Pinch of Chic
style file

Camel Suiting

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Wilfred Cocoon Wool Coat
Goorin Brothers Heritage County Line Hat 
Black Market Thrifted Tweed and Suede Blazer
J. Crew Silk- Front Tank in Stripe
J. Crew Trousers in Desert (See Similar here)
Thrifted Brown Leather Gloves
J. Crew Arrow Drop Earrings
Zara Black Pointed Toe Heels

If someone were to ask me what’s one of my favourite places to shop around Toronto. I would honestly say the Black Market down on Queen St. Simply because everything in the store is $10 or less. This store is also one of the bigger reasons why I’m able to shop frequently without breaking the bank and where I find cool stuff to rework or wear. See? You don’t have to spend a lot to run a blog or to pull luxurious looks! It’s a lot like going on a treasure hunt, looking for the hidden gems. For me— I feel less pressure while shopping here because you actually have no idea what you’ll end up with. Whereas if you were to walk into a retail store like Ann Taylor and don’t end up finding that specific item you found online or piece you know they usually would carry because they cater to that kind of thing, then I would be a little disappointed. Different bars of standards, you could say. If you’re in need of a denim jacket, oversized suited blazer with thin pinstripes, cat eye shades, lace slips, duster robe coats they have it all… for literally only $10. They even have Christmas sweaters. I happen to land myself this awesome camel-coloured herringbone/tweed blazer with suede on the collar as for detail.     

This outfit was inspired by International Fashion Editor and voice of The Rake, Sarah Ann Murray. A talented individual who is constantly testing the waters and pushing the envelope with menswear. With that, I wanted to go for a chic, suited ensemble. What better way to start a sophisticated outfit with the colour Camel and turn it into a feminine suit? There’s this deep and crazy love I have for women in suits, flared trousers, silky button-downs, 6″ wide brim hats who also exude a knack for matching and pulling the most subtle yet stunning details. Are these the women who frolic around Paris? Garance Dore does a good job making it seem so. I paired my thrifted blazer with my Aritzia Wilfred Cocoon Coat. In my opinion, a camel coat is such a timeless piece, which can elevate and go with anything. It’s also a nice change from the black coat. Camel coats also remind me of the 1930-40s fashion in America— A golden era I tried illustrating through these images by photographing them on a historical site dated back in exactly 1937. For bottoms, I wore my J. Crew trousers in ‘desert’, which are actually 5-6x bigger than what I normally wear because I was for for a loose and straight fit, paired with a light striped tank and dainty black heels from Zara. I’ve always wondered…
 

When it comes to your style, which time period are you most inspired by?
Share your comments below and let me know. xo

 

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inspiration

HER Wishlist

DETAILS ON THE BOARD:

1. BAUBLE BAR CAIRO EAR JACKETS
2. MAIYET SOPHIE SHOULDER BAG
3. MOLESKIN POCKET SKETCHBOOK
4. CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE VELVET IN 34 LA RAFFINEE
5. DANIER AMERSEE RABBIT FUR SCARF
6. JO MALONE FRENCH LIME BLOSSOM CANDLE

With less than ten days until Valentines Day, allow me to help you out of the hot waters with gifts for your significant other, girlfriend or mom! I like treating my mom too on that day– because it’s a day to confess your great love right? 

I’ve compiled a board with beautiful, classic, and essential items to treat your lucky companion. These are the few items I found online that I’m absolutely in LOVE with for quite a while. Some were even previous gifts that have been given by yours truly. From a timeless lip colour to everyday handbag– you can’t go wrong with these. Good luck! xx

 

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lifestyle

Proper Dialogue

Zara big cable knit sweater
See by Chloe Scalloped Tie Waist Shorts
Jo Malone Nectarine Honey & Blossom 100mL Perfume
Lancome La Vie Est Belle Body Lotion
 I WONDER by Marian Bantjes
“C” 14K Gold Plated Custom Initial Pendant Necklace by Anice Jewellery 

I’m calling this post ‘Proper Dialogue‘ with Yourself.

I haven’t touched upon the topic of health and wellness. But I would like to take the time to write about my version of it on here, as this is a personal platform for my intimate thoughts to be share with my readers.

For those of you wondering, the winter season usually gives me a lot of time for me to reflect and assign certain goals to myself for the summer and/or for the rest of the year or two. But at times, I also find myself not accomplishing all the things I’d like to do within the given  span of time. For instance, I remind myself that I’m simply 22 years old, others will tell me I have a long way to go with plenty of time to build myself. I’d like to think that by the time I’m 28 years old, I would have built some sort of empire by then– a small to medium scale business per say while have been well-travelled to all the parts of the world that I wish to visit before settling down.

Other times, I doubt myself. And in those times, you ask yourself ‘am I on track?’ ‘Am I good enough?’ ‘But really, what is enough?’ These are the moments of self-criticism. These are the questions you ask yourself even during the best of times where you love yourself the most. You could probably relate to the saying ‘It happens to the best of us.’

I am my most toughest critic. On top of that, I’m a perfectionist…good combination right? Working as a designer, I am convinced that we enviably gravitate towards a stressful lifestyle, (correct me if I’m wrong but maybe it’s because I’m still young and haven’t figured out a good balance yet) in terms of standing out in the creative industry. Sleepless nights, vigorous meetings to appeal to all heads at the table… sound familiar? With that being said, I often forget how much I’ve done for myself and how well I’m doing. I usually blame myself big time for events that are really not worth fuming over, instead of remembering all the good I’ve done. It’s easier said than done but don’t allow yourself to become introverted where you might end up going into a dark place. People don’t usually realize how far deep they find themselves in the depths of depression and blame themselves. I believe in karma. I also believe in the law of attraction as well. So surrounding yourself with positive thoughts and positive people will definitely lift you up. ‘Something good comes out of everything that’s negative.’ A lesson, an experience, wisdom, relationships— whether it’s with someone else or yourself.

“You simply have to tell yourself that ‘this event does not define who I am.’
You’re an amazing individual with so much to live for.”

Don’t doubt yourself.

Here’s a new trick my wonderful girlfriend pitched for me to do when I do find myself in this instance and I would like to share with you guys. Firstly, grab yourself a writing tool. Pen, pencil… then get yourself a piece of paper or clean notebook. 

Prepare yourself to write out:

  • 3 things about career that you would like to achieve or work on. If you don’t have your career down just yet, then write about what you are aiming to do. What are your interests which you’d like to have your job encompass? Give yourself a plausible timeline.
  • Write out as many good things about your relationship that you can work on. It can be with your significant other, a family member, your best friends, long lost friends. I found that after school, a lot of my old friends and I have lost touch and I would like to change that.
  • Write out 3 things you are happy with yourself. It can be physically, emotionally, big accomplishments, great relationships you’re proud to have built.

Look at this note every 3-4 months to see your progress.

I want to dedicate this post to my younger sister as I want her to know that although I’m not always physically there, I want to still be as supportive as possible. Hope this advice helps my readers. I am also hoping to try out this trick and check back in 3 months or so and post an update.

Until next time, have a good weekend everyone. xx

 

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style file

Stella

ASOS Long Line Coloured Check Coat
Zara Angora Turtleneck (See similar here)
Zara Aztec Skirt (See similar here)
Ann Taylor Skinny Belt (See similar here)
Zara Aztec Ankle Strap Wide Heels
Fossil Rose Gold Medium Boyfriend Watch (See similar here)

Happy Monday! Can we all stop for a moment and see how amazing this coat is because it looks like the Stella McCartney one that’s right off the runway? (Photo reference below) Hehe.. I love it! Another item to add to my plaid collection for winter! I’m only really wearing 3 pieces– a turtleneck, a skirt and a coat (duh, because we’re Canada and it’s winter). Two pieces that have two very distinct prints and one, being the turtleneck to create some balance and contrast with the outfit. If you’re looking for nice turtlenecks and printed pencil skirts, do check  out Topshop and ASOS for those. The thing that ties it all together is the neutral shades they come in. Here’s the other thing… Use a skinny belt to create a waistline and perhaps some nude shoes to go with. Conveniently, I was in sheer luck to own a pair of heels that matched the skirt, so why not add an even more playful element to it?

In my last post, I made a point with winter being boring in terms of frequently seeing black coats, big boots, etc. Not that it’s a problem or a bad thing..Don’t get me wrong, you can rock it like how a lot of Garance Dore’s captured models has on her blog does. But winter should not limit someone’s creativity in their style. But as long as you own a couple turtlenecks, layer some long sleeves underneath, wear one to two wooly camp socks with your trousers or skinny wants to weigh out the top heavy layer you’ll be doing.. then I believe it’s okay to put down the parka.

Although this outfit may seem impractical on some days, make your picks with the weather! Because when I was out with this outfit, I was doing good. The only thing I would have probably switched out would be to some ankle booties with socks instead to complete the winter look and add some extra warmth to my feet. To add to this.. I was out for quite a while since I was using a tripod to take photos. Don’t let not having blogger boyfriend or photographer friends around stop you from shooting amazing photographs! But I’ll go into detail about this next time.

And there you have it! My not so typical winter ensemble. One that’s also chic and wearable for any date or dinner with your girlfriends. Since we’re also on the plaid trending topic, 
I’d love to know what’s your favourite plaid item in your winter wardrobe?

Have a good start to your week!

PS. Just two more days until my GIVEAWAY on Instagram
for the Urban Decay SMOKED Palette ends! Click here! And good luck! xx

 

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style file

Almost There

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Thakoon Addition Pink Floral Printed Shawl Collar Dress
Ann Taylor Crepe Colourblock Topper Coat
Thrifted Faux Snake Printed Vest
JustFab Sanna Heels
Topshop Gold Fringe Necklace
Danier White Leather Passport Holder (Used as a clutch)

HAPPY SUNDAY! Hope you all are having a beautiful weekend! I’ve spent the weekend going to the Lawrence Farmer’s Market, attending family and friend’s dinner, ice skating and editing photos from the Wedluxe show! *Hint hint.. future post coming soon* On another note, I don’t think I’ve ever cried while taking out the garbage… until I was surprised with a bouquet of these stunning peonies during the process. Tears of joy I say… also the best kind of tears too. In addition to happiness, I’m extremely ecstatic that it’s been pretty warm this weekend to do all your favourite winter outdoor activities.

One of the few things that I love incorporating into my fall/winter wardrobe other than big cable knits is COLOUR! I’m a true believer in the psychology behind colour selection, what one chooses to wear is a pretty accurate reflection of their emotions and persona, whether you consciously or subconsciously pick out. 

Every winter in Toronto, the sea of black parkas roll out. For me, I try to layer to stay warm. Owning a coat that is a couple sizes bigger than what you normally wear allows you to wear all of your favourite sweaters– one on top of the other. At the same time, I like to wear my favourite vivid colours, hence my bright blue J. Crew cacoon jacket. It’s actually a size 4 regular, while I usually wear a 00 petite. For this look, I wore my floral printed Thakoon Addition dress for a splash of colour… as well as to showcase my excitement and eagerness for Spring! If you’re looking to rock florals in the winter, I highly recommend poking around in Topshop.

Make sure to follow me on instagram for my weekend adventures and see my first GIVEAWAY!

Hope you all have relaxing, fun & rejuvenating weekend!

xxxx

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