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'Murica

July 8, 2014, 7:22 pm
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Blazer by Jaggar the Label; Custom Cons by Converse; Skirt by Alice + Olivia; Crop by Cameo the Label; Clutch made by Tara Milk Tea

An old outfit post I've been meaning to get up here mashed up with a terrible verbal diary of my 4th July weekend. My camera decided to cark it over the last week and I've been cruising the world of low megapixel, terrible low-light performance happy snaps. 

My boyfriend, a few of his friends and I drove up to Finger Lakes - correction, they drove, I had no part in the driving. This is not because I am a selfish useless sack of nothing (well, kind of) - I still don't have my license. The drive was about five hours and we ended up in this strange world where American flags are hung above every doorstep, people leave their doors unlocked 24/7 (I woke up at least twice on the first night terrified there would be a man in overalls with an axe standing by the foot of the bed), and where pancakes are served with bacon in a non-ironic hip way and they cost a total of $4.

I tried Wendy's for the first time. Wendy's in Australia is a combination of terrible ice cream, donuts, smoothies and hot dogs. Wendy's here is like McDonalds on crack. I bought a CUP of ice cream for $1. AND nuggets for $1. I'm not entirely sure how they make money because they were practically giving away food for free, and I can see why America has a weight problem because I had a problem stopping myself from engorging myself on $1 nuggets.

The other life changing food experience was having breakfast at a diner for the first time - I'm talking unlimited $1.50 cups of pour over drip coffee with half 'n' half, massive pancakes and servings of ham/bacon.  For our actual 4th July celebrations, we cooked up burgers with a side of corn, put on a Spotify playlist of sweeping American anthems and had a bit of a BBQ in the fading afternoon sunlight. It was wonderful, and exactly what I imagine the 4th July in America is supposed to be like. The next two days were a combination of major lady boners for nature (Watkins Glen state park and Niagara Falls) and more terrible lip-smacking American feeds and long car rides.

 Leaving NY for a few days made me forget that it existed and made me just a little homesick - the ride home really did feel like I was returning to Sydney. It was pretty fantastic to see nature again, it's almost as if living in this city has made me forget that there are places that aren't just rubbish bags, honking and strange smells emanating from seemingly nowhere in particular. 






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Watermelon

July 15, 2014, 3:51 pm
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Blazer by Front Row Shop; Top by Finders Keepers the Label

Block shorts suits with animal print and oversized wooden necklaces purchased for a dollar are probably not outfits that you wear to work, but you wear to strut around and feel a little sassy and important. Which was the exact purpose of this outfit - taken what seems like a million years ago in front of my apartment back in Sydney.







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Relearning exercise with Lenovo

July 29, 2014, 3:27 pm
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I previously posted with Lenovo about my move to New York, and this time around, I'm finally going to get around to answering a few other questions you guys seem to love asking - about fitness and health.

Do you have any tips for staying healthy inside and out?
I have always been a weights and yoga girl. Getting into a regular and steady weights routine changed my body, it changed the way I perceived exercise and it changed the way I ate. I started lifting two years ago, and over time, I've been able to make pretty big gains in terms of strength (and also size). It has altered my perception of what I want to look like. 

I usually do a three day split - so one days chest, shoulders and triceps/legs/back, and then one day of yoga and one day of HIIT/tabata training. I stick to around 5-8 reps depending on how I feel and adjust how heavy or light I'm doing.

For the next two-three months, I pretty much just bring my Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro downstairs and do random yoga or p90x every day (which is making me die).

What’s your favourite healthy meal or snack?(can you share a photo or the recipe?)

A regular day would be eggs and whole wheat toast, lunch will be a meat-heavy salad or sandwich and dinner will be meat and veggies. I wasn't very strict with my diet - it involved a lot of flavoured yoghurt, dried fruit and whole entire blocks of dark chocolate after thinking I have enough self control to limit myself to a block.

Now I'm trying to cut out sugars just to see if I can do it. True story - the other day I walked around the supermarket and just stared longingly at the fruit section, slowly falling apart inside.

What are the biggest changes you have experienced moving from Sydney to NYC? How has that impacted your health and fitness routine?
Keeping an exercise routine up in New York was especially important, considering the mass amounts of incredible treats available at arm's length. I can literally walk down the road and just walk into mountains of donuts and cute gelato scoops on waffle cones (at least that's how it happens in my head). My gym trial ended, and in a bid to save money and to uproot my exercise habits that have probably plateaued my progress by now, my boyfriend challenged me to start P90X.

I'm not a huge believer in DVD workouts, especially ones that involve a dude yelling things at you like "FEEL THE PAIN. I HATE IT...BUT I LOVE IT!!!!!", but so far it's been unbelievably tough (one hour daily - first day involved just a full hour of pushups and pull ups). I've been trying to curb my sugar intake to see if I can look JUUUUST like Tony by the end of these three months. 

The Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro has been super helpful with home workouts - the laptop has an inbuilt yoga instruction program, and my boyfriend and I usually prop it up on 'tent' mode at our home gym and jump around angrily as Tony Horton instructs us. The other way I've been using it is with help cooking - the 'tent', 'tablet' and 'stand' mode makes it easy to refer to recipes without greasy keyboard finger marks. 







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Sunny Day Savings

August 18, 2014, 6:45 pm
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Dress: Vintage, Belt: Sass & Bide from Balmain markets, Sandals: Very very old from Zara, Cap: Urban Outfitters

Photos by Jocelyn Nguyen from Eleven Suns

This is one of the first outfits I've worn in recent memory that mostly came from the dusty back pockets of my closet, or from the musty depths of thrift stores and markets. Living in New York and facing the high cost of stepping out on the street and living day to day life has opened up a whole world of cheap thrills. Meals are (relatively) cheap, but tips are high. Sneakers are cheap, but gyms are costly etc. etc. Living on an entry level salary in a place where talented buskers make you lose a few dollars every three seconds, and Trader Joes sells $3 wine and bunches of flowers, it all adds up. A few of the ways I've been living cheap in the big city:
  • Free comedy/cheap entertainment via The Skint - My boyfriend and I usually check this website on a weekday or Friday night - it's a daily listings blog that collates all the cheap/free things to do in the city - from festivals, to free movie screenings, to awkward nights of free comedy at the back of empty bars. The last free night we went to was actually at The Stand, and it was a Monday night at 10pm. The general quality of free comedy performances varies from politely and tolerably awkward, to aggressive and angry. This one was cruising along at snail's pace, saved by the tater tots that were served with my cheap $10 burger and whiskey shot combo. My next mouthful of tater tots came with the sudden and supremely delightful blow-in of Louis C.K. There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing an incredibly talented and probably incredibly expensive comedian. FOR FREE.
  • Thrifting. Lots of it. - I mentioned in a previous blog post that NYC has invigorated the second-hand clothing bug within me, literally lighting it on fire, taking hostile control of my body and throwing my lifeless self like a honing missile into every consignment store that exists. Buffalo Exchange, Beacon's Closet, Tokio 7 and Tokyo Joe have been my favourites so far - I walk down to the Buffalo Exchange in Brooklyn every weekend and always seem to walk away with an amazing piece bought with spare change. This dress in particular cost $8. Yes, I do still take glee in yelling the price of my clothes at people when I receive compliments. It's like my version of 'thank you'. #humblebrag
  • P90x and cheap yoga - I'm avoiding having to make the decision of finding a gym for as long as possible by doing home workouts, lots of HIIT and tabata, and cheap $8 bikram at Yoga to the People. The gyms are a mess here, they're either $200 a month with built in protein shake smoothie bars and mechanical surfing classes, or they're $20 a month with a single treadmill in a corner and a line stretching around the block to use it. I'm also considering trying Class Pass, which gives you access to lots of different studios around NYC for $10 a pop.
  • HelloWallet and Level - Easy money management app - you enter your bills, your monthly income, and the amount of money you want to save and it does some crazy techno app magic and does the rest for you.
Cutting corners hasn't been as hard as I thought it be - between the lack of gym membership and the free comedy nights, I probably have enough money to make it rain on some cashew milk ice cream (it isn't cheap).






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The Two-Jacket

August 28, 2014, 8:09 am
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Denim jacket: Bettina Liano; Crop: The Fifth Label; Shorts: Cameo the Label; Necklace: The Scarlet Room; Shoes: Topshop; Kimono: Cameo the Label

Trends come and go, but kimonos are forever.* There's nothing comparable to wearing what is essentially a fancy dressing gown in disguise out on the street - I wore my PJ shorts to university once upon a time and felt like I was the toughest rogue warrior ever. Sitting in my lecture thinking to myself, "you don't even know I wore these to SLEEP LAST NIGHT." I totally pulled a fast one on you, classmates.

I'm a believer in the PJs trend in that I believe in wearing appropriate, non-body drowning shapes, like cut PJ shorts and silk dressing gowns/camisoles. Flannel pants covered in Hello Kitty pictures (who is apparently not a cat?) that have seen better days do not count. That's just throwing an Anchorman, which is only ever acceptable if you drink milk from the bottle on the street in PJs. 

