OOTD: Some Called It My Christmas Dress
I couldn't wait to wear the dress the moment I saw it online that I had to make it mine. There were three colours to choose from and each equally appealing so I bought the red because I know I would wear it near Christmas, on Christmas or after Christmas.
When I had an evening that I was to go out for a movie and some drinks, I was eager to let it make its appearance and the number of people who asked me if it was my Christmas dress was unbelievable. One said "You look very Christmassy today" and another "Is it Christmas yet?" and yet another "Is that your Christmas dress?". Yes I suppose it is. It is one of my Christmas dresses.
It's a good thing I bought it early because in just 2 days or so, it was off the racks!
My second pair of leopard print brogues which you see from time to time. I seriously love this pair of shoes. I thought it would be difficult to match at first but I found everything to match it with. It could go with black, blue, red, pink, a versatility upon itself that surprised me. Verdict for the Forever21+ Red Bandage Dress:I was very worried initially. Forever21+ carries up to size 18 officially and though there have been many pieces which fit well for the size 20 and above, this dress might jolly well not been one of them. I am not a big fan of the tummy hugging sort. I knew the cut of the dress would be flattering but question is, would it be forgiving enough? I am sort of a calculated risk taker and decided to go for it and I am pleasantly surprised, this being my first dress from Forever21+. It fits me just well everywhere and has pleats running through the front. In my opinion, dresses with a pleated or a wrapped front helps to contain the tummy a little. It is not too loose, not too tight and not too short. The material is superb though a little heavy for Singapore's weather. I would imagine it doing very well for autumn and winter. It has merits that made it tolerable for heat and humidity which are the short sleeves and a slightly interesting cutout at the back for a spot of breeze. If one day the colour red is as celebrated as black, this would be my little big red dress, the classic statement that I would never tire of or go out of style.
Bows for the Forever21+ Red Bandage Dress:
Christmas Dress: Forever21+
Leggings that always roll down: Dorothy Perkins, 120 denier
Leopard Print Brogues: "Your Feet Look Gorgeous" range from New Look
Gold Bow Brooch: H&M (bought in Paris!)
Red Ring: Actually Actually
Polka Dotted Ring: Dorothy PerkinsLabels: Bowdicts, Brogues, Brooches, Dorothy Perkins, Dresses, Faith21, Forever21+, Leggings, New Look, OOTD, Outfits, Red, Reviews, Rings, Your Feet Look Gorgeous
OOTD: Pottering Around
I set the camera on a 10 seconds mode and posed outside the apartment when I've double checked that there was no one around but it couldn't focus. A pity.
It was Sunday and I was going to catch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows so I wore the
ASOS CURVE Cotton Crochet Trim Chick Dress. I was going to keep it for another night out. I have this habit of squirreling dresses away in the event that something major comes along, it wouldn't catch me unaware and in a frenzy to buy clothes but the "major" event never really did occur. I do have a stock of skirts and dresses which I can just easily extricate from the recesses of my wardrobe. I knew I had to have the bag when I spied it in a shop in Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Bangkok. The workmanship is good, the colours are easy to match, it is waterproof but I cannot be certain that it is the real deal. The price was pretty steep but still far lesser than the original.
I am very pleased with this set of outfit pictures because I made use of Zara's bright double-mirror dressing room and I took the pictures myself. I was never comfortable with outdoor outfit poses but once left alone in the dressing room, that's when I come alive.
Verdict for
ASOS Curve Cotton Crochet Trim Chick Dress:
I am a size 20/22 by Dorothy Perkins standard and don't really know what size to order from ASOS as this is the first time but I figured that to be able to wear them is better than to wear them tightly or feel awkward or not able to wear them at all! This is a wonderful dress in terms of length. It ended nicely on my knees and has two front pockets which I love resting my hands and keeping my phone in. It had a elastic waistband so this dress felt larger on me and I am certain I could probably fit nicely into size 20 but it doesn't bother me. If the waist is too big, I'll belt it. The one grouse I do have is the sleeves, they are kinda too big and tends to flap around which I don't like but I could live with it although I also have this fear of dipping my sleeves into soup. I am also very afraid of catching the lace details around the neckline on my bag or accidentally tear it with my nails. I am very accident-prone that way.
