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!