Top 5 Tips for Styling an Oversized Jacket

Photos by Christopher Yoon

Trying to channel my inner Olsen twin all bundled up for winter. This outfit is the result of Boxing Day sales and a lovely gift from my sister. I saw this jacket at H&M a few months ago, and decided my search for the perfect wool, camel jacket was over. But I looked at the price tag and balked – $99.00?! My experience with H&M jackets hasn't been the best, and because this wool is pretty loosely knit, I was worried it would pill too fast to make it worth it. (I'm lazy and hate dealing with pilling, and then the jacket is tossed to the back of my closet to be mourned next season.) So I put it down and walked away, set on a more fitted, 4x the price coat from Club Monaco. 

Pretty in Pink

Pantone announced its colour of the year for 2017, and I'll be missing Rose Quartz a ton. To be honest, I saw so many blush tones in the blogosphere that I never thought I'd get into it as much as I did. Alas, it's become a fast favourite and wardrobe staple of mine. 

Pantone's Colour of the Year: Greenery

Photo from Pantone

Pantone's colour of the year has been announced for 2017. Representing "new beginnings" and ultimately hope. Because after 2016, we need some more hope. Greenery is a fresh vibrant colour, reminiscent of new leaves in the spring and the lush outdoors. But is it too vibrant?

Transitional Dressing: The Blanket Scarf

As the temperature drops the layers are starting to add up. It's actually -25ºC here this week, so this outfit really isn't even applicable anymore. No more bare legs for the season, that's for sure. I took this last week, on one of the last warmish days to attend a few craft fairs downtown (it's something my mom really got into this year).

The Pleated Midi

Question: are you a mini or maxi girl? Or a midi girl?

 With winter coming, I've been slowly adding layers and length to my outfits. Cue the pleated midi skirt. Nothing I would have worn even a few months ago, but this gorgeous pink satin caught my eye on Asos. Sadly, I decided that since it "wasn't my style" and I was going to wait for a decent discount before buying it... and it sold out a few days later. 

Studio Bell

A few weeks ago (because I never edit photos on time), I visited Studio Bell as part of the #loveyyc campaign. The museum was free to get into for the day, and I had been admiring the building since I first saw it during construction. The architecture is absolutely gorgeous – there's no way to take a bad photo of it, honestly. And then I forced my dad to take pictures of me around it.

Statement Sleeves

Fall trends abound, but statement sleeves are my favourite. Wide sleeves were all the rage during fashion week/month back in September, and I was lucky enough to be in London at the time. And with London comes... finding new places to shop at! My favourite was of course & Other Stories on Oxford Street, along with all the department stores, and the giant Topshop... and the giant H&M.... Yea, Oxford Street is definitely my favourite.

5 Things to do in London.... and one thing not to do

A long time coming, I finally have a mini travel guide to London! Or at least my favourite things to do in London. Also, look at how pretty this post is. It maybe have taken a full week (over the course of a few months, because seriously, it took two days just to figure out how to make a text box) to figure out the coding, but it was well worth it, don't you think? Either way, let me know what your favourite things to do in London are? Or any misses? WestJet seems to be having seat sales there every fall, so you can bet I'll be going again (maybe I'll even make it to London Fashion Week this time). KLM is also having a flight sale to Amsterdam right now... I'm so tempted.

All that's gold...

Finally back at it. Ie. I have a remote again. I really do miss my friends that used to take my pictures... things went so much fast having someone to take my photos compared to a tripod and remote setup. Thank you everyone, I miss you. 

Primary

All photos by Stephanie Ling

Three weeks of travelling the world and another two of travelling around my own city to visit friends and family, and I'm finally back to blogging. Happy Thanksgiving by the way! My family decided to visit my grandparents and aunts in Winnipeg... where you can order an entire roast pig for dinner. Needless to say we did. And we'll be eating leftovers for the next couple of months. Such is Thanksgiving, right? I don't know what's more interesting – roast pork or a week spent in London and Paris?

