Fashion Forward

It seems that no matter how many times I run out of hangers in my closet over and over again, I still face the eternal problem of standing in front of it every morning and scratching my head over the outfit of the day. 

Yes, I admit I have been letting myself go lately, partly because when you have ballooned in size, nothing really looks good anymore...partly also because it's just too damn hot to bother wearing anything besides a pair of shorts and any floaty top in Singapore. 

But with this recent craze, I have never been more desperate to get my hands on a pair of these. 

Culottes....

Yes, I realise they have been around for a while. Yes, I am a tad slow. But it's never too late to start. 

Although, if you pause for a second, are we really going fashion forward....or backward. 

But hey, you gotta admit even back then, these two girls were probably the funkiest of their crowd. They could really pull off that baggy bottomed look. 

And contrary to popular belief, orange is definitely one of my favourite colours when it comes to dressing up...or down. My favourite pair of vermilion skinny minis from GAP are still going strong as a staple in my work wardrobe. Now if only I could get my hands on a pair like these... 

And how incredibly chic are these girls here??? I love how pairing it with a pair of pointy-toed stilettos instantly transforms something casual into something that looks work-worthy. 

And call me a daredevil, but I would wear this to work any day. 

Yes, while most of the world is having a love affair with culottes at the moment, I have managed to scrounge a pair from Zara, after much deliberating - I only wish I had a wider range to choose from that would fall just perfectly below the knee or if only I were that much taller. 

Ah, retail therapy. Looking so forward to dappling in much of it again in London. 

And suddenly, everything is alright again :) 

A New Era

It seems like yesterday that I was young and fresh. Now, I say this like I am a grouchy middle-aged lady, but the truth is that the early and mid twenties are long over, and it feels even longer ago that I was a wide-eyed teenager. Where had all the time gone in the blink of an eye? 

I see myself evolving from day to day. And at this point in time, in my late twenties, sometimes I wonder if I have gained anything in life besides a medical degree, more lines, thinning hair and a ton of weight. 

The one thing I am sure that I have gained, however, is a tasteful sense of style. Don't get me wrong, I may not be Tatler Magazine's Woman of the Year or Fashionista of the Month, and not everyone shares a similar taste in my clothes, but I pride myself on not being tacky. 

Or, perhaps, it is just that I am probably 5 kg heavier than I was when I was 16, and there is no way a person of my height and weight and well past the age of 18 could pull of micro minis, plunging halter tops and strappy sandals any longer. These days, it makes me uncomfortable to appear in a hemline higher than above my knees, and I rarely appear in anything strapless or a halter neckline. My wardrobe is completely obsolete with any tops that need a zillion stringy bits tying together and it makes me uncomfortable when a hint of cleavage starts showing in any tops. 

It also helps that these days, I am meant to be a professional who is busy saving lives and nobody would want their doctor to turn up looking like a hooker. 

Last year I was obsessed with lace. I still am, don't get me wrong. 

This year, I discovered the wrap dress. 

I have long been a fan of Diane von Fursternbug. The only problem was that I could not afford anything from DvF because I was no lady of leisure and a poor aspiring doctor who has yet to pass the membership exams could never afford DvF on a regular basis. 

So I surfed. And made a mental note to hunt down high street alternatives. 

I love how this brightly coloured piece is demure yet striking at the same time. Totally screams power dressing all over.

I LOVE this piece. The take on a short sleeved wrap dress is something that I have yet to see and it screams versatility all over.

And finally, who can resist mesh sheer polka-dotted sleeves? 

Sigh. Sometimes I wonder if I would have been better off as a personal shopper or some kind of fashionista who had her own clothes boutique rather than the struggling aspiring cardiologist that I am now. It makes me wonder how my flair for piecing together outfits comes so naturally even when I am late for work and rushing to just throw on the first few pieces I see, whereas in contrast it takes so much for me to remember medical facts, tiny details, make sure I don't mess up at work....and on top of all that, claw everyone out of my way to the top. 

If it takes so much for me to even pass my membership exams and stay focused, I wonder if my whole life is going to filled with stress, a feeling of emptiness and dreariness AND still not be able to reach the top or even fulfil my distant dream of being a Cardio God. 

