Category: fashion

Summer shopping finds: Urban Outfitters

~ Emmie ~ Leave a comment

I haven’t been shopping much this summer.  The reason being that I’m around clothes and fashion too much these days, and I actually get sick of seeing clothes after my shifts at Smartset (Canadian retail chain) where I currently part-time.  It is possible to get sick of clothes, and the idea that girls can’t stop shopping is not true.  I am working hard, and I mean hard, to find pieces that move me, on trends that are fun and worth following and reporting on.  A lot of the quality of clothing in the big chains have gone downhill.  And the clothes of better quality and are better made are just very pricey.  Good finds are hard to come by this summer, and with the months flying by, the summer will soon be over, and there will not be a reason to sport any cute, trendy piece at all.

Urban Outfitters has been serving my needs for a while now.  Partly because they do follow the trends, their clothes on sale is actually pretty affordable, and they have a generous return/exchange policy.  They also have a relaxed grunge-y street feel to them that I like, and as a former art college student, they appeal to me with pieces that are girly and bohemian inspired too.  This summer however, UO are almost my enemy, with high prices, and uninspired designs and fabrics.  However, after doing my homework, I was able to scout out a few things that I nabbed from them that are pretty fabulous.

1. The Kimono Trend

I saw this trend popping up in the spring, but wasn’t quite ready for it then.  Now I am on board with it.  It’s elegant, retro, and effortlessly pretty.  The floral printed kimonos are jaw-droppingly pretty, but usually cost fifty or more.  But for such dramatic silouhette as the kimono is, a less noisy print may prove more suitable.  I adore my recent kimono jacket find, at UO.  It was priced right, and cropped, so it doesn’t overwhelm a more petite frame!

Kinda dramatic, and kimono inspired. Baggy and non clinging can be pretty sometimes!
Kinda dramatic, and kimono inspired. Baggy and non clinging can be pretty sometimes!

2. Printed Leggings Trend

This trend took off in the spring of this year, faded away and is now coming back again.  Who knew?  Well, I kind of did because black and grey pants are sooooo boring.

Funky and fun, floral printed tights say I'm in, I'm with it!
Funky and fun, floral printed tights say I’m in, I’m with it!

3.  Jelly shoes

Do you guys remember in the 90’s when jelly shoes were in?  Well, I have an infinity for them this summer.  they are comfortable, cute and stylish.  A perfect addition to any summer wardrobe, because they scream effortless fun and functionality.

Nothing over the top. Just casual girlie fun.
Nothing over the top. Just casual girlie fun.

What are your fave finds this summer?  Do you guys think that it is a an awesome summer in terms of finding great fashion and styles?  Or is it difficult and lack-lustre?

Movie inspiration: Makeup from the “Flowers of War”

~ Emmie ~ Leave a comment

I’m not very political.  Well, not from being shamefully ignorant of current everyday world matters, but by choice.  I am individualistic, and things that move me are personal and internal.  But I recently watched a movie called The Flowers of War, which came out in 2011 about the atrocity that was the Japanese occupation of China in 1937 during WWII in the city Nanking. There was a lot of violence and rape during this invasion, and the Japanese Imperial Army was painted as sub-human, and most heinous in this movie, attacking the innocent civilian women of China with dehumanizing rape and murder. Any female was a target, even school children… The premise of the movie is that women from the two most farthest social groups: school girls 13 years of age and prostitutes from the red light district, are thrust together while hiding out in a Swiss Catholic Cathedral, trying to keep their lives, while being led and aided by an American posing to be a priest.  It’s based on terrible events, but one that needs to be heard.  My family background is Chinese, and it hurts me deeply to learn about how savage the attack was on the city of Nanking.  Without putting too much blame on the Japanese, I still can’t believe how one Asian nation can rape and pillage another Asian nation with such ferocity and dis-compassion.  I will forever be scarred knowing this war actually happened.

But politics aside, I really loved the fashion and make-up in this movie. The actresses playing the prostitutes in this film really “brought it” in terms of vintage Chinese make-up and fashion.  The times were sad, but the visual feel of these glamorous women were not.  If Western culture is guilty of objectifying and overly feminizing Eastern cultures in the past, this movie totally justifies it.  So many beautiful Chinese actresses, so much wonderful fashion and make up looks.  I examined the looks in this movie and was inspired to create my own modern day Chinese prostitute make-up to beguile and enchant here in present day North America.

The hookers were well spoken and smart in this movie, without sacrificing their femininity.
The hookers were well spoken and smart in this movie, without sacrificing their femininity.  Look at their gorgeous make-up palette!  Minimal, but so striking.
Ni Ni as Yu Mo in The Flowers of War (2011).
Nothing dreary about the colourful fashion of the times. The star actress Ni Ni wears this vintage dress with the confidence only a real lady can possess.

How I made my version of the look:

1.  Thin eyebrows. Vintage Chinese make-up had the thinnest eyebrows possible, lined to perfection.  Update it by perfectly grooming your brows, a bit on the skinny side.  Not a hair should be out of place.  Line and fill with brow shadow.

