Sporty-casual

Kenzo Cloud-print sweatshirt; J Brand Low-rise denim shorts; Chan Luu Cashmere silk-blend scarf; New Balance 420 classics unisex trainers.

You must have, at some point in time, heard of the sneaker trend. Celebrities, fashion gurus and style bloggers were all spotted pairing sneakers / trainers with everything and at the helm of notoriety was Isabel Marant's ubiquitous wedge sneakers (virtually copied everywhere by now — slightly pissing Ms. Marant off, so I've read). While I am very sure clunky wedged sneakers will only serve to visually shorten my petite stature, there is so denying that some normal sneakers have caught my eye, namely the ones from New Balance.

I of course was slightly hesitant to jump on the sneaker-bandwagon and figured though cool and trendy, the sneaker + everything look wasn't for me. Fast-forward a couple of months later, I gave in to temptation after spotting some nice black NB 410s on Asos.com and bought a pair of New Balance 420s from my local NB outlet. Yes, I've been reduced to that of trend-sheep *only kidding, well sort of*. I love the way these sneakers fit and how they are low-rise on the ankles. "Ankle cleavage" is a thing of value for short girls like me (I'm 5'1) as showing more skin in that area serves to lengthen the leg.

The pair pictured is the one I bought and though I wanted them to be fully black, the store did not have them so this should suffice. When thinking of a casual look, I wasn't at all going to pair the sneakers with a sundress or skirt-suit / pant-suit / shorts-suit — that has been done and there are very nicely styled examples shown on Google images. Instead I went with the above look featuring light colours up top, accented with a grey scarf and grey on the shoes. Loosely curled hair draping down under a black beanie and a pair of sunnies will complete this casual look with a hint of sporty cool. 

I initially envisioned a —very— cool all-black look with the sneakers but not everybody shares the same level of infatuation I have with the colour black so to save from such tedium and repetition, I found neutrals like white and grey helpful to keep the look interesting but still centered around few colours.

Denim on Denim

Chambray shirt by ACNE/ Denim shorts by Rag and Bone JEAN/ Apolonia rainbow necklace by Shourouk/ Metallic leather pumps by Gianvito Rossi. All via Net-a-Porter.com.

Denim-on-denim is one of the trends that has become so wearable thanks to the variety of denim separates being available to the masses, all with wearability in mind. By this I mean stores like ZARA and Topshop and even Cotton On pushing the denim-on-denim trend by carrying highly matchable denim pieces like chambray shirts. Not everybody can avoid a style mishap in a head-to-toe denim ensemble especially if the entire denim look is of the same shade/ wash. For this reason I have come to love chambray shirts in light blue washes as they are technically denim but pared down a couple of shades and usually made for lighter wear.  It is safe to say a light-coloured chambray is almost like the new white shirt.

When in doubt, pairing a light chambray shirt with a darker bottom will always work. I love the look of darker denim shorts with a tucked in chambray shirt (untucked works as well b/c the bottom piece is kept short). For an in-season compliment to your denim-on-denim look, metallic heels would look amazing. I have chosen the above silver pumps on the basis of stylish simplicity, modernised by the heels' reflective patent leather.

Avoid going bare up top by injecting some personality into the look via a colourful crystal necklace. When tastefully done, colourful necklaces add a certain freshness and identity to an otherwise perennial style much too fixated on dressing within the theme (Google denim on denim and look at the many uniform-like d-o-d looks; you'll see what I mean). Check out Tom Binns' latest collection of glow-in-the-dark rainbow necklaces and Shourouk's collection where the above necklace is from, all new to the season and available through various online retailers like Net-a-Porter and Shopbop.

Finish the look with a tousled bun and your favourite pair of sunglasses.

Sale shopping: Asos.com look for under MYR100 (£21)

One of the main reasons why I like shopping on UK-based Asos.com is the free shipping. Apart from that it's the year-round sale (they'd always have stuff at 30-70% off) making it cheaper or at least equal to Malaysian retail (if you shop at Mango, F21, H&M, Zara), all depending on what you buy. Asos brand bags feel cheap in quality so I'd just stick to the clothing. From my experience with their chelsea boots, their shoes are well-made and will definitely last longer than anything you get from F21 or H&M. If you are thinking of paying full price (in pounds sterling) for their shoes, it may be better to look elsewhere or at least wait for the sale. Well-made leather shoes do not have to be expensive so I'd always keep an eye on discounted designer shoes during Net-a-Porter's sale as well.

Asos is having their sale right now so I was inspired to create a "look-for-less" collage featuring a complete outfit for under MYR100. I did not shop the look because I've shopped enough for now so this is merely an inspiration post. The dress is by Glamorous, knit-textured and not too form-fitting (unlike those unmerciful bodycon ones). Best of all, it's in black. I love black. Going at only MYR31 (GBP6.50) it's a steal (but probably sold out by now because internet shoppers are crazy- sorry!). Find it here.

