serial style polygamist

little sweater

2010-04-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

club monaco blazer, community cropped sweater, bluenotes ironman tee (under), forever 21 jean leggings, aldo boots

whenever iron man is on tv, i have to watch it. it doesn't matter whatever else is on, whether it satc, gg, antm, runway; i must watch it. strange and strong affiliations without reasons happen to me frequently: iron man, skulls, jellyfishes, small coffees, frail necklaces and tough appearances.

nothing is too good

2010-04-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

"i am back miss me?"

ahhh my suede boots. oh well, pristine condition bores me to death anyhow.

zipia faux leather jacket, american apparel lace tee, zara tweed high waisted trousers, aldo suede boots, aldo drawstring purse

my mom's first lv purse was an drawstring bucket shaped bag which i saw her put newspapers, melons, my toys, and other life's necessities in. the lv bag was a gift from a friend, a very generous gesture of her at time. mom earned a humble living and most would think she would keep her only designer luxury kept away from all contact in the back of the closet, banishing it from everyday use. not my mom, she understood the prestige of louis vuitton but she treated it like she wanted to test the quality of it by carrying her daily life in it. now with its leather worn, the base blacken, the permanent wrinkles caused by its drawstring, its fifteen years of hard living for a high quality bag that could withstand anther fifteen more.

i wish for my first designer piece one day, that i can wear everyday and dismiss the thought of it being "too good" for my life, my everyday life. i guess the aldo drawstring one will have to do for now.

pastel spring and infant animals

2010-04-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

i love easter for its perceived cute bunnies and chocolate eggs. no stones, please.

la fleur in art central, calgary. little chicks in a window display? i would call this animal cruelty if it wasn't so cute.

every time pilsbury comes out with their themed sugar cookies, i always get a couple boxes. and sometimes i like to bake them super close to each other so they turn into conjoined twins.

before i change my spots

2010-03-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

after 7 days, tip wear and involuntary picking inclusive. here's how you do it.

colours: aa manila as background, aa pinto as brown spots, china glaze ink as dark patches.

run run runaway

2010-03-02T09:57:00.001-08:00

all i want is distance. temporize and recollect.

what are my priorities? who are important to me? what is important?

we are better as individuals instead of collaborators.

retail

2010-03-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

from left to right: 3/4 baseball placket tee, composition big tank with pocket, high waisted zipper shorts, harem pants, triblend cardigan, triblend v-neck long sleeve tee.

guess where i am working now.

choke down some mini eggs

2010-02-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

zara faux leather pants, joe double breasted cardigan, talula boyfriend waffle henley

say hi to my print entertainment and my new sugar high.

welcome welcome

2010-02-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

talula cat tee, forever 21 diy cut offs, joe tights, lasenza slippers, zipia bowler

as siblings grow older, the less manipulable they become. thus, sister is getting expensive to employ. i;ve been gone for a while, and i don't have much of a readership to really state this - but i am going to start up this blog (again) pretending no one really cares what i have to say. this is not an outlet, just a dumping ground. please take it for what it is.

vale mcqueen, it will never be the same:

live fast in comfort

2010-01-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

wearing: (1) night market scarf, american eagle knit vest, truly madly deeply sweatshirt tunic, american apparel winter leggings, soda moccasin flats (2) h&m faux fur collar, american eagle military knit cardigan, forever 21 floral blouse, american apparel winter leggings, soda moccasins.

so i've been kind of wearing the different variations of the same outfit. it could possibly be because that i can drive now (insert huge grin) and wearing heels to drive is incredibly dangerous (says parents, something to do with depth perception and the gas pedal). come to think about it, i wear more carefully thought out and meticulous outfits when i need to take the bus. haha.

after declaring the break away from my job, i haven't really called them back to say i was done finals and can return to work. they didn't call back. so lets just assume that they forgot about me. and i move on to a job i can really enjoy. i still want one of those adolescent part time jobs that just pays for my shopping habits and school. i've tried receptionist, restaurant prep, cashier, and specialized factory worker - lets try some retailin' next.

ah i really don't really like listening to people younger than i but this is too catchy: f.cuz - jiggy

leather arms

2010-01-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

wearing: american eagle beanie, american eagle fur vest, zipia leather jacket, talula sheer zodiac tee, forever 21 jean leggings, nine west boots

wore this to catch Avatar with some friends. Avatar was an awesome movie, the visuals were gorgeous and made me realize that humans are so lame and inferior. our earth pales in comparison to Pandora's bio luminescent people, wildlife and plants. pure fantasy, loved it.