2.  Thin and exaggerated black liquid liner on the top eyelid.  Make it fluid, make it thin and as pointed high as you can go, without looking too pronounced or prostitute like.  After all, we want to be inspired, but we don’t want to look like a 1940’s hooker.

3. Lightly line the bottom eyelid or skip altogether.  I still want to line the bottom, even though in the movie, the bottom eyelid looked bare and bright.  I think bottom lining is important to make your eyes pop.  But lightly line so that the star of the show is the top lid’s liquid liner.

4.  Minimalist eye shadow.  This is important…because the star of this make-up is the exaggerated liquid liner, the eye shadow should be barely noticeable, but still important, to create a look of polished elegance.  I used a slightly tan shadow on my top lids to give warmth while staying true to this vintage look.

5.  Red, red lipstick. Or tinted red lip balm.  Whatever you are comfy with!

6.  What do you think?

This is my take on this movie inspired make-up.  Not as amazingly stunning as Ni Ni’s, but passably pretty for day to day?

My mother had 30 pairs of black pumps…the obsession continues…

~ Emmie ~ 2 Comments

Women and shoes.   Forever together, forever a slave to each other yet a fashion MUST–is this a good thing?  I myself try hard to stay away from obsessing over this fashion item.  I mean, I like shoes, but I don’t own fifty pairs of them, that’s for sure.  There is something about fussing over shoes that connotes a certain feminine shallowness about it.   I understand women’s interest in finding great footwear, but throughout my life, I have always fought its grip to be able to be seen as a thinking, creative woman (maybe even for feminist reasons).  Why should we justify spending half of our paychecks on a fashion item that on most days, is not practical enough to wear?

Take from culture: Carrie, a character from the tv show Sex and the City.  She was a role-model I had during my late twenties.  An independent urban spirit with a designer shoe addiction, Carrie was still able to hold her own; career-wise as a writer, and socially with her group of friends.  This is only on tv, but then I see how girl friends of mine collect shoes, and remember how my own mother had around 30 pairs of similar looking black pumps, and I wonder now if this image of women finding self-esteem and worth from fabulous footwear is actually closer to reality than I thought.

Carrie Bradshaw is considered a fashion icon in terms of heeled designer glam. But she paid steeply for it in many ways...
Carrie Bradshaw is considered a fashion icon in terms of heeled designer glam. But she paid steeply for it in many ways…

On this note, I have a pair of black stiletto pumps that I have been trying to “break in” for a year now.  Why do high heels have to be such a pain to wear?  It’s not my first pair of heels, but this is my first stiletto pump.  I’m used to clunky heels on boots, but stiletto pumps are a totally different animal.  Buy pumps with room for your toes and the back heel slides off.  Get a pair that are tight, and your toes feel like they are being murdered when you walk.  I got a size smaller because the salesman said that leather only gets bigger when it stretches, and the smaller size was the only one that didn’t lift in the heel when I walked.  He said I would have to break them in…and that was a year ago.  Til recently, these pumps have mocked me when I looked at them, they were so difficult to break in.

These pumps nearly killed me. They hurt so bad in the toe area. They are about a three inch heel!
These pumps nearly killed me. They hurt so bad in the toe area. They are about a four inch heel!

And guess what?  I actually conquered them! It took me a week of pain, but when the event I wanted them for came, I wore them all night beautifully, without any pain at all, and they went great with my outfit.  I must say black pointy pumps are a fashion staple.  But have I been converted to a shoe junkie?  Do I see shoes as an obsessesion worthy piece of fashion?  Well, let’s just say I’m now a slight believer, yet I still advocate for a modest shoe collection, if possible!

How I broke in my leather pumps:

1. It is true, leather stretches.  Which means getting a pair of pumps with space to move can be more hazardous to wear when it stretches and keeps slipping off your feet.  You can buy heel huggers, but they only work on tight heels anyways…so buy a snug size, and try to break them in yourself.

2.  What I did was use rubbing alcohol on the shoes.  I applied it many times with a cotton swab, inside and out. And them I wore them around the house to stretch them.  This was probably the most uncomfortable part of breaking them in.  It took me several days of doing this at night time whenever I was home.

3.  Condition and re-condition with coconut oil:  I noticed when leather is “dry”, it doesn’t keep it’s stretch.  So after using rubbing alcohol on the shoes to stretch it, unwind the leather by applying a bit of oil on a cotton swab all over the shoes.  Consesquently, you can also focus on areas that are still too tight, like I did with the toe box.  Mine were still too tight, so I repeated steps 2 and 3 a few times over the course of a week.

4.  Wear them outside for a practice run:  Bring back up shoes in case they irritate you in a way you didn’t expect them to while out.  I test ran my pumps while having lunch with some friends.  It was a good idea, because apparently, I had to practice walking in stilettos.  It is as hard as it looks! I had nearly wiped out twice! 🙂  But all in all, enjoy your great shoes, but don’t obsess!