boo much for the lack of updates again. Not only do I not have the time to take any outfit pictures, I also have been pulling clothes from my 'daily drawer' for almost 2 weeks now. What is the 'daily drawer' if you're asking.. Well, that drawer basically consists of my favorite staples in either black/grey/white. The drawer simply allows me to create an outfit even if I am blindfolded. Very convenient I know.. It's like going back to my uniform days during high school.. The only drawback is that it does get boring (but sometimes I'd rather look boring than having to wake up earlier to plan an outfit.. sleep is too valuable) and Geminis like me tend to avoid monotony too much. and so, this is where nail polishes come to the rescue.
Just a simple swipe of a bright shade is all you need to perk up that daily drawer pieces of mine. Bubbletalk Shop probably knew that I'm going through a 'boring phase' and they sent me this OPI Mariay Carey Liquid Sand set. Upon unwrapping, I quickly put on the bright red-looking bottle on my fingernails. When it dried, I really couldn't stop rubbing it's gritty sandy texture (my fingers even sneakily make time for a rub as I type this). Taaa-daaaa, a pop of color into my dailywear without the need of sacrificing my sleep time.
When it comes to fashion, trends come and go (... and come again) but some trends manage to stay and last longer than others. The la fleur (flower in french) trend, as my dad's Belgian friends described the other night, was definitely one of those ones with staying power. From small to larger prints or even the 3-Dimensional popping ones, la fleur have been quite a hit on and off the runway for slightly more than a year if I didn't miscalculate. Plus, there is no need to wait for the spring sun to shine... Designers such as Dolce & Gabbana and Erdem have been famous for incorporating the la fleur aspect into their collections all seasons round. The once girly-associated-trend has finally left it's prissy days behind and gained it's part in the edgy and luxe world.
As for my own take, the darker and more sophisticated la fleur look has always been preferred. For today’s look, I've combined some dark abstract la fleur prints along with the 3D belt. When I first purchased these pieces, I never knew that I was going to wear them very often! I usually opt for simple plain colored apparels but as the trend grows on myself, I find it amazing on how la fleur can take simple pieces to the next level. If it wasn’t for this post, I might not even realize how often I post la fleur pieces of all sorts for the blog.
I may not have fashion week anywhere on my agenda (except for checking style.com's app before bed), but my schedule for september is already looking pretty crazy. With no assistant, I'm resorting back to my good old tripod and remote days. These photos were taken after a whole day of errands. Therefore, please mind the tired face..
It may sound surprising to you, but I admit that 90% of my closest friends aren't as crazy over fashion as I am. In fact, I'm usually the go to person for some q&a session and I myself don't have many people to rely for advice. Not that I ask others' opinions much.. but there ARE times when you need to trust your friends when you don't trust your gut. And since I don't have friends to rely on, this is where Go Try It On comes in handy.
As most of your know, photography and food are second to fashion when it comes to my 'Interest' list.. That said, I often post my culinary tours both on the blog and my latest favorite social media, Instagram. I am steering away from my usual fashion posts because I do feel that a breath of new topic is a need once every blue days.
No I am not making a food guide for Jakarta (that would be too much work for me to collect the images all over this traffic damned city). Instead, I will be sharing some food photography tips! Part of my new year resolution was to try to cater to YOUR posting wants.. A couple of readers have asked me to do a food photography tutorial and here it is !
before you start, I'd recommend on understanding the terms : aperture, white balance, and shutter speed (google !) also, keep in mind that these tips are pretty basic. Therefore, they can be applied to other photography categories such as fashion portraits, product or even your everyday shots!
A lot of my readers ask questions regarding my day job and what I do on a day to day basis. and what exactly do I wear to work and do I wear my outfits that I post on the blog to work.. (sorry for pilling up the question into one fragment sentence) Well, one of my job is a stylist. On days where I am on set, I prefer wearing comfortable and functional (which translates to.. giant pockets and weather-friendly) clothes.. however, when I am at the office or meeting with other people, chances are I am wearing the stuff I post on the blog. Today I am sharing my on-set outfit.. It usually gets even more relaxed when it's an outdoor shoot..
When it rains, I usually don't think twice to go for black or gray. However, this bright pink dress from Vobee (a local brand I introduced you earlier here) has been sitting on my couch for over a week and I thought that it would be a good time to wear it with tights to counteract the somber skies.
Even for those who shy away from colors on a daily basis (ie. if you plan to wear red pants and you start thinking what others will think of you, then you're on the 'color-shy' boat), try pairing bright hues with black pieces. or for the lazy dressers, simply purchase clothing items that have a bright color and a black detail on it like what I picked out from Vobee's webstore here.
One of the best ways to take a monochrome outfit to the next level is to play with textures. When the word 'texture' comes out, people often imagine adding heavyweight fabrics such as suede or leather to their look. These two are great materials but they're not really realistic for someone who lives in the tropics like me. So... how to play with textures in the heat then?
The answer is simple; Buy pieces made with multiple types of lightweight fabric. Take cues from local brand, Cotton Ink. Their latest Waterfall Jacket collection features 2 different textures on one outerwear. Some linen, some satin, but mine's all cotton, one type woven and the other jersey. Pop the jacket over your regular outfits, and ta-da texture play at ease.
Colors of the ocean inspired this look of mine. Bright cobalt blues, hints of mints, and a little bit of brown like sands off shore... The color combination is slightly off my usual palette but I decided to give it a go anyway. I pictured myself wearing this outfit with Acne's unique platform pumps..
I watched the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo the other day and wow, Rooney Mara didn't looked like Rooney Mara. Hard to believe that she was also one of the cast in The Social Network. Other than her unglamorous makeover (punk hair, shaved brows, and more), I wondered if all her piercing (including ones on her private areas) are real. And turns out all of that play boy body jewelry (from freshtrends) are. In one interview she even mentioned that that one private piercing is actually the one that hurt the least. Anyway, I can't believe I just rambled about that for one paragraph. Maybe because I enjoyed the movie a lot and I look forward reading the other books from this Swedish series..
Jakarta Fashion Week has officially begun on Saturday! Sad to say that I won't be able to make it to most of the shows due to my job (and my need to stay fit....) But I'm equally excited to read twitter and web updates that will be posted during the week. I thought it would be fun to do some sort of 'fashion week essentials' type of post for the Sunday... ps. even if this is dedicated for fashion week, most of the items I list have become my daily essentials too !
despite my lack of posting for the past week, I'm actually proud to say that I've been the most productive ever since I came back from my holiday two and a half months ago. One : I finally managed to redesign my blog layout after weeks of planning. Two : I managed to get the HTML coding done within a few hours (please don't compare me to those javascript geeks as I'm sure that they can make my layout within an hour). Three : finished editing all images from the photo jobs I've been accepting. Four : backed up my files onto an external hardrive just incase my 3 year old macbook pro decides to pass out. Five : cleaned up my email inbox. Six : managed to write a brand new profile for my blog, but google chrome crashed so whatever I wrote wasn't saved. and on top of all, I can still get new contents up on the blog. This was yesterday's outfit. Nothing Indonesian's related to celebrate the independence day though..
Before the pictures start rolling in, I'd like to wish Happy Independence Day Indonesia ! (better late than never right?) I hope and pray for the best for this country that I've spent most of my life in. Let there be no more corruption (not just government officials, but also tiny things in life like bragging that parking guy to get you a nice parking spot..) This corruption thing has become a bad habit and 'cultural' at times. Even I always tip the parking guys so I can always get a good spot at malls. I also wish that this country would move forward not backward. Make movies that are worth watching. TVs, please stop playing those highly-predictable-demoralizing soap operas. They suck (read : suck). and my last word of advice, please don't wear fake goods. I find this quite of a problem in Indonesia. Some magazines aren't even good role models when it comes to this. They feature mangga dua versions of Alexas the whole time. Amazingly, some people wear those replicas with confidence (even when the item looks horribly fake). There are lots of great bags and shoes in all sorts of price ranges to suit your budget! looking stylish isn't just about brands, it's HOW you wear it. Hey ! Even Olivia Palermo wears Zara! So next time if you or your friend is tempted to buy a fake, ask yourselves if the item will do you any good. Chances are, replicas will never have the same build quality as the real deal, thus it's only a matter of time before it falls apart and create a shameful image on you. I can probably write a whole essay on this. But I'm going to save that for another time...
H&M sweater, Floe skirt, Tea Label necklace worn as bracelet, Chanel bag, Louis Vuitton tie-up heels
Wearing some of my favorite pieces altogether today.. the classic white shirt, high waisted leather shorts, and this printed cover up from Sober Denim. I'm always back for this "uniform" whenever I'm out of ideas. The socks and heels look is also becoming my go-to combination when i need a little "pick-me-up". Those who like the socks + heels trend but dont have the urge to wear it out, try pairing dark gray socks with black wedges first (like here). It's what I'd call a "begginer attempt".. trust me, it looks like ankle wedge boots from a distance. having socks also prevents nasty blisters appearing (so there's another reason why you should try it out).
these vintage clubmaster sunnies i snagged off ebay is becoming my everyday staple. I wont leave the house unless I have this in my bag.
i love my red floppy hat
i dont usually wear patterns, but i love these ones ! Sober Denim outerwear, cotton ink shirt, topshop leather shorts, schutz shoes
i got one big awesome news to share with you guys ! but i wont be sharing it just yet ;)
I consider myself quite of a camel. I drink huge amount of water for several reasons. One : keeps the cough away. Two : prevents me from over eating (I drink 2 glasses before a big meal and it ALWAYS works). Three : keeps my skin glowing. Anyway, you might be thinking what does water have to do with fashion? well, you can see in this post's photos that water adds a nice effect for photography work. but water isn't only good for visuals, it's also good for YOU.
It amazes me how little water people consume these days. About 41.6% of teens are suffering from light dehydration. When I'm out with my friends, they eat as much as a 5-year-old. But, they fill themselves up with sugar-loaded sodas and 600 calorie Starbucks beverages. Strange enough, they tell me that they're on diet. "Drinking" calorie is the worst. It's so much better to eat 600 calories (hey ! You can eat 1/2 roasted chicken with several side dishes and still some space for Frozen Yogurt with that amount of calorie). So if you're thinking on skipping the meal, don't. Plus, sugary drinks do not (read : do not) can't replace water. they may be liquid, but they're more like you eating multiple spoons of sugar (yuck right..)
If you feel that you're skinny enough, it doesn't mean that you should stop drinking water. A human body is 55% - 78% made of water (if you haven't notice, blood is watery and blood is everywhere around your body). That percentage doesn't stay that way if you don't keep drinking. 8 glasses a day should do you good. If you're afraid of going back and forth to the bathroom too much, then drink at night when you reach home. I have one giant jug for me to finish every night.
What's my message here? DRINK MORE WATER ! it's cheap, free of calories and it does wonders for you :)
when in comes to fashion, comfort may not be the first thing on my list. I still wear my heels despite all the blisters I've obtained and I still squeeze into my Herve Leger even if I need to go on a detox beforehand. But then, I'm still human. Despite all the outfits you've seen in my blog, I have those "off" days where I wear my jeggings, tshirt, and havaianas. When I'm in need of comfort and poise, I choose nice breathable fabrics with loose/skimming cuts. Cotton Ink is one of those brands that fits into the description. Everything from their collection is either made of cotton or smooth viscose (perfect for indonesia's blaze).