from my boxing day purchases: as you see i;ve also upgraded to a fur vest from the collar, it was one of those rare purchases my mom made for me that actually complimented the rest of my closet :) and the sheer zodiac tee is probably one of my few graphic tees in my closet but i love it for its sheer quality, boxy oversized shape, and simple graphic design.

american apparel nail polish review

2010-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

l to r: pinto, palm beach, manila, factory grey, mount royal, office

after learning that these american apparel nail polish are 3 for $18, i picked up the colours i was excited for in my previous nails post except passport blue, which i found to be much darker in person. i was elated when i saw these all lined up in the aa store, their boxy shaped containers really emphasize the creme colours within the glass bottles.

palm springs - pastel cool mint green creme. this is pretty darn reminiscent of china glaze's for audrey, which my sister owns. i am guessing that palm springs is greener while for audrey is more true to blue. applied a bit streaky but it is a light creme so it is expected, two coats.

mount royal - midtone royal blue creme. i was expecting a dustier shade of lighter blue as if someone has spike the formula with several drops of grey varnish but this is a nice shade too, something i;ve seen plenty of but i don't own. two coats, but totally could have been a one coater because of opacity of the polish.

pinto - a red brick brown. please ignore the scratches, i have a bad habit of painting my nails before bed, and i normally wake up to sheet and hair marks. the formula on this one was really runny and had a slight jelly effect where if you did not apply it evenly, it was blatantly obvious where you were a bit heavier with brush. 3 coats.

palm springs - nude pastel peach. this colour kind of reminds me of a barbie doll's skin or that peach crayon that you reserved for colouring skin. i think this looks pretty awful on against my skin, maybe i'll i was more tanned it would be ok. i'll try again in the summer. 3 coats.

manila - like the envelope but not quite. a warm mustard. went on pretty smooth, 2 coats, and the colour is not obnoxious.

factory grey - remember how i wanted this to be the perfect grey? yes i think this is really it. sure sure it is a pink/purple-y tinged grey but it really works with my skin tone. loves, 2 coats.

the formula was decent for majority of the colours. goes on pretty opaque, but i normally do 2 just to even out the colour. the handle of the brushes are a little too long, but the brush is pretty good. sometimes the opi brush is a little too big for my liking, holding too much polish thus i would get it on the sides. while the brush on the aa polish does not cover my entire nail, i like it that way, it allows me to have more control for a neater application.

i want more colours. more. i know it is an illness.

little black boot

2010-01-04T01:23:00.000-08:00

the troubles with having a sister with the same shoe size is that she consistently borrow your shoes when you want to wear them. it always happened with my bronx motorcycle boots, which she abused them as if they were her own. tramping through salt slush during warmer winters and leaving them around as door mat in numerous house parties have rendered my beloved boots for early retirement. i've brought them to the shoe repair for a replacement heel and reattach the upper to the sole repair last year, under a year i encountered the same problem again - the detached upper. of course i could bring them to the shoe repair but i feel these boots have too much pride to admit their weakness, so i've decided to reserve them for only the finest weather, ie no precipitation. so now i am looking for a new addition to my family to brave the bipolar weather of a canadian winter.

from the left top clockwise:

harley davidson little sur - the classic motorcycle boot with a round toe. a clunkier profile than my bronx but i think these are more durable and practical. ($130 CAD)
frye erin chelsea - i am quite attached to the equestrian look right now, these also give off a more clean and polished look. ($298 CAD)
dingo shoe boot - these actually could be a good alternative to oxfords, this shorter western style is less obvious. ($80 CAD)
frye bill short vintage - the classic short western boot with all the details: pull on tabs, wooden sole, stitching on the upper. perfect ($298 CAD)
steve madden pystol - the trendier western boot with inside zipper in dark blue. the little star shaped cut outs are a nice touch. ($136 CAD)

left to right:

aldo gaser - nice pull on motorcycle boot with buckles and studs. ($99 CAD)
aldo floseda - another western boot with a slouchy shaft and cleaner look. ($99 CAD)

i really want to try these on before i commit. but i am think i am leaning on the harly davidson ones and a western style. they are so different but i could wear them in so many ways. what should i do?

