Bunny Ears are ♥

Louis Vuitton Fall 2009. $400(£260)

Corea Spring 2010. 3,000krw (£1.60)

My reaction exactly! I actually thought they were scarves because they were unfolded and bent into a bucket, making it seem as if they were scarves. Thinking they were scarves, I asked the ahjussi manning the stall at Myeongdong, 명동 for the price. When he said 3,000krw, 'CHEAP!' flashed right in my brain. I walked over to choose my loot but immediately upon touching them, bells started ringing in my head. These things were not scarves, they were wired inside, like literally not technologically. And I know I have seen these things before. On dramas! That's how they stood up! And I became a happy bunny that night.

Then I went to Hongdae, 홍대 and asked around for their prices. I was even more excited when they were selling them at 5,000krw! Plus, they didn't have as many variety as compared to that ahjussi, who had, I dare say more than a hundred of these things and all of them were very different.

Oops, I swear I had them on, but this picture was one of the least pixelated ones so just imagine the bunny ears ok. Salmon pink top (H&M), Gray satin shorts (Corea, 5,900krw ^^), Belt (Mummy's vintage thrash)

Then I came back to Malaysia and did my weekly blog-window shopping and found them being sold at RM27 (11,000krw) excluding delivery! With only 3 different patterns to choose from! That blog was the very first mover though, they started selling the week after I came back and the lowest I've seen them go for in other blogs is still more than double my original price.

White racer back (F.O.S), Black cotton dress (Corea, 8,000krw ^^)

Bunny ears, that's what we need to finish this look - Marc Jacobs

- Sue (If you wonder why I have so few self portraits, this post explains it all. My home's lighting kills all narcissistic desires to camwhore)

Shoe haul

As the title suggest, I've been shopping around for shoes. They are the easiest thing to shop for personally, just slip off, slip on, admire self in mirror and you start to think, whoa, I cannot leave this place without this, then off you go to the cashier to pay for your item.

Well, to be fair, shopping for shoes in Malaysia is a relatively safe exercise in Malaysia. Not too much money can be purged from the wallet if you practice control . Although I have to say, the quality of the shoes are never guaranteed. The shoes above were purchased within a 6 week period. There's another pair of flats somewhere in the house, but I forgot. I know they are all black but to be fair, most are for work.

For play, these I bought from a blogshop. My second purchase from a Malaysian blogshop. I bought it with another high waisted skirt which is not even worth mentioning. The quality was horrible! Yet I bought it because it was their top seller and they kept restocking. Plus customers kept writing really good reviews on the skirt! I was partly annoyed but thank goodness for the shoes. They were the shop's saving grace.

They are a little on the high side but they are really comfy! Exactly what the seller said. And I love the faux Louboutin red soles. The shoes were definitely a risk that paid off. By the way, Corea does really amazing faux Louboutin red soles but I didn't buy because there was not enough time :(

These. These are for work. I was bored when I was out with my mum so I was just randomly trying shoes, for fun. I didn't even like this pair. I thought it was slightly old looking, and they were like boat shoes, but not. I tired on the tan one and OMG, it was THE MOST COMFORTABLE PAIR OF SHOES on earth. Seriously, I totally fell in love with the comfort. And I was getting excited because damn, I can walk to work in these!

In the end I got the black pair because brown shoes are hard to pair with work clothes imho. These were slightly above my budget but they are made from leather and uber comf, so that justifies the price. Plus they were on sale so that's good.

Then the others which are slightly boring. The usual classic pumps and the pussy bow peep toe. The peep toes are slightly iffy for work though, so that's still a play shoe. I highly suggest going to nice looking shoe shops during sale time. The peep toes are from the Sembonia boutique and they were half off. At less than RM50 a pair the quality is 2 times better than the other 'Malaysian high street' shoes shops.

