I don't quite know why but this image just makes me smile. I guess it just looks like the kind of summer (and abs) you dream about.

photo credit: sartorialist

Jeggings - yea or nay?

It's almost a philosophical divide - those who are pro jeggings and those who would rather die a slow painful death. I've always been in the latter camp, not least because most skinny jeans and leggings look terrible on me. As I result, I decided early on this trend was clearly meant for skinny people who don't have to deal daily with the question of how to find pants that fit at both the waist and the hips. I would just stick with what worked for me and trends be damned.

Problem is, trends have a sneaky habit of creeping into your consciousness and I couldn't keep pairing some of my more voluminous tops with shorts all the time.... and with perfect timing Gap decided to do their take on jeggings and they are exactly what I needed!

Now while I'm sure you're tired of hearing about Gap from me, these jeggings need a little bit of explanation. These are decidedly not leggings printed or sewn to look like jeans. Quite the opposite in fact - they're jeans which are meant to fit like leggings. Basically Gap's introduced a high stretch, soper soft material and then just sewn it in skinny jeans style and I am loving the results. They are sooo comfortable to wear and the fit is amazing! I actually had to size down, which was a bit of a shock, but even then, there was no hint of muffin top. So if you're looking for a pair of well fitting skinny jeans and haven't had any luck elsewhere, this could be your answer.

In a word, amazing.

So much so, that I paid full price for them and didn't even wait for them to go on sale.

You can thank me later. :)

Is it or isn't it?

I have been obsessed in the past with Balenciaga studded bags and even now I wouldn't totally rule out getting a rose gold giant hardware City, but whether it's me noticing them more or people actually buying them more often, there certainly seem to be a lot of Bals around! Like everyone and their mother seems to be toting one... which does slightly dampen my enthusiasm to get one.

And then came along this Bal.... a complete (well quite significant at least) departure from the house's modus operandi. At first I was seriously underwhelmed... I mean it's not really so very different in looks from a whole bunch of cheaper bags out there (for example, my Botkier), but then like Bagsnob noted, the bag kinda grows on you. I saw it in real life and the leather is just beautiful and soooo soft and smooshy (all the pics show the bag stuffed. I think if you take out the stuffing it'll look a lot less like a nesting hen). I could go to sleep on it! and strangely the chain strap which I wasn't super keen on is actually kinda cute and the colours add a little extra something. So now I'm wondering if maybe I should get this instead of the SC bag.... cos after all that, this is also cheaper. Tho on the other hand, the SC is more classic. Decisions decisions....

I leave you with one final picture in a different colour.

out to lunch

Isn't this just the cutest clutch you've ever seen???

and better yet, we should all be past the days when someone might try to steal your brown bagged lunch.

Marni Madness

Marni's always been a brand I've liked for their accessories and shoes, but this season they've really outdone themselves. Their bags are just spot on trend and compared to the prices other houses are charging, theses are seriously cheap (I know someone who'll be rolling his eyes at that last statement). Looking over their offerings I feel like an overweight kid in a candy stores - I really shouldn't but I want them all!

First option is this mesenger/top handle satchel.

Pros: it's got 2 carry options (I checked, the top handle will fit over my shoulder); I've always loved the casual cross body look; lovely leather that's going to wear well.


Cons: It's not on discount (I realise it's only the start of the season but a girl can dream); It's maybe a bit too casual for work(?); the vibe is a lot like a number of my other bags - this is a common problem I have.

Second option: square shoulder bag

Pros: It isn't at all like the bags I have; it will fit a reasonable amount of stuff without looking like I've stuffed all my worldly possessions into it; it fits with my current more minimalist feeling (only in terms of dressing - and yes I do realise the irony of saying that you're going minimal by buying yet another bag!) and it'll also go with my dresses when I get over the minimalist look.

Cons: it's not on sale; I really don't need yet another bag even if it does fit a niche in my wardrobe. Actually that's it... there aren't many cons to this bag.

Also strangely Marni seems to be a lot cheaper in Europe. All the European sites I've checked have had significantly lower prices than the US ones.... that makes for a change!

So what should I do? Embrace my inner lady or go with the tried and true? I want to tell myself to just get both but that sounds a little bag crazy even to me :(

non-shopping tally episode #102

Not sure if this really counts as a non-shopping event, since I did buy some things, but here at least is what I didn't buy:

1. Gap oversized V neck striped sweater US$29.99 / S$42

I tried this on in store and it wasn't bad, but at S$89 I wasn't especially tempted. At approximately half the price though, it gets a lot more attractive. Not to mention, it's very comfortable and looks excellent with their new jeggings range (more about that later). Still, I've opted to be virtuous.