resistance

2010-01-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

wearing: joe fresh style purple cardigan, talula zodiac sheer tee, zara paper waist wool trousers, aldo wedge

as much as i hate spending my hard earn money on less than perfect items, regardless if they are regular or sale priced, i gave in to these pants. you must be thinking what is wrong with them? well there is this weird stain on the belt, it is not very noticeable, but it is there when you look closely enough (third picture). as much as i love zara for their fast fashion, they are one arrogant retailer, when i asked them about the mark on the belt, they refused to give me any sort of favourable resolution:
- can i have some sort of discount for the damaged belt?
- can i exchange the belt of this pant with any pant?

so after i was denied, i left with out the pants. i waited two days, developed this “can’t-eat, can’t-sleep, reach-for-the-stars, over- the-fence, world-series” * kind of attachment to those pants, which drove me back to the sale racks of zara. amongst the messy scoured racks of pants too large too small: not perfect. to my relief, i found my pants. tried them on again, figured that the stain is not that visible and the belt is interchangeable for other (duh!) and skipped to the cashier.

these are probably my first proper pants. not jeans not leggings not super form fitting – the solution to my problem of what to wear for my lower half in the mornings of my future formal group meetings and in-class presentations.

* quote from young Olsen’s It Takes Two

skittle nails

2010-01-01T01:08:00.000-08:00

as an lover of american apparel and nail polish, i am so excited about the new launch of american apparel's new line of nail polish. american apparel is known for their array of colours in their clothing and accessories, so isn't it just so fitting that they expand that concept into nail polish? as psyched as i am to get my hands on all of these colours, i am a wise consumer or at least i like to think that way; i have so many questions based on how many coats to achieve opacity, finish of the colours, brush design, lasting power, and comparability to other top brands, such as opi and china glaze.

until i have the time to visit an american apparel store, i will just dream about all those unconventional colours on my tips:

factory grey - i feel this will be my go to grey. all the ones i've encountered have either been too light or dominated by an red/blue/brown base. i hope this cold grey is my answer.

manila, office, palm springs - these are my spring colours! nothing obnoxious nothing neon, i am ready for the pastels: subdued and calm. manila is the mellowed out response to pantone's colour of 2009: mimosa, office is a dainty jade that dominated chanel's f/w 2009 runways, and palm springs is a light coral that one splash away from becoming pink, orange or nude. gorgeous!

mount royal, passport blue - i can never get enough blue nails. royal blue looks like a nice shade of dusty/greyed out blue that isn't too bright and really sophisticated for daily wear. passport blue, i would i die if this had a creme finish and when it dried it would not become some kind of ubiquitous blue/black ordeal. i want it to be a nice visible dark blue in very sort of light.

available at american apparel for $7.50 CAD

so fresh out of box

2009-12-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

wearing: zara navy scarf, talula creme henley, the gap lilac mens oxford, talula leggings, payless boots, ardenes arm warmers

when i know i have a free day the next day, i often neglect my phone and just leave it in my bag, which usually results in a plethora of missed calls, voice mails and text messages. yes yes it is extremely irresponsible of me but i don't like feeling accessible when i am at home. i don't usually have much time to myself, so i like to spend this time on me and not on the phone with an old acquaintances that has wayyyy too many relationship problems.

i did keep myself busy during these times though, i finished the office box set M lent me, finished stalking those korean girls, attempted to clean my room and of course, during doing all of the above; i consumed my weight in chocolate. my attempt at tidying up my basement proved fruitful, i found some old mens oxfords in feminine spring colours and some of my aunt's old dress pants and almost kept my mind off of the sales going on during boxing week.

but of course i gave in and went shopping with my mom, and pickup a fur vest and an over sized sheer white graphic tee of the zodiac. welcome to my trendy closet.

that girl that jane so plain

2009-12-26T02:26:00.000-08:00

wearing: talula oversized cardigan, hello kitty sweater tunic, betsy johnson lace tights, american apparel lake blue tights (underneath), zipia brogues

i don't really like christmas day, possibly because:
a) i am asian
b) i am an atheist
c) my family had previously owned a chinese food take out restaurant for several years which was open during xmas day, which resulted in an uneasiness to do nothing till this day.
d) our family doesn't prep or do huge feasts.
e) all of the above.