Why couldn't things be as simple as I thought they were when I was 16? Why couldn't I just have all the things I thought I would when I imagined myself at this age? 

At this point in time, it looks like I will end up looking as haggard as a rag from the exhaustion of mugging for my MRCP, stressing over on calls and work AND I would still end up not being a Cardio God and NOT having a Prince Charming of any kind to prevent me from drowning under all this pressure. 

Oh well. 

CNY Festivities (or rather, lack thereof)

So as with every other year since I have been in the UK, CNY often comes and leaves unrecognised. Surreptitiously, in the dead of night. 

Since I have left London, however, it seems my CNY 'festivities' have hit a new low. Gone are the days of our 'Concord' gatherings and dinners in Chinatown, despite the shrinking number of people in our group. 

I can't for the life of me remember what happened last year during CNY. After racking my brains like mad, I suddenly recalled that I had been on a weekend ward-cover day running around like a headless chicken throughout the whole hospital tending to every medical patient in the hospital who was threatening to die. I told myself since then that no CNY could be possibly worse than this.

This year, my CNY had hit a new low. Being the solo doctor on Gastro that Friday, I had been dreading this day for weeks, having been on a two or three man team on a Friday on Gastro and still leaving at 730 pm. Thankfully though, my desperation must have been heard and God must have answered my prayers because it did not turn out to be anywhere as horrible as I had expected. 

However, my CNY itself was desolate indeed. I spent the weekend cooped up in front of my computer, stressing about not being able to finish all my work before my impending job interview and then stressing again about my lack of medical knowledge. Why oh WHY did I have to sit MRCP?

I told myself that this would be my last CNY spent in a similar fashion in this country, though. 

So what's a girl to do but research pretty cheongsams? 

Last year, I had a bit of a nervous breakdown when my good friends Sue Lynn and Leslie got married and proclaimed that their theme was Shanghai 1920's, to which I suddenly realised that I had no cheongsam and no similar 1920's themed outfit. With my mum's help who went on a cheongsam rampage in Kch, I finally managed to rock up in this: 

Which, considering the fact that I had not spent a few hundred bucks having it made to measure, turned out pretty good. Unfortunately, I had put on a ton of weight then and had not looked my optimum self, but now have a few cheongsams at hand to choose from. 

And then I discovered this Singaporean designer, Ong Shunmugan, and I knew I had to get some of these dresses next year:

What better to complete my true love for peplum than to have it in form of a cheongsam. Ingenious! 

Well, perhaps I should grace Team Gastro with my presence in a cheongsam one day. 

What say you?

Teetering on the verge

So I am not really sure how my endeavour with heels began, but I admit that I have gotten exponentially worse over the past few years. 

When I first started, I only dappled in the pool of short chunky heels and slight wedges, occasionally higher heels for parties, and for a moment when I started clinical school, I abandoned the whole thought of heels completely because of 1) The embarrassing moment of click-clicking down the hallway and everyone turning to look at you and 2) The inability to even limp home after a day of running around the hospital in heels. 

Then I discovered something called vanity. 

And when I started working full time as a doctor, I discovered that the only salvation I found from my daily routine of being told off left, right and corner and the stress of juggling 30 odd patient lives on your own in a day was making myself feel good by dressing up as best as I could. Call me crazy, but the only human contact I had who could appreciate my sense of style was largely in the hospital. 

Then my self conscience started growing with the number of comments about my dressing and it reached a stage where it was embarrassing not to keep up my 'standard' of fashion because this was expected of me without question. That was when I discovered that when you were only 5'4", the only way to look good in outfits was when they were worn with heels. 

So I started progressing back from flats to short wedges to shorter heels, to medium-height wedges. And with that it seemed, so did my pain threshold for running around the hospital while learning how to balance gracefully at this height.  

But today when I decided to embrace the whole holiday year-end festive season and dress my lace pencil skirt and peplum top with 4 inch high colour-blocked wedges for a haphazard Gastro ward round traipsing around the hospital, I decided that I might have crossed the line. 

I managed to limp, yes limp....home at 7 pm that day after having done a ward round of 16 new patients around entirely different ends of the hospital, inserted an ascitic drain, run back and forth to Radiology and whacked a grey cannula into an actively bleeding patient. 

I might have pushed my luck too far this time. 

