Life seems to pass in a blur, there’s always so much keeping you occupied that you are left with no time to do things that are of real importance to you, like spending more time with your friends and family, like writing that blog you’ve put off for months, like updating that resume to inch towards your dream job, and like getting to that book you’ve always wanted to read. But the catch is – there’s always time, the trick is knowing where to look.
“We all build internal sea walls to keep at bay the sadnesses of life and the often overwhelming forces within our minds. In whatever way we do this—through love, work, family, faith, friends, denial, alcohol, drugs, or medication—we build these walls, stone by stone, over a lifetime.” ― Kay Redfield Jamison We live in a “never enough” culture where we often try to seek more and be more, to mask the insecurities which make us feel vulnerable. As a result, whenever we experience obstacles, we build up emotional walls to protect ourselves from these negative feelings. We’re all raised thinking that being vulnerable is associated with failure, disappointment, and being weak. But is that really the case? Vulnerability simply means uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. And if you think about it, if we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we’re actually being courageous because it’s much easier to avoid possibility of failure than to take a risk. Additionally, being vulnerable enables us to connect with others, just as you’d appreciate others being open and honest with you, your …
I don’t always wake up feeling the same, and how I feel influences how I style myself that day. Sometimes I wake up feeling brand new, and so would my fashion sense, so I’d go ahead and pull out a stunning classic which has been sitting at the bottom of my closet for a season or two. On other days I wake up feeling a little less ecstatic, and no surprise that would translate my style to “lazy” and “casual”. But even when I don’t feel all that great, I still refuse to look sloppy or wear colours that won’t go with each other in a million years. I’d still want to look put together to uplift my spirits. This was one of those less ecstatic days. I wore my stretchy long bodycon providing me full coverage and allowing me to move freely. I then threw on my cozy army green bomber from Zara for some modest refinement to my outfit. I also quickly recognized that this was a look that my trusty Superstars would not fail. And voila! In terms of …
Just like how we sometimes have our sweaters, bed sheets and many other things in life reversed – it’s also happening to our happiness formula. In case you’re wondering what a happiness formula is, it’s exactly what it sounds like – a formula you follow and allow you to feel happier. Let me explain.
Off-the-shoulder tops have been this season’s calling. I was obsessed all summer, actually, I have been obsessed for as long as I can remember, so to me it’s simply timeless. Here’s some handpicked looks which I adore too much to not share. Read on! 🙂 The straight-across! (Image 1 and 3) I always thought a woman’s collar bone and shoulders are intricate body parts that can express the unique charms of femininity. The straight-across off-shoulder top does exactly that! They also conveniently hide any arm fat in case you worry that you’re a little too plum to show so much skin, now that’s what I call functional. The full sleeves! (Image 2) Although the full sleeves are similar to a straight-across style and are absolute head turners, it can be a little intimidating to pull off since it suits slimmer women better. The full sleeves tend to start closer to the elbows and below the chest line, and would look best when contrasted with thin arms. This dressy shirt brings the look of “almost falling off” and adds the irresistible touch of mystery. The straight-across with ruffles! (Image …
Lace – a French thing, a graceful embellishment to any outfits. I always felt like it isn’t for everyone, because sometimes it just feels like too much for casual wear due to its noble lineage – it requires advanced handcraft to put together, and it’s seen very often in haute couture and wedding dresses. I also feel like although elegant, the garment itself looks very busy, and it always ends up stealing the focus of the look instead of complimenting the complexion. I purchased this collared blue lace top from Zara, thinking I should add some mature and sexy vibes to my wardrobe. How did I do? Although with the addition of the Peter Pan collar, I might’ve ended up looking more cute and preppy than mature. A key suggestion is to always wear skin colored garment or underwear beneath any colored sheer lace top to avoid having too much going on, or else it really takes away from the design, and further pans the simplicity. The fashion police says you should not have more than three colors in one outfit, so I took the liberty of wearing a red lipstick …
Piercings, make-up, revealing and sophisticated looking clothes at a younger age defined my desire to look more mature, and be able to blend in with the older crowd. So it seems I’m kicking like Benjamin Button, and have it all backwards. T-shirts, sneakers, and cute backpacks that I would’ve once thought looked too childish, are things I’ve developed an ineffable appreciation for. Youth is precious, anyone would agree to that, but like many of us, we don’t catch on until it starts slipping. And the realization hits hard, likely when the unpaid credit card bills (which only seem to get bigger every month) start getting delivered to your doors. I’m digging youthful vibes lately, maybe part of that is me compensating and proving to myself that I still can be. Don’t worry, I’m not in denial. I just became appreciative of what I once missed. And hey, it’s a good thing to feel youthful – it feels like anything’s possible. 🙂 Thanks for reading lovelies, let me know your thoughts on my outfit as well as the post’s theme! 🙂 ❤
I’ve always been a fan of the female body silhouette and fancy anything that compliments my figure, but recently I find myself blurring the lines by wearing gender neutral styles and tones. It’s strange, I no longer mind buying clothes that are sizes up my normal fit, and no longer feel self-conscious about wearing loosely fitted pants. Somehow flat hipped jeans and shapeless dresses have sneaked their way into my wardrobe. Perhaps it’s an age thing, or perhaps it’s another form of confidence. As street style continues to prevail in the market, it’s clear that although the gender neutrals reflect designers’ curiosity, they aren’t accidents – they’ve pretty much dominated the conversation. The best part is that it works both ways, as I shop in men’s section, I also see men shop in women’s. It takes some open minds, but it seems function and individuality are now held in higher regards than an uniform idea of what’s conventionally appropriate. As some industry insiders put it, it’s more evolutionary than revolutionary, the blurred lines is a result of our changing attitude and culture, we’re just becoming …
I love asymmetry in fashion. It can take form in dresses, tunics, skirts, coats and accessories. They add to an outfit a vibe that is artsy, edgy, trendy and youthful. Asymmetric dresses and tops are great because of their flexibility, they can layer over skinny jeans and leggings, or worn with shorts in warmer temperatures. My favorite asymmetric clothing piece is the famously flowy high-low skirt, and for accessories, instead of the traditional matching duo, I am much more into ones with uneven designs on each ear. Here I’m embracing my favorite high-low with an interesting vertical line that’s both slimming and elongating. It took me exactly 1 second to decide on this purchase from Zara, it was a no-brainer as I loved everything about it – it’s grey, it has a short turtleneck, and it’s got side slits to the inner high-low tunic, an unique and worthwhile ensemble. Oh! I got a new Ted Baker! Adorable right? 🙂 Hope you liked the look lovelies!
Hello beautifuls! I recently turned 25, and wanted to share some thoughts (hopefully constructive) I collected throughout the years. Now of course my experiences are unique to me, but I hope you’re able to relate to some of these as well. Enjoy. 🙂 1. Never say never – Take a jog down memory lane, how many times have you said something like “I would never do that” or “I’ll never accept that” or even “I’ll never date someone who__”, and have gone back on your words? What I find is that the older we are, the more open minded we become. We see more, hear more, and find less and less things unacceptable as years go by. So be open-minded, and think twice before arriving at such conclusive statements and trap yourself in limitations you create yourself. 2. Polish yourself even when no one’s looking – Preach. I invest effort into the way I look and present myself, no matter the occasion. Although it might be unrealistic that you’ll meet your dream guy while grocery shopping, but you might run into a high school arch-enemy and wished that you showered before coming …
That First Hello . Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ 