Pinch of Chic
collaborations

Oh, Vimeria

creative direction CYNTHIA NGUYEN
photography VINCENT KO and myself
in collaboration with VIMERIA

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week.
I’m finally back on the blog to write about my current obsession with wearing timeless, gold and dainty jewelry.

There was a period of time where all I would ever wear were pearl stud earrings and arm parties (stacks of bracelets). Now, all I ever wear are dainty necklaces, long, drop earrings and sometimes minimal rings. These are the kind of pieces I picture myself still wearing 5 or 10 years down the road. Thoughtfully designed and timeless pieces are worth investing in. Recently, and I mean for the past year or so, I’ve been sporting long, gold, drop earrings and have been layering the cutest gold chokers and necklaces to accessorize my minimal ensembles. Because less in the summer is better, right? My love for statement jewelry has faded and I am now all about those refined, minimal pieces with a bit of geometric play to not only elongate my neck but to also accompany my silk dress shirts and slip dresses.

Based in Toronto, there’s an emerging label (est. 2016) that creates beautiful and modern jewelry, called Vimeria. The labour and vision behind Vimeria is my lovely friend, Anna Laskin. I’m delighted to share with you an editorial that Anna and I have collaborated together to create, featuring each and every one of her pieces. Something about these modern drop earrings (like these) or fun, semi-structure earrings (like these) add such a strong yet subtle statement to any look! I consider these, especially the first pair, my go-to earrings for just the right amount of elegance and simplicity. They add such a chic and timeless element to whatever it is that I’m wearing and I feel absolutely luxurious but in the upmost modest way.

xx

Brunch: braised brisket poutine, green tea egg waffle  and Matcha lattes at Té

LOOK 1 DETAILS— VIMERIA Lilly earrings, VIMERIA Bridget chocker, NATALIJA olive slik dress
LOOK 2 DETAILS— VIMERIA cleo chocker, VIMERIA Eva earrings, VIMERIA Eva necklace, A.L.C silk top

 

collaborations

All Laced Up

Vivian Chan Chriselle Top
Romwe Eyelet Lace-Up Skirt c/o
Massimo Dutti Contrast Plimsolls Shoes

See below for more options!

What’s it like to have grit? Am I a gritty person?

Now the next, best question to ask is whether grit is overrated?

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. A lot of it regarding my look of my content and writing on my blog. You ever get those days where you feel extremely unfulfilled? Then you realize it’s not just that one day.. it’s been a week? Or maybe a full-blown month now? Well I’m actually just in the middle of that. I’m thinking of ways to shift my mindset and change up my routine. Perhaps a change in style when it comes to my approach to blogging and my aesthetic? I’ve drafted up a couple mood boards to challenge myself to experiment and test my level of creativity. Also to test out whether I can get outside my light, airy, comfort-zone. Still a work-in-progress… So stay tuned. Moving on.. Let’s be honest guys— who doesn’t want to stick to something safe that works for them? Now I ask myself… Is what I’m doing at the moment working for me? Am I meeting the goals I set for myself a few months back? I see a lot of people on the daily post the same trendy pieces, imitate poses and even the same compositions.. which makes me wonder… ‘Wow it’s working for them…should I do it?.’ Is that best practice? That’s where the gritty attitude kicks in and says you should stick to your guns and build yourself the way you want to. The ability to pull from the masses is one of many everyday challenges one constantly faces.

Being appealing is great and all. However, does that allow yourself to give you self-appreciation and value? Do you have more value over others because of numbers or because you stuck it out when it came to pushing the envelope and successfully getting others to love you for you? The measure of motivation is astronomically difficult to solve by yourself when you’re the one working through the original problems, you, yourself have set.

So.. what do I want to do? Well… I want to continue what I began. There will be no setbacks that’ll discourage me. The kind of person I’d like to be in this industry is not only the talented and creative kind, but the one with a whole lot of tenacity and grit.

Photography by: Artiese Studios
Collaboration with Romwe

outfit

White Story x Call it Spring

In Collaboration with Call it Spring

Summer is the season of becoming…rather minimal. And bright for me. Fresh, alluring whites and playing with delicate textures. In attempts to stay cool by wearing lighter shades during the longer days, there’s also something very exciting about wearing all white. Could it be the triumph from staying mess and accident-free? The great achievement of looking luxurious without breaking the bank? Or just all above. 

Don’t tell me you haven’t celebrated at least once where you went wearing white all day while remaining squeaky clean. Cleanliness aside, wearing all white has basically become my go-to when I have no idea what to wear. It’s adaptable and presents me in such a way where I always look ready for anything.

Photography by Artiese Studios

_________

“People are dying from overthinking. They fill their wonderful brain with harsh thoughts and it brings the body down too. Chances are no one thinks as bad about you than you.”

Zara white long waistcoat (similar here)
Zara gold double v-neck top (similar here)
Zara white flowing culottes (similar here + here)
Call it Spring ARALLE Heels in Ice
Call it Spring FLAXTON cross body bag
Call it Spring FRAYWEN sunglasses
Call it Spring BLASDEL earring set
Call it Spring NEELD ring set

For more similar options, see below!

collaborations

Buckle Up

Club Monaco Simonettah Sweater Dress
Jenny Bird Silver Thick Choker c/o (Similar here)
LuvAJ Crown Hoop Huggies Earrings
Womens Lack Of Color Spencer Boater Natural Straw Hat
Rayban Aviator Sunglasses
Zara Black Strap Heels

Check out more similar options below!

I personally never thought I would ever ride the choker bandwagon but I guess it doesn’t hurt to try. Of course Jenny made it more enticing for me to ease into this trend. I mean..go big or go home, or should I say go thickkk-er? It’s one big, shiny neck party.

Thanks to Instagram for bringing self-documentation to a more “acceptable” level as we known as taking ‘selfies,’ it’s not a subtle catch while mindlessly scrubbing through Instagram to find a bikini clad ladies and young teenagers decked out in the hot 90’s trend, now that it’s gone completely mainstream. Can I say, Throwback Thursday? #TBT? #circa1998? I also died when I landed on a online jewelry site that had their hero banner headline read out ‘Chokers..The New Flower Crown.’ It’s true. These things are making their way back into every girl’s wardrobe, thanks to ITgirls like Olivia Palermo and major fashion bloggers slash social media influencers like Kristina Bazan and Chiara Ferragni. We also can’t forget media’s favourite model of the moment, Kendall Jenner. At first I found it weird that chokers were making a come back but now they’ve taken over the spotlight. First knuckle and armour rings, then arm parties, now the chokers that come in all sorts. Dainty stretchy cord with gold tips which you often see attached to newly purchased clothing to display labels and price tags, velvet ones, gold ones.. even ones that come with little charms attached at the center. Nudge, nudge..someone make interchangeable charms for their line of chokers.. Pandora? But hey, you can wear them everywhere now.

You might not be a choker-kind-of-lady…

However.. I’ll have you know that you can wear chokers with your swim wear, formal attire and night out..in the daytime at office. The creative kind, obviously. Think about it?

Creative Direction: Cynthia Nguyen | Editorial assistance: Paul Van Winssen
In collaboration with Jenny Bird

collaborations

Think Pink

OUTFIT DETAILS:

J. Crew Regent Blazer in White Linen
Banana Republic Straight Fit Jeans (Similar here and here)
J. Crew Silk Front Tank in Stripe (Similar here and here)
Elsie d’Orsay Pumps in Delicate Petal c/o J. Crew
Ann Taylor Skinny Leather Belt (Similar here and here)
Zara Nude Cross Body Bag (Similar here and here)
J. Crew Ornate Stud Earrings

J.CREW X PINCH OF CHIC

What better way to add chic and elegance to your looks…

Meet Elsie d’Orsay, the perfect kind of pumps to have for those warm days. Owning a pair in Delicate Petal already screams the epitome of feminine elegance and in my opinion the best way to celebrate spring and summer with open arms.

For those of you who’ve asked and wondered how I’m able to walk in heels all day, everywhere and everyday: the simple answer is choosing the right silhouette of your heels carefully.

For starters, the height and width of the heel is most important for visual proportions and support. The slender the heel, the better it is to go for short height. The higher the heel, the better it is to grab the one with the widest/block-like heel which supports your weight with each step you take. The slender heel of the Elsie d’Orsays is super conformable for those who don’t often wear heels and the silhouette is suitable for anyone. Second to that, the majority of ladies can also agree that pastel is just too on point for Spring and Summer. You can seamlessly transition from desk to dinner or to a casual outing with these pumps, at the same time add some feminine vibes to spruce up your outfit. In the form of a chic shoe fused with the dusty pink hue— neutral and versatility is an understatement. Take a look at Jil Sander’s beautiful FW15 collection below capturing the array of pink shades. Despite the collection made for fall and winter, I’m one who loves to mix and match and go with what I believe looks great. You can see the flowers in the background of the runway too right?

Jil Sander FW'15. photo from www.style.com Jil Sander FW’15. photo from www.style.com

If you haven’t caught me on my Instagram, I mentioned a week or two ago about my little project with J. Crew, and now it’s time to unveil the shoot I’ve done with blogger girlfriend-not-boyfriend, Therese of Artiese Studios.

As for my ensemble, I went for a casual look with the addition of the Elsie d’Orsays to elevate my look and incorporate a chic finish. Other than jeans, they go great with a stunning, bold coloured dress to contrast, loud print to compliment with accent of the light shade, or even paired up with trousers to elongate your legs with the trick of the nude shade to your feet— the combinations are endless. The cuts on the side of the shoe coming to the front point makes for a timeless and sleek detail. When it comes to colour, I’m not shy about it but as of late I’ve been sporting the neutral shades. In place of my enthusiasms and love for colour, I decided that a bold backdrop would be appropriate to contrast my super neutral and light outfit. Because who doesn’t love pink astroturf??

So… think that a pop of pastel pink is just too girlie for your wardrobe? Think again.

Photos by: Artiese Studios

Let me know what you think of this colourful direction for my posts in the comments below!
And have a wonderful rest of your week loves! x

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