Cecylia - Shop & Tell

Looks that Inspire

cecylia — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:11:44 +0000

When I was raiding my already packed away winter wardrobe in search for the lightest and effortlessly chic outfits, I look no further to my Fashionista folder. I have collected hundreds of Street Chic pictures that inspire my day to day outfits. Because it’s still warm in Melbourne, I cannot imagine the windy and wet weather in Paris. So I consulted these when I selected my luggage wardrobe. I like to travel light and usually just pack a capsule wardrobe, to be honest usually my capsule wardrobe is still the size of a bit luggage case which most cannot swallow. But I’m going to Paris Fashion Week! I have to dress up! I have to have some freedom and variety! I don’t like to pre-plan outfits because I am extremely fond of changing my mind. I remember that I used to surprise friends on the day of every formal, ball, wedding (I stuck to my white dress but the reception dress was a last minute change as well), party and dinner that I’ve been to. I always change my outfit in the last minute.

So without further ado, below are some of my favourite winter looks right now which have inspired me to select my luggage wardrobe.

I am bringing my own Country Road slouchy pants and some booties.

I will be bring my black and white tweed Zara jacket. I absolutely adore this outfit. So ladylike.

I will be wearing plenty of black and opaque tights. Recently I got a really cute pair with little dots from Alannah Hill. I will be trotting around in them!

I will wear a long scarf and try to find this lady’s leather pants. They are killers!

I will bring some 80s inspired belts and wool dresses.

I will pose in front of gorgeous doors and bring a warm coat.

I will bring my black full skirt.

I will bring a voluminous dress and my slouchy leather jacket.

I remember commenting on this picture with ‘gorgeous but committed shoe sin’. She’s ruined the look with ugly Converses! But flats are a staple and I hope I brought some along to walk around all the shops in.

I will be bringing some patterned tights and a fur scarf. This chic rocks. I love everything she’s wearing.

I hope I brought the right mix. I’ll post daily outfits when I return! Hope the weather’s good in Melbourne! Happy birthday to my bestie Lisa!

Theodore and Marc Jacobs

theodore — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:39:08 +0000

Sorry I haven’t posted for a little while but Mom’s been really busy on her laptop so I couldn’t find a time to post! Yesterday I discovered Mom’s shoes that had a delicious crunchy bit. Usually these shoes are on her shoe shelves but I found them on the floor! The little beads fit perfectly in my mouth and they were so much fun!

Judging by the loud noises coming from Mom’s mouth, I don’t think she appreciated my display of artwork. She packed them in a bag and threw them out. Poor shoes.

Mom still loves me. She bought me a T shirt from Peter Alexander that fits me so well! I don’t know what it says but she keeps bragging to all her friends about it. I like it, it’s 100% cotton.

Dad bought Mom a box for Valentine’s Day. The box finally arrived. Mom was squealing with joy. What is it?

I’m dying to know what’s inside!

Shoes! Mom loved these shoes! She mentioned that they had some love hearts everywhere.

These shoes are heavier than me! I think Dad did a great job because I had previously destroyed Mom’s other shoes.

And now Mom will put them on the shoe shelf and never wear them again.

What’s in the bag?

cecylia — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:44:00 +0000

By the time you read this post, I would have landed in Paris, the city of love and light! Yes, I am probably frolicking through tthe cobblestoned streets, indulging my eyes at the museums and drooling over the fashion, and hopefully clicking away with my camera at Parisian fashionistas.

I am away for 10 days for Paris Fashion Week. It is early Spring in Paris, quite cold. This trip I am taking a patent leather bag because it probably will rain a bit, so I’m taking my blue Pauric Sweeney bag. In fact, I am going to view their new collection on Tuesday! Very exicited to see the new colours and styles.

In my tote, I carry some vitals which everyone else also carry: phone, iPod Touch (recently I downloaded a French learning course on it ‘je parle un peu le francais’, which aided me when I called to book our hotel in Paris), glasses, sunnies, pens, notebook, Maybelline lash stylist mascara (the only mascara I wear and swear by, it’s designed for Asians I tell you, but apparently they’ve stopped making this model! So this will be my very last mascara!), Jurlique hand cream

and sunscreen (the new bottle is a lot nicer but Google didn’t find one for me). To be honest, I’m pretty low-maintenance and I barely wear make sup, except for the mascara. Skincare is much more important to me than cosmetics so hopefully I will find some goodies from Sephora. I only found out recently that March in Paris isn’t as warm as I hoped, so I brought along my woollen Country Road gloves as well.

I also have my Paris travel book and writing material. I’m always doodling and writing things down. The purse is my camera bag.

Front of my vintage zip-up writing folder. I have all our days planned out. I’ve even marked on the map which stores we will hopefully be visiting and all the showings we will be attending for my boutique. More on this another time.

I hope you are all well. Please let me know if you are at Paris Fashion Week as well so we can meet up. This is a buying trip, I hope my selection satisfies my Melbournian clients. I will certainly not skimp on French food either. Really looking forward to going to Le Procope again and visiting Laduree. Macarons, here I come!

Zoological Studies

cecylia — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:55:18 +0000

One of my earliest memories was when I went to the Melbourne Zoo as a youngling and was in awe of all the great animals there. 2 decades later, the zoo still excites me. I went to the Twilight Zoo last weekend with friends and we were lucky enough to feed some animals! There was an ACDC tribute band which was just playing noise, so we entertainedourselves with the lions and the giraffes instead. I even got to handle a snake! That was the highlight of the night.

I wore a Country Road silk camisole and wool cardigan. A vintage necklace, belt, skirt and sandals. I regretably washed my lovely skirt in the washing machine and the pleats have gone hey-wired. I feel quite ashamed, but at least the print is still as intriguing as ever. See the close up o fhte prints below.

A pretty peacock! Many enquired about the name ‘peacock’ and according to the great Internet, the name Peacock has a history dating back as far back as the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name associated with someone who was concerned with their looks or manners. Male peacocks may be beautiful, but they can be vicious if they’re threatened.

Outside the new aquarium exhibition. It is still under construction.

A close-up of my skirt, every face is different.

My first time with a friendly non-venomous snake. She was gorgeous and very muscley.

Another face

How did a turtle outrun my flash?

“So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.:” -Genesis 1:21

Thank God for creating animals, otherwise this earth would be very boring.

Consumption at the Conservatory

cecylia — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:58:21 +0000

I am an avid food fan and buffets really lure me in. Recently I visited the Crown Conservatory. They have very fresh sea food and charming desserts. As you will later see, I totally over-indulged in dinner and had to loosen my snake-skin belt.

I opted for a sweet white minidress, suede wedges, these are my most comfortable shoes to date. I have stood in them for 12 hours and they will provide ample support. I made my jade-pearl-onyx beaded necklace the night before. My snake skin belt was a vintage souvenir from Berne, Switzerland, and the Bally bag, a vintage souvenir from Spitalfields, London.

Photo taken outside an Italian Restaurant in Crown.

This is my big watch- all the better for me to tell the time. A recent thrift find.

This was my 1st course. I really piled it up. Told you I was a glutton. The food is so fresh, waiters remove all food after a certain time. The oysters were delicious too.

Beautiful desserts – tarts, cheesecakes, meringues, lemon tart, mousse, jelly and cakes. I was in sweet heaven.

Cool Blue

cecylia — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:33:32 +0000

I don’t think I have met anyone who doesn’t like blue, or Alexa Chung, for the matter. Blue is a great colour- the colour of the ocean, of pretty eyes and gorgeous frocks. I have a blue Pauric Sweeney bag and I tend to wear blue a lot in summer, see this post.

If you like blue as well, you are in for a treat. Here are some gorgeous fashionistas posing in the azure attires for your browssing. Hope you enjoy these pictures!

I cannot tell if this Marion Cotilard lookalike is wearing a dress or a jumpsuit. Great hue!

Now I will know what to do with tops that are too big- gather the excess material and pin it!

I get really distracted by what the market is offering in the background but this girl’s blue outfit is sweet and comfortable. I love the key necklace!

One of my favourite models at the moment. Is she wearing a Fendi cape? So well-dressed, her legs are ridiculously thin. Great boots!

I would love to find out where this young lady got her leather jacket! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a biker in blue before. Love the studs and her floral skirt.

Doesn’t she look amazing for her age! I love that necklace and her sandals. The lady on her left is in an Alexander Wang jumper.

Nocturnal celebrations

cecylia — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:27:54 +0000

I attended a friend’s 30th one night. The theme was a cocktail party ‘with a touch of sass’. I worked beforehand so had to rush there. I had not planned my outfit at all and I was already running late. I grabbed a vintage dress i had just purchased that week and squeezed into it, now I wish I hadn’t eaten just a big lunch. I was really lucky to have found this 2-tiered dress. Although it was vintage, it was a couture piece by an extinct designer, in pristine condition and all cotton (I’m a material snob). You can even wear it off the shoulder. Recently hubbie has made me promise that I am not able to buy more shoes unless i start wearing shoes that are still waiting to adorn my feet. To add a little sass, I stepped into my Miss Sixty wedges. These shoes have waited pateitnly for over 3 years. And the wait was worth it, they were so soft and the tassles were so frivolous. I added some semi-precious stone earrings and a vintage leaf belt and off we went!

Here’s a close up of the belt and shoes. I got this navy blue vinyl clutch from Ebay! It was one my earliest purchases from Ebay and aside from my clothes treamer, it is probably my favourite purchases. It’s just the right size for all of my essentials.

These shoes are actually pretty cute, I can’t believe I’ve neglected them all these years.

I don’t know why but this picture of me by the pond reminds me a lot of John Millais’ Ophelia (1850).

Ophelia was believed to have fallen into a river and drowned after the branch upon which she was leaning on broke. Ophelia’s death has been praised as one of the most poetic death announcements in literature. Anyway…

Sipping punch on a marvelous staircase. The stairs have tassels too!

Fanning myself in front of some Australian bush art.

I cannot think of a better way to celebrate one’s birthday at a place that is rich in art, culture, friendships and great cuisine. Thanks for having me Claire!

Shoe Shoe Shoe!

cecylia — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:20:43 +0000

I know I already have 100 or so pairs of shoes…but I cannot help but still have shoe envy from time to time, and if you see the collection of shoes below, you will fully comprehend.

These Alexander Wang booties are insane! They are so hardcore and have a super-hero edge, I love the collars around the ankles. These booties have laces and a zip, how ingenious! Wang is the king of luxe grunge, and we shall all bow down to his royal designer-ship.

Jane of Sea of Shoes and her YSL cage shoes! There is a waiting period on these hot heels, trust her to be one of the first to be trotting around in them! I love the black bows and the transparency of them all.

These crocodile beauties are solid and sleek. I love the mane along the back of the shoe. These heels do the talking.

Ok, a little bit of shoe cleavage. These fantastic strappy heels are featured on Karla’s blog- Karla’s Closet. I love the mock-croc print and the quadriple thick elastics! They are a bit warrior princess meets Cinderella.

Another pair of drop-dead gorgeous shoes from Jane’s collection, Dries van Noten I think? These tribal embellished beauties are a work of art and a fantastic display of exquisite craftsmanship. I would love to walk in Jane’s shoes one day.

You know I have serious shoe envy when this is the third photo of Jane’s shoes- yes THOSE Chanel booties. Jane is well-anchored to the floor. The translucency and the big black bows have won me over, I am head over heels.

Rumi, of FashionToast, she has quite an enviable shoe collection too. I always wonder how she walks around in her ginormous heels, such as these Balenciaga cork platform shoes.

These are Anna Dello Russo’s shoes. Ready? One, two three… *sigh* Adorned with hollies, these Lanvin heels are the perfect accessory for Christmas! Ah, red velvet. I stare, I drool, I melt.

God made man, man made shoes, shoes make the woman.

Please don’t quote me on that.

Toying with Fashion

cecylia — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:59:58 +0000

First of all, hope everyone had a great Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day. I am so sad that the great Alexander McQueen is no longer with us. Who else is going to design crazy animal-themed outfits? He will be sorely missed.

Recently I adopted some cute toys from the op-shop, they both have crook legs. I love collecting funny toys because these pre-loved toys have been abandoned and it is up to me, someone who will once again cherish and play with them. Also because collecting unwanted toys is easier than unwanted pets.

You can see here that Mr. Catepillar has lost his 4th right distal limb. Was it ripped off, amputated or bitten off? If only he could talk. Well, he survived the incident and I think he has more character now that he has only 7.5 legs.

My rayon top was a flea market find from Zurich. Wooden art deco earrings, pelican brooch and belt from vintage shops, Isabel Marant shorts, Marc Jacobs runway booties. The pelican is having a good conversation with the bird.

‘Hello’!

This strange toy ‘talks’ when you push his chest. His torso is segmented too! I love his teethy grin and his hook leg. ‘Arrrr!’

What’s your favourite toy you have collected over the years?

These are a few of my favourite pink things

cecylia — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:58:42 +0000

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you are all having a beautiful, sweet and memorable day. Here are some beautiful things to inspire your special day with your loved one.

I cannot live a day without drinking tea, it is my ‘Eve’s ale’. The rest are optional: peonies, diamonds, macaroons, pink satin heels, Chanel, and a pink earring stand. Maybe I’ll add these to my birthday wish list.

I feel uncomfortable if I don’t drink tea everyday. These cups have stolen my heart. So cute! Even the saucers are heart-shaped!

Peonies are my favourite flowers. I love their unrestrained beauty and great majesty. They certainly do make a great backdrop for diamonds.

Cannot wait to visit Laduree for their delicious macarons on my Paris trip.

Everyone needs a pair of pastel pink satin heels. Stunning symmetry.

Pile those bangles on. Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pink Chanel bag!

I got these beautiful pictures from http://beautifulthingstoshare.blogspot.com/, because ’Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift. ‘- Albert Einstein