Friday Night and Saturday Morning

Last night I stayed at home watching Harry Potter 5 with the boy. He's never seen it. I think it might have been my third time? He has sort of jumped on the HP bandwagon a few years too late. I dressed up in a fully floral outfit with sky-high heels to totter around Blockbuster looking for the rental. It was fun dressing up to go nowhere special in particular.

It looks like Susie has proclaimed florals and geek glasses to be a dead last summer trend. I can't help but stick with what I like. I tend to pick up on trends early, but actually buy the trend later on, and by the time it's over, I'm thinking "no, I don't have my money's worth yet. This blazer will be buried with me."



I'm wearing a blazer from Zara, thrifted scarf and two skirts, a pink scarf from Italy, and Topshop heels.



Today I finally trekked to my favourite place to shop second-hand, Value Village, and purchased a big load including more scarves, three skirts, and two tops. I'll share them later on when they're worn as outfits.



I dressed up in a turqoise Zara turtleneck and a thrifted scarf and skirt. I threw on a brown leather jacket later because it's too cold to be walking around in only sweaters this time of year. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of the jacket. This particular skirt is rather difficult to wear. I usually settle on black, or not bother matching it any way at all, like in these photos. I think the scarf somehow pulled the top and bottom together. I like wearing patterns because you can pick up so many colors out of them. I remember Stacy and Clinton from What Not To Wear saying that when I watched the show in high school. Somehow I'm not sure they'd really approve of this outfit.



Oh, and Kevin looked good today too. I'm glad we finally took photos outside today. I was getting dreadfully bored of taking mirror shots by myself.



I love the hazy pink light I captured in this last photo. Kevin loves to shoot on film and doesn't appreciate my little DSLR very much. I wish there were two of me so I could take photos the way I see them in my head.

What I Wore... Last Weekend

I think the titles of my "What I Wore" posts are becoming rather silly. Read my previous post if you really want to know why.

Last Friday I took my marshmallow skirt out for a spin again. I know that these kinds of skirts are more commonly labeled as "paper-bag skirts", but in this case, it really does look more like a marshmallow than a bag. It might be adjusted by my grandmother soon. I've been put on the waiting list for now. Others in my family require her services as well! I'm planning to take in the waist slightly so it sits higher up, and keep the poofiness by adding two darts only at the hem so the resulting folds puff out slightly.



On Saturday night I attempted to create an outfit around a beautiful scarf given to me by my other grandmother. It's very soft, and I love the sparkly beads at the end. I matched it with a tee from Joe Fresh Style, a vest made by my seamstress-grandma, and my favorite Topshop trousers. I'm very into playing with color combinations at the moment. Light blue and olive feels very fresh.

What I Wore Today

Once again shopping my closet, I pulled out a white skirt that has also been sitting around collecting dust. I purchased this skirt because the subtle pattern drew my eye to it, but it's about two sizes too big and (I think Rumi's to blame for this one), it's just slightly too long. By too long I mean just above the knee, but these days I'm just really craving miniskirts. I pushed the skirt higher up and belted it around my waist. It looks a bit like a puffy marshmallow in the back (not the most flattering thing), and my grandmother offered to take it in and make it shorter for me so I don't have to walk around having marshmallow butt. I personally didn't think the bunching up at the back was so bad, but she insisted.

Odds and Ends

Last night and this morning I dug through my closet to pull out more clothes that I don't wear often enough. I have a big messy pile of shirts of all colors and patterns in fabrics of the type that are impossible to fold nicely but luckily don't wrinkle.

I first picked out a frilly polka-dotted blouse that my grandmother made a few years ago. I loved it back then, but it hasn't been worn recently because I consider polka-dots to be much too girly and young (even thought I'm not very old myself! I like to pretend that I am, but that's another matter). Anyways, I probably just didn't know how to pair the blouse to reflect my changing tastes, because when I matched it with another in a more abstract print, I decided that I really liked the blouse after all.


The other shirt is thrifted, and the pants are from Topshop.

The next blouse I tried on is another thrifted number. I was drawn to the splatter pattern but didn't wear it because it's rather short and boxy for my frame. I belted it up here to solve that problem.



The dress underneath is from Zara.

Yesterday my mum showed me this pretty necklace she picked up for 4 bucks at Value Village. I stole it for the photo and might be borrowing it again soon. It's almost tacky but I still love it. I guess if the leaves were made of metal instead of plastic it would look more chic, but that won't stop me from wearing it.



And lastly, an outfit I'm wearing right now. It's rather boring, but better reflects what I wear most often (unfortunately).

What I Wore... Yesterday

I wish the rain will stop already because I'm running out of places to take photos in my own house! We don't have many uncluttered walls. Here's what I wore yesterday. I layered floral net tights over a pair of shiny sheer grey ones. The leather skirt is vintage, and the sweater is second hand as well (but I wouldn't call it vintage).




This cold of mine refuses to leave! I'm not sneezing any less today than I did yesterday, and the day before, and the day before... How frustrating. I'm eating very well. It must be stress or lack of exercise.

Claudia Schulz Hats

I hope you don't mind the lack of outfit posts lately. I've been sick and I'm dressing solely for comfort and warmth so I don't think any combination has been blog-worthy. My nose won't stop running. I stopped by my internship today all sniffly and stuffed up. At least I'm getting work done! I think I'm pretty much scouting out the website of every local fashion brand in Vancouver for research. I wanted to get more in touch with the local fashion scene. Looks like my wish came true!

