Favorite Find: Quilted Shoulder Bag

We all love the classic quilted bag made popular by Chanel (and the hollywood stars of course!). BTW, Paris Hilton days ago was just spotted leaving a club carrying a shinier, metallic version of quilted shoulder bag.



But truth is very few of us can really afford a pricy designer bag.



This buttery soft pale/muave pink quilted shoulder bag looks every bit as gorgeous, and at $110 does not break my bank. It's made of 100 percent leather. The color is a very pale pink, almost ivory - just perfect - because the shade matches with any color of clothing.



It's my most recent fab find that I thought I'd share. Tell us your favorite find by leaving a comment.

The Hat For Summer 08

Hats are all the rage this summer. More specifically, straw hats are all the rage. The aim to look chilled-out-rock chic or festival chic. The nice thing about this S/S08 trend is that on the runway, any style of straw hats will do, whether the hat is the smaller fedora style, or larger floppy style. And most importantly, hats are so useful for the summer days out. Actually on any given day, I'd prefer not to have to wear a hat (-hat hair!) but since I've been travelling a bit, I really wanted something to protect my skin from the sun. Thus my sudden interest in the hat trend.

The most practical hat for shading my face from the sun would be one of these huge floppy hats. And I figure I would feel less idiotic wearing one this summer since it was on the runway and hey, even Blair wore it in Gossip Girl (-bad logic, I know.) But since it's not really possible for me to fit such a large, irregular shape into my suitcase, I decided against it.

The shape I wanted was one like the one Rachel Bilson was wearing. It looks so cool on her!

It looks a lot like this fedora from Urban Outfitters. Unfortunately, it seems to be only available in the US.

I tried on a similar one to the one Kristen Dunst is wearing in the photo from Top Shop, butI thought it looked way too much like a cowboy hat. I wanted to look festival chic, not like I thought Halloween had come early. Plus the sides were so short it didn't seem like it would actually shade my face from the sun.

So I ended up settling for this hat -it's part practical and part festival chic. And it fits perfectly into my suitcase. I've been really loving it on my holidays!

I also debated between straw colour and black. I thought black was even more versatile than straw colour. But in the end, I decided to get into the spirit of travelling and the current trend and opted for a straw-coloured one. (The straw-coloured hats must have been much more popular than the black ones because the Top Shop I went to only had one straw-coloured hat left, whereas there were still many black ones.)

Anyone else been having fun with this trend this summer?

Image Credits: http://justjared.buzznet.com, www.topshop.com, www.urbanoutfitters.com

Trend: T - Shirt Dress

A ganguro fashionista's closet isn't complete without a T-shirt dress.



A plain, simple T-shirt dress speaks volume if paired with the right accessories, such as what Kate, Rachel, and Mischa did with theirs! T-shirt dress is easy-to- throw-on, comfortable, and best of all it goes oh so well with your gladiator sandals.




Flag-inspired graphic tunic/T-shirt dress is a must this season.



And this 3/4 sleeve T-shirt dress has an asymmetrical hemline that is very figure flattering.

Ganguro Spotlight: Lace T-shirt

Rarely a tunic T could catch my attention like this one! High quality cotton lilac crew neck T. It has printed graphics on that made it look like a lace cami is layered over the T. The supposedly cami straps are made of black ribbons, as is the bow at the center front. The bottom add-on is true lace. Short shorts or a mini skirt paired with this tunic T would be gorgeous and would really make this fun T pop!



On Sale now at Desperate for Fashion

Cardigans II: The Long Ones

Beyond the classic cardigans, I am also obsessed with long cardigans. They give off that effortlessly chic look that is just so...well, chic.
The beauty of it is that the long cardigan look really IS effortless and easy to achieve. Take a plain long cardigan, like these two from UO (left) and American Apparel (right), and pair it with a tank top (black/white or more interestingly- contrasting colored!), skinny jeans (or shorts) and flats (or heels!) and you are good to go! And because the look is so plain and simple, it is also the perfect canvas to accessorize with. Throw on a sharp colored headband, a bold colored scarf, a funky long necklace, crazy earrings, chunky bangles or a fabulous bag for a touch of fun. If you are too lazy to even do that (like me!), then you are in luck. The long cardigan trend has been around long enough to evolve with sharp, geometric prints, contrasting colors and bold details like big gold buttons that it can be worn just as it is, sans accessories, and still look fabulous and fun. I am loving these two refreshingly colored cardigans from Marc by Marc Jacobs. The bold contrasting blue colors with the geometric prints and the gold lining (left) gives the cardigan an old fashioned yet retro look that is both refreshing and stylish. And I just LOVE the dark blue sleeves with the line of gold buttons on that pale yellow cardigan. That little details gives the otherwise ordinary yellow cardigan that extra something that makes it special. For more washable options, there are these classic cardigans with bold contrasting colors from American Apparel. This is the perfect way to add some color to your summer wardrobe!
For something a bit more subtle that may even last you through fall, try these cardigans with details and trimmings from Vince (left) and Urban Outfitters (right). They are far from "mumsie"- just remember not to pair them with bermuda shorts like that model above (left), it should be paired with something either really long or really short!

Image Source: American Apparel, UO and Saks

Cardigans I: The Classics

A few years ago, if you showed me a classic cardigan like these two below from J Crew, I would probably grimace and claim that it was too old for me.
Now that I've reached legality worldwide though, I can't seem to get enough of it. I've already bought this J Crew cardigan in both colors shown above. I've even raided my mom's wardrobe for cardigans and found some gems like classic Vivienne Westwood and Ralph Lauren twin sets in a navy, gray and pink. They are the best staple a girl can have. It can be by itself with black pants, for a casual office look, Or with jeans for a casual but put together look. It can be worn over something pretty but sheer or summer dresses, to keep the chill away.
And it can paired with printed tees (like the ones above from UO- I LOVE these two printed shirts, one of the few things from UO over the years that I absolutely adore) or bold colored tanks for a fun combo. I personally love these two last ideas, it is put together, sophisticated but still casual and fun. And here's a quick tip: pair the blue printed tee (above) with the white cardigan and the red printed tee with the cobalt blue cardigan.The printed tees by itself may possibly be misconstrued as waitress-like (seriously, I tried mine on and that's what my cousin told me I reminded her of). But in combination with the contrasting colored cardigans that doesn't take away from the design, it is the perfect mix and match combo.

I'm so glad I rediscovered these gems that I'd previously discarded!

Image Source: J Crew and UO

Fashion magazine and some iced bubble tea!

Nothing beats reading a good fashion magazine and sipping a tall glass of iced bubble tea! For fashion tips and inspirations, I sometimes turn to the many Japanese imported fashion magazines popularly sold on newstands and bookstores here in Taiwan. "Lucky" remains my favorite American fashion magazine though. What's your favorite fashion magazine?