It's A Fine Line

...between something that's working, and something that's not. Take this pleated skirt. I loved the intricate lace and tulle detailing, but it just didn't quite sit right. Too saggy at the hips, and I was ready to write it off.

My rose buckle belt saved it from being another impulse buy heading for the donation bin. It was a favourite item of mine when I was in Europe, simply because it made everything look and fit better. The elastic meant it was flexible to fit on nearly any bottom, pants, shorts or skirts.

Nearly gone too to the bin was this Talula navy blue blouse, which I loved at first sight but then soon grew tired. Love's a fickle thing, right?

But suddenly, paired with equally blue Marc by Marc Jacobs pumps, I was madly in love again.

Wearing:
Brown cropped swingy jacket with pearl details, Mom's find from Hong Kong
Navy blue blouse, Aritzia
Lace and tulle fringed skirt, Zioni
Rose buckle belt, from Hong Kong
Vintage Gucci bag, pilfered from Mom
Navy blue pumps, Marc by Marc Jacobs

Love Like a Sunset

It's my last day in Hong Kong. The weather finally let up so I was able to sneak in a few photies of my finds. I've been very focused on ticking off the items I wanted off the Hit Lists - and then some =D.

Style wise, this trip has been inspiring. The people here really know how to dress and seamlessly blend the latest trends into something wearable. It's definitely going to push my personal sartorial boundaries. Some of my past fears, like harem pants, crazy prints, and bright colours, have been conquered.

I'm sad to leave but there's also so much to look forward to. The Canucks are starting the first round of the playoffs against the LA Kings, and I've got a surf weekend break soon. I can't wait to try out my new board!

And leaving Asia behind, I've got Europe to look ahead to. Official planning starts when I get home! Any advice please on shopping, eating, staying in Paris, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam is appreciated.

Wearing:
Blue floral baby doll tank, gift from mom
Abstract circle print zipper skirt, from Hong Kong
White textured rose pin cardigan, stolen from mom
Gucci handbag, circa mid 90's, stolen from mom
Platform strappy heels, Belle
Round "wood" shades, custom made
Coral with yellow and white diamonds ring, custom, remade vintage gift

Social networking for fashionistas

Just when I thought I was tapped out for social networks (facebook. linked in, myspace), I stumble across a most brilliant idea for the fashion obsessed girl. Enter Polyvore, a social application which brings together the intersection of fashion, design, social networking and e-commerce monetization. Community members can create their own "sets" (various images as selected by the person) and display and share with others. Each set has a tag which identifies what the item is and no doubt a link to the store for purchase. How brilliant is that? From a community member perspective, this allows me to find inspiration from other people's sets, to connect with those with similar tastes and interests, and connects me directly with the retailer to close the loop. From a brand point of view, there can be no harm in participating in this. After all, isn't word of mouth and viral pass along any marketer's dream?

I just created a profile (user name is beautiful_life) and a set (Femme Fatale - gucci ankle boots, tight black skinnies, marc jacobs clutch, elizabeth and james snake ring) to test it out. No doubt over the next few weeks I will be playing around with this. Anyone else out there playing with this? I would love to hear your thoughts and join your network. I'm also keen to find out whether they have a facebook app for this to show off my totally awesome sets.

Very stoked about this. More to come!