NYC- Festive Displays

Another thing I love about NYC this time of the year is the window displays. They are just sooo classy, pretty and festive! None of those over the top multicolored flashing light bulbs in the shape on Santa pasted onto a building thing we see in some places....
Walking down midtown on Fifth Ave, there is this (recently lighted this weekend) star hanging in the middle of the street, which I thought was really really cool.
Right next to it, we have THE Tiffany store looking all pretty lighted up.
And my favourite- the Cartier store. Passing by, I initially thought it was under renovation with lights there to make it pretty. But looking at it from afar, I realized that it was in fact in the design of a gift. How cute! Oh and if you happen by at night (when there aren't hoards of people), take a picture under the arches in the lights. Its soo very very pretty.
Onto more subtle displays, we have these very abstract displays from Bendels (Oooo and Bendels reminds me of Gossip Girl!).
And these very artsy looking displays at Bergdorf Goodmans (these are one of my favourites). One would think Saks would be included, but I didn't find the recent displays very inspiring... maybe its not up yet?
And here is turkey made of utensils on display which I thought was really neat!
Onto Madison Avenue, I loved the Ralph Lauren display, its just soo......Ralph Lauren- which is perfect for the festive mood, with its all American family style.Not really festive, but just wanted to throw in the Issey Miyake display because I think that the leaves with the leafy looking costumes are just so neat.

Too bad the Christmas tree at Rockfeller was not up yet. I would've loved to see that. Thanksgiving I heard. Hmm... maybe that means I should go again! :P

What do you think of ASOS?

A few weeks ago, I had a party to go to and no new dress to wear. My friend told me to check out asos.com, which if you don't know, is a site famous for selling clothes that are 'in the style of x celebrity' and also clothes from a few UK high street brands (like Oasis, French Connection and Mina).

So after spending some time on it, I didn't know what to think about it. Because

a) ASOS has no physical store and you never know how the clothing item is like in real life until you've actually felt it.

b) The prices are high-street prices, meaning very affordable. This again, makes me very suspicious of how the clothes would look and fit.

c) I've heard mix reviews from friends. A few of my friends said the clothes were decent, and one wasn't a fan of the quality.

d) If I wanted to return the clothes, I would have to mail them back. Talk about inconvenient and the extra cost involved!

These two black dresses are classy and stylish. The quality looks decent too. I especially like the sequinned one.

The red dress is quite cute, and the silver, sequinned dress is perfect for this party season!

Now these are examples of what I think are poor quality and design. The black dress's material looks cheap and the gems a bit too plastic-y. OK, I know the dress doesn't actaully cost a lot (38 pounds), but I have no desire to wear that material. As for the cream-coloured sequined dress, the design is just not very flattering.

This is the dress that has got me seriously thinking to give ASOS a go. I really like this dress. It's stylish, pretty and very youthful.

And on a closer look, even the beads and sequins look ok in quality. So should I dive in and get this dress?

Another dress I'm liking is this waistcoat dress. It's cute and cool. It's made of all polyester though, so I'm not sure how it'll look in real life.

So I need your opinion: If you've ever bought anything (or seen your friend's purchases) from ASOS, let me know what you think of them! Oh, and what do you think of the last two dresses?

Image credits: www.asos.com

A Cute White Coat

Back in September, I was suddenly very determined to find a casual white coat to have fun with because I was bored of my other coats, which were all black. (Also I'm guessing it was a photo of Ashley Olsen in a white coat from around four years ago that triggered this sudden 'want'. Kind of strange right?)

When it comes to shopping under time constraint, I do target-shopping. Which meant that I headed straight to Zara, where I know would have somewhat stylish, basic and very affordable coats. Zara didn't let me down and I ended up buying this:
OK, so I have recently seen a LOT of girls in the streets here in London wearing basic coats from Zara, either exactly this one or similar ones. But since I get cold easily, I have already started wearing this in late September, so almost no one was wearing it yet. Oh, and I know the coat looks really not-pretty like that, but it looks really cool with the collar up and the top part wide open (the lapel part.)

Oops, rambling off my point. So the white coat did prove out to be really fun. It brightened up my casual outfits and I found it especially fun to wear it with dresses. Unfortunately, the white coat got dirty really easily. I stopped wearing it to lectures after only one lecture because my sitting around in random seats was just too much dirt for my coat to take.

My point is, while I wouldn't spend a huge amount of money on a white coat, I think it's worth trying out a white coat from affordable shops. Think of it as a youthful, cute thing to cheer you and your outfit up on those grey days!

Shorts For Winter

The whole shorts + tights + ankle boots thing is a huge trend this season (a follow-up of the super-mini-shorts trend from the summer.) Some magazines even claim it's the new mini-skirt, which I'm not too sure about but I'm a fan of mini-skirts much more than of shorts. Anyways, so I've seen a lot of girls in London wear this trend -at school, in the supermarket, shopping... While I can totally understand it's a huge trend, I'm still amazed by how many ppl are wearing this combination. Why? Becuase dude, it's cold out there. Like seriously cold. And with this look, it's a very thin line between fashion victim and cute/ cool.

But if you really like this trend, then make sure you wear 'dressy' shorts. And you might want to stick to basic colours. Here are some that I like from Top Shop:

Checkered shorts -They're casual and preppy. Plus I've always thought checked things look better in winter than summer.

Silky-like shorts -Silky-looking things always make the item look classy, expensive and perfect for a night out.

Velvet shorts -These are also very wintery feeling and give off that going-out vibe. They're very girly so they're probably not suitable for everyone's taste but if you're a girly girl...

High-waisted shorts -While I could never pull off anything high-waisted, I've seen some Londoners try them on at Top Shop and they look really cool. Imagine these shorts with something as simple as a white T-shirt (tucked in) and platforms. Cool huh? (Although I think they'll look better without tights.)

What are your thoughts on this trend? Have you been wearing it?

Image credits: http://www.topshop.com/

Paul and Joe Boots

I know that the main focus of a lookbook of a fashion collection is the clothes, but upon looking at Paul & Joe's latest lookbook, I could not help but stare in fixated horror at the model's feet. Maybe I am just not fashion forward enough, but upon seeing these boots (almost everywhere in the lookbook) all I can think of is ugh!
Maybe in a few months (or even weeks) time, I will find them cute and want a pair. Who knows how fashion evolution works? I mean, without the slouchy thing, the shape of the pointy toe is perfectly rounded and the heels look just right. But right now ,at this moment, the slouchy thing (which I assume is the CENTER of the design) just makes models look like they have swollen ankles to me- and that is never attractive.
I tried looking at them from different angles, but still- nothing. Maybe it is also the awkward height of the boots as well, making them not quite ankle boots but not quite tall boots either. Only a model with super long legs like that can carry it off (I should know since I stupidly bought a pair of such awkward height boots last season and I am still trying to figure out how to wear them....) without looking short with their legs sectioned off like that.
So what is the verdict for these $825 Peper Suede Paper Bag booties? Fashion forward? Or should it be stuffed into a paper bag?

Image Source: Paul & Joe and Shopbop

Top Ralph Lauren Picks

In anticipation of Ralph Lauren's private sale, which takes effect online this Thursday 9am eastern time through to Monday 19th Nov, I decided to do a little feature on some of my top Ralph Lauren picks this season. I mean, the sales are going to be pretty good, going up to 40% off with an extra 15% off already reduced price items on Thursday by typing in "NOV15", so better make the most of the opportunity! First thing that pops into my head that I want from RL- dress shirts. Especially blue/white stripey ones like these two. They are just classic. It would be a great addition to my building work wardrobe. I wonder if RL considers these classic enough to fall under: "Up to 30% off RL Classics: cashmere sweaters(whopee!), polo shirts, oxfords, chinos and select Create Your Own items".......
Off to more interesting pieces, I also like these white dress shirts with an extra feminine touch. Especially the one on the left, the pleats are just right to make it look interesting, but not so much that it looks overtly girly.
Long cardigans are also just the thing this season. Paired with a printed dress shirt (left), you'd have perfected the preppy chic look. By itself, they are casual and cool (right).
And we must not forget this season's must have: dresses. These dresses above are both simple and elegant. The key of course is the belt. The one on the left with the badge and the collar is more casual and youthful. Except I'm not sure if it would look as good on me as it does on the model...what if I look school girl like? Its a thin line.
As the holiday season approaches, we have these very holiday feel sweaters with the snowflakes, plaid and red. Personally, I'd go for the red sweater and plaid shirt combo. Least then I can also wear it separately and besides, plaid is going to be fun this season.
Something dressier, there is this adorable bronze satin dress. I don't know why, but I have a huge affinity towards RL shoes even though they are not known for making footwear. This season is no exception. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE these black ankle boots. They are high, but with platform, so I won't be in pain all the time. And the heels look sturdy. The toes are perfectly rounded. The black bow is just the right of detail to make it interesting while still keeping it simple. I just LOVE it. I can wax poetry about it all night. I WANT these!
And last but certainly not least are these jackets/coats. Coats and jackets are the best investment, because they don't change everyday so you really get good mileage out of it. They are the first thing people see you in when you walk in somewhere- so make sure you make a good statement with it. I am loving the stylish cropped jacket (left), which can be worn formally like this or casually, layering with jeans etc. And the long coat- it is just princess like with its perfect fit and flare!

So yes, don't forget to check out the RL private sale this Thursday!

Image Source: Ralph Lauren

Leather Jackets

I have never really had the desire for leather jackets before, because I have always related it to punk, rock n roll and motorcycles- none of which describes me. But lately, with the the mix and matching of rock n girly and layering, I have had a change of mind...and now I really want one! They seem to be everywhere!
There is the more classic biker chic kind like this one from Alice + Olivia (left)- I love it! And then there is the more casual looking ones like this one from Mike & Chris with a combo of material giving it a sportier edge (Mike & Chris- think Rachel Bilson last year).
To make them more layer friendly, some designers also made these cropped biker chic leather jackets like these two from Sword (left) and Clandestine for DKNY (right). I especially LOVE the soft dove grey color of the Sword leather jacket. I can totally imagine it over a flowy black dress looking very cool.
Here we play with the fit and the neckline at Madison Marcus (left) and Adam plus Eve (right). Its interesting... but I got to say, not my favourite.
Going a bit more to the extreme, we have these girly-fied leather jackets with added feminine touches from Madison Marcus. I think the brown one with the frills (left) is a bit too much but I love the grey one with the ruffled neckline (right)- its perfect!

Sigh... too bad for me that leather jackets are about one of the most expensive types of jackets out there.....

Image Source: Shopbop, Shop Intuition, Elle