So I'm sure local Vancouverites would have already heard of hat designer Claudia Schulz, but I think everyone else should take a gander at her beautiful pieces. Claudia's collections are inspired by the hats of 1920s and 1930s Europe. I love the simplicity of her designs. They're a proper nod back to the cloche hats of the roaring 20s, but they still have a strikingly modern feel to them.

Image, Branding, Politics and the Obama Family

Followers of this blog might remember my criticism of the September Harper's Bazaar editorial with Tyra Banks posing as Michelle Obama. In brief, I'd like to hold you back from painting the town blue for just a second. Remember that Mr. Obama is a human being. Like all other human beings, he should be held accountable by his actions, not his words. He is a great orator, but whether he will be a great statesman as well remains to be seen. I want to remind all of you that one man, one politician, doesn't bring about fundamental change. People bring change. You have to demand it. You have to always hold your representatives accountable to their actions. Don't hope that someone else will solve your problems for you. Don't assume that they have your best interests at heart. I'm not exactly doubting Mr. (President!) Obama's integrity, I'm just fearful of the zombie-like idolatry I'm seeing everywhere.

So now if I haven't scared all of my readers away, I would like to add that I'm incredibly impressed with the brand image the Obama family has created. Everything from the campaign rhetoric to the visual aesthetics was perfectly crafted. I really liked the campaign logo. It's a rather odd thing to mention when talking politics, but I thought it was very now design-wise.

I was also very impressed with Michelle Obama's choice of dresses last night. I actually have that particular Narciso Rodriguez dress in my saved images folder, and I applaud her for her excellent taste.

Karlie Kloss for 10 Magazine

I love this striking editorial in 10 magazine featuring model Karlie Kloss. I'm a fan of editorials that inspire you to look at your wardrobe in a new way. For example, how about binding a loose pair of pants with ribbon or strips of leather? Fantastic! See the rest here.

Alexander McQueen for Target

I've always been rather underwhelmed by the Target Go-International designer collaborations. Don't get me wrong, I'd love me a Joanthan Saunders for Target skirt or two but since I live in Canada and don't often purchase things online, I've never fallen out of my chair with excitement. This is just really taking temptation to another level. McQueen is one of my favourite designers and after his breathtaking spring 2009 collection the news of his upcoming collaboration with target really has stopped my heart (I'm typing this beyond the grave ). Incroyable! I'm crossing my fingers (maybe hopelessly?) for something similar to his spring collection.

Images from style.com

Power Cape

Last night I walked down Granville street (club central of Vancouver for the uninitiated) to grab a quick bite to eat at Donair Town with the boy. I finally pulled my large black cape-coat out of the closet for a good airing. I love the way it billows around me as I walk. I felt like I could sympathize with movie villains and their power trips. You feel ready to take on armies in a billowy cape. But that's one side of the story. The other is me feeling horribly awkward posing on a busy street for a quick blog snap. Sometimes I wish there could be two of me so I can be on both sides of the camera.

Both the cape and the knitted dress I'm wearing underneath are second hand. The dress is a bit of a mystery. The label just says "SAMPLE- not for resale" in big bold letters and has a little blank white label below. It reminds me of Rodarte's beautiful but deconstructed knits. Sometimes I have the urge to pull and stretch the dress just to make it look a little more similar. But that might turn out to be a very bad idea, so I'll leave it alone for the time being.


Rodarte FW 2008 from style.com

Powerhaus, Ishikawa and more jewelry love.

What is it about jewelry that makes you compulsively buy it and then never wear it? I've been collecting more rings and bracelets lately buy I only ever leave the house with one subtle piece at a time (if any). My favourite piece is an antique signet ring given to me by my grandmother. It's really a fascinating thing. It's supposed to act as a wax seal and has little gear-like details incorporated into the design. The symbolism baffles me.



Everything other than that one piece has been collecting dust. But that doesn't stop me from oggling these beauties byMari Isikawa and Powerhaus. The first red rope and pearl necklace is so unexpectedly beautiful. It reminds me of coral.







Edit: Random question but, does anyone else check if something was posted on Style Bubble before they make a post? Or is that just me? She's so sharp, that Susie.

Hello Hello

We are now back to our regular programming after an extended break due to midterms. I missed you!

Edit: My photobucket just expired too! I came back just in time.

What I Wore Today

Actually, I'm cheating. I wasn't wearing heels. I was wearing flat black leather boots. There is no way that I'm maneuvering my way around campus in heels, but they just make the outfit look so much edgier.




Lace shirt: thrifted, leather skirt: thrifted, belt: thrifted, heels: Topshop

BC Fashion Week: Nicole Bridger

Last Thursday and Friday I attended my first fashion shows at BC Fashion Week. In particular, I went to see the GenNext show, Nicole Bridger and Lara Presber.

My favourite of the week was by far Nicole's collection. It was soft, pretty and very wearable. As Vancouver shows often go, nothing is very standout or avante-garde. No matter, what makes these shows special is the fact that they're making use of sustainable and organically grown materials such as bamboo and cotton. The loose silhouette is still very now and I can see these pieces worn with just about anything. They're very versatile, like the A.P.C. of the west coast. The leather belts are a nice touch (they sort of remind me of BCBG), and apparently Nicole was slaving away at them just the night before. I really appreciate her knack for keeping things simple and fresh. All of the models looked beautiful with flushed cheeks and soft hair. It's making me want to try out tawny peach blush for the first time in my life. Oh, in case you were wondering, the shoes are Fluevogs.

















Images taken by me (for once, yay!)