I meant to write this before I left for Corea by syaing that my next goal was to look for nude pumps or heels in Corea, but alas. Shopping in Corea is really fun but at the same time not so fun when they don't place price tags. Fortunately or unfortunately for me, I did most of my shopping on the first day. So I was a bit cautious with the shoes because most of them had no price tags. I was afraid they'd slaughter me because I was a foreigner. I would have to say you should expect to pay slightly more than say £10 for a pair of nice pumps. What you pay is what you get because the quality is brilliant. And for the variety, you really get your money's worth.

Thankfully, I walked past a shoe shop in their underpass that advertised their shoes going for 20,000 won. That's around £11.

Aren't they lovely?

I love how the bow accessory is made of metal and coated in gold. The best thing about shopping in Corea is the service. The shoe was actually slightly big for me and I almost refrained myself from buying it for that reason but the guy immediately handed me a sole to try on. I thought, oh, okay if it fits with a sole I can use my soles from home. So it did and I bought it. But the guy actually helped me insert the sole into the shoes, hidden from all to see! So now I can just slip my foot in without any trouble! I was like, whoaaaa, this was not a high end shop. It was just a normal tiny shop filled with shoes. In fact it was bursting with shoes but still organised according to your size. And they polished my shoes for me before handing them over. I was definitely impressed.

Shoe shopping in Corea checked. Next up, clothes, accessories, bags and why shopping in Corea is so much fun!

Back from Corea!

See that lovely brown bag up there? I was this close, -> || to purchashing it. Instead, I left the shop in Hongdae 홍대 empty handed and regretted it. I consoled myself with hopes that I can find the same bag at Migliore in Dongdaemun 동대문. I did find a similar substitute at a lower price but the quality is not as good and it's a different colour. Now that I see that bag on Son Ye Jin, I am furious that I didn't get the bag because I wasn't sure how much bags cost in Corea. ㅜㅜ

Next time, I am going with my gut instincts and not my brain which tries to rationalise with my heart.

That aside, I will be posting a major shoe haul pre Corea trip and clothing haul + shoes + bag post Corea. Shopping in Seoul is so awesome that I actually went broke in won. Like seriously, if Disney World is your happy place, Seoul is mine. :)

Updates

Okay so I haven't been in much of a shopping mood lately. It has been extremely hot back here ever since I got back. You know how your camera or mp3 player jams when it's in the extreme cold? Well my body jams in extreme heat. I can literally sit under the 'cool' fan yet melt away, getting up to do anything became a chore. Hopefully I am melting stubborn fats, like in a sauna. :)

So when the temperature dropped by I suppose 1 or 2 degrees, I got off my ass and finally got around to baking a Matcha (Green Tea) Chiffon Cake. I got the recipe off a blogger who adapted it from a Japanese chef. It requires olive oil instead of butter! Okay it looks like a punctured tyre because it started sinking but tastes really good. I did take pictures but ... if only the cake in the picture didn't look uglier than the real deal, I'd probably post it up. I guarantee you it tastes good!

Second update. Imma have to take up a job before returning to London. Seeing that my schedule is packed; Alvin visiting late April and South Korea trip late June (Hotel and flights are booked! I'm excited!); I'd have to manouver between high turnover rate jobs. Since I have absolutely no work clothes here, I have to get some soon to last me temporarily, which means boring stuff and painful shoes first. :( Sigh good quality bargains are hard to find when you are in a rush. No fear, I should have plenty of time in between to go hunt for pretty work clothes and comfy shoes.

Now because of the heat, dressing up is such a pain. You can't really layer and you are limited to certain materials. The only thing I can do is admire from afar on the WWW.

Hats galore! I wish for one like this to go into the sun now.
She's cool. Her shoes and blazer are really nice. I may think twice about going out with those pants over tights but she definitely has the look to pull it off.
And she's got a really cute giraffe ring! Giraffes are rare okay. I'm just sayin' from experience.