About time for this fashionista to admit defeat before I find myself paying the Orthopod a visit in the very near future. 

My Chambray Craze

I might be a little slow catching on this craze but the new love of the season is definitely down & dirty to DENIM for sure. 

Or rather, the twist on this not-so-dirty and down-to-earth denim is chambray. 

I was rather skeptical initially when I tried on one of them at Gap. Surely, surely I recall having a similar form of this garment when I was 12 or 13 years old. I was positive that if I dug out my old wardrobe I would have a couple of denim shirts or skirts hanging around. 

But no, no, I told myself....this season it is all about chambray. A lighter material form of and more stylish twist on denim. 

So I finally decided to go for it and go Chambray, thanks to some reassurance from Phua and her 20% discounted Gap voucher. 

Perfect for a casual Sunday girly lunch. In this combination, I wore my Chambray shirt with some polka dotted retro jeans, completed with flats and minimal accessories for a laid-back look. 

But now that I told myself I would buy just one chambray shirt for the heck of going with the flow, I know I am lying to myself. 

I love how all these looks can be so versatile and provide a more casual twist on my usual structured style at the same time. 

If only it were summer again, these shorts would be to die for! If only my job condoned me wearing city shorts to work, I would totally jump at the chance. If only!!! 

This would be more realistic an option for my current job scope. Already mentally completing the look with my newly-acquired brogues. And hey, what says sophisticated more than GREY chambray???

I love this polka-dotted chambray shirt. I never thought it was possible to look cool with a collar buttoned all the way to the top, but this look and the first picture clearly proves me wrong! 

So clearly this is already a fast-winning favourite of mine at the moment. I doubt it will still overshadow peplum at any point, but I am loving it already. 

And this is coming from me, the girl who does not own a windbreaker, a pair of walking boots or a backpack because she thinks they are 'not very stylish'. 

Well guess what folks, I'm determined to insert a more casual twist into my wardrobe for the sake of versatility. 

And of course, it's because chambray is definitely the new black. 

Sssshhh.....

I would begin with "Let me tell you a secret..."

But it is probably too late for that. 

Cat's outta the bag. 

This bag...

I'm in love. 

Spied with my little eye, amidst much procrastinating, this bag on Instagram and instantly fell head over heels. 

Until Phua promptly proceeded informed me that the Celine Trapeze was, in fact, very heavy. 

Trust Celine's No.1 biggest fan to already have set her hands on the bag and tried it out ahead of me. Lol. 

Helps that the bag is also all of 3000 USD. I won't even check how much it is in GBP. 

Well, at the moment since my days comprise of flinging my Longchamp tote on the dirty orthopaedic office floor which has not been cleaned for ten thousand years, I suppose a girl can dream on. 

And I need to stop procrastinating. 

To print or not to print

So before the appearance of Kate Middleton in that fateful blue wrap dress donning the huge sapphire ring on her engagement day, the name Issa was not one that was groundbreaking as such, at least in my humble non-fashionista, layman books anyway. 

And then she appeared in this classic, Issa blue wrap dress and suddenly the whole world loved her sense of style. With my very own mother being first in row. 

And as much as I tried not to conform, I fell victim to being a sucker for her clothes as well. Kate's style is very much something that I aim to emulate, and very similar to mine, bar the fact that I lack a royal title and endless cash. 

So when Banana Republic came up with their own 'Issa' line, I was curious. 

A quick flick online and this was the first thing that caught my eye. 

A very refreshing twist on the Leopard print, I must say. 

Call me prejudiced but I have never been a fan of Leopard prints, especially after my dapple with the Singaporean Youtube series watching Barbarella gush about 'leopard pringz'. 

But this version is structured, subtle and yet keeps it from being too boring with the prints rather than being a solid colour or my usual favourite, colour blocks. In the past year or so, I have come to own some items with animal prints myself and I have come to appreciate that the leopard print does not have to be tacky as such. Paired with a pair of nude pumps as in the picture or my personal favourite, wedges, and perhaps even a neutral-coloured belt at the waist, I would definitely wear this piece, if only the price tag was less dear or if I had more in my bank account. Or perhaps if my job didn't constantly involve running around the hospital. 

