Light Academia
Posted: July 16, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: blue, blue striped blouse, brooch, brown, canvas monk shoes, suspenders, white, white baggy pants 2 Comments
Dark Academia has been my newest style discovery this past year (I hate using the word “aesthetics”, because I’m strictly just in it for the fashion), but with a focus on layering, heavy fabrics, and dark colors, it’s not an easy one to translate to the summer of my tropical climate. So I’m experimenting with Light Academia instead. I use similar silhouettes and patterns to Dark Academia, but in lighter colors and fabric. I also added a pair of suspenders and use my brooch like a tie pin to highlight the academia/vintage/classic elements of the outfit. I think the outfit is a success, and it’s definitely given me some more ideas to try with my summer style!
The Very Hungry Caterpillars
Posted: July 9, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: black flat sandals, brooch, green, green silk blouse, white, white linen pants Leave a comment
It’s been a strange spring. The fact that we even have a spring is strange enough, since usually, we just have a few days of extreme humidity after the winter and then, bam, summer is here. This year, on the other hand, we actually have a spring with rain and slowly warming days. It’s nice to be able to feel the changing seasons. The downside of that, though, is that the insect population in our garden absolutely explodes. Sure, there are some nice ones like ladybugs, fireflies (which I’ve been watching every night), dragonflies, and wasps (yes, wasps are beneficial to your garden!), but there are plenty of nasty caterpillars and snails (I know snails are not insects, but they’re harmful nonetheless). Just check out these caterpillars I found on our sweet osmanthus tree, and the moth that they hatched into:
This isn’t entirely off-topic either, because all these bugs have inspired my outfit. The caterpillar brooch is obvious, but there’s a subtler touch – my shirt and pants are both made of silk, which, of course, comes from the silkworm. See, you can find fashion inspiration anywhere, even from nasty pests.
A Pretty Pickle
Posted: July 2, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: brooch, brown, brown clogs, green, green wide-leg pants, red, red gingham button-up Leave a comment
Red and green is a color combo I’m not brave enough to try often (I think I’ve only tried it once, way back when I first started the blog.) The Christmas association is too strong. Plus, in Vietnam, there’s a saying that translates to “Green pants and red shirt prove that you’re a boor”, so maybe that influences me somehow. But lately, I’ve discovered some red/green combinations that are more applicable, when the red and green are less saturated – like here, which is more like pink and green (the gingham tones down the red color a bit), or red and olive green. It would be fun to try more opposite color combos like that.
On an unrelated note, the post title is obviously a reference to my brooch, but it’s also a joke because my family, despite our large garden, has never been able to grow cucumbers. One year my dad started three pots, which grew and covered the entire trellises, but never produced a single flower, let alone a fruit. After that he got frustrated and quit trying to grow cucumbers again.
Booky
Posted: June 28, 2021 Filed under: Clothes, Style Imitating Art | Tags: beige clogs, brooch, brown, maroon dress, necklace, red, style imitating art 6 Comments
Here’s my outfit for this week’s SIA, inspired by Patty Carroll’s photo, “Booky“. It’s an outfit built around accessories. I knew I’d wear this book necklace (duh) and this eyeglass brooch (I count at least three pairs of glasses in the photo), but the rest of the outfit took some thinking. At first, I wanted to try some pattern mixing to mimic the chaos of the photo, but after some experiments, I decided on this dress instead – the color is similar to the curtains, and the print is a nod to all the prints (the wallpaper, the carpet, the woman’s dress, the lampshades). Still, I couldn’t give up the pattern mixing altogether, so I brought out my Kindle as an accessory as well. Besides, most of my books are on Kindle these days, so it seems natural to feature it in a book-themed outfit.
Don’t forget to stop by Terri’s blog on Wednesday to see other outfits inspired by this photo!
Turtles All The Way Down
Posted: June 25, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: blue, brooch, brown, brown heeled loafers, navy blouse, navy plaid skirt 1 Comment
How cute is this turtle brooch? I already have one, but now they’re a family! And of course, me being me, I had to build an outfit around this brooch. The blue and green plaid of the skirt reminds me of the abalone of the turtles’ shells, the navy top is like an ocean for the turtles to sail across, and the shoes are… because… there is some brown in the skirt? Come on, you’re not expecting me to have an entirely ocean/turtle-themed outfit, are you? I love theme dressing, but I’m not that dedicated!
