Split Fun

Side-split dresses and skirts have been in since last summer. Unfortunately most of them are too daring to find a place in office where flashing too much legs will definitely raise some brows. This season I'm happy that I came across this Helmut Lang split side skirt that opens to reveal a slip. Here I paired it with a loose kimono sleeve top and a pair of converse for a weekend look, but I've also worn it to office with a crisp blouse and heels. The original price is a little steep for a jersey skirt, I understand. You may be able to find a good price as it's on sale in quite a few department stores (links at the end of the post).

I also love this kimono sleeve top from ASOS! It's so comfortable and versatile. I bet it looks even better on those less busty ladies!

Top: Monki Kimono Sleeve Plunge Neck Top (on sale in Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus) 
Skirt: Helmut Lang Terrene printed stretch-jersey skirt

Express Sale on Sale

Hey, ladies! Just a quick note: Express is having extra sales on sale items. And guess what? I saw this dress that looks just like my recent DVF dress in this post! Well, I've never seen or tried this Express dress before. But with extra 30% off $29.99, maybe it's not a bad idea to give it a try... Happy shopping, ladies!

Express Piped Raised Rib Sheath Dress 

$79.90 $29.99 With an Additional 30% Off

Leather, Maxi and Red Lips

When a long overdue heatwave hit the winter plagued North East over the weekend, every girl pulled out her favorite sundress to celebrate. And I was absolutely in the mood for a floral print maxi dress! Cotton sundress still looks a little flimsy in April? Add layers! Feminine maxi sounds a little out this year? Revitalize it with a cool leather moto vest! When I was in mood for boho chic, no one could stop me. :)

To light up the face, I used a true red lipstick:  Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Best Red. This is the second drugstore lipstick I loved -- I know I'm a late comer to this market. It felt creamy and light on the lips, and stays fresh 3-4 hours without retouch. In terms of color, its neutral red is closest to NARS Jungle Red. If you want a classic true red at a fraction of designer lipstick price, give this one a try.   

Both the dress and the vest were bought last year, but I'm sure you are able to find similar items in the market.

Dress: Free People (similar, similar, also like this, this)
Leather Vest: Bagatelle (similar, similar, similar)
Purse: Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote Mini in Hot Red
Lips:  Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Best Red
  

Blue Feather Weight Trench

NYC has officially entered the trench coat season. To make things just a bit different, I bought this ultra light trench coat from Nordstrom recently. This long and lean coat flows and dances with every step I take; the baby blue color adds yet another touch of spring breeze. I'm in heaven!

Shirt: Equipment
Pants: Opening Ceremony
Trench coat: Trouvé Soft Trench Coat

Polished and Bohemian

Long vests were all over the SS 2015 runways. Although not as functional as other staples such as jackets, tailored long vests immediately create a streamlined silhouette and inject a touch of polish into almost any outfit. Skinny jeans, wide-leg pants, mini-skirts, dresses... Long vests go virtually with everything. Click here if you need some inspiration.

Here I paired this Topshop tailored long vest with a pair of straight-leg pants I bought in Guatemala to create a strong contrast between British peppiness and Latino free spirit. What do you think?

Vest: Topshop Sleeveless Ponte Jacket (available in Topshop, Nordstrom, also available in color rust and grey)
Pants: bought in Guatemala
Tee: Vince

For your curiosity, here is a close-up shot for the traditional woven pants every Guatemalan wears. Amazing colors and patterns!

Sporty Lady

Sporty style continues strong this season, but you don't have to dress like a tomboy to embrace it. We office ladies always strike for the balance between being classy and sassy. That's exactly why I fell head-to-toe with this elegant DVF knit dress. Its body-con silhouette and high neckline are both office appropriate and feminine, yet nothing says "sporty" like those high contrast scuba inspired stripes. Step into a pair of fashion sneakers or booties, and you've got a perfect feminine outfit with a sporty spin.

BTW I've been thinking of posting this recent purchase from Saks for a while. Unfortunately we've been back to winter-ish temperature recently. Now the dress is sold out. Blame this brutal winter, please!
 

Dress: Diane von Furstenberg Josephine Contrast-Trimmed Body-Con Dress
Silk scarf: bought in Vienna, Austria
Polka dot stockings: bought at Taobao in China

My Big Fat Grey Goose

Can't imagine that I was still wearing my big fat Canada Goose Kensington down coat this past weekend! Aren't we approaching the Easter weekend? Everyone in the North East knows my frustration. This winter is way too long and way too cold. I want spring! I want flowers! I want fresh leaves!

Down coat: Canada Goose Kensington parka in Graphite (available in Barney's, Nordstrom, Shopbop, Amazon)
Tee: Ed Hardy
Leggings: Club Monaco

Embrace Athleisure

If you bought Lululemon stocks five years ago, you would have seen your investment being more than tripled so far. And this year Lulu had apparently left all the negative news behind and is now heading north all the way again. Despite complaints of its dropping quality year after year and my unwavering verdict of this "overrated sports brand that charges premium mostly on its brand image rather than anything tangible", I have to admit that Lulu had spearheaded in bringing in a new fashion trend that is in full blossom this year -- Athleisure.

The perfectly descriptive buzzword shows women's desire to live a comfortably confident life in style. And for that reason, I see this change of tide more permanent than transient. From designer yoga pants to layering cashmere sweaters, these gym-to-street pieces are functional and comfortable, and at the same time, stylish and curve hugging. And the good news is: now we have more brands to choose from beyond Lululemon.

I've got a few running pieces from Under Armour and Nike recently. I happily notice that they are now taking a page of Lulu's style book and offering more body hugging styles, all with their fast dry fabric designed for serious workout maniacs.

Take this springy Under Armour 1/2 Zip top for example: When I put it on in the fitting room, I just loved seeing myself from every angle. It was definitely body hugging, but in a comfortable and flattering way. The fabric used in UA's ColdGear line wicks sweat away quickly and keeps you dry and warm. I've been using it in my outdoor long runs and weekend hiking trips. No complaints. The only improvement I would suggest to UA is: add pockets please.

Top: Under Armour Women's UA ColdGear® Cozy Printed 1/2 Zip

Jeans: James Jeans

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff MAC

Unique Glow

Finally we are out of winter! phew~ I know I'd been quiet for a while. Blame this brutal winter please. I'd never seen such a long and cold winter in New York, and I did not have the courage of stepping out of my cozy warm apartment to shoot pictures. But, I'm everything but a quitter! Now that the snow is melting on the ground, I'm finally motivated to take off my bulky Canada Goose and shoot new looks!

Back in my early summer trip to central Europe, I was impressed by the ultra light down coat my friend packed in her suitcase. It fits easily into its own little pouch, but keeps you warm when the temperature drops to ~40F. I scored one this season, and couldn't wait to put it on last weekend. :)

This Uniqlo down jacket also brought me into its enormous store in mid town, and I was shocked at the quality and price of this brand. Uniqlo did make a scene when it hit Manhattan a couple of years ago, but I took it just as yet another cheap brand and did not bother to walk into its store. Now I realized how wrong I had been all these years! A little money goes a long way here, and you get your money's worth!

Besides this ultra light down jacket, I also bought multiple HEATTECH long sleeve T-shirts in the store. Man! They kept me warm in this dreaded winter! Just like the quick dry material you pay big $$$ for in big sport brands, HEATTECH wicks your sweat away and keeps your body heat. You may stay dry and warm in those babies without worrying too much about your bleeding bank account.

Top: Uniqlo HEATTECH Crew Neck T-Shirt
Down coat: Uniqlo Ultra Light Hooded Down Jacket (sold out, new season)
Leather pants: Versace
Handbag: Rebecca Minkoff Mini Perry Satchel in burgendy

Christmas Red

Hi ladies! Do you like Christmas red? It's a striking festive color that can't be missed in holiday season, but you don't have to be dressed as an old-fashioned Santa. It actually works really well with black and gold to create an edgy outfit...

BTW I'm already on the road to my winter vacation. Guess where I'm going this time? Hint: somewhere warm... :)

Dress: Searle
Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Duper Strength
Mink infinity scarf: bought from Neiman Marcus years ago
Leather arm warmer: Vince Camuto
Purse: Chanel Large Camera Bag
Boots: Cole Haan

Holiday Bling

One of the many benefits of holiday season is that you don't look as over-board if you walk down the street in bling bling at day time. Sequin pieces tend to add urban chic to every outfit as long as you keep the rest of the outfit simple and elegant. Now that Christmas is only steps away, strolling down the street with a cute sequin mini skirt sometimes seems just the right thing to do!

Express has quite a few cute sequin mini skirts this season. I picked one with tribal pattern in neutral tone. It absolutely brightened up my past weekend. Check them out!

Silk sweater: Joie (also seen in this post)

Sequin mini skirt: Express (here, similar, similar, similar, similar, similar)

Downcoat: Burberry Brit (also seen in this post) 

Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Duper Strength

Mink infinity scarf: bought from Neiman Marcus years ago (similar, similar)
Leather arm warmer: Vince Camuto (also seen in this post) 

Purse: Chanel Large Camera Bag

Over-the-knee boots: Stuart Weitzman 5050 in black napa leather (here, here, here, here, here, ) 

Say "Yes" to Blood Red Lips "No" to Bleeding Wallet

Sorry for being absent from blog for quite a while. I have been so swamped with family obligations as well as office deadlines. The good news is: now I'm officially in the holiday mood!

True red is always one of the best colors to wear for holiday parties. Since last winter, however, dark blood red lipsticks have taken the center of fall/winter fashion stage. I'd collected a handful of dark shades from designer brands (e.g. Fire Down Below, Afghan Red, and Scarlet Express are all fabulous dark red from NARS with different tones) since last year. This season I'm so excited at my recent findings: you don't have to break your bank account to get those awesome blood red shades. 

I might be late to the game, but the L'oreal Paris Infallible Le Rouge Lipsticks are impressively creamy, pigmented, and long lasting. If you are willing to do without exquisite packages, they are ideal substitutes for brand name lipsticks.

I bought both 737 Persistent Plum and 741 Bold Bordeaux. The picture below is sourced online and true to color in real life. 737 is a cooler shade with purple/pink undertone, and 741 is a warmer brick red with brown/coral undertone. Both colors are rich and sophisticated, yet not overly vampy. Both can be used for work and fun. As a rule of thumb, 737 works better on cool skin tones and 741 works better on warm skin tones. And of course, if your skin is more or less neutral, just like mine, both colors work for you and that explains why your lipstick collection usually doubles in size! :)

I was wearing 741 in the past weekend. I really loved it! I need to add this to my forever growing list of new year resolution: exploring more bargain lipsticks and sharing them online! :)

Down coat: Moncler (similar, also like this, this, this)

Jeans: DL 1961

Lipstick: L'oreal Paris Infallible Le Rouge Lipstick in 741 Bold Bordeaux (here, here) 

Shawl: Louis Vuitton Monogram Shine Shawl in gray

Purse: Chanel Large Camera Bag (old, current season)

Studded leather gloves: Portolano (similar, similar)

Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Duper Strength

Booties: VC Signature by Vince Camuto

Finally, the holiday booths in Union Square are now open! It was sheer fun checking out those little cuties. I hope everyone a happy holiday!

Cocoon in Pastel Pink

Oversized cocoon coat is white hot this season. You just can't avoid it in fashion blogs or mainstream stores. This simple boyfriend cut gives you a polished yet laid back look that makes winter layering piece of cake.

Being petite, I don't want to indulge on a cocoon coat as I look way better in a more slim cut silhouette. So I searched up and down to find a bargain piece, until I saw this Express cocoon coat in pastel pink. This coat is so light that I don't think I can survive the brutal Northeast winter in it. But this light texture and soft color do make it a refreshing alternative to my dark sober winter wardrobe on those relatively warm days. When I walked into the subway station at rush hour, this coat stood out so beautifully among the famous New York black.

In summary, it's not the warmest wool coat you'd expect, but it feels soft to the touch and on the body. It feels more like a trench coat in terms of warmth. If you live in an area with mild winter, you may find more mileage in it.

Coat: Express Textured Cocoon coat  in light pink (more colors, thicker version from JCrew)

Sweater: JCrew (also seen in this post)

Pants: Club Monaco

Boots: Cole Haan

Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Duper Strength

Red Leopard

It felt like winter this weekend in NYC, and I decided to pull out my down coat. To brighten things up, I wore a red leopard sweater dress, a new purchase from Express, under it. I didn't even remember how many years have passed since I stepped in an Express store last time. That said, I am pretty happy with my purchase. It was soft and cute, although a little too short even for business casual. After all we do need a little bit color and fun occasionally, right?

Dress: Express Red Leopard Print Sweater Dress (also available in gray)
Down Coat: Burberry Brit (current season, similar available in Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Saks)
Boots: Cole Haan
Purse: Rebecca Minkoff Mini Perry Wave Embossed Leather Satchel in burgundy
Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Duper Strength

Burgundy and Green

This is just an experiment of paring burgundy with green. Unlike the risky red and green combo, these two dark muted colors seem to go easily with each other. The warmth of burgundy adds more fun to the cool sober green shade, and together they form an elegant polished look. What do you think?

Shirt: Rugby (discontinued)
Skirt: Banana Republic
Coat: The Row (similar in black, also like this)
Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Duper Strength
Booties: VC Signature by Vince Camuto
Purse: Louis Vuitton Damier Hampstead PM

Burgundy

Rich dark burgundy / wine is a fashion staple that consistently remains a truly classic color, especially in fall/winter. The deep tone works well with a range of other hues, and instantly adds a degree of sophistication to your outfit.

Burgundy goes easily with black and white. When worn together, these three colors lead to a refined and effortlessly chic look. Black forms the neutral basis of your ideal outfit. Burgundy serves as an understated dose of color, and white offers a needed bright contrast to the two darker hues.

Various shades of brown plays up burgundy's classic appeal. Darker brown shades blend well with burgundy, while lighter browns and tan tones serve as complementary contrast.

Burgundy also looks great with a range of blue shades. Burgundy and navy is a timeless color combo: let navy serve as the base of your outfit and add burgundy accents. Because navy and burgundy are both deep, rich tones, keep accessories neutral so they don't compete with your clothes. Another color in the blue family that goes well with burgundy is turquoise. Burgundy base with a pop of turquoise makes a pleasant eye-catching contrast.

Metallics makes burgundy modern chic. Gold brings out burgundy’s warmth, while silver gives you a perfect, cool contrast to the deep red. When wearing burgundy with gold or silver, stay classic by keeping accessories simple.

BTW this Rebecca Minkoff Mini Perry Satchel is my new love. Perry bag is a marriage between the classic Givenchy Antigona and the cool 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli, at a fraction of their price. This mini Perry is big enough to hold my everyday nonsense plus winter accessories such as a scarf and a pair of gloves. I can see myself carrying it a lot this season. :)

Trench coat: Burberry London
Silk scarf: Hermes
Purse: Rebecca Minkoff Mini Perry Wave Embossed Leather Satchel in burgundy (here, here, here, here)
Leather armwarmers: Vince Camuto

Last Day of Sephora's VIB Event

Just a reminder that today is the last day of Sephora's VIB event that offers 20% off store wide.

This year's VIB event turned out to be pretty nasty. Sephora's server crashed for a long time on the first day, some VIBs' accounts got blocked out, some products were removed from the invoice by Sephora, some products got sold out within hours online, and if you had the guts to buy in store, you would be waiting in the checkout line much longer than you'd like to.

