Putting the basics together- 2

In this post, I used the basics in my wardrobe for a smart casual dinner outfit- black cardigan, fashion accessory, black high heels and handbag:

The Hermes bracelet is one of my favourite accessories which I get a lot of use from it.

It was such a fantastic-food weekend! First time to Tsunami, a restaurant which is famed for its Japanese and French fusion food. The restaurant has done really well in food, ambience and service. I’ll be back again for sure. We ended Saturday night with sweets at Pancakes & Grill at Northbridge. It is another personal favourite spot, that serves burgers, yummy Mexican nachos, sweet and savoury crepes, and of course, pancakes. I had raspberry crepes, with cream and cheese filling in the middle.

Tsunami
18 Glyde Street, Mosman Park
http://www.tsunamisushi.com.au/

Pancakes & Grill on James
7/160 James St, Northbridge WA
http://pancakesgrill.com.au/

I have come to enjoy Indian food alot, after moving to Perth. My second visit to Mela for Sunday lunch was really satisfying, although my dohsa was a tad too salty for my liking. I’ll stick with the Northern Indian curry next time! The venue has got a private function room with a modern decor. It’s inspiring me to hold an Indian-themed party there one day!

Mela
428 William St
Northbridge 6003

And finally, this was what I’ve whipped up for dinner on Monday night to satisfy my cravings for Singaporean Hawker fare:

Oh goodness, so much for my resolution to a healthier diet this year! It won’t be long before I have difficulties looking for my waist!

 

A penchant for Orange

Summer always means a time to be playful with colours for most people. Dressing up in summer can be really fun for me, especially when it is not too warm. I’ve come to like the colour, orange, alot recently. Watch the colour manifest in my recent outfits!

Sun-dress is a no-brainer outfit for me in summer. I like to wear them with a cardigan, or on its own with a nice necklace. (No-label dress / Black cardigan / Longchamp full leather tote)

 

A casual ensemble for a road trip. (Target tank top / Barkins pants / Hermes Twilly / Longchamp full-leather tote)

 

Just a teaser! My humble collection, thus far.

When I bought the Longchamp full-leather tote, I knew I was going to make good use out of it. At EUR220 (before VAT refund), I’m pretty sure that I’ve gotten a reasonable “cost per wear” figure from it ;) I use it to compliment my work-wear too, since the design is pretty understated.

Hope that I’ve demonstrated how to wear the basics well in this post- black cardigan, scarf, basic tank top, cropped pants, and a quality handbag.

 

 

 

Here’s some photos to share from my road trip! It was such a beautiful day, well-spent with lovely people! 

 

Putting the basics together

As mentioned in my previous post, scarf, black pencil-skirt and a good handbag are among the wardrobe basics that a woman should have.

Putting these together, I have concocted an easy evening look:

I’ve knotted the 90×90cm Hermes scarf into a top, tucked into a high-waist skirt. This skirt is clearly my favourite, since it goes down well with almost anything. To complete the look, I used the Chanel Classic Clutch for that evening. The clutch is obviously a timeless style that would last last me to a ripe old age. The durable caviar leather which the clutch is made from, ensures that it’d be good enough to be handed down to my future daughter! The same goes for Hermes silk scarves, which are spun and weaved to become twice as strong as other silk scarves. The intricacy of each design, the screen-printing and the painstaking colouring techniques using vegetable dyes more than justify the hefty tag that comes with the scarf.

So now, who says that quality designer goods are a waste of money if they can last for more than one generation?!

 

Wardrobe staples

I used to be a fervent follower of fashion trends, and in order to get the most quantity out of my wallet, I’d diligently check out all sales or factory outlets that are worth visiting. Such habits were developed when I was as young as 14! As you can imagine, my wardrobe have expanded massively over the years.

Only up to recently, have I reflected on my purchasing habits, begin to take stock of what I have, and realise how many pieces of brand new, never worn clothing are still sitting around. Also, by chance, I have stumbled upon this article about “French chic” and the minimalist style. Reading on, I came to find out how the French managed to pull off everything they wear so effortlessly.

Basically, the article first illustrates how important it is to be able to define your personal style- be it sexy, sporty or elegant. Afterall, I’ve always talked about how the way you dress personifies all that is deep under your skin, or how you feel on a particular day. When you attempt to wear something that is so totally not you, it would appear as unnatural as slipping on a huge pretentious mask.

Another important thing the article has discussed was how quality pieces can compensate for the lack of quantity. Quality pieces are made with outstanding attention to details, to ensure that they look good and last for a long time. It makes the wearer more presentable. Take a jacket suit for example. A top-quality jacket suit makes you look sharp and professional, while a poorly-made one will make you look sloppy. I’d much rather have just one power-suit than to have a couple of poor quality ones so that I look smart all the time :)

Although not all cheap items are neccessarily bad, it is quite sensible to expect that quality do come with a price tag. After all, you can’t expect that a $5.00 shirt to be made from a comfortable fabric, with lasting hand-sewn buttons (unless you get really lucky at the sales!). A lady, whose blog I’ve been following for a while, justifies the heftier price tags of quality items by using the cost per wear method. Afterall, a shirt of superior fabric not only feels great on my skin, but will also probably last me over the years. Therefore, assuming that you don’t gain so much weight that it becomes an issue with buttoning up the shirt, you can expect low yearly “depreciation rate” on the shirt! Comparing that with a poor-quality item which requires frequent replacement, you do get a great deal out of it.

Coming down to the crux of the problem- I know you’re going to say that it’s going to be really boring to wear the same shirt to work everyday! How do we inject variety into our wardrobe then?

While the LBD (Little Black Dress), or that crisp white shirt can look plain on its own, we can play with statement fashion accessories and scarf to give these pieces character. For example, a LBD matched with pearl necklace exudes elegance, fit for attending formal dinners. When matched with statement accessories, they can be fun enough for shopping and high-tea with the girls. Perhaps, when matches with the right scarf, it becomes work-appropriate. During the colder months, it can be layered with the appropriate outer-wear to keep warm.

Here, I’m going to give a list of quality wardrobe staples that I’d personally keep:

1. LBD – make sure that the length is appropriate, so that it can double up on occasions where you’re required to dress conservatively eg. for work

2. White shirt – this can be worn for work and play, given that the right accessories are used to jazz it up

3. Black pencil skirt – I personally prefer pencil-skirt, but others may find that A-line skirts suit better

4. Basic tops in basic colours – eg. tee-shirts, tank tops, long-sleeved tops, quarter-sleeved tops. Again, you will be surprised by how easy it is to wear them on all occasions if you play it right with accessories like scarves etc

5. Pant suit & shirt suit – you can wear the bottoms seperately in summer, and the jackets look as nice when they’re worn with jeans during the colder months

6. Cardigan & coats - have the cardigans in at least black and white, and try to have 2 – 3 different styles of coats eg. leather jacket, trench coat, double-breasted…

7. Jeans / denim shorts / capri pants - buy these in a cut / length that flatters you. Although skinny jeans are fashionable, don’t buy or wear them if you feel really uncomfortable in them!

8. Scarves - buy quality cashmere or silk scarves which you can use to interchange with your outifts. I buy a mixture of cheap and high-end designer scarves to cater for different occassions.

9. Accessories - a girl in her 20s must know how to wear pearls! I also tend to think that a girl should buy herself a real “bling” at some stage in her life =) Other than that, statement accessories are important, and this is the only thing I’d care to buy a variety of them at compromised quality and cheap prices.

10. Handbags - personally, I’d forget about having 20 or 30 cheap handbags bought from the street markets of Bangkok or Bali. Rather, I think a girl should just have one or two (quality) designer handbag in her wardrobe. There’re a few classics offered by Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Hermes, which can last you through many many seasons, and even generations. At the moment, I’m almost done with my collection. Once I’ve gotten the “B” bag, I’d be a contented woman, and probably wouldn’t consider buying any more handbags (or so, I say, haha).

