Daily Outfit: A new desk and a new blazer

Being a Public Servant, I have moved offices around Canberra several times over my past five years of employment. My current area moved back to the Parliamentary Triangle over this past weekend, and so today I started back at work at a new desk and in a new building. Given that it was a day for the new, I decided to road-test another of my new thrifted blazers from the Vinnies sale, as well as a new necktie.

Travel: Sydney in Snapshots

The view of the Haymarket from our hotel. 

As you know by now, I spent this weekend in Sydney with my Boyfriend. We stayed in the Haymarket area, which is essentially Chinatown, and quite seriously my favourite place in Sydney. The following is a collection of snapshots from our weekend away.

Daily Outfit: Kimber Lane, Chinatown

Today the boyfriend and I slept in and then went out exploring Chinatown and the surrounding area. I dragged him down several alleyways over the course of the weekend so that I could photograph various bits of graffitti, and he patiently took these outfit shots for me today too in Kimber Lane. I've been intrigued by the murals and suspended lighting in Kimber Lane for a while now, but I've never gotten the chance to photograph the murals during the day. The laneway made an awesome backdrop for today's outfit shots.

Travel: Weekend in Sydney

I'm really stoked to be off to Sydney for the weekend with the Boyfriend today. We're staying right in the center of my favourite part of Sydney, the Haymarket. I love China Town and I can wander around for hours, so it is a realt treat for this little Gwei Lo. We've got a lot of eating activities planned, and not much else, but I will get to catch up with a few girlfriends, and most importantly spend some quality time with the Boyfriend before he's away for the next two weeks for work.

Daily Outfit: Trash and treasure

I felt like a bit of juxtaposing for today’s outfit, to celebrate the high and low end of my wardrobe and the sort of trash and treasure mentality that I live within. I do love to mix the high-end with the low-end, I'll happily scrimp and save for a $300 pair of jeans or a designer clutch, but at the same time I am happy to wear nameless pieces I've picked up in op shops or $5 t-shirts from Big W. Today's Daily Outfit is an exercise in playing one side of my wardrobe off against the other. 

Daily Outfit: Monday Moody Blues

It was a rather miserable and overcast day here in Canberra, and it seems I dressed to match the weather. The moody blues of this outfit could easily have been inspired by the view out my office window of the gloomy Monday sky, the rain and the drizzle hanging over Mount Taylor. It wasn’t intentional but it certainly worked with the setting.

Daily Outfit: Sunday dinner casual

This evening the boyfriend and I headed into Belconnen for a quick dinner, which I figured was the perfect opportunity to road-test one of the four blazers I picked up at the Vinnies Monster Warehouse Sale yesterday. It was a nice evening and while I hadn't planned on shooting the outfit I was wearing, I thought it would be a waste of the outfit and the Lake Gininderra backdrop. As a result, these pictures were taken on my Nokia Lumia 925, and not with my camera.

Daily Outfit: Vinnies Monster Warehouse Sale

This morning I headed to the St. Vincent de Paul Society warehouse in Mitchell for the annual Monster Warehouse Sale, with Jiawa and Heather.

I've been to the sale twice before and I usually come away with at least one decent addition to my wardrobe. This year, however, I was lucky to score not one but four navy blazers to round out my wardrobe and further my descent into a world of an almost entirely navy/blue wardrobe. I'll be sharing my haul from the sale later this weekend, but first I wanted to share what I wore today and these amazing photos that Jiawa took of me after the sale.

Friday Fixation: New World Transparent Specimines

While I was in Tokyo last year, a friend of mine directed me to check out the colossal Tokyu Hands Shibuya, which is a department store that sells a bit of everything and lots of really cool odds and ends. It was a great recomendation and I spent a couple of hours wandering around in dazed awe of the whole place. 

And then, somehow, I saw a display case showcasing the work of Iori Tomita. As you can see with what I have showcased here, he creates beautiful artworks by turning marine life translucent, and dyeing the hardest parts of their bodies, that which remains behind.

Daily Outfit: A burst of colour

I was feeling the need for a burst of colour today, and what better way to inject that into my wardrobe than with two items of clothing in this rich orange? Keeping in line with my colour limited wardrobe aesthetic, I've only allowed myself one other colour and one shade (orange and white respectively), in addition to my all-blue wardrobe. I've been slowly culling everything that doesn't fit into these parameters from my wardrobe, and wearing only blue suits me. However, occasionally I get the urge for that burst of colour, and that is where the orange comes in.

Daily Outfit: A scarf in place of a tie

I decided to forego a necktie today, and went with a scarf tied and resting inside my shirt. It’s a look that I’ve admired on men much more stylish than myself for some time, and that I have never really had the stones to try myself. However, being in a good mood this morning, I decided to give it a go.

Just looking at me it’s pretty obvious I’ve never done this before- the scarf is not tied in any sort of elegant way and I’m not sure that I picked the best colour match at all.

The entire outfit that I wore today was probably a little casual for a cravat, but I really liked how it looked. I wore:

Navy single-breasted blazer – Euromerican Tailors, Hong Kong
Blue button-down shirt with white stripes – vintage Brooks Brothers
Brown Rococo print scarf worn as cravat – thrifted years ago
Black leather belt – repurposed from wedding outfit
Motor 3D tapered embroidered jeans – G-Star
Distressed black leather shoes – Raphael Steffens

Neckties can be uncomfortable in many ways; they can be too tight and strangle you, they can be too heavy and weigh around your neck, and they can flop around on your chest and be really distracting. The scarf, however, was really comfortable all day, and lovely and warm. I’m really looking forward to trying this look with some of the other scarves I’ve accumulated over the years.

Daily Outfit: Sikorsky Aircraft around my neck

This vintage Sikorsky Aircraft necktie was a fantastic find while thrifting, it's really actually really intricately detailed and it always gets attention when I decide to wear it. I guess having helicopters around your neck is a great conversation starter :P

I wanted a tie that would clash a little against the shirt for today’s outfit, so it seemed like a pretty decent choice:

Gunmetal blue leather jacket – Zara
Orange, blue and white checked button-down shirt – Trenery
Navy polyester necktie with helicopter motif – vintage Gold Clasp
Gold-tone tie clip – gift
Navy and orange cotton belt with leather fastenings – Trenery
Dark indigo wash Riley loose tapered jeans – G-Star via eBay
Orange and white striped cotton socks – Uniqlo, Tokyo
Brown leather shoes with laser cut detail – Raphael Steffens

I really liked this ensemble today. I felt good while I was wearing it, and I think all of the elements that made it up were working well together. And, as well as my little Sikorsky entourage, it was so nice for it to finally be cool enough to wear a jacket again! Jacket weather is back in Canberra! HUZZAH!

Dining Out: Wonder Meals authentic Chinese cuisine, Belconnen

I have been curious about Wonder Meals in Belconnen for some time now. I had eaten at its predecessor many moons ago, and being something of fanatic for Chinese food, I was intrigued by the unassuming facade to the new place, and the crowds of Chinese patrons I've often chanced entering the restaurant as I've driven past.

With a danger to becoming one of those  occasional Foodie Bloggers who only ever say that the places that they eat at are amazing; Wonder Meals is AMAZING! 

The second I walked in the door and saw the fit-out, I was entranced. I was lucky enough to try Wonder Meals for the first time yesterday at lunch with a girlfriend of Chinese heritage, and we both had a really lovely time. We had the entire restaurant to ourselves for most of our meal, our food was brought to us promptly, everything was delicious, and it didn't cost much at all.

My friend and I poured over the menu, ad in the end ordered four dishes and a pot of Jasmine tea. The dishes we selected were:
Goutie (Pan-fried Dumplings)
Sauteed mutton with cumin
Fried snow peas with fragrant sauce
Fried eggplant with spicy salt

The dumplings were unlike any I have had before, which was a nice surprise. The mutton is the best I have had in Canberra to date, with other offerings having been incredibly greasy, where this dish was almost dry-fried and beautifully fragrant. The fried snow peas were delicious and perfectly cooked with enough crunch left in them, but I did find the sauce a little too viscous. The eggplant was again, perfectly cooked, and the spicy salt was delicious, though the batter could have been a little thinner. All in all, I had no actual complaints with my meal at all, and was eager to return and try more of what Wonder Meals has to offer. 

So eager, in fact, that I jumped at the opportunity to return this evening with a group of friends. There were nine of us in total and we ate like pigs  for little more than $30 a head, including drinks and a tip. I won't detail everything that we ate because I didn't have time to snap pictures (I was too busy wolfing down the delicious food); but I will share this hot tip: order the 'Deep-fried Tomatoes with Flavor'. This, as it turns out, is a desert dish. It is regular tomatoes you'd buy from the supermarket, lightly battered (much lighter than the picture above suggests!), deep fried, and served hot sprinkled with sugar. I hate tomatoes raw (I know, I'm a weird guy), and I had two helpings of this dish! It is kitchen alchemy! So get on it, because your taste buds will thank me! 

I really recommend that any Canberrans, but especially those living in or near Belconnen, get down to Wonder Meals and try some Chinese food that strays outside your Anglo comfort zones. Believe me, you won't regret it!

Daily Outfit: Blogger Brunch

I had the pleasure of meeting for brunch with the lovely Jiawa of Closet Voyage and Heather of Heatstorm today. We had a lovely meal at Maple and Clove in Barton, and then travelled to Margaret Timpson Park in Belconnen to take our daily outfit photos. Jiawa took the photos of me here with her camera, and edited them for me as well. It really shows what a decent camera and a knowledge of photoshop can do for you.

Daily Outfit: Polo Week Day 2

This royal blue polo shirt that I’m wearing today has always reminded me of the colour of Superman’s suit, and so it seemed like an appropriate choice to pair it with my Superman graffiti print Chuck Taylors for today’s outfit.

Again, this isn’t a particularly corporate outfit at all – and I think that Converse shoes are a bit trite in the office, but I rarely wear these shoes because I love the print so much and don’t want to ruin it, so it is nice to bring them out every once in a while.