combined sky blue and pink champagne for a spring-y look.. neutralized everything with brown accessories
these aldo wedges are one of my comfiest shoes. I turn to these wedges when I need height but minus the pain. They're also my go-to shoes when it's raining. cotton ink top and drawstring shorts, customized leather bracelet, aldo wedges
speaking of comfort, i thought I'd clarify some things. Many people get the wrong impression that fashion bloggers run around in heels all day long 24/7. WE DONT :) I remember Susie Bubble had this post where she would take a pair of flats for those subway rides and she changes into heels at the destination. Well I don't know about other bloggers, but I wear flats at the office, and change into heels when I go out or only when I'm meeting someone. That's pretty much my way of surviving tall heels on a daily basis.
I immediately fell in love with ScreenFlick when I knew it was capable of recording my full computer without any time limits ! I've been searching for this program for ages. the only bad news is that I'm stuck with a watermark because I'm being a cheap-ass and I did not buy the full version (well my dad refused to do so because he never trusts online credit card transactions except from the Apple Store)..
Anyhow, since many of you kept asking me on the Photoshop effects, I'm dedicating today's post for TWO Photoshop tutorials (I'm on holiday, and I'm more-or-less unoccupied).. I suggest you to watch it fullscreen so that you can see where the mouse is better. Good luck trying ! just ask me in the comments/email, if there's anything you're unclear about..
BOKEH IMAGE TUTORIAL
VINTAGE IMAGE TUTORIAL
some random pics throughout the week I took using a self timer.. found out that its MUCH easier to work with a point and shoot timer feature than a DSLR because its hard for it to find the focus point when I'm not in front of the camera..
this was my first successful freeze frame shot ! i plan to get better at doing these photos.. shot this from inside the car, which is why there are some glass glares on the top right corner..
some other stuff i'd like to share :
got another interview from Fashion Jinx ! Chris was nice enough to let me do a video interview as well a text interview :D i was really excited as that was my first ever video interview.. you can read more here..
and i also won the giveaway hosted by Come Over to the Dark Side We Have Candy ! So happy because this is my first giveaway that I won (yeshhh my luck is that bad this year..) anndddd that i'll be able to choose my own piece of clothing from Westrags for the gift !
i do hope April is a good month ahead for me :D 2 goods in the first 7 days is not bad..
Cheers to the my 2nd DIY tutorial for you guys :D My first one got great comments and am hoping my second one will do also. This time I won't be doing a full vlog (since video doesn't load easily for some readers with bad internet connection -that includes me myself-) but I only made a vlog for the sections that are hard to photograph :D
my source of inspiration. left to right : Sea of Shoes, Cheap Monday leather patch skinnies, William Rast patched jeans, Balenciaga S/S 2010
This DIY also falls into the 'temporary DIY' categories as the DIY isn't permanent and it won't destroy your jeans AT ALL ! in fact, you can use this project on ANY kinds of apparels (tops, leggings, scarves, etc.).. I've worn it with some navy leggins on my previous post here :D hope you enjoy this ! feel free to comment if you've got better suggestions :D
First off you'll need the following materials :
Jeans (you don't have to worry about ripping the jeans out!), scissors, denim or any other kinds of STURDY fabric you like, safety pins, needle & thread. Optional : lighter.
First step : cut off some fabrics into rectangles/squares/whatever shape you want. you can one, two, three, or how many ever you want.
Next, fray the ends by pulling it out on random sections.
If you want the patches to stick together, then sew them together now. I sewed mine using visible white stitching to add more interest but you can sew yours however you want !
to add some vintagy worn out effects, take a lighter and 'burn' some bits of the fabric in the center. careful not to burn yourself ! check out the video on how to burn it.
Final step : pin your patchworks onto ur jeans ! if you'd like it to be permanent, then simply sew it on :D you can always take the stitches out if you're bored.
check this video below if you want the fabric to look like this :D
since these patches are removable, you can try sticking them onto different mediums ! :D and be sure to check out my patchwork leggings on this post !
