Hi everyone,

Firstly, I have to admit that  2022 was a year I like to leave behind me as I had a few challenges from a fractured foot ( so that meant mobility was a big issue) which did not allow me to take many photos or do much styling. Then the disappointments with insincere people and friendships, of which I should have trusted my gut feelings from Day 1 when I spotted the red flags. Well, I guess we all live and let learn and so I have moved on leaving hypocrisy behind and definitely not wanting to reinvite such negativity into my life again. Sadly, 2022 also brought further sadness with the passing of our rescue dog from Hong Kong, who had succumbed recently to cancer and passed on 5 Dec 2022. It was a sad, trying few months that I had to administer palliative care for her. I still miss Rum badly. I will share a tribute reel I had put together for her in my next post.

Anyways, now with the Year of the Rabbit at hand, I finally decided to check-in again to my blog and at least say Hi to those of you who have continued to love and support me in what I do. So here's a big bang entry into the Year of the Rabbit and still pushing hard to inspire all of you on how to shop from your own wardrobe, keep fashion sustainable and be very selective on how you spend your money on new buys. Yes, we are all facing some financial restrictions during this tough economic times, so why spend what's not necessary but just restyle, re-wear and re-create new looks from what you have.

In the first qipao / cheongsam look - which is a traditional Chinese outfit that most women wear especially during special occasions like Lunar New Year, Weddings or formal events, mine here was custom made for me back in 2021. Unfortunately as I get older in years, the confidence of wearing short or mini skirts gets lesser, therefore I have decided to " extend " the hemline of this outfit without altering it per se, but throwing on a tulle skirt underneath and voila... we got a whole new vibe going on here. A fusion twist to a traditional garb.

In the second look, I added an obi belt made of men's ties to cinch in the waist and add a bit of " drama" to the outfit. And with the tassle earrings, it definitely changes the look of the outfit to one being more chinoi in vibe.

Hope you enjoyed this first post of 2023 and as mentioned, do follow me on instagram ( click here) where I post every other day and provide " 3 Ways To Style " series for fashion inspiration on how to restyle your current wardrobe items. 

Love,

Simone xoxo