Despite all these, I managed to restock some of my favorite items as well as try a couple of new items during the event. And here is my list:

NARS lipsticks. Well, I confess that I've been hooked by those lipsticks for years. They are not the most moisturizing lipsticks, to be honest. But I like how weightless it feels on my lips. For everyday use, I like Love Devotion (not available on Sephora) and Niagara. Both have just a tad peach/coral/pink on top of the nude base. Dolce Vita is the most popular nude color of NARS, but I look a little washed out in pure nude. Love Devotion and Niagara brightens up my complexion without appearing artificial. For winter/fall everyday use, however, I stick to Autumn Leaves. In most of my pictures, I wear this warm brandy color that look both natural and polished. Of course, I have a bunch of dressier colors from NARS too for other occasions... This time I got Jungle Red, the most popular red lipstick in NARS family that is considered true red with no orange or blue undertone. It looks younger and brighter than Red Lizard and Future Red (last year's limited edition). Finally I got NARS Hardwired Lipstick in Femme Fleur to test out this golden/brandy new color.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks. YSL lipsticks are quite popular on some Chinese makeup forums. They are moisturizing, but feels heavy on my lips. So I usually do not get them. This time I decided to try the orange coral shade of #14 Corail in Touch. Let's see how it goes.

Thierry Mugler Alien Eau de Parfum. If you are looking for a refreshing jasmine perfume, look no further. This is THE perfume that you need to stock up. Sexy, mysterious, sultry yet clean, this feminine scent will win you tons of compliments from young and old. Give it a try.

Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream. This is what I bring to the gym on warmer days when my typical La Mer seems a little heavy on my warm post-workout skin. It's a little lighter than La Mer. It's sold out online, but I was able to find it in store.

Shiseido Extra Smooth Sun Protection Lotion SPF 38 PA++. My favorite sun lotion. Enough said.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. I like how gentle it feels on my skin. I've been using it for years.

bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Light. I have oily skin and do not usually use foundation. On rare occasions that I do, I use this powder foundation that is light, transparent and oil-absorbent. It feels weightless, but has the ability to build up.

OK. That's my shopping list. What did you get?

Casual Friday Basics

Chunky oversized sweater, wool skirt, and knee high boots are my fall/winter staples. Fashion comes and goes, but these basic pieces stay. Stock them up when they go on sale, and save money and headache in many seasons ahead of you!

Have a good weekend, everyone! Stay warm~

Sweater: JCrew (similar)

Skirt: St. John

Brooch: Chanel

Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Duper Strength

Boots: Cole Haan

Purse: Louis Vuitton Damier Hampstead PM

Winter Accessories

We had a couple of cold days here, reminding you that winter is not that far away. New York is a city of black, especially in winter. That doesn't mean that we do not use colors to spice up our outfit. Warm cozy accessories with a pop of color are our favorites on a chilly day.

This outfit features some of my favorite cold weather accessories.

Missoni scarves explore your imagination of color combos. My red/green scarf has gone quite a bit mileage since I got it in 2007. A couple of my friends also got Missoni scarves after they saw how many times I'd used mine.

This Vince Camuto arm warmer is a recent purchase and I love it! It comes handy when you wear a short-sleeve or sleeveless dress under neath your coat. Apparently it magically makes even the most classic simplistic outfit look edgy and chic.

And of course, don't forget to throw in a purse that you are in the mood for. I have to confess that I'm totally in love with blue bags this season. Blue is such a rich and sophisticated color for cold days that brightens an black outfit without appearing over-the-board. I've got three blue bags this year, and you-know-whom would roll his eyes whenever I pulled out one of them. What can I say? Men are color blind. They think all blues look the same... *_^

Wool coat: Marni
Scarf: Missoni (similar, similar, similar, similar, similar, also like this infinity scarf)
Purse: Loeffler Randall Rider Bag in cobalt leather (also seen in this post, similar, similar, similar)
Leather armwarmers: Vince Camuto
Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Duper Strength
Boots: Cole Haan

Bir...Bir...Birkin!

