Der Erlkönig

You told me of your heart 

A cold tile cavern bathed in dark

And earthy roots hanging from within 

To shed some light the fire must get in

Just a harbour no one's in

An empty salt filled skin

It had been years of not reading and I'm was not proud of it. I made a promise to myself earlier this month that I will pick up a book and read it seriously, and so I did, and I haven't regretted a moment. I have been rediscovering what seems to be my favourite genre – fairytales. Girls, vampires, kings and knights, forest nymphs...I'd read anything. Angela Carter's 'The Bloody Chamber', a collection of short stories, is my current read and it has already taken me to the depths of my imagination. Naturally, I felt inspired to style an outfit which I think channels my mood at the moment. I also threw in some of my favourite writings by Carter – namely from chapters of The Erl King and The Lady of the House of Love. I Hope you feel something magical from these visuals and text like I do!

I'm wearing a vintage 70's Candies Jones maxi dress, vintage mom's studs, vintage Casio watch, and leather boots.

Pages Of Gold

Show me the way it used to be

Show me I want to see

I am no longer afraid of my past

I want to confront all my new tasks

Show me the river where we swam

Show me the miles that we ran

From ourselves

And nothing more

There are some days when I wish I could time travel. There's a saying, "our minds aren't good offices" which is why we take notes – to remember things and other minute details. I'm really glad I caught my second Annie Leibovitz exhibition, titled 'Women: New Portraits', in Singapore. Her photographs, far from 'perfect', always show me some form of vulnerability within her subjects. Held at the old Tanjong Pagar railway station, its aged grittiness made quite a spot for an afternoon of aimless book browsing and daydreaming. 

I'm wearing vintage 70's maxi dress from Granny's Day Out, vintage Calvin Klein bag, c/o Misaki pearl earrings and vintage Casio watch. 

Photography by Yun Jing.

Vintage

Shadows of iron gates

Cast on sidewalks of deep space

Burning like a black hole lace

As mica turns to milky ways

I don't remember a distinct point when I fell in love with vintage, but it must have begun with my mother who passed down many of her preowned pieces. My earliest memories were her brass earrings, makeup brushes and silk scarves. My mother, born and raised in Shanghai, is a stylish woman. Surprisingly, some of her best vintage pass-me-downs were gifts from my father during their courtship. I can only wish my father's fine taste would have continued on today. The world's shift to a more sustainable lifestyle is an unavoidable topic. Reclaiming clothing is truly an excellent way to not only reduce waste but also give your style a retro flair which is always popular on the runways anyway.

With so many vintage collectors all over the world, there must be good reasons why anyone would make a conscious choice to adopt and preserve something old and aged. With most vintage clothing accessories made from genuine leather and delicate fabric, preservation is even more challenging in humidity which speeds up material deterioration. But I believe the delight in collecting lies in weaving stories embedded in the object with your own.  

The mini backpack I'm carrying, which belonged to my mother, has the most beautiful steel hardware that is impossible to find in today's mass manufactured market. Its smooth grain leather has faded over the past two decades to a deep brown. On the other hand, some vintage pieces come as they are with no background story, leaving a void for the owner to fill. I found this dusty pink dress in a thrift shop for a whopping S$6. Even though much of its thread was already falling apart when I discovered it, it was easily repaired. The silhouette, fabric and colour of this dress are so beautiful to me. I'm glad its owner had decided to give clothing a second chance.

Wearing a vintage dress, mom's vintage backpack, c/o O'ORO Accessories earrings, GH Bass oxfords, vintage Casio watch, Sephora lip rouge in Oh Oh. Photos by Mandy

Honey Mustard

Vintage blouse - thrifted in Bangkok

Silk handkerchief - Mom's vintage

Came across the most random dresser in the middle of the street. Red lipstick still in place – checked.

Maxi dress (work as skirt) - c/o Dressabelle

Faux fur snap closure bag - c/o O'ORO | Vintage Cadali Taylor watch - c/o Late Rabbit

Brown leather oxford boots - Taobao

MAC matte lipstick in Chili | Earrings - Mom's vintage

Photos by Yun Jing

You might have noticed that I am darker than usual. The vacation in Bali plus a day at Adventure Cove last week has left me with a golden 'glow' which also makes me look more athletic than I am (not that I mind). For a long time I knew what worked best on my naturally fair skin – black, jewel tones, burgundy etc. I remained in my comfort zone until I actually got a drastic tan. It's ridiculous how I always feared getting dark because besides the need for a foundation change, I was worried the colours I loved won't flatter me anymore. But since I've already gone 3 shades darker, I might as well embrace it!

I discovered a whole new colour palette that works now, and I have gravitating a lot towards white (awesome contrast against the tan), earthy tones and mustard. I consider mustard to be a tricky colour, because it is neither saturated nor bright...a dusty yellow that no one knows how to deal with. But over time, it began to grow on me because it has that vintage aged appeal. I love the seventies inspired print on my long dress and layered a vintage blouse over it with sleeves rolled up to keep things casual. I thought the dainty collar and double buttoned panel on the blouse really amped up the vintage vibe. I kept the overall colour scheme rather consistent, then threw on the cutest faux fur bag to complete the look. In a way, my outfit looks very granny chic! Snap-closure bags remind me of coin purses people used to store their change in, and it looks absolutely adorable when enlarged in size. Wearing vintage earrings and silk scarf that are hand me downs from my mom, I felt like as if I went back in time. Someone take me to good ol' picnic date now!