Lusting for... Vietnam

Photo from Lonely Planet

Hello from Incheon Airport! I'm not near any of these beaches yet (I'll be in Hoi An and headed to the pictured Cuo Dai Beach in four days). I've been super excited for this trip, and have been planning outfits since... winter? I love beach weather and dressing for summer, and have been lusting after a ton. Unfortunately, my wallet doesn't always like this lust, nor does Korea Post. I thought about doing an order of some of these tops and beachy dresses, but was too worried they might not make it to Korea in time for me to leave. Better safe than sorry when it comes to clothes you like, so I'll be sending a few of these home for my next vacation!

Living out of a Suitcase

Photos taken by Jade Amy Larey.

As some of you may know, I moved apartments temporarily last week right after my trip to Hong Kong, and will be travelling around Asia and Europe before I finally head home to Canada. In other words, I've been living out of a suitcase for the last two weeks, and will continue to do so for the next three. If there's one think I hate about travelling, it's all the packing and unpacking. I packed up the majority of my things and sent them back to Canada with my parents, and left what I would need for my future travels (and probably more). I also forgot about the stuff I needed dry cleaned, so there's even more coming with me to Vietnam than I originally planned for! I'm so last minute, and sometimes it comes to bite me in the butt (I don't even know what I'll be doing in Hanoi yet besides visiting Halong Bay). 

The weather also took a turn here in Korea, and fall suddenly set in. It's sweater weather in the mornings now... and I have... nothing. A lot of beach clothes for Vietnam, but that's about it. Let's just say living out of a suitcase is hard!

On Rotation

All photos taken by Jade Amy Larey

The last two weeks have been a blur, so I'm sorry for the lack of updates. Not only did I spend a week in Hong Kong (stories and pictures to come), but I also played tour guide for my parents who came to visit in Seoul, and had to move out of my apartment (and into my friend's until I actually do leave Korea).

The Sleeveless Trench

Photos by Jade Larey

So who knew golden light was so difficult to shoot in?! Okay, it's not, or at least it isn't when you have a neutral background. Throw in this lovely cedar backdrop though... and everything is looking very golden...orange. My photoshop skills aren't that great, but a little desaturation helped a lot in restoring a normal look to my skin (and not like I ate too many carrots) while retaining that golden glow. So if you have any tips (whether editing or photographing), let me know.

Bare It All

Photos by Katherine Son

Hands up if you like dungarees (me! me! me!). Hands up if you don't like to look like you're teaching kindergarten in them (me! me! me!). I actually bought this dress for the possibility of attending London Fashion Week, as Brexit happened and suddenly the UK became a little bit cheaper. That, and a one way ticket from London to Calgary is currently less than $300 (yay West Jet!). 

Simple Is Best

All pictures by Jade Amy Larey

Another day, another off the shoulder top. Sorry, I'm like a broken record. My favourite trend is just on repeat every weekend. I swear I'll wear something different this weekend. Maybe. 

The Easiest Way to Wear the Off the Shoulder Trend

What do you get when you combine two  of summer's biggest †rends, frills and off the shoulder cuts? This dress. I originally saw a similar dress by MLM label, and while the price was fine, the customs duties would have killed me (30% why?).  So I kept searching for a cheaper version (or at least something with those duties included in the price). I was originally looking for a very colourful Chloe inspired dress when I found Shein.com. And while looking, I saw this, and immediately added it to my wish list.

It's Sale Season! How to Shop Without Going Broke

It's sale season, and we all know what that means: impulse buying and clothing that will be worn once then forgotten about at the bottom of the laundry basket. Or is that just me? To be honest, I don't usually forget my new purchases for at least a few months (because I love them so much I'll wear them over and over for two or three months and then never want to see them again). I do tend to buy things I don't need (love, but don't need), whether it's a repeat in my closet (because I love it so much!) or just something I can't wear in my daily life (hi there bare shoulders – scandalous in Korea, frozen in Canada). So here are my top five tips to shop sale season without causing your wallet to cry... as much.

Perfect Summer Makeup with Etude House's Summer Collection

For this month's pink box, Etude House sent me some of the new summer releases – including a new long lasting cushion, their new lipstick formula and a few limited edition shades of the Play 101 pencils. There are two summer makeup trends in Korea right now – matte makeup, and "juicy" makeup using vibrant, fruit coloured shades. The pink box hit both these trends, as well as a more Western one – Kylie Jenner's infamous brown lips.

Trend on Trend on Trend

Photos by Kyleigh Trott

As a general rule, I try not to follow trends too much. This summer though... that's not happening. I've been loving everything that's come out - off the shoulder tops, culottes, lace up, tassel sandals, and now crop flares, which I didn't actually think would look as good on me as they do. Here, I combined four major summer trends - cropped flare denim, an off the shoulder top, tassel sandals and my new favourite hairstyle, the half up bun. I actually kind of want to buy a neckerchief (probably the one trend I haven't wanted to jump on), because let's face it, it would look awesome with this outfit.

At Long Last... The Beach

Photos by Kyleigh Trott

How lovely is it to live an hour and a half away from a beach? I've been craving some relaxation time, and it's been showing in my shopping – off shoulder tops, sundresses and coverups galore. When I saw this top on the Zara website I had to have it. It didn't matter that it was an extra $20 here in Korea compared to Canada (usually the exchange rate and duties tacked on to Zara pieces are pretty reasonable, but this top... hot damn!). Either way, I had to have it (along with a few other super trendy pieces you'll be seeing soon) since I knew I'd be going to the beach for Memorial Day.

Review: Etude House Bubble Tea Sleeping Masks

How cute are these? Etude House launched their Bubble Tea Sleeping packs in three different "flavours" meant for different skin types. Black tea for firming, strawberry for moisturizing and green tea for oil control. There's boba capsules that contain the main hydrating ingredients and a little straw/spoon to scoop everything out hygienically.

So, as cute as they are, how did they perform?

Not "Real" Summer

Work has picked up. It's now halfway through the semester in Korea, and everyone has been super busy. There's a lot more work under my new coteacher and with my new schedule (I don't know why as I teach the same number of classes but at different times, and my coteacher doesn't make me do that much extra, but it feels like I have no time at all!).

Scandalous

Photos by Kat Son

 Want to know how to get a boy slapped  by his girlfriend in Korea? Or have little, old ajusshi's talk amongst themselves in hushed voices? Show some shoulder. PS. Both of these stories are true, thanks to this top. It's the last weeks for cherry blossom viewing though, so obviously looking cute for photos with pretty flowers is worth the gossip that comes with shoulders.

Spring

Photos by Subomi Bankole

 Spring is finally here! Actually, it was here about two weeks ago, when the first blossoms were coming out. Right now, everything is actually in bloom, or green. It's awesome! So much better than the greys and browns of winter (Gongju is looking beautiful again!).

Winged for Seoul Fashion Week

Photos by Kat Son and Byeonggi Jo 

It's now a life goal to work and live in a city with some sort of fashion week. Once again, I attended Seoul Fashion Week (well, more like Seoul Fashion Day given that I could only attend on Saturday). I saw the R. Shemiste show (super grungy, but still appealing to my need for feminine clothing) in the morning, then spent the rest of the day being mobbed by photographers. Last year I wore some very basic outfits and while I was photographed, it didn't happen too often. This year I opted for a beautiful backless shirt that I'll never be able to wear in Korea again. The statement piece got a lot of attention – a group of girls just wanted a picture of me (from the front), and when I turned around (because let's be honest the front of this outfit is boring, and trying to pin it into a crop top was a failed attempt) there were a lot of squeals of surprise and praise. To show this much upper body skin is still uncommon for Korea (even in Seoul!), so anything with thin shoulder straps (let alone my beloved off the shoulder pieces) is a no go. Not that that will stop me, but it is something I consider when go out on the weekends, whether it's to metropolitan and slightly more liberal Seoul, or my more conservative countryside town. I've literally had ajummas come up to me on the street to adjust a wayward shoulder strap so that it once again covers my bra strap. So kind, but so annoying. But back to fashion week... 

R. Shemiste Runway Review - Seoul Fashion Week F/W2016

This fall runway season was all about the 90's, and R. Shemiste made sure to include that theme in their signature grungy aesthetic. 