Two of my favourite bags in a timeless and classic style.

11. Footwear – you need to have at least five pairs of shoes- ballet flats, dressy sandals, boots, high heels, sneakers or sports shoes

Once you have built on your wardrobe staples, you should really aim not to buy more than 5 pieces of clothing/ accessory every season. Well, I’m sure the money spent on filling up the wardrobe can be put to better use! Things also get messy, when you have too much of them lying around.

Having learnt the real trick of mix-and-match, I’m now trying to stick to the timeless and minimalist style. This might very well proved to be economical and sensible! In a nutshell, it is always going to be style over fashion ;) I’ll be posting more examples on how I mix-and-match my basics in the time to come.

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same” – Coco Chanel

 

Fashion Show @ Galeries Lafayette

Alright, I know it’s nothing like attending the Fashion Week in Paris. But, realistically, where else can one catch a free (seated) fashion show in Paris, other than Galeries Lafayette?

Galeries Lafayette is located along Boulevard Haussmann. The area is another shoppers’ paradise, where another huge department store, Printemps, and many popular boutiques carrying European and mid-range French-labels can be found. I was lost in the typical shopper’s delight for the entire morning, and almost missed my lunch before attending the fashion show.

I had originally wanted to lunch at the rooftop cafe at Printemps, which was said to offer a view of the Eiffel Tower. With only slightly more than 30 minutes to spare for lunch, I had to settle for the foodcourt at Galeries Lafayette instead. It has to be the cheapest lunch I ever had in Paris- EUR7.60 for a generous serving of salad, and a huge portion of creme caramel!

The fashion show was held at the private longue, which can be accessed via the escalator. A small crowd was forming at the entrance by the time I arrived. The usherer checked off my name on the list (although the show is free, you need to make advance reservations here), and I was led to my seat promptly. It turned out to be a pretty good seat- do ask to be seated right in front of the stage if you’re intending to snap some photos. My camera can’t capture quick motions very well, but here are a few humble shots of the event:

The programme run-down

There was this young Canadian lady seated beside me at the show. Like me, she was travelling alone, and we had a pretty good conversation flowing- to the extent that we had to bring it over to a coffee joint after the show. What are the chances of meeting someone from the same profession, who is also travelling alone, to drown out the miseries of this “I-dont-like-what-I-do-for-a-living” kinda thing? Haha.

We went up to the department store’s rooftop for a lovely, hazy wintery view of 9th arrondissement:

The dome of the department store is beautiful!

Also in the vicinity, are places of interests like, Opera Garnier, the famous Grevin wax museum and Fragonard Musée du Parfum (which I originally wanted to check out). The admission to Fragonard Musée du Parfum is free, and I was planning to bring home some of its soaps as souvenirs. But well, I made a new friend instead, and that’s priceless!

This solo journey has enabled to meet different people who has warmed my heart in different ways. They will always remain as a big part of my memories, and are perhaps more memorable than the beautiful places I’ve been.

The lady from Bahrain who chatted with me on the airport shuttle bus, the kind gentleman who helped me with the translation at the bakery, the kind soul who helped me at the train station when i was confused by the “long” and “court” train, yet another kind soul who initiated help with directions when he saw me struggling with the map, and the lovely lady at the fashion show.

I’ll share some information and photos of Arc de Triomphe, Musee de l’Orangerie, Musee du Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries and perhaps some of the purchases I’ve snapped up at the boutiques in the next instalment. So untill then, take care!

 

Ile de la Cite, 4th Arrondissement

The Île de la Cité is a natural island in the centre of Paris, where famous medival buildings like Notre Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie are frequently visited by tourists all year-round.

My first stop was at Sainte-Chapelle, a gothic chapel built with the most beautiful stained glass collection. Security was tight, perhaps because the Palais de Justice was just next door. Therefore, you can expect long lines at the entrance if you have not already booked your tickets in advance, or hold the museum pass (which allows you to access via the express line).

