EOY Cosplay 2009

I finally did what I've been wanting to do for god-knows how many years now! Its cosplay!

As a first-timer in the amazing yet slightly intimidating world of cosplay, it was a real gift to have a lifeline to hold on to and in my case, it came in the version of the wonderful WTY Fashion Studio & Design Pte Ltd, Singapore's first pro-cosplay studio.

They were extremely kind and offered to not only loan me an outfit and the wig of any character of my own choosing, but to also handle the styling of my wig and even offered to put my make up on for that day. I turned down the offer for the make up as moi has super-sensitive skin, so I thought it'll be best not to take the risk (and also not to appear like an absolute free-loader), but I took up the offer on everything else.

The entire process was extremely smooth with me simply giving the studio my body's statistics over email and them handling everything else. I only went down to the studio for a single fitting session to iron out any possible kinks in the costume.

At the event itself, the studio delivered a freshly laundered costume, shoes and styled wig and even helped me in putting them on. After that, I was pretty much left alone to have fun at the event and all I had to do was to contact them whenever I felt like leaving in order to return the costume. Isn't that just fantastic?

So I'd like to thank WTY Studio again for giving me this chance to have such a fantastic time and to help me along into the incredible world of cosplay! I'll definitely approach them for their wonderful services again.

Contact them at:

Email: Wty.studio@gmail.com

Msn: yasuka110@hotmail.com

Mobile: +(65) 9170-8557

Or visit their website at http://blog.wtystudio.com.sg/

Tokyo Female Trends Analyzed

It is simply amazing what proper data collection and analysis can bring about, such as this case of the different brands, trends, shopping habits etc. of the women in Tokyo. From this article, it has classified some very interesting facts:

- Teens and twentysomethings prefer to shop at department stores (mostly shops such as Lumine, Marui and Parco).

- Thirtysomethings prefer to shop online such as Rakuten

-All agree that their number one source of information about fashion was fashion magazines followed by television.

- The number fashion brand was Nolley's, a Japanese fashion store.

- Twentysomethings and thirtysomethings preferred foreign high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton and Coach.

- The teens on the otherhand favoured Forever21.

-All agreed that their most favourite recent purchase was a one-piece dress.

-The key decisions factors affecting their purchase was design, price and brand loyalty amongst all.

- The most influential people on their purchasing decisions for teens and twentysomethings are their family and friends.

- Thirtysomethings differed slightly for not only did family affecting their purchasing decisions, but TV stars also played a significant role.

Pretty interesting to see how much similarity there are in the groups despite how vastly different they may be, personally I can see my style eveolving to a more classic style with bits of fun thrown in here and there, after life's too serious not to have some fn once in a while right?

For more information you can take a look at the article itself, http://www.prurgent.com/2009-12-28/pressrelease70472.htm

Personal outfit 16

Sorry for the blurry pic, I have shaky hands.Items worn here are:

Gilfy hat: Gilfy promo book

Black framed glasses: Uniqlo (these ones are non-powered glasses btw)

My outfit consisted of:

Striped turtleneck: Uniqlo (gift from the Bf)

T-shirt: UT from Uniqlo

Denim shorts: Cotton On

Stockings: This Fashion

Red plaid sneakers: bought from Macau

Quilted bag: Accesorize

The original inspiration from Popsister's October 2009 issue

Really casual wear this time as I went out with the Bf and we didn't have much planned other than catching a movie (watched Avatar if anyone's wondering... its totally fantastic!).

This particular outfit was inspired from Popsister, and I apologise for the bad hair, is it just me but the only reason I detest getting a haircut is the fact that there are new layers and such so in a way I have to totally relearn how to curl my hair, because what worked for my previous hairstyle doesn't work again.

Anyway, it was fun looking so causal, for those who know me, I tend to dress to the nines, partly because of my mom's influence, she always has this glamourous and high maintenance air about her and I kindda have the same thing (or so I'm told...) and when I simply throw on a shirt and jeans I feel so sorely underdressed. Maybe I need to learn how to tone down more... so its back to learning from magazines I guess... haha...

Bottom image from http://sushi-cat.net/2009/10/15/already-in-my-closet/#more-1293

New Haircut & Dye

My hair in its unstyled state, sorry for the horrid expression on my face, was tired as I had a late night... Can see my sister nearby...

Halfway through the dyeing process... entertained myself by reading lots of magazines...

The end result! Sory for the blurry picture, the colour is much lighter than shown but it differs under different lighting..

My hairstylist round brushed the ends for a more styled look

Isn't it just amazing how much your hair influences your image, just a simple change in colour, cut or even parting can totally change your image and even your personality and outfits (to a certian extent only of course...).

After having my roots grow out for nearly a month now, I finally decided to trim my hair and give it a proper dye job.