This is also my first time in tights. I never could find tights to fit me. Not in Marks & Spencer or anywhere else so when
Dorothy Perkins started carrying them in varied jewelled tones, I was excited. I even had doubles of the black and grey but the annoying thing is that for a plus size retailer, their tights only go up to XL (equivalent of a size 18) so I spent a very irritating rest of the day discreetly trying to stop it from rolling down my hips and landing in a pool on the floor. The quality of the tights are also quite good because all the tugging and rubbing haven't left any holes in them yet
but I could jolly well do a larger size please. Would I wear them again? I have to because I have a few pairs but I would be sure to wear them beneath shorts or bicycle shorts to stop their descending journey.
Zara has some great stuff and their
Winter collection is droolworthy but to stop my revolving eye (I overspent at
Forever21,
ASOS and
New Look), I grabbed this camel tone dress (it was standing in my way) and made a beeline for the dressing room. I like the soft fabric, the shoulder details and the warm camel colour but do not like the way it hugged my tummy with passion and the length so it was a definite no.
Bows for ASOS Curve Cotton Crochet Trim Chick Dress
Cotton Crochet Trim Chick Dress: ASOS Curve
Purple Tights: Dorothy Perkins
Studded Brogues: "Your Feet Look Gorgeous" range from New Look
Ring: Topshop
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs (authenticity unclear)
Studded Belt: Dorothy PerkinsLabels: ASOS Curve, Bowdicts, Crochet Trim, Dorothy Perkins, Dresses, Lace, New Look, OOTD, Outfits, Reviews, Topshop, Your Feet Look Gorgeous, Zara
OOTD: Peek.aboo
This was an original attempt of desperation. Boyfriend jackets had kicked off a huge storm then and I was dying for the look but of course, I couldn't find a boyfriend jacket that would fit me properly. So I wandered off into a shop and found this. It was long and black and hey, I thought, I could make this into my boyfriend jacket! Of course the material was too soft to hold a proper shape but I found that I was able to button up all the way and it wasn't too tight for my tummy or hips. I look shapeless and the front was way too short. It would hitch up without an effort.
The original idea was to sew a line of tulle at the hem but I didn't have enough tulle to do that so I put off wearing it for nearly a year or maybe even more. That morning, I was in a race for Time before the Boy would pick me up for work and this dress was lying conveniently on a chair, waiting to be "worked on". I just slipped it on, threw on a belt and most importantly, shimmied into a petticoat and ran out.
The petticoat left my modesty intact so I was able to enjoy this very well-fitted shirt-dress all day, feeling great. A lacier petticoat hunt is on full motion!
This is an example of how a mistake turned out right.
Shirt-Dress: A shop from Far East Plaza
Brown Weave Belt: Dorothy Perkins
Leopard Print Shoes: "Your Feet Look Gorgeous" range from New Look
Petticoat: Mom's
Bracelets: A shop from Far East Plaza, Charles & Keith, Muse @ Far East Plaza
Labels: New Look, OOTD, Outfits, Shirt-Dress, Your Feet Look Gorgeous
OOTD: ASOS I Bow To Thee
Since I've discovered how reasonable
ASOS shipping to Singapore has been, I've been very obsessively checking in everyday to see what new items they have and till date, I've already shared two shipments with my coworkers and it is very exciting for us to have packages to open up to during our mundane workdays!
I remember what
Evie said about stepping out of comfort zone in her "
Taking A Risk..." blog entry and decided to try to inch out of it. I used to be a "walking Christmas Tree" according to a friend when she saw me for the first time in office five and a half years ago. I made sure then I had colourful necklace, bracelets and earrings everyday then and was dripping with accessories although they weren't diamonds. Five and a half years later and nearly reaching thirty (ugghh), I have toned down a lot and chose to wear only a piece or two at a time. Basically my accessories are now stored in boxes now, waiting for the day to shine. I wore one of my regular necklaces these days and dug out not one, not two ... but
four others to put on this day. Why the hell not, right?
This is my glitter-iest scarf to date for sure, a tribute to my sequins obsession and I grabbed it off the Zara shelf when I saw it, draped it over myself, felt pretty in it and brought it straight to the cashier. It works really well over plain tops, especially white ones. I am still looking for creative ways to wear it. Over dinner, it kind of felt like a bib on me. I was petrified of dripping soup on it.
