Books Actually: The Documentary

When I saw this video on my Facebook feed, I hesitantly clicked play, unsure if I was willing to sit down for a forty minutes long video. Then I was pretty much hooked till the very end. I have spoken multiple times about this eccentric, cozy little book store along Yong Siak street, a.k.a somewhere in the old Tiong Bahru estate. The owners (yep, the usual people who sits together behind counter) shared about what's more to the books you see - behind those wooden shelves lies struggles, true fans and the essence of their business. Their love for books and a hope to show Singaporeans just how local culture can be, keeps the store running.  I'm truly inspired and humbled by Kenny and his team. Think it just made me love Books Actually even more now. Ahh...just want to rush down, buy a book, have a coffee. Who's coming with me?

You've Got Mail!

Shirt - Sweet Drug

Trista Skater Dress - Dressabelle (worn as skirt)

Studded pumps (in the style of Valentino) - Charles & Keith

This white dress, unofficially referred to as the 'Marilyn Monroe dress', is one of the most beautiful pieces ever created by Dressabelle. It looked nothing on the hanger, but once I put it on, I was SOLD. I love how it's super fitted at the top but the skirt portion is exaggerated with volume and movement. They say do noy judge a book by its cover, I say do not judge a dress on its rack! My inspiration for today's look was derived from a mixture of post WWII women and Mr. Postman (this explains the random gift box). You probably can't tell here but the dress actually has a square neckline which really flatters my collar bones, reminding me a lot of Empire style dresses worn in the medieval times. Nothing screams lady more than a neat bun paired with pointy pumps, I then added a floral sash just for that extra vintage glamour. 

It is almost unbelievable that it has been a year since I started working with Dressabelle. I started out with nothing but an unprofessional background in my room, a cheap shaky tripod and camera. Now, I love experimenting with different themes and landscapes, and really thankful for my colleague JJ who helps me with photographs. My personal style changed drastically - I'm probably a lot more girly and colourful now - but my love for fashion remains the same. I feel so blessed to be doing what I love and have readers who have been following me on my personal blog as well as on Dressabelle, a.k.a the weekly Look Book Friday. Just want to thank everybody who have been sticking around! And to all my new readers, welcome on board! :)

Happy 1st birthday to Dressabelle & I and here's to more style adventures to come!

Tartan Tales - the first ever Look Book Friday post

Tring 313

My favourite shopping mall in town has to be Somerset 313 because it offers an array of high end and mid range stores to my liking. They have just launched Singapore's first mall branded, location-based app named Tring 313. With this app, you will receive exclusive promotions from the retailers you love, making shopping a more relevant experience. Let me take you around:

The Tring 313 app interface 

Tring 313 was designed to send push notifications to shoppers within a  defined radial proximity of the mall, informing you of current deals, promotions and event highlights.

Non-transactional coupon

Transactional coupon

Note that there are two types of coupons - transactional and non-transactional. Pretty self-explanatory I believe? The app works a little like Groupon! All coupons can be downloaded in-app and redeemed by presenting them at counters. For coupons that are require in-app payment (transactional), it is easily accomplished via PayPal or Credit Card. 

Retailers I am 'following'.

I really like this app and ended up creating an account. I am now 'following' two retailers I'm interested in so I'll never miss out on their deals! Hopefully they put ZARA there soon.

How about trying the app out for yourself this Christmas season? It's free!

Casual BlackMilk

T-shirt - ASOS| Spiked bracelet - m)Phosis

The Great Wave leggings - BlackMilk | Pascal boots - Dr. Martens

Photos by Mandy

This is going to be a random rambly post where I just want to talk a little bit about my life and things unrelated to fashion. It's officially my Christmas break so no school for me till next year! Looking back at the past eleven months made me realize how time really flies and how much everything changes. Everybody says the same thing but seriously guys, if you look back into my archives you'd see how much this blog has evolved! For the better I hope. Are you guys going anywhere this holiday? I don't have any traveling plans so I guess I am just going to sit at my desk and...blog. The amount of workload from school turned my previously neat room into a cave of refuge, therefore my top to-do is to reorganize everything to perfection and I might be getting a dresser in my room. It is a vintage dresser left by my grandma in its original dark wood colour but I plan to paint it white to match the rest of my room. It's my first time painting a big piece of furniture so I am pretty nervous. Do I have to sand the surface for the paint to stick on? Is it necessary to laquer it after painting? Wish I was more DIY-savvy y'know. Will anyone be interested for an updated room tour? I feel almost like I am showcasing my bedroom for my own amusement. Let me know! Oh and remember to join my current giveaway if you havent!

