A Cute White Coat

Back in September, I was suddenly very determined to find a casual white coat to have fun with because I was bored of my other coats, which were all black. (Also I'm guessing it was a photo of Ashley Olsen in a white coat from around four years ago that triggered this sudden 'want'. Kind of strange right?)

When it comes to shopping under time constraint, I do target-shopping. Which meant that I headed straight to Zara, where I know would have somewhat stylish, basic and very affordable coats. Zara didn't let me down and I ended up buying this:
OK, so I have recently seen a LOT of girls in the streets here in London wearing basic coats from Zara, either exactly this one or similar ones. But since I get cold easily, I have already started wearing this in late September, so almost no one was wearing it yet. Oh, and I know the coat looks really not-pretty like that, but it looks really cool with the collar up and the top part wide open (the lapel part.)

Oops, rambling off my point. So the white coat did prove out to be really fun. It brightened up my casual outfits and I found it especially fun to wear it with dresses. Unfortunately, the white coat got dirty really easily. I stopped wearing it to lectures after only one lecture because my sitting around in random seats was just too much dirt for my coat to take.

My point is, while I wouldn't spend a huge amount of money on a white coat, I think it's worth trying out a white coat from affordable shops. Think of it as a youthful, cute thing to cheer you and your outfit up on those grey days!

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Shorts For Winter

The whole shorts + tights + ankle boots thing is a huge trend this season (a follow-up of the super-mini-shorts trend from the summer.) Some magazines even claim it's the new mini-skirt, which I'm not too sure about but I'm a fan of mini-skirts much more than of shorts. Anyways, so I've seen a lot of girls in London wear this trend -at school, in the supermarket, shopping... While I can totally understand it's a huge trend, I'm still amazed by how many ppl are wearing this combination. Why? Becuase dude, it's cold out there. Like seriously cold. And with this look, it's a very thin line between fashion victim and cute/ cool.

But if you really like this trend, then make sure you wear 'dressy' shorts. And you might want to stick to basic colours. Here are some that I like from Top Shop:

Checkered shorts -They're casual and preppy. Plus I've always thought checked things look better in winter than summer.

Silky-like shorts -Silky-looking things always make the item look classy, expensive and perfect for a night out.

Velvet shorts -These are also very wintery feeling and give off that going-out vibe. They're very girly so they're probably not suitable for everyone's taste but if you're a girly girl...

High-waisted shorts -While I could never pull off anything high-waisted, I've seen some Londoners try them on at Top Shop and they look really cool. Imagine these shorts with something as simple as a white T-shirt (tucked in) and platforms. Cool huh? (Although I think they'll look better without tights.)

What are your thoughts on this trend? Have you been wearing it?

Image credits: http://www.topshop.com/

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Paul and Joe Boots

I know that the main focus of a lookbook of a fashion collection is the clothes, but upon looking at Paul & Joe's latest lookbook, I could not help but stare in fixated horror at the model's feet. Maybe I am just not fashion forward enough, but upon seeing these boots (almost everywhere in the lookbook) all I can think of is ugh!
Maybe in a few months (or even weeks) time, I will find them cute and want a pair. Who knows how fashion evolution works? I mean, without the slouchy thing, the shape of the pointy toe is perfectly rounded and the heels look just right. But right now ,at this moment, the slouchy thing (which I assume is the CENTER of the design) just makes models look like they have swollen ankles to me- and that is never attractive.
I tried looking at them from different angles, but still- nothing. Maybe it is also the awkward height of the boots as well, making them not quite ankle boots but not quite tall boots either. Only a model with super long legs like that can carry it off (I should know since I stupidly bought a pair of such awkward height boots last season and I am still trying to figure out how to wear them....) without looking short with their legs sectioned off like that.
So what is the verdict for these $825 Peper Suede Paper Bag booties? Fashion forward? Or should it be stuffed into a paper bag?

Image Source: Paul & Joe and Shopbop

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Top Ralph Lauren Picks

In anticipation of Ralph Lauren's private sale, which takes effect online this Thursday 9am eastern time through to Monday 19th Nov, I decided to do a little feature on some of my top Ralph Lauren picks this season. I mean, the sales are going to be pretty good, going up to 40% off with an extra 15% off already reduced price items on Thursday by typing in "NOV15", so better make the most of the opportunity! First thing that pops into my head that I want from RL- dress shirts. Especially blue/white stripey ones like these two. They are just classic. It would be a great addition to my building work wardrobe. I wonder if RL considers these classic enough to fall under: "Up to 30% off RL Classics: cashmere sweaters(whopee!), polo shirts, oxfords, chinos and select Create Your Own items".......
Off to more interesting pieces, I also like these white dress shirts with an extra feminine touch. Especially the one on the left, the pleats are just right to make it look interesting, but not so much that it looks overtly girly.
Long cardigans are also just the thing this season. Paired with a printed dress shirt (left), you'd have perfected the preppy chic look. By itself, they are casual and cool (right).
And we must not forget this season's must have: dresses. These dresses above are both simple and elegant. The key of course is the belt. The one on the left with the badge and the collar is more casual and youthful. Except I'm not sure if it would look as good on me as it does on the model...what if I look school girl like? Its a thin line.
As the holiday season approaches, we have these very holiday feel sweaters with the snowflakes, plaid and red. Personally, I'd go for the red sweater and plaid shirt combo. Least then I can also wear it separately and besides, plaid is going to be fun this season.
Something dressier, there is this adorable bronze satin dress. I don't know why, but I have a huge affinity towards RL shoes even though they are not known for making footwear. This season is no exception. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE these black ankle boots. They are high, but with platform, so I won't be in pain all the time. And the heels look sturdy. The toes are perfectly rounded. The black bow is just the right of detail to make it interesting while still keeping it simple. I just LOVE it. I can wax poetry about it all night. I WANT these!
And last but certainly not least are these jackets/coats. Coats and jackets are the best investment, because they don't change everyday so you really get good mileage out of it. They are the first thing people see you in when you walk in somewhere- so make sure you make a good statement with it. I am loving the stylish cropped jacket (left), which can be worn formally like this or casually, layering with jeans etc. And the long coat- it is just princess like with its perfect fit and flare!

