Pinch of Chic
chic eats

Fly like Paper

American Apparel lightweight Dylan trench in Paperback
Ecru lab Shakepearean Luv silky button-down cami
Zara white wide leg trousers
Yves Saint Laurant Nude Wrap Ankle Block Heels
Sunglasses (Similar here and here)

Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge that I have a brunch addiction. It’s pretty evident and real. And no, I’m not ashamed. Truth is, it’s an actual expense I put aside for…for each and every weekend, if possible. It’s the joyful time I look forward to each weekend while vigorously going over geo-locations and foodie blogger Instagram’s  for enticing food photos.

Had the great pleasure of kicking off my brunch adventures at Bar Reyna on Cumberland St. with Darlene of The New Girl. The space was nothing short when it came to interior and exterior decor and the food itself. Impeccable Greek fries with shaved feta, delicious oysters and tasty shakshuka. (If you’re looking for a good Shakshuka— I recommend the one served at the ONE Hazleton restaurant.) Oh, and a nice glass of mimosa of course. In a extremely odd way— it’s almost therapeutic for me when I’m sitting down and eating brunch…after a long period of shooting the untouched food. Maybe it’s just good food in general moves people like that..  Or maybe I developed this love for food through being raised by a chef as a father and stay-home mom that cooks phenonmenal Vietnamese food. Don’t be jealous! x

All in all— I love brunch. I have a shirt that says it. And no— an all day breakfast wouldn’t count!  

Photography by: Darlene Anderson

chic eats

Face to Face

 

 

The Fifth label ‘Face to Face’ playsuit
Jeffrey Campbell Cutout Western Boot (Similar here and here)
Rayban Aviator Sunglasses
PROENZA SCHOULER Black Calf-Hair Ps11 Classic Bag (Similar here and here)

See below for similar options!

 

 

Thanks to mother nature— the temperature has dropped and so has my addition to wearing all white. If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll see the tone in my photographs and outfits get a little more darker and I suppose ‘edgier.’ I like to think that I’m being more playful with my looks..by flipping back and forth between ultra femme, light looks with chic, vampy ensembles.

With dark ensembles, stems my love for black, western-inspired boots with cool engraved details paired with this sleek menswear-inspired playsuit. You can always pair this look with some nice, clean Stuart Weitzman nudist heels or some Zara pointed ballet flats with buckles. 

Got to catch brunch at a restaurant I’ve been longing to visit in Yorkville called ONE with my best pal, Vincent. Had the most amazing and rich Shakshuka, along with the most amazing crushed almond cherry pie. Would definitely come back for more of their desserts. If you ever find yourself in Yorkville, do grab a dessert dish or two from there. Next thing on my list would definitely be the S’mores sundae. #fatkidforever 

 

 

I’m going to talk about a weird, grey, blurry area that very few have uncovered answers to.. That first part was an anecdotal claim.

There’s an uncertain and overwhelmingly annoying feeling when you re-evalutate the relations you have with all the people who have come in and out of your life. Whether it’s an old friendship you may not have visited for a while or a fresh tinder date who you’ve gone out sporadically here and there. 

It’s completely weird for me to say because of the career I’m in that the digital landscape has caused and scraped the humanistic aspect of maintaining a solid and stable friendship or relationship. To believe that a simple ‘like’ or view implies you’ve given enough efforts in your relation is crazy. For social platforms— apparently a ‘like’ is sufficient enough than a phone call or text. (Can you tell I’m not that big into texting?) For dating platforms— we become more shallow and ignorant about the people we view and encounter. Simplifying dates into numbers, to skimming through your checklist of preferences, to ‘ghosting’ on people because it’s so easy to find another option and you’re too ‘busy’ to deal with confrontation. This cool ‘ghosting’ concept can be applied to friendships as well by shading replies with the ‘I’m busy’ response. I mean very well when I say that I believe it’s possible for everyone to be able to drop a quick line of text that speaks to either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. That or you just didn’t make the cut on the priority list. Ouch.

Maybe that feeling could be described as ‘beating around the bush,’ or having the Dunning-Kruger effect aka the ‘I don’t know’ syndrome. Seems to me that not enough people like the idea of being upfront about how they feel or giving an idea of what they like in return because of the fear of sounding too sensitive and losing the ‘upper hand.’ I’m sure not all of us know what we want for ourselves but an idea to move towards sounds much better than absolutely nothing. I find it so hard to imagine that the rest of the world around me could possibly understand what I want or expect without me putting out some sort of lead or options. Now— I’m no psychic or professional psychiatrist but I consider myself a very reasonable and understanding human-being. I don’t believe that my age factors in whether I can relate to people or not. Experiences could shape my answers but that why there’s the listening component to having conversations with one another. 

It’s safe to say, or just plain obvious that a lot of people, young and old need to snap out of this world of guessing and brushing others off because of their ‘busy and un-relatable’ life. I mean— try me. I’m sure you’d appreciate someone who is more upfront, real and honest than someone who is aloof, sporadic, and maybe even sometimes inconsiderate. If our intentions and ideas, don’t align— at the very least, now I know. Right? This idea of holding back to see what the other person comes back with is a load of bull if you tell me. Let’s cut back the guessing game time and just serve the good upfront, just like the way you’d like to be served. #caseclosed 

Photography and handbag: Vincent Ko
Hair by: Studio 67

 

 

outfit

Sweet Escape

 

J.Crew Cotton Off-the-shoulder Top
Massimo Dutti Front Slit Skirt
Lack of Color Spencer Boater Hat
Yves Saint Laurant Nude Wrap Ankle Block Heels
Massimo Dutti Suede Cross body bag

See below for similar options!

I know I take a crazy load of time when it comes to preparing a blog post.. which is why I hold immense pride once I’ve curated and launched a post. Whether I’m told that I should stick to posting more frequently or to ‘just get a post out the door..’ I would much rather bite my tongue and hold back until I’ve produced an exquisite article filled with wonderful photos.

Photos that are not only simply taken against a wall and tweaked via post production but are well thought through with a direction.. a particular narrative. A narrative that my readers can follow along and immerse themselves in a different world. A world infuse with excitement and femininity. Creating an escapism for my viewers through my craft and lens is what I yearn to do and is the major…if not the sole reason why I blog. To share all this with you.

From the choice of clothing, to the colour palette, the location, the poses and expressions..along with the placement of each element.. on site or within the posting stage. I want to create that lush, warm presence in the curated landscape I’ve built up.. without being too far away from my own home. One day, I’ll have it down. The beautiful and editorial way of creating escapism. Just like Gary Pepper Girl, Tuula Vintage and Park and Cube.

Now you know why I take such a long, damn time to create a post like this…

I hope you genuinely enjoy this article!

Photography by: ARTIESE STUDIOS
If you get a chance, check out her new Barcelona travel guide.

 

outfit

Taking Home the Bronze

Zara white sleeveless trench vest (simlar here)
Club Monaco Kendyl crop top
Banana Republic Maxi drawstring skirt (similar here)
Massimo Dutti Suede crossbody bag
ALDO CiCi heels in Bone

See below for similar options!

Allow myself to get into my part time role as a blogger and showcase a quick outfit post for you.

I actually wear this outfit out (sometimes with different tops or a black sleeveless trench) extremely often to the office. The white vest is a great addition to make your outfit appropriate and feel ~high fashion~ for any occasion— it’s also an awesome replacement for the work blazer. To be quite frank with you.. I get showered with compliments all around for doing this maxi and long vest combo from coworkers, friends, and even strangers. Not so much from the family since they believe I should be wearing short and fitted items to show my “feminine” petite body. But surprise surprise, if you know my wardrobe, you’ll know my closet contains a lot of oversize and pieces that drape on my body instead. (There’s a huge playing factor as to why I dislike fitted articles of clothing because when it’s worn, it rubs against my body and makes me irritated..and sort of.. itchy? Probably because of the irritation) Comfort has to be one of the most important things to consider when owning a piece of clothing. As for being petite… Don’t be afraid to do a maxi and a long vest when you’re under 5’4. Because it’s all about understanding and rockin’ those proportions, as well as pairing the look with a pair of nude ankle straps for the illusion of extra height. 😏

With the nightie slip gown trend going strong— it’s hard to avoid falling in love with the flowy, satin fabrics that drape on your body and making it office-appropriate and fashionably polished. That’s why a satin maxi works out so well as opposed to a fitted, satin skirt (starting to sound like I’m ready to run into a club with a matching black choker.) Let’s just say that maxi skirt and long vests go together real well.

Photography by: Artiese Studios

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


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