Outfit: The Catting Hour

Dress: Oasis, cardigan: Macy's, leggings: American Apparel, shoes: Aldo, bracelet: Blah Blah Blah, hat: Earth Tree (地球樹)

It's been about eight months since my last outfit post! I've pretty much spent the entire time in sweatpants encrusted with tears. I'm kidding. To be honest, working from home doesn't really inspire a lot of sartorial creativity, even though I get annoyed with myself for just putting on jersey tops and leggings every day (unless I have an interview, in which I do make an effort). Last summer was also extremely hot and humid, even by Taiwan standards, and I wore nothing but long, batik-print skirts (NT$300 each from the night market!) and black T-shirts. How I dress does affect my mood, however, and I'm trying to make more of an effort on a daily basis.

My dress is from Oasis, which used to have a shop in Taipei 101. When they closed, I screamed (though I believe they still have a location in Ximending). The prices were way higher than the Oasis stores in the UK, but it was one of the few stores here where I didn't encounter obnoxious saleswomen who acted as if my butt is so big that it single-handedly changed weather patterns in Taiwan (well, we are having an unusually chilly winter). My shoes are just Aldo heels I got on sale, but the leather detailing caught my eye. My magical bracelet is from Blah Blah Blah, one of my favorite indie Taiwanese brands (I recently interviewed their owner). I love how it riffs off of Marian iconography. When I wear it, there's nothing I love better than making my husband ask me what time it is so I can yank my sleeve back and scream "it's the catting hour!" Being easily amused is fun!

(My photos for this post were organized with a template by the awesome Pugly Pixel.)

Sweet Teeth

Ring by Charlotte Burkhart

After five years of warding off dentists with various excuses, I finally got my remaining two wisdom teeth pulled. They were my upper set and the left one didn't fully emerge until I was 24 years old and starting my first journalism job. That year was full of personal and professional transitions for me and every time I got anxious I would run my tongue over my budding tooth and think "Relax... you're still teething!"

As it turns out, what I should have been thinking instead was "Oh shoot, I hope my gums don't get inflamed!" But every time I was told I needed to get my extraneous third molars extracted, I felt verklempt about losing my lucky tooth. I finally bit the bullet (haha) last month, however, and scheduled an appointment. Now I have two molars soaking in a dish filled with rubbing alcohol and water on my desk. What, oh what, should I do with them?

For inspiration, I turned to Etsy. Charlotte Burkhart's sleek, modern settings highlight the different textures of the wisdom teeth she uses (either yours or from donations). I think her Mountains of Wisdom ring (above) showcases the tooth best, but I also like her Split Wisdom Tooth Bracelet:


I think the roots are the most interesting part of teeth. Mine certainly didn't come out looking anything like I expected. Burkhart also has an amazing pendant featuring a photo of Max Schreck in "Nosferatu."

The vampire trend has carried over to Etsy and there is tons of stuff in the shape of fangs. My favorite is this movable pendant by JL67. I wonder if you can wear it as facial jewelry by clamping it onto the end of your nose.


Victoria Camp's white clay fang necklace is also cool. It's simple and elegant, so you can wear it without your outfit screaming "Happy Halloween!" from a mile away (not that there is anything wrong with that... Halloween is my favorite holiday!).


Tibault & Toad's tiny tooth pendant is adorable. I almost expect it to put on a little top hat, grab a little cane and start tap dancing.


One of my favorite thing about this ring by Ardent1 is that it looks like tiny little silver pomegranate seeds, even though it is actually cast from animal teeth. Then again, I haven't eaten solid food in 50 hours and everything is beginning to look edible to me now, including my computer... mmm... computer...


These soft, fluffy pillows by Hootenanny are actually pouches for kids to put teeth in for the Tooth Fairy. And they look like cupcakes covered in white icing... okay, seriously, I have to go shovel more yogurt down my throat. When I was little, the Tooth Fairy used to leave silver dollars for my brother and me every time we lost a tooth. That was exciting, though I managed to figure out that the Tooth Fairy was my Mom when I was about six. But I still made her give me money... teeheehee. I love the smirk on the right pouch's face. It looks like it's thinking saucy, illicit tooth thoughts ("Gimme some of that sugar, baby!").

