LATEST PURCHASES : WRANGLER, COS, UNIQLO, ASOS

 Guys, I know what you're thinking. Yalei has a shopping problem. I totally don't blame you for thinking it but I wish I didn't have this feeling of needing to justify my spending but I swear that my funds are totally under control! Haha, how do I even lead on from here? I decided to go to Chadstone on the Labour day long weekend because Chadstone is seriously one of my happy places. It sounds so silly to have a shopping center as your happy place, but whenever I go there I immediately switch to Chadstone mode which is literally forget your problems, your responsibilities, your anxieties - just browse, look and shop. 

If that isn't the best PR spin then I don't know what is and the funniest thing is, it's totally true. I had one thing in mind when I went there and that was to get the Rayon blouse from uniqlo. This is my FAVOURITE item from Uniqlo. I own three of them now - the light blue, the navy blue and the white. These feel so good on, really silky and slinky and they fall on the body in the most flattering shape. Right now they're reduced to $39.90 so I knew I had to grab the light blue which I'd been coveting for a long time. 

When I find a good print that I like, usually there's a 95% chance of me purchasing. That figure ups to 100% if the cut of the top is good. Good patterns are very hard to find. Usually most of them are either too retro, too naff or just wrong in general. This one was perfect because it's modern and not retro or naff at all. I tried it on and the colour was super flattering as well. I also liked it because it's quite reminiscent of the tie dye tops that Proenza Schouler did as shown here

Although denim is worn by pretty much everybody, it's still a common complaint I hear around with women ( especially, dunno about guys too much ) that denim shopping is a pain in the ass. I get where they're coming from because jeans are very hard to work with and double so if you're trying on REAL denim. For me though, denim is my favourite item of clothing. I think I own around five or six pairs of jeans which I think is a lot but I am definitely looking to start buying more pricey denim because let me tell you, the fit and feel is SO different from regular denim. 

I bought these Wranglers yesterday from Universal store. It was so funny because I went in with no intention of buying anything and ended up leaving the store with these. I don't regret the purchase one bit though because they fit perfectly. They slim me down and make my legs look longer than they are and best of all, they're real denim. It made me see that more times than not, you get what you pay for because these are my most expensive pair ( $140 ) but they feel as if they are.

Asos is like my go to when I'm literally bored and have nothing to do and want to browse somewhere that's cheap and affordable but still has good designs that are gonna look good. I haven't bought from them in a while but its made somewhat of a resurgence for me and this top is the latest item I've bought from them. You can have a look at it here, it's still on sale. I've gotten more into wearing darker colours lately because I've actually been making myself do it. I'm more of a light colours girl - beiges, greys, whites and the like. But dark colours have that instant maturity factor and you know how I'm always on that journey of trying to look older. 

I really love this top for its flowy shape and also the embroidery detail on the front. It's a really flattering top that would suit all body shapes and sizes and looks awesome with just a simple necklace and some jeans.

Denfair design loop is officially on now and I've got some events I'm going to go to for PFF. Keep your eyes peeled next week for those entries! There'll be photos of lots of nice furniture and tapestries and textiles as well. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend

Also, if you're interested here's my latest published piece on Est about A-Place, a new concept air bnb located in Warsaw, Poland 

Y

LUST LIST : AMARA, MISSONI.COM, SAFARI LIVING, YOOX & MYTHERESA

Monday's shop visit to Safari Living felt like an homage to Missoni already but today's post looks at their range of products in more detail. I haven't been so swept up in a label in ages and I feel like there's just so many beautiful things to show from their label and so here are my picks for both the home and in fashion from Amara, Missoni, YOOX and Mytheresa in today's post.

From Top going Right : Temperance Throw, Flower Bath Mat, Timothy Pillowcase, Tucumcari Cushion, Tibault Duvet Cover, Tolomeo Hooded Bathrobe

I suppose there's nothing too deep about why I love Missoni. The colours and the patterns are gorgeous and that's why I am drawn to the label. But Missoni also have an air of a perpetual holiday to its image. Their clothes and homewares are what you'd expect to see in a holiday house, not necessarily an everyday home and I am always drawn to elements of escapism in any guise.

