Rocking Out The Hijab Turban Style? You Dare?

As of until now, I've been a mere observer of the turban-style, unsure of what to do about it. I think it's pretty, but you have to wear it just right, and the tolerance range of mistakes is very thin. So there is a huge chance it'll end up looking comical and you'll look like you are heading to a dress-up party.

Couple of posts ago, Karla from Karla's Closet rocked the turban and I was like, this could actually look elegant. Maybe that's not based on facts because let's face it, the girl's gorgeous and everything she touches turn into style gold. But ever since, I've been wanting to experiment with the style, without looking OTT.

So yesterday, Tash and I went for a stroll in the city (more like Primark) and she bought a snood to experiment with the style. Hah ada geng pulak. Terus lah malam tu jugak try lilit turban ni. Thanks to si Yuna comel for the very helpful tutorial. It took us countless replays to understand what she was doing, it's pretty tricky! Tapi once you get the hang of it it's pretty simple.

My concerns of it are 1) if it would be uncomfortably hot wearing a turtle-neck/extra shawl to lilit around the neck/inner scarf that would cover the neck area on a typical summer day, 2) if the form would actually stay put on your head. Well, I guess, the only way to find out is to put it to test.

I was almost sure that Encik won't approve the style although that has never stopped me from wearing what I feel like wearing before. Turns out, this one he thinks is cool! You rock lah, Encik.

Tak dak gambar dengan Tasha pulak. Terlupa tangkap semalam. Print turban Tasha cantik. So saya berpoyo-poyo seorang diri di sini dulu.

Back to School Look

Gosh this blog is just a waste of virtual space. Haven't updated in ages. It's not like I have stopped doing any shopping or anything paper-craft-related or sewing for the last couple of months. The sewing part, that might be true. Though I've completed my first sewing project I wrote about in the previous post, my mom demanded that I post it to her right away and I did without having the chance to snap a few pictures of it first.

On shopping. Well, of course I've been shopping. Have you guys been breathing? Hehe. I've been having fun experimenting with a few new styles too and it's too bad I haven't posted any of them here. Not that any of you (most of which are imaginary readers, you know, like how kids have imaginary friends) care. It's just that I've promised myself at the start of the year to document what I wear. And it's June already.

Oh well. Let's see it as a glass half-full : There's another 6 months left of this year.

Problem is, my camera's pretty crappy and there's no photographer (well there is my housemate but I'm too shy to pose for her *gedik*) around who is willing to layan me and plus, I get super awkward for that kind of photoshoot anyway that will end up in cringe-worthy pictures. Not worth it. Haha.

Thank God for the internet. You'll find anything your heart desires. Even a virtual wardrobe which you can experiment with like Polyvore.

It's been raining non-stop and I was stuck wearing boring clothes for the past week: jeans, T-shirt, sweater. Yesterday, I decided to dump the routine and don a maxi skirt instead, lo and behold, I noticed my mood considerably improved a notch and being stuck in the lab didn't seem too depressing after all. So, yeah, I intend to go with the flow and dress up a bit after this, even if I have to start working with pig manure pretty soon.

Nerdy Chic by xaramore87

I actually have the exact same skirt ;). Unfortunately that's the only actual item I can find in the database. I have this white shirt that I rarely wear, because it's quite loose and being white, I was afraid that it would add bulk to the torso area but for this look, that white shirt is perfect. I would probably just button the middle part of the shirt, to bring a more casual vibe. Since everything else is low key, I think I'll go with a red scarf. And as for the bag, mine is quite similar, minus the cow's skull of course.

So there you go, my first Polyvore. We'll see if this sticks.

Shopping Haul

As of late it is so hard to resist the temptation of shopping.

First there' s Primark. Where you could get impossibly cheap quality stuff, especially handbags and accessories at such a bargain.

Then there's the endless sale at H&M.

Not to forget awesome online website shopping that offers quality stuff at crazy cheap price and if that isn't enough, there's free shipping to boot!

It has turned me into a savvy shopper (at least, I like to believe that), into a cheapskate even.

Nowadays, show me anything bearing the price tag of over 20 Euros, I'd dismiss it as expensive. If the temptation is high, I would contemplate on buying it, but normally I would walk out the store, or close the website's window, and sleep on it for a couple of days, going back and forth through all the necessary train of thoughts, whether I really want it, whether it really suits me, whether I would actually wear it, how many outfit can I get out of that single item, before finally deciding if it was a good investment or not. See, such a good shopper I've become. Hehe.

