Pretty in Pink

Pantone announced its colour of the year for 2017, and I'll be missing Rose Quartz a ton. To be honest, I saw so many blush tones in the blogosphere that I never thought I'd get into it as much as I did. Alas, it's become a fast favourite and wardrobe staple of mine. 

It pairs well with rich tones like these burgundy culottes (whatever will I do when those go out of style?!) and blue velvet mini bag. I just can't see Greenery doing that. But I suppose that's what differentiates someone who follows trends, vs someone with style so to speak. Blush may not be the "it" colour next year, but it will still be one of my favourites and most worn non-neutral neutrals.

What colour makes up the majority of your closet? Or what was your favourite colour of the year by Pantone?

Coat: TopShop (similar here)

Culottes: Uniqlo (similar here)

Boots: Zara (similar here)

Purse: Zara 

Hat: Indigo

Linked up with - The Red Closet Diary - Walking in Memphis in High Heels - Sydney Fashion Hunter -

The Pleated Midi

Question: are you a mini or maxi girl? Or a midi girl?

 With winter coming, I've been slowly adding layers and length to my outfits. Cue the pleated midi skirt. Nothing I would have worn even a few months ago, but this gorgeous pink satin caught my eye on Asos. Sadly, I decided that since it "wasn't my style" and I was going to wait for a decent discount before buying it... and it sold out a few days later. 

Let's just say I learnt my lesson, and once my size came back in stock (ie. someone returned it) I immediately picked it up (I use Shoptagr for back in stock and sale alerts). It's even prettier in person! The colour is unique, and goes well with my currently blush filled wardrobe. Because on Wednesdays we wear pink, and obviously every other day.

Needless to say, the pleated midi skirt is my new obsession. It's super versatile, and the perfect transitional item in any wardrobe. Get grungy with some studded boots (Chloe anyone?) or elegant with a pair of heels and a blouse. And it shows off my shoes! How can you not love the midi trend?

Speaking of trends, pleated skirts seem to be on the up and up again. To be honest, they normally remind me of my old Japanese school uniform (since I did take a semester in Sapporo back in high school, and my skirt was just a grey, pleated midi skirt). But this season, it's all about luxe fabrics and colours, and the pleated skirt has been taken to a new level in velvets, satins, and metallic foils. The midi skirt doesn't get any better than 2016.

Since I was going to Banff for the Santa Parade, I layered some Uniqlo Heat Tech under this Aritzia sweater and brought out the faux furs. A faux fur jacket is a surprisingly warm option for cold weather, especially with some heat tech underneath. Add a pair of tights and over the knee boots (because trust me, they do work under midi skirts and dresses, despite what my own initial thoughts were) to make sure your legs are warm, and head out into the snow!

Jacket: Forever21 (similar here)

Sweater: Aritzia

Skirt: Asos (sold out, similar here)

Boots: Call It Spring

Linked up with - Elegance and Mommyhood - Posh Classy Mom - Michelle's Paige - The Red Closet Diary - Walking in Memphis in High Heels - Sydney Fashion Hunter -

All that's gold...

Finally back at it. Ie. I have a remote again. I really do miss my friends that used to take my pictures... things went so much fast having someone to take my photos compared to a tripod and remote setup. Thank you everyone, I miss you. 

On another note, how gorgeous is this dress from Zaful? I originally saw it on Pinterest, and immediately wanted it. At first, I didn't really trust the the quality of the dress – I had never heard of Zaful before and the prices were quite cheap, especially for something with so much detail. So I decided not to buy it. A few weeks later, they emailed me offering to let me try one of their garments for free. Of course I immediately searched for this dress, and luckily it was still in stock, and on sale. Whoo! 

The quality is surprisingly good – I don't feel like the sequinned details with fall off, and I can see this standing up to relatively frequent use (I mean, I don't have that many coffee or brunch dates that warrant such a dress, but this will last a good while given that I wear it two to four times a month). Nor was it sheer. You can see a black bra (and probably panties too!) through this, but you don't need to worry about it if you're wearing nude undies. My only complaint was that it needs a bit of altering, or a slip. The front splits right up the waist, so you'll either need to be really careful walking and sitting, or wear a mini skirt underneath (what I do). When I don't feel so lazy, I'll take this to the sewing machine and just sew the middle of the underlayer together so I won't need to worry about wearing another skirt underneath. There's enough fabric so it won't affect the movement at all, and you'll be able to twirl away without a worry.

Dress: Zaful

Boots: Zara (lusting over these statement sock boots, and this velvet version)

Linked up with - Fashion Should Be Fun - Fabulous Friday -

Lusting for... Vietnam

Photo from Lonely Planet

Hello from Incheon Airport! I'm not near any of these beaches yet (I'll be in Hoi An and headed to the pictured Cuo Dai Beach in four days). I've been super excited for this trip, and have been planning outfits since... winter? I love beach weather and dressing for summer, and have been lusting after a ton. Unfortunately, my wallet doesn't always like this lust, nor does Korea Post. I thought about doing an order of some of these tops and beachy dresses, but was too worried they might not make it to Korea in time for me to leave. Better safe than sorry when it comes to clothes you like, so I'll be sending a few of these home for my next vacation!


1. Bell Sleeved Cold Shoulder Shirt
2. Backless Tassel Dress
3. Embroidered Blouse
4. Off the Shoulder Blouse
5. Off the Shoulder Dress

Living out of a Suitcase

Photos taken by Jade Amy Larey.

