Autumn tops

Pants are a huge trend this autumn. Skinny ones, wide legs, jodphurs... you name it autumn has it. But as everyone knows, pants can't be worn alone. Hence this post: pretty slinky tops to go with pants.

First up...pussy bow blouses. They've come back in a big way since lady-like is way to go this fall. Hitchock-chic, secretary chic... these are just some of the names given to this certain trend that highlights pussy-bow blouses.



These two are from Fendi and Mulberry respectively (both net-a-porter.com) and while you can wear them tucked into a pencil skirt, I rather pair them tucked out with slim cut black tuxedo trousers (add a clutch) for date night, or tucked into wide-leg pants with a thin brown leather belt for school or work.

E.g. Something like this pair from Banana Republic (bananarepublic.com)



A word about these two brands. I am not exactly a fan of either, usually labelling them as being too old-ish for me, especially for Fendi. To me it was the less hip version of Chanel and targets an older set. And even regarding Fendi's handbags which are seen on the arms of many a starlet, I haven't been particularly fond of most of them, save perhaps, for the Fendi B bag. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by Karl Lagerfeld's designs for Fendi this season. Some of them are very wear-able for my age set (i.e 21).

Another nice long-sleeved top, albeit not in the same lady-like style as shown above is this one by Elijah (revolveclothing.com)



I love the collar detail. Interesting but still subtle.

Here's a closer view:



As this top is rather voluminous, it has to be paired with a more fitted bottom. So here, think skinny crops, especially those ankle-length ones or skinny pants. These are from Gap (gap.com).



Or even jeans. Just keep the choice of pants fitted so as to keep the silhouette slim.

Next up: sleeveless tops.



I really like this one from Stella McCartney (net-a-porter.com). It's just so cute and very French gamine. I can see myself pairing this with black cuffed-shorts, ballet flats and a chain strapped handbag. This top would also look really good with ankle-length skinny pants like the Gap pair above. Actually, it can pretty much match anything---wide legs or skinnies, crops or shorts and anything in between. This top is just so pretty!

I also fancy this one from Chloe (net-a-porter.com).



Jewel tones are very "in" this autumn and this ruby red is very elegant. The detailed collar also serves to make it unique, but doesn't distract from the overall look of the piece.

Then there's this top from Development (net-a-porter.com).



It's paired with jeans here, which is nice, but I'd prefer to pair this with black slim cut pants ala the Banana Republic one shown above. For working ladies, this is a perfect day-to-night top, just pair with black slim cut pants and a blazer for day, and take off the blazer and add a clutch for night for an outfit that while elegant, isn't boring. But this top is versatile and would fit very well as part of a weekend wardrobe. Just swap the black pants for shorts or crops, or yes, even jeans.

From long-sleeved to no sleeves, we now turn proceed to short sleeves (I'm starting to sound like a museum guide).



The one on the top is from Vanessa Bruno (net-a-porter.com). A high-street alternative can be found at Topshop Boutique (bottom, topshop.com) . I simply love the grey colour and those angel sleeves. Very flattering those type of sleeves I tell you. Makes your arms look really thin. Again, because of the voluminous proportions, keep the bottom slim and you should be fine. Perhaps pair with tuxedo pants, a nice pendant necklace and one of those leather bombers in camel brown that are so in vogue now? Or dress down by pairing it with shorts (preferably white and tailored), and I'm thinking either Hogan-esque sneakers or bejewelled sandals.

I am esepcially liking these two Hogan pairs (top, hoganonline.co.uk; bottom, raffaellow-network.com) .



Then there are these kimono-esque tops. They are from Little Joe by Gail Elliott (net-a-porter), and Topshop (topshop.com) respectively.



The Little Joe by Gail Elliott top is much more fancy but it can still be worn for day time, just pair with slim jeans, crops or tailored shorts. And to amp up the glam factor, pair with slim cut black pants for night.



These two are also by Little Joe by Gail Elliott (net-a-porter.com) and Topshop (topshop.com) respectively, although this time, it's by Topshop Unique in particular. They are much more structured than the other short sleeved tops featured, so they can be paired with wide-legs without being overly voluminous. This pair from Gap (gap.com) is would do nicely.



Finally, there are these last two tops from Topshop and Chloe respectively.



