Crafty ideas: Floral party bag

I've seen flower-covered bags everywhere but usually they're some impractical shape(like a ball, or a heart), too small and too gaudy. But I'll admit part of me, the flower frou frou loving part, rather likes the idea. So the next evening bag of mine that gets stained or simply looks too battered glam may just get itself covered in fabric flowers.

The video below shoes you how to make everything, from the bag to the flowers. Me? I think I'll just buy loose fabric flowers from a craft shop, or Ikea, grab a glue gun and an old bag and FLOWER POWER that thing!

Frocking out: Killer in Capris

One simply cannot wear a frock to laser tag. It makes one too big a target. Capris however, are sleek and not too warm for dashing around. Heels of course. One must have standards darling.

Princess

My father has never been expressive when it comes to affection. Often it takes quite some interpretation to realise he cares. For example, his method of showing concern for me when I grabbed my bike and dashed out to join the kids pedalling furiously around the neighbourhood was to roar "Go! If you get killed, don't come crying!" growing up a gangly, scrawny kid and teen, is nicknames for me were "Bones", "Giraffe", "Chopsticks" (during a particularly leggy phase) and "Insect".

But there was a brief period in my life, from ages 0-6 when dad had no reservations about doting on me. For 6 years, I was his princess. He used to love buying me pretty dresses and watching me prance around happily in them. 

For some reason, this 50's inspired dress just screams "princess" to me, with its champagne tones and royal-looking brocade emblems. It also depresses my floating ribs, so if I'm not careful, like princesses of yore I might just pass out everytime I get excited. Kidding! Well... mostly. 

Maxi Dress Hunt

Have you been bitten by the Maxi Dress bug yet? I think I'm coming down with the disease and yes, Meldee looking breathtaking in hers didn't help. I still don't own any because I take offense at either the style or the price of most maxi dresses available here. Sometimes both.

See the thing is maxi dresses, to me, are terribly easy to get wrong. For one thing, it's a lot of material so all of it needs to be lightweight. Then because there's so much of it, bright colours really aren't that great idea. I saw a girl in a hot pink maxi the other day and she looked like a day-glo flamingo out to sear your eyeballs.

And all those tiered maxi dresses? Well they're a way to save material people thus making the dress cheaper to produce. It's much easier to attach sections of material than find one big piece. And the tiers make you look like a wedding cake. AND they're shortening since they break up the continuous line.

Many of the cheaper dresses also have no clue as to how to create shape with the skirt. Often they resort to ruffled hem. Or even worse, give up and let it hang like a gunny sack.

There's also a trend towards strapless maxis. Maybe some girls got the goods to hold them babies up, I don't. It's a big dress, step on the hem and HELLO BOYS!

So those are all the factors that are largely no-nos for me in maxi dresses. So what DO I like?

Tip: Turn bracelets into necklaces

This pretty necklace began life as a bracelet. Unlike many bracelets I get, it wasn't too big to wear but in general I don't wear bracelets. Especially not ones with dangly bits as when you type all day it gets annoying.

As it was a handmade gift from a friend though I really did want to be able to wear it and since I love necklaces, I fished out a plain, silver chainlink bracelet and attached it. Ta da... it was now a necklace.

Channeling Joan

My mom is now a Mad Men addict. Good thing I introduced her to the vintage thrift stalls in Amcorp mall or she's go boinkers looking for similar outfits. Sure the show is slow and depressing but the CLOTHES... *sighs*

So I finally find the perfect outfit to show off the pencil necklace and alas its white and completely obscures the necklace in the pic.

Tip: Sew your hair to your head

I was giggling all through this one. She's so funny and adorable. Plus this is brilliant. If I can find me a yarn needle I'm giving it a go! Who ever thought of SEWING your hair in place??

Don't you love braided updos by the way? I do, I'm forever looking out for ideas that don't take forever and don't require a hundred pins. Bobby pins ruin my manicure. =(

FitFlopping Around - The Pietra is Skinny-Feet friendly!

As someone who takes no regular exercise whatsoever, my health, fitness and general state of jiggliness is starting to worry me. Just because I'm slim doesn't mean I can take my health for granted. So under the joint-pressure and enthusiastic testimonies of ParisB and Beetrice (Beetrice has one HECK of a recommendation) I succumbed and bought the most expensive pair of Flip Flops known the mankind. Oh and I have to blame my feet too. These are COMFY - be warned: if you try on a pair that fits, your feet will nag you till you buy them.

I just keep telling myself that they're cheaper and far more convenient than a gym membership.

Shopping Around: Amcorp Mall Flea Market

UPDATE: Amcorp Mall management has banned the clothing stores! Go here for more details. 

For those of you still curious as to where I buy my thrift dresses, they are mostly from one source: Amcorp Mall's Weekend Flea Market. And in fact, mostly from one stall - Chia's on Level 2, just past Book Xcess (pictured above). Her clothes are primarily overstock imported from Japan and China and tend to be vintage cut and high quality.

Guest Post: Suit Up Series - The Fit

And now we move on to the second installment from our resident suits-pert, Primus Sartorius.
All right, it would seem I have not scared you away with my first entry on the theme of suits. So, let's jump straight into the second key concept for a man's wardrobe: fit.

A gentleman looks best when his clothes fit him properly. Alas, most off-the-rack suits are built for the mythological "average" man (if any of you find this man, please inform me posthaste that I might shoot him dead and put an end to the misery of gentlemen the world around), which means that they do not naturally fit! Instead, one must examine the suit and make (to the extent possible) alterations to get it closer to a proper fit. Or one could go bespoke, if one has the funds and the sartorial desire.

China Blues

Photography by Rinnah

I can't begin to say how lucky I was to have Rinnah on hand to do this photoshoot. After awhile you just run out of ideas and it's great to have someone point a giant camera at you and order you around like a drill sergeant! Can't wait to do it again! I also absolutely ADORE this dress. So twirly, so blue... wheee!

In case you're wondering, these photos were taken at the Huckleberry Cafe in the Times Bookstore at BSC.

Guest post: Suit Up Series - The Cut

While in conversation with a very gentlemanly and quite dapper friend of mine, it came to out joint attention that not only are many men clueless with regards to suits, their women are too. Which is a tragedy, since let's face it, men consult women on just about everything related to fashion so this is not just for the men. It's for the ladies who frock around and dress their men. So I hereby introduce Primus Sartorius with his weekly installments on all aspects concerning the gentleman's perfect suit.

The well-dressed gentleman has long been aware of the incomparable wonder that is the suit (used herein to refer to the lounge suit unless otherwise noted, although there’s a time and a place for black tie and even white tie). It is a timeless miracle, in truth! If you don’t believe me, please look at Fred Astaire or Cary Grant. Classic.