Down The Rabbit Hole

When I was 11 years old, silly me picked up The Secret Garden from the book store because I was drawn to its pretty cover. I never touched it for a long time, it was left on my shelves till all the pages turned brown and crisp. It was only recently that I finally got to read this 1910s classic and truth is I'm finding it a joy so far.

“The Secret Garden was what Mary called it when she was thinking of it. She liked the name, and she liked still more the feeling that when its beautiful old walls shut her in no one knew where she was. It seemed almost like being shut out of the world in some fairy place. The few books she had read and liked had been fairy-story books, and she had read of secret gardens in some of the stories. Sometimes people went to sleep in them for a hundred years, which she had thought must be rather stupid. She had no intention of going to sleep, and, in fact, she was becoming wider awake every day which passed at Misselthwaite.” 

― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden is an uncomplicated tale about a young, lonely, orphaned girl named Mary who found refuge in a garden – at least this is my personal understanding. I'm not even halfway through the book and it had already made me shed a tear or two. I think a part of me feel sorry for Mary yet at the same time, I could resonate with her curiosity for life and yearning for deep relationship bonds. The author's vivid, descriptive writings about nature have inspired me in many ways to appreciate my everyday surroundings too. Classics are what they are because they are able to inspire and touch the hearts of people across cultures, ages, and time.

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, it's apparent my outfits are direct reflections of the music, films, and readings I'm engrossed in at the moment. As of now, it's definitely a mix of early 20th-century fashion and music by Danish musician Agnes Obel – my god, her sounds are so haunting, raw, and distant it almost breaks my heart to hear. On another note, I'm obsessed with my balloon-sleeved dress that looks like something Snow White would approve of. Its basque waistline is everything! I found it on a Taobao store which specialises in making antique style clothing using natural and sustainable textiles. I've linked it below so do check it out if you're interested!

I'm wearing 'Emma' dress from Taobao, c/o Loly In The Sky flats, and a vintage basket bag.

Photos by Nigel.

Peculiar

'Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children' was a fascinating novel in many ways, my favourite part being the antique Victorian photographs used to illustrate its vivid storyline. It combines two themes which I am highly intrigued by; time-traveling and Victorian photography. With the movie showing in cinemas and Halloween just around the corner, Jing and I were inspired to do a shoot based on this book we both enjoyed. If I were peculiar, I would love to be able to read people's minds and live in a 'time loop' in the roaring 30s!

I'm wearing a vintage embroidered top, Taobao midi skirt, vintage loafers via Flamingo Vintage Tokyo (mentioned in my Tokyo vintage shopping post), mom's vintage earrings and Revlon matte lipstick in 'Wine Not'.

Photography by Yun Jing.

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.

Grow Up

See, I'm trying to find my place

But it might not be here where I feel safe

We all learn to make mistakes

Cause I'm just one of those ghosts

Travelin' endlessly

And now I'm told that this is life

That pain is just a simple compromise

So we can get what we want out of it

Now that I'm in my twenties, I realize time is passing faster than ever. Freedom becomes increasingly expensive and scarce. My priorities reshuffle so much in this year alone and I've made some life-altering decisions. I never know if I make the right moves. The term "coming of age" is defined as "the age or occasion when one formally becomes an adult". Growing up, I believed adulthood was marked by age and milestones. Is it really? Is adulthood romanticized? I have been thinking a lot about adulthood lately. Having completed my degree in school and securing a full-time job, I thought I would have figured it out by now. Truth is, I have not. Perhaps none of us ever will. If anything, the transition into so-called adulthood feels like a lonely and uncertain one. 

Anyway, Nigel took me to Kombi Rocks, a retro concept diner located North of Singapore. Its interior is plastered with 1960s memorabilia such as posters of The Beatles and mod girls on Vespas. Car collectors would love the owner's collection of vintage automobiles. I love nostalgic spaces like this! The boyfriend knows exactly how to cheer me up. Thank you. <3

I'm wearing vintage Beth Michael's romper, mom's vintage leather bag, G.H. Bass oxfords and vintage Casio watch.

Photos by Nigel.