Pinch of Chic
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

outfit

Little White Dress

Zara poplin collar dress
Aldo Cicci Heels in Bone
Banana Republic Mini Zip Box Crossbody Bag
Rayban Aviators Sunglasses

See below for my little white dress selections!

When the season gives you hot days…what do you do? Well, I like to slip into something easy, chic and visibly adorable. Or what I like to call a little white dress. I can’t even count how many little white dresses I own up to date..at least 7 of them. For those who have opened up the right half of my closet and are blinded by the number of white pieces I own– at least half are dresses and a quarter are dress shirts and tops.

Not that I have a problem against wearing shorts and tanks, but I feel that I personally can only run out in the pair if I’m actually going for a run. That being said, it takes longer for me to find two pieces that go together as oppose to slipping into one piece. Which is why owning a few white dresses for me works for me. Perfect for those work days at the office, summer date or brunch with your ladies and gents.

I’ve compiled a list below to my little white dress picks! The majority are also on sale.

What’s your go-to piece for the summer? Let me know!

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Photos by Paul Van Winssen

outfit

Elegant Entrance

To point out at the title of this post…I thought it was quite fitting considering I went to brunch looking like this. Wouldn’t tone it down one bit either! #girlboss #alittlebitlame

Le Chateau Double Weave Notch Collar Wrap Coat
Anthropologie Laced Funnelneck Pullover
Urban Outfitters Porter Slouchy Ankle Pants
Zara Leather High Heels (Similar here + here)

Special thanks to Le Chateau for the coat.
/ Check out below for similar options!

Sometimes….Actually most of my evenings.. I find myself spending a lot of time in bed after work. Whether it’s laying on my side scouring Instagram and the interweb for relevant and irrelevant reads on my phone or other than editing… sitting hunch-back hamster-style in my blanket while hovering over my laptop doing the same thing.

I spend a lot of time doing researching and compiling countless mood boards…kickstarting my wonderful budding ideas, planning shoots, feeling out my creative industry and seeing who’s doing what, how they’re doing it and how can I get there in a similar way. I ask myself: ‘How can I fuel this burning desire for creative and success?’ Because how I see it… comparison is the death of creativity and passion. There are times where you really drown in the body of great work accomplished by others— that you forget where you left off. At that moment, you really need to check up on yourself. When you’re halfway through an idea or production of a project, you might find yourself tired or distracted when you view other work that doesn’t belong to you. This is where I try to steer my headspace and ask myself ‘why are you doing this?’ Because no entrepreneur doesn’t feel this way.

Other questions I have the tendency of asking myself are ‘How do I become better blogger? Or a better photographer and UX designer? Or better yet… entrepreneur?’ ‘How can I quantify social interaction other than using online analytics tools?‘

For one… blogging was never glorified before. The fine arts wasn’t as valued as studying medicine or engineering. Today, becoming a successful blogger is much more accessible and easier to get into the tech and fashion industry as long as you can carry the weight of social under your belt. With third party platforms which connect influencers to readers or brands to influencers, or the mere objective to grow a successful following on Instagram rather than your blog, it makes more challenging for others to favour you. What a f*cking mountain to climb, eh? This kind of line of work is competitive and expensive but it also should be truthful. Our job is to make it look glamorous but in reality it’s actually a ton of work… don’t forget the emotionally draining aspect when you’re doing most of the labour.

You have to love your work and the craft that you do to be able to fully complete anything— may it be thoughts, award-winning ideas, or the making of a project. Much like having a relationship with your craft. In this case it would be photography, design, creative directing and writing. When you’re pushing yourself to understand why you’re doing this, you’ll eventually arrive at the peak of creativity and the need of why. These reasons become your supportive rationale. When you choose to push yourself to think about why you are doing that, you arrive back to creativity. You should fuel your curiosity. With that in mind, it’ll eventually push you to practice and reach out. Remember how happy you are when you have fun and the progression you develop. For me, I try to be extremely cautious about how frequently I complain. This usually happens when I’m by myself rather than with others. Reality is, you will miss your weekends and evenings because it’s not just a part-time endeavour. If anything, your creative work is practically integrated in your life. In the choices you make when you dress up, the places you go, the nice furniture you pick up for your home or even the kind of food you want to eat while considering how aesthetic would it look under the iPhone camera. I live in abundance with ample of inspiration and triggers around me; therefore in retrospect, I should never feel sorry about myself.

