Fruits of labour

I've been home a week and already I'm thoroughly sick of shopping -- not out of any innate thriftiness that causes me to draw back in horror from my recent extravagances, but basically, because every shopping centre in the PJ/Klang area will insist on playing Wonderful Christmastime six hundred million times.

I'm as fond of Sir Paul McCartney as the next man, but come on!

The main aim or purpose of the week-long shopping spree was to acquire a dress for my brother's wedding next week, but of course I picked up other things on the way -- if only because you're not allowed to wear black or white at a Chinese wedding, and I have an unfortunate passion for black and white. Especially together!

Dress - Cicada; over-the-knee stockings - Daiso

Which passion I combine with a passion for colourful hosiery. A new-to-me RM5 shop, modelled on the Japanese 100 yen shop, has opened at a shopping centre near me, and I took the opportunity to buy SOCKS. Oh how I love socks.

Green sweater dress - P & Co; grey argyle socks - Daiso; cowl - crocheted by myself

Another thing I cherish an abiding passion for: sweater dresses. Sweater dresses are a tricky one -- they can be difficult to maintain, and they cling in an occasionally awkward manner -- but they are just so cosy and casual I cannot resist.

I crocheted the cowl according to this pattern, only modifying it to make it bigger. The general feeling among my friends and family appears to be that cowls are scarves cut off in their prime -- "aren't they just a monstrous cross between a neck brace and a truncated scarf?" -- but I love it, so there. I think it looks great, and it will be super nice and toasty when I am back in England.

Grey argyle knee socks! Grey argyle knee socks for RM5! :D

My final and most acute love:

Dress - Suzuya; stockings - Daiso

SHIFT DRESSES. I would wear this with tights, a cardigan, a scarf and pure undiluted happiness.

It is ridiculous how beautiful shift dresses are. I took about six pictures of myself in it and I look amazing in every single one of them. This did not happen with the sweater dress, I can tell you that!

The final pictures are not of new purchases, but I started rummaging around in my wardrobe and found a couple of pieces I am totally bringing back to London. I bought them a while ago in Hong Kong and Japan and ended up hardly ever wearing them because they are a bit, um, unhinged --

Panda T-shirt - shop in Harajuku; tutu - shop in Mongkok; stockings - your friendly neighbourhood Daiso

But unhinged in such a fun way!

I must toughen my hide and wear this out in public some weekend in London. Perhaps I shall buy those angelic white ballet flats I saw in Vincci Accessories to go with them ....

These aren't all the purchases I've made since getting home (embarrassing admission), but the others are in the wash, so I'll make another post with pictures when they have come out again!

Happy holidays, and have a fabulous new year!

- Zen