Mia's Armoire: February 2011

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Orange + Blue ..... A Perfect Combo!

Hi Dears,

Sorry for the lack of post after Valentine's Day. Have been busy "canvassing" different properties as we plan to buy an apartment for my in-laws so that they can live nearer to our home.

Anyway, hope all of you had a great weekend! Now another post about color blocks! Last time I mentioned about how I love the color blocks "Red + Camel/Beige" and also "Yellow + Grey" , so now, it's time for "Orange + Blue/Navy" which I adore as well!

Without further ado.......

My ODJ

TOP:
Bottom Layer: Navy blue turtle neck

Middle Layer: Mango rust/navy/orange/brown floral loose fit blouse

Top Layer: Rust orange cropped dolman sleeves knit top with asymmetrical hem

BOTTOM:

Zara brownish charcoal wool pants (worn folded)

BAG:

Celine mini size "Luggage Envelope" tote in Wine color

SHOES:

Chloe khaki/natural teak brown suede lace-up wedge booties from Fall Winter 2010

ACCESSORIES:

Orange/Navy/Cream multicolor zig zag print scarf
Mango brown/orange marble effect pendant necklace with tassels

Gold flower earrings with dangling multicolor beads (bought from a local store)

Tom Ford "Jaquelin" black sunglasses w/ orange rim and brown gradient lens

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I simply love the art of layering....this patterned scarf with the same tone as the overall ensemble made the whole outfit "livelier"..:D

Peek-a-boo! Yup, there is a long necklace hiding under the scarf...

Amazingly, these warm and cool tones blend well together....

And do try to mix prints with the same color tone to make your outfit more interesting and original.

(I didn't buy the scarf & the blouse at the same time, but I'm surprised that they actually match!)

Taking off the scarf....showing only the necklace and the layering technique...

But I really prefer this outfit with the scarf...that's why I'm a "scarfaholic" because scarves add so much fun to outfits!!

Close-Up pictures

Even the marble pendant and the braided chain of this Mango necklace matches the whole tone of the outfit. Hehehehe! That's the fun of accessorizing!

Close-up of my earrings

(chose an earrings with a flower to match the floral pattern of my blouse)

And one of my recent new buys from the US December sale last year! My Chloe wedge lace up booties!

I missed out the non-suede version from 2009, so I'm happy to score this similar one last year.

Very comfortable wedges.....so crazy about lace-up booties these days! LOL!

Some more indoor pictures take for my new Chloe shoes...

Love the knitted cuff around the ankles.....very cozy!

With contrast laces and leather trim..

Dare to try Orange + Blue?

Till my next post...probably will be about shoes. :D

Cheers,

Mia

Monday, February 14, 2011

Be my Purple Valentine!

Hi dears,

Love in is the Air!! Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing you all the love and happiness on this day and forward!

Have you thought about what color to wear on Valentine's Day? People will usually opt for Red or Pink...want to be a bit different? Why not try Purple? Purple is a color of passion, romance and sensitivity. Isn't it just perfect for this special day?

Here are my takes on the color purple with maxi's + Balenciaga. :D Hope you like them!

My Purple ODJ No. 1

(more feminine look)

TOP:

Jeanasis gray/white rabbit fur cropped knit vest

DRESS:

H&M 3/4 sleeves purple/gray/pink paisley print maxi dress

BAG:

Balenciaga Part Time Giant Gold HW in Raisin color

SHOES:

Yves Saint Laurent FW2010 "Coleen" lace-up booties in tan color

ACCESSORIES:

H&M tan color thick belt with gold buckle
Chanel multicolor dangling CC earrings

Tom Ford "Jaquelin" black sunglasses w/ orange rim and brown gradient lens

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The hem of this maxi is asymmetrical with a "bubble effect" which I love very much....a little bit of drama at the very end. :D

Since this is a more feminine look, I wore my hair down instead...

I love pairing maxi's with cropped vests or blazers...they always look good together!

I love the soft colors of this printed dress, and how it blends so well together with the gray and tan tones..

Close-Up Pictures..

My beloved Raisin Balenciaga PT with gold HW again!

This is one of my new buys from November!

It was at 40% off at YSL boutique in the US....

I am in love with lace-up booties these days!

Oh so high, but oh so comfortable!! Love YSL shoes! They are really comfortable for the foot! Perfect arch design for moi!

Some more indoor pix taken for my new YSL Coleen booties..

Love that the shoes are made up of suede and calf leather

Look at the stitching details around the platform!

Back of the shoes

This is available in black color as well. But this tan color has much more contrasts which I like. :D

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My Purple ODJ No. 2

(more casual look inspired by Japanese "Mori" style)

TOP:

Bottom Layer: Light charcoal gray turtle neck

Middle Layer: Jeanasis Dark charcoal gray sleeveless maxi dress

Top Layer: Jeanasis purple/white/gray plaid maxi shirt dress

Outerwear:

Valentino for Gap military green oversized 3D ruffled collar long parka

BAG:

Balenciaga Part Time Giant Gold HW in Raisin color (not shown in pictures)

SHOES:

Nine West "Donley" khaki military-inspired lace up booties with buckle accents

ACCESSORIES:

Marc by Marc Jacobs green Admiral Facet Hayley mixed metal & chain necklace with faceted crystal charms, chain fringe, and zipper details

Kookai tan color soft belt

Chanel multicolor dangling CC earrings

Tom Ford "Jaquelin" black sunglasses w/ orange rim and brown gradient lens

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Without the parka...

Belt on the outside...

Belt on the inside with the long maxi shirt flowing..

I love doing all sorts of layering very much when I choose my ensembles. I am never a minimalist in fashion. :P Anyway, you might wonder what is "Mori Girl" or "Mori style" all about. "Mori" means forest in Japanese, so it means girls who look like they live in a forest. Mori girls are often seen in loose dresses, puffed sleeves, vintage blouses, A-line skirts, tights/leggings and many-layered ensembles. Lace, crochet, natural colors, earth tones, dusty pastels, and almost anything with a quaint, old fashioned appeal are Mori style staples. Mori girls are also drawn to animal, candy, checkered, floral, vintage or polka-dotted prints. The mori girl often looks whimsical or quirky, which makes her stand out from others in her own unique way.

I was inspired by "Mori" style as

it is all about layering to create a sweet feminine look that's a bit rough around the edges.

Details of my favourite Valentino for Gap parka!

I am so lucky to own this piece. Thanks to a dear friend from the US (thank you so much J! You know who you are if you're reading this) who helped me buy it at Colette during her trip to Paris. I am so in love with the ruffles that I also ordered the other 2 styles from Colette.com which is a shorter jacket style and a cropped style.

This is a very heavy piece of jacket due to the massive layer of ruffles on the collar. It gives such an "oomph" factor to the whole ensemble!

It was love at first sight when I saw this khaki-green necklace from Marc by Marc Jacobs! I adore the zipper details, mixed chains and crystal charms!

And to match the feel of the entire outfit, I chose this pair of military-inspired Nine West booties...

And my Balenciaga Raisin PT GGHW again! Never get tired of this perfect purple!

Care for some PURPLE on Valentine's Day?

Gros Bisous,

xoxo

Mia

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

My New Celine Luggage Envelope Tote and Outfit Du Jour

Hi Dears,

Do you find yourself making unplanned purchases? Well, this is exactly what happened to me!!! (Yeah, call it "Lack of Self Control" or "Peer Pressure"!! LOL!) Just want to share with you the story behind my new Celine Luggage Envelope Tote, which I never thought I would like! :P So what/who made me take the plunge?

This happened way back in October 2010.........when one of my good friends Charmaine from Manila was asking me about the availability of Celine Orange Luggage Tote in Hong Kong, and whether the "Envelope" version is better or the "Zipper" version is better. So, what did we do?? We spent the whole night analyzing Celine Luggage Envelope Tote vs. Luggage Zipper Tote - we were looking at pictures on the internet, writing to SAs, calling Celine boutiques etc.....like crazy! Finally, Charmaine decided to buy the Orange Celine Envelope tote and asked for my help to buy it for her in Hong Kong. So I called our local Celine boutique to reserve one for me (there were only 3 pieces of Luggage Envelope tote in the entire Hong Kong at that time), and hopped over to the boutique asap to make the purchase! And when I touched and inspected the bag, I found myself falling in love with the bag! The price is "reasonable" as compared to Hermes and Chanel, and the leather quality is great! So, pourquoi pas? LOL!

And then fast forward, I did some research myself on what color to buy, and immediately contacted my SA in Barney's to help me snatch one as I know the stocks are getting low in the US, and this bag is apparently so "hot" these days that it's basically out of stock in a lot of countries! So what color did I buy?

Voila!!!

My New Celine Luggage Envelope Tote in Wine color!

Love the contrast white stitching!!!

Taken indoor with a bit of sunlight shining through the room....

View from the top...

Yummy suede mustard yellow lining inside....love the contrast!

The "Envelope" on the Luggage Tote...

(this "Envelope" version is a Limited Edition while the "Zipper" version is a permanent item which is available in lots of colors and leathers)

Side View

I decided on the "Wine" color as it's a classic color, not easy to get dirty, will be able to match warm/cool tone outfits....and it's really stunning with a mustard suede lining!

And of course, my ODJ with my new Celine Luggage Envelope tote...

My ODJ

TOP:

Bottom Layer: H&M black lace long sleeves top with shoulder pads

Middle Layer: H&M satin black&white drape neckline asymmetrical sleeveless tunic/dress

Top Layer: Zara black velvet long coat with exaggerated shoulders

BOTTOM:

French Connection black silk jersey soft pants with hidden prints

BAG:

Celine mini size "Luggage Envelope" tote in Wine color

SHOES:

Nicholas Kirkwood SS2010 black peeptoe platform slingback with silver python details

ACCESSORIES:

Chanel 11C pewter CC dangling earrings with fresh water pearls from the "Maharajah" collection

Hermes reversible Belt Kit in Rubis Epsom/Iris Swift with Brushed Gold "H" buckle

Black/silver argyle stockings

Tom Ford "Jaquelin" black sunglasses w/ orange rim and brown gradient lens

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Taking off my Zara coat....showing off the black lace sleeves underneath...

Please excuse my funny expression here. :P
DH was saying something funny and then took this picture....

Back view...

I'm loving this Zara velvet long coat very much because of its special exaggerated shoulder.....

The black and white portion of the front (at the right side) of this H&M asymmetrical B/W tunic are not sewn together, hence giving it an asymmetrical/slanted finish at the bottom. When worn without a belt, it can be a great dress!