Yellow blazer that reminds me of the Karen Millen Striped Blazer we just sold off! Also I'm pining for her hair. Oh yah I forgot to mention, I went off to get a hair perm by myself without my mum's blessing hence only able to settle for the cheapest option. Not only is my hair NOT wayyyyvey it is completely wrecked in terms of silkiness, softness and smoothness. Never ever settle for less. But in this case I was that desperate, 5 years of begging and pleading but my mum never budged, not even a milimetre. Now, I have to do a Zen haircut to get rid of the horrible-ness. For now, I can still bun it up and no one will have a clue but I'd have to do it sooner or later. Oh well, new job, new life, new hair. At least there's a ring to it.

- sue

Hunt for Work Clothes Part 1

Job search accomplished! I officially join the workforce as a business analyst in a management consultancy. I know, the title is a mouth full but honestly, as always, the title is the only glamorous thing, not the job itself.

But ah, this leads me to a completely new wardrobe change. =D Anything new for the wardrobe is a good thing. Granted I have been living in baggy shirts over leggings with Converse while hunting for a job with my weapon of choice, the laptop and internet, I can now shake off the laziness and go look at pretty things!

One problem. Work clothes are tough. 1) They can easily become uniform-y 2) There just ain't enough creativity in the field of professionals that allow colours, trend and style to go pass that business meeting. All of which I predict will come true after slogging six months in the office with no desire to do anything but sleep/watch tv once you get home.

There is however a preventive measure. Buy items that fall into the smart category but also enable you to look different from the sea of black suits. Unconventionally smart. And I believe the answers lie in blouses, accesories and blazers.

I've found a few examples to show you.

Note: Some of the following outfit photos are not suitable for the workplace. I am only interested in the single piece items when paired with the usual pants and pencil skirt. haha just in case.

Plain white shirt with a twist. Mandarin collar-esque shirt with a slightly poofy 3/4 sleeve.

It actually looks boring alone but look what you can do with it! I love how it has been styled with a scarf and the belt definitely accentuates the waist.

I'd probably wouldn't pair it with a red cardigan though. I would prefer it if it was in navy blue. And ooo, I like the bag! But I digress. I think the amazing thing about this top is that I can see myself wearing it out of work. It can be easily turned into a shirt dess with a skinny brown belt paired with leggings and heels. Awesome right? I love it when you can get your money's worth!

Second example. Probably a dress I would never buy if I saw hung on the rack. Looks rather dull and a bit too 40 year old-ish. Plus the buttons down the side make me go 'Huh?'

But look what happens!

It's amazing what scarves can do to clothes. It immediately glams up the whole outfit and makes it more presentable. I am telling myself now to overlook first impressions and just think of what you can do to the outfit, especially if you find a dress like that on the sales rack. I would definitely have not even give it another glance before realising this.

Next is just a shirt. It looks like a normal work shirt but look at the details on the puffy sleeve! Subtle details like the folds on dresses/sleeves does give the outfit an extra edge. Not to forget pussy bows and ruffles.

And if the details are too subtle for you, throw on a cute little blazer and voila you're ready for that Monday morning power meeting. I would obviously highly recommend that you go in long pants instead of shorts.

Last but not least, blouses! They are one of they ways to add colour your dull work life. Versatile and pleasing to the eye, what more can one want? Although I may think of toning it down a bit by not pairing it with pencil skirts as it may appear less professional., depending on how the blouse looks like. That 's what I currently think anyway. Again, it can be easily styled out of the workplace.

Another shoutout to blazers! Instantly ups your professional look points.

Another lovely find is this interesting sailor top. It's too cute!

So yes, I am now on the hunt for clothes as versatile as the alphabet. Obviously for work clothes, go for quality and this time I'm going to probably splash out a bit. You need to look polished at work and a little extra quality in the materials you choose will definitely make you look more professional. And remember to also take cues from observing what your colleagues wear. The individual pieces above may be slighly too informal for a strict workplace but the idea is there.

This hunt is going to be mighty hard though so stay tuned to see what I manage to find!