don't get me wrong, i really do like the whole spirit, the hectic atmosphere, and the exorbitant amount of chocolate consumed in preparation, but once the day is here, i feel confined to my house.
asians know how to profiteer off the xmas day holiday, since no place are open (minus 7-11) every one must eat and buy from their businesses that will main open as long there is a opportunity to make more.
speak of, today after we exchanged gifts, we went to the mandatory dim sum lunch where my brother pulled the fire alarm. at first we didn't hear anything, but sure enough, a faint and regular ringing resonated from the main dining area. in panic, we sacrificed our lovely heat vent and ran out to the cold. we all looked at each other in silence and we all simultaneously burst into laughter.

you don't have to be anybody because being somebody doesn't make you anybody anyway

2009-12-14T22:52:00.000-08:00

velvet long sleeve double u-neck dress in burgundy, sheer long sleeve henley dress in light blue; all from american apparel

♥ long sleeve body conscious dresses

so i am not sure how i much i will like the sheerness and baby blue-ness of the sheer henley. of course i could have chose a darker, more appropriate and versatile colour to combat the sheer quality, but i am so sick of wearing such safe monochromatics. maybe i just wear super obvious black undergarments and just let the translucency speak for itself.

- also new ring in transit. can't wait!

let's end it with a smile and say goodbye

2009-12-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

yamashita tomohisa, you've really grew into your looks.

jump jump

2009-12-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

wearing: zara navy knit scarf, silence and noise crop top, hand me down baggy shorts, zipia black brogues, zipia faux leather jacket

so i;ve been contemplating a new travel stainless steel mug and making my own coffee. i spend wayyy too much money on heated caffeinated beverages.

trophy

2009-12-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

wearing: H&M faux fur collar, forever 21 leopard cardigan, old navy white pocket tank, talula grandpa cardigan, hand me down high waisted grey trousers, zipia brogues, mrd74 raven claw pendant necklace.

the cat hunted the bird and presented the carcass to its owner. the owner doesn’t turn in disgust, instead she takes the claw of the bird and dips it in molten brass. she strings it around her neck and wears it proudly. the cat gets jealous that the bird got to spend more time with its owner. realizing this, the owner reciprocates her love towards the cat. these days the cat is missing, but the owner drapes a gorgeous new fur collar around her shoulders.

she loves animals so much.

while frantically searching for my navy vest with gold buttons ( i found it btw), i came across an unmarked huge rubbermaid box that contained an assortment of my aunt's old pants from the 80's. many of them were too short, really tiny, i found two things, the grey trousers above and a pair of baggy shorts, i could actually squeeze into. i guess fashion is really just recycled every so often. well i am quite fond of my newly acquired bottoms, but there are a lot of people find the styles to be too mature, but my mom likes them on me. i guess that doesn't count, she hates 99% of my closet.

ps. good night daul kim. your appearance during fashion week and edgy editorials will be sorely missed.

those fumes

2009-10-28T02:38:00.000-07:00

l to r: ds coronation, ds mystery, merry midnight, russian navy - suede, here today... aragon tomorrow, shim-merry chic; all opi

last friday, during one of my shopping excursions at the mall, i walked by a hair salon. one thing caught my eye: "two for $15 CAD, all opi". next thing i knew it, i spent nearly one hour at the hair salon juggling 12 different shades, trying to narrow it down to six. it is no secret among my friends that i am a nail polish junkie. i am hardly without my varnish on my nails. i hardly wear 'appropriate' colours on my hands, that is because i don't have to - still being in school has its perks. if anything i think i am most drawn towards unconventional hues of green, purple and holographic glitters. you can tell i've been craving some darker shades.

currently, i have russian navy - suede on my tips , which is gorgeous. the colour is nothing like the original formula, this is reminiscent of new denim, in both colour and texture. the matte finish gives the polish no glossiness whatsoever, but the shimmers in the polish really give this colour some dimension. this also looks amazing with a top coat on. like dazzl' amazin'.

burning bridges

2009-10-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

being a marketing student, there are so many outgoing people in my class. people that are articulate, smart, AND well put together. everything i should aspire to be, but it is so hard for me. building connections are so difficult to start, maintain, and retain. it seriously exhausts me to death. small talk, making time for people you are not that concerned about, pretending to care about a stranger's weekend.

