SUMER FASHION: Shopping

Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Chevaux de bois: Sun Tzu, window shopping, boxy purses and other fine musings

If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.
Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

I learnt a new french word today. Chevaux de bois. It means "Wooden Horse" [thank you google translate]. I had no idea how to pronounce it so I made the nice google translate voice read it out loud several times as it sounded so pretty. I thought it would immediately lend a certain chicness to this blog as I once again try to convince my reader[s? ] that I am indeed part of the style cognoscenti. It was the name of a cute little boutique in one of my favorite shopping malls in Hong Kong: Beverly Island, Causeway Bay. Much to my boyfriend's chagrin [and the reason we rarely shop together] I can happily window-shop for hours, not buy a single thing, and feel like I've had a productive few hours. To me, it's akin to browsing an art gallery of sorts.

Don't be fooled, Beverly Island is not a posh resort island somewhere in the Caribbean. Nay, it is a typical Hong Kong style mall full of lots of dainty little boutiques, like a charming box of macaroons just waiting to be explored. J'adore. Situated very close to Sogo. I have to say, the best street style [where people make the most effort] in Hong Kong is definitely around this area. And with clothes like these, it is inevitable.

One of many delectable purses I saw. Love the boxy envelope shape, the Miu Miu inspired [slash blatantly copied] swallow print, the chain. Alas, with The Ibiza Fund pulling in most of my savings [saying it in third person makes it seem a sort of involuntary thing I have no control over, lols] I hesitated to buy it. The reason I included the aforementioned Sun Tzu quote was that often shopping can be a bit of a battle, with willpower being one's army and the sartorial urge to spend being the enemy. I know that once I've broken the 'seal' with my first purchase, I find it a lot easier to buy other things. Queue heavy artillery damage to my wallet. I can often get by just on window shopping though, the methadone to my heroin if you will. Although, it is a VERY slippery slope. Ah, the joys of retail therapy. Although, some may say it is my job to do this! [see below].

Boxy purse numéro deux: Coral orange, white and gold. Awesome color combination. P.s. Once again I've proven myself as an adept photographer. In my defense for using mobile photos, taking pictures is not really allowed so I had to be a bit sneaky [I live life on the edge].
Pink blazer: I'll admit that this shopping trip occurred a few weeks ago, before I managed to finally procure the dusty pink blazer I had so lusted after. Hence, errtime I saw one I took a snapshot. As above. With the suspiciously Gucci-esque logo print on the inside. Hmm I do shop in fine legal establishments, don't I? Continuing the completely narcissistic trend inherent to being a blogger, let me tell you what I else I liked: the purse. The gold framing is almost skeletal in its aesthetic reference. The gold leaf "fringe" is very bohemian meets...Grecian goddess? I doe low. But me likey. I feel now would be a good time to thank all those who say my blog is very well written...! Chortle.
Behold! Boxy purse numéro trois. [Boy does that sound pretty in French when I press the "listen" button on google translate] Very Celine, very Phoebe Philo. One of those almost reverse shoppers remorse. Sob. But honestly, how many of your bags do you use on a daily basis?

Boxy purse numéro à quatre. [Literally the nicest sounding number so far. See for yourself here. ] Again, totally unnecessary but oh so darling. [Darling: wouldn't that be a great name for a shop/ boutique?]

Random mood courtesy of slightly stressful week. Went back to China [most people distinguish between Hong Kong and mainland China thusly] again on Tuesday to sort out recent handbag orders. Rest of week spent dealing with follow up and to do lists such as:

Confirm purchase orders and sales confirmations

Reconfirm handbag details and list fabric, zippers, accessories, lining with suppliers

Make sure chosen fabric is still in supply, that the check doesn't look too much like Burberry

As I'm always on the hunt for the next great product [some may even call me the Indiana Jones of product WASSUP!] I try to justify any shopping trip as mere marketing and thusly as work. It is my duty, nay my obligation, to shop. Some may even call me selfless, yes. Although sometimes it does feel that I get paid to shop, which is, um kinda amazing.

Oh, and we got an email from a supplier called Winnie Pooh today. Chortle. Little things like that just add a twinkle to my day.

And so I conclude this rather boy-friendly shopping blog.
Au revoir
xxxx

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Chevaux de bois: Sun Tzu, window shopping, boxy purses and other fine musings: la deuxième partie

Oh, and allow me to get off my sanctimonious high horse. When I said that I went purely window shopping in my last post, I totes fibbed. I caved when I saw this blue faux snake skin [I heart faux snake skin!] boxy shoulder purse. It was minimalist and twee enough to wear to work. HKD 70. Erm, just part of my job as a 'buyer' innit...

Toodles

xxx

Monday, May 16, 2011

Stuff I bought: Bows, dusty pink, and bloomers

In the blogging grand tradition of too-much-information, I've decided to post my recent sartorial purchases online for all ye to share in my clothes gluttony. Due to my current quest for bargains, I briefly braved the cacophony of Hong Kong's street shops to fill in what I deemed were perfectly acceptable gaps in my wardrobe [see pink bloomers below. Totes in style right now, despite the fact that yes they do make you look a bit bigger. But for some reason, I had to have them].

Note dusty pink blazer, a piece I've been lusting over for a while in various shops. As I am directing most of my immediate savings to The Ibiza Fund [girlie trip to Ibiza in September: woop slash omg expensive] I steered clear of any brands in my retail therapy. A lot of shops here don't let you try on clothes before purchase and rarely allow refunds [one gives up this right when a shirt sets you back a mere 79HKD]. And so, a lot of fashion guesswork ensues. I literally had to restrain myself from buying things I already had/ really didn't need [need is a very relative term in fashion]. Mustard yellow Herve leger -esque bandage style miniskirt for 65HKD? Put back on the rack. What I needed was smart casual clothes I could go to work in that were humidity proof. I'm talmbout HK weather. Straighteners are basically useless in our sauna of a summer. But I digress.

Behold! The chode of a shirt: wider than it is long. I loved the batwing style of the sleeves and slightly hick string tie at the bottom. [Note: my work dress code is pretty slack, perhaps the chode-farmy shirt would not be appropriate for other jobs. Take heed.]