another day like today

Thursday, September 04, 2008|| never too many

When it comes to department stores, Matahari is what some might consider 'second-rate', when compared to the likes of Debenhams, Sogo or Metro. I myself weren't a frequent customer until I moved to Bandung, it being the closest department store available ( hail BIP! ). Recently I found their shoe collection rather pleasing, with an extensive range of models and at a fraction of the average department store prices too.

A couple of months back I accidentally found my trusty deck/moccasin shoe. Another couple of months back, I found my trusty formal black shoe, reminiscent of some old collection from Charles and Keith. Then a couple of hours back, while I was initially looking for a decent pair of sandals to replace my old rubber flip-flops, I found my new baby. The Topshop look-alike flowery t-bar, at 1/4 the Topshop price. And quite comfy too.

Thank God for Matahari and designer rip-offs.

Today I went to the flea market. I wasn't being my usual flea-market-enthusiastic-hunter self for no particular reason, I just wasn't feeling it or something. On normal days, I would scour each stall with dedicated dilligence, inspecting each and every item on the rack. But today, I was practically skimming. And I always tell myself, skimming is for brand retail, not flea markets! In the end I only scored 4 skirts, 3 blouses, 1 sweater and 1 dress. *sigh

These two makes answering unwanted phone calls just a fraction more bearable.

Look what came in the mail today:

I voted in an online poll held by cocomomo and was lucky enough to be chosen to receive this free gift!

This cowgirl-y tote bag (or Ranch Tote, officially) was initially a made-by-order item, and it comes in either pink or yellow trimming. When I found out that I'd won, I secretly hoped to get the pink version instead of the yellow one, so this is quite a dream come true, haha.

PS : Cocomomo is a local handmade craft line, specializing in bags and all things cute. Check out the website please, it's quite a feast for the eye :) They're on Etsy too.

Around this time next month, I would be in Bali for my summer internship. The office is located near Kuta beach, probably the most popular and thus most crowded beach in Bali. It's basically a pseudo-holiday, and even now, I'm more busy preparing what outfits to bring, and which places to go, rather than brushing up on my 3d max skills.

T-shirts are obvious. Also dresses and shorts. Some long-sleeved light tunic, in order to avoid sunburn which will result in uneven skin tone (sheeesh). Sandals and skimmers. I don't plan in packing too many clothes though, I'm making room for new purchases :)

All this talk is making me more and more excited!

Dreamland beach photograph from here

I don't usually care about designer handbags (or designer anything, for that matter), but I want this, in that delicious nude pink color (or grey or tan), and I would wear it with anything anywhere.

photo from weloveshopping.com

It's been quite hot and humid here that even a thin cardigan feels a bit stuffy after a while. The weather calls for light and airy garments, and loose enough to allow a breeze through.

Coincidentally, I stumbled upon a rather charming Japan-based online shop website (so charming that it made me want to fly to Japan and live in their store), whose collections are pretty much the answer to this climate challenge.

- Long sleeves are always welcome! They protect the skin from direct sunlight.

Or I can always visit the local flea market, because on some days pretty white blouses could be the easiest thing to find; there's so many of them! The one I wore today is one of them, thrifted a while back. Here is a more detailed shot:

I remember my certain excitement about entering university, was because I wouldn't have to wear backpacks anymore. I remember my sixteen year old self, seeing college girls with cute little handbags, clutching their textbooks to their chest. My backpack seemed so revolting, dirty and ugly, compared to their sophisticated leather hold-all. I couldn't wait to be one of them, and to bid farewell to my old backpack.

Anyway, I took a major in architecture, and our first class in college was spent doing outdoor sketches. We were told to prepare a size A3 sketch book, a pack of pencils and drawing equipments (all of them fit into a medium-sized toolbox), a hefty handbook on sketching / rendering, and other necessities (hat, to prevent heat stroke, and a litre bottle of water to prevent dehydration). Future assignments also require us to bring so many stuff (wooden blocks, watercolor, pencil color, clay, cast, thick hardcover architecture books, cardboard boxes, etc) that using a shoulder bag to carry it all is a torment.

So I stocked up on Jansports and Eastpaks from the local flea market; and along with a number of giant sized tote bags, they've proven to be my most handiest companion in my college life.

Oh, but I wish I had one of these back then:

The batik storm has finally, gradually, subsided. For the last couple of months, they were everywhere. On everyone. In every color, shape and size. In a way, it's good that at last, we show some respect to our country's heritage, but in another, it merely became a wave of trend, which, as I mentioned above, has slowly subsided (replaced by florals, ha).

I too was almost swept by the wave, but remembering my aunts and grandmas' extensive collection of batik garments, though better not to add to the pile.

Except for one, because it's patchwork, which most certainly wouldn't be found in my aunts and grandmas' lot..

I have reached a certain age where 'dressing up' can be taken into a whole different level. I'm 21. Or as Mrs Spears lamented, not a girl not yet a woman. There are many things I am ready to progress into, and yet there are also many things that prevented me of doing so.

The shoes, for example. I have nothing against heels. I like the miraculous effect they do to my legs, and of course the added height is welcome too. I don't think my bones would snap as long as I don't wear them every day, and as long as the heels are not pencil thin. I do have a couple of pairs of them to wear to weddings and other formal occasions, but now I'm talking about everyday heels. Frankly, I've grown tired of flats. From converse, to skimmers, to ballerinas, I've loved them and now I'm ready to move on. And speaking of comfort, those flats aren't winners anyway, and some of them give my feet the nastiest blisters. So on my last window shopping trip, I tried these on:

They're the perfect height, not too tall, but tall enough to make me rejoice silently at the sight of my legs. The thick wooden heels are casual, unassuming, not too obnoxious, and I could just imagine myself wearing these with whatever length of pants, skirts, what have you.. In other words, it's the ideal first heel.

What kept me from taking these to the cashier, aside from the thinning balance in my bank account, are:

The annoying stares I would most certainly get. Where I live, unless you are 25 and working in a bank, everyone wears flats. I might exaggerate it a bit, but.. no. It's true.
The sheer impracticality of wearing these, what with getting on and off public transportations (it's not metros and subways), tripping on cracked cement, uneven paving blocks, scattered trashes..
What my boyfriend would think; or, what I fear I would look like next to him. He wears jeans, t-shirts and sneakers, and a backpack. I'd look like his older sister. Or worse, his mom.

Really, in the meantime, Elinkan wears 12 centimeter heels to school (school!) and not look ridiculous.

Some other ideal candidates (Chie Mihara, Nine West and Topshop):

This is long overdue.