While smock tops may be a bit too summer-ish, for people who want to wear skinnies or slim cut pants but are afraid of it being unflattering, having a billowing top can do wonders in alleviating the unflattering factor. So maybe give this Topshop piece a try. I added the Chloe piece because I loved the cowl style collar. This is again one of those fabulous day to night, weekend to weekday tops which can be dressed up or down based on, in this case, the changing of pants. Black slim cut pants for a work (and maybe post-work cocktails), while short or crops would do great for the weekend.


Photographs from: www.net-a-porter.com, www.revolveclothing.com, www.gap.com, www.bananarepublic.com, www.topshop.com, www.hoganonline.co.uk, www.raffaello-network.com

Autumn 07 Fashion

Finally! The autumn clothes have come in and boy! am i excited. So much so that even while doing my readings, I sometimes think about what I want to get. Reason being that while summer is mainly about casual dressing, autumn has always been more about understated elegance, which probably best describes, at least for most of the time, my kind of asthetic. In other words, to me, autumn's shopping options tend to be much more appealing, hence the reason for my excitement. Teeheehee.

First up: Tops (we must be systematic no?)

There are plenty of nice pants and jeans out in the market now---skinny, wide-leg, high-waisted etc and these call for pretty tops to match with. Among my favourites are these two monochrome tops by Tibi and Derek Lam respectively (both from http://www.net-a-porter.com/).

They are just the perfect mix of classy yet girly and oh so chic. I can totally see myself wearing these with skinny black pants (preferably long, rather than cropped, for a more streamlined look), or with dark wash jeans. I am rather fond of the recent crop of Asian designers---3.1 Philip Lim, Derek Lam, Peter Som and Thakoon---as I like their asthetic: elegant but not stuffy, highly wear-able and quietly cool. Derek Lam is currently the creative director of Tods, one of my favourite brands, and I hope to see his, as well as the other aforementioned designers, stature rise in a fashion scene mainly dominated by Westerners. Not that I am biased against Westerners of course. I love my Miu Miu and Chanel very much. But it'll be nice to see the big fashion houses, and by that I mean Gucci, Louis and Chanel etc having Asian creative directors some time in the future.

Next is this lovely jewel toned Miu Miu piece (from http://www.net-a-porter.com/). Did I not mention I love my Miu Miu? Heh.

The rich colour and the and beautiful pleats makes this a lovely not-so-basic take on a simple top. Again, I would pair this with skinny pants, or skinny or bootcut jeans for a nice movie/dinner date out. Or if I'm just doing errands around town, perhaps with a pair of white shorts and one of those beautiful patent ballet flats that I featured in a previous post. Either that or embellished sandals---it is hot here in Singapore, though the weather is starting to get cooler. For a more affordable take on the jewel-toned top, check out Banana Republic (http://www.bananarepublic.com/). There is a good selection of silk tops in rich colours that are versatile enough for work or for cocktails.

This pair of J brand jeans (from http://www.revolveclothing.com/) would go very nicely with the tops featured above. The inky wash and the streamline fit match well with the paired down elegance theme of the tops.

Another top that caught my fancy was this long-sleeved collared sweater by Robert Rodriguez (http://www.revolveclothing.com/).

While it is probably meant to be worn over a top, I think this would look great just by itself, especially for school where the classrooms are often really chilly. And because the collar is attached to the sweater, it removes unnecessary bulk which might occur when this look is achieved by pairing a long sleeved collared shirt underneath a sweater.

Then there is this tee from 2k by Gingham (http://www.revolveclothing.com/) that I found quite cute.

It seems quite out of place given the relative dressy-ness of the other tops featured, but I haven't bought a tee for quite some time and this looks pretty nice. It doesn't have like angsty motifs or sexually-themed slogans, and it isn't cloyingly cute either. Which suits me just fine.

Moving right along, we have the dresses.

This is from Richard Ruiz (http://www.activeendeavors.com/) and it looks very easy to wear. The voluminous shape is good for those bloated days (girls you know what I mean) where everything else doesn't seem to fit right. Just throw it on, pair with pointy-toed kitten heels and you're good to go. I also like the fact that it has pockets, which somehow, always make dresses a wee bit cooler.

Another nice black dress is this one by Ella Moss (http://www.revolveclothing.com/).

The first picture isn't very clear so I added the close-up shot. Like the Richard Ruiz piece, it's again one of those slouchy, easy to wear dresses. I like the kimono-esque vibe of this piece: the deep-v neck and the oversized sleeves are sure to flatter, while the short hemline gives this a casual feel.

Also sold at http://www.revolveclothing.com/is this H Fredriksson piece.

The black and brown combintaion give the floral prints a cool noir-ish vibe. I can imagine myself pairing this with ballet flats and wearing it to school. It's just so fuss-free without compromising on the chic factor.

But for the times I want to dress up, maybe because there is some event or something, there is this oh-so-pretty Jill Stuart dress (http://www.net-a-porter.com/).

Most formal dresses tend to come across as being for a much older set, but this one is refreshingly young and sweet---not over the top sweet, but of a more tasteful variety. I guess it's cos while the short hemline and the bow give the dress the nice girly touch, the pale colour and the overall simplicity ensures that the sweetness is nicely balanced out. To be paired with peep-toe or patent (or maybe both) pumps.

And when I want to look demure (bats eyelids) , there is this tea-dress with floral prints from Urban Outfitters.

The silhouette is very 1930s. Just add a bonnet or cloche hat and a jacket like this:

From Milly (http://www.shopbop.com/).

The jacket is more 1950s-ish though. Still, paired together, the dress and the jacket, with the addition of a nice pair of pumps, would be a beautiful projection of glamour.

But back to the jacket.

I LOVE these kind of structured jackets. They are just up the elegance factor of whatever you are wearing, even if it just a tee and jeans (please pair with appropriate footwear though), and also because they harken back to an era of glamour. Such as this:

(from Instyle Magazine August 2007 Issue) Isn't it just wonderful?

I also like this cardigan from 3.1 Philip Lim. It'll look great when paired with an LBD for a dinner party at some chichi restaurant.

As the dress cardi is already very embellished, keep the rest of the outfit simple. Don't want to overdo the bling.

Photographs from: www.revolveclothing.com, www.activeendeavors.com, www.shopbop.com, www.net-a-porter.com, www.urbanoutfitters.com, Instyle Magazine.

Luv and Joy

My godma's gone off to Canada and now I feel lonely. I think somewhere along the way, I've picked up this habit of hanging around with older people. Like I talk to my peers online, but I hang out with those mainly of the 40 something age set. Something about their presence that I find comforting. Like they know what they're doing. At least most of the time. So this post is dedicated to my darling godma and her 2 dogs Luv and Joy.

This is Luv (pronounced Love). He came with a pedigree cert saying that he is a chihuahua, but I think he looks like a mix between a chihuahua and a pomernarian. Luv is very smart. The vet said he has a big brain, and Luv understands English. If you mention the words "by" or "I've got to go" in his presence, he starts to bark. He doesn't like it when people leave.

Then there is Joy:

Joy is a year younger than Luv and is a chihuahua. Somehow, he reminds me of a little fox---I think it's his fawn colour and his pointy ears. He is extremely active (ie cannot really sit still) but very affectionate. Rather kiasu but he is nonetheless a very happy dog and is often seen smiling.

Back to school cool

Okay, so school starts in a week! That means back to school clothes---Teen Vogue leads the pack with the editorials (i'm biased. Heh. It's the only teen magazine that i can say i really like). However, with many stores still displaying the summer sale stock, a sizeable part of the Autumn/Winter '07 collections have yet to be made available for sale.

But who cares when the web has so many lovely offers right? Here are some of my favourites.



Dresses! These from Rachel Pally are sold at shopbop.com. 2007 has been the year of the dress, not only in the fashion books, but for me personally. Excluding my school uniform years, I can safely say that I've never worn dresses so often in my life before, and these aforementioned dresses are just great. Simple yet stylish, they make for fuss free fashion in school, with a skimming but not too tight silhouette. I also love the way they are paired with classy-chic ballet flats.



I'm also loving these 2, from C&C California (shopbop.com) and Lux (urbanoutfitters.com) respectively. The C&C piece is demure without being overly girly---more gamine than prissy---yet still age appropriate (you so don't want to look like a young adult dressed in kids clothes). Would look great paired with a swing jacket/cardigan, nice ballet flats or pointy toe kitten heels, a hairband and a fresh face.

The Lux piece is the right mix of pared down (black colour, pan collar details) and snazzy (i'm loving the zipper). For this piece, I think it stands out nicely on its own so no need for fussy accessorising. And please, no biker boots---that's just too predictable.



Then there are these French Connection dresses (fcukbuymail.com). I don't really like the purple one though. Much prefer the black. While they're not exactly very imaginative, I like them for their simplicity and for those days that I'm just too lazy to choose something appropriate. Or when I'm in a rush. Just put this one, pair with pointy toe-d kitten heels (my school staple) and I'm good to go.



Finally there's this Vena Cava piece (revolveclothing.com) that reminds me of those 1920s flapper dresses that I like. This is good for days where I have to rush to a function or dinner straight from school and have no time to change into something dressier. It's pared down enough for school because its black and has a sleek shift shape, but has got enough detailing to make it interesting enough for an event. So yup, this works.

Moving on, there is the other school staple---jeans. Notice how all back-to-school issues (well at least those in American magazines) always feature jeans? Well cos most students live in them, and not without reason too. It is practical, comfy, and with so many cuts and varities out there, you're sure to find the right one for you. I'm currently loving these:



All 3 are from French Connection and I like both the cutting (a flattering bootcut) and the inky washes (very Autumn season). The one on the far right is in a lighter wash, and it's for those rocker tee, jeans and sneaker days.



I'm currently liking ankle jeans/pants too. They make your legs look really slim and have this Audrey Hepburn-esque vibe about them. This pair is from River Island (riverisland.com). Again I'll probably pair this with my pointy toe-d kitten heel mules. I have like 3 pairs for school---2 from Andre Valentino and 1 from Anne Klein---and I always wear them cos they're just so versatile. The small heel and the covered toes make them somewhat formal, while the mule design makes for comfortable wear. Back to the jeans: to be paired with a billowy top, or a polo and vest. Or maybe with just the polo alone. Heh.

For shorts, I'm liking these 2.






These are from Abercrombie (abercrombie.com) and French Connection (fcukbuymail.com) respectively. I'm not really on the lookout for shorts---I've got quite a collection---but these 2 caught my eye. I like the preppy plaids of the Abercrombie one. Would go easily with a plain white short sleeved turtleneck or just with a white tank. As for the French Connection piece, it's nice and slouchy, without being unkempt. I'd pair it with this:



From Lux at Urban Outfitters. I think it will match very well with the shorts colour-wise, and also because it will soften up the shorts.

As for skirts, I've only got this denim mini from Abercrombie listed cos I don't really wear skirts to school and I'm very content with my own denim mini.



Still, this is not too bad---it's got a nice cut and wash.

Then there are the tops.

These are from Topshop and French Connection respectively and I like the edgy colours and the billowy shapes. Would go nicely with the aforementioned jeans, with neutral coloured shorts (black, biege, white) or even with a denim mini. Remember that with billowy tops, keep the bottom part of your outfit streamlined!

I find this piece quite fascinating too. Mainly for the lantern sleeves. French Connection had this in a dress version last season, and now as a top, I think it works very well too. Would look chic with white shorts---I like the monochrome look.

And for a splash of colour, there are these French Connection tees.

Again, I'm not really liking the purple top, but the black one's cool. Very art deco.

Finally there are the shoes. I'm currently into embellished ballet flats, and-guess what-so is Lucky Magazine!

This pair is from Juicy Couture (revolveclothing.com), which I think is getting better and better at design. They're actually producing nice sleek things and not just terry/velour sweat suits.

And finally, these:

Both are from Ferragamo. Gosh, I never thought the day would come when I would actually say I like Ferragamo. I used to associate them with "old" and like frumpy cos most of the pairs I saw were those with chunky heels. But now, quite tellingly, I find them quite cool, especially those mules/pumps with sleeker heels and the workmanship is excellent. But of course. These are chic and elegant---easy to wear for school---and the heel of the latter isn't too high so it's good for walking around.

Photographs from: www.fcukbuymail.com, www.ferragamo.com, www.revolveclothing.com, www.urbanoutfitters.com, www.abercrombie.com, www.shopbop.com, www.riverisland.com, www.topshop.com