They're here!

The Rosalind Kemp trompe l'oeil collection is for sale on the Oasis website! I covet everything.

A top that looks like a tuxedo jacket!

A T-shirt dress that looks like a trenchcoat. I think it has pockets. POCKETS!

A tank dress that looks like -- well, the website says "prom dress", but it looks like one of those odd dresses with underwired bodices that you see so much of at Topshop. British people are totally keen on this type of dress. I can only conclude that it is because they usually have cleavage worth showing, unlike some of us (sob sob).

A top that looks like a cropped cardi!

I can't deny that my inner Penangite auntie is pointing out that this seems to be a devious scheme to get people to fork out more for what are basically simple T-shirts. Which made me wonder -- couldn't you make a trompe l'oeil creation of your own if you wanted to?

The answer appears to be: yes, but it'll help if you know how to sew.

This girl made her own trompe l'oeil trench dress by hand-stitching a trenchcoat design onto a dress.

Better than my idea of "white T-shirt + a black marker pen", but also way more difficult!

Since I'm hopeless at sewing, I suppose I will just have to content myself with a marker pen and T-shirt on some lazy Sunday afternoon. Sigh.

I shouldn't really be looking at clothes anyway, since I've bought way too many things in the past two weeks. Sure, most of them were sternly sensible -- suits, dour black dresses and suchlike for work -- but a couple of them were purely frivolous, like the over-the-knee boots.

And a couple of the sensible purchases are so cute as to feel as frivolous and unnecessary as a sundress, like the black suede Mary Jane heels I acquired today.


The fact that they're suede makes them considerably less sensible than they would otherwise be -- I Googled "care of suede shoes" and was horrified at how many things will kill a suede shoe (basically, everything). Wearing suede shoes outside appears to be a, ahem, shoeicidal move.

But they felt so justifiable! They are ridiculously comfy. Check out the rubber treads on these things.


They are the only heels I've ever worn that almost feel like sports shoes. It's the shock absorbent quality of the sole.

I suppose I will just have to hope for the best. And find a good water/stain repellent spray.

- Zen