131 Promenade

Looks like the Bangkok leg of our trip is going to be cancelled due to the protests, which have shown no sign of slowing down :( I can't say how incredibly disappointed I am. Like I mentioned in my earlier post, we'd abstained from holidays due to my A levels, and sometimes I miss Bangkok so much it gets visceral. I must say the memories have gotten blurred around the edges as it's now been four years since we moved (!!), but sometimes I want to get away to somewhere messy instead of geometric. Plus, the shopaholic side of me is very sad that I have been saving up for nothing.

In the meantime, partially to cheer myself up, I've made an inspiration board for my prom look. Prom is in 3 days! Yay! ...It also means I only have 3 days to figure out how the Duchess of Cambridge does. her. hair. It is so amazingly beautiful!! I am very lucky I managed to score pearl-accented bobby pins from Accessorize (on sale) (best luck) the other day, because I've been looking for them ever since... the Duchess of Cambridge did her hair that way. Which was on the Jubilee Tour, last year.

On more recent inspirations, though, Suki Waterhouse's make-up is simply amazing. I liked her lilac gown too, despite its revealing nature-- perhaps I'm just a sucker for lilac and lace. I'm very glad I held on to a lilac eyeshadow I received as a gift ... maybe four years ago. (When you only wear make-up once or twice a year, you don't really bother buying new palettes.)

The night of prom's going to be super busy as I have to juggle getting ready for prom with getting ready for another big event-- my Oxford interview! Fingers majorly crossed. I've never felt so dimwitted.

[unedited] Also, just came back from a 3D2N stay at Changi. Ahh...

126 Monochrome + Mint

I was instantly smitten by Diane Kruger's choice to pair her black and white dress with a slew of pastel accessories: mint heels, pink clutch and pink nails. Guess my excitement with Naomie Harris stepped out two nights in a row with similarly matched looks! I used to own a pair of mint blue heels, but gave them away eventually: I think I might've outgrown them (literally) (a rare occurrence, but then again I guess our feet do grow a little every now and then). Now I'm tempted to buy a pair of coloured heels just for that extra pop to outfits; I'm weaning away from my Kate Middleton maxim of "nude heels go with everything" and starting to think, Why settle for something that goes with your outfit? Why not something that pops against it?

125 Entangled

FYI: I have a long list of fashion spreads like this one that I wanted to make since my preparation for the exams started, and I don't want to spam the blog with them while I have the drive to make them all at one go, so I'll be setting them on a queue.

I couldn't help but notice a trend between these three beautiful looks: the use of floral mesh to create an intriguing take on the fit-and-flare dress. I particularly like how a dichotomy is created between the mesh and the inner lining. Simply sheer, it's a trend that wears out after a while, but the placement of floral embroidery immediately makes the look as fresh as a bouquet.

I'm particularly taken by how Emmy Rossum chose to complement the print on hers with a bright satin clutch. Definitely an idea for my floral dresses, and for my upcoming trip to Bangkok: I'll have to start compiling a wishlist soon!

111 The New Power Colour

I've been in love with the colour wine red (in the linked post, I talk about getting a wine red asymmetrical skirt for New Year's almost a full year ago) for ages-- while the asymmetrical trend has certainly died out, the colour seems here to stay, particularly since the fashion capitals of the world are currently experiencing fall. Speaking of old loves, welcome Tom Felton and Jade Gordon to my blog! I believe this is my first time featuring them, but my love of Dramione has long kept them in my books (if, at first, as a grudging shipper). As for new loves... well, that We Are Rubbish top launching on Monday has certainly made the list, if only because it's a copy of the Burberry heart-stealer.

If you want some more graphic inspiration, watch Gwen Stefani's music video for Cool. Besides the beautiful lyrics, the video is chock-full of Italian retro loveliness: it reminds me of Dolce and Gabbana's ads, which always make me feel so invigorated and heady! One of these days I will definitely screenshot every single outfit from the video and post a long post about how much I love each one. Yes.

110 Middling Around

Disclaimer: the Lace & Ebony piece above is actually a dress!

It seems midi skirts are very rapidly gaining ground-- particularly those of the weighted, full variety. A particular variation you'll be seeing is Topshop's (below), with a mesh panel round the knees-- Missypixie launched a blue and white floral version, which I'm eyeing, and Love, Bonito has one upcoming (seen on blogger Drea Chong).

If you're wondering how to pair these, Harper's Bazaar has launched a guide (here's another one), as has Who What Wear. I particularly like the idea of the crop top... as well as a tucked-in white button-up (which is how A for Arcade styled theirs), which will give my Grad Day blouse a second outing.

PS. Succumbed and bought A for Arcade's Leighton Midi in Cobalt when they released deadbuyer slots. Hurray to not having to wait till December to recreate their lookbook outfit! Will review when it arrives. Not to worry, the skirt (and the Pony Pockets cut-in top I bought after cruising for, like, a month, literally) is very Mum Approved.

109 Afresh

Pardon the choppy cutting of Chiara's hair- I didn't have much time last night :/

Remember this post from many months ago, when I was seriously crushing on the "pephem skirt"? Well, it looks like I've got magnificent foresight-- this silhouette is now all over blogshops (Fashmob, Love, Bonito, and Megagamie, to name a few) as the "mermaid hem skirt". Which, strictly speaking, is untrue, as I believe the term 'mermaid hem' is more commonly applied to gowns (see: any Zac Posen runway, or any Zac Posen dress worn by Coco Rocha!), but that's all semantics. (I myself learnt the term "pephem" from K is for Kani, who kickstarted my obsession.)

When browsing through Who What Wear's latest feature on off-the-shoulder tops, I realized they paired pretty well with these pephem (or 'fit and flare') skirts. I particularly like Tuula Vintage's take (above right): it's more like the skirt version of the lantern sleeve, as the body-fitting top is extended to form a pencil skirt with a flamenco twist. It's got me tempted to get back into this trend...

101 Ways to Charm Witches...*

*Fine print: this post is actually one on blazers written by an overgrown first-year.

While researching the post, I found this lovely blazer from ASOS. The well-placed florals, crisp cream background and slightly cropped fit are perfect, if only it were sold in Singapore. I know for one the pink Aztec blazer you see above is being sold at Roseateposy, and similar Zara-inspired floral items on several other preorder sites, including Strayedheart.
/Edit: the blue Zara blazer is being sold at antic1ockwise on Instagram, and should be available on other preorder sites as well.

100 Earn Your Stripes!

Picture credits: Gary Pepper, Tuula, Views of Now, Tumblr

I was instantly inspired by this image of blogger Nicole Warne from Gary Pepper (foreground, in colour) to create a set around Breton tops. I just gave away one when I last cleared my wardrobe during the holidays, because it just didn't fit me well and there's no point holding on to clothes if they don't make you feel good about yourself. I'm still looking for the perfect Breton top- preferably elbow-length sleeves, thin cotton, with evenly spaced navy blue stripes.

98 Cruising: Statement Necklaces

Cruise (vb): to explore or search the offerings of

I quite liked how this spread turned out, don't you? I was inspired by this outfit of Eva Mendes' I saw last night: I've been cruising statement necklaces such as these two beauties since they first came onto the market, but never bought them as I never knew how to wear them. It's a wonder how Mendes manages to pull one off without looking too over-the-top: I'm guessing it's a combination of how the colours in the necklace pick up the colours in her outfit perfectly, and how the necklace itself isn't overly loaded with bling or neon.

My prelims are almost over-- I have one paper left! This past week has been absolutely hellish, but I'm proud of how hard I studied, so that no matter how hard the papers went, I know I did my best. Friday was marred, however, by the combination of Econs and Lit- I was so tired from studying the previous night that I blanked out quite terribly during the Econs paper. I'm still shuddering from the memory. Nevertheless, I hope it all works out in the end!

PS. I've edited the tabs at the side to make this site more navigable, and also added a 'search this blog' tool below the posts (scroll all the way down). Hope you like it!

44 Issue 2: Dresses

How lovely is that lilac dress?!

 If I ever get a chance to manufacture a dress, this lilac one's (top, bottom left) definitely on my list.

As promised, collage of perfect dresses ahoy! I'm glad my two style icons, Emmy Rossum and Miranda Kerr, managed to find prominent places. They're the only two celebrities whose style I get so constantly excited about. Pardon for the somewhat haphazard styling: it seems my graphic roll kinda rolled to a stop after the last post.

In a sneak peek before my camera battery died: all that glitters is gold! A few pics of my collection of dainty gold trinkets when I can, up next.

31 Stored Classics

So I was waiting for my Internet connection while my brother downloaded stuff, and decided to go back to the old standby... Photoshop.

Author's note regarding sneakers: I tried my navy blue sneakers a few weeks back with a navy blue tank top and mint green flared trousers. It worked surprisingly well!

06 Issue 1!

All images posted here belong to anawolowl. If reposting, do credit.

Resources: Tumblr, Who What Wear, Fab Sugar, Dafont

05 Coming Up Next

That's the lovely Princess Stephanie of Luxembourg in the picture!

I'm really excited to announce an upcoming feature: AAO's in-house magazine!

I've been itching for an art project to do and it seems I've finally landed on one that will keep me happily occupied. Basically, I'll be making use of my big fat photo archives -the files where I save every single image that appeals to me in any sort of way- and editing them into big fat filler posts. Except I'm going to challenge myself to come up with themes and unique layouts each time.  I've already got 4 pages of Issue 1 done: unique twists on forever favourites for the festive season (and beyond)!

Let's see how this one pans out, shall we!