i don't know how much i like facebook. i've been purging my friends list ever since i started college, with the influence of a close friend. people i don't need, i don't want to be 'friends' with, people i don't care about, people that are acquaintances, people that i hopefully will never see again. i like fb for the reason of changing my display picture - people with this level of vainest, will understand. haha.

people ask me: 'why are you in marketing then?'

i like calculating and meticulous strategizing of marketing. how there is different, never set ways, of completing things. how marketing is almost an art of manipulation of business. how you can get away with things you normally cannot get away from other studies of business. truthfully, i like learning about it, applying it group projects is terrifying, and don't get me started on doing it for a living. where your efforts actual is counted on to produce a profit. so much pressure. what if you don't meet their expectations. if i had all the money in the world, my ideal career would be to study all different things. biology, history, languages, anthropology, astrology, religions etc, but never have to apply it to real life. i want to just hoard all the knowledge.

i like my future to be unpredictable. murky and gray. like feeling around in thick fog. if it hits me, great. if it doesn't, there will be a next time. if i stub my toe on an obstacle, i should have looked down. i guess i am not that competitive nor aggressive. i should be.

cream

2009-10-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

wearing: zipia leather jacket, zipia lace dress, zipia black brogues, joe fresh style ribbed tights, nightmarket scarf.

in attempts to avoid feeling like the idiot stick figure with no soul, i dug up my old hair crimper. can you tell i've been watching too much old sex and city reruns?

the weather is great. it would be better if i had the military parka from TNA

cold front

2009-09-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

wearing: urban outfitters striped tunic, american apparel cycle shorts, zipia brogues

happy shoes

2009-09-19T22:27:00.000-07:00

i think for the longest time i really avoided any thing pink coloured. i really wasn't fond of the idea of ultra feminine delicateness, forced punk princess (avril lavigne), or valentine's day.

but then ss 09, soft neutrals, nudes and alternatively neon pinks, oranges, and yellows made their debuts. and i didn't hate it. i really like the subtle contrast of a softer neutral with a retina searing neon.

style

black + fluorescent pink= harsh

photobucket

so it comes down to me spontaneously ordering a pair of pink high top sneakers off zipia. i want to scruff them up so bad. they still look too pristine. the style is very similar to doc martens with the clunkier profile, while the canvas body and rope shoe laces really make the shoes really playful looking. i can't wait to pair these with clean khaki pants, heather grey tights & navy leggings. yes the are the pink versions of the black ones from the last post.

can't stop we won't stop

2009-09-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

wearing: american apparel sexuali tee, sirens jeans, zipia high tops, zipia bowler hat, forever 21 dancing emblem necklace, urban outfitters messy chain necklace

it is going to be a tough semester. 6 classes + one thoroughly neglected online communications course + slowly paying back my parents = no impromptu shopping excursions.

further kpop brainwash: t-iara & supernova - T.T.L. (time to love)

the day before

2009-09-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

school starts tomorrow. goodbye summer of disappointing and spontaneous family vacations, mundane closing shifts, experimenting with number of ways to conceal my growing bangs, walking to conserve and sleeping until 2pm. summer is never too good to me. hello autumn, i;ve missed you darhhhling...

wearing: zipia striped top, forever 21 faux leather shorts, aldo wrapped sandals

i don;t know how to commit

2009-09-11T00:26:00.000-07:00

welcome to another style blog. through all my years of worshiping all things style and fashion related, i've learned that i can't say no to anything, except uggs. those just don;t make any sense to me.

i want to say that my style falls precisely into classics or future minimalistic or preppy sporty or girly romantic or vintage boho etc but i can't. i don't really like the word 'or', the greedy glutton in me loves 'and'. what is wrong with embodying the classics AND future minimalistic AND preppy sporty AND girl romantic AND vintage boho? huh? i want everything under the sun. my 'style' may change every day or last for months. no restrictions. can't have fun being boxed in. right?

if it is furry, i want to touch.
if it is neon, i want to see.
if it has a loud print, i want to hear.
if it emits an expected scent, i want to smell.

if it a furry neon printed jacket with a faint memory of Zest, bring it on!

*taste excluded, i am much pickier because i am a vegetarian.