Charmed, I'm sure

I've been in love with the idea of charm bracelets since I was a young teen. In fact, I like the idea of souvenir jewelry in general, including lockets and hair jewelry. I had a locket that I wore through college. In it were photos of our family's cats, Crystal (who passed away my junior year) and Deedee (who is still around and fat). Every time I showed the inside to someone, they looked surprised and told me they'd expected to see photos of a guy, which I thought was odd. At 19, my cats were more important to me than any boyfriend could have been. Even though I am married now, I'd still pick a photo of our cat, Taroko George, over one of my husband for a locket (a choice I'm sure Ron would approve of, since we are both feline fanciers).

During our honeymoon in San Francisco a year ago, I thought it'd be fun to start a charm bracelet. I didn't get the chance, however, until we'd returned to Taipei and I discovered De Stijl, a store that imports vintage jewelry from the US and Europe. Several of the charms on my bracelet are from De Stijl; the rest are from Internet sources. The first was this little cat in a basket, which Ron bought for my birthday last year:

I chose the charm because I think the kitten, cozy in its little basket, represents the household that Ron and I have created together. Also, I'm a basketcase sometimes.

The next charm was the one you see at top of this entry. The typewriter represents my career as a journalist. I debated getting the miniature ad or holding out for a tiny 3-D typewriter, but in the end I decided I like the "50 words" at the top. Sometimes when I have writer's block or am stressed out by a deadline, I remind myself that everything will fall into place quickly if I just write 50 words at a time (and keeping doing it for as long as I have to).

I've always been bad at keeping a personal daily journal. Despite that, I think it's important to constantly look inward and think about how your own thoughts and actions have contributed to the shape of your life and your relationships. This tiny diary is a reminder to myself to be accountable. Also, I get a kick out of the fact that it opens and closes, like many things in my life, including my jaw.

The zebra symbolizes our wedding. We got married at the San Francisco Zoo on a platform in their African Savanna habitat and there were several animals grazing behind us during our vows. There's a zebra (or its butt) in a lot of our photos from the ceremony.

This sewing machine represents my love of needlework (and its history). It also represents the fact that I could not find a knitting charm that does not look like a silver ball of snot with two sticks stuck through it.

Photography has been a big part of my life since our parents bought my brother and me matching kids' cameras with disposable flash cartridges (remember those?). This charm is the only one on my bracelet that isn't sterling silver. I'm thinking of looking for one that is, because the contrast between the color of the metals is a little jarring for my taste.

I found this tiny bust of Queen Elizabeth II at De Stijl and debated buying it for several days. The history of the British monarchy reminds me of cultural imperialism and colonialism. As someone of Chinese descent, I find those things distasteful in a personal way. At the same time, I admire Queen Elizabeth II for her sense of duty -- and the fact that she occasionally wears thick-rimmed spectacles with evening gowns. Now that's what I call charming (rim shot)!

What I'm Sproutin': School Spirit

Navy jacket: See's (a discount store in Taipei), blouse: BCBG sale, yellow skirt: same sale, shoes: Aldo, pendant: F-ck You Barbie, double-stranded choker: self-made, purse: Hayden-Harnett for Target, headband: Accessorize

Blue and gold reminds me of my elementary school, because those were our school colors. I remember being very sad when I realized that gold actually meant "bright yellow." I would have liked to break out the bling on school spirit days!

Then again, I've always been very literal when it comes to dressing up. Our middle school had school spirit weeks. Each day had a different theme; home rooms earned points based on how many students showed up in whatever the costume of the day was. I remember Eighties Day, Backwards Day and Pajama Day. On the latter, I came to school wearing my PJs, which were made out of a soft white jersey and had little pastel flowers on them. They looked like baggy long underwear. It wasn't until I saw my classmates parading around in crisp satin sets from Victoria's Secret and brand-new bunny slippers that I realized there was (is?) an unspoken rule among the student body that you don't wear your actual pajamas to Pajama Day. Whoops! I got funny looks, but then again I always got funny looks, so I didn't care.

I've had this skirt for a little while now. My Mom bought it for me at a BCBG sale when I was in California planning my wedding last year. It also came in navy blue and I debated for a bit until my Mom said I should pick the yellow because I already owned enough clothing in depressing hues. I agreed, but then had a hard time figuring out how to style the skirt until I picked up this structured hoodie. Yes, the jacket is navy blue, but I really like this color combo. When my yellow skirt was hanging unworn in my closet, I regretted not choosing the navy blue, but now I'm glad I have such a cheerful-looking item greeting me every time I get dressed.

To make my outfit a little less preppy (not that there is anything wrong with preppy), I added my anatomically-correct heart pendant from a Taipei-based indie design team called F-ck You Barbie. They also made my beloved brain pendant. The weather's been awful recently in Taipei -- gray, wet and chilly. The lack of sun has made me feel both blue and mentally foggy. Maybe I should wear both my pendants together for good luck. Goodness knows, my brain and heart could use some extra help right now!

What I'm Sproutin': Memento Mori of the Heart

Skirt and coat: Modcloth, tights and scarf: night market, boots: Breeze Center (微風廣場), bag: Booday (蘑菇)

The weather in Taipei decided to turn rainy and chilly -- just in time for Lunar New Year (AKA Chinese New Year) vacation! Woo-hoo! I shouldn't complain too much, though. Today was the start of the lunar new year in addition to Valentine's Day. There were a couple hours of sun this afternoon and I took advantage of it to go jogging. I worked on a needle-felted miniature sculpture of my cat after I went home (yes, I'm crazy). Ron and I then had a Valentine's Day/New Year dinner incorporating pretty much everything I fantasize about eating but try to stay away from -- red wine, red meat, chocolate ice cream, sponge cake. Heh heh. Double holidays should happen more often.

The point of this outfit post is to show off my Heart coat from Modcloth. This is probably the last Modcloth order I will be making from Taiwan. I love their stuff and their shipping rates are actually quite reasonable if you use their international coupon code (inter75), but I got hit with a doozy of a customs charge. I ordered this coat because my bodice measurements are considered pneumatic by Taiwan standards and I wanted something roomy enough to stuff tons of layers underneath. I had an oversized cardigan, long-sleeved thick jersey shirt and gathered skirt underneath this and still felt comfy. In fact, I should have sized down because the coat's measurements are actually a bit roomier than what the Modcloth site stated.

To keep this coat from being too twee (I swear, I saw a toddler wearing an exact replica of it, but in red... and obviously much smaller), I paired it with my weird face tights and creepy Louis Vuitton pastiche scarf. I love how there are skulls in place of the L's and V's.

''

The tights are 180 denier and very comfortable. They are by a Japanese brand called Tutuanna. I think you can find them in most night markets -- the packaging is brown. My scarf is also from a night market. I bought it last last year because it was so cool looking I couldn't resist (and I needed a scarf). At first I was worried it was a LV knock-off, but I haven't been able to find any results when I do a search for "LV skull print." I like to think it's a sardonic comment on the cult of luxury goods and the LVMH empire.

Happy Valentine's Day and a Happy New Year for those of you who celebrate the Lunar New Year (or as I've taken to calling it because of the insane number of fireworks that went off in our neighborhood this year, Loony New Year)!

What I'm Sproutin': Stop Starin' Screwball

Dress: Stop Staring, cardigan: American Apparel, gloves: dollar store, shawl: night market, fascinator: Giant Dwarf, tights: Urban Outfitters, shoes: Green Pine (興傑鞋)

I've wanted a Stop Staring dress for the longest time and last year I finally realized this particular consumerist desire. Only once I got my hands on the dress, I had no idea what to do with it! When the site says that the bengaline fabric really clings to your figure, they aren't kidding! Excellent for attention-grabbing, but what to do when you don't want to grab that much attention?

So I dressed my dress down with an oversized unisex cardigan, a very shaggy lace shawl (I only noticed the loose threads after my husband took these photos, but I think they add a nice touch) from the night market and a pair of fingerless gray gloves I got from a dollar store. And then I dressed it up again with fishnets and a Giant Dwarf floral fascinator. I like to think that the end result is: screwball comedy heroine realizes that her Rolls-Royce Phantom is on the outs and has to get down on her knees and fix the damn thing herself because her driver/mechanic knocked himself out on moonshine the previous night.

I adore my Stop Staring dress, but I think I'll continue styling it this way unless I'm going out to a party. I like how the cardigan allows me to show off the little details about the dress that I love, like its contrasting kick pleats and Art Deco-ish collar.

