Wednesday 3 July 2013

high flying

I travel a lot.

Like more than a normal teenager would in a year. So far in 2013, I have been to Cebu, Johannesburg, Goa, countless of trips to China and Macau, and soon Los Angeles. My first flight was when I was two months old! As a direct result of my constant travels, I've pretty much got the flying fashion down pat.

The most obvious and best tip fashion wise when flying, or travelling any which way for that matter, is to layer up.

trousers - Zara    crop top - Cotton On    denim shirt - Cotton On    backpack - from China    sneakers - H&M

This is usually what I pretty much look like when travelling, whether long-haul (6 hours+) or short-haul  (-6 hours) flights. My mom is an air hostess, so I do have stricter clothing regulations than most people, however this complies with even my strict outfit rules. I love carrying extra layers because if I'm cold, it'll keep me warm, or if I am not wearing it, I can bundle it up and make an extra pillow (because airplane pillows are horrible). Another tip I have is to try and wear your hair up during long-haul flights, because of the air in the cabin, your hair is going to get greasy and nasty. 

These pants, just I have no words for them. They look so smart, yet they feel like leggings because thats essentially what they are! They are a thicker material, which is great to travel in because it keeps you warm, and they can pass off as pants! There is quite a variety of styles for these, and I have about 3 pairs. Unfortunately, they don't come cheap, being $350-400 HKD a pair, however I suggest you go and grab them during the Zara sales! Another reason why I love wearing outfits like this on short-haul flights, is because it's perfect to wear after you get off the plane and want to go explore the new city. 

trousers - Zara    tank top - H&M    varsity jacket - H&M    sneakers - H&M    backpack - from China

I know most people prefer to wear sleeved items, however I prefer sleeveless, just because I usually travel to hot countries and once I get off the plane, it's a lot cooler than wearing full sleeves or half sleeves. Graphic tees are a really fun way to express your style when flying, because they are extremely comfortable and are just fun!

When flying, it's always a really good idea to wear comfortable shoes, because your feet will become swollen, especially during long flights. Go for shoes that are easy to slip on and off, even sandals or flip flops work if your airline allows it. 

pants - from India    tank top - H&M    scarf - from India    flatforms - from China

Loose fitting clothes are your best bet during flying, because as shocking as it is, you will sweat. And if you wear tight clothes, it's going to stick to your sweaty body, and the smell is going to last longer because tighter clothes mean less breathable fabrics and just ugh. Light weight clothes that are breathable and loose are going to ensure you stay as fresh as possible and comfortable. As funky as they are, harem pants are actually quite on trend this season and are extremely comfortable which is one of the reasons why I love wearing them when travelling. This is more of a long-haul flight outfit, just because it is a lot more casual and comfortable, however I could only wear this if I wasn't traveling on the airline my mom works for, so lucky you!

Scarves are a great alternative to jackets or sweaters, just because they have more fabric and give you more coverage. You can easily wrap a scarf around you like a shawl, or keep it around your neck, or even use it as a blanket if the one you got on the plane smelt weird. (As weird as this sounds, always smell your blankets when you get them, otherwise who knows whether it's clean or not. It's going near your skin, and often unclean blankets can increase acne, rash or just irritated skin. Trust me on this one.)

Also, avoid heels as much as possible when travelling, even if it is just a two hour flight. Like I mentioned before, your feet will swell when flying because of the cabin pressure and also because you are sitting still for a long time, so the blood in your feet isn't circulating as much (Don't trust me on the biology side of this, just trust me on the foot swelling thing). Flatforms like these are great because they give you a little bit of height if you are conscious about that. 

leggings - Giordano    tunic - my mother's    sneakers - H&M

I love button down tops to wear while flying, because they can be fully buttoned on board where it's chilly, and you can tie them up when you land to cool you down. What's great about this is that it looks so casual and comfortable, yet it does look smart at the same time. There isn't really that much to say about this outfit that I haven't mentioned in the others, so it's pretty much here for inspiration! Just remember to keep your clothes light weight.

If you hadn't noticed, I keep all my travelling outfits pretty simple in color. Try to only wear neutrals when flying, just because it makes you look more polished even if you are wearing something like leggings. If you want to have a bit more color, use accessories for that, like take a fun backpack or a brightly colored beanie. Try to steer clear of metal accessories and just pack that instead, it saves you a lot of time at security. 

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about guys! Boys, you pretty much have only two rules to follow. Number one, don't sag your pants too low, because you can get kicked off for it because it can be considered inappropriate. Number two, don't wear sweatpants. Actually, this applies to girls as well. NO SWEATPANTS WHEN FLYING, YOU LOOK LIKE A JOKER.

That's pretty much it for my travel fashion. Next post will be up sometime Sunday!



Monday 1 July 2013

how to : dress for the summer

SUMMER IS UPON US! PRAISE THE WEATHER GODS! Hong Kong has been MISERABLE for ages and ages, with just constant rain and fog. It's finally beginning to become the hot, sunny and intolerably humid city we all know and love.

Of course with the summer season rapidly approaching, you're gonna be feeling hot and sticky and will want to wear as little clothing as possible. Now some body types can easily pull off just wearing a tank top and short shorts (I'm looking at you skinny girls and am very jealous). But when you have curves like I do, it tends to be a bit too scandalous.


See what I mean?

During hot weather, shorts are a given. It's a necessity, whether they are short shorts or capris, you have to have them. What you should know is that regardless of your body type, high waisted shorts are gonna be your new best friend. If you are super tall and skinny, they are gonna make your legs go on and on and on. Curvy girls, don't worry, your booty WILL be covered in high waisted shorts and since they are high waisted your curves are going to be extremely accentuated. For my girls who have a more athletic body type, high waisted shorts are gonna give off the illusion of curves and compliment your shape at the same time.


Targeting curvy girls here right now, you don't want to wear tight tops with high waisted shorts especially if they are short like mine, because once again, it's just going to be too scandalous. Try going for looser, flowy shirts, which will also keep you cool, much like the one I have on above.

Another lovely staple in my summer wardrobe and also should be in yours, are short swingy dresses. (Please note, I said swingY and not actually a swing dress because they are usually a really thick material and you will sweat a lot in them if you wear them in the summer.)


This strappy number is actually my mom's from the '80s. What I love about dresses in the summer time is that they look good on everyone. I personally don't think there is really any rule about what type of dress suits a certain body type when it comes to summer dresses. A skater dress can look just as good on a curvy girl as compared to one a slim girl. I will say that you most definitely should be wearing light weight dresses that are not bodycon! Save your bodycon dresses for the evening, when you know you are going to be somewhere with air-con. 

I'm going to Los Angeles this summer, where it does tend to get a little cooler during the evenings. As a result, I have to wear something that will keep me cool in the day and warm in the night, which is where leggings come in. I, for one, get extremely jealous when I see girls just rocking leggings in this weather, while I feel extremely silly when I do. Leggings as pants, in general, is a no-no but in HK weather and how often you will probably go to malls to take refuge and hog the air-con, sometimes you need to wear leggings. So, I suggest a good pair of leggings that are opaque (so you don't let everyone know the color of your panties) yet still light weight. Giordano is my go-to for good quality leggings that are wearable in the summer!

I feel in Hong Kong especially, it's a growing trend among teenagers to wear short shirts with leggings, that are usually pretty loose and show off their arms/shoulders/abs since they have covered their bottom half. This applies in my opinion, for thinner girls because it hangs on their body types a lot better than it would on a curvy girl. This is honestly just because of their leg shape, but it shouldn't stop you from trying this out.


If you are a curvy girl and want to start wearing leggings in the summer, follow the common fashion rule, which is make sure your top covers your crotch. No one wants to see camel toe. What I have one is a top that has extremely low cut arm holes, like it's literally down to my belly button. These type of tops are usually a lot longer, and quite trendy at the moment, which makes them perfect to wear with leggings. Since they have really large arm holes, you can keep cool, and since they are quite long, all your bits and pieces are covered! Another little fun detail with these types of tops is that you can wear really fun bras/bralettes/bandeaus inside. The one I have on is this bright neon lime colored, which gives my monochromatic outfit a little buzz. These low cut tops are really great on all body types, because it hangs off your body perfectly.

Leggings during the summer are actually really great during bipolar weather, when it may rain or it may not. Considering the horrendous weather we've been having, I'm going to be in leggings as often as possible (i.e. only when my shorts are in the wash).


I feel like lace isn't going to go out of fashion anytime soon, because it is such a versatile fabric and can easily go from day to night. A little tip I have for changing summer outfits from day to night is switching the color of your denim. If you see above, the lighter denim shorts I have on is a lot more day time, while the black denim shorts instantly look more edgy and night time-ish. 

One of the main reasons why I like to wear lace in the summer is because since it's such a revealing fabric, it's a lot cooler in this weather. Another is because of how interchangeable it is, in the sense that you can dress it down and up. Hong Kong is a busy place, and so are it's inhabitants, which is why having certain pieces and fabrics in your wardrobe that can go from day to night is extremely beneficial and can save you so much time.

Well, that's it for my summer outfit tips! I hope you guys all have an amazing summer, whether you are travelling or staying in Hong Kong.

P.S. This post was actually supposed to be up like two weeks ago, but for some reason it didn't publish. So, there's going to be a fairly short interval in between this post and the next one which will be up on Wednesday!