2. Gap slim cropped pants US$ 49.50 / S$69.30 (less 20%)

I've posted about these before, and was thinking of maybe getting a second pair to have as a proper cropped version (seeing as these actually come to my ankles). Impressively, the Gap stores here seem to have completely sold out of these and they're backordered online! The main temptation stems from this 20% off coupon I found online though. With that, even including shipping, it would still cost S$20 less than the $99 the stores here are charging. Weird cos so many other things are similarly priced to online or cheaper! Again, have decided to be virtuous.


So here's the current tally: S$111.30 + 573 = S$684.30

still to come, what I actually bought *hangs head*. Trying to decide if this needs to be deleted off my tally....

non-shopping tally episode #101

Was joking about this the other day then decided maybe it wasn't such a terrible idea after all - I've decided to keep a tally of all the things I seriously consider buying (i.e. would normally have gone ahead and bought) but don't actually buy. I figure come Nov I might have hit the cost of the SC bag, which would make me feel a whole lot better about blowing that much cash on it.

anyway, here's where I've got to so far (in no particular order):

I seriously love this dress. was this close to buying it...in fact I'd actually put it in my cart. But managed to drag myself away in the end. Barely.

shipley & halmos silk chambray print dress (US$139 / S$195 (orig US$425) at gilt.com)

I blame E. for this. If not for her sending that link to those Isabel Marant boots, I'd never have seen this dress. Actually that's a lie... I got the outnet email and saw Vanessa Bruno and Isabel Marant and clicked through immediately *hangs head*. This one though was my favourite.... the others were great, but perhaps a bit too basic for the price.

Isabel Marant Etoile dress (GBP 74.89 / S$173)

No pic for this, but went to the A.P.C. sale at Raffles hotel the other day to look for this mustard dress I'd seen earlier in the season. That was gone, but they had the same dress in navy at 50% off (S$205)! After much deliberation I decided to put it back though (as well as 2 tops I'd tried previously - but I'm not counting those cos they looked kinda weird on me the second time around... still wondering how that happened). I keep trying to tell myself that I don't really need these cos they're not that special and I've got plenty of clothes, but these three at least were a struggle to let go. sigh

anyway, for my pains, I've currently "saved" S$573... which brings me just that little bit closer to the bag :)

the most amazing ballet flats ever?

Let's get the disclaimers out of the way first - I am not a flats person. In fact, the opposite is true - I LOVE platforms and heels. Also virtually all the flats I've tried dig into my heels and end up giving me blisters, even the ones from the brands everyone is raving about (I'm looking at you Repetto). But I happened upon this pair while browsing at Gap yesterday and they are amazing!

The leather is super soft, the elastic doesn't pinch and best of all, they're the foldable kind that come in a little bag that you can just throw into your handbag for those days when you've worn stunning but torturous shoes.

These aren't a new concept by any means - there was a load of press a while back about fashion editors carrying around (and occasionally wearing) flats like these, but frankly even those supposedly "cheap" fold ups costs around US$160+ or much more. These can be yours for the princely sum of S$49.90. And a final nail in the coffin - not only are these practically sold out online, they're more expensive! Gap.com has them going for US$39.50! So run, don't walk, to the Vivocity Gap right now and nab your pair before they're all gone...

p.s. I think they mostly only had size 6s left in most colours (purple / red/ black / silver / baby pink), and these run a little small - you might want to size up if you can. Also, Wisma has these only in gold (which aren't as comfortable in my opinion).

p.p.s. I just wanted to say how pleased I am with the local Gap franchise for keeping pricing close to what the US is charging. So many international stores here have traditionally tried to scalp you on the pricing that it's refreshing to be able to actually find things are cheaper here than online! Having said that, the prices they're charging for the slim cropped pants are like 30% more than the online price (and that's without the 20% off coupon code!). Guess you can't have everything.

mind the gap

This is probably really uncool to say, but I really love Gap. I've literally read so many posts and articles on how underwhelming their clothes are, but I always find things to love there, and not even just from their designer collabs (though those are often great). For example I bought some really fantastic tank tops at the sale recently and absolutely love them... I also have been really impressed with the fit of their new jeans collections. My newest obsession though is a pair of cropped black skinny pants.

