Banking On The Basics

I'll be frank with you, I am thoroughly not an early 'LET'S GET EVERYTHING DONE' morning kind of person. Say hello to your next-door night owl whose optimal functioning hours start from midnight and onward. As such, the waking demands of  a typical nine-to-six job don't sit very well with my notorious nocturnal tendencies, which have resulted in many a day of oversnoozing and blatantly sleeping through alarms. You can imagine how that would put my morning routine into absolute chaos. I am all too familiar with trying to wash my face and brush my teeth at the same time, having an eyelash curler in my right hand and trying to apply blush with the left (which did end badly), or precariously hopping around on one foot as I try to simultaneously gather my things and put on some socks.  I mean, there's no one there to witness my morning mishaps, thank god, but I'm sure they look pretty funny. 

As I more or less embrace the ups and downs of working life, I also find my wardrobe transitioning more into the muted hues of whites, blacks and the occasional pastel, just because a whole wardrobe of basics is so much easier to match when you have the, for me, maybe not-so, occasional morning mishap. This post documents the essence of my go-to basic pieces whenever I'm in a time crunch and can trust will match, no matter which pieces my hands touch first.

Gents, you have it easy - slip on any office dress code appropriate shirt and pants and you're pretty much ready to go. I'm not too sure if anyone would notice if you wore the same white shirt three days in a row, though if you start to smell, I'm quite sure I would. And no, copious amounts of deodorant is most definitely not a shower replacement. 

So to all the ladies, here's my take on the closet basics that you need to invest in: A pair of nude heels, a fun coloured minimalist bag, a shift dress that is work appropriate or can be glam-ed up for a night out after, and since I've never been one to be frugal with the sparkles - a versatile statement necklace. 

So everyone, pray tell, what are the basics you can't live without? I mean, besides coffee, of course. 

SHOP MY CLOSET

Girls On Film Shift Dress | ASOS Nude Heels  | Bimba and Lola Crossbody Bag

Indiesin Statement Necklace | NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita | MUFE Aqua Lip Liner in 03C

Photography by the talented Randy Tan - Also on Instagram and Facebook

UNICORN LOVE, 

- R 

Colonial Charm

If you've read my previous blogpost, you'll know that I was quite taken with the brand spanking new interior of Victoria concert hall, which got me musing about the predicament of living in a globalizing and shrinking world. As such, I have been on the hunt for locations in this concrete jungle that still retain a touch of their colonial charm.  The next place on my checklist was the Singapore Art Museum, another old haunt pulled out from the memories of my teenage years spent on school excursions and relishing in the fact that there was no work to be done that day. 

This location is arguably one of my favourites yet - lots of clean, white space with an added touch of benches and artwork for you to go about questioning your quarter-life existential crisis. The museum displays a significant collection of work by quite a number of Southeast-Asian contemporary and modern artists. The beautifully restored colonial-era mission school is also now house to a variety of cafes and restaurants as well as quaint little stores that sell local crafts and products. 

You've heard me complaining countless times on my blog about the sweltering heat in Singapore - I know not what possessed me to purchase this outerwear, and wear it on this shoot with my photographer Randy whose camera was SO SHARP you could zoom in to see the beads of perspiration on my upper lip. Not glamorous at all, I can tell you that. In retrospect, my first mistake was probably just trying it on - trying things on does no favors to your wallet, believe me. 

The clean lines of this architecture remind me oddly of ZARA tailoring, which is why I chose to wear the mid length tailored blazer and the white blouse I'm sporting - two of my newest wardrobe additions. That, and every time I step into either the Singapore Art Museum or a ZARA store, look around and take a deep breath, everything seems right in the world again. 

SHOP MY CLOSET 

ZARA Long Tailored Waistcoat | ZARA White Top | Black Lace Trim Shorts

New Look Solitaire Double Strap Heels | Prada Mini Alma in Chrome

Photography by the talented Randy Tan of LoveLens - also on Instagram and Facebook 

UNICORN LOVE, 

 - R 

Print in Pink

I can't believe how fast the first month of 2015 has passed. Where did that whole month go? But aha! While that means the depth of winter for those of you in New York (I heard about the blizzard, bundle up, everyone!), or the height of  the summer haze for those in the land down under, for me it means my favourite time of the year is almost upon us. Oh yes, I said it. I like February way more than I do Christmas. 

For those of you who haven't figured it out yet - February heralds the approaching of the Chinese New Year fesitivities. At this point I could write an essay about what goes on during the celebrations, but here's the tl;dr: We go on shopping sprees for a new wardrobe, because it's good luck to welcome the New Year with NEW ERRTHANG. We wear said new wardrobe to visit relatives and friends where we feast on traditional cookies, cakes, bak kwa, yusheng, hotpot and a truckload of other good food. Relatives give you red pockets with money in them. An all encompassing excuse to shop, pocket money, good food and good company. Who could want for more? 

In the spirit that you should wear a little colour during Chinese New Year, here's a post with a blush-toned palette at Melbourne's iconic Brighton Beach, to take a break from my favourite black and whites. I couldn't leave without doing a shoot here, of course. This gingham skirt sat in my ASOS 'saved items' page for a really, really  long time till one day the discount god bestowed a 70% blessing upon us for two days. What can I say - this skirt and the beach took to each other like they were always meant to be, and had this gorgeous baby of a shoot. 

