Never Again
Posted: April 18, 2017 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: blue, blue tie top, brown, brown suede ankle boots, navy linen blazer, navy skinny jeans 4 Comments
I thought I’d learned my lesson with ordering things online (especially on sale) with this skirt a while ago. But no, apparently I didn’t, because when I saw this shirt for sale on Zalora, I ordered it. It’s a bit different from my normal silhouette, but the website says it’s cotton, so I thought it would be a nice addition to my summer wardrobe. Then I got it and was sorely disappointed. It definitely isn’t cotton (it’s some sort of cotton-polyester blend) and it’s way shorter than I expected – it doesn’t help that I have a long torso. You can see how I slumped a bit in the photos, because if I stood up straight, it would be a crop top on me. And of course, it was on sale so I couldn’t return or exchange it. I don’t have anything high-waist, so I’m going to try it with a skirt next time to see if it can be improved; if not, maybe it can fit my mom. I just hope this is going to be the last time I made this mistake.
Top: Zalora, Blazer: Atmosphere, Jeans: Mango, Boots: Topshop
A Forgotten Outfit & A Blog Notice
Posted: January 20, 2017 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: beige blanket scarf, blue, brown, brown ankle boots, gray v-neck tee, maroon jeans, navy linen blazer, red 4 Comments
I was cleaning out my camera’s memory card the other day when I discovered a set of outfit photos from last December that I had completely forgotten about. And it’s not a bad outfit either (if I do say so myself). Good thing I found it, because I was running out of content to post.
Which brings me to the notice: my Lunar New Year starts from next week. It’s going to be a 3-week break, and after that, I’m going on a 3-week business trip (I’ll post more on that later). That means that for the next month and a half, posting is going to be sporadic around here. I will try to post when I can, and regular features like SIA and book reviews are still going to be up. So don’t worry, the blog won’t be dead, just a little quieter than usual.
T-shirt: Uniqlo, Blazer: Atmosphere, Jeans: Pull&Bear, Scarf: local shop, Boots: hand-me-down
Tricksy Hobbitses
Posted: November 18, 2016 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: black pumps, blue, brooch, navy boyfriend jeans, navy linen blazer, white, white eyelet top 2 Comments
Sorry for the radio silence these past two days, my Internet died and I’ve been too busy to schedule my posts beforehand. But the Internet is back up now, and I’ll make it up with 5 posts next week. I’ve been skipping Wednesday for a few weeks because I don’t have enough material, but now I think I’ve saved up enough to get back to posting 5 times a week.
On to the outfit: the weather has been tricky lately (hence the Gollum post title, it seems appropriate for my mood). It suddenly warms up to upper 80’s temperature again, though it remains cool in the morning and at night. The answer to that is, of course, layering, like I did here, but I would certainly prefer it to stay cool all through the day. But I guess that’s global warming for you…
Top: Mango, Blazer: Atmosphere, Jeans: Charlotte Russe, Shoes: local shop, Brooch: flea market in The Hague
These Old Bones
Posted: January 15, 2016 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: black, black oxfords, blue, brooch, distressed boyfriend jeans, navy linen blazer, navy plaid shirt 6 Comments
This has little to do with the outfit, but one of my New Year resolutions (I actually don’t have official “New Year resolutions”, I just have a few things that I want to change/try/keep doing in the new year) is to exercise more regularly. Nothing vigorous, just 15-20 minutes a day, to at least get my muscles moving. Because I’m terribly out of shape. How out of shape I am, you ask? Here’s proof: yesterday I pulled something in my hip just from stretching, and now it hurts like hell every time I try to sit down or stand up. So I’m going to have to put that exercising plan on hold for now.
And that also means flat shoes for me at least for a week. Gods, I’m such an old lady.
Shirt: Uniqlo, Blazer: Atmosphere, Jeans: Zara, Oxfords: Vagabond, Pins: Forever21
Weekly Capsule 17.4: Age of Ultron
Posted: May 1, 2015 Filed under: Book/Movie/TV Reviews, Capsule, Clothes | Tags: black, black pumps, blue, brooch, capsule spring/summer 2015, movie, navy boyfriend jeans, navy ikat shirt, navy linen blazer 5 Comments
So last Sunday I saw The Avengers: Age of Ultron (it came out a week earlier in Vietnam). I enjoyed it, but the story definitely isn’t as tight as the first one, and it doesn’t leave as much resonance with me as the first one either. I think one of the problems is that there are all these new characters – I understand why they were added, but I couldn’t care less about Quicksilver or Scarlet Witch or Vision. Or even Ultron, for that matter. Loki makes a much more interesting antagonist, I think.