Sainte-Chapelle has been listed as a national historic monument since 1862. The stained glass on the second level of the chapel depicts highlighted biblical events from the old testaments, beginning with the first chapter, Genesis. There are altogether 15 glass panels. One of the glass panel was of particular significance, as King Louis used to sit under it during masses.

The Conciergerie was 3 minutes away from Sainte-Chapelle. It used to be a royal palace, before being converted to a prison. It was notoriously known as the “antechamber to the guillotine” during the Reign of Terror (the bloodiest phase of French Revolution). Nearly 2600 people were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Tribunal during the revolution. Among the famous prisoners who were imprisoned and sentenced was Queen Marie Antoinette.

Exterior of Conciergerie

It was interesting to have read more about life in the prison during the horrifying period in history at Conciergerie. Royal family members and distinguished members of the society who were imprisoned there during the revolution maintained their dignity, and observed good manners despite knowing that death was upon them. Women were said to appear well-groomed in the courtyard, and generally continued to observe their routine change of 3 outfits a day. It was also said that Marie Antoinette maintained her composure even during the last minutes of her life at the guillotine- which, if really was the truth, she has my admiration for her courage!

 
Top to bottom: Interior of Conciergerie, Courtyard 1, Courtyard 2

After the visits, I decided to adjourn for lunch, somewhere close to the Notre Dame Cathedral. I settled for a quiet and unassuming tea salon, Le Petite Plateau (1 Quai Aux Fleurs), tucked away from the touristy stretch. The premise was tiny, but really cosy. Much to my surprise, the food was well-priced and fantastic! I paid EUR11.00 for the “formule”, comprising a quiche, salad, drink, and dessert.

The Notre Dame Cathedral was desecrated during the radical phase of the French Revolution, and its significance ceased for a long period of time, until it was revived by Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. The novel raised awareness and eventually led to the full restoration of the cathedral. There were reviews about how it is not worth scaling the Notre-Dame towers. But I decided to go for it anyway. It was interesting, but perhaps really not worth all the trouble afterall.

For starters, I had to spend 45 minutes in the line, since there is no privileged access with the museum pass. It was an exhausting climb- 400 steep and narrow steps to the top. You can break at different sections of the tower to look at exhibits, but there is a time limit imposed at each section! So, I gave up climbing halfway after looking at the famous gaint bell at the mid-tier of the tower.

The entry into the cathedral itself was free of charge, but the line at the cathedral’s entrance was more horrible than the line before. I was really tired at this stage, and couldnt care for more fighting over space with other tourists. I ended up sitting in front of the cathedral, admiring the intricate carvings and statues on the cathedral instead. Seated beside me was a lady, making sketches of the cathedral. I got curious, and couldnt help stealing a few glances every now and then, to check on her progress.

Top to botton: The gothic splendor of Notre Dame, view from mid-tier of tower, part of the structure seen from mid-tier of tower

Things always pan out differently, usually with an interesting twist for me when I’m on vacation. And this is the best part I love about travelling.

A lovely stroll along River Seine from Conciergerie to Notre Dame Cathedral

 

Latin Quarters

The Latin Quarters in Paris was once home to many great artists, and intellectuals. It also symbolises a bohemian way of life. This area derived its name from the Latin language that was being used widely by the La Sorbonne University students during the Middle Ages. As you can see, La Sorbonne University is one of the oldest university in the world.

Today, although the area is hailed as a trendy area with its numerous bistros and restaurants, the surviving monuments with touches of Roman influence/history continue to impress tourists from all over the world.

 

Musee de Cluny

The National Museum of the Middle Ages (Musée National du Moyen Age, or Musee de Cluncy in short) was my first stop in the 5th Arrt. As its name suggests, this museum houses medival collections. The museum was actually built on ancient roman bath. And this was where I fell in love with the Lady and Unicorn tapestries, which was regarded as the greatest works of art during the Middle Ages in Europe. The Lady and Unicorn tapestries depict six senses, with the first five representing our sense organs, and the sixth representing something at a deeper level- love (or some said passion). One have to see the tapestries in person to fully understand the wonders of this work.

