NEW IN | the long journey in finding the perfect zipper-in-front boots

I've been obsessed by shoes with a zipper in front ever since I saw a pair at a vintage store in Antwerp a year ago. I regretted not buying it so much, that it kinda became a mission in life to find one. I've encountered a few in the last year, but I never felt 'right' with it. I think the first pair that really peaked my interest the same as the ones at that particular vintage store a year ago, are the ones from Monki the summer collection 2014. At that time, I was a bit unsure because of the price ( I was probably broke), so I thought I waited it out till the sale.. And of course it flew off the shelves quite quickly so it didn't even make it to the sales or me able to buy it. And there's a similar one currently available at Forever21, here, which I've bought online and decided to return it because I didn't like the chunkiness of it and the material was not something I was looking for.

This one tho.. I couldn't resist. I didn't even know Zara was selling them (I usually look at their lookbook) until I was visiting the shop in Amsterdam. It was something I knew I had to buy even though it cost more than I was willing to spend but I had the money and the shoes were there.. I couldn't resist. I bought a size smaller than I usually wear and it fits perfectly. 

What do you think of these boots?

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ootd | a day in Amsterdam

Today was supposedly a productive day where I would work on uni stuff, but as usual I grabbed any chance of procrastination, so when my sister asked if I wanted to come with her and my mom to Amsterdam, which is a 40minutes drive, I couldn't say no..

The weather outside was chilly but the sun managed to peek-a-boo every now and then, unfortunately the rain as well. That's when I decided to buy this fedora at Forever21 to keep my hair a bit dry, which was a real steal! Originally priced 13 euros down to 8euros. Don't know how long this discount will last, so grab one while you can! I'm wearing a comfy sweater which I'm obsessed with lately (I have it in another colour as well) and paired it with some tights and a skort, which you probably don't see clearly in the pictures. Fun fact about me, I don't like to bring a small bag with me when I'm shopping in a crowded city like Amsterdam. Call me paranoid but when I walk through a crowded street, I just assume that at least 55% of the people there are pickpockets. Blame the multiple times I got pick pocketed in the past and the feeling of anxiety and the thought of you bursting in tears in the middle of the street are just things you don't forget easily. By wearing small bags, you gain more risks of being pick pocketed. So this big leather/suede red bag is perfect for shopping in Amsterdam. I bought it in a stand at the WinterFair a while ago and can't seem to remember the name of the shop. I will come back to it when I remember. After doing some digging, I found the shop's name. It's from a Dutch online webshop Jumpings. I'm sorry to announce that they don't do international shipping..

Anyhow, we visited several stores and I bought a few things along the way that I can't wait to show you guys (will post about it in tomorrow's post). On top of it all, I get to eat at my favourite Thai, which made it a perfect ending of the day.

What do you think of my outfit?

hat | Forever 21
cowl sweater | Forever 21
jacket | H&M
skort | Primark
ankle boots | H&M
bag | unknown  Jumpings

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HOW TO | Layering for the winter

December first.. It means that it's officially winter now (for most of us) and what better way to spend your dark and cold days by wearing knits? 

Where I live it's quite hard to predict the weather (although lately it has been really cold). Sometimes it's enough if you just wear a knit and a thin jacket outside and other days it's like you need to wear two jackets. So today we're going to talk about layering, not just layering but layering for the winter.

But how can you add layers to your knit sweaters without looking like a Michelin man?

We start of with a base outfit, that is basically what you would wear if you don't want to catch pneumonia or catch a cold, in the winter (although it really depends on your high tolerance for cold weather). Then the number of layers is decided. Is it a mild winter day? Then a two layered outfit is enough to withstand the cold and run some errands. More layers means the colder the weather.

Click below for more details for each outfit.

ootd | The ZARA skort

H&M jacket, ZARA skort, ZARA white sweater, H&M ankle boots

Now that 2013 is nearly ending, you have to make it count right? So when I saw 'the' Zara skort on sale I knew I had to buy it, because it was probably one of the fashion spring/summer trends of 2013. I don't even really remember who I've seen wearing it first, all I remember is that suddenly every girl wanted that skort. And I must confess I first didn't really wanted to give in but bloggers like SincerelyJules made it hard for me. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, these Zara skorts. That's probably why Zara decided to reintroduce the skort for the fall/winter collection 2013, since it was such a success. I like that instead of making it in a plain fall colour, they added the grey pinstripe model. Perfect for the fall/winter days.

Did you fell for the 'skort' trend? And what is your favourite fashion trend of 2013? Leave it in the comment box! I'd like to hear your opinion.

J.

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Haul | Have a nice H&M winter proof holidays!

When was the last thing you've done something absolutely for yourself? Something you like to do in your spare time. Being an 'Industrial Design' and now also a Retail Design student, I get to do what I like ever since I was a little girl, which is to draw and sketch most of the time. I remember being in primary school that when we were allowed to do something we'd like, I'd always grab my pencil and paper ( Confession: Most of the drawings were 'Pokemon' related, I was obsessed with it ). But it's not the same anymore. I can hardly remember a time where I get to draw just for fun. So when I got out of uni and get to celebrate my winter holiday, I grabbed my tablet pen and played with it for a while. I've never drew with it before so it was nice to be doing something new and that I liked.

Anyway, I combined my drawings with the things I bought on H&M for the winter sale. I can't wait for the package to arrive! I've wanted to try the lace dress ever since I saw it on the Zara autumn/winter lookbook but am afraid that it would look too much as a nightgown.. We'll see about that. And it seems that I can't keep my hands off anything chelsea boot'ish. I probably own too much of similar boots already but this time it's real leather, so I hope it's worth it. The striped shirt would be nice to wear for some casual yet chic (when tucked in) look. The last item is a 'long black blazer' that I think would be handy for the holidays. And I got this ALL on sale! So go on to their site and I hope that you can find many great things like I did.

J.

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Christmas gift tip | Grow a beard

This particular month and time of the year is about giving and receiving gifts. What's better than giving your beloved warmth and the opportunity to look like a 'hipster'? Nothing right? So this 'beanie-beard' (yes, it's what they're really called) is the perfect christmas gift, especially when you're in the colder area of the earth at this time of the year or you can even wear it when you want to hide that zit on your chin. And the best thing is they're unisex. I like to wear mine when I'm biking to uni, which is almost unbearably cold already, to keep my face warm.

You can buy this at "Flying Tiger", which is an awesome shop full of gimmicks and fun stuff. You can check their website here.

Don't you think it's awesome?

J.

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HAUL | 3 girls, 1 Primark & 5 paperbags

It's that time of the month again.. Primark. Primark is a place that whenever you go, you have to buy something even when you don't really need something. Last friday was that kind of day. I wasn't planning to buy a lot.. although I didn't have a budget. But I was like okay, I'll just buy a couple of sweaters.. That mission was accomplished indeed.. with a few other stuff. Anyway, I'm really happy with my purchases and was pleased with their fall/winter 2013 collection! Can't wait to wear them.

For those who are interested in a more detailed picture and the prices of the pieces, click below!

J.