And wahey, do we see a Kate Middleton on her engagement day here or not? This piece is classic and although you would probably require a 23-inch waist like Kate's to look as good as her in this, this is something I could see myself keeping in my wardrobe for a long time coming. I might not have a Prince William next to me to complement this, but I am sure I can jazz it up in many other ways without the need of a male escort as an accessory. 

Am liking this line already. Well done, Issa. Will saunter down to London after September to take a look at these. 

For the moment, the daunting life of being shot at Trauma Meetings in Ortho and running around the wards continues, on top of trying very very hard to keep my head amidst the studying. 

ARGH. 

The Fashionista Wannabe

So I admit it. I am a sucker for all things pretty and shiny. 

And stripey. 

And dotty.

And flowery. 

And lace. 

So yes, basically I am one of those girls. I have too many clothes for my own good. The number of shoes I have could rival that of a small shoe store's. I used to have so many accessories in my jewellery box that I could have opened up my own stall in a flea market. The number of bags in my collection grows exponentially by the day despite me proclaiming after every purchase that this was the last, because I would never need any more. 

I once jokingly said that if I had not ended up becoming a doctor, I would be one of those girls at Vogue or In Style or that next biggest fashion magazine to hit the streets. 

Think Anne Hathaway in 'Devil Wears Prada'. Ideal.

The truth is, I could never imagine myself doing anything other than my day job nowadays despite the fact that it does not actually involve much brain work besides running around chasing stuff and not being appreciated for it. Bar the fact that I derive pleasure from being 'busy' these days, I have continued to develop my personal sense of style within the limited scope of my job. 

I have never been a trend-setter or one of those girls who can boldly pull off the funkiest of designs. Neither am I a fashionista - think those socialites in Gossip Girl. But the one thing I can give myself credit for is that I do have a sense of style, whether or not it is an acquired one, is another matter. 

Sometimes it makes me wonder whether I am in the wrong field of work. If only I was this good at making spot diagnoses or recognising little things in patients rather than pull this piece and that together to make a perfect match. But then I scoff aloud and check myself right there. Who ever said fashion and medicine couldn't be in the same semantic field? I may love dressing up and pairing pieces together and experimenting with different trends, albeit in moderation, but I am no fashion designer. Never. Ever. 

But there are days that I wish my job did not involve being splashed on by bodily matter or scurrying around the entire hospital looking for a blood gas syringe or trying to run after a consultant surgeon during a 2 minute ward round, just so I could possibly turn up to work one day looking like this: 

Or even complete my outfit to this extent: 

Many a time when I have lamented to my mum that I wish I had a job which involved a whole lot of sitting around on cushy chairs so that I could be decked out in heels all day long, I have gotten a "Pffttt" in response. 

You? Sit around all day long? Did you not hate Elderly Care medicine so much because there was just too much sitting around because it was just too slow for your pace? 

So perhaps while my career as a house officer draws to an end, I will stretch out these remaining days with whatever limits my work wardrobe can be stretched to and however much my feet can stand being tortured by running around in wedges all day long, and look forward to the day that I can be finally be sat in my own office. In heels. 

For the moment, I can continue living in my own shopaholic bubble to whatever extent my funds can allow me, and build towards being that fashionista that I have always wanted to be.

The Peplum Phase

So it's official. I have yet again, another new addiction. 

This time, it is none other than the very demure, very classic, absolutely to-die-for peplum. 

I started wearing them over summer after being talked into buying a couple of tops in Singapore by some salesgirls and have been so hooked ever since. 

I don't take very many pictures of myself in the different outfits, but trust me, if I had an endless supply of cash, I would be buying every single peplum top I set my eyes on this very moment. 

This...was particularly love at first sight:

This was something that I could even potentially wear in the hospital, and ohhhh soooo versatile! The only glitch that it was Phillip Lim and obviously out of my budget as a measly FY1. 

And then there was this: the perfect answer to my dual obsession with lace AND peplum. A recipe for disaster, if I ever set my eyes on this in any High Street store for sure. 

Thankfully, this one was designer and would have ripped a hole in my wallet. Now, if only my job didn't really require running around the corridors trying to rush to an ABG machine for results or answering bleeps in between trying to juggle scribing in notes. If only I could wear stiletto heels and pencil skirts and walk at any pace I liked. 

Well, a girl can always dream. 