I used to have an obsession with vintage silk kimonos - the satin type, the velvet burn-out type - all of the types. This Cameo kimono is a little on the thicker side and feels a bit like a doona transformed into a jacket. Considering New York is an oven right now, donna-jackets aren't in my best interests, but if the fifty people I've asked are anything to go by, I'm going to need all the doona jackets I can physically wear come Winter time. Me and my cats wearing booties-like coordination in sub-zero temperates is going to be interesting for everyone involved.

*This is at least one of my life mantras.




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Old Friends in New Cities

August 31, 2014, 4:26 pm
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Watch: Daniel Wellington (use the code 'jesslovesfred' for 15% off), Dress: Zara, Hat: Lack of Colour, Boots: Senso

I consider Zara the stoic bookend of my wardrobe. I can always count on them to have sleek separates, reasonably priced basics, and the rare statement piece/well designed and comfortable shoe - like this crazy abstract face dress. It's now what I wear when I go to thoughtfully ponder with one hand on the chin and one hand on the lower back at art galleries.

Yes, Zara it's fast fashion. Yes, almost every other girl probably owns anything I buy from Zara, and yes it's not Phillip Lim and it's not an obscure Farfetch label - but it fits my lifestyle and my budget. Zara is one of the things that I've "carried" with me to New York  - something that is like an anchor I had in Sydney as well, albeit better stock.

Seeing old friends in new cities is something else that I still haven't gotten used to completely. My old friend Oscar (see below) is someone who has accompanied throughout my wee and doomed career in retail. He knew me back when I worked at Le Coq Sportif (fun fact: Yan Yan Chan from Parfasseux and I met each other while working at Le Coq Sportif sales assistants), and he knew me as a surly and unprofessional sales assistant at a high end menswear and suiting store. To see Oscar, someone who has been with me for such a long time (relative to my tiny bonsai life so far), in a city that is unfamiliar and new to both of us (and now as an actor, no less!), was really special. There's something in the water - all the Australians are slowly picking up their feet and placing roots in NY - Ashka from XSSAT Street Fashion recently moved here. Familiar faces in an unfamiliar place creates this weird surreal dream-like state for me - I half expect to call Ashka up and meet her at a Surry Hills cafe. Until I step out into the blinding heat of the subway and hear a homeless man playing nursery rhymes on a saxophone before yelling 'Heil Hitler!' at nobody in particular. We're not in Surry Hills anymore, Toto.





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Occa (adj.) - A thing or person characterised by their (usu. extreme) Australian-ness.

September 9, 2014, 7:30 pm
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Dress: 'Eliana' Dress from Pinnacle Runway; Boots: Senso; Necklace: Thrifted
Photos by Ashka Shen from XSSAT Street Fashion

Last night I picked up Yan Yan from the airport - she just landed in New York for a six month adventure being a super sassy fashion intern and absorbing all that New York has to offer. She told me today she took six trains as opposed to two on her way home - the subway system is a harsh mistress.

Ever so slowly, Australians I know are trickling into New York - one of the main things that has completely thrown me off is that these are people I have known for years and interacted with on a frequent basis back in Sydney with no problems. As soon as the first 'hello' slips out of their mouth in between a happy muffled embrace, something hits me like a meat pie in the face - their accent. People who I have never thought twice about when they speak, suddenly sound so Australian.  Steve Irwin Australian. My BOYFRIEND sounds Australian to me.

In any case, its super nice to have friends rather than pretending to on Instagram (just kidding) - from now on I'm going to try to sound less painfully like a foreigner living in a foreign city...maybe. I'm sure you're all sick of it.
P.S. my dress has fish all over it..AND a cut out...AND a thigh slit. All the yes.






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We Are The People

September 11, 2014, 3:22 pm
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Bralette: H&M, Skirt: Nasty Gal, Shoes: Zara, Bag: Thrifted, Necklace: WATP Label

When Astrid from We Are The People Jewellery e-mailed me, months ago (yes, I've been saving this post up for a while) - I didn't think much of going to breakfast with her and chowing down on a breakie burrito. One thing about me is that I can be slightly awkward IRL if you place me in a situation that involves small talk (I talk really fast and often scramble around on my own words), and food (multitasking is not something I put on my LinkedIn, and forcing me to will often involve chunks of half-eaten food dropped on myself. I am a very attractive human being.) 

What caught me off guard was how much I enjoyed meeting Astrid - and when she pulled out samples of her jewellery label, We Are The People, which officially launched last month - I was besotted. Hailing from Indonesia, Astrid's jewellery is the all chunky shapes and geometry - both things I enjoy to throw onto my body to distract from all the food stains on my clothes. Couple this with awesome lucite and marbled stones, you can douse yourself with a bucket of soy sauce and nobody will be any the wiser. 









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Come say hi at Footlocker SoHo!

September 19, 2014, 5:22 pm
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Just a quick note to let you all know that I'll be making a guest appearance at the SoHo