Arissa and I had lunch at PS Cafe in Dempsey a while ago. I really like the eateries at Dempsey. While they might be rather pricey, I find that it’s well worth it to be able to idle somewhere quiet, away from all the hustle and bustle of the city.

I love drinking tea, especially Longan tea. It has been a while since I have tasted it!

I’ve had a handful of people asking me where I purchased this bag in the previous post as well as on formspring. Truth is, I really do not remember the exact shop unit or name, but it’s on the second or third floor in Far East Plaza. It comes in white as well, for those who are interested.

I understand that this outfit is rather shapeless and baggy, but there are honestly days when I just want to be shapeless and baggy. Things are really more cooling that way, to be honest.

✖ Jacket: H&M
✖ Camisole: Cotton On
✖ Dress: Hong Kong
✖ Tights: TopShop
✖ Shoes: H&M

We choose outdoor sitting because we wanted natural lighting for the photos, but what a bad choice that turned out to be. I do not recommend it unless you are feeling especially charitable that day and wish to donate a few pints of blood to starving mosquitoes. In that case, be my guest. I swear those vermin can bite through demin if they put their minds too it. We were so horribly bitten that day that once we got into a cab, the cab driver wordlessly pulled out medicated oil for us. I guess it pays to be prepared. I don’t know about you, but I think I am arming myself with bug spray the next time I’m foolhardy enough to sit outdoors again.

Randomly, I am in love with this Proenza Schouler coordinate!

All black? Check.
Thigh high socks? Check.
Fierce shoes? Check.
Sleek silhouette? Check

Now I just need to attain that ridiculously small waist.

Dawn and I seem to hardly to store or brand reviews except of those which we feel passionate about.

Enter Doorstep Luxury who sent us an email which made us innocently click on the link to be directed to a beautifully designed website with a running squirrel.

The squirrel. It can be quite mesmerizing, I’m sure one can imagine petting a squirrel while browsing through the site while going “yesssss, I would like this, this and this.”

Okay, maybe not.

Victoria from Doorstep Luxury has kindly invited us to their showroom to tell us more about the designer luxury labels which they carry in their stores. We couldn’t lie when we told her that it was the items from Fleet Ilya that we really want to get our grubby hands on.

Structural leather waist clincher, UNF!!

Droplet clutch, also from Fleet Ilya.

Another piece from Fleet Ilya, we’re are quite obsessed with this label.

I’d have to say, it’s not everyday that you try to check the weather so that you can dress appropriately in Singapore cause it usually fluctuates between 30-32°C anyway. So there we were, caught off guard about what to wear for the day that we would describe as “cold” in Singapore. This is how difficult it can be to master the art of streetstyle in Singapore.

So Dawn and I chose to be seated outdoors while having dinner and this draft bothered us so much that we decided to check the temperature. It was freezing 25°C, don’t get us wrong, we’ve both been through sub-zero temperatures before but something below 30°C is not within our calculations in Singapore.

Wearing a mish-mash of my favorite accessories. If you’re wondering why I haven’t gotten the iPhone 4 yet, it’s cause the white one isn’t released in Singapore yet. /sadface

Just lopped off more than 5 inches of hair off yesterday. It isn’t terribly drastic but well, I am kinda missing the length.

Black Outfit Breakdown:

• Camisole: Old Navy
• Sheer top with frills: Bugis Village (seems to be a copy of a top from Topshop)
• Jeans: Forever 21
• Harness: Wonderwool (Haji Lane)
• Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell (I seem to be determined to wear them to death these days)
• Accessories: Surface to Air Ring, Marc Jacobs, , m)phosis
• Bag: Alexa knockoff from Far East Plaza

While etsy is picking up on the western hemisphere, I think it still remains rather unheard of this side of the world. (In a nutshell, etsy is like ebay, except that all of its products are catered uniquely to consumers looking for handmade and vintage accessories and clothing, rather than the heaps of mass-produced goods that tend to flood ebay.) If you are looking for unique accessories and personalized services, etsy is the place for you. Surfing through etsy can be an extremely daunting task at first. Half of the time I wasn’t even sure what to look for, much less where. Hence, I’ve decided to put together a list of my top 5 etsy accessories shops, with my choice selection!

1) Abigail A. Percy Jewellery

I simply adore jewellery that is organic looking and inspired by nature. Pieces like these are bold enough for people to take notice, but subtle enough to compliment most outfits without taking the focus away from it. Accessories like this suits a wide variety of styles, and you can wear it both casually, as well as a statement piece in a formal outfit. The earrings would be a perfect fall accessory with loosely tied hair and a light scarf. It is classic and very wearable, hence earning the top spot in my list of top 5 etsy shops!