The Zara heels I got back in 2012

To compliment the dress, I found a nice pair of studded, metallic-heeled sandals. This style of heeled sandals (ankle straps, open-toe front, minimal design) was made popular again by Zara back in 2012. Google "zara strappy heels" in images and you'll see what I mean. I have a pair of the Zaras in black, which is partly why every strappy sandal like this is reminiscent of them. H&M later released a pair and everyone else followed suit. At MYR64.50, the heels are not expensive especially when compared to the original Zara ones I bought for MYR199.90. Again I have Lookbook.nu and fashion bloggers to thank for exposing me to this style of heeled sandals. Find the heels here. Images courtesy of Asos.com.

Monotone

Featuring: Miss Dior bag, Dior; pants, Tibi; heels, Saint Laurent; shirt, T by Alexander Wang; and silk scarf, Weston. 

Dressing in monotone is always a fuss-free affair as there are only ever two main colours involved: black & white. And as the style's name suggests, there is a repetition, often drab, of colour. Here I added a fuschia silk scarf for some colour and the silk helps soften the entire ensemble. Heels are minimalist in black leather and black permeates throughout the look with some panel detailing on the pants. The chiffon shirt allows some skin colour to peek through and this, in my opinion, modernises the monotonous look.

I am always a fan of red nails and lips so I would suggest a neutral eye complimented with bold lips and nail colour. I would only add tonal red to this look and no other colour so as to not detract from the monotonous styling. A smokey or well-shadowed eye would work with the look too as long as paired with more subtle lips. Just think along the lines of monotony and limit variation to 2-3 colours for a monotone-meets-downtown look that exudes stylish simplicity.  Images courtesy of Dior.com & Net-a-Porter.com.

Emerald for 2013

Featuring items from Net-a-Porter: Eugenia Kim hat, Lulu Frost necklace, Ancient Greek Sandals leather sandals, Rochas tote, Melissa Odabash knit top, Zimmermann bikini. 

I found out after choosing the emerald centrepiece for this set that the colour has been chosen as Pantone's colour of 2013. I couldn't be more thrilled as emerald is such a beautiful colour! Think emerald on satin, emerald leather bags...emerald bathing suits. 

As the bikini is a striking colour, I chose neutral-coloured accessories to compliment the bold emerald. Footwear is simple and understated- perfect for giving the look a laid-back resort feel. The two-toned leather tote by Rochas is divine with its minimalist design and choice of colour. Also notice the mostly black accents in the accessories, giving the look not more than three colours overall: emerald, black, and light neutrals. 

I can only imagine completing the look with bright red polish and lips.

Images courtesy of Net-a-Porter.

Fuchsia and Black, ft. Saint Laurent

Featuring items from Net-a-Porter: Lanvin necklace, Saint Laurent escarpins, Saint Laurent tote, Diane von Furstenberg scarf, Saint Laurent blouse, Moschino Cheap & Chic pants. 

I personally like what Hedi Slimane has done with the Saint Laurent aesthetic, introducing a sleek and modern touch to the brand's image. When first seeing some items on Net-a-Porter, I felt a gush of inspiration to think up a look featuring the fuchsia Saint Laurent blouse and oddly enough, the reversible black tote. 

The heels are a far cry from the popular YSL Tribtoo pumps which is expected of the rebranding but I do appreciate the occasional non-platform escarpin plus these Saint Laurent beauties have a little something extra in the back of the heel which makes for a beautiful side view of the shoe.

Oh and did I mention that the tote is reversible? Suede on one side and all leather on the other. Love the minimalist take on the bag's logo placement too. It is small and embossed in gold, and perfect for the totes sleek construction. Very Céline. Don't think I'll be missing the "Y" on the Cabas Chyc and the "YSL" on the Belle du Jour anymore.

Read more about Saint Laurent's debut in-store collection here.


Images courtesy of Net-a-Porter.

Black Blazer

Featuring items from Net-a-Porter.com: Stella McCartney blazer, Alexander Wang top, J. Crew pants, Christian Louboutin heels, Mulberry clutch, Tom Binns necklace.

I love the versatility of a black blazer. Or anything black for the matter. I chose a bright yellow top by Alexander Wang and fuchsia tapered pants by J. Crew to go with the blazer because these colours are fun, perfect for spring-summer and help dress down the blazer.

These J. Crew pants have a slight edge to them thanks to the print and I find them the perfect stand-out, colour-blocking piece to add to any wardrobe.

The jewelled necklace over the bright yellow top screams perfection and gives reason to inject more colour into the outfit.

And don't you just love the pumps?

Images courtesy of Net-a-Porter.