A bit of background might be required here - I have been looking for ages for a pair of skinny black pants that (1) aren't skin tight (2) are smart enough for work (3) actually fit me and (4) are reasonably flattering, and it's been remarkably difficult to find a pair that meet all 4 criteria. Enter the Gap slim cropped pants! these fit absolutely perfectly (on me they're not actually crops tho!) and actually filled a gap in my wardrobe (no pun intended), and the latter, if you know me at all, is in itself a minor miracle. Not only that, I picked them up on a last minute trip to the store just before I left NY and for reasons I still don't understand, I got 25% off (I love shopping in the US!).

Unfortunately the stellar price I got is now making me hard to swallow the price that's being charged in Singapore (S$99 vs. US$37). Which is a shame cos I would seriously have considered getting a second pair if they were cheaper. I guess I'll have to wait for the sale...or better still, now that gap.com will ship to Singapore, I can order them online if they go on sale there! I am geekily super excited about them shipping to Singapore... sad I know.

In the meantime, here's what's on my wishlist (besides the cropped pants):

band jacket in navy

lovely basic suede tote... maybe not in yellow, but I'm really loving the persimmon.

now this I am seriously tempted by. Would need to try it on in the store though I think.

cowl neck tee

Or that earlier band jacket but in tweed....

luluhead

It's kinda ironic that when I'd first heard about lululemon I was skeptical (yes B, I'm admitting the error of my ways). The website pics were (and still are) underwhelming and I just didn't get what all the fuss was about. I mean the pieces looked reasonable but didn't seem to be anything special in terms of workout clothes. Then I read post after post about their products and every single one was raving about the quality and the fit. Even the ones who were complaining about the ubiquity of the brand and the ridiculously high prices.

So when I was in NYC in July I figured I had to check it out, and ended up leaving with a pile of their pieces. Seriously, you have to try them on to really appreciate them. And I will also say that not all their designs are amazing. Some are actually quite heinous. But the good pieces are just fantastic! For example - I'm not a shorts person. I don't like my legs all that much and frankly most running shorts aren't cut for people with hips like mine so they're usually not very flattering. In contrast the lulu ones cover everything you want them to cover and fit like a dream! Seriously, these are the most flattering running shorts I've ever tried. In fact they might be the most flattering shorts of any kind come to think of it....

i got the charcoal ones on the extreme left

pic: luluaddict

here's my gripe though - they change their product line up all the time! so if you'd bought something you loved, chances are, lots of other people loved it too so there'll be no stock left online so no chance getting another piece. case in point: I'm desperately stalking a cocoon wrap from last season on ebay cos I missed out on it online. Fingers crossed that I'll actually be able to get my hands on it... wish me luck!

shoes glorious shoes

jak & jil's just done a post on celine and I just had to share. The shoe post especially is serious eye candy. I love love love the wedges from last season and it seems I'm not alone. In fact I think I saw a girl in my building wearing the black ankle strapped pair - took all my willpower not to mug her. That and the fact that there were other people in the lift. I'd never have got away with it....

cease and desist

I'm posting this in the hope that it'll keep me honest (not that that's all that likely but you never know...). So having obsessed over the LV Sofia Coppola bag for ages, I've pretty much decided to get it this year (probably if I can convince someone to help me pick it up in Paris with the tax back!). Of course that comes with a big if - if I can stop spending so much in the mean time!

I thought I would try bolstering my resolve doing a review of the pics that got me obsessed in the first place... strangely, I didn't really get that keen on this bag till quite a while after it'd been launched. I suspect it had something to do with needing to actually see it on someone.... anyway, this pic of garance dore carrying it just blew me away:


and then again when jak and jil snapped her with the bag



there've been a bunch of other photos since then but my lack of bookmarking organisation has meant that I have no idea where I saw them now. But here's a couple of pics from around the time of the launch.... not sure how sofia is managing to carry it like that cos the strap seems too short, but perhaps that was just the prototype. If I could carry it messenger style like that, it would literally be the perfect bag.

strangely, it's kinda nice to be really obsessed about something again. Maybe what the recent NYT article is true - that you're happier when you buy something you've been wanting for a really long time.

nervous? who me?

I've been eyeing up nervous system jewellery for the longest time, but to date still haven't managed to step up and actually buy something. I suspect it has to do with the fact that most of the pieces are part of their permanent collection so I can keep telling myself that they'll still be there later. That could be why I'm such a sucker for sales.... can't resist when I know my object of desire might be gone forever if I don't grab it now. sigh.... I'm a marketer's dream.