So yeah, the only downside of the peplum top is that it probably adds a couple of unnecessary inches to my not-so-tiny waist, and seeing as I am not 44 kg, that might not be ideal, but hey....there are just some vices in life that should be allowed. 

On second thought, forget the practicality of work outfits. I am so buying a lace peplum top the next time I go shopping. Even if it doesn't particularly come across as hospital-friendly attire, I could always wear it the next time I go to a dressier event, perhaps when the moon next turns blue. 

Gosh, I am such a shopaholic. 

A.A.

In this case, Accessories Addict, guilty as pledged. Or if you prefer, Addicted to Accessories. Truly, madly, deeply.

Okay, trust me, I used to be ALOT worse. These days, with the dire job of having to wake up early and trek an hour and a half to placement, my brain fails to function well enough to think of what accessories to add to my daily outfit in the mornings. Although on second thought, I really should put more effort into doing that because this might be my last chance at 'louder' accessorising, being in General Practice.

Hence, I have cut down on buying every single pair of earrings and every single necklace I set my eyes on.

I guess the common sense finally kicked in ey?

My stash of accessories was on the verge of bursting my case, and there were many times when I would turn my room outside down just trying to hunt down one particular bracelet or necklace.

And then the genius Daisy got me this for my birthday. I guess BFFs have telepathy huh?

I LOVED it!!! I had been hankering after these jewellery boxes for ages, but never found the time or actually got around to purchasing one. This was just what I needed for the mess of metal / string / beads that was accumulating in my 'jewellery case'.

There are add-on trays to pile on beneath as well, which I will definitely get on to after my exams, because yes, you guessed rightly, this is just about a quarter, give or take, of my stash of accessories.

In the midst of some procrastination and article-surfing, I somehow ended up reading about the latest H&M designer collaboration on Vogue: Marni for H&M.

(Don't ask me how, the stunning Marchesa pieces on London Fashion Week plastered all over the internet must have sent me into some kind of depression mode LOL)

So for the civilians like me, what do we do? We ogle at High Street designer collaborations on the internet.

I am a HUGE fan of Marni.

I was introduced to the Balloon Messenger circa 2007/2008, and it has seen me through a good number of years. (Crap, when was the last time I wore mine). Besides the fact that I would have preferred a brighter colour such as yellow or orange - too bad, the only one on sale was plain black - I was much comforted when I saw how easily Nicky Hilton pulled the look off. I like to think she and I share similar tastes (aye, Balenciaga and Marni). And yes, I am delusional like that. Lol.

But I sidetrack.

You can imagine how excited I was when I flicked through the Marni for H&M Collection. I've never owned any Marni attire, but to be honest, it is more because I couldn't AFFORD it. Ahempoorstudentahem. The prints and the concept in this collection was definitely very interesting, some a bit too OTT for me, but the first designer collaboration with H&M that I would actually consider.

It was the accessories that caught my eye though.

OMG I WANT TO GO TO H&M IN MARCH!!!!

Obviously, it is not difficult to suss out my weak link now. Just dangle a couple of shiny accessories in front of me, and I am sold. AA much? ;)

The Princess of Styles

I have a confession to make.

I have been secretly coveting after Kate Middleton's sense of style for the past few months, ever since TIME Magazine launched a series of her top 100 or so outfits, dubbing her THE most stylish woman this winter.

Okay, so she may not be a 'trend-setter' per se, but her poise and elegance and the sheer ease which she manages to pull off her outfits was enough to conscientiously flick through photo by photo, and for a fair amount of time after, I went around dubbing this and that to be 'very Kate Middleton'.

But it wasn't difficult to soon identify her clear favourite, which also happened to be a serious weak link of my own:

The Lace Dress

I had developed a serious addiction to lace tops / dresses since the end of 2009 when I purchased a lacy black top on ASOS which is still a current staple in my wardrobe. And since then, the addiction has only grown exponentially.

So it wasn't completely surprising that I walked into Reiss (which also happens to be one of Kate's favourite High Street stores), spotted this and immediately dragged it off the rack:

And proceeded to flit back and forth between indecisiveness for a whole week after purchasing it, until my friend put at end to it by proclaiming that I wouldn't have bought it in the first place if I didn't think it looked good, so I should just keep it and stop fussing.

Anyone would have thought the addiction to lace would have been stopped right there, because there are only so many lace dresses one can have in her wardrobe.

Well, if one can't buy anymore, one can always window-shop right?? It is good research, after all. Don't listen to what anyone tells you.

These dresses make me go weak at the knees. And if I could, I WOULD. One in every single colour and style, I tell ya. These are by Issa, exclusively for Net-a-Porter. Unfortunately, there is just the small problem of it being slightly at the higher end. Do I hear a thousand quid right there? Mmmm.

The red-coloured version of the above. Absolutely.....flawlessly......perfect.

But life is all about unfair ways and the severe discrepancies that make it impossible for all of us to get our hands on one of the above *kicks, screams, claws, throws tantrums* I kid, I kid. But I'm equally loving this slightly more laid-back and relaxed look (below), with a little less lace, pouf and elegance, but sooooo versatile it almost makes up for it!

This navy blue number is by Vanessa Bruno. Perfect for a leisurely stroll around the shopping mall or for a coffee-hunting trip in town. Although perhaps not quite the Princess's style. I would refrain from saying it isn't quite mine as well, because I am not entirely as structured as Kate, given that I don't have as many charity events to attend! Lol.

This is the Margot Dress by Erdem, currently dubbed one of THE LACE DRESSES to have. Yes, never mind that it costs almost 2,000 GBP as well ey? Small factor, that. I've seen and prefer the red version of this dress, but couldn't seem to find it online. I guess that's what happens when people continue to shop like there is no tomorrow. Was that a credit crunch you said was supposed to be happening now, London?

There's just something about lace and satin and the sheerness of it all that seems to spell out 'Princess' in every single way. Of course, not everyone can emit the same level as poise as our beloved Duchess of Cambridge, but that doesn't make me love lace dresses any less. In fact, it would be impossible for me to love them any more than this.

We'll see next which lacy number can capture my heart, and how long it takes before my fickle self moves on to another trend this season. At the moment, the time frame seems to be only one: indefinitely.

They say Fashion is an art. Does swiping my card en-route to achieving the 'best fashion sense possible' count as an art too??? ;)

Bagging That Style

I am a firm believe of undivided loyalties.

And it is true what they say, that your heart truly lies where your mind wanders, because the moment I set my eyes and heart on these two bags a couple of years ago, there was no turning back.

1) The Balenciaga City:

I thought I was done when I got my purple Balenciaga First, which was a dismal second choice because I could not find a SINGLE purple Balenciaga City despite hunting all over London. The 'Kiasu' part of me then proceeded to snap up the very last purple 'First' on display at Harvey Nichols, despite Keith's disapproving comments of "No, Alyssa. It's too small!"

But No, I had built my hopes up so much for a purple Balenciaga that there was no turning back.

Almost 4 years down the line, it looks like there was a reason I fell in love with the label in the first place, because this has sent my heart fluttering at 224 bpm all over again:

The combination of this shade of Military Green and the Rose-Gold Hardware is a touch of class, miles above all of the rest. I have to admit I was rather skeptical about this shade of hardware when I first read about it, but this just proves me wrong....all over again. I am sold, through and through.

Now....just to karate-chop anyone else who tries to prey this away from my hands at the Balenciaga flagship store, or hunt down every nook of Londres for this colour in this style. And of course, the ever imminent problem of 4-figure price tags.

Credit Crunch whaaaaaat?? Swipe Now, Think Later......definitely. Thanks, Daddy.

2) The Proenza Schouler PS1 Satchel:

I remember clearly, the days of first setting my eyes on Leighton Meester strutting across New York City with this bag in tow. And I remember even more clearly, that I couldn't find a single retail store in London that carried Proenza Schouler, lest to say a proper flagship store in itself. It was then that I made a solemn resolution to visit Manhattan one day, and stride right through the doors of Bergdorf Goodman to claim this piece of art as my own.

Last year, I saw a couple of PS1 dotted over stores in London. A small dark purple one at Liberty, a brown one at Harvey Nichols. Sad to say, it was the exact same price in Pounds Sterling as it was in US Dollars. And as much as I tried to resist, my heart broke.

Because who.....who in their right mind could possibly resist this:

I would be willing to trade a kidney for ALL 4 of these PS1 satchels. LOVING the vibrance of these colours indeed, and SO jealous that I will not be heading to NYC or clearing the racks of Saks 5th Avenue with a (very hampered Credit Card limit) any time soon. Screw clinical electives though....shopping trip to NYC anyone??? I would even be willing to instill self control and complete discipline with a strict, no-nonsense shopping ban in London for the next couple of months or so. AHEM. For real.

Fat chance. As much as I can get away with making 'Puss in Boots' eyes at my Dad, I hardly think my own bank account limit would allow it.

Perhaps this is where my Grand Scheme to con a Cartier ring and as many PS1 Satchels as I want out of my future IB would come into play.

Canary Wharf tomorrow, anyone? ;)

And in the meantime, let's just say....all you need is Love. Or in my case, Balenciaga......and Proenza Schouler.

XOXO

Something Old, Something New...

....Something Borrowed, Something Blue.

I must be the most unromantic person in the entire female population universally.

Back in school, when my friends had dreams about their weddings in full detail - down to their dresses, the flower bouquets they were going to carry, the interior of their reception hall and so on, the most I could offer on my part was roll my eyes and declare, in all sincerity, that I really wasn't interested.

When asked to describe my dream wedding in words, all these years later, my response is exactly the same as it was when I was a teenage girl.

I don't know, really.

To be fair, the realistic side of me means that I should probably take baby steps, one at a time, and only speak of this when I actually have a tangible wedding candidate. Yet, to be honest, I am not being pessimistic. Because the obsolete truth was that I really didn't care, still don't...or rather, to put it more subtly, I am pretty much flexible and pretty much up for anything.

Which made me move on to pen down another prerequisite in a future husband:

- Able to plan the wedding and its further minute details.

Lol, I kid.

All the same, a friend remarked that this was a dream practically every girl had had some time in her life, and it was almost as though I was developmentally missing a milestone not to echo this thought at all. Hence, I decided to come up with the bare minimum, i.e. set my style straight.

In terms of my preferred styles of wedding dresses, of course! Because God forbid I will have to strut down the aisle in something horrendously un-Shing in every single way!

There wasn't much difficulty in terms of browsing through a website and mentally short-listing. I was done in 5 minutes.

Elie Saab was a sure-win. I have always been a huge fan, and there is something about his designs that overshadow the crowd favourites of Vera Wang or lately, Alexander McQueen (Sarah Burton). There is nothing about his soft, feminine lines that one can dislike, and even for a wedding cynic like me, I was thoroughly sold.

Fangirl much. Hah!

This gown above, with its flowy layers of French lace, was an instant favourite immediately! (Virtually to me of course. How easy when there is no thought of real cost at hand when picking out an outfit. Lol!)

Moving along the popular theme of lacy bodices, in the style of Duchess Kate Middleton, I stumbled across this sleek piece, which reminded me of a rather Oriental-incorporated theme - perhaps because of the neckline and the cap sleeves - and the Mermaid-inspired skirt was a definite shoo-in. Not really my style, to be honest, because.....shoot me.....I am still a believer of lower necklines in formal gowns, but definitely something more refreshing than the standard A-line skirt and strapless tube top of many a bride these days.

And yes, I contradict myself from my previous line above about wanting to be different from the standard strapless-necked gown and full skirt, but what is not to love about this piece? A true Elie Saab piece of work, if I may, written all over it, with the chiffon folds and the little train at the back.

Now to find a rich Investment Banker husband to con to buy me this *rubs hands gleefully*

Much of a 'Wedding Grinch' as I am, I could probably risk my cool facade and be all starry-eyed and giggly and tearfully joyous walking down the aisle in this while proclaiming that I knew this dress was MADE for me the moment I laid my eyes on it.

Similarly, this gown isn't standard Vera Wang / Vivienne Westwood, puffy-ballgown-skirted Princess Wedding material, but there is nothing about Elie Saab's flowy lines that can't buy me enough to be willing to be that fortunate blushing bride gliding down the aisle in this.

And of course, the Duchess of Cambridge aside, who could forget the woman who started it all. My fashion icon and one of the most stylish creatures the world has ever known: Grace Kelly

Flawless piece of work indeed. Perhaps if I were fortunate to be the next 'Princess of Monaco' in the future (read: marry the tennis player who is actually really Serbian but is based in Monaco), I would cast aside all my dress preferences and proudly carry on this 'Kelly tradition'.