Daily Outfit: Polo Week Day 1

I'll be wearing a polo shirt to work every day this week, because I got tattooed while in Melbourne over the weekend, and I'd really rather not have to wash lanolin out of my nice work shirts if I can avoid it. It doesn't exactly stain, but I do find it takes more than one wash to come out, so I'd rather just wear short sleeves for a week than waste water and time re-washing shirts.

My best friend Mags and I drove down to Melbourne on Friday of last week, and we each had tattoo appointments on Saturday morning. I got a companion piece for my 'Lobster Darling' tattoo, and I couldn't be more thrilled with how it turned out. It's absolutely worth the faux-pas of having to wear polo shirts for the week.

FashFest 2014: 60 seconds

FASHFEST - 60 second from FASHFEST on Vimeo.

If you have not watched this yet - I really suggest that you do. It is a great snapshot of what went down at FashFest 2013, and it has really got me excited for this year's event.

With just under seven weeks to go, things are starting to heat up here in Canberra already, and just in time for the autumn cool-snap to come through.

If you haven't already, you can purchase tickets HERE. Get in quick and grab yourself a VIP seat like I did!

Daily Outfit: A night out in Melbourne

What better excuse than a night out in Melbourne to bust out this amazing python clutch that I purchased off Etsy a year or so ago? I like to try some of my more elaborate or over the top wardrobe pieces out outside of Canberra if the opportunity arises, and this clutch is certainly one of those. I tried to take it to dinner with the boyfriend one night down the coast, but he was less than impressed and as such it stayed home that night.

Travel: Melbourne Bound

So today I am off to beautiful Melbourne for a long weekend of delicious food, tattooing, and spending time with my girlfriends from University. We’ll have been in each other’s lives for 10 years this year, so the occasion needs to be marked!

I am really bad at dressing for travel – I’m always uncomfortable, usually because I am wearing jeans that are too tight, and I’m always too hot or too cold. This doesn’t even cover packing for a trip, which I am also ridiculously bad at; right now I’m just talking about getting to or from my destination. When I went to Thailand with my best friend Mags in September last year, and I compare how she traveled compared to how I travel, it made me realise that I really need to review how I travel.

Daily Outfit: Melon? Salmon? Coral?

I had this shirt made by a travelling tailor, which adds salt to the wound of the fact that I actually hate it. The cut of the shirt is great, and it is a lovely cotton fabric- I just really hate the colour. Some would call it coral, some salmon, others melon. Whatever you call it, there is no denying that it is hideous, and not at all what I was expecting when the tailor said ‘bright orange’. Now, after spending more than I care to disclose on the shirt, I’m stuck not wanting to throw it out, but equally hating to wear it.

FashFest 2014: Tickets are now on sale

Face of Fashfest: Belinda Riding  Designer: Sovata  On location at Canberra Airport  Hair: Form Haircutters  MUA: M:Artistry  Photographer: Leighton Hutchinson

I'm thrilled to share that the tickets for FASHFEST 2014—the biggest fashion event to be held this year in Canberra—are now on sale. 

FASHFEST will once again be held at the award-winning Canberra Airport. Each event will commence at 7:00 PM for an 8.30 PM start. It will be held in a raw, but magnificent industrial space, and offer guests a brand new experience—a new show each night. We have been advised to dress warmly - and I'll be sharing the outfits I plan to wear each night a little closer to the even to road-test them with you all.

Daily Outfit: T.M. Lewin shirts

I couldn’t tell you just how old this T.M. Lewin shirt that I am wearing in today’s outfit is, but I can say that it is honestly one of the hardest working garments in my wardrobe.

I bought it from a second-hand store here in Canberra, and the owner said she’d sold it twice before I bought it, so I know I am at least the fourth owner. Three other men have had the shirt in circulation in their wardrobes, and to date the only visible damage is slight wear where the French cuffs fold back. Amazing. Even the wear that it has doesn’t look bad, at least not in my opinion. I'm amazed at how well the shirt is holding up frankly.

Daily Outfit: Lobster obsession

I am a little lobster obsessed. You may have picked up on it by now, but if not, let me share with you my sordid tale of crustacean-fixation.

I'm not really sure where my love of Lobster springs from, given that I didn't actually try lobster until I was in my 20s. To be perfectly frank, I think before I actually fell in love with the taste of lobster, I was in love with the idea of lobster. Growing up, it was always something associated with the trappings of wealth. In the American TV and movies I devoured as a child and teen in rural Australia, anyone who was ridiculously wealthy seemed to have a steady supply of lobster on hand. So, in my young mind, lobster became associated with other status symbols, like caviar, Cuban Cigars, Rolex watches and Ferrari's.

Wardrobe Stories: DIY applique decorated T-shirt

It has been a grey and miserable Saturday here today in Canberra, so I thought it was a perfect time to kick off my Wardrobe Stories again, as no one needs to see an Ensemble Post about my sweatpants.

This t-shirt is one of the first DIY projects I ever did. I purchased the shirt from the Bega Salvation Army store in high school for maybe $2.50? I grabbed it because it was blue and because it was already worn-in and exceptionally soft. I think it had a tag when I bought it but I cannot remember. I do, however, remember that I did not buy the shirt with a view to making anything out of it. I just liked the shade of blue.