Let's talk about the free shipping. Oh man, it's crazy. Anyone familiar with the dilemma of online shopping would know that that could lead to a potential disaster just for the sake of saving a few bucks on shipping cost; most of the time, only the first item is the actual bargain, and we should have stopped there.

Now if I really like an item at Asos, I don't have to wait and watch out for other item just so I could ship them all together and save on shipping. Select the right color and size, toss it into the cyber shopping basket, and click pay. Walla. In about a week or so, it'll arrive at your door. If you are not sure of the size that you should take, because sometimes it depends on the style of the cloth itself and its fitting on your body shape, then you can just buy it in two sizes. When it arrives, you'll have the luxury of trying both sizes at the comfort of your own room, where you can pair it with the right shoes, scarf, handbag and even accessoires. Then you can decide which size fits you best. The one that doesn't, wrap it back up, and drop at the nearest post office. Because the cost for returning it is already inclusive in the free shipping. Asos will credit your return item back into your credit card. As simple as that. How cool is that?

And then after a few days of pondering about the other item that you wanted the other day but wasn't sure, and now deciding that it's worth it after all, well no worries, just click buy because hey, the shipping's free, you can have Asos send you ten different stuff in ten different packages! Of course, there's the environmental issue here that you have to bear in mind....

Suffice to say, I've shopped quite a lot lately. Without busting my bank's account.

Let's see the latest additions in my wardrobe in the last two months at a little of over 50 Euros. ;)

I got this ruffled top in black instead because this shade of purple is unflattering for me I guess. This one is at 15 Euros (14,93 to be exact).

This is a longer version of the previous top but with the ruffles at the back so it'll pretty much look as if you have grown a pair of wings, ruffly chiffon wings which I thought was kinda cool! This is at 15 Euros too (=14,69).

This cute babydoll top is still on its way. A latest addition to my lace collection (I have two pairs of them so far in my closet which will make this one the third). I think I'd pair it with a bright-colored long sleeve shirt on the inside, say fiery red or something. This is slightly pricey than the first two, at 15,74 Euros.

This one is my favourite! Bought it in two sizes as dresses like this can be tricky at the hips, for me, at least. It was a good call, to order two sizes. Because my butt would have a problem squeezing into the normal size I'm used to wearing. And oh, one more thing I've realized when shopping at Asos. Always take a size bigger than you would normally wear. Seems like it is made slightly smaller than usual. Or is it because I've gotten fatter? Nahhh (in denial state). I like everything about the dress, the material, the cut, the animal print design that isn't too in-your-face. Bringing it to Spain. Hopefully the weather will be warm enough for me to pair it with a gladiator sandal. Yes, I'm taking the chance of wasting the space in my small suitcase by bringing a pair of sandal. This dress is at 15,74 Euros.

For footwear, thanks to Tasha, I've came to know the existence of this super awesome website Nelly.com. The sandals, wedges and heels are to die for. Can die even more looking at the price tag. Gila murah weh! And the quality, my goodness, better than those at H&M. It comes in a sleek black box, and each pair of your shoes is lovingly wrapped in a glamorous black dust bag. Each pair of them! I'm hooked. I'd put a picture of its boxes someday. Even though this one above is slightly higher than the height I'm used to wearing, but man, it's comfy. This one is at, guess what, 12,90 Euros. But ya la, you have to bear the shipping cost of an extra 4,90 Euros. Still a bargain overall to me.

Spring should have been here in full blast by now. Sigh.

Midnight Blues

Went out today to check out the vintage shop in Buer. Decided to do a quick snapping of photos in our backyard, even though the weather was quite unforgiving today; it dropped to -1 Celcius after grazing us with sunlight at a mild temperature of 6-10 Celcius for the past days.

But, we brazed the bitter cold anyhow.

Enough blabbing, so here's the pictures.

Baby blue long T-shirt worn as inner : ONLY

Lacey dark blue cropped top : H&M

Jeans : MNG

Scarf : Jalan TAR

Black boots : Deichman

Red boho bag : Vintage shop, somewhere in Brussels

With Tasha~

After some vanity moments in the garden, off we go to the vintage shop. Of course, I bought something. An authentic suede strap belt in red at a price I can't say no to.

I think it works well with the outfit I was wearing, thus requiring another quick photo snapping session once I got back home, before calling it a day and changing into my PJs.

Wishing you guys a great weekend!

Big Fat Head of Mine

I found out something today.

I normally wear Euro size 34, equivalent to size XS. Mind you, I'm not that tall and not petite or thin either, just average; with the tendency gain weight easily whenever I spend two months of summer holiday in Malaysia, thanks to heavenly easily available all-round-the-clock food.