2) Moon Raven Designs

I’ll be perfectly honest here. The only reason why this is second on my list of top 5 etsy accessory shops is because it is slightly less wearable on a daily basis. Other than that, this is my personal number 1 on  etsy!

I’ve never seen any designs quite like these. They are a mix of macabre and beauty. I love how delicate and fragile these designs seem, even if they are made to resemble chameleon skulls and severed bird’s feet. These are pieces that are not obtrusive on their own, but will take your breath away upon closer inspection. These accessories will never go out of fashion and I certainly view them as being investments. The prices are actually very reasonable as well, surprisingly! If I were to get these (which will most likely happen) I will wear them with everything.

3)  BloodMilk

“Supernatural designs for the surrealist darlings”. Their shop description just about sums it up perfectly.

Look at how the sparrow claws are replicated down to every little wrinkle in the skin. On first glance, I thought the double rings were made to look like interlocking ulna and radius bones. It’s only upon closer inspection that I realized that they were in fact hummingbird skulls! I simply love how exquisite these pieces look. If I can afford to buy every single item in this store, I certainly would.

4) Anne Ardent McDonald

By now, you should realize that I have a penchant for accessories inspired by nature and human anatomy. At first glance, I wasn’t very impressed by the selection of jewellery in this store, but if there’s one trick you must learn when surfing etsy, it is to keep your eyes open. The perfect accessories could be hiding in the least likely of stores!

It’s amazing how many designs can revolve around the basic theme of the human anatomy. These unique pieces definitely earned their place in my list of top 5 etsy accessories shops!

5) Paradise Findings

I had such hard time looking for steampunk accessories until I’ve stumbled upon Etsy. Once again, these items are actually very reasonably priced for the amount of work that has obviously gone into it! With these, you can bet that you won’t be seeing anyone wearing the same accessory any time soon.

What are your favourite shops on etsy? What do you like to buy there?

I wore this outfit to shop around Orchard Road yesterday, completely forgetting that it was monsoon season! I love this outfit, but I wasn’t exactly dressed for the rain so I stayed indoors most of the time instead. When it’s monsoon season in Singapore, there tends to be a steady drizzle from day to night, with huge flash storms in between. It is no joke, and you really have to dress appropriately for the rain to prevent yourself from getting drenched and catching a cold. I will surely remember to dress for a rainy day the next time I head out!

Here’s my outfit for a rainy day yesterday:

Outfit Rundown

• Top: Unknown brand, purchased from TopShop Oxford Circus.
• Shorts: Hong Kong
• Tights: TopShop
• Shoes: Sonia Rykiel for H&M
• Bag: Haji Lane

Here are my tips for how to dress for the rain:

1. Wear covered shoes or shoes with tall platforms. I think the worst mistake anyone can make when dressing for the rain is to wear sandals and end up having their feet wet! Covered shoes prevent the dirty water on the pavement from seeping into your shoes and shoes with tall platforms help keep your feet off the puddles of water and muck! I was glad I wore my Sonia Rykiel for H&M wedges. I could walk through a puddle without wetting my feet. Not only are wet feet uncomfortable, they are hardly sanitary and could potentially lead to fungal infections.
2. Wear a hat or tie your hair up. Rain leads to frizziness, your hair’s biggest enemy. To prevent rain from turning your hair into an unkempt frizzball, either do your hair up, or tuck it under a cap! Hiding your hair under a cap prevents it from getting drenched in the rain as well. I usually tuck my hair under a beanie or tie it into a bun when I am heading out into the rain. Besides knowing how to dress for the rain, taking care of your appearance matters as well!
3. Avoid clothing made of wool. While it is tempting to whip out your chic wool sweater in the slightly chilly weather, you do not want to ruin your sweater over it! Remember that wool shrinks when it’s wet. So it might be a better idea to keep it in a warm and dry place at home. Not to mention the scent of wet wool is pretty reminiscent of that of a wet dog. Knowing how to dress for the rain is essentially knowing what materials are suitable for the weather. Avoid bags made of cloth as well. Bags are one of the first things to get wet because you usually neglect to shelter it from the rain, and you really wouldn’t want your electronics to get wet!
4. Unless you can be sure that you can dry your boots completely, avoid wearing leather/pleather shoes. Like I have mentioned in one of my previous posts, mould loves damp places to grow on. If you insist on wearing your boots out, make sure to dry it later using a hair dryer set on cool. Too much heat from the hair dryer may melt pleather and even the glue used to hold the shoe together. Opt instead for shoes made of waterproofed canvas or even rubber or PVC.

These are all of my tips for how to dress for the rain! Don’t forget your brolly, and don’t let the rain be an excuse for you to hole up at home!