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!
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.
It's sale season, and we all know what that means: impulse buying and clothing that will be worn once then forgotten about at the bottom of the laundry basket. Or is that just me? To be honest, I don't usually forget my new purchases for at least a few months (because I love them so much I'll wear them over and over for two or three months and then never want to see them again). I do tend to buy things I don't need (love, but don't need), whether it's a repeat in my closet (because I love it so much!) or just something I can't wear in my daily life (hi there bare shoulders – scandalous in Korea, frozen in Canada). So here are my top five tips to shop sale season without causing your wallet to cry... as much.
1. Budget
A good budget is key – if you’re like me, you like to buy things “just because they’re on sale.” A bit of self awareness will prevent a lot of impulse buys and wasted money. And don’t forget to stop once you reach it (or return things and try again).
2. Cash
I prefer to take out a set amount of cash to spend – it feels so much more like spending compared to swiping my credit card (especially compared to online shopping, I mean am I really spending anything by clicking a button and not having anything immediate to show for it?). I loathe handing over cash, because i can physically see my money leave my bank account.
3. Make a list
Is there anything you need or are specifically looking for? Basics are always great to stock up on during a sale, but if you already have ten white tees, do you really need another just because of a sale? Take note of what you have and what you need, as well as what you want. Personally, I love sales to buy trendier pieces to try out. Most trends will stay around a year or so, so even though I’ve stocked up on off the shoulder blouses and dresses, I’m sure I’ll be able to wear them next summer as well (but we’ll see come September when the SS17 shows start).
4. Size
Never compromise on size! You won’t wear something if it doesn’t fit you right (especially if you’re looking at shoes). If you can, always try it on before buying – the size might be off, or maybe it’s just one of those pieces that looks better on the rack.
5. Love it
You should love what you’re buying. A good question to ask yourself is whether you would buy it at full price. It’s great when a deal comes along, but if you don’t love it, chances are it’ll end up forgotten at the bottom of your drawer after a few wears. Sale pieces can add up quickly, so always take a moment to reflect on how much you love what’s in your cart.
It's now a life goal to work and live in a city with some sort of fashion week. Once again, I attended Seoul Fashion Week (well, more like Seoul Fashion Day given that I could only attend on Saturday). I saw the R. Shemiste show (super grungy, but still appealing to my need for feminine clothing) in the morning, then spent the rest of the day being mobbed by photographers. Last year I wore some very basic outfits and while I was photographed, it didn't happen too often. This year I opted for a beautiful backless shirt that I'll never be able to wear in Korea again. The statement piece got a lot of attention – a group of girls just wanted a picture of me (from the front), and when I turned around (because let's be honest the front of this outfit is boring, and trying to pin it into a crop top was a failed attempt) there were a lot of squeals of surprise and praise. To show this much upper body skin is still uncommon for Korea (even in Seoul!), so anything with thin shoulder straps (let alone my beloved off the shoulder pieces) is a no go. Not that that will stop me, but it is something I consider when go out on the weekends, whether it's to metropolitan and slightly more liberal Seoul, or my more conservative countryside town. I've literally had ajummas come up to me on the street to adjust a wayward shoulder strap so that it once again covers my bra strap. So kind, but so annoying. But back to fashion week...
I couldn't walk more than 50 feet without being stopped for photos! It was ridiculous, and I don't know how the more popular bloggers and models get anywhere! People weren't just stopping me to take photos of my outfit, but they wanted selfies, pictures of me posing with their kids, group photos of me and them. It was something else! A Korean friend was there with me, and he translated some of the things people were saying as I was being photographed by the Dingo photo wall. Apparently people thought I was a model and had supposedly seen me in a magazine before. Mostly they were just asking their friends if I was famous since I was being photographed so much. Little do they know. Posing was also super hard! Normally I just laugh and joke around with my friends when they take blog pictures, but there were so many photographers that I didn't know where to look, and I had no idea how to pose (and posing is really, really hard when you've been walking around in heels and posing from 10:30-4:30, as is trying to smile naturally). Totally a fish out of water. Simpson Kim also took a few photos of me, so be sure to check out his blog if you want to see a few more photos of my gorgeous back.
I was super happy to visit and catch up with my friends though. I don't get to see them often enough since they all work in different towns (ok, except Subomi and Byeonggi, I see them every few days since they live in Gongju with me).
When in Korea, do as the Koreans do. Ie. Get naked with some of them.
Gongju is full of foreigners (many of my Korean coworkers are always surprised by how many there are here when they visit) and some of the girls decided to visit our local jimjilbang. Many of us had never been, including myself (I have gone to Japanese onsen before though, and it's very similar), and we decided to do the whole shebang – Saunas, baths, scrubs, and of course the traditional baked egg and shikhye. Don't worry, Conan exaggerates about the scrub (or the ajummas went easy on me).
Eating baked eggs and drinking sikhye. Or you can just sleep.
So, what is a jimjilbang? Well, if you didn't watch the video (and you should, because it's hilarious), it's a Korean bathhouse, and some even offer spa services as well. The baths themselves are segregated by sex, and theres a common lounging area as well. They're usually open 24 hrs, so it's the cheapest way to stay in another city as well. You can find mats, pillows, and usually blankets in the communal area. The one we went to even had secluded alcoves for individuals to sleep in undisturbed. The entrance fee was 6, 000 won ($6 USD) to enter the baths, and another 2, 000 ($2 USD) for the communal area.
The baths are the best part though. There are five in this particular location– a hot bath, an even hotter bath, a cold bath, a scented bath, and a bath with jets. There were also three different saunas – a dry salt sauna, a dry charcoal sauna, and a regular wet, salt sauna. Both the saunas and baths are great for your health and detoxing. Because you will feel detoxed after spending time in the jimjilbang. First, you should rinse off in the showers, because everyone's dirt in the same bath is gross. When you're nice and clean, head to the baths! It's recommended to start off with the warmer baths or saunas first, and then take a plunge into the cold pool. And then you repeat the process. This helps to improve blood circulation. The cold water is also supposed to help firm the skin (albeit temporarily), so you should definitely end with a cold plunge, rather than a hot sauna.
Now, let's get to the fun part. The scrub. In every jimjilbang, there are some older Korean ladies, usually in the corner. This is where the spa services are. They'll scrub you down, give you a massage, wash your hair and apply a deep conditioning treatment, or even give you a mini facial. These services usually start at around 20, 000 won (about $20 USD) and can go up to 60, 000 won in Gongju ($60 USD) My friends and I all opted to get the traditional scrub (this is the part with Conan screaming). It's not nearly as bad as Conan makes it sound – I found it to be quite relaxing. The ladies water you down and start to move up and down your body rapidly with an abrasive mitt. It takes about 15 minutes for a full body scrub, and you'll be disgusted when you're done. There will be piles (piles!) of dead skin all over the bed and on your body. If you've ever used a Korean or Japanese peeling gel on your face, it looks like that. But larger. Like the size of a fingernail large. Then they apply some wash off lotion, give you a one-minute facial massage with cleanser (or at least I think it was a cleanser), and rinse you off a final time.
If you want to be even more traditional, you can buy the mitts or a special cloth yourself, and scrub your friends down. They only cost a few dollars, and I use one all the time at home (but not hard enough for piles of dead skin to be scrubbed off). I'd really only recommend the ajumma style of scrubbing once a month, since it takes about 30 days for new skin to form and dead skin to slough off anyways. So no need to scrub so hard everyday, you'll only irritate your skin.
After your baths, you can change into some pajama like shorts and a t-shirt and head to the communal area. There are usually some snacks for sale, tvs in enclosed rooms showing Korean dramas or k-pop videos, and private sleeping rooms (caves really). We grabbed some baked eggs and sikhye, both common jimjilbang fare. Oh, and baked eggs are way better than hardboiled. Why, I don't know, but they are. Sikhye is a sweet, occasionally fermented rice drink which is really refreshing after the steamy baths, or on a hot day.
So that's the story from last weekend. Naked bonding with a couple of girls I was close to, and a couple of new friends I just met that day. No better way to get close to someone than to strip down with them, right?
Firstly, Merry Christmas everyone! This has been an exciting year for me with many new opportunities!
With these new opportunities, I'd also love to better the blog, especially the photography. I normally use a tripod and remote for my photography, and while it works, I'm not the best at it. In Korea, I have a couple of friends who are willing to take photos of me on the weekend, however I'm not sure how long we'll be able to continue that as contracts are anding and people are moving. I'll manage though. Worst that happens is I go back to the tripod (my usual location by the university is usually free of people and onlookers).
Secondly, you'll notice a few design changes. This not only has to do with giving the blog a facelift and rebranding, but to refocus myself, and have the blog more to my current fashion style. When I first created this blog, my personal style was very girly. While I still love feminine pieces, I find myself being drawn to cleaner, more minimalistic and neutral designs and colours. I want the design of the blog to reflect that.
Lastly, a name change. You may have noticed my social media handles changing to reflect this earlier in the year. Again, this is to refocus myself, as well as refocus and refine my style. I've decided to call the blog "Casual 'n Couture." Why 'n? Originally, I couldn't decide if I wanted to rename the blog "casual and couture" or "casual in couture." And would have been the most accurate choice to reflect my style (mixing more high end and trendy pieces with regular, everyday stuff), but in had a better ring to it. So I decided to mix it up a bit and use an abbreviated form of and, that would sounds like in. The url will be changing to casualncouture.blogspot.ca New Years Eve, so make sure to watch for it!
Hi everyone! Long time no see. Things have been very busy! I just moved to Korea a month ago, so pictures will be few and far between from now on as I don't have a remote for my camera anymore. Yes, I remembered to bring a tripod, and completely forgot the remote. Silly me. Luckily, Nam Huynh took these gorgeous photos during a weekend trip to Seoul to see the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza.
This is probably my favourite outfit that I packed from home. Truth be told, I'm in a bit of a style rut at the moment. My wardrobe is limited to a lot of basics, which... isn't really my style? You all know I'm not a t-shirt and jeans type of girl, and the items I love aren't exactly meant for everyday wear either (oh non-versatile pieces and short skirts, how I love you), let alone work. I just brought what I thought I could wear in a conservative professional atmosphere. In reality, the school I teach at is pretty laid back, and some of the teachers will just wear jeans and a t-shirt, but still, I've already been told I look "young" when I'm wearing a cute dress (ok, said dress might look like a British school uniform, but that's not common in Canada!), so I feel like wearing some of my skirts won't help that image. On the plus side, the kids like me and think I dress well.
Anyways, enough complaining about a lack of clothes. This is probably my two favourite pieces that I brought with me. The suede skirt and organza back shirt are both surprisingly versatile, at work as well as on my days off. I actually ripped apart an old shirt and redid the back after seeing one of Marissa Webb's designs. This is what happens when you're poor – you go on a DIY spree. But it looks cool, and is surprisingly versatile (unless you're in rural Korea, in which case one needs to wear a tank top underneath the sheer back, which definitely takes away from the look).
My family and I decided to take out bi-yearly trip to Vancouver and Seattle a few weeks ago... namely because somebody needed to go and get a visa (I'm leaving in two weeks guys!). Anyways, as per any road trip, lots of food was eaten, lots of selfies taken, and more food eaten. PS, you should go all the way to the bottom for cute otter pics. I may have not taken any other pictures in Vancouver, otters are distracting.
Pike Place Market... oh god, all the seafood... And the chowder. Can I eat here forever?
My Dad insisted we visit the Utilikilt flagship store in Seattle. It's right by All Saints in downtown Seattle.
Road trip!
Starbucks Roastery. They have a lot of specialty coffees that you can't get anywhere else. Totally worth the trip (and you won't be waiting as long compared to the original Pike Place location).