But the sizes here are slightly bigger than what I am used to in Malaysia; it deceived me into thinking that I am smaller when in all actuality, I am not.

Whenever I shop here, I always gun for size 34 or XS (although maybe going for a size bigger won't be too bad ehem ehem in denial here). So it's only natural that when I found out this pretty red hat on sale, I instinctively reached for a size S, the smallest size available.

It didn't fit.

My head felt constricted. I would have passed out in a matter of hour due to insufficient oxygen to the brain if I stayed in that hat. Ok, maybe it was because I was wearing the layered selendang. So I searched for an M. Still too tight!

It wasn't as if I was wearing a thick pashmina shawl pon. Just a normal selendang. Layered twice. That's it. So yeah, it's official : I HAVE A BIG FAT HEAD. A size L head. It reasserted the suspicion that I had before that my head is actually not proportional to my body. My 'evil' good friend, Nani, was maybe right after all, that I have a big head. Deal with it.

Hat : H&M

I've been looking for a hat to wear on my first ever Euro Trip vacation next month and when I first laid eye on this striking red hat, I knew this is IT. Plus, it is on sale summore. Hehe. Wearing this puts me in the vacation mode already!

Bought a necklace with a cute little Eiffel Tower pendant at Primark. They have the cutest accessories at the most affordable prize ever, it's so hard hard to walk away without a single thing, like a 1.50 Euro necklace.

My entire collection of necklaces are collected from Primark over the course of the last two months. -.-''

Spring Teasing

Been delaying about starting an outfit blog. Not a fashion blog. Because I don't consider myself fashionable enough compared to the other fashion bloggers out there. Including those very chic hijabis who make playing dressing up with scarves and looking chic at the same time seem so effortless.

Then I came to my senses in which I see that there's absolutely no point in trying to keep of with other people's fashion senses. Or maybe, I found another reason to counteract my reasoning which stem from my fashion insecurity.

Reason numero uno : There's no fashion police waiting to judge what I wear everywhere I go even to run errands at the grocery store. I ain't Britney Spears y'all.

Reason number two : I love dressing up! The smell of my closet opening up before me, each individual pieces presenting the potential of a perfect new ensemble when combined with specific other items. Ahh... I love that part.

Reason number three : I've came to realize that as of late, I'm more confident to experiment with different styles and looks. Keeping an outfit blog will be a perfect way to sort of document the journey. It'll be fun to look through the blog next year and see what I've worn during the past year.

Reason number four : There's no better time to start something new than the new year, eh? It's not technically so new anymore but..it's only February.. So I'm a month late, big deal..

Reason number five : Eh why so many reasons? ust start already.

So here's the outfit that I wore on the day the sun first shine in this tiny place called Gelsenkirchen after what seem like an eternity of gloomy winter. I was going for the flowery spring look, but decided to tone it down with black and wait for when the spring is really here to go out full force with the prints and bright colors.

Pictures are taken with my humble digicam and some of them with my laptop.

Top : F.O.S

Skirt : Juliet's Closet

(Say whaaat? Really. Hehe. It's from the little business project I had last summer and has been on hiatus ever since I got back to Germany.)

Scarf : Westrags

Necklace : Primark

My gaze looks lost in these pictures because I keep looking at myself in the mirror or at the laptop screen.. I wanted to get the pose and the angle right but I ended up looking like a giant narcissist! I swear I'm not, just a part-time one. Note to self : Next time, look into the camera instead! Oh and my mirror definitely needs some polishing. -.-'

Bedroom Shot

Minimalist background. Opulent furniture. I think this would only work well for a spacious room which receives a maximum amount of natural light daily. Loving it!

Look, Mom, I Sew A Dress! ;)

So after unthinkable trials and tribulations, I can finally let out a sigh of relief and say I've completed my first dress. Ever. And man, I am so proud of it.

It's like giving birth. It doesn't matter if your baby is all wrinkly and red just moments after you've pushed it out of your uterus, once you hold him/her in your arms, you'll think your baby is the most beautiful you have ever seen and perfect as it is.

Okay enough with the epiphany I guess.

The dress is not perfect, of course. There is tons of room for improvement and that's a good thing. I know exactly in which area improvements are called for and hopefully, the lessons I've learnt from my first project will show in my upcoming projects.

Here's some pictures, of course, I strategically accessorize it so the flaws didn't show out so much. See if you can spot the hidden flaws based on the pictures below :

The cameraman said this angle is supposed to make me look taller. I think she's absolutely right, no? =)

If your guess is that the flaw must be around the shoulder part, then give yourself a pat in the back. I'm so glad that the bulky pashmina style is so in right now or else the unrefined-looking shoulder area would stick out like a sore thumb.

Notice the bulgy shoulder area?

So far I am very satisfied with the basic Singer 8280 machine that I bought. It has never given me any headache and is very reliable. So far. But I'm counting on it to last for the next few years. I am also pretty satisfied with the fit of the dress. I need to pay more attention to laying down the patterns according to the grains of the fabric as it does play a big role in the finished look.

For this dress, I installed an invisible zipper at the back. Most of the tutorial that I looked up in the internet kind of intimidated me at first by making it very clear that invisible zippers are evil and a pain to work with. Not such a big area of problem for me though. From experience, I can say that you only need two things : 1) to get the hang of which side of the fabric to attach it to first and 2) to pay attention to sew as far in as possible and you're good to go.

As of fabric choices, I think for the time being I'm going to stay away from knits as the edges keep unraveling at every second that I thought I would run out of fabric before I get to finish the dress. It's a bummer that my machine doesn't include a serger/overlock stitch. I think that function would help a lot. French seams is one way to get that rather finished, polished look but not if you are using knits, because your seams will end up looking bulgy. I fixed this by getting help from a local seamstress to overlock the edges at some parts. For my next 60s dress, I think I'll go with something more stretchable. Seriously, this dress is a pain to get into and to get out of. (-.-'')

Fabric from hell.

During the process I was pretty frustrated that I just couldn't get the dress, especially the shoulder part to look polished, like it was bought not hand-made. At one point, I've even thought of giving up and starting over. Once it hit me that I've set such an impossible bar for me to achieve on first try, everything seems to fall into place. And the slightly crooked shoulder doesn't seem that big of a deal anymore. I'll just fix the crooked shoulder on my next project.

The more important thing is, I've completed a dress that is wearable with my limited skills and knowledge and I've had so much fun whilst at it.

Now I'm all excited to start working on my second project which is an oversized boho-inspired bag. Here's a sneak peak on what's coming :

Colour-combi : Orange + Grey (hmm sounds pretty familiar)

Got the gorgeous buttons from e-bay, 2.50 Euros for 12 pieces.

This book is just awesome. Amy Butler is awesome. The book comes with life-sized pattern for each project.

How the bag is supposed to look like.

Can't wait how's this one going to turn out like!

Perfect LGD (Little Grey Dress)

So I decided to sew.

How did I get myself here again? Long story.

First project, a voodoo bunny doll as pin cushion.

Hi, I'm a love-struck bunny with no tail and longer-than-usual arms.

Yes, it was meant to look butt-ugly by the way.

The first project was pretty smooth sailing. Took me only a whole day from designing to its completion. For a newbie like me, it was like a turbo-confidence-booster. So I thought, what the hell, time to move on to the big league.

I'm going to sew myself a dress. Got myself a pattern that has the label 'Easy' on it. Easy. The designers at the Project Runway created and completed a whole new look in 5 hours, so I figured my first dress will probably take me about 3-4 days to sew. A week, at most.

The label cheated. It was far from easy. Easy for a pro, yes, but not for a beginner. I had to google everything. How do people actually live before google?

Bear in mind, I had no input whatsoever in sewing during my upbringing. My household didn't include a sewing machine, or a sewing mom in that case (sorry mom, I love you no matter what). Adding to that, the book 'Sewing For Dummies' I ordered took 3 frigging weeks to arrive.

Unlike the first time, this time it was a pretty bumpy road with lots of dead ends, requiring lots of U-turns.

It chose this pattern because I love the silhouette. My goal is to make a simple no-fuss A-line dress that fits me to a T. This dress has a 60s mod feel to it, which I love. The fabric that I chose is a knit (first mistake, more on that later). I chose it mainly because of the simplicity of the colour. It also looks very classy. Reminds me of an impeccably done female attorney who commands attention. I've thought of a sexy secretary but that's pretty kinky la pulak.

The dress was supposed to turn out like the picture.

Burda 7598 Pattern

Cutting out the required pieces.

Here's the current state of the dress :

Almost done. Save for the seams finishing. I was pretty excited to try it on, but...this dress makes me look like I have weird lumps in my armpits. I blame it on the french seams I did because I was too lazy to send the fabric for overcasting. The seams look bulky especially at the sleeves because two sets of seams meet there.

I need all the luck that the universe could gather for me to make the dress work. Like Mrs Beckham's.

Will update on the progress soon. Hope there'll be happy news!