The end result was a blonder me with a blunt bang, I've tried out this fringe once but as my hair was much shorter than almost to a bob-length, it didn't turn out as well as now. The colour is also much lighter than before, haha now's one of my last few chances to dye my hair this light for if I'm unable to enter University after graduation, I doubt most coporate companies will be able to accept such a light hair colour... so might as well my it of its worth till then...

Oh ya, my hairstylost also told me that over the next 2 weeks, my hair will even lighten a shade or two and have a more faded looks so that it'll appear more natural, can't wait to see the eventual result!

Abercombie & Fitch Opens in Japan

Abercrombie & Fitch has finally reached Asia with its first store in Japan opening on December 15 in Tokyo. There were between 800 to 1200 people patiently waiting outside the swanky new twelve storey Ginza Abercrombie shop when its doors finally opened. What awited them on the inside were Abercrombie & Fitch's American style casual wear along with plenty of hunky topless models wandering round the store to serve as eyecandy.

The first customers in line at the Ginza store were rewarded with giant Abercrombie posters (measurements are bout 6' X 2' or 180cm X 65cm) featuring a topless guy on both sides with the words "Ginza" and "FIERCE" on it.

In the days leading up to the opening, the Abercrombie Japanese staff were busy distributing A&F posters in the Omotesando area to promote the store. Omotesando and Shinjuku have been mentioned as possible areas to open more Abercrombie shops in the coming future.

For a long time now, retail and fashion experts have been arguing about how successful Abercrombie & Fitch will be in Japan especially considering that there are brands such as H&M, Zara and other foreign fashion brands to compete with. But for now, considering the kind of welcome they had at their opening, its clear that they're having a positive leap ahead, but only time will tell if they'll survive.

Information and images from http://tokyofashion.com/abercrombie-fitch-tokyo-store-opens/

Personal outfit 15

Outfit consists of:

Plaid flannel over-sized shirt: Uniqlo

Black leggings: from Topshop but borrowed from mom

Black over-the-knee boots: Rubi

Black LV Epi leather bucket bag: borrowed from mom

Wore my plaid shirt again today when I met one of my bestie... Wasn't quite sure bout my outfit and since I knew we'd be walking around quite alot whilst window shopping, comfort was an important factor.

This plaid flannel shirt really keeps in the heat, its even more effective than some of my cardigans, but because its over-sized on me, it felt really comfortable, I just need to keep in mind not to use it to layer too much, otherwise I'd probably collapse and faint from overheating....

Personal outfit 14

My outfit of the day consisted of:

Plaid oversized-shirt: Uniqlo (its from the guys section btw...)

Beatles t-shirt: borrowed from mom

Faux leather leggings: This Fahion

Oxfords: DMK

I tied my shirt round my waist most of the day till it started to get chilly at the airport, the flannel shirt really keeps me warm...

Went to school for project work before relocating to Changi airport to continue our data collection. Unfortunately, didn't work out as planned and ended up leaving without doing much data collection....

Must seriously pull up my socks, time crunch starts now....

Matching Bag with Laptop

Worried bout how your gonna match your laptop to a bag? Fret not! For Hp has partnered with Japanese fashion store Dress-up and created a set of limited edition Hp Mini 110 with a matching handbag to carry the new snazzy technology around.

There are 3 different laptop/handbag combos to choose from. The laptops comes in either white or pink and feature custom desktop wallpapers. There are also 3 different designs of the bags to choose from.

Only 100 of these limited edition laptop/handbag bundles are available.

Information and images from http://www.liliputing.com/2009/12/limited-edition-hp-mini-110-comes-with-matching-handbag.html

Jil Sander X Uniqlo Spring/Summer Collection Releasing This Month

Japanese fast fashion retailor Uniqlo has announced that it will begin selling its first batch of the spring/summer collection from its +J brand on December 23 through 50 or so of its larger Japanese stores and online.

The new collection will probably sell for 1,990 yen to 14,900 yen, the same as +J's autumn/winter collection which was launched on October.

The spring/summer collection will also start selling on December 23 in China and South Korea, but the folks in the U.S., the U.K. and France will have to wait a month longer.

Hmm... maybe the colleciton will come early to Singapore too?

Information from http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2713944/

Toy Burch Ginza Store's Soft Opening

Despite being one of the most popular high-end brands amongst the Japanese, its a wonder and surprise that Tory Burch didn't open their free-standing flagship store until recently. The store is located in trendy Ginza and will have an official opening later this month. But for impatient people, the store has been having a soft opening since December 8th.

Dropping by the store, you'll be able to get an exclusive, limited edition Ginza tote. Not to mention, when you purchase a tote, there's a chance that you maybe the lucky few who'll receive a "golden ticket" inside that'll give you access to a private VIP party on December 17th.

Not to mention, there'll actually be a meet-and-greet session at the store by none other than Tory Burch himself. He'll be present at December 16th from 6-8pm and anyone and everyone can attend and meet the designer face-to-face.

Information and images from http://8tokyo.com/

Cosplay for EOY 2009

Up close of her face, I'll have to draw in her mole under my left eye on the actual day

My proposed costume, this is actually the character's fall/winter school uniform

Her spring/summer school uniform is also cute, but I prefer the long sleeves and the pinkish colours

I'm not sure if this post should be here or my personal blog, especially when it isn't really related to fashion in the first place. Anyway I'm too excited to not blog about it.

Basically, I'll be getting a free costume of the character of my choice for the next Cosplay event here in Singapore!(Google cosplay if you have absolutely no idea what it is)....

The catch is that I'll have to write a post about my day at the event in a blog post and on a forum and upload my pictures too, but considering how much I've always wanted the opportunity to cosplay and the fact that I most likely can't afford the expenses of the costumes and wig, this is a real rare chance for me! Of course my mom is hinting me bout how this might be some sort of scam in the making, but I shan't look at a gift horse in the mouth.

In case anyone is wondering, my character of choice is Izumi Konata from the anime, Lucky Star. With her eccentric character I'm expecting a fun time cosplaying her for the day.... lets just hope things go smoothly as planned! Cross my fingers now!

A Bathing Ape comes to Singapore

Despite the bad economy all over the world and the sudden influx of new brands together with tons of new malls being revamped, Japanese brand A Bathing Ape finally reaches Singapore's shores and will open their store at the Mndarin Gallery.

The Japanese clothing company, founded by Tomoaki"Nigo" Nagao in 1993 in Harajuku, Tokyo, has already spread to the most fashiob-savvy cities around the world, such as Hong Kong, London, New York, Taipei and Los Angeles. So it was only a matter of time before the brand headed down to shopping-mad Singapore.

The retailer will open on December 17 and will debut an exclusive T-shirt at the store's opening. A Bathing Ape has a long-standing history of collaborating with other retail chains and designers, such as Nigo's work with Hong Kong clothing brand Chocoolate, known for their hyper-simple casual wear in black and white, for an anniversary line.

One thing I'm wondering is whether the Beatles collection will make its way to our shores, or ill it be exclusive to Japan? Guess only time will tell....

Information and images from http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/shop/bathing-ape-comes-singapore-180456

Uniqlo's Biggest Fashion Show (outside of Japan...of course)

Uniqlo's largest ever fashion show to date and it was done to not only to showcase Uniqlo's spring/summer 2010 collection, but to also mark the opening of Uniqlo's largest store in Southeast Asia -- a 17,00 square feet mega store at the newest mall in Orchard Road, 313@Somerset.

Well-known for its line of affordable casual trendy wear, there's now about 800 stores worldwide with the 313@Somerset outlet being the largest in Southeast Asia. According to official sources, Uniqlo plans to open 8 more stores in Singapore within the next 3 years.

"We are very heartened by the positive response that UNIQLO has received since entering the Southeast Asian market this year. This has definitely been a great indication of the demand for quality and innovative apparel at affordable prices," said Mr Satoshi Onoguchi, Co-Managing Director for UNIQLO Singapore to CNNGo.

The 313@Somerset outlet will have a few exclusives, namely the Jil Sander collection as well as a limited edition collection by cult designer, Kiminori Morishita. This will also be a first experience for the cult designer who has never collaborated with the Japanese casual wear label before.

There was so much hype about the store that a queue of 200 people formed outside even beofre the official opening time of the day of the launch. Most were there for the opening specials such as Uniqlo brand jeans going for as low as $19.90 a pair. To cope with the crowd, a larger number of cashier points has been set up during the promotionalpahse in order to quicken transactions. According to Uniqlo, the response from the crowds have been so overwhelming that stocks for the opening special items are running low, so it'll be hard to get your hands on the specials by now.

Information and images from http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/shop/uniqlos-spring/summer-2010-collection-888528

Personal outfit 13

Leopard Beret: Accesorize

Plaid shirt: Uniqlo

White dress: bought in China

Black jacket: Nichii

Black stockings: This Fashion

Black oxfords: DMK

YSL-inspired Memo Saccs bag: Borrowed from mom

Met the Bf during the weekend and we did alittle shopping, okay more like I rampaged around buying the stuff I needed whilst the Bf tagged along behind, gently reminding me whenever I got distracted along the way.


We took a look at the newest mall to open, 313@Somerset. The place was really crowded despite the fact that half the shops hadn't opened yet and some shops still had construction going on in its interiors. The Bf and I checked out Uniqlo, and we had to fight through throngs of people to try and take a look at some of the items there.