Anyway, new collection from Nervous System - they've traditionally worked in stainles steel or with gold plating but now you can get some of the pieces coated in black chromium. Pretty cool, especially if you like a very stark graphic look. My heart still belongs to their Orchid necklaces though... now if only I could justify that price for plastic. Guess I'll have to wait til sale time :)

comes in either plastic or stainless steel

images: nervous system

released back into the wild

after much soul searching and deliberation, I've decided to let this really flattering Helmut Lang top go. I tried it on months ago at Blackjack, but there was no chance I'd buy it at full price even tho it was seriously slimming. Now at 30% off (plus free shipping - it could be in my hot little hands in 3 days!!), it's quite tempting... especially when Net-a-porter is selling the same piece at full price! Even more shocking, shopbop still has it in my size, but it's the last piece. That's the one good thing about internet shopping I guess - if this had happened in a retail store, the SA telling me "but it's the last piece" while giving me the look would probably have pushed me over the edge. Here in the comfort of my home, and with no looks to weather, it's just that little bit easier to say no.

goodbye lovely top... I hope you'll go to a good home. Hope I'm not going to regret this!

does the wanting never end?

You would think that with the amount of stuff I have, I couldn't possibly have any gaps left in my wardrobe to fill, and yet each season there's always some new lustworthy item that makes me wish I had a bigger closet/house/won the lottery. Case in point - the new Alexander Wang collection. Believe me, if I could rationalise sweaters in our weather my pre-order list would be a mile long. But we can still dream.....

my favourite by far, though I suspect mostly because this incredibly helpful SA in Saks was wearing something similar and I just LOVED it on her.

Alexander Wang cotton off sholder top

And this one just makes me think of being curled up in a leather armchair, in front of a real fire and sipping cocoa.

wide rib wrap top

Last but not least, something I could actually use (especially after mising out on that truly fab Helmut Lang jacket in the last NAP sale - but that's a whole other story). I don't know what the model is so pissed off about, but maybe the whole bolero over jacket is weirder than it looks in this pic.

tuxedo bolero over jacket

images: saks.com

girl crush

one of the reasons I bought the recent Elle UK was for their Isabel Marant article. I just LOVE her clothes (and shoes, and accessories...) which is why it was weird that I found the merch in her NY store so underwhelming. Maybe it was that it was mostly warmer stuff so not really right for our weather, or maybe it was just symptomatic of the whole of my trip which was largely disappointing on the shopping front. But when I saw this pic, I just fell in love all over again. Sadly I don't have the legs to pull off the pants she's showing this season, but I love the top she has on in the pic. The thing with her clothes is that most of the pieces aren't standouts per se, they're just amazing basics with a small twist (a bit like my other love Alexander Wang, but more understated) and I think they're the kind of clothes that look okay on the rack, but really transform when you put them on. Now really kicking myself for not trying anything on when I was at the store! As the Elle article said, "It’s a uniform that is just polished enough for the office but never looks contrived". Exactly the look I'm always trying to achieve.

I feel a trip to Paris coming on....

sale googles

well... that's actually a slightly unfair comment. I'm actually really pleased with my purchases from the current Granny's Day Out sale. Granted, things went exactly the way I'd expected (i.e. I ended buying a bunch of things), which is why I was avoiding the sale in the first place, but when A. decides he has to go to Funan for a new printer, what's a girl to do? *wink*

anyway, a few hours later and a bit poorer, here's my loot:

vintage new old stock jewellery

I've been wanting to get some layered chains for ages but couldn't find anything at a price i was willing to pay, so when i saw these at 50% off, I just couldn't resist. One lovely little crystal pendant to layer with the filagree amber piece. Now all I need to do is to top it off with my Dogeared bee and I'm all set!

That was going to be all I bought (plus a lovely green dress that's being altered, so no pics - sorry)... and frankly there's no real excuse for this, but all I can say is A. talked me into it! I was actually willing to walk away from this.. honest! Still... I have been looking for a small bag that'll fit my wallet, phone etc and this was absolutely perfect.

vintage Timberland cross body bag

summer lovin'

(image: the sartorialist)

makes me wish I had a blush blouse to go with my APC shorts and downtown.

you snooze you lose...

image: garance dore

But sometimes the shopping gods give you a pass... like these Ann D. booties I'd been stalking. I'd been seriously obsessed with the Ann D. lace up booties which had been all over the blogsphere last year, but couldn't bring myself to pay almost US$1k for a pair of shoes. Of course, 6 months later, I'm kicking myself for not biting the bullet.