As some of you may know, I moved apartments temporarily last week right after my trip to Hong Kong, and will be travelling around Asia and Europe before I finally head home to Canada. In other words, I've been living out of a suitcase for the last two weeks, and will continue to do so for the next three. If there's one think I hate about travelling, it's all the packing and unpacking. I packed up the majority of my things and sent them back to Canada with my parents, and left what I would need for my future travels (and probably more). I also forgot about the stuff I needed dry cleaned, so there's even more coming with me to Vietnam than I originally planned for! I'm so last minute, and sometimes it comes to bite me in the butt (I don't even know what I'll be doing in Hanoi yet besides visiting Halong Bay). 

The weather also took a turn here in Korea, and fall suddenly set in. It's sweater weather in the mornings now... and I have... nothing. A lot of beach clothes for Vietnam, but that's about it. Let's just say living out of a suitcase is hard!

Since I refuse to unpack my larger suitcase, these shorts from Romwe have been my go-to for the last couple of weeks. I'm only bringing two pairs of shorts to Vietnam with me – these and a military green pair. Distressed denim works with everything (especially all my off the shoulder tops), so I figured why bring two pairs of denim shorts when one would work. Save space! Not only that, but this pair is the comfiest I own, and are super flattering with the high waist (my legs looks miles longer, but are still stumpy compared to Kendall Jenner T_T).

You may have also noticed I dyed my hair! To be honest, I wasn't going to because even in Korea, it's expensive (but still way cheaper than Calgary), and I was really worried about the results. My small town's salons aren't exactly known for  a good ombre. One of my coteachers recently dyed her hair though, and I thought it looks really good, so I asked her where she went and what the prices were like. I ended up going to LeeChard Pro Hair, and for a whopping 177,000 won, had my hair bleached, dyed, treated and cut. But isn't this rose gold ombre amazing?! LeeChard uses temporary dye, so it won't last long (ie, it was safe if I hated it), and I can redo the pink balayage at home. I loved the rose gold hair trend when I first saw it on the internet, but was too afraid to bleach my hair in order to get it. I might be addicted to it now though.

Top: H&M (similar here)

Shorts: c/o Romwe

Kaftan: Zara (similar here and here)

Sandals: Gmarket (similar here)

On Rotation

All photos taken by Jade Amy Larey

The last two weeks have been a blur, so I'm sorry for the lack of updates. Not only did I spend a week in Hong Kong (stories and pictures to come), but I also played tour guide for my parents who came to visit in Seoul, and had to move out of my apartment (and into my friend's until I actually do leave Korea).

Actually, I'm supposed to be in Paris and London in less than three weeks... and I haven't even looked for a place to stay yet. But hey, the flights and trains are booked. That's a start– right?

Anyways – my trip to Hong Kong was great, and it was fun to see my parents again (when we weren't trying to kill each other that is). Actually, Hong Kong is probably one of the few cites I'd really like to visit again – I had an amazing time there. This Shein off the shoulder top was on rotation amongst all the travelling, as well as while I'm living out of a suitcase, so I'm sure you'll see it often. The best part about it? It doesn't wrinkle (well it does, but only barely)!

Shirt: c/o Shein

Shorts: c/o Romwe

Shoes: Gmarket (similar here)

Purse: Botkier

The Sleeveless Trench

Photos by Jade Larey

So who knew golden light was so difficult to shoot in?! Okay, it's not, or at least it isn't when you have a neutral background. Throw in this lovely cedar backdrop though... and everything is looking very golden...orange. My photoshop skills aren't that great, but a little desaturation helped a lot in restoring a normal look to my skin (and not like I ate too many carrots) while retaining that golden glow. So if you have any tips (whether editing or photographing), let me know.

This has been my go-to Seoul outfit. Layering is always super chic, and this split front top is my favourite layering piece. Add a thin, sleeveless trench, and you have the perfect way to layer in this hot and humid weather. The length is super flattering (read, makes me taller) while remaining thin enough so as not to make it any hotter than it already is. Asia really is like a sauna in the summer - hot and humid - and Korea isn't even the worst for it. I don't know how I'll be able to handle Hong Kong in a couple of few weeks. Maybe splurge and take a taxi everywhere just for the aircon? But then I can't eat as much as I want since I won't be walking for miles... and we all know I'm going for the sole purpose of eating dim sum - mainly egg tarts and egg custard buns. I have a feeling I'll be wearing as little as possible - off the shoulder tops (of course!) and denim cutoffs.

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Long Vest: Forever 21 (similar here)
Top: Asos
Shorts: Forever 21 (similar here)
Shoes: Zara (similar here)
Sunglasses: Gamiss
Purse: Zara (similar here)

Linked up with - The Red Closet Diary - Modest Mom - Style Nudge -

Bare It All

Photos by Katherine Son

Hands up if you like dungarees (me! me! me!). Hands up if you don't like to look like you're teaching kindergarten in them (me! me! me!). I actually bought this dress for the possibility of attending London Fashion Week, as Brexit happened and suddenly the UK became a little bit cheaper. That, and a one way ticket from London to Calgary is currently less than $300 (yay West Jet!). 

Either way, this is the perfect dress for hot and humid Seoul. Monsoon season is upon us, and the humidity is something akin to 100% (I exaggerate, but you get my point). While Seoulites are still barely baring any skin, I'm one to welcome a bit of fashion tape in order to stay cool. Because yes, I currently own a lot of dresses that need to be taped on in order to not have a bit of an accident à la the Super Bowl. I do wear this with a t-shirt most days, as is the trend in Korea. Anything slightly revealing is worn over a tee. Crop top? Worn over a t-shirt. Spaghetti strapped tank top? Worn over a tee. Slip dress? Worn over a tee (okay, that's the trend everywhere right now, not just Korea). I'm currently looking for the perfect pair of white sneakers to really get that Korean street look down with this dress.

Dress: Asos

Shoes: Zara (similar here)

Bag: Botkier (similar here)

Hair pin: Olive Young (similar here)

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Linked up with - Garay Treasures - Style Elixir - The Red Closet Diary -