The sun was abysmally bright, making it a pain in the tush to shoot anything at all, and I felt like I was being microwaved alive, but even I long for the burning heat and cool waters as I put my nose to the daily grind. 

 

SHOP MY CLOSET

ASOS Gingham Pink Midi | ZARA TRF crop top 

Lovisa necklace | Charles & Keith loafers similar here

Photography by Lily Chen 

UNICORN LOVE, 

- R 

Juxtaposition

For this post, I'm easing back into it with a trip back to my comfort zone - monochrome en masse. Well not really in comfort, because on the contrary apparently typing is all I need to do in this weather to work up a line of sweat beads along my hairline. I'm also going to be starting an internship soon, so let me revel one last time in the pleasure of cropped, midriff- baring tops, asymmetric hems, chunky boots and my hair all loose in the wind before I have to subject myself to the horrors of more conservative office wear. -shudder- 

I had planned for this skirt to be shot at a later date after I had gotten rid of that food baby (hahaha I'm heading back to Singapore, who am I kidding?), but seeing as I would be photographer-less in two weeks, there was no way around it. On the flipside, this serves as motivation for myself to get back in shape, and for the bulges of that food baby to grace the face of social media no longer than this one post.

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I spent the last two weeks in Australia staying with Lily in her house in the suburbs. She was very kind to put me up as I waited for graduation. I can safely say that two weeks later I officially developed suburbititis. It was a sight to behold, for suburbia certainly becomes me. While I did work out occasionally, there wasn't much to do except go to Coles. Days were spent lounging in my pajamas, watching reruns of an old korean drama and treating my mouth like a black hole. The difference being that we don't know where things go when they disappear into black holes - that packet of lemon crisps, however, I can definitely see where that went. 

 

SHOP MY CLOSET

Striped asymmetrical skirt similar here | H&M mesh crop top | Cut out boots similar here

Minimalist triangle necklace | Wet n' Wild nail polish Haze of Love | New Look cross body bag

Photography by Lily Chen

UNICORN LOVE, 

- R 

Scarlet Siren

Since my discovery of the versatility of the classic red lip , its been my saving grace many a time when I find myself in the pickle of "Oh no, too much black". And let's face it, given the underwhelming amount of color in my wardrobe, that situation is never too far around the fashion corner (or runway, if you will). So when a little birdie told me of the #YSLDangerousReds photo competition that advertised a year's worth of YSL products, or a trip to Sydney for a photoshoot with photographer Hugh Stewart, I felt it high time I paid homage to this beautiful colour with this stunning number of a skirt.

Said little birdie and I pulled out all our stops, for the shoot of the most epic proportions was about to go down. Well, I exaggerate, for if you imagine two ridiculously overdressed Asian girls running off to the Royal Exhibition Building you don't exactly get as epic an image as I hoped, but you get the point. I think we'd both agree that this was the most physically trying shoot that we've ever attempted, despite the careless tossing of hair or pensive staring into the distance that (I hope) is being depicted. There was much kneeling, sucking in of protruding bellies and sinking of stiletto heels into the grass to be had. But girls, remember, beauty is pain.

So, #YSLDangerousReds asks me how I wear my red.

Why, as the center of attention, of course, with panache to boot. 

SHOP MY CLOSET 

Red Midi Skirt ASOS | Indiesin Necklace | White Cropped Top Dotti

Silver Strappy Heels ZARA Woman | Watch Mouawad

Photos Credits to Lily! 

UNICORN LOVE, 

 - R 

Viridian Velour

I've always struggled with beginning blogposts, as I am right now, so please bear with me as my writing engine sputters to life and we get off to a rather unexciting opening. 

It was only when I noticed that my winter coats were collecting dust in my wardrobe that I realised how backlogged this post was going to be if I didn't get it up soon. That and the fact that the semester is well under way and I am swimming in assignments (but still have time to write a blogpost?). Guess who needs to keep her priorities in check? 

As much as I love blooming flowers, I've always been sad to see the temperatures creeping upwards on the weather forecast. This means bidding adieu to layering it up, cosy winter coats, and welcoming the possibility of perspiration outside gym conditions (the horror). Y'all know how I feel about that. So here's a tribute to the favourites of my winter wardrobe: A versatile slate coloured coat, a viridian velvet top, a printed bodycon skirt (that doesn't blow up in the wind to flash your undies to unsuspecting passers-by), my trusty creeper wedges and that gem of a bag just screaming for attention.   

It seems like shades of green are beginning their takover on my blog, but not to worry, my next post promises to flip the spectrum with more of these beautiful jewel tones I've really loving recently. Stay tuned! 

SHOPMYCLOSET 

Green velvet top The Editor's Market | Oasis Boucle Knit Sleeve Coat ASOS | Printed skirt Dotti

Gold chain Lovisa | Gold crossbody bag Bimba Y Lola | Black suede creeper wedges Underground

Photography: Lily Chen. Head over to give her some unicorn lovin' 

UNICORN LOVE, 

- R