But that’s to be expected. Out of all the Marvel sequels so far, I think only Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been as good, if not better than the first one, because it’s so different. But, if I know my trilogies well, they tend to bounce back with the last one, so I’m looking forward to Phase 3.
Shirt: C-Wonder, Blazer: Atmosphere, Jeans: Charlotte Russe, Shoes & Brooch: local shops
My looks this week – blue, blue, and more blue:
Weekly Capsule 17.3 & Book Review: The Beekeeper’s Apprentice
Posted: April 30, 2015 Filed under: Book/Movie/TV Reviews, Capsule, Clothes | Tags: belt, blue, book, brooch, brown, brown heeled loafers, brown plaid dress, capsule spring/summer 2015, navy linen blazer 6 Comments
I’ve been on a Sherlock Holmes kick lately. I’ve reread the books and rewatched the series with Jeremy Brett (it’s the first adaptation I ever saw, so to me Jeremy Brett is the one and only Holmes – sorry, Benedict Cumberbatch). And this is the book that started it – “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice” by Laurie R. King. It tells the story of 15-year-old Mary Russell, who, after a family tragedy, is sent to Sussex to live with a relative, until one day, she (quite literally) walks into a retired Sherlock Holmes, and impresses him so much that he takes her on as an apprentice.
What I love about this is that Mary, unlike Watson, is very much an equal to Holmes. She has the same brilliant mind, and she is not afraid to assert herself and call Holmes out on his shortcomings. It can be a bit difficult to identify with somebody who’s always so calm and self-aware (even when she shows her flaws), but it is this quote about her hair that makes me like Mary a lot more: “I find short hair too much fuss, always needing combing and cutting. Long hair is much easier, oddly enough.” Well, I can certainly identify with that.
My biggest quibble, however, is with the story. Namely, the resolution. I hate the idea that the bad guy is some very, very minor, barely-mentioned character. I don’t mind misdirection and red herring; it’s just that I prefer “The bad guy is not A, but B”, yet here it’s more like “There is no A. The bad guy is Z”, you know? There’s misdirection, and then there’s withholding information from the readers. How are we supposed to guess that this character is the bad guy when he is barely in the story at all?
But that’s just a matter of preference, I guess. The story is well written enough and the characters are interesting enough that I’m going to check out the other books in the series (there are 14 so far).
As for the outfit, there is no detailed description of clothes in the book, so here is my interpretation of what Mary may wear – a simple dress, sensible shoes, menswear-inspired blazer, and subtle accessories (if only I had a bee/insect brooch!) The color scheme was supposed to mimic the book’s cover, but my black blazers and shoes don’t go with this dress, so I went with blue instead.
Dress: tailor, Blazer: Atmosphere, Belt: Forever21, Pin: Etsy, Shoes: local shop
Weekly Capsule 14.4: Cat Lady
Posted: April 10, 2015 Filed under: Capsule, Clothes | Tags: black, black strappy heels, blue, brooch, capsule spring/summer 2015, chambray shirt, navy linen blazer, white, white jeans 2 Comments
My brooch collection has been sadly stagnant ever since I moved home, because not a lot of people wear brooches here and there are even fewer people who sell vintage brooches. So that’s why when I saw this brooch at an accessory shop, I had to grab it right away – who knows when I’ll find another one. I know it’s not vintage, but for a self-proclaimed cat lady like me, it’s perfect, so who cares. Oh and, I’m adding it to my Top 10 as well (I have now picked two skirts, one top, one dress, and two accessories, which means I still have 4 more pieces to go.) Come on, a cat-shaped brooch? That is so me.
Shirt: Esprit, Blazer: Atmosphere, Jeans: Calvin Klein, Shoes: hand-me-down, Brooch: local shop
And this week’s looks:
