New Beginning -- The Old Alexander McQueen Crew Neck Sweater

Up In The Air is the best phrase to describe the past 2010 for me. With many decisions to make and lots of results to wait, I've been feeling utterly "unresolved". I made the biggest decision so far in my life to pursue a whole new career path that I had no eduction or whatsoever, simply because my passion, a one that just cannot constrain.

It hasn't been easy, especially when you can't do anything but wait for things to clear out. It's now 2011 and I'm still among the mist and up above, a lot clearer than it useds to be though. My only wish for 2011 is to have a safe landing and start a career that I've been dreaming to have.

A new banner, a continuation from the My Many Button Series, to embark a new year. They're extra buttons from my Balmian Jacket and I hope my kindly readers will have a shiny and spectacular 2011!

The mascot of this blog, Xiao Hu (The baby tiger) saids Happy New Year, wearing his new J-crew elephant necklace!

Happy Holiday to My Mom, Round 1 -- Bottega Veneta Houndstooth Intrecciato Tote

Another of my many obsessions is getting my mom, one of the two most important people who care me probably even more than as I care about them, the finest and the most beautiful things in the world. She's the only person that I admire and her life story is the only book that I'll never get bored reading.  

I do sometime get overboard with buying her presents, according to my taste, especially around holiday season. But nothing makes happier than watching her enjoy all the luxuries because she deserves them all. 

This Bottega Veneta Houndstooth Intrecciato Tote is from past season, probably fall 2009. I was reluctant to get it for her because of the larger than life price tag. I knew she'd be mad if she ever found out the price. I somehow bumped into this bag during a recent visit to the BV flagship store at New York, and it is still displayed on the shelf with a price tag of about $2600. It was just brutal for a tote bag, even with the heavenly pattern and shape. 

So I turned to the almighty eBay, the best place to shop for past season goodies. And surprise, surprise! I found a brand new one with almost 70% off! What a miracle! 

The one thing that I just can't resist from this bag, besides the houndstooth intrecciato, is the distorted shape. A laid back and casual shape that is already fixed into the leather trim, no matter how you carry it. I've never seen any craftsmanship like this :) 

If you're on the edge of freak out for last minute holiday shopping, check out the Cruise collection on BottegaVeneta.com. 

They're also available at following on-line retailers:

NeimanMarcus.com

Netaporter.com

SaksFifthAvenue.com

Since I won't be able to give it to her until February, the Chinese Spring Festival, I might carry it myself for a while :) 

Burberry Prorsum on Gilt.com -- Grey Melange Color Block Pullover from Summer 2010

Skeptical as I am, I often find myself fell into all kinds of sales traps. The classic "limited edition or limited time offer" is the one that breaks my purse strings again and again. Here's another trap that we're so sickly-happy to fell into: the most successful of all on-line sample sales site, Gilt.com.

I've been a member since its founding and contributed my fair shares to its growth. It has become my lunch time ritual to check my email and to find out what designer brands are on sale. I got very excited whenever there is Jil Sander, Burberry Prorsum, Marni, or Band of Outsiders, just to name a few. These are among my favorite names that the site often carries. Limited stocks and limited time slot for shopping can really push your buy buttons until you smash your piggy bank into pieces.

The site is a great place for treasure hunting for past season pieces that you missed. But I have to say the price is not always "past season". Many of its collections can be found on my favorite on-line outlet store Yoox.com, and a bit cheaper too~~

I also like to browse their products for home and design. I've bought many gifts such as designer linens, porcelains, and toys. If you need ideas for gifting, go check out their very inclusive gift stocks!

These two pieces are actually from one of their blow-out sales for Burberry Prorsum. I was so thrilled that I was able to grab these two before anyone else. The grey melange shirt is perfect for the coming winter and the fitted long sleeve is great for working as a motorcycle glove. See, I told you. They do sometime have products worth the fuss! .... Oh, please don't get in my way when they stock Burberry Prorsum.... I get C-R-A-Z-Y ~~

Louis Vuitton Monogram Groom Zippy Wallet -- Ohh The Monogram

As self-conscious, insecure, and skeptical as I am ------ eBay has only been a place to sell, not buy. While I was being shilly-shally as usual, many of my favorite goodies have passed me by. The Louis Vuitton Groom collection is one of my missing pieces that are used to weave my happily-ever-after dream. And now, I'm one step closer @_@

I've never owned anything from Louis Vuitton with their signature monogram. I actually hated the print because I was so overwhelmed by all the fake bags with this particular print that people are carrying. With years of "self-education", I learn to appreciate the rich history behind this monogram and the fine craftsmanship. I find it enlightening that this particular logo has been interpreted by so many cultures with various means, each with their own unique and sometimes distorted meanings:

It could a symbol of either luxury or mass production; it could be a symbol of rich or mediocre; it could also be a symbol of tasteful or vulgar... it really depends on the culture paradigm that you're involved with~~

I've been living in a self-imposed dilemma for years. I try to defend the consumerism involving luxury goods, but I can't help questioning the commercialism behind those larger than life price tags, especially when people criticize it as inane and frivolous. Some people saved up for months to buy a Louis Vuitton bag with the recognizable monogram logo and some people spend a couple hundreds more just to avoid the logo. With bags worth couple thousands, it's like carrying a car or even a house (in case of Hermes Birkin bag) that some people are in great need of.

So what exactly is inane and frivolous? The pursuit in luxury bag and clothes? What about people buying vacation houses and fancy cars? In my humble way, I think inane and frivolous is only a state of mind and it involves your attitudes towards your needs. People buy luxury for all kinds of reasons, some to confirm and show their wellbeing, some to boost confidence and impress others, and some are just out of the fondness of fine craftsmanships... none of reason is superior to any other...

In fear of getting deep with the topic of buying luxury and not able to finish it due to my limited writing skills, I decided to stop and just say: buy whatever you like and be openminded ~~

Hello Captain! --Balmain F/W 2010 Military Insignia Wool Pea Coat with Golden Crested Button

I've been having mixed feelings about Balmain Homme. I resent its larger than life price tags that almost as expensive as for haute couture even though it's only ready to wear. However, I do yearn for all the military uniform-y fun that it brings to us. Like most of us expected, the fever for ripped T-shirts and embellished jackets from Balmain is only an affair, not a committed relationship. We're so unsettled with fashion that the we constantly look for new excitement to make our hearts tremble. The 2011 Spring Summer Balmain show was definitely not as arousing as it use to be. It's hard to be faithful when there are so many new choices every season~~

I've been holding my pocket string string firmly for Balmain until I saw this wool pea coat from fall/winter 2010 collection. The iconic Balmain shape, the golden crested buttons, and the simple military insignia on each sleeve finally got me spelled. I'm still working on pulling it off with my own twist and here's what I've got so far. Any suggestions?

I'm wearing a Zara blue strip T-shirt underneath, which ironically happen to one of the many replicas of Balmain. The Zara T-shirt is retailed for $49 and the Balmain one is for $549 or something like that. What a business~~

Balmain stocklists:

Barney's & Aloha Rag & Net-a-Porter

Begin of Another Journey -- Hermes Steve Messenger Bag

Life is truly a journey ---- of choices: decisions made up and shaped up the life we live in. I've been thankful that most of my decisions, accidentally or purposely made, have been working very well for me.

Being stuck in a life-alternating-and-evolving process of making decisions for too damn long, I finally decided on one thing that I'm mostly certain of, my life-long obsession with those frivolous but splendid fine luxuries. I finally crossed off one-thing from my make-up-your-freaking-mind list and here comes my first Hermes bag, the brutally cool Steve Messenger bag.

Making decision on which color is even more stressful than deciding to buy, though I have been secretly enjoying this happily-ever-after torture. After months of deliberating and excessive bothering the Sales Associate name Keith at Hermes, I made my decision on a carelessly visit to the store. Isn't that most of the time that how decisions are made: after all the rationalities, you just have to rely on some instinct or impulse or whatever that clicked for you.

Decisions are not made to regret, and I'm gracious to say that at least I made the right decision on this one. The bag is as versatile as a bag could ever be with inside compartments and padded pocket and every other neat little thing. You thought the bag would be very low-key and unrecognizable with its ultra simple shape and design, but no Hermes can pass without notice. The thick but very light TOGO leather with the finest grains, plus the signature gold color, makes it a combination of quiet and loud, which is the ultimate status that I'm in life-long pursue.

With so many bad decisions ahead to make, I thank whoever is up there to grand me this bag to help me pass through. Make up my mind, I'll have this bag with me for whatever that is coming. What is even better? Life as a tale ~~

Making Vintages of Burberry Prorsum Military Shirt & Patch V-Neck

The long long Summer of DC has drained my closet long long before Autumn falls upon us. My tolerance of boring t-shirts and sloppy jeans has reached a vomiting point. Any extra layer I put on is suicidal in this burning weather. Chill off already! It's almost October!

The classic military shirt and the V-neck with a scottish patch are what helped me survive the dry-spell. The shirt was bought almost two years ago and somehow buried in my closet since then. The exactly style has been replicated every season for Burberry Prorsum with changes of different colors. With everyone going military this season, the dark moss colored shirt finally made its debut this summer.

Wearing a shirt can get real nasty under a steamy hot weather. Another my savior for this ungodly weather is this V-neck with a simple but very cool Scottish patch. I often pair it with one of those classic Prada stretch cotton pants and Lanvin sneaker that I blogged before here.

"Vintage" Burberry Prorsum Military Shirts from current season are available at:

Buberry.com & NeimanMarcus.com

SlowMotion Vintage: Dior Homme 2008 F/W Broken Class Broken Heart

Dior Homme 2008 F/W

Like every other fashionista in every other corner of the world, I'm still lamenting over the leaving of Hedi Slimane. Kris still seems to be finding his way of tiding over Dior Homme and millions of royal fans of Hedi. The 2008 F/W from Kris was dark and sloppy, not in a bad way though. In this collection of grief, I struggled to find a piece that reminds me of the days when Dior Homme stirs the butterflies in my stomach. I didn't. So I picked this one, only one, from the collection to commemorate the feeling of happy and satisfied.

I need more Balenciaga to ease my pain :)