the search continues...

(pics are blurry...working out the kinks in our camera)

APC trousers
QUEENS WARDROBE jacket
AMERICAN APPAREL shirt (that's really a dress)
BCBG necklaces
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN pumps

A few quickies from Friday before dinner and after work. Is anyone as obsessed as I am with finding the perfect electric blue trousers? I originally bought these online and they were like clown pants on me but I took it to my tailor and altered it to a three quarter/ankle length...and to be honest, I am STILL on the hunt. They grew on me during the day but I can't say I'm ultimately satisfied. Back to the rat races...

Aside: I think it's pretty darn nerdy that Mass and I are currently lying in bed...and blogging.

the long and short of it

QUEENS WARDROBE jacket, AA hoodie, ASOS dress/skirt, SARDINIA STREET VENDOR bracelet

Pics taken from a few weeks ago when I first got this jacket in. I don't usually promote specific websites but I highly recommend Queens Wardrobe. Though as you can expect, the above jacket is synthetic leather but for the price you pay, the value is highly regarded. They ship from Korea and even put gift on your package to avoid customs. Website is not fantastic and neither is their English, but who cares when they have such great stuff at such a great value on their site.

where's your horse?

FRATELLI ROSETTI riding boots, THEORY blazer, GAP boys sweater, Zara jodhpurs, CUSTOM glasses

I literally searched high and low through London and Italy for these boots. When the associate finally called me three weeks later, I didn't skip a heartbeat before I was over there and trying them on.

Fratelli Rosetti is a lesser known genius creation of hand-made Italian leather goods. Mostly donning classic pieces, it's construction and structure is unbeatable. As always, I truly feel shoes are the one thing you can't do vintage.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the top part of these boots are removable, revealing an ankle boot underneath. GENIUS.

transition wear

STEFANEL vest, GUCCI trousers, ELINA CHEUNG shirt, BCBG shoes, PRADA purse and gloves

London technically never had a summer to transition from. Instead, we just hopped right into winter. Its about 8 degrees outside at the moment spiking an average high of 13 during the day. The only good thing about the winter-esque weather is being able to wear huge gilets and being able to get away with it.

Got this one in Sicily when bikinis were still in season. I wish we had Stefanels in London.

PS. Got a lil trim (finally...!)
PPS. Sorry about the very delayed posts lately...real life has made me very very tired.

LUCY IN DISGUISE

LUCY IN DISGUISE vintage jacket, ASOS trousers, UNIQLO belt, QUEENS WARDROBE blouse, MIU MIU shoes and purse, STREET VENDOR from Sardinia silver cuff

Everyone knows Lily Allen as a singer/face of Chanel/Karl Lagerfield's muse, but she demonstrated her fashion/shopping sense in her new vintage boutique in London last weekend. LUCY IN DISGUISE is the brainchild of Lily and her half-sister Sarah, where you can buy or rent designer vintage that they have either searched endlessly or hoarded over. They even have a blow-dry bar downstairs and a seating area for men with ps3 and vintage Playboys (which are surprisingly very tasteful; it was the first time I was actually trying to find naked women in a magazine).

We stopped by there opening day and picked up the jacket above. The actual designer is S.Howard Hirsch whom we believe to be an interior designer turned fashion designer from the 60's. It was love at first sight. The material is quite thick and velvety and surprisingly warm, which comes in handy for the brand-spanking new 13 degree weather that's been sporting about London these past few days.

24 hours in Soho

GUCCI trousers, QUEENS WARDROBE blouse, BALMAIN (knockoff I think) blazer, BCBG ponyhair wedges, MULBERRY bag, KENNETH JAY LANE ring, NECKLACE from Sardinia street vendor

A couple Saturdays ago, we stayed in Soho literally from lunch til the wee hours. There's something to be said about having a huge city to venture and explore in yet we stay in the confines of a few streets for over 10 hours. At least it gave me a chance to wear my new Gucci trousers that I picked up in Sicily from one of the Parisi stores. The Parisi family practically owns Taormina including its access to designer goods. Thankfully I spent just enough time searching in their outlet to find these bad boys from s/s 2010. I love how reminiscent the flare is of my high school days.

RED meets NEW

BARON Y skirt and jacket, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN fifi pumps

After a frustratingly long eurostar train ride (a guy brought a WW2 bomb onto the train and they had to dismantle it before it could leave) we finally made it back to London early this morning. Pictures and posts to follow from the wedding.

We managed to squeeze in some shopping time. Above are a few of the items we managed to get a hold of, some infamous, some not so much...but equally as beautiful.

I don't own many pairs of Loubous. Though I find the arch of his shoe fabulous, I somehow don't end up buying as much of his stuff as I want to. I dragged Mass to one of his stores on Saturday and got these Fifi's. Been eyeing them for awhile. They're simple, classic, and timeless. Especially the skinny heel and the toe cleavage. Perfection.

Another not so known designer, Baron Y, is a designer we discovered in Le Marais on Sunday. His designs are so unique and one of a kind, it literally flies off shelves (as demonstrated by us clearing out his racks). The above skirt sold me with its volume and chicness. The asymmetrical cut adds so much flare which would match perfectly with a crisp white button up. Mass did the most damage however. He bought the above military/MJ inspired jacket which would look perfect with some bermudas. Not pictured is a pair of trousers he bought that had the most incredible detailing, including ponyhair on the pockets.

It feels like wooooo.....

When we were in Shanghai we had a chance to stop by the two art districts. The first one seemed like the place for tons of expats and tourists to go to because the entire pop-art area was buzzing with people sitting outside, hanging out, watching the people traffic go by. Of course amidst the art funk, I find a place to shop. Woo Scarves is where we spent a good half hour speaking to the salesladies and buying a total of 6 scarfs, from silk to cotton. China has been known for their sericulture for centuries but often tourists get sucked into the warehouses to buy the fake or A grade fake ones. Woo is not one of those places. They have a few locations but this one, as you can see from Mass and I's picture up there, has been graced by a number of 'celebrities', none of which I know.

The rest of the pictures were taken throughout that day. The area was so buzzing that I even got 'style blogged' by another fellow blogger. But silly me didn't ask her for her name/website (not so much silly as just hopeless in communicating in Mandarin) so if anyone comes across a Shanghainese blog with me in that outfit, let me know! (maybe I was photographed for worst outfit ever, who knows)

Wearing: LaVie grey jacket (Shanghai - awesome awesome coats, make u wish it was winter all year round), Marc Jacob sunnies, Cesare Paciotti brogues, Purse from that store you saw me blog about here, White shirt from another Shanghainese boutique designer, AA leggings, Tiger and M/F ring, Snake and panther bracelet, all from Shanghai.

Hope you're having a fabulous week.

Ciao

Shanghai Finds

I finally get my life back after being in the library for 14-hour shifts nearly everyday (that's not say I don't have another one in a few weeks but at least there's a break).

Shanghai is a beautiful city that changes dramatically everytime I go back. This time was no different. The Shanghai Expo was taking place a few days after we left so the city was buzzing with pre-expo excitement. They're the only city I know that lines their highways with plants (or paints them for that matter).

Last time I went, I didn't get to do much shopping so this time (partially because of the ash) we were able to take full advantage. We walked down a smaller boutique street (contrast to the branded stores along the Bund/our hotel) and came across this really cute entrance. Of course the temptation in me led me upstairs (this could potentially be a bad thing) and luckily, I found a sweet little leather shop. We walked in and these two little girls sat us down and served us tea. Then came the shopping. We flipped through their lookbooks and tried on literally every bag in the place.

Finally, we settled on below. It's this gorgeous brown leather bag, completely rough around the edges. It can go from short to long (which was a prerequisite in my purchase) and is big enough to throw everything inside. Next time, I'll try to remember what the name of the store was (though I'm pretty sure it was in Chinese).






More to come! I'll try to make the next few posts on my Shanghainese finds.

Ciao for now!