Pre-Fall

By Sybil Kot

Photos by dear mom : )

(Club Monaco top, COS skirt, Topshop boots, Massimo Dutti bracelet, Zara jackets and shades)

When everyone else is still indulging in the crazy summer sale, I made an effort to pile on layers of fall winter clothes just to impress you – yea that’s what I do, freeze in February and melt down in August – just to impress you! Jokes aside, I’ve been quite impatient myself for the weather to cool down so that I can start wearing the dressy sweatshirts, full skirt and oversized coats… So here a sneak peek for the exciting season to come! Speak soon.

Soft pastels.

Photographs by mom : )

(H&M top, skirt and boots, necklace gifted by a friend.)

Another simple fall outfit. Inspired by the dreaminess of Lana Del Rey x H&M collection. The grey embroidered top is of nice quality, but I kinda wish it’s more cropped and fits better with my high-waisted pencil skirts. The skirt is from H&M spring collection and boots are even older, both easily replaceable items. The gold necklace brings out the warmth in this outfit, making the look more fall-approprite. Hope you like it! Talk soon.

It’s a midwest kind of style.

(Shawl, handbag, fedora, belt and jewellery courtesy of Midwest Vintage, American Apparel shorts and Topshop sandals.)

Me and fellow blogger Sam went on a style hunt to Midwest Vintage last Friday. It is a trade showroom-turned clothing store specialising in vintage fashion and recycled designs with 18 years of history. If you live in Hong Kong and somewhat style-conscious, I’m sure you’re familiar with this brand.

Both Sam and I put together three outfits with items from their store. It’s a little pause to my regular outfit posts and I hope you enjoy it! (I’ll put a link to Sam’s outfits once she has them posted.)

The shop has a lovely selection of original handbags and accessories of great quality. I’ve never seens such a big collection of clutches anywhere else in Hong Kong. As a hopeless clutch addict I was feeling a bit dizzy : P The first outfit is my favourite. I had my eyes on this poncho/shawl for a while now. It has this lovely peacocky colour and fringe details, a perfect statement piece.

(Military boots, clutch and belt courtesy of Midwest Vintage, plaid shirt and cargo pants from Midwest Vintage, Zara top.)

The second outfit is boyish from head to toe. Sam and I had a great time exploring the menswear section. Not only is it three times the size of the womenswear section, it also has a great selection of clothing that would fit us girls perfectly. (Well Sam’s 5’8, but I’m only 5’3, not a bad news, huh!?) I bought the plaid shirt and the cargo pants because they are just the perfect staple pieces to add to my overly girly closet. Oh and these really cool military surplus boots come in almost all sizes at a affordable price.

(Denim jacket, dress, bag, fedora and lace up boots courtesy of Midwest Vintage, American Apparel tights.)

The third outfit is a little bit out of my style comfort zone, but I gave it a try anyways and I love it. This really cute dress is one of their vintage recreations, aka the First Edition. It was made from a vintage three-button Polo shirt, cut and reshaped into a sleeveless mini dress.  We also spotted some Dries Van Noten-ish jackets which were recreated from vintage biker jackets and sweaters. If you are one of those who likes the idea of eco-friendly and creative recycling, definitely check out this line.

Oh this is on the front page of Chictopia today! Thank you Chictopia!
You guys are awesome : )

All outfit photos taken by Sam from Sam Is Home : )
Thank you girl, can’t wait to see yours outfits!

Midwest Vintage is located in the Tian Hau area, there’s a well illustrated map on their website so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find them (unless your sense of orientation is even worse than mine..) If you still haven’t had a chance to visit their store, here is a sneak peek.

Photographs by The Style Voyager

Thank you Midwest for letting us play around and try on your stuff. And thank you so much the nice sales lady who helped me clean up the mess : P Visit their website here! Or like their Facebook Page to get updates and special offers. (An online shop is not yet available but according to the owner, it’s on the to-do-list.)

Have a lovely day : )

Skyscrapers

Photographs by dear mom : )

(H&M blazer, clutch and chandelier necklace, vintage waistcoat from Prague, Monki dress, Asos.com boots.)

Ah it’s been a while, I hope you’re still with me : ) Spring has arrived in my city, and so far it’s been fairly nasty (according to Sam). The thing about Spring season in Hong Kong is that you want it so badly when it’s not here. But when it finally arrives you just want to get rid of it. With 95% relative humidity it feels like living in a steam room. The only difference is you can’t just step out of it and say to yourself – Thank God it’s over. : (

I got this “skyscraper” dress from Monki last year. I love the print so much but the quality of it has been quite a disappointment. (It’s the forth time I wore it and it has lost its shape already. I guess that’s the thing about fast fashion… ) I’m wearing this vintage wool waistcoat from Prague together with a H&M blazer over it. Accessories wise I’m wearing a (pretty broken) chandelier necklace and a studded clutch to brighten up the entire outfit. I hope you like this one!

Runway inspirations

(From left: Dsquared² Spring 2011; Brioni Spring 2011; Sonia Rykiel Spring 2011)
Photo source: Style.com

Flowy white blazers are probably your best dress up companions for Spring. Love the almost cape-like blazer by Dsquared². The look was made impecable with the waistcoat and a maxi thigh slit skirt (and the lace details.); The blazers spotted in Brioni’s Spring collection looks crisp and well-tailored, a must-have style for the season; It’s time to gear up with bold prints, and the bolder the better. Love the playfulness in Sonia Rykiel’s Spring collection! Oh and don’t be afraid of matching them up with even bolder accessories!

Street inspirations

(From left: You Got Me Sewn; Fashion Chalet; B. Jones Style)
Photo source: Chictopia.com

Bea from You Got Me Sewn had made this slim Khaki maxi skirt herself and paired it up with a cute blazer. I like the shape of the skirt! And she looks picture perfect : ); I love how Erika Marie from Fashion Chalet can achieve simlicity at its finest! She looks breathtaking in the Marie Antoinette dress by Wildfox Couture. (I can’t post all the pictures here in full size so I suggest you to visit her blog!); And once again, Beth from B. Jones Style has inspired me with her springy blazer and pants with wild floral prints. Join her for a recent thrift adventure here!

Get the look now!

(1. Zara Double Breast Blazer; 2. Zara Camel Coloured Clutch; 3. Topshop Wine Cropped Backed Layered Front Waistcoat; 4. Jeffrey Campbell Gemini via Solestruck.com; 5. Topshop Metal Sticks On Curb Chain; 6.Ecote Tiedye Maxi Dress via urbanoutfiter.com )

Everybody loves the sunshine : )

(Monki peach shirt-dress, H&M slouchy cardigan and leopart print scarf, Forever21 ankle boots, Asos.com skinny belt and faceted heart necklace, H&M and Nataliaraya sterling silver jewelry.)

So this is the twisted version of my recent Chictopia front page outfit. I decided to shoot this again mainly because the photos are way too cold and depressing, but I’ve also made a few changes on the outfit itself.

I picked up this shirt-dress together with a few other items from Monki during my short stay (48hours) in Hong Kong. It is now one of my must-haves for Spring because of its versatility – You can wear it in so many ways without looking repetitive. I really like Monki’s affortable price range and its outside-the-box thinking. (I’m not a huge fan of the interior design of their HK store though, there’s hardly a mirror and the changing-rooms are scary.)

*One importance line to my dear fellow bloggers: I’m not able to browse your blog or leave comments because I have no access to all Blogger websites while staying in China. I’m gonna need some serious updates after the holiday : P* Have a lovely evening.

Let the warm wind blow : )

Photographs by tituz

It’s such a lovely day in Vienna (11°C plus the sun in the middle of the winter!). I’m wearing my freshly-arrived faux fur coat from Topshop’s seasonal sale (well, it’s a dreadfully long wait with the parcel though) and a springy scarf from H&M together with my daily staples. Spring in nowhere in sight but I can’t wait to put on some bright colours (because the new seasonal is all about bold bright colours!). The temperature in Vienna is most  probably gonna drop again, so before I crawl back to my heavy winter closet, I’m gonna enjoy myself in the warm (and odd) mid-winter breeze. Hope you like it!

Faux fur coat from Topshop
Printed scarf from H&M
Burgundy top from Zara
Black high-waisted pants from Topshop
Lace up boots from Asos.com
Bag from Topshop

: D

Ohh! Tomorrow is the big day to publish  my first Vienna street fashion collection, stay tuned!  Now it’s time for a new track!

In this months video we witness how an oupcoming house/electro-pop duo and an old Brit poper can match perfectly. Discodeine is Pilooski and Pentile two french guys who already released some remixes seperatly for the likes of France Copland or LCD Soundsystem, since 2008 they released 5 Eps together as Discodeine (One to check out is definetly the Singular EP with Matias Aguayao).

Here we got their new track Synchronize featuring nobody less than Jarvis Cocker former singer of UK supergroup Pulp on vocals (they are going to play some concerts in the summer, check them out if they are near you!). His warm voice gets perfect backup from a string ensemble in the background making the whole thing great for a home listen but also expect to hear it on the dancefloor soon! In the Video we see Jarvis Cocker, who is under the influence of some liquids, having a hard time figuring out if the couple is in the next room or only exists in his head?! I guess the answer lies in the eye of the beholder ; ) The Video was directed by JF Julian at Wizz Design in Paris. Check it out! tituz

I know it’s late, but Happy New Year : )

Photographs by Tituz

I know it’s very very late for a happy new year post, but it’s very sincere : ) I’m in Vienna again, and we are about to move in to our brand new apartment. Starting a new life in another city is very challenging and tiring, and things are definitely not working for us lately… ( We don’t even have internet in the new place yet! yea.. I’m a blogger without internet at the moment. ) I hope the coming days of 2011 are not as tough as its beginning, and I wish you all Happy New Year!

Minnie mouse sweater from H&M
Leopard print dress from Monki
Lace up boots from Asos.com
Fur hat from a boutique in Causeway Bay
Tights from H&M

: D

I’m feeling…off the shoulder

Photographs by tituz

I love maxi hemlines, but this one was a floor-sweeping experience : P
I’m wearing an one shoulder maxi dress (which you don’t really see the should here.. ) with a denim coloured shirt over it. The short torso-torso-long-legged look is very chic in my opinion. But what I love most about this outfit is definitely the off shoulder look of the blazer, I feel very powerful for some reasons. By the way I’ve managed to resist the coldness and to look grumpy in every shot. I’m going pro. Enjoy!

Brick red blazer from H&M
Denim coloured cotton shirt from H&M
Maxi black dress from Topshop
Necklace from H&M
Lace up boots & ring from Asos.com

: D

Alpine fantasy

Photographs by tituz

Well, the Alps looks magnificant all year round. But when the sun finally comes out after days of snowing, it’s a fantasyland. We are shooting outside the cozy Tyrolean house of my boyfriend’s family, and the temperature was -4°C. ( I was actually freezing my ass off… )  I’m wearing a cream colour bandeau dress from H&M. To stop the outfit from going way too cheesy, I added my favourite Topshop boyfriend jacket, and cinched it up with the black ribbon/belt that comes with the dress. Feminine? Boyish? I don’t even know anymore : P Hope you enjoy this outfit and the pictures! (Thanks babe, they are phenomenal.)

Boyfriend jacket from Topshop
Bandeau dress from H&M
Lace up boots from Asos.com
Tights and golden bangle from H&M

: D

and…
A lovely surprise!

I’m featured on the front page of Chictopia!
I uploaded my first picture on Chictopia last night, and this monring my photo is on their front page 😮 I’m addicted to the website at the moment…

Greetings from Wien : )

Photographs by Tituz

Military belt coat from H&M
Fur hat from a boutique in Causeway Bay
Boots from Asos.com
Gloves from H&M
Tights from H&M

: D