Then of course the shopping gods step in with a mixed blessing - first I see the absolutely stunning buckled iteration from S/S10. I mean how can you see the picture above and not start googling immediately?! But again they were way too expensive.... then they went on sale... and still I held off. And they went on futher discount, and shockingly, they still had my size and were a massive 65% off. And of course at that point, I asked A. if I should buy them and he proceeded to talk me out of it.

3 days later, riddled with regret, I check the site and my size has sold! I am now seriously bummed and kicking myself black and blue for missing a pair of Ann Ds yet again. Not to mention that ebay had them for $100 more than the sale price. Then comes the final piece of shopping god largess - an ebay voucher for $100 off any fashion purchase. So of course I buy them (cos I'm an idiot, but not a complete idiot) and seriously, they are the BEST! the leather is soooo soft and the shoes are seriously comfortable, not to mention they look absolutely kick ass! :)

modeling pics to come, I promise.

Arrgh!

Both the plaid romper and the rick owens jacket I posted about are now on 70% off. I'm in agony!

Keep repeating to self: US$60 is too much to pay for shipping.... US$60 is too much to pay for shipping....US$60 is too much to pay for shipping....

July was open season

... shopping-wise at least. What with a NY trip planned plus all the sales plus going stir crazy generally, I think I went a little nuts. Ironically, most of the shopping wasn't done in NYC, but it's possible that might have to do with the fact that I managed to blow all my cash before I even got there! Now that I think about it, I suspect I'm going to have to break this up into a few posts, if only to avoid shocking myself!

First, let me get this out of the way - I LOVE clogs! not just like them... more like a serious obsession. Must be some kind of nostalgia thing (I think the first pair of shoes I chose for myself looked a bit like these), but I really love how they look. So because I could never bring myself to pay for the (admittedly beautiful) Chanel ones, I went on a bit of a Jeffery Campbell spree.... surprisingly, his shoes are actually really comfortable. In fact, I liked them so much, I ended up buying them in 2 colours plus another pair of wedges (don't ask - I'm just going to quietly put the pictures here)

Exhibit A: Jeffery Campbell Charli clogs (now on sale, if you wear a sz 9 or 10)

Exhibit B: Jeffery Campbell Snick Platform wedges

In my defence, even E. bought a pair of the Snicks (as did 2 of my colleagues and my mum) so I feel at least like I can tell myself they were probably a good buy.

And in a classic case of obsession, I finally caved and bought a Christopher Ross belt. This madness was brought on of course, by the lovely Judy Aldrige from Atlantis Home. I think she's mentioned on her blog before that she used to be able to get CR buckles for less than $20, and now they're going for about $300 on average on ebay, with the rarer ones going for much much more. I guess that's the one downside to having a popular blog.

Anyway, here's the incredibly realistic snake belt I got. I'll have to do an outfit post as soon as I figure out what to wear it with, but I have to say that the detail on the CR buckles is just amazing. Somehow they just look so alive, which really differentiates them from most other animal belts. I'm not actually much of a fan of animal belts, but CR really does feel like you're collecting sculpture.

Hisssssssss.....

images: needsupplyco; ebay seller

the ones that (will get) away part deux

This is why the internet is evil. If I'd never seen these I wouldn't now be torn about whether I really need them or if really they'll make me look like a hipster farmgirl.

A.P.C green gingham Tunic on sale at $89.99 plus another 40% off

image: needs supply co.

And yet another A.P.C. calling my name.... I just keep reminding myself what a pain it is to wear playsuits. Not to be indelicate, but the hassle of going to the bathroom in one of these makes you not want to drink anything all day.

A.P.C. romper again on sale at 50%

image: totokaelo

starting from scratch

someone said to me recently "shop twice, buy once" and in light of my recent shopping existential crisis, I thought I'd actually try that. So since coming back from NY, I've bought pretty much nothing (fashion-wise at least), which is impressive when you consider that lots of places are going on final sale! Here's what I would buy if I had (1) more money and (2)... more money.
D rk Sh d w by Rick Owens jacket - on sale currently at 50% off
Best part about this? it can be worn about 4 ways so you can tell yourself it's only a quarter of the price really.

image: totokaelo