This is the
ASOS CURVE Jersey Puff Sleeve Zip Back Top in Black. It comes in two colours and if there is a sale, I'll get the other colour for sure. The jersey material is ultra comfortable, sweat-absorbent and does its job of keeping me nice and cool in the ever hot and humid Singaporean weather. I am always partial to the "Puff Sleeve" design because my shoulders are a little droopy and puff sleeves add a little definition to them. The invisible zip is just a nice touch. My basic black top criteria is that it must have subtle details to make it not too casual so that I can wear out in the evenings if needed, nicely-made because I wear the
heck out of them. At £20, even though it is expensive after currency conversion, I can justify it because it has
everything I look for.
This is a navy blue bow skirt on clearance at ASOS but sadly it is no longer available. On the model, it looks very short but seeing that the model is 5'11, I knew that the skirt length would be perfect on the short me and it is. When it was on clearance, it only had my size so I knew that Providence decreed that I should own this and pounced on it. Made of linen material means it creases slightly after wash and if I didn't hang it up but it doesn't bother me. I love the bow on the skirt but I wish it was stiffer so that it would be noticed. The waist didn't really fit that well but if I had gone for a size smaller, my tummy would be quite visible. The thing about tight-fitting clothes is that whenever I go on the subway, considerate beings would stand up and let me have their seats which embarrassed me no end so I try to stay away from the seating area most of the time. But at £6, there is absolutely no complaints from me. Zilch. One of the
best ASOS buys ever.
My well-loved leopard print shoes are the reason I keep trying to match my clothes to it nowadays. It is flat and comfortable, allows me to run after buses, thieves and away from the rain! The Boy doesn't understand leopard print but ... the print, they spoke passionately to me!
The gold bearings necklace is a current staple and goes well on most stuff I own but I haven't worn the rings out in ages. The red felt ring was a handmade
Etsy buy years ago and was twilled from 100% merino wool with a vintage button secured in. I have another in gray.
The entire outfit.
I found this pair of camel harem trousers which look pretty perfect in Dorothy Perkins the other day but alas, it doesn't come in my size. Dorothy Perkins
should carry bigger sizes in Singapore. I would have bought it in a heartbeat if I could wear it.
* * *In Chinese tradition, when a newly-born turns a month old, it is a cause for celebration. Parents would either whip up a storm and invite friends and family over or cater a buffet if they are too lazy. I was working on the day my coworker has a "one month old" celebration so he brought over some traditional sweets and cakes for those who couldn't attend the actual event.
Swiss rolls and cream cakes of various toppings
Fruit tarts
Chocolate and Coffee tarts with Love
Perplexing-looking cakes and dyed red eggsThe red cakes are known as 'Ang Ku Kueh' or a literal translation of 'red tortoise cakes'. If you look carefully, it has a tortoise-shell design on it. In reality, it is a steamed glutinous rice flour cake mixed with mashed sweet potato and filled with mung bean paste filling or finely-grounded peanuts. They have a symbolic auspicious meaning to it. Tortoises or turtles are viewed as creatures blessed with longevity so in serving these to guests, it is a hope that the baby would live to a long, ripe age. The eggs are dyed red because the colour red represents happiness and good luck. Eggs are significant because they symbolize fertility and the renewal of life. Also, their shape is traditionally associated with harmony and unity. Yes, we chinese are all about symbolism!
Bows for ASOS Curve Jersey Puff Sleeve Zip Back Top
Bows for ASOS Curve Navy Bow SkirtJersey Puff Sleeve Zip Back Top: ASOS Curve
Navy Blue Bow Skirt: ASOS Curve
Leopard Print Shoes: "Your Feet Look Gorgeous" range from New Look
Sequinned Scarf: Zara
Handmade Merino Wool Ring: 3FUN from Etsy
Lips Ring: a shop off Far East Plaza
Gold Bearings Necklace: Soon Lee, Haji LaneLabels: Ang Ku Kueh, ASOS Curve, Bowdicts, Bows, Cakes, Food, Leopard, New Look, OOTD, Outfits, Reviews, Shoes, Skirts, Tarts, Your Feet Look Gorgeous