My friends scoff off my cynicism and proclaim that I will be the giggly, blushing bride that I am so distasteful about, and will one fawn about planning the dream-come-true wedding that I have so vehemently veto-ed all these years.

I say: Curse me not!!!

Jokes. Perhaps, if it involves a rich Investment Banker with a ginormous fortune and an Elie Saab gown.....

LFW #2

London Fashion Weekend - 2011.

After this amazing stint last year, there was no thinking twice about going again this year!

No Hanna aka Shopping Buddy aka 'Best Friend who willingly gets dragged by me to watch everything / go everywhere' this year =(

But there was a suitably efficient replacement in the form of Amiri.

And compared to the 'Kiasu Shopping' experience last year, where we were scrambling for time because of juggling the fashion show and hunting for the gift bags alongside browsing the numerous stalls, this year we opted for focusing. Important matters first. Time management skills - excellent.

Hence, no fashion show and no gift bags this year. Just browsing and shopping. And we were done and home by 9.30 pm. Yes, efficient much.

Managed very good steals this year again, perhaps more so than last year's frantic grabbing of clothes for the sake of making the trip my money's worth.

1) My pair of polka-dotted flats from French Sole by Jane Winkworth. Ballerina flats at their best :) Amazing steal from Original Retail Price and sooooo comfortable they possibly rival my loafers. And that's saying something!

2) Yellow chiffon blouse from Twenty 8 Twelve by Sienna Miller. Pretty much addicted to chiffon tops from LFW. I got a similar beige one last year from LFW as well. Hahahah. Oh well, perhaps my style is not as versatile as I thought after all.

3) Green Waist Belt from an independent designer which I love to bits. Although I have to say that their sizes are possibly skewed towards the graph of skinny people. Hmmm. Then again, aren't most clothes these days? *sigh*

Okay, this definitely concludes my shopping for this term. I think my overflowing wardrobe is saying alot for itself, and I have officially exhausted every single trend I have thought of trying out this season.

*And this is the sound of me SEALING my wallet shut*

I swear I'm not a Shopaholic

But there are these few essentials that I just can't help falling for over and over again:

Flowery Prints.

On dresses, on shirts, on scarves, on headbands. You name it!! So much so that lately, I have been getting people pointing out a flowery shirt and going "That's so you", while my mum refers to Massimo Dutti as 'your favourite shop with your favourite flowery shirts'.

This one is by my one of my favourite designers of all time: the great man Matthew Williamson himself, and wayyyy out of my budget. Last year, I made an impulse purchase on a flowery maxi dress and found the occasion (as well as courage) to strut it out on these London streets. This year I might be looking to adding another piece to my collection. We'll see how fat I have become by then. Long flowy dresses certainly wouldn't be flattering on a dumpling.

Tapered / Twill Trousers!!

I find myself contradicting my own words on multiple accounts. Many years ago, I declared that skinny jeans were stupid - now they are the only kind I wear. When harem pants and tapered trousers first came out, I turned my nose up at them declaring them horrifyingly weird. I still have not drawn up courage to try on harem pants, but tapered pants - I LOVEEEE. I wear them as daily hospital / work wear as much as I can, and so far they have not failed to disappoint. Aspiring to purchase this pair above in this fabulous jazzy colour to welcome the warmer weather :)

Polka Dots:

I love these Polka-Dotted shorts above. Of course, again, wayyy out of my league in terms of price, but I have developed an incredible infatuation for polka dots as of late. Not to mention that shorts are my absolute FAVOURITE piece of clothing in my wardrobe and I could collect a pair in every single colour if I could - but polka dotted ones are just in a league of their own.

Also, if I had a choice and my daily outfits allowed the shorts/tights combo, I would find a wear to make every single outfit work. Unfortunately, hospitals aren't so welcoming. Neither is the image I am supposed to portray as a future doctor, hence I have tried many times to curb my addiction to city shorts. But be assured I will now be on the hunt for a similar pair :)

Yes, I know. So much for saving money and 'No More Shopping'.

No one believes me anymore, do they? Sigh....