We'll probably be back to dig deeper into their collection other times..... eventually.... I guess......

Personal outfit 12 & Lolita dresses

My favourite dress, to complete the outfit, I also grabbed a pearl headband wth a mega huge bow attached to it and a pair of platform mary-janes...

All accesories are from the shop

I wore the dress with these platform, rocking-horse lace-ups initially the shoes are pretty cute and comfy except for the fact that they blow up my calves, so I look shorter and fatter than I really am... ugh!!

My favourite Goth dress, it was really comfortable and usually tube dresses tend to slip down for me, but this held up well throughout the entire time I was wearing it (which was like for an hr plus?...), the lace collar attached to the dress's zip by a chain was also an interesting touch....

Finally got a chance to wear my Gilfy knit cap, its ub er comfortable and doen't make me feel warm at all... bad for cold weather I guess, but in the tropics where its always warm, its just perfect....

My outfit for the day

Checked top: Uniqlo

Inner white tank top: can't remember

Denim Skirt: New Future

Cap: Gilfy promotional magazine

Engineer boots: Macau

Skipped class again last thursday (ugh, its starting to become a really nasty habit!), so I ended up hanging around my friend's workplace. Sounds boring, but its actually immensely fun especially when you consider that my friend works at a shop selling Dolfies and Lolita/Goth lolita/ Goth Punk outfits.

So I ended up spending most of my time trying out the various outfits, and I fell in love with 2 of them. Too bad they're waaaay out of my budget, but it was fun getting to spend the day in them, not to mention, I'd actually did the shop a major favour by promoting their clothes as I kept running in and out of the shop in the various outfits thus attracting a number of curious passer-bys.

Had to do project work later in the day, but it was fun trying out the outfits, not to mention I managed to accomplish a number of tasks that day. Namely, rekindling an old friendship, purchasing a pair of Anna Sui stockings which I've been drooling at for ages and getting my part of the data collection for my project work done. Pretty fruitful day I guess....

If you wanna visit the shop (Singapore only):

Atsuki GL

#03-10 Liang Court 177

River Valley Road

P.S. This is not a paid advert, just thought that it's only fair to talk about the shop after playing around with their stuff all day

Docomo X Q-Pot Phone

I don't really follow technology much, and I'm probably one of the lone 1% of the advanced technology population that still isn't on Twitter.

But I couldn't resist this phone when I first got wind of it. Made to look like a melting bar of chocolate with Q-Pot's signature logo, the menu has a chocolate-themed default wallpaper and reportedly, it'll also be packaged like a chocolate box. There are even straps that look like complimentary sweets

Not only does the phone have a fancy design, its also equipped with a 3" screen, 8-megapixel camera, a TV tuner (a big feature in Japan) and Bluetooth support.

The phone will come in pink "melty strawberry"and brown "melty bitter" versions, supposedly for him and her. No official prices have been released but considering that only 13,000 of them will be made, this gives them limited edition status. So I expect alot of Japanese will probably go nuts over them, especially considering Q-Pot is like the creme de la creme of sweet motifs brands.

Information and images from http://nexus404.com/Blog/2009/12/01/sharp-melty-chocolate-phone-melts-in-japan-japanese-chocolate-phone-released-in-japan-looks-like-chocolate-bar-has-chocolate-themed-menus/ , http://craziestgadgets.com/2009/11/19/q-pot-melting-chocolate-phone-from-ntt-docomo/ & http://www.techgearx.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/d2eee_sh04b-630x320.png

Too bad I'll never be able to get my own hands on them, guess I'm still saddled with my LG Ice Cream phone....

Personal outfit 11

A closer shot of the pink leopard print top

Pink Leopard print top: Future State

Black skinny Jeans: Red2

Zip-up patent leather heels: Charles & Keith

Chanel Bag: Borrowed from my mom

Went out clubbing recently, and because I've been pretty bloated lately and I don't really like to bare too much skin, so I settled on this loud pink leopard print top together with back jeans for ease of movement. Too bad I couldn't stuff my load into my tiny clutch so I had to lug my bag around the entire night. Hmm, maybe this is a hint to get a new clutch...

Ugh which reminds me on how broke I am this month..... Christmas presents definitely don't come cheap....

Personal outfit 10

Black striped sleeves dress: Borrowed from mom

Marc by Marc Jacobs canvas bag: Gift from Pochi

Engineer boots: Macau

Been really behind on my outfit posts lately...

This outfit post was when I skipped school, I just couldn't take the idea of being around some people who don't really interact with others much the entire day, especially when its on a field trip. So I thought I'd might as well spare myself the torture. Anyway had some stuff to do beforehand anyway, so thought I'd might as well kill two birds with one stone.

P.S. Sorry for the blurry pic, couldn't find a better mirror