The collections in this museum are well-organised. Having visited spots that are flanked by large number of tourists, this museum felt like an oasis of peace to me. The medival gardens (shown in first photo) was hauntingly beautiful.

Stepping out of the museum, and stung by hunger, I contended myself at a trendy cafe located a few steps away from the museum. The cafe serve Italian pastas, but I settled for the breakfast set instead.  

From the photo, taken right outside the museum, one can also spot the famous La Sorbonne (and the cafe I stopped at). Following the stretch of the university building, I found myself on the way to the Pantheon.

 

 

Pantheon

The Pantheon was originally built as a church, but later, it was also used as a burial place for great men of honour. Among those buried in its necropolis are Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Jean Moulin, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Louis Braille, Jean Jaurès and Soufflot, its architect (Wikipedia).

From the highest dome of the Pantheon dangles the famous Foucault’s pendulum. The pendulum was free to oscillate, and it was found that the direction along which the pendulum swings rotates with time because of Earth’s daily rotation. There was a video shown in different languages that explain at length, the pendulum experiment of Léon Foucault.

Highest dome of Pantheon

Measuring the oscillation of the pendulum- it coincides with the time of the day

A lovely street view, with the Eiffel in the distance, from outside of the Pantheon

A final shot of myself outside the Pantheon, taken by a kind soul.

 

Jardin du Luxembourg

Jardin du Luxembourg, or Luxembourg Garden, is a large and beautiful park located in the 6th arrondissement, within 5 minutes walk from the Pantheon. All you need to do is to follow the directional signs to get there. It was a Sunday when I visited. So the big crowd, consisting both locals and tourists, did not take me by surprise.

Even with the big crowd, it felt incredibly relaxing, to be able to rest my feet in front of Luxembourg Palace, and to breathe in the amazing crisp autumn air on a foreign soil.

The glories of colourful autumn foilage provided a perfect backdrop, for, erm, self-take photos!

Located conveniently across the garden, are numerous bistros and restaurants. I decided to settle for Dalloyau. Expect to wait a while to get a table, especially on a nice Sunday afternoon like this! And so, I ended yet another full day of non-stop walking with a yummy tiramisu and a lovely macaroon. This is what I call, Paris bliss!

More updates later!

 

New Year Resolution

As always advised, the list of resolutions should be kept as short as possible, so that it is achievable. We’re already 4 days into the new year, and I am still unable to start putting some of these resolutions into action, because there’re so much things spilled over from last year to be settled.

Nonetheless, I’ll have no more excuse by Feb (gosh, one month wasted!) to put my acts together :)

Goal # 1: Self-Improvement and Self-Renewal…

… by reading at least 50 books by the end of the year, and doing more travels to widen my horizons. Textbooks and any other professional development stuff are not counted :) 50 books may sound unambitious to some, but it may prove to be challenging if one were to take into account my busy work-study-cook-clean lifestyle. Travelling is by no means a luxury, or a flaunt of wealth to me. Those who think so, do not even know me, and I think you’re poor in spirits, and downright shallow.

Goal # 2: Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy lifestyle is the key to looking and feeling good. So, I really need to work on my diet- lots of water, fruits, leafy greens, and cut down on the sweets. I realise that I love caffeine too much. On top of that undying love, I need caffeine as a life-saver! So I’ll need to sweat out the toxics through good exercises, right? Hopefully with a good dietary intake of iron, I would feel less tired, and thus less reliance on caffeine. And of course, a good workout is said to help boost energy level. So there we go!

Goal # 3: Maintain good financial health

I’ve been doing okie with my finances, although I do admit that I’m sometimes guilty of my hedonistic spending habits. That doesnt mean that I’d totally give up my love for occasional indulgence eg. building a fabulous wardrobe, haha! But I’d probably have to make sure that I’m well ahead of my target savings plan before using the extra cash to indulge myself.