[LookBook] Oct'13... Studio

I know, I know. We're well into November and  we've only JUST posted October's LookBook's content. Our excuse? I could assure you though, we both have legit reasons; we're both equally busy as heck with uni/college work! Fortunately, we found an opportunity last month when one of Matthew's assignments was to produce two low-key and two hi-key studio images. 

The outfits I have choosen were simple, but mostly because I wasn't entirely sure what my photographer wanted because he changed his ideas a lot- men! In the end, I just took whatever the heck I felt that would meet the middle. Basically, I picked items that would contrast the background. 

We were especially impressed with how well the butterfly camisole dress showed up in the white background- the colours on the butterfly print played as a good accent to the photo as a whole.

For the black background, the idea was to give a ghost-like mood, with a lot of desaturation to the original photo- this is a very Matt-thing, rather different from how I would approach my own photos when editing. 

The outfit for this background coincidently reminded me of the painting "The Black Mirror" by William Nicholson, that I have been studying for my project in uni.... but all the same really, its all about contrast for us. We also played with my new hat and using it to create some shadowed effect. 

I did indeed retouched my skin in all these photos because I can get quite self-concious about how my skin looks, especially when I haven't been having any good-skin-days lately due to lack of sleep, a very poor diet and lots of stress (and mental breakdowns- har har). More on that later in another post of my new skin-care routine. Regardless, the original photos are (always) on Matt's page.

Look 1:

 

Camisole dress- Topshop

Cut-Out boots- New Look

Look 2:

Dress- H&M

Hat - H&M

Necklace- Dior

Bracelet- Tiffany&Co

[LookBook] Sept'13...Portobello Beach

The idea of lookbooks nowadays isn't just because of the "look" or style of clothing people pay attention to; it is also about the photography. With this concept in mind, I teamed up with friend and photographer-to-be, Matthew Chan to create a lookbook that is not only for me to "show off" my personal style tastes, but also create images that emphasises the look from a photographer's point of view. Of course, with the both of us still at the learning stages in the areas we want to specialise in our careers, we also look at this lookbook concept as a sort of shared learning journal or log-book... 

Thus, I now welcome you to the first monthly instalment of our lookbook! (haha!)

For September, Matthew chose the location, Portobello beach which is at our hometown, Edinburgh. I believe the idea of the first few images was to show a "depth of field" (photography terms, in which I am almost as clueless as he is in sewing). I do want to note that the photos here have been edited by me to show how I see the photos should be on my own blog but the directioning etc was all Matthew's. 

My look in September can be described as grungy (if you must), but lately, my wardrobe has been a bit grey and monochromatic... I can't really justify most of the time why I have picked out the outfits I wear. Sometimes, they have a functional purpose, sometimes it's for comfort and other times it is purely because I wake up with this outfit in my mind. Nevertheless, I wear what I feel, and yes, sometimes they follow trends, sometimes they don't, but what does it matter when it is a lookbook that has no specific constraints other than it being my personal preferences at the time? Perhaps over a period of time, and after several more looks, I will begin to find the identity of my style, but at the moment, the freedom to explore still remains... 

Ankle Boots from H&M
Bag from Chronic Pinkoholic

Scarf belongs to Matthew, from a random shop (that sells incense apparently...!)

Hat, Coat and Knee-high socks from H&M
Dress from Forever 21

Loafers from H&M

Bracelets from New Look

Be sure to check out Matthew's own page of his work at:  https://www.facebook.com/MatthewChanPhotography

And if you like the look, please HYPE it on:

http://www.lookbook.nu/soapytofu

Botanical!

At the beginning of this summer, I visited the Botanic Gardens in my hometown Edinburgh (of course). The purpose wasn't to look at pretty plants, but I was helping a friend with his photography course, obviously I was asked to be his model for the day. Because he was working with black and white film, I was requested to wear something with pattern and texture so that it comes off better. 

Luckily, the weather god was being good to us and it was sunny with warm temperatures (I sound like a forecaster haha). 

I haven't visited the Botanic Gardens probably since I was still in junior school! It was refreshing to go again, and it made me feel really relaxed again, especially this was at the time I had just finished and handed in all my assignments. 

So what did I wear on the day? 

Blazer from River Island

Romper from River Island

Shoes from H&M

Hat from H&M

Sunglasses from H&M

I always feel that, no matter what, I need to feel comfortable in my clothing wherever I am, so I went for a floral romper- easy, one piece, no fuss. Then a blazer in case it got chilly (living in Scotland, you never know, next thing you know it could be torrential rain - luckily that didn't happen).

I'm also so in love with the strap heels. These are very "on-trend" this summer after seeing them appear on a lot of fashion blogs. 

I do cringe at how I had a wee bump in this photo-haha! >< But whatever, I wasn't naturally model-made, just merely helping a friend. 

Ps. It's funny, because I will be at the Botanic Gardens for a wedding just as this post is schedule to go live. Looking forward to being the bride's MUA of the day. 

DISCLAIMER: All images were taken by Matthew Chan (but edited by myself). Permission was permitted to use these images on this blog =]

Haul 28/08/12

Just a quick post on what I bought today. I'm down with a bad cold and thought shopping was so much better than staying in the sick-bed all day.

Clothes:

Coral Knit £17.99 H&M

Bodycon dress £14.99 H&M*

Jewellery:

Black chucky gem droplet necklace £8.99 New Look

Charm Necklace £5.99 New Look*

*Buy one get one free on jewellery in New Look =D

And the follow are jewellery pieces I bought at Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair last Sunday...

 

Happy Shopping! haha! 

OOTD: Vintage Maxi Dress

Just a quick post on my outfit of the day:

I was at a vintage fair yesterday and this dress (out of only 3 garments I bought) was my best buy! £5 and the pattern and fit was perfect. I thought there maybe some damage to the hem or armhole etc because I found a few dresses that were damaged, but this was one was still intact like new.
To accessorize, I wrapped a belt (H&M) around my waist to accentuate my body's silhouette and a neck/collar jewellery piece (also from H&M) that I thought would complete the whole outfit. =]

OOTD: Cake Date

Recently amongst the Edinburgh community (that I know of) there has been a rave about Patisserie Valerie opened in town. Of course I could not help but drag my lovely friend to the place and indulged on a piece of gateau each (and an excuse to have a girl date).
On this occassion, I finally wore my top I got a few weeks ago but never had a chance to wear it (had you lived in Edinburgh and knew the weather you'd understand). I bought it obviously because of its long tail at the back which floats romantically about as you walk through the breeze (I was sort of worried a passer-by may grab my tail haha). Had the weather been even warmer I would have worn shorts but I teamed it up with leggings instead and a cropped denim jacket to keep warm, keeping the look casual with a hint of making a fashion statement.
And the cake? It was a chocolate and custard layered cake that tasted just right. I'm really not a fan of desserts that makes you feel sickly after.
So are you a fan of cakes? If so what kind?

Top- H&M
Denim jacket- Primark
Leggings- Urban Outfitters
Necklace- New Look
Wedges- New Look
Hat- H&M

OOTD 18/06/12

So it has been a while since I have last posted and I will admit that I got lazy as soon as summer holidays started.
Here is a look at my outfit for today.
It was a rather sunny outside and temperatures were mild (you can not ask for better when you live in Scotland). I took this opportunity and decided to divert myself away from my usual leggings fancy and wore a skirt instead.
I rarely wear skirts (unless it's a nightout), but eversince I've entered fashion school, I believe I've become a little more confident in them.
I picked up this pretty hi-low skirt when shopping with my friends. At first I was reluctant in purchasing it but as most friends would do; they convinced me to!
Teaming a top with this skirt was a headache for me as I couldn't decide whether to wear a loose-fit t-shirt or a lace top or a cropped jumper! They all matched but none felt right to me so I ended with a bodycon-fit top (its actually a dress but works as a top when you -obviously- tuck it into the skirt).
Since I was just running some errands (and foolishly went shopping again) I wore flats and carried my beloved French Connection bag which I believe I have shown you previously.
Oh and on my way driving home (with my window down because it was so hot in the car) a VERY nasty bug decided to land on my skirt. Needless to say I had freaked out big time(!) and the car in front must've thought I was going mental!

Skirt- Miso (Republic)
Bodycon- H&M
Bag- French Connection
Necklace- Topshop
Pumps- Topshop
Bracelet- Tiffany & Co