Ebony And Ivory
Posted: July 16, 2018 Filed under: Clothes, Style Imitating Art | Tags: black, black printed blouse, brown, brown flat sandals, style imitating art, white, white linen pants 2 Comments
Here’s my interpretation of this week’s SIA, inspired by a 18th-century Native American powder horn with Wampum shoulder belt. My linen pants reflect the ivory color of the horn, while my shirt mimics the color and design of the belt. I also include my strappy brown sandals for the intricate lines of the engraving on the horn. The outfit came together very quickly – I actually thought of it the moment I saw Jen’s email – which is always a sign that it works, both as a standalone outfit and as an interpretation of SIA, so I’m a happy camper.
Don’t forget to check Jen’s blog on Wednesday to see other outfits inspired by this piece!
Heatwave
Posted: June 29, 2018 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: brown, brown flat sandals, green, green linen pants, necklace, white, white eyelet top Leave a comment
We’re having the first heatwave of the summer, hence my simple and breezy outfit. I know most style guides would advice you to wear dresses or shorts in the summer, but I actually find a loose-fitting shirt and pair of pants work better for me. You won’t have to worry about thigh rub like you would in a dress, and with long pants instead of shorts, you won’t have to apply so much sunscreen and there is less surface for the bugs to feed on too. I always recoil in horror when I see tourists wandering around in shorts and tank tops (yes, I’m aware that I’m technically wearing a tank top too.) Cover up, people! There’s a reason people in Vietnam dress like this when we go out.
India Inspired
Posted: September 14, 2017 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: brown, brown flat sandals, cream khaki pants, purple, purple tunic, white 2 Comments
After I wore this tunic with jeans for SIA, I thought that the silhouette looks familiar, but I couldn’t place it until I realized it was similar to what Indian women often wear in everyday life – fitted trousers (churidar) with a tunic (kurta). Even the embroideries are reminiscent of the designs on the kurta as well, though perhaps not as elaborate. So today I decided to recreate the silhouette more faithfully, with actual trousers instead of jeans and flat sandals instead of heels. The funny thing is that the outfit can also be seen as a modern take on the traditional styling of the Vietnamese áo dài (which is a long tunic over loose-fitting trousers). But that’s what I love about style – you can take your inspiration from almost anywhere!
Black And Copper
Posted: July 17, 2017 Filed under: Clothes, Style Imitating Art | Tags: black, black culottes, black tee, brown, brown flat sandals, necklace, style imitating art 4 Comments
For this week’s SIA, inspired by this steel wool photo by a young Italian photographer, I knew I wanted to wear all black with gold/yellow accent. The black outfit came together very quickly (sorry it looks so wrinkled – that’s what you got for wearing a cotton t-shirt and linen pants around the house), but I couldn’t figure out what the accent would be. My fringed yellow scarf would be perfect to mimic the color and the sprays of the steel wool, but wearing a scarf in this weather is out of the question. In the end, I opted for my circle necklace – the color is more subdued, but I think it worked quite well.
Don’t forget to check Jen’s blog for other outfits inspired by this photo!
A Shirt Full Of Stars
Posted: June 21, 2017 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: black, black printed tee, brown flat sandals, necklace, white, white linen pants 1 Comment
(Yes, I’m totally referencing a Discworld novel – one of my favorites – in the post title.)
This is one of the more interesting casual outfits I wore these past few weeks. It’s another “grading papers” outfit, taken during last week’s heat wave, but at least the shirt is new (on the blog anyway) and I made an effort with accessorizing, so I think it deserves a spot on the blog.
I bought this shirt from Mango during my Singapore trip, and I’ve worn it quite a lot since then, but it’s mostly for very casual outfits and I’m terrible about documenting those. It’s a shame, because it’s been ages since I found a good and comfy printed tee like this.
Wine Country Mural
Posted: June 19, 2017 Filed under: Clothes, Style Imitating Art | Tags: blue, brown, brown flat sandals, hot-air balloon shirt, style imitating art, tan wide-leg pants 2 Comments
I had quite a hard time figuring out what to wear for this week’s SIA, inspired by a mural in Sonoma, CA. It’s super colorful, and you know that I don’t do colors, so what to do? Then I looked more closely at the mural and noticed that the painting of the town inside the word “Sonoma” features a hot-air balloon. Aha! I have a hot-air balloon shirt that is quite colorful, and there I had the base for my outfit. I was thinking of wearing my gray pants to mimic the background of the mural, but I already paired them together, so I ended up with these pants (the second time I’ve worn them for an SIA challenge) and my flat sandals to mimic the roof and the buildings in the mural. A bit of a stretch, to be sure, but I like it. Plus, it looks like the kind of outfit you’d wear on vacation to Sonoma (Erin, can you confirm?), so mission accomplished.
And speaking of vacation, I’m leaving later this week for a week-long family trip in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. We went Da Lat a couple of years ago, which is also a part of the Central Highlands, but this time we’re checking out a different town, so it’s pretty exciting. I’m still going post my SIA inspiration as usual, but other than that, I’ll see you guys next week!
Phoning It In
Posted: June 16, 2016 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: black, black tee, brown flat sandals, necklace, white, white linen pants 2 Comments
I still have one week left before the school vacation officially starts, and my weekend film making workshops won’t be done until the beginning of July, but mostly it’s been very laid-back at work, so I’m taking advantage of that and wear the most comfortable things I could while still looking marginally presentable. Linen pants + tee + sandals seem like a good choice for that, don’t you think?
T-shirt: ASOS, Pants: tailor, Sandals: gift, Necklace: local shop