Known for it's oversized sweatshirts and sukajans, R. Shemiste included wide-legged denim, bohemian silhouettes and some amazing colours in their fall collection to bring a cohesive collection onto the runway. The show was inspired by 19th century anarchist, Emma Goldman, a perfect muse for the show's distressed and layered looks. While I'm not a big fan of grunge (I'll leave the plaid at home, thanks), I loved the amount of layering going on at R. Shemiste. My favourite look? A distressed slip camisole over a ruched sleeve blouse. A trendy wrap skirt gave the illusion of a jacket or shirt layered and wrapped around the waist to add to the illusion of multiple layers. The idea of layering a loose camisole over a shirt has been very popular in Korea this winter – I've seen oversized, v-neck camis everywhere – and while most have been in suede (last seasons textile of choice), I have a feeling R. Shemiste's take on the trend will be making it's way to storefronts soon.

Why won't I be in Korea by the time this jacket comes out?!

Harajuku Girl

This is a deceptive title, since I wouldn't really call it Harajuku style. But I bought these gorgeous pants in Harajuku... so....

They're my new favourites, and pretty much all I wore in Japan and Taipei. They're super comfortable, and look like a skirt (you know how I love flowing silhouettes). And they layer perfectly with the new Asos vest and All Saints Sweater I bought. This outfit is the epitome of my store obsessions - All Saints (there's a store in the bus terminal in Seoul, which means I'm in a danger zone as soon as I step off my bus), Asos, Zara, and now, Goocy. 

Etude House Berry Delicious Review

Another month, another cute Pink Box from Etude House! For February's Pink Box, I received the new strawberry themed spring collection. Not only does everything look adorable, but it all smells delicious too (like strawberry candy)! An added bonus? It's probably my favourite collection of products from Etude House I've used thus far.

Etude House Big Cover BB Review

Happy belated lunar new year! February 8th marked the start of the year of the monkey, which means I’m getting old. It will be my second monkey year, which means I’m getting old. And to think, I could have celebrated it in Taipei too, if my co-teacher had remembered it was a holiday and instead of telling me I had to be at work that day (I got back a week ago, and spent a very boring new year binge watching Face Off and Master of None). Not exactly pleased with him.

But enough with my grievances. For the lunar new year, Etude House has launched a new base makeup line, as well as limited edition (super cute) eyeshadows. 

Etude House sent me the new Big Cover Concealer BB and Big Cover Cushion Concealer to review, along with three shades of the limited edition eyeshadows. Compared to the Play 101 multi-sticks, I’m loving everything about this line.

Black, White and Grey

Photos by Michael Masulli

You know you have an addiction when you're almost entirely in Asos. It’s one of my favourite stores to shop (online) at normally, and it’s really the only place I’ve been shopping at in Korea (besides checking out Zara when I go to Seoul). 

Naked Bonding... Aka. The Jjimjilbang

When in Korea, do as the Koreans do. Ie. Get naked with some of them.

Gongju is full of foreigners (many of my Korean coworkers are always surprised by how many there are here when they visit) and some of the girls decided to visit our local jimjilbang. Many of us had never been, including myself (I have gone to Japanese onsen before though, and it's very similar), and we decided to do the whole shebang – Saunas, baths, scrubs, and of course the traditional baked egg and shikhye. Don't worry, Conan exaggerates about the scrub (or the ajummas went easy on me).

The Korean Cafe

Photos by Michael Masulli

I'm writing this from my third cafe of the day. Cafes are plentiful in Korea, no matter how small your town is. There are literally streets of them, one after another (just like the beauty stores here!). It probably doesn't help that Gongju is a university city, so someone is always looking for coffee and a place to study or hang out with friends. It's one of my favourite things about living in Korea, second only to cheese hotteok. 

Etude House – Play 101 Multi Stick Review

Makeup trends are always changing, and I think we had three major ones this year. Contouring, instagram brows, and strobing. 

Now, Korea has it's own makeup style – it's very fresh and light, and emphasizes glowy skin. I'd say they strobed before strobing ever became popular in the west. However, contouring has just made it's way over here. Earlier this year, Missha released a set of cream blushes and contouring sticks, and Etude House has also followed suit – creating an entire multi-colour line with their multi-use Play 101 formula. You'll know the Play 101 pencils are very multipurpose – they can be used as eyeliner, shadow, blush and lip colour, and the multi-sticks (minus the foundation) are no exception.

The Poncho

Photos by Michael Masulli

I hate ponchos. Well, hated. Zara has me changing my mind apparently (I bought another in cream, and I'm thinking about a third wool one). Cashmere, flowing, and with mock sleeves, no Mexican blanket here! What more can a girl ask for?