- Sue

Of Parkas and Kai Aackmann

My natural reaction towards parkas are that of posers, hobos and the homeless. I feel it's very hard to go out in a parka without looking like one of the three mentioned above, more specifically the homeless. I believe this is just me though, because I like to dress casual.

However, Korean brand Kai Aackmann changed my mind.

Kai-aakman is a contrasexual casual brand aspiring harmony of Animas and Anima, inspired by Carl Jung. Anima is the personification of all feminine psychological tendencies within a man, the archetypal feminine symbolism within a man's unconscious. The Animus is the personification of all masculine psychological tendencies within a woman, the archetypal masculine symbolism within a woman's unconscious.

Kai-aakman applies this perspective into fashion aesthetics. The true beauty deep in every human being's potential ambivalence is being reinterpreted into mix and match of..everything. Avant-garde dresses meet masculinely-tailored blazers, which could be matched with comfort baggy pants. You could see from comfort casual t-shirts with cute typographic play to feminine skirt, or masculine dress-pants. Black-and-white colors encounter aesthetic prints. Every color, fabric and item you could find in Kai-aakman collection is odd and fun, sleek and chic. No one can tell you what to wear or how to match with. Just enjoy playing mix-and-match of Kai-aakman's chic and fun outfits.

The description itself already attracts me what more if you're selling me homeless parkas?

I know it doesn't look great here but look it has a similar campaign to Burberry's Art of the Trench. I don't know who followed who but it's an awesome one. I present to you, Art of the Parka.

First instinct tells me Sam would notice the dogs first before the parka itself. I love the quilted detail within the jacket and how she paired it with sport shoes and not look hobo. Because I definitely would.

Hippie hobo love! Denim, flares and a tambourine at that, so not me but she pulls it off so well!

I am loving how these two different boys make the parka look like two different ones! How?
Howdy. I am a fellow red indian who loves parkas.

This is my favourite style out of all of them. I am impressed at how versatile everything is. She puts on the jacket to play out a more causal look, takes it off and is immediately spiffy with the grey blazer.

Coincidentally, fishtail parkas (its specific name) were first used by the United States army in 1951 to protect soldiers from the elements of the Korean War. The originals are now lovingly collected at premium prices. Never knew that did you? Neither did I. I found out because when I started blogging, the word 'parka' completely slipped my mind and I had to wiki 'jacket' to jog my memory. Hence stumbling upon this lil' tidbit of information that might come in handy when you're in Who Wants to be a Millionaire or The Weakest Link. Don't forget to thank me.

Also, do check out Kai Aackmann's webby. They have some pretty interesting stuff. I especially love these.




If you're into K-dramas like me, the brand also dresses a lot of the leads. Korea's F4, Boys over Flowers are completely decked out in Kai Aackmann. Yummmmm.

- Sue

Shoe Krahzy

Shoes buys from home! I thought it would be interesting to contrast the styles and prices between shoes from Malaysia and the UK.

I find shoes sold here extremely high, to the extent that they look like high rise buildings stuck underneath shoes.

Maybe it's just me but I cannot imagine myself walking in those heels, towering over people in the day but coming back with the worst feet ache at night.

For example,
Lulu Guinness in Alexander McQueen runway shoes! I thought Lady Gaga was bonkers in her video apparently there is someone krahzier than Gaga.

Another one from Lulu Guinness.
I don't know whether to tell her to work it with those Nina Ricci's or to go into a mental institution.

I lean towards the latter. Practicality is my priority any time of the day.

So here are shoes purchased from home, how they look like and how they're priced. Mind you I am always after bargains so my price ranges may be a tad skewed.

First bargain! I loved it the minute I set eyes on them. They were the perfect pair of studded heels, enough to make an make a serious outfit look more roughed out. These pair of heels may look plain and simple but I just love how the T-back extends the length of your legs, not to mention the height of the heels on these pair (3 inches). I got them for RM35.90 (£6), half price from Voir. Brilliant buy if I do say so myself.

