me to get rid of them.

Okay. Back. To. Work.

**I won't bore you guys with the details, but Singapore is parliamentary democracy (modelled after the British system), and this time, 2.3 million people are eligible to vote. 200,000 of us are first-time voters, partly because Singapore has long been dominated by one party and there has never been this many seats contested. Woot.

summer days: summer black

2011-04-28T10:10:00.000+08:00

Photographer: Scott Schuman

I find it hard to wear black in the heat, so it's always nice to see someone do it well. Scott Schuman described how Darcy here wears black in a very interesting way without looking stifling for summer. I agree - she's wearing a sleeveless jacket/coat over a simple black long-sleeve tee. She has a nice open neckline that signals it's NOT bundle-up season. She has her sleeves pushed up to keep things looking relaxed. I look at her and I think it's a great way to wear black in a season that calls for bright colours - she makes it look natural.

Also, the two black cuffs on one wrist - more subtle than one on each wrist, no?

Picture from the sartorialist