‘Does the value of your self-worth and happiness spill from your job?’ – Susan Hang

Photography by: Artiese Studios

Cool Reads:

30 Under 30: 450 Gamechangers | Forbes
How to Be Powerful, Likeable, and Female | NYMag: The Cut

PS. Happy International Women’s Day! 
Google says: Share your #OneDayIWill to celebrate this day.

style file

Glitter at my Feet

Melanie Lyn Tweed Coat (Similar here)
Audrey Flounce Dress via Fashionably Yours (ONLY $8!) (Similar here and here)
Danier White Passport Holder (Used as a Clutch)
ZeroUV Pink Sunnies
Kindling & Co Baguette Ring c/o
Rox N’ Bunny Monty Rings c/o
Call it Spring COOLA Heels in Multi Metallic c/o
 

It’s that time a year! When the air around you starts to feel much colder and you start to see red and gold everywhere you go. 

With all this holiday spirit and winter rolling in, it’s no wonder we start to think of the cutest, festive outfit to sport at potentially your work party, S.O’s family’s dinner or just a night out with the gals to celebrate the beautiful holiday. I know when December drops on me– the first thing I start to think of are timeless, budget-friendly pieces, paired with something that screams ‘IM GLAMOUROUS,’ and ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’ without being too obnoxious about it. I’m definitely not one for dressing up in any combination remotely close to red and green. But if you can work it, by all means!

For my outfit– I went with a flounce dress I scored at my local consignment boutique on Queen West, called ‘Fashionably Yours’ for a mere $8! Dressed it up with glittery gold COOLA heels from Call it Spring. I’m a firm believer that even wearing sparkles on your feet can make your entire outfit shine. Even with the most basic dress, top or skirt! The simple dress I chose to be paired with the heels makes a quick and effortless outfit for Christmas or New Years. This season is probably the only time where wearing glitter is urgently called for and is super forgiving if anyone who’s not used to wearing such sparkly items. For a little more lady-like silhouette, I layered my Melanie Lyn tweed coat, added some gold accent rings and grabbed a minimal white clutch. (Technically it’s my passport holder but it works for me.) Pink sunnies to contrast the sophisticated look and give it some fun, extra feminine vibes.

Photography by: Artiese Studios
Thank you to Call it Spring for sponsoring this post.

style file

Impeccable Pinstripes

Forever21 Pinstripe Navy Boyfriend Blazer
H&M White Scallop Trim Tank
Urban Outfitters Pinstripe Navy Pants
AMIClubWear Denim Ankle Strap Heels c/o (ONLY $13.50!)
Kindling & Co Baguette Horizontal Rings c/o
Kindling & Co Tiny Initial Dog Tag Necklace c/o

See below for similar options!

Hello loves! It’s been quite a while since I wrote my last blog post. A lot has been going on in my life right now and it has shaped my schedule to be very restricting in terms of making time to write let alone photograph and post on my social media channels.

For the past month or so I’ve entered a new role at my new job. My new workplace has given me exposure to the other side of the city that I normally don’t ever visit because it’s all the way on the east end from where I currently live. This area I’m referring to is called the distillery District. Within this area includes lots of restaurants, stores, bakeshops and cafes. In this post I’m featuring a restaurant called Cluny. Here ordered the lamb veal with gnocchi and garlic bread as well as a burger. I’m honestly such a sucker for French restaurants that not only have decor on point but if food and I mean great food is involved– then it’s a ‘must-go see’ for me.

Can you tell that I’ve been taking most of my time or what time is remaining from my work schedule to eat well. But hey, you only live for so long… why not eat well, dress well and experience what you’d like to experience whether it’s with good company or good alone time with yourself.

I recently picked up called ‘love style life’ by Garance Dore. Within the early pages of her book she writes a snippet –” we want love. We want to feel beautiful. We want to be good friends, good partners, good sisters, the daughters. We want to know how to never buy the wrong pair of shoes again. We want to feel fulfilled but the work that we do whatever that work maybe. Most of all, we want to find our place in this world. And to be very stylish along the way, of course.”

While reading that little tiny snippet in her book, I found myself thinking about how I carry out my life to be this ideal lifestyle for myself or so I’d like to think. I now understand that it’s going to take a lot more than imaginable to reach this ideal life of mine while taking on so many roles as an individual. I also remind myself that there are mistakes to be made and big obstacles to take on which contribute to building a strong character and be one step closer to success.

Photography by: Carlo Calope


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