Missoni evokes images of the desert, lush rainforests, pool side idling and beachy breezes to me. They're not the images that usually underpin my aesthetic in clothing and homewares ( I hate the beach and I hate summer! ) but despite it all, I am still drawn to Missoni's aesthetic and taste palette. Surprisingly, the things you like don't always fall into your usual safety net of preferences which is good. I think it's necessary to get beyond your experiences, sometimes. Missoni know colour and they know pattern and I value those skills.

From left to right : Left, Center, Right

How stunning are their beach and bath towels? They divide their towels into men's and women's which I thought was funny but I think it's just based on sizing. Nobody's going to know! These patterns would look so bright and beautiful under the sun against the sand on a beach, don't you think? I'm pretty sure I haven't been to the beach in about four or five years but towels are definitely staples of a comfortable and well kept home, in my opinion.

From Left to Right : Left, Center, Right

My eternal quest to look more mature dies when I see these pieces here. Their vibrancy and eye catching colours reel me in like a moth to a flame. The great thing about patterns is that they actually suit everyone. The reason being, the pattern funnily enough recedes into the background and actually brings the wearer's features, hair colour and skin tone into the foreground. Having black hair myself makes colours pop even more. Having said that, I don't really wear much colour but prefer to use it in my paintings or just in and around my home. I would absolutely make an exception for Missoni though.

Left to Right : Left, Center, Right 

Those pants are so dreamy. Perfect for parties and if you're brave enough, just everyday wear. The head band is also stunning. Having bright colour but in small, concentrated spaces allows them to stand out even more and this headband would pair perfectly with red or blonde hair ( actually with all hair colours now I think about it ). The dress is amazing, needless to say. I'd wear it with a pair of  metallic shoes or a pair of knee high black leather boots.

Left to Right : Left, Right Both Fabric Swatches by Missoni. View the full range HERE By Safari Living

Left, Right

Couldn't really pass up showing you some of the stunning Missoni fabric swatches. I think the catalogue online shows you in detail the entire rack of fabrics which I took a photo of on Monday's post about Safari Living. So much variation and inventiveness in all the different fabrics. They've got the zig zag down pat but they're not relying on that as their only tour de force. It just goes to show that there are so many ideas and combinations out there just waiting to be discovered. 

Left, Right 

Left, Right 

Full Price and Material Details HERE

In writing this blog and going on so many outings to look at shops and homewares, I am starting to be able to clearly and succinctly give an elevator pitch of what my style is centered around. Missoni is now the latest addition along with the Saint Laurent movie by Bertrand Bonello and Roger Sterlings office in Season 4 of Mad Men ( maybe it's a thoughtful idea to make a collage of all these things in the near future? ) One of the most frustrating things for me, is when people ask what things I like and I just give a really watery and vague answer when the vision is so bold and clear in my mind. You are so confident in what you think you know until you have to bring it out into the open.

Full Price and Details HERE 

What did you think about my picks? Do you have any favourite Missoni pieces? What brands are you liking this month? Tell me in the comments below!

MY FAVOURITE THINGS

I'm the biggest shirts person you'll ever meet. The first section I always go to in almost all shops is the shirts section. I love all kinds of shirts but they must have long sleeves and preferably be in a good print or in plain white. From left to right : My favourite floral shirt from Soeur Paris which I got last year at Printemps ( take me back! ), Natural White Cotton shirt by United Bamboo purchased at Dagmar Rousset and a legit vintage Chinese printed jacket from an aunt in my family 

I feel like because Chanel is so expensive that everybody has a 'story' about where and how they got their first ( unless they're candy for you and you just get them whenever! ) My flats I purchased at Saks in New York City when I visited New york by myself in '14. The bag was a gift from my mother in '14 as well because I was having a hard year that year. I never use the bag because as much as I love it and will never sell it, it's just too in your face. I love owning it because they are iconic and timeless but it's more like an ornament that I enjoy having rather than something I use all the time 

I had the best time compiling these flat lays. I think a whole assortment ( or even just a few ) things placed prettily and intentionally ( lol ) just looks good and gives us that aesthetics 'hit' that we all love to get. I love a flat lay whether that be on a blog or on instagram and I wanted to create some of my own starting with things that I really like and which really informs my style. Looking at these flat lays, I was surprised that I was learning more about my taste and what kinds of things I like. It's slightly homely and vintagey but also new. British Vogue is my favourite Vogue and I feel like in a weird way, you can tell just by looking at the things which I own. 

