Showing posts with label Dress. Show all posts

Skirt Me Up :: Straight Cut Skirt Worn As A Dress











Skirt worn as a dress : NALA ( similar styles)
Belt : Vintage Tale
Earrings / Ring : mom's ( similar here)
Shoes : Pull & Bear ( similar here & here)
Bag : ( get it here)



Hi everyone,

If you have been following me on Instagram ( @yourstylearchitect), you will notice a shift in my perspective on being a fashion influencer / fashionista. I have always loved fast fashion for the value worth of the item and more so that I can style and trend looks at a lower cost however with all that is going on with climate change, I started to only recently realise how the fast fashion industry significantly contributes to global warming and therefore decided to do my little bit to help make a difference.

To be honest, whilst some of my items are sponsored however most of the items I showcase are my personal buys. And whilst I have also highly recommended " Rent an outfit" concept but for some this may be a costlier option. Therefore working with the current items in your wardrobe, I decided to start showcasing how one can style an item in various ways in order to " stretch your dollar" and be fashion sustainable. You will find these looks on my IGTV on Instagram.

Meanwhile, this " dress" you see in this post is actually a skirt that is part of a Malay style outfit known as a Baju Kurung. The longer style top can be worn as a summer dress on its own and since this is a maxi skirt, I decided to split up the outfit to create different outfits from one. Therefore the skirt has been styled as a strapless summer dress here in this post.

I had done the same too with a maxi skirt that was featured on my IGTV ( 4 Ways To Wear A Maxi Skirt). Cinching the waist with a wide leather belt helps to create some form to the outfit and as the print was a batik style print, I decided to style this look retro with a headscarf and retro accessories. Thanks to my mom, these vintage earrings ( way back from the 50s and ring which was actually a scarf ring) completed the look for me.

I kinda enjoy mix and matching an existing piece from my wardrobe to create different looks so that one need not constantly be out purchasing new outfits but rather get creative to style what you have in your closet in different looks. You can also do your part to help global warming in this way.

Let me know if you have any further styling ideas on how to wear a maxi skirt.

Love,
Simone xoxo



Grown Up Gingham

Hi everyone.

Another busy week, making apple sauce with my children at school and as I was wrapping the lovely jars for them to take home with gingham print cloths, I figured, hey I have had this gingham print dress in my wardrobe for awhile and since the weather still permits, sleeveless wearing, I quickly pulled it out from my closet for this weekend before the weather starts to cool down further.

A lovely ASOS dress which one can trend in Fall by throwing over a lovely leather jacket or a bomber jacket for that edgy touch.



I love the high cut top and the flare skirt which gives the dress a whole, almost 1950s vibe. Paired the high waist dress with a thick laser cut belt which  further cinches the waistline creating a slimmer figure.




A girly dress - it just made me feel like dancing in it.




For a change, paired the outfit with a nice little hat and sunnies with a pretty pair of red suede shoes.





Dress : ASOS ( similar here & here) // Belt : Warehouse ( similar here) // Hat : ZARA ( similar here & here & here) // Shoes : Zara ( similar here) // Sunnies : Cotton On.

Love,
Simone xoxo

Women's White and Black Gingham Casual Dress, Red Suede Heeled Sandals, Black Cutout Belt, Black Sunglasses on Lookastic: White and Black Gingham Casual Dress, Red Suede Heeled Sandals, Black Cutout Belt, Black Sunglasses

Olive Dreams :: Ruffled Sleeve Olive Romper + Chandelier Tassel Earrings

Happy Saturday to you!

A nice relaxing week with some time off from work, spent catching up with friends and working on new crafts for school.

Loving this Olive hued romper cum dress from ZARA which is still perfect for that Summer-Fall transition seeing that the colour is all Fall but yet of cotton fabric which is still perfect for the slightly warmer afternoons here of still late 20 - early 30 degrees.




If you recall how crazy I was over trending White in summer, this Fall 2016, for some funny reason I am gravitating alot to Olive hued items. This was before I actually researched Fall 2016's colour pantones and guess what?! Olive came out tops as the first colour highlighted to trend for Fall 2016.


A loose tent dress cum romper ( so it's a romper underneath but outfit looks like a dress). I wanted to add a pop of colour to this slightly dull hue so opted to cinch the waist with an embroidered belt and paired it with these gorgeous LOVISA tassel earrings which was a recent birthday gift.






Not sure if you recall my rescue dog Rum ( and her pack that used to roam my old village and I started feeding them) - well am glad to update that whilst 2 of the pack are still in the kennels but happy as can be. And the other boy out of the pack is now adopted by a lovely European couple and here Rum is totally domesticated. Able to walk on lead, react to simple commands such as " sit" and " paw" and she is just too cute to watch me with my camera. Therefore I decided to let her join me for a few shots.


Before I go, here's some ideas for you when next out shopping in terms of Fall's Top 10 Colour Trends for 2016. You must read the full article here.

Have fun mix and matching them.

1) Olive
2) Coppertone
3) Rust
4) Diver ( i.e Dark Teal to midnight blue)
5) Dark Chocolate
6) Flax ( i.e Taupe)
7) Scarlet ( i.e Red)
8) Burgundy
9) Baby Blue
10) Dust ( i.e Light Grey)

So which is your favourite colour to trend for Fall 2016?

Love,
Simone xoxo

Dress : ZARA ( similar here & here )  // Clutch : Target ( similar here) //
Belt : old, gift ( similar here & here) // Earrings : Lovisa ( "Thanks Lauren") 
( similar here & here)
Shoes : Nine West ( similar here & here) //  Watch : Daniel Wellington // 
Bracelets : similar here , here  & here Women's Olive Playsuit, White Vertical Striped Clutch, Multi colored Scarf, Brown Earrings on Lookastic: Olive Playsuit, White Vertical Striped Clutch, Multi colored Scarf, Brown Earrings

Plaid It Right :: Plaid Coat and Stud Heels

Hi everyone,

How was your first week of March? Been busy myself honing in on my baking skills and more so, trying to organise some form of birthday party or get together for my boy who will be turning 8 yrs old soon. How quickly time flies and before you know it, he'd probably be wanting to spend more time with his friends than with me....sigh...

Am glad to see many of my fellow bloggers posting warmer Spring outfits out on their blogs and instagram posts and wish I could do the same however it's just been wet, rainy and foggy for the last 2 weeks here in Hong Kong. Depressing and almost suicidal to some I must say, as we hardly had a peep of sunray at all - let alone that the dehumidier is on overload mode at the moment.

So it's hard to get pictures done these couple of days but here's a recent look I had put together which I love and had good comments about when it was posted recently on IG.


I love navy and this dress was perfect when the weather was initially warming up.


Love how this beautiful black and white plaid coat drapes with a wide boat neck open collar and falls open into a circular shape skirt. Made me feel for a split second like the Duchess of Cambridge - where I have always admired the beautiful full skirt coats she often wears. Feeling regal, I decided to pair this look with an elegant pair of heels to bring out the full on femininity of this outfit.




Ideally, this dress could be worn on its own paired with different accessories for warmer weather. Just can't wait to style this dress for Spring / Summer soon.




The stretchable fabric of this dress doesn't hug you at the wrong places yet instead creates a slim silhouette skimming the curves of one's hips. Perfect!

As for jewelry, I wanted to go bold and slightly loud given chain necklaces are so IN for spring and that the studs on the heels add that rock chic element to this outfit. So why not take that further into the necklace.


Accessories often make or break the outfit. My style has always been slightly bolder and more inclining to sexy than sweet. Do share how you would pair accessories with this outfit to suit your style ?




Dress : EG Fashion ( similar here & here) // Coat : Kit Kat ( similar here ) // 
Bag : Celine // Shoes : Valentino
Earrings : old // Necklace : sammydress.com ( similar here) // Watch : Michael Kors
Bracelets : Forever 21, Cartier Inspired & Tiffany.

Have a great weekend ahead !

Love,
Simone xoxo

Get this look for $188+ on Lookastic: Black and White Plaid Coat, Navy Shift Dress, Gold Necklace, Black and Tan Leather Tote Bag, Black Studded Leather Pumps, Gold Necklace, White and Black Studded Leather Heeled Sandals, and Multi colored Leather Tote Bag

H&M GIVEAWAY & Great Date Outfits !!

It's the eve of Valentine's Day! Ahh... Romance is in the air....

So to kick off 2015 and a great Valentine's Day, I have collaborated with a few of my blogger friends to bring you this fantastic H&M Giveaway in celebration of this special occasion. Not forgetting my lovely readers from Asia - wishing all of you a Happy Chinese New Year, which is just 'round the corner. So what better way to celebrate any occasion - let's go shopping!!


A lace kinda girl, I certainly love lace dresses in particular or outfits trimmed with lace details which for me excudes full-on feminism and sexiness. Couple that with gorgeous accessories and you got your guy eating out of your hand!!

Here are some lovely outfits I found on H&M online which will certainly help you shop with your US$ 300 gift card. It's all about hot dates, sexy nights for the month of February.

H&M Lace Dress // H&M Cuff Bracelet // H&M Earrings
H&M Lace Dress // H&M Hoop Earrings // H&M Chain Bracelet
Personally, pencil skirts to me is such an elegant skirt style -  slimming, conservative to a certain extent and yet the light skimming of the curves of a woman's hips just spells a subtle hint of sexiness. Victoria Beckham is one who looks soo good in pencil skirts or dresses of that style and length - it's hard not to be influenced.

H&M Sleeveless Dress // H&M Rhinestone Earrings // H&M Clutch // H&M 7 Stack Ring Set
If pencil skirts are not your style, try this dress out then, with that fun and flirty feel, who can ever resist you?
H&M Sleeveless Dress// H&M Earrings // H&M Bangle
I hope you find the above styleboards which I had put together inspiring and to help you achieve great style at great prices!

So for the details of this giveaway :

GIVEAWAY DETAILS
Prize: $300 H&M Gift Card
Giveaway organized by: Oh My Gosh Beck!
Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 6 March 2015, and is open worldwide. Winner will be notified via email.
Are you a blogger who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your blog? 
Click here to find out how you can join a totally awesome group of bloggers!


Wishing you the best of luck and Happy Valentine's Day!!

Love,
Simone xoxo

YAY Designs for the Holidays! Unique Convertible Party & Travel Outfits for Christmas.

Hi everyone and a happy weekend to all of you.

As we are counting down the days to Christmas and in preparation for the numerous parties lined up for the year end festivities, I happen to chance about YAY Designs ( www.yaydesigns.com) - a LA based company, whilst looking online for great and unique party outfits to consider and figured I had to share this with you.

Setup in 2006 by Russian designer Yevgeniya Alexandrovna Yushkova ( otherwise simply known as YAY), Yushkova Designs was a dream realized to create custom clothing for the 30 - 55 yr old confident woman who is looking to buy an outfit that exudes versatility yet being functional. Comfortable yet with an edgy or trendy feel. With an aim to create a clothing line to convert the modern women's life, YAY Designs and creations aims to provide designer wear that is time saving, cost saving and yet looks good and classy. Allowing her to travel light, and taking her easily from work to dinner / drinks.

I personally thought their items were pretty unique and wanted to share them with you especially during this season of giving ( to give you new ideas for pressies) or simply to help you find that outfit that you could easily add to your wardrobe for this festive season. The sheer versatility and multi functional use of every item will certainly bring you lots of wear of each outfit through the New Year.

I particularly picked out these 3 items from their current collection and put together these inspirational / styleboards just for you. To give you an idea of how you can easily play dress up mix and matching each unique item for the various looks each item can create.

1. Multi Way Reversible Trench Coat


This embellish trench is so ideal for winter year end parties. Whilst keeping you warm, yet elegant and dressy enough for a fun night out. Here I have paired it with Ombre Glitter heels and a beaded black clutch to bring the look together. You can also wear a sexy LBD under this trench and use it simply as a jacket rather than an standalone outfit.


To take this outfit from work to after work parties, wear it as seperates with a solid colour top to "dress down" the whole outfit therefore making it suitable for work during the day. As a 2 piece skirt suit paired with plain leather pumps, this outfit would easily be accepted in the office. Keeping it conservative yet elegant.


For those of you who love outfits in darker hues, this reversible trench coat also comes in black as seen above.

2. Lace Bolero Jacket / Scarf

Now if glitter is not your thing, perhaps lace would be then. I love this Lace Bolero Jacket as it is such a good travel item to own and instantly glams up an outfit no matter how you choose to wear it.

LOOK NO. 1 
Most of us would have a favourite black dress or two in different lengths in our wardrobes and may not necessarily want to spent lots extra on new clothes for every party. So investing in this versatile Lace Bolero Jacket would be ideal. Creating different looks with just one dress underneath. I chose to match this first look with a  lace waist belt to bring out the lace effect of the item. As I love bling, I decided to pair it with a gold and black glitter clutch just to add that Christmas feel to the whole outfit.

Look No. 2 
In this second look, being asian, I wanted to create a look that spelt "Chinoiserie". Therefore I decided to pair it with a sexy pair of black lace heels, a gorgeous statement bangle and a beautiful satin clutch with a simple tassel detail. Keeping the look elegant yet with an Eastern influence ( great for those of you who have theme night parties or are celebrating the holidays in the Far East).

Look No. 3 
Look No. 3 is one where you could wear to work first before switching the Lace Bolero Jacket to Look No. 1 or 4. Obviously it can be a standalone look for an event as well. Decided to work with ankle booties for this look and bringing a pop of colour to the outfit with a red classic bag. Pulling the look together, I felt a nice statement pin/ brooch would add that little glamour to a simple solid colour outfit.

Look No. 4 
Finally, with it's cute buttons, this allows the jacket/ scarf to hang on the shoulders quite elegantly without too much fuss and creating a wider open neckline therefore allowing one to pair it with a statement necklace. I added this black beaded statement necklace with lace to pull this look together. A nice pair of statement heels with some glitter would take this outfit up a notch and this time I also paired it with a statement cocktail ring for a change.

No. 3 Convertible Poppy Dress

This Poppy Dress item  was actually the first thing that caught my attention with YAY Designs. A great item to own especially if you travel lots, as it essentially  2 different looks in an outfit ( a dress and a jumpsuit). More versatility at play if you worked it around with various accessories and shoes. I love the fact, it can be a sexy dress for the evening, throw on a pair of leggings for work, wear it as a longer top over jeans and with the detachable harem pants, it instantly becomes an evening open back jumpsuit one can look glamourous in for dinner / drinks. You could also pair the pants look with a biker jacket and sneakers/ slip on loafers and it can take you out on the town for shopping.

I know pictures can be quite difficult to envision the different looks or get a feel on how to convert these items, so please go check out YAY Designs YOUTUBE channel ( https://www.youtube.com/user/yushkovadesign) so you can experience the versatility of their outfits first hand.

In order to allow my readers the joy of shopping with YAY Designs, I requested for something special I could offer to my readers and the kind people at YAY Designs are pleased to extend to all of you a very special 25% discount off your final purchases that is made directly on their website. Free shipping is provided for purchases with USA addresses, however international shipping is also available for all my international readers. YAY Designs and outfits are also available in many high end and reputable boutiques across the USA, and online on Amazon.com.

So go check them out NOW and don't forget to input "YOURSTYLEARCHITECT" upon checkout at www.yaydesigns.com to enjoy your preferred 25% discount with NO EXPIRATION DATE! Now, how good is that!! 

I can't wait to hear back from you on your favourite YAY Designs item in the comments below. 
So go have fun mix and matching their items!

Love,
Simone xoxo