The second pair.When I saw it sitting on the shelf, I thought it was rather interesting, plus I liked the fact that the clasp was in gold. Tried it on for fun and it went straight to the till with me. It wasn't on sale but lucky me, I had a RM30 voucher in hand. I got these off from Vincci at RM39.90 (£7 ish).

I just love the criss-cross pattern. Heels are pretty much okay, around 2 inches. It is surprisingly comfy too considering that they are from Vincci.

The third and last pair.The one thing I honestly don't understand about the shoe industry in Malaysia is the lack of simple court shoes. Seriously, if they were in leather, they would look super gaudy, if they were in PVC, they would look super cheap and are a pain on the feet. I don't understand!

I hunted these down for my graduation and as another pair of work shoes. Because of Malaysia's love of sling backs and all things strappy, I found them at the very last minute, right before I was about to leave to the UK. They were a tad bid expensive, RM299 (£50) from Lewre. It is okay though considering the prices in the UK for a pair of leather court shoes. In fact it may be cheaper if compared to the likes of Jones and Russell and Bromley. Plus it was from Parkson, where you get RM10 vouchers for every RM150 you spend on members' day, not to mention Bonus Link points, similar to Nectar but wayyyy better in terms of value of points.

I love my shoes a lot unfortuntely I love my Barclays bank account more. I never thought buying shoes fom the UK was worth it because the quality just doesn't justify the price I have to pay. Maybe this will change when I finally get a job, but till then, I will endeavor to find pretty shoes at prices that are kind to my wallet.

- Sue

Breaking News

20 year old model Daul Kim is dead.She was found dead this morning in Paris and some sources claim it's suicide.

This comes as a shocker to me as she was recently made Karl Lagerfield's muse and has been featured in the new ad for Coco Cocoon. I've always liked her sense of style and honesty she portrays in her blog, I Like to Fork Myself. In fact she just made a post the day before she passed away titled 'Say hi to forever'. I've recently been hooked into the Korean culture and there seems to be a trend these days for celebrities to commit suicide, some even triggered bt comments made by netizens. It is really tragic and I hope she rests in peace.

P.S. I had always wanted to feature her in our blog because of her ethnicity and the ruthless industry she was in. I thought she would make it big. Never thought it would end here.

It's been a long time coming

So it is. Due to the complexity of my mind (or rather, lack of), lack of inspiration, chores and also the ocassional blue screen of death, I have kind of avoided mainstream fashion blogs like the plague. idk (Btw, I only just recently found out that idk stood for "i don't know" when all the while i thought it was an onomotopoeia TT)

So yes, I actually lived my life blogging in my head instead of doing it here. For instance, like the time I saw this perfectly awesome art that was rather cute from afar...... but disgusting when near.
Or this other time when Zen and I went vintage window shopping at Goodge Street where we got our hands on pretty high end vintage items that made us cry inside because they were so beautiful yet so expensive. It was also in here where we saw amazing shoe exhibit #1 fit for another art exhibition...
... including its second hand price tag.Or in Summer where I found awesome places to go to to buy simple dresses at RM25 a pop, that's almost a £4 pound equivalent. This I must clarify, they might look drabby when hung, or maybe my lousy camera just doesn't do it justice, but the quality is actually not that bad. The blue one's the best. It doesn't look cheap when you put it on and works amazingly well with a huge dark blue belt and killer heels or I could edge it up with one of these, something I am earnestly planning to get.And a whole lot more pictures I've taken for outfit posts but lost confidence in them. The inner workings of a simple yet fickle minded mind. Just like fashion. However, I promise to never blog in my head but come staright here without hesitation. It will be a place for me to look back and cringe at how silly I was, but it all doesn't matter because rightfully people who care wouldn't read this shit I spin anyway.

I will end this post with this picture I took at that posh vintage shop which is kinda apt.Much love and very much back,
Sue