From top across going left : Avene Spring water, 3 Concept Eyes lipstick in ' Smoked Rose ', Clean Up Vitamin U Hyrdating Serum and Kiehl's Creme de Corps 

My skincare / make up routine is beyond simple. It's gotten a lot more complicated recently since my skin has had more breakouts than its ever had so I've had to combat that by buying more and paying more attention to it, but really there's nothing more outside of these products. I'm one of those big time 'natural' advocate people. I think there's nothing more fantastic than being fresh faced and healthy. I like a bold lip every now and then but most days I just use lip balm or some lip tint.

I didn't include the Nars tinted moisturiser because I've used it in another spread, but you know that's totally part of my arsenal. My beauty values really starts from the inside out. Eating right, drinking lots of water and having a routine you stick to. I also don't like the idea of using too many products. I just feel like that leads to your skin freaking out and not knowing how to process all these creams, lotions and serums coming at it. I've also realised that by cutting out dairy, bread and only eating meat once a week has helped my complexion a lot. 

I love, love, love painting. Ever since I started P.F.F though, I haven't had the energy to do it as much as I want to. Painting is my hobby but I treat it seriously as a way of strengthening my brain. It teaches you to see the world in a new way and also uncovers the stark fact that we don't really know or understand what we're seeing. I've had to re-train the way I visually interpret the world in order to improve my painting skills. I now know that everything is made up of usually more than three colours and that painting things wrong is also usually a good way of getting it 'right'.

When I paint, I usually pop on some music and just get lost in the music and my head. I think I get lost in my head a little too much and painting doesn't really help that 'losing it' journey 😸 😸 😸. It's the best feeling pushing and brushing on colour on a canvas though. The last time I painted I was listening to The Marble Index by Nico, Space is only Noise by Nicolas Jaar and a hodge podge of different artists on my Soundcloud account which you can have a listen to here : https://soundcloud.com/yalei-wang

Had to include this pack of special edition Yayoi Kusama post cards which you could only buy at the Tokyo exibition in The National Art Center in Tokyo. This was a gift from Sakae-san, one of my favourite students at my work. I went to Yayoi Kusama's exhibition just prior to leaving Tokyo last year and was beyond impressed with the stock in the gift shop. But upon seeing the queue for the check out, I promptly put back everything I was about to buy. I was so excited when she gifted this to me on our last lesson together. I didn't have to brave the long line and managed to have something to take back with me. Thank you forever Sakae san xx MISS YOU! 

I love Tarot Cards. Like I'm very into them. I do them whenever I feel lost, scared or sad in life. As a ritual, I do them at the beginning of every new year. I don't know whether it's just me thinking it real or something else cosmically happening, but they are seldom wrong. The things they say happen, happen. I started off like every skeptic, dismissing all the weird coincidences as simply coincidences. But the last three years have been insanely formative and the cards are never wrong. Sometimes they are vague, sometimes they aren't. But one things for sure and that's that the moments I catch myself being like " Wait a minute, the cards said this " has been numerous. 

One of my goals for this year is to have longer nails and to stop biting them. I manage to grow them to a length that I like but almost always they end up being chewed down again. It's pretty gross, I'll admit and I definitely need to keep working on it because they're pretty darn short right now. When they're a presentable length though, these are my favourites to use. I love the Chanel polish in Noir Rouge because of its warmth and depth, however I have one bone to pick with it and that's the fact that the brush is so thin that it ends up being super streaky looking on your nails. The Dior polishes were gifts given to me by a student in Japan and the Glitter is an oldie from American Apparel. 

My earrings addiction is fully fledged. Every time I go out and see a jewellery shop, I always pop in to see if they have any good earrings. I've never bought expensive jewellery because I've never come across anything that I've HAD to have. I'm more than happy with cheap jewellery because you can change and update often without feeling guilty.

The horse shoe shaped ones are from Lovisa and the round silver ones and the eyes I got in China. They are real silver so they're really comfortable to wear. I don't know if I'll ever have the balls to wear the eyes ones out in public but I had to buy them anyway because they are just so cool. I love a bold earring because you can wear something really simple and it just elevates the entire outfit.

So that's my wrap up of my favourite things. There's not that many, but I guess you can't have a million favourite things and for that to be realistic. The most dear items to us are few and far between, but their value lasts a life time!

What are your favourite things? Tell me in the comments below