Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you had a good one. Apologies for the hiatus - technical issue. My eight or nine years old laptop has decided to take a long rest. I have been told eight or nine years is quite a long 'laptop' life. Normal life cycle is five years. Anyway, I bought a new laptop as a Christmas gift for myself. Now, I am happy to be able to blog again. 

Whilst I was not blogging, I have been online shopping expanding my vintage wardrobe; shopping of different yesteryears: the 1940s and 1950s. As these two eras are relatively difficult to come by in Hong Kong, I rely on Etsy a lot. Here is a snippet of my purchases.  

I cannot wait to complete the alterations which mostly are re-hemming and start wearing these beauties.

Hope you are having a great weekend and started the new year with a great start. Till my next post, stay chic!

   

outfit post: 70s does 30s or 40s dress

Outfit: vintage dress and heels 

This is one my favourite vintage dresses and also one of the great finds during a vintage hunting trip in Bandung, Indonesia six years ago. It was the most fruitful trip by far. I bought 12 vintage dresses and a vintage top! Oh boy, I miss shopping at flea markets. 

The reason this vintage dress is one of my favourite is because of its style; which is 30s or 40s inspired. Based on the label, this is a Mag Fortail Creations, Paris dress. After some searches on the Internet, I suspect this is a 1970s dress. I found a dress which has the same label in Etsy.  The motive and the colour are just so lovely and romantic. Luckily the dress still fits after all these years!

Photos by Lily Chen Photography 

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend, until my next post, stay chic!

outfit post: graphic print 80s does 50s dress

Whilst a picture worth a thousand words, a great picture has greater impact. Looking at the photos in my blog, most of them are taken indoors. Hence, in Shanghai, I tried something new; engaging a photographer for an outdoor photo shoot. It was a good experience!

Outfit: vintage 80s does 50s dress, belt, heels 

I bought this wonderful vintage dress during one my trips back to Malaysia in the past years. Before the trip, I managed to shorten the hem, making it a bit modern and to suit my frame. What I love about this dress is the print - blocks of black and white - such a bold print, don't you think? Minimal accessorizing works best with such bold print. The red belt adds a pop of colour into the outfit. Black, white and red is one of my favourite colour combos. What is your favourite colour combo?  

Photos by Lily Chen Photography 

Have a lovely weekend and until my next post, as always; stay chic!

wanderlust: vintage hunting in shanghai

Despite of limited time, this didn't hinder me from finding and checking out any vintage stores in Shanghai. Whilst taking a stroll around the French Concession area, I came across this tiny shop; Antique Postcard Keeper. It was name of the shop that caught my eye first, then the two dresses hung at the doors. 

The lovely tiny shop is curated with many accessories; necklaces, earrings and bags, which I believe are vintage. Worth to check it out if you are in the area.   

Antique Postcard Keeper

67, Wuyuan Road, 

Nearest metro station: Changshu Road Station 

Timeout is a good resource. I read about  Anxi Clothing Market from Timeout Shanghai and decided to add it onto my to-visit list. During my visit on a Sunday morning, not many stores opened. Many stores seems like selling new goods; shoes, bags and clothes. However, there was a shop which at the first glance looks like selling used clothes. Hence I made a quick stop to rummage the clothes on the racks. And I was lucky to find two lovely dresses circa 1980s - yay! 

Anxi Clothing Market

1335 Kaixuan Lu, near Anshun Lu

Nearest metro station: Hongqiao Lu Station

Tiny hole on the left bust. Need a bit of 'magic' to repair it. 

Egyptian or hieroglyphs print

I never thought this trip would turn out to be a fruitful one; that I managed to buy two vintage dresses (for RMB55, less than USD10!) and not forgetting gazing at the majestic view of Pudong skyline from the Bund. Oh, I wish I could have stayed longer to explore and get to know the city more. Old Shanghai, perhaps another time?

Hope you are having a lovely weekend. Stay chic!

wanderlust: the bund @ shanghai

Outfit: vintage dress

Early this month, I had the opportunity to visit Shanghai for a short trip. Just enough for me to visit couple of places of interest. And of course, a visit to the Bund is a must. The Bund's historic strip is about 1.5 km long, with early 20th century European buildings. The Bund Promenade, I must say, it is the most popular spot. Visitors flock here to look at the futuristic Pudong skyline, regardless day or night. Both offer different kind of superb views. 

I was wearing a simple vintage dress, one of my early purchases in Malaysia. It is my staple work vintage dress throughout the year and I style it differently to suit the season. In summer, sometimes I accessorize it with a yellow belt, clearly for this trip, I forgot to pack the belt! Anyway, here's the most minimalist look of the dress. 

What are your staple vintage work dresses or pieces? How long have you had the piece for? I am interested to know :) 

Have a great weekend and stay chic!