Pretty Aprons and Outfit for the Day

Now I may not be a domestic goddess (and I highly doubt I will ever become one!) but seeing these pretty and fun aprons make me want to cook and bake, just like a Stepford wife! Well, you know just like Bree Van de Kamp in Desperate Housewives? Oh, and so 50s too!

Victorian black and white apron

Yellow canary apron

Cupcake apron

Japanese doll apron

Fluffy kitten apron

Don't they make you want to cook and bake just so you can wear the apron? Well, of course you can still wear the apron and be a "poser" and not cook and bake but er, you know it would be better if you do! Heh. At less than $30 and some of them even less than $20, you can now cook and bake happily in style in these pretty and fun aprons!

The seller Boojiboo also sells coasters and tea towels made out of similar pretty and fun prints on the fabric. I think these would make nice gifts for housewarming parties, Thanksgiving and of course, Xmas! Happy shopping!

*Kindly take note that I do not benefit from promoting this seller. I just happened to like the pretty things she has in store.*

On a separate note, here's my outfit for the day:

Top: Ralph Lauren (outlet find!)
Blazer: ZARA
Scarf: Thrifted from London as posted here
Jeans: Miss Selfidge (gift from Miss Faux-Fashionista!)
Shoes: Banana Republic (Ebay find!)
Bracelet: Glass beaded necklace from Uganda as posted here
Bag: Marc Jacobs Little Stam in Milk

A Black Box and Outfit for the Day

I went to pick up the little something that I purchased last week during a promotional event from Neiman Marcus and decided to wear one of the sundresses that I have. The main piece for the outfit was the dress and the rest just came along as I dressed up to head out.

Dress: Esprit
Blazer: ZARA
Skinny belt: H&M
Shoes: Banana Republic (Ebay find!)
Bag: Marc Jacobs Little Stam in Milk
Necklace: H&M and white gold necklace with star pendant
Bracelet: Forever 21 (the necklace that broke as mentioned in my previous post)
Pin: Thrifted as posted here

Curious to know what I picked up from the promotional event at Neiman's? Its a black box!

That's all I am posting for now. HAH! Yes, the frugalista in me splurged and indulged myself with a Chanel and I am totally doing this on purpose to keep you in suspense! Teehee.

Guilt-ridden shopping and Outfit for the Day

I went to meet up with a friend, S today who just recently returned from Uganda for her Fellowship and of course, we went shopping! We first went into one of my favorite stores, Club Monaco but we left empty-handed as even with markdowns the frugalista in me wasn't keen on paying the prices.

So, next up was H&M. I haven't been shopping in H&M for a while since I have been indulging in ZARA for quite a fair bit. I did pop by the store yesterday and saw a couple of cute stuff but didn't try anything on. I have to say that was a smart move for today, when I went in with my friend and tried the stuff that I spotted yest, it was a GONER! I left with a piece of garment and another piece on hold at another store as the one they had had a little snag on it. Pfft.

The items that I tried on were the jacquard strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline and a Chanel-esque tweed-like jacket which S mentioned is so Jackie-O. Heh. I bought the dress and will head to the other H&M in town to pick up the jacket tomorrow.

Jacquard Strapless Dress with Sweetheart neckline

Black & white Chanel-esque jacket

What do you think? I am thinking of wearing the dress for my brother's wedding at the end of the year. I will pair the dress with accessories and post that to garner your feedback.

On a different note, here's what I wore today:

Top: GAP
Jacket: Calvin Klein (outlet find!)
Shorts: The Limited (TJ Maxx find!)
Shoes: Banana Republic (Ebay find!)
Bag: Marc Jacobs Christy in Bordeaux
Necklace: Forever 21 and white gold necklace with star pendant
Pin: Handmade with some help from a friend (a costume designer!)

I have to say that I am disappointed though as my necklace broke. Boo! I was sitting and waiting at the Dept of Motor Vehicle to renew my driver's license before meeting up with S and have absolutely no clue how my necklace broke except it did! Thankfully I found the locket in my bag. I guess I will wear the broken chain as a bracelet instead and try and find a long chain to go with the locket. Boohoo! The lovely necklace was a gift from K, a super kind friend who indulges me with random gifts.

Outfit for the Day

Here's something simple for a quick run to campus to meet with my adviser yesterday:

Tank top: Benetton
Blouse: H&M
Cargo pants: Forever 21
Shoes: Banana Republic (Ebay find!)
Necklace: White gold necklace with star pendant
Bracelet: Long black beaded necklace from Uganda as posted here
Bag: Marc Jacobs Christy in Bordeaux as posted here

Outfit for the Day

Since I completed my thesis, I decided its time to hit the stores again and window shop. Outfit for today's outing:

Shirt: Club Monaco (Ebay find!)
Pin: Thrifted as posted here
Shorts: BCBG
Sandals: Gift from Uganda as posted here
Bag: Marc Jacobs Little Stam in Milk
Bracelet: Thrifted from Goodwill

I did end up buying something but I shall keep it mysterious till its in my hands. Teehee.

Belated Outfit for the Day

Here's a belated post on my outfit for Weds. I had my thesis presentation on Thurs but was rushing out the door and when I came home, I forgot to take a pic of my outfit and just changed right out of it. Boo! No pics for that.

Anyways, here's the simple outfit on red and blue:

Top: ZARA
Scarf: Hand-me-down from mummy dearest
Pin: Thrifted as posted here
Skirt: Armani Exchange A|X
Sandals: Gift from Uganda as posted here
Bag: Marc Jacobs Palais Royal Flat Case

In case you're wondering, I'm still currently pretty much living out of my suitcase. In fact, since I left for Uganda and returned, I have been living out of my suitcase for the past 7 months? I have been living with a friend since I returned to the US. I will hopefully be moving soon and will no longer have to live out of my suitcase which means I would have hopefully more/better outfits to post. In the time being, pls bear with my boring outfits. Heh.

All Black Inspired and Outfit for the Day

I saw this pic on Jak & Jill blog and I totally dig the look and style.

Heidi Mount and Sasha Pivovarova decked in Chanel. Simple and sleek and the accessories complete the look. Love the cat-eye liner, too. If only I actually bothered to put on make-up. Hah! Time spent on slathering make-up is better spent doing other things, to me. Not to mention, my acne-prone skin stands to benefit from unclogged pores with make-up. Yes, I know I can make up just about any excuse to not apply make-up. Don't get me wrong, the undereye concealer and mascara are my routine but that's bout as far as it goes. I am simply too lazy to be bothered although I have a bunch of make-up and can apply 'em when there is a need for it.

Okay, I digress! I rarely wear an all black outfit because I do not think it is flattering on me. I am skinny as heck and my tan complexion can do without black as well. Hence, I tend to shy away from black. Funnily, I find myself decked in all black today as I throw on a simple outfit to run some errands although I added a dash of color to it. Here's what I wore:

Top: ZARA
Scarf: Club Monaco
Pin: Thrifted as posted here
Pants: Nike
Shoes: Banana Republic (Ebay find!)
Bracelet: Long chain thrifted from Goodwill (best accessory ever for $3!)
Bag: Quilted Satin Clutch from Marc by Marc Jacobs' Special Items (Bonanzle find!)

Karl Lagerfeld Steiff Bear on sale and Outfit of the Day

The Karl Lagerfeld bear that was launched in Fall 08 is currently now on sale for $989 at Neiman Marcus. The bear originally retails for $1,500. It is a limited edition item and only 2,500 of it was made to be sold worldwide.

Karl Laferfeld posing with the bear

Karl Lagerfeld Steiff bear

The limited edition Karl Lagerfeld Steiff bear includes:14.5"H bear with jointed limbs, constructed of the finest alpaca wool. A miniature outfit designed in collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld, including black denim jeans, flannel jacket, white shirt, Swarovski® crystal-studded silken tie, leather belt with Swarovski® crystal-studded KL buckle, and tailor-made leather boots. Miniature sunglasses in the style Karl Lagerfeld himself wears. Special black-and-white gift box with KL and Steiff logos.Scribble of the bear, drawn and signed by Karl Lagerfeld.

What do you think? Overrated? To me, definitely yes! For that amount of money, I would be better off buying a piece of costume jewelry or a small leather good from Chanel or a vintage/pre-loved Chanel bag of the 'bay. Don't get me wrong though, I'm sure there are people out there, the collectors who would definitely purchase the bear but just not me! Heh.

And here's my outfit for the day in earthy colors...

Top: Banana Republic
Skirt: Thrifted from Uganda
Shoes: Gift from Uganda as posted here
Necklace: Gift from a charity event
Bag: Marc Jacobs Palais Royal flat case

Disappointment and Outfit for the Day

A really kind and sweet friend decided to purchase a Marc by Marc Jacobs Key Pouch for me as a random act of kindness. I was super happy and glad as the pouch would replace my current cell phone pouch that is in tatters (literally!)

However when it arrived today, I was uber disappointed that the stitching for the key pouch is off. Totally bummed, gutted, dismayed. Here's a pic of it:

Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Key Pouch in Sage

It's a gorgeous color but I just can't bring myself to keep it. Boo! I'm sending it back to the seller tomorrow. *sigh*

Anyway, here's what I wore today:

Top: ZARA
Skirt: Thrifted as posted here
Shoes: Gift from Uganda as posted here
Necklace: Gift from Uganda as posted here
Pin: Thrifted from London as posted here
Bag: Marc Jacobs Christy in Bordeaux as posted here
Watch: Swatch

Window Shopping and Outfit for the Day

Every so often I like to go window shop at the high-end departmental stores i.e. Saks, Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus to check out the latest and sale items they have in store. I haven't been to the high-end stores since my birthday at the end of May, so I decided to hit them up today as I was curious to check out the new Fall/Winter collection items. Specifically, I wanted to check out the new Marc Jacobs scarves and bags and of course Chanel is a must! Heh. However, the Marc Jacobs scarves weren't in store yet and there weren't many bags from the new collection on display either. I did however, checked out the gold and bronze reissue colors for Chanel's Fall Act I.

Here's what I wore for my window shopping trip...

Top: H&M
Blazer: ZARA
Shorts: The Limited (from TJ Maxx)
Shoes: Banana Republic (Ebay find!)
Bag: Marc Jacobs Christy in Bordeaux as posted here
Necklace: Forever 21 and white gold necklace with star pendant
Bracelet: Glass beaded necklace as posted here
Brooch: Chanel as posted here
Watch: Swatch

As you can tell, my black ballet flats are a staple and I consider it to be my signature style. While shoe browsing at Bloomingdales, a lovely sales assistant asked if my shoe size was 8.5/9 to which I responded "Yes!" He told me they received a pair of Chanel flats as a return and if I wanted to try it on. Without much hesitation, I said "Yes, pls!" I mean, Chanel is my weakness! The pair of capped two tone ballet flats was lovely and very classic but a tad too small. Even if it wasn't, I wouldn't be purchasing it coz the price is just Chanel, you know?

Chanel Two Tone Ballet Flats (pic nicked from Ebay seller authentic.lv)

I also tried on the new Ferragamo bow ballet flats which was lovely but the leather was rather stiff. I think I like the Varinas a bit better coz they fit snugly and I didn't want to take them off the last time I tried it!

Ferragamo Bow Ballet Flats (left) Ferragamo Varina Ballet Flats (right)

As I browse around, some of the Sam Edelman shoes captured my eyes. I didn't try them but I like these two pairs and would probably check them out come sale time!

ZARA blazers and Outfit for the Day

ZARA is one of the high street labels that I adore. Along with H&M and Forever 21, ZARA is the place to go to pick up trendy items. However, when it comes to finding the right blazer that would fit, none of these places have anything for me. Why? Simply because I have wide shoulders and a body shaped like a piece of plank. I also normally have to go one or two size up for a blazer/jacket to fit my wide shoulders. As such, finding the right blazer or jacket has always been a task for me as whenever the garment fits my shoulders, it would be far too loose elsewhere. In order to find the right fit for a blazer/jacket that would flatter my shape, I usually have to revert to higher end designers i.e. Calvin Klein, Theory and Elie Tahari.

During the recent semi-annual ZARA sale, I decided to try on one of their many blazers on sale even though I was expecting it not to fit since I have tried one too many times. But lo and behold, the blazer that I tried had a great cut and fit on me. It was a basic black blazer in the boyfriend cut so I snagged it on sale for 50% off. Additionally, I found the much coveted Balmain inspired blazer in the store and decided to return the next day to snag one as mentioned here. I have since returned the studded blazer and nabbed a different blazer instead.

I first laid eyes on this knitted gray blazer prior to the sale and was hoping for it to be marked down. Alas, it wasn't but since I really like it and know that it would be versatile to be easily worked into my wardrobe, I bought it full price. Yes, you read that right, for FULL PRICE. I guess that just goes to show how much I like it since I am a scrooge and a bargainista. The much adored blazer is my outfit for today.

Blazer: ZARA
Top: H&M peacock print top as posted here
Shorts: The Limited (from TJ Maxx)

Shoes: Banana Republic (Ebay find)

Necklace: H&M and white gold chain with a star pendant
Watch: Swatch
Bag: Marc Jacobs Palais Royale flat case

Tribute Totes and Outfit for the Day

Pattern People recently came up with two limited edition tribute totes. Guess who's on it? Karl Who? Yes, it is none other than Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs, the creative designers for Chanel and Marc Jacobs respectively.

Karl Lagerfeld Tribute Tote

Marc Jacobs Tribute Tote

The tribute totes are available for $45 each here. I think it's a little pricey for my frugal self to shell $45 for a tote but hey, to each his/her own. What do you think? Fab or drab?

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On another note, here's my outfit for today...

Top: ZARA organic cotton
Skirt: A|X denim skirt
Bag: United Colors of Benetton Monogrammed Hobo
Shoes: Banana Republic ballet flats (Ebay find!)
Necklace & Bracelet: From Uganda as posted here
Pin: Thrifted as posted here

Close-up shot of necklace & pin

Thrisft store finds...

My roommate made me go thrift store shopping with her this morning as she needed to pick up some "new" clothes for work. The thrift store was located at the basement of a church just a few blocks from where we live. I wasn't really keen on going but hey, you never know what you find in thrift stores!

I found a skirt to wear as a dress and two vintage dresses that were too big for me. The skirt was only $2 while the dresses were each $2.50 a piece as everything in the store was 50% off today. I figured I would try a DIY sewing project with the two dresses since fabric itself would cost more than $2.50 for each dress! I'll have to find time to work on it while job hunting once I complete my thesis. I did started by taking out the shoulder pads out of both the dresses though. I'll post a before and after pic when I finally get done with it.

Here's how I wore the skirt...

Dress: Thrifted
Belt: Snakeskin embossed wide belt from Goss:ps
Sandals: Gift from Uganda as posted here
Bracelet: From Uganda as posted here
Bag: Marc Jacobs Palais Royal flat case

A closer look at the outfit

An upclose shot of the accessories

I realize that the outfit would look better with gladiator sandals but alas, I don't have any and am not in the budget for any either. Boo! Oh well, maybe during my next thrift store find!

Faux Fashionista Reporting for Duty

I've finally gotten round to posting in here, and I thought I would start off with (dream) corporate outfits since they seem to be my specialty :)

Here's a little something I put together for Monday...

Monday Blues by Faux Fashionista featuring Anya Hindmarch bags
And thus I shall end my super short post and run off to bed. I promise I'll think of something more interesting soon! :D

Last week's outfits

Casual outfit for running around campus and getting some errands done.

H&M short sleeve top
ZARA cardigan
Esprit jeans
Scarf was a birhtday gift
Casio leather watch

Outfit for an indoor party on a Saturday night

Banana Republic dress (not mine! I had to borrow Miss A's dress coz she misplaced my suitcase of clothes!)

Glass beaded necklace from Uganda
Gold link chain as belt from Goodwill
Marc Jacobs Little Stam in Milk
ZARA gold heels