Lost In Paradise

[Giveaway status: Closed]

I will be giving away this dress to one reader. Scroll to end of this post to find out how to participate in this giveaway.

The Nutcracker dress - Dressabelle | Plaid shirt - Bugis Street | Clinic Wedges - Taobao

I want to start off this post with something really positive (besides the fact that I am doing a giveaway again)! One morning in school as I was about to buy my usual cup of coffee, I realized that I had run out of cash. I asked if the store allowed other forms of payment, the cashier told me that they are unable to do that. Just as I was about to leave the drink stall, she offered to pay for my drink first, and told me there's no rush to returning her the $1.40. At that moment I was just so touched that a stranger was so kind to me. To think that someone I barely knew understood the importance of coffee for exhausted students like me, and to think that she trusted me to return the money... I have almost forgotten that there are indeed kind souls around us!

Okay that was really random but it seriously kept me happy for days. Anyway, I bet you guys are sick of seeing me in leather and velvet or lace all the time but I just cannot help it! For this outfit, I tied a plaid shirt around my waist to give it a more street-style vibe. Since the weather is cool currently you can wear your shirt over whenever it's freezing. I picked a pair of statement wedges but you can pretty much go with sneakers too! If edgy is not your thing, simply grab a pair of gold pumps and a nice clutch and you'll be looking understatedly glamourous. A black dress with different textures is easy to match without being too boring. Having in mind that there's probably lots of flash photography during Christmas parties, velvet is the perfect thing to wear because it reflects light, making you stand out even if you are wearing a black colour piece. I want to give this dress to one of you so that you can wear this for Christmas!

How to participate in this giveaway:

1. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram!

2. Leave a comment under this post stating your Twitter and Instagram username.

3. Deadline: 13 December 2012, Thursday, 11.59pm (GMT+08:00)

I will announce the winner on Twitter right after the deadline. The result of giveaway will be generated by random.org.

Giveaway open to SG residents only. 

Photos by JJ

Thank you so much and good luck!

Chic Kiss Love - The Market Place

The Chic Kiss Love Market Place is an online sale event where you can shop from 30+ online labels, all at once! Knowing that many of my readers here are avid online shoppers, CKL might solve your problem having to open multiple windows of all your favourite blog shops. From now till 10 December 2012, sale items can go as low as $5. Of course, shipping is free within Singapore and Malaysia. 

What so special about The Market Place?

• All items on site will be tagged according to various attributes. For example: #Floral, #Red dress, #Christmas, etc. Recommended tags such as those Recently Searched,  Most Searched, and Best Sellers will be automatically tagged to items based on their on-site activity. 
• The powerful filtering system allow users are able to browse through items through intuitive categories such as different price points, colours, occasions and brands to make for quicker shopping. 

Visit the Market Place now and experience shopping for yourself!

Website | Twitter | Facebook

You Can Stand Under My Umbrella

Edgy Mesh Dress - Dressabelle | Suede boots - Topshop | Fringe sling - Mango | Sun hat - Daiso

How ironic is it that I was wearing a sun hat on a rainy afternoon? I swear Daiso has some of the best accessories at awesome prices, some people call Daiso 'the second scariest place in Singapore after Watsons'. This hat is a prime example - good quality, good price, lesser maintenance than suede! Doesn't my dress remind you of a modern Tinkerbell-turned-bad? I like that it makes me look like I am wearing a tube dress over a tee without the discomfort. It has a classic silhouette with bustier details and I really think the lines made my waist appear smaller! I thought a bright red lipstick brought out the red even more in my all black ensemble. 

As a fashion blogger, one of my most feared condition when I shoot is...rain. When it rains, that's it. My hair flattens, leather shoes ruined. But I guess my perception of wet weather changed when my photographer taught me to appreciate water because the transparency gives photographs an unique quality that sun beans never could. Well, the photos turned out beautiful don't you think? Almost immediately, I felt like myself again - dancing, jumping, swirling in the rain with a coincidentally matching umbrella which belongs to the office. You can stand under my umbrella, ella ella eh eh eh *chants*

Photos by JJ