So yes, don't forget to check out the RL private sale this Thursday!

Image Source: Ralph Lauren

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Leather Jackets

I have never really had the desire for leather jackets before, because I have always related it to punk, rock n roll and motorcycles- none of which describes me. But lately, with the the mix and matching of rock n girly and layering, I have had a change of mind...and now I really want one! They seem to be everywhere!
There is the more classic biker chic kind like this one from Alice + Olivia (left)- I love it! And then there is the more casual looking ones like this one from Mike & Chris with a combo of material giving it a sportier edge (Mike & Chris- think Rachel Bilson last year).
To make them more layer friendly, some designers also made these cropped biker chic leather jackets like these two from Sword (left) and Clandestine for DKNY (right). I especially LOVE the soft dove grey color of the Sword leather jacket. I can totally imagine it over a flowy black dress looking very cool.
Here we play with the fit and the neckline at Madison Marcus (left) and Adam plus Eve (right). Its interesting... but I got to say, not my favourite.
Going a bit more to the extreme, we have these girly-fied leather jackets with added feminine touches from Madison Marcus. I think the brown one with the frills (left) is a bit too much but I love the grey one with the ruffled neckline (right)- its perfect!

Sigh... too bad for me that leather jackets are about one of the most expensive types of jackets out there.....

Image Source: Shopbop, Shop Intuition, Elle

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My Rainy Day Shoes

It's been raining quite often in London in the past two weeks and I just realised that I have no shoes to wear for those rainy days. The only normal shoes that completely cover up my feet I own are my Puma sneakers, which are all white. You can imagine that by the time I got to my class, the front of my sneakers had terrible dark smudges. So I realised I really need a pair of rainy-day shoes. Thankfully, while I was blogging about ankle boots a few days ago, I realised that patent leather ankle boots were my perfect solution!

Since I'm planning to use this new pair of patent leather shoes for rainy, everyday use, here were my criterias: (love lists!)

• Easy to put on -because I'm always leaving my flat less than 10 mins before lectures start and rushing out of the door.
• 1-2.5inch-high heels -because flats are too low and 4-inch high heels are too high for me to walk quickly and comfortably around in. Unfortunately, most of the shoes out there these days are 4 inches high.
• From the high-street -because my budget can only afford high-street shoes, and my conscience wouldn't feel as bad when they get dirty and ruined by the black, watery London streets.
• Style-wise, they don't have to be super trendy but they have to be modern and somewhat stylish. I do go to school in the city afterall.

With ankle boots being all the rage this season, you would think it would be easy to find a pair, but it certainly wasn't. For example, Top Shop sells a pair for around 75 pounds (which is a bit too expensive,) and Office has a not-very-pretty pair for 60 pounds. Fortunately, my absolutely favourite high-street store, Zara had a pair that fit my criterias, together with the curved, Prada-inspired heels. (You can't really see the heels in this picture but they're there.)

Excuse my numerous posts about ankle boots if you're sick of them. I'm just excited I finally got a pair of rainy day shoes!

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EBay Store: Trendy Outfitter

I'd like to begin by saying that I have no experience with EBay at all and that I have no idea how this EBay store works, so I make no quality guarantees about what I am about to expound on. But from all accounts and the many reviews this seller has had, it does look pretty reliable and should I ever decide to start using EBay, I think I'd start with this store. So, what made me suddenly so interested in Ebay? The Trendy Outfitter store! They sell trendy Japanese and Korean inspired apparel worldwide (they apparently ship from Taiwan, so I'm not too sure where the products originate).
But anyway, onto the fashion. This was the coat that caught my attention. When my friend first showed me, I was like, OMG I want that coat! And when I saw the price- I wanted it even more! Who can resist a gorgeous wool blend coat for $25? That, you see is the beauty of this site. I don't know why it is so cheap, but nothing you see on list is more than $30. The catch, we soon discovered, was that the delivery is the same price as the coat. But still, that makes it $50... still not too bad. As to the quality... well, you can't expect too much at that price. So I guess expect H&M quality? From the reviews, most customers seemed happy with their purchases....
More pretty coats. I'll take these two as well please.
And I absolutely LOVE this cardigan. Its so chic and girly. The perfect fashion item.
This will look soo cute on me! And you really can't go wrong with the fit of such a simple dress.
A perfectly simple sweater dress.
And I LOVE this sweater (though I'd like one in black/white). Its so simple yet trendy with the genie sleeves and the fancy turtleneck. Did I mentioned everything is priced below $30?

Personally, I am still a bit iffy about buying anything on Shopbop, let alone EBay. Especially here, there are the questions of: Why is it so cheap? Where do these clothes come from? Are they a copy of these pictures we see or the actual thing? How is the quality and fit? Is this store reliable? What do you think readers? Anyone have experience with Ebay stores?

Nevertheless, don't all these images just make you want to go to Korea or wherever these clothes originate from and have a super shopping spree? I know I do!

Image Source: Trendy Outfitter

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