I hope everyone is having a nice Monday!

What I'm Sproutin': Bavarian Barney

Vintage dirndl: eBay, jersey top: Target, cardigan: H&M, vintage wooden heart pendant: Shida night market (師大夜市), shoes: Sogo Zhongxiao (Sogo 忠孝), tights: I have no idea, headband: Forever 21

This dirndl is one of my favorite dresses -- and the best thing about it (besides all the flaming purple) is that it came to me though eBay serendipity. The woman selling it had photographed it backwards on a dress form, so it looked like a plain sleeveless dress with embroidery around the bottom. When I saw the thumbnail, however, I was like "hey, that 'sleeveless cocktail dress' looks just like the back of a dirndl!" Apparently, the seller thought it was supposed to be worn with all the embroidery accentuating the back. I guess that's one way to remix the it!

The rest of my outfit is plain black, as I wanted to put the emphasis on the purple-ness, but I do like my vintage wooden heart necklace and my bandeau-style plastic headband. I forgot to take a close-up, but it has a airy, lace-like pattern on it. People often comment on it when I have it on. I've had some nice conversations with strangers in New York City and Taipei because of this headband. I guess that's one way to get to know people when you're new somewhere -- wear a statement accessory.

What I've Bean Sproutin': Feeling Dotty. A Bit Squirrely, Too.

Cardigan: H&M, top: Cartoon House (卡通工房), skirt: Modcloth, tights: the depths of my tights box, boots: Sogo Fuxing, headband: Shida night market, necklace: Haoshi

This has got to be one of the weirdest photos of me ever taken! I totally don't look like myself! I think that's what having a combination of pale skin and small features does to you -- gray light totally washes you out! Boo. Anyway, my outfit here is yet another attempt to mix up prints, only in this case there were two things with polka dots, so I guess that doesn't really count as mixing. I do like how the size of the dots and the spacing differ, however!

I've realized that I can mix a lot of black/white/red/gray outfits with the stuff in my closet. I don't know why. I like red, but it's not my favorite color. I do, however, own a lot of black clothing. Maybe buying more and more red stuff is my subconscious way of brightening up my dreary wardrobe. I used to wear all black, until one day I realized I bored myself to death every time I looked in a mirror. Also, it drives me crazy when two black items of clothing don't match EXACTLY. I'm kind of weird that way. I do, however, still buy a lot of gray clothing, or gray and black pieces with interesting patterns, details or shapes, like this skirt.

My squirrel pendant is from a Taiwanese indie design team called Haoshi. Their Web site is in English and Chinese and has the cutest little back stories for their resin animal pendants. The one for the squirrel is: "I move in the forest. Every direction or signature, they all lead me to hope." I love that! I think it's a good mantra for life. I've made some major decisions in the past few years (well, all twentysomethings do, I guess), including moving to a new country and getting married. Not all of them were easy choices (well, getting married was a pretty easy choice, especially since there was a huge chocolate toffee cake involved, heh heh), but all have indeed led me to hope.

12.2.2009 The Dyes of Our Lives

Dress: Oasis, cardigan: Thakoon for Target, tights: H&M, necklace: H&M, scarf: Muji, shoes: Sogo Zhongxiao

Fashion for me is all about safety nets: my trusty black cardigan, my go-with-everything cream pumps, my beloved wood grain headbands. I haven't tried out a lot of trends, including mixed prints, because they stray too far from my beaten path. Part of it is insecurity; part of it is sheer confusion. How the heck do you mix prints???

For my first attempt, I made sure my two main pieces were in a similar color family, and that one print was larger than the other so the two fabrics didn't blend together. I then "weighed" everything down with a gray scarf, black leggings and basic black pumps. I think this outfit was successful because I felt comfortable in it and not at all self-conscious.

My necklace and leggings are both by H&M. One of the interesting things about living in Taiwan is seeing H&M items marketed as luxuries. There are H&M's in Hong Kong and China, but none in this country. Importers bring items over and sell them in boutiques or pop-up stores for hugely inflated prices (I saw a flimsy cotton madras blouse selling for the equivalent of US$75).

I'm trying to figure out what dyeing techniques the prints on my dress and cardigan are trying to mimic. My best guess is that the dress is supposed to look like ikkat, or some other form of resist dyeing. I love my Thakoon for Target cardigan -- I thought it was hideous when I first saw it, but the funny sand dollar-ish pattern grew on me and I knew I couldn't return to Taipei from California without it. Have you ever had that experience with clothing -- something looks so unattractive at first sight that you end up becoming totally obsessed with it?

By the way, please remember to vote for my blog about life in Taiwan, Shu Flies (舒飛), once every 24 hours in the Taiwan Best Blog Awards if you are so inclined. Thank you!

Tough as lace

I've had Sabrina of Fox and Clover as one of my favorite Etsy sellers for a while, and I can't wait to get my hands on one of her gorgeous necklaces. All of her designs are hand-painted onto glass with glass enamels and don't scratch. I think they look amazing -- so intricate and delicate. At first I thought they were actual pieces of lace that had been sandwiched between acrylic. I can't decide which one I like best.




To keep up with Sabrina's latest designs, including her gorgeous Chinoiserie Sauvage dishware line, check out her blog.

11.9.2009 Back to the Fifties, via the Eighties

Vintage dress: Beacon's Closet, cardigan: Modcloth, shoes: Sogo, necklace: self-made

Judging by the label, fabric and elasticized waist, I think that this dress, which I purchased in Brooklyn five years ago (!!!), was made in the 1980s. But I think its circle skirt, v-neck and print all look a bit mid-century.

Ron and I were walking to lunch on Yongkang St. (a really cool neighborhood in Taipei) a couple weeks ago when we decided to take a detour through some alleys because of construction on the main road. We discovered this little corner and even though the sign just says "garage door, please do not park here," I still think it's one of the prettiest no parking signs I've ever seen. The hand-lettering is especially neat and I like the red paint. Somebody put love in that sign! (Or maybe they really don't want people to park there).

I made my necklace a while ago from goldstone, a very glittery manmade stone. I love it -- the little sparkles remind me of stars floating in the universe... and so each bead is a tiny galaxy, kind of like the end of "Men in Black" (or maybe "Monty Python and the Meaning of Life”).

I just watched the season 3 finale of "Mad Men" STOP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED!!! I don't understand why some critics think Betty won't be able to remain relevant to the plot line if she does indeed divorce Don and marry Henry. I think she is an interesting enough character in her own right, even if she less pleasant and easy to empathize with than the other leading characters. If she marries Henry, she's still marrying into a relationship where she might feel like her potential is being unrealized and she is being infantilized (remember Henry's remark about supporting her and her kids completely?). I doubt the writers would let Betty, whose inner life has been at the forefront of season 3, marry a much older man she barely knows and leave it at that. At the same time, the Francis marriage won't have the same kind of baggage as the Draper marriage, so Betty can start reading "The Feminine Mystique" and participating in the feminist movement (which I think the series is priming her to do) without getting waylaid by finding out her husband is actually some guy who was killed in the Korean War.

I hope everyone is having a stellar Monday!

11.4.2009 Why so ombre?

Dress: Vintage clothing stall in Shida night market, fascinator: Giant Dwarf, cardigan: Banana Republic, boots: Sogo department store, long pen necklace: 1928 vintage reproduction, shorter necklace: Eric at Booday (蘑菇)

Today I went to interview the owner of Taipei's largest secondhand and antique store (it bills itself as an indoor flea market), so I figured I'd wear some of my own vintage things to fit in. My dress is from a tiny vintage clothing stall in Shida night market (my favorite night market... it's in an area that caters to university students, so it has a lot of cool things). The stall sells mostly t-shirts, but they also have a few dresses imported from the US. I love how the print on this one looks like an ombre wash from far away.

My lovely necklace is by Eric, the same artist who made my lion necklace a few entries back. I wish I had a better picture of this piece. He made it with a couple different types of gold-tone chain and glass pebbles, in addition to the stork charm. One of the things that I love about Eric's work is that he combines vintage US celluloid charms with a modern Taiwanese aesthetic, so I feel like his necklaces represent two things I love pretty well!

I adore my Giant Dwarf fascinator! I have three others, in green, red and yellow tones.

To reiterate, I adore the print on this dress! I had a picture without the cardigan, but I looked really psychotic in it (seriously), so I think I'll save a full-length shot of the dress for another entry.

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday!