The Sandwich Bag: WANT or SHAN'T?

It was love at first sight. 

Since being introduced on the runway last January I can’t stop thinking about the clutch. My ‘accountant–self' has been battling hard with my ‘fashion-slave' other half as I'm trying to justify the rationale behind acquiring what could be the “most expensive paper bag in the world” (The  Telegraph/ British Vogue).

Jil Sander Fall Winter 2012 fashion show.
image source: nowfashion.com

Stripes and spots for the weekend

As the title suggests I have been wearing striped tees and spots quite often lately, evident in my previous outfit posts. Well, often is an understatement actually. More like on a daily basis. An abundance of Uniqlo stripes, that is. This time around I'm inclined to pair it with a loosely nautical-inspired hat from Uniqlo as well. I'm thinking whether I should post my looks at Uniqlooks because thus far the content of my wardrobe is gradually being replaced by more and more basics from the Japanese giant clothing label...

 

Uniqlo hat and top, Dockers pants, Miu Miu espadrilles, Ermenegildo Zegna reversible belt

Whimsical trend: Darth Vader visor

You can consider that I'm a relatively big fan of Star Wars, ever since the prequel episodes were released - I was still in Form Three when Episode One: The Phantom Menace was in the cinemas. I even collected the Episode One Pepsi posters! Now you know such nerdiness actually existed at some point of my life. Cue Sheldon Cooper's "BAZINGA!" remarks.

 

A collage of Star Wars + fashion forrays. Clockwise from top left: Commes des Garcons 2012; Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen for Stylemint; Illustrations by John Woo: Jar Jar Binks in Maison Martin Margiela, Princess Amidala in Gareth Pugh, Darth Vader in Band of Outsiders, Scout Trooper in Viktor & Rolf; Adidas x Star Wars sneakers; Nicolas Ghesquiere and Charlotte Gainsbourg for Harper's Bazaar; Black Milk swimsuits; Thom Browne SS12; Balenciaga SS12. 
Image credit: fashionista.com    

On the other hand, fashion only pervades me during my blossoming years of young adulthood, not until a FEW years ago. I love it when both of my favorite worlds collide. Although a Star Wars theme in fashion is not something new, it is always comforting to see that the presumably cooler-than-thou fashion realm has at least a tiny bit of fixation on intergalactic battles, Jedis and light sabers.

We all know that the latest addition of Star Wars + fashion is in the form of Nicolas Ghesquiere's Balenciaga SS12 collection, notable the oversized visor hat, which oftly reminds people of Darth Vader's helmet.

 

Image credit: first photo - fashionista.com; last two photos: Coco's Tea Party.

Of course this by no means resemble Balenciaga's out-of-the-Galactic-Empire (see what I did here?), Darth Vader imitating, disproportionately long, questionably functional version. But when I saw this visor at Daiso, typically worn by middle-aged Korean ladies I saw during my summer trips, I can't help but get excited over the fact this is the cheapest way to emulate the trend. Despite its rather short brim, at RM5 a pop, I'm sure this can be an equally stylish substitute of the real deal. I'm pushing the futuristic look a wee bit further with this lava lamp print shirt by Christopher Kane Fall 2011...

   
I'm wearing visor hat from Daiso, Christopher Kane lava lamp print, Topman skinny trousers, Marni at H&M sandals

Whimsical trend - print trousers

You know how I am into prints and will try to experiment a few designs once in a while - leopard, cosmic, ethnic prints - I've tried them all. Can you imagine my excitement looking at these multi-geometric silk print trousers from Lanvin SS12? Practically a visual orgasm...

The bottom second pair of printed goodness very much reminds me of the images of me wearing the Gap boxer over shorts - my feeble take on print on print. But these Lanvins are done with immaculate tailoring and tasteful hues, naturally...

On another note, we all know that accessories makes the outfit complete. And some things look much better in the form of shiny, oil spill-like effect of this luminescent Comme des Garcons wallet - a very successful accessory line from CdG I think. Style it with a toned down dark outfit and you're ready to go! And of course one cannot live without a pair of these beautiful sandals in tan leather from Carven. I will forbid my feet to sweat if I wore them.

images via ssense.com

Have  a great weekend!

Whimsical trend: hybrid shoes

Recently we have been bombarded with a slew of brogue / trainer hybrids and all this obviously stemmed from Prada's notorious brogue/ espadrille shoes from SS2011, and not so long after that many other labels follow suit. I've seen good experimentation (for example the ones from Comme des Garcons x Generic Man collab) but there are a few rather questionable ones, of course (J.W Anderson x Aldo loafer- sneaker ('loaker') ones are unique but I don't see many people will carry that off aside from the superbly stylish and everything-goes Susie Bubble).

I digress, however. This season two of my favorite labels have been churning out beautiful men's shoes that are both experimental in and are hybrid of some sort...

First up are these shoes from the more directional line of Burberry, Burberry Prorsum. The weaving detail on the upper is just simply beautiful and I cannot express more about how I love the cork detail of the sides of the soles. Too much design? More is more I say, in this case (Am I sounding too much like Kimora Lee Simmons here?)








 

Whimsical trends: dying for tie-dyes

Phillip Lim's 2012 Spring Summer collection is filled with great styling and most importantly, wearable separates. I think this is very crucial in fashion especially in menswear, when most of the guys will tend to steer towards simpler and cleaner looks. In this collection the simple cuts and slightly roomy silhouette is especially augmented by the ingenuity in styling.

What I like most from the collection the most, apart from the smooth earthy colors, sea foam green and electric blue are the hombre-effect shirts and trousers. Definitely a good sprucing up for the all-white fabric, and definitely reminds me of my cheapie New Yorker degrade oversized cardigan.

Does this call for another DIY attempt? Possible and feasible, I think!

Unleash the animal within...

Animal-related influences never cease to make their way into fashion. Fur, animal prints like leopard, zebra or giraffe, and even more tactile ones such as alligator or python leather is somehow mandatory every season. Even menswear is not spared from this trend, although its usage in this department is usually more subtle - as the risk for a collection with animal-print frenzy is usually too difficult for a gentleman to pull off, will get cringed upon and ultimately won't sell well.

I for one would like to brave this trend and would try one of the more popular prints of all - the leopard / cheetah...

First to go - a rather plain outfit comprising of a light shirt which my dad used to wear YEARS ago, Atmosphere linen blazer, Tophop pants and Johnson desert boots... all combined with the relatively louder leopard print fur bag from Topshop.

And the second attempt of wearing leopard print is in the form of this T-shirt which I acquired from Chic POP a few months back (the fact that Chic POP is running around 3 times annually is very encouraging for the blog-shoppers but I think the vendors need to think of other clothes and trinkets to sell instead of the usual 'vintage-inspired' theme that seem predominant there).

The T-shirt is paired with Cheap Monday leather patch denim, Peter Pilotto x Kipling bag and Miu Miu espadrilles.

Here am I jumping like a fool at one of the rare family vacations, this time it was in Port Dickson (yes, it's basically our vacation spot because of the proximity and low cost accommodation).

Talking about something fur-like I am reminded about this Cheap Monday sweater (currently available at Musa Bangsar), with stripes of different materials where faux fur and knits switches one and another... It was hard to prevent myself from rubbing my palms over the soft material and not to look like a pervert...

Menswear Fall 2011 trend - baggier please Yohji Yamamoto!

Fall 2011/2012 menswear shows have long ended but I'd still like to wax lyrical about them, at least about one of the trends that I think is quite prominent on the runway.

If you have been reading my blog for a while you'd probably known about my biased love towards slouchy pants. (have a look at my entry about Umit Benan)

I'm  feeling elated over the obvious fact of ubiquitous baggy/ roomy / billowy silhouettes at the shows.  There were baggy coats and lots of designers showed soft billowy pants.

Whimsical trend - boxer shorts over pants + Dries Van Noten SS10

This is yet another addition to my sparse (or only one, may I say) whimsical trend entry. Today I decided to experiment with wearing a pair of boxer shorts over the pants. I actually bought the boxers from GAP because mainly I'm attracted to what I think resembles the ikat print which reminds me of Dries Van Noten's SS2010 collection (among my favourite collection from the designer so far). At RM45 a pop I think it is rather pricey for a cotton undergarment, but I feel that it is somehow justified by its vivid and interesting graphic.

 I could imagine this outfit worn at fun night-outs with friends, or, given its sleep-wear influence, can be perhaps worn to a chill movie night that might end with pillow talk hahaha! I know that it's quite impractical to wear boxer shorts over pants but in this case I opted to layer them up on a pair of breezy, lightweight harem pants from Topshop (another d'ohhh moment to add to my diary - I acquired them full-priced but to find the cost halved two months later with its stock in abundance at Topshops all around KL). Perhaps this can provide an alternative to shorts-over-leggings trend that has seen its share the past two seasons?

I am wearing thrift shirt, Gap boxer shorts, Topshop harem pants, Lanvin clogs, Muji socks, eBay glasses, Swatch watch

Fun at Avillion Part Trois

My final day at Avilion was concluded with this sailor stripes on the cardigan and some blue/grey/ white combo (works all the time for my random outfit woe, methinks). I also had a whimsical trend moment with the pants-underneath-shorts action going on - a trend that I'd like to see more in reality instead of in lookbooks/ runways, although sadly the thought of layering TWO bottoms makes me think sweat and uncomfortable crotch....

Another random 'old-clothing' fact is the shorts are my dad's (I'm pretty sure they're more than 10 years old). Albeit the looseness of the waist I still like to wear them, although I think it's time to take some of the excess fabric in...

Peoples... cardigan, B.U.M grey tee, dad's shorts, customised lady's pants, Lacoste plimsolls

And the architecturally interesting spa building near our chalet....

Fun at Avillion Part Un

The celebration of Hari Raya  pleasantly but exhaustively ended with a family trip to Port Dickson last weekend. Yes, it does not boast to have the most beautiful snowy white sandy beach in Malaysia, but my elder sister was generous enough to book us one night at this cool resort Avillion (uh huh, somebody's got to work on Monday)... which is the same place where we stayed last year, with its beautiful above-the-ocean water chalets and convenient facilities and tranquil ambiance (eeek...sounds like I'm writing for a travels brochure or something...)

Naturally the idea of taking some  experimental  outfit shots (both to me stylistically and to my little sister who's learning to tinker with her new, shiny SLR bought using money, loaned from my mother of course) came to mind. Before leaving for PD I fumbled and panicked thinking what kind of clothes to bring there, and me being over-analytical and a bit OCD about outfits did not help much either!!! Did I mention I'm the ever slowpoke and last-minute kind of person who started packing for vacays after running  unnecessary errands that can be postponed the next week (for example going to the recycling centre to unload a heap of trash and a trip to Giant to browse for some cheap girl tights the very one hour before departure?)

 But may I smugly declare that all the rush and frenzy was worthwhile...upon arriving I suddenly had this inexplicable energy to dress up (and layer, mind you) despite the humid heat from the coastal air. A little strategy to beat Mother Nature has to be conjured, of course by wearing basic tank tops beneath while layering a spring /summer cardigan from the flimsiest fabric ever... I guess the excitement for outfit posts for DUNIA FASHYON came from thinking that there would be no next time for me to be in such a beautiful place as soon the government will summon me to serve them eternally in a distastefully designed hospital building somewhere in rural Malaysia...And so much so that I even managed to whip out a triple outfit shot in three separate entries especially for you dear reader(s)... hope you enjoy as much I did posting them!

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As you could probably already smell I'm caught in the act trying to reproduce a pathetic rendition of the extraordinary Lanvin SS09's straw hat (still one of my favorite collections so far) and YSL SS10 billowy cardie+trousers combo. Lucas and Stefano must be itching to gang up on me if they had any chance...

Cardigan and tank top are both from People's..., trousers from my bottom half of my Baju Melayu costume, vintage Camel Adventure shoes, DIY frayed straw hat bought from street vendor in PD, thrifted belt

runway images from men.style.com