爱收藏包包的女人不可能不知道birkin。要说birkin贵，其实也不尽然，现在一只小香包也差不多是birkin三分之一的价格了，而且birkin比小香要结实耐用许多。如果根养房子养孩子比，就更不算什么了，曼哈顿几个月的daycare（还不包括饮食）就够一个birkin。在很多人看来，birkin的地位主要在于它的难买，而我研究的结论则是，birkin的购买本身就有很多窍门。因为价格不菲货源难求，买一只称心如意的birkin是需要花一番心思的。

我今天来分享一下自己购买birkin的一些体会。

颜色。有些人买包的时候只要是有现货就买，不太看重自己的喜好，可是我觉得这是很个人的问题，需要好好考虑，毕竟买一只包很不容易。很多人喜欢鲜艳的颜色，尤其是喜欢爱马仕的标志性的橘红色。其实，根据爱马仕店员的信息，黑色是最难买到的。为什么呢？因为birkin皮质优异制作精良，其实是很好的上班包（我在金融区工作，经常看到拿birkin穿pant suit的女人排队买午饭），这跟大部分小香包的主要用途是不一样的。既然是everyday bag，就不能太招摇。黑色 灰色 棕色 金色（他家管米粽色叫gold），这些低调中性的颜色一来不那么耀眼，二来容易搭配上班的衣服，都是很好的选择。如果是第一只birkin，我个人倾向于买这类低调耐脏的颜色。金属件要么金色要么银色，就没有那么多讲究了。

大小。常见的birkin有30, 35, 40这三个尺寸。像我这样的小个子，拿着30和35都很好看，但是40就太大了。170以上的姑娘，可以在35和40间选择。难怪35是最流行的大小，在二手市场上，35也是最好卖的。不过，30和40更容易在店里买到，因为需求量相对较小。

皮质。这是个很复杂的问题，birkin的皮质选择比小香要多得多，我来多说几句。

我有十来只小香，但是没有一个是用来上班的，一个是因为经典好看的小香普遍偏小，装不了我的那许多宝贝，一个则是因为小香皮质普遍比较娇气。我日常主要背的是Louis Vuitton或者Coach的布包 -- 大妈我年纪大了，不在乎别人看我背logo包有什么想法，就图它们个大轻巧防水耐磨，那个shi黄shi黄的颜色，买来也没多新，用几年也没多旧。但是birkin是著名的workhorse，又能装又耐用，如果你选对了皮质的话，用上10年20年也依旧挺括好看，跟新的差不多（除了边角稍有磨损以外）。大家看过“花儿与少年”吧？如果小香包是许晴，那么birkin包就是刘涛，前者是用来看的，后者是拿来用的。

除开死贵的exotic skin（比如鳄鱼皮），birkin用的主要是牛皮和山羊皮。我见过很多赞美chevre（山羊皮）的，据说比牛皮更轻，但是我个人没有见过实物，应该比较少见。更常见的是用山羊皮做内胆，用牛皮做外层。-- birkin都是里外全皮，所以比较重。

牛皮又分为两大类，一种是textured leather，也就是有纹路的，一种是smooth leather，也就是光面的。如果你跟我一样，希望物尽其用，尽量多用这只包，那么，我建议把选择缩小到texutred leather里面，因为光面皮更容易有划痕，用用就显得旧了。最常见的光面皮是box，建议避免。

Textured leather里面，有的是天然纹路，有的是人工纹路，品种又有许多。最常见的是togo, clemence, epsom 和 fjord。这几个皮里面，epsom比较轻和挺，不容易软塌塌，但是手感不如另外几个厚软可爱。fjord不怕水，也有很多人喜欢，但是似乎是这几个里面最重的一种。Clemence这种皮非常软，手感巨可爱，但是用了几年以后包就渐渐塌了，空包站不住，尤其是大包，我觉得更适合爱马仕别的款型，比如Lindy就更适合用软皮做。Togo呢，比epson手感好，比fjord轻，比clemence挺，也比较容易排到，但是togo容易有vein，是皮子的天然纹理，找到一个没有vein的togo皮包也是很不容易的。

总之选皮子，是比选颜色大小要伤脑筋的事情。有兴趣研究的话，可以看看网上的信息，比如这篇和这篇。

Dress: DVF (also like this, this, this)

Wool coat: Marni

Brooch: Swarovski (also seen in this outfit)

Handbag: Hermes Birkin 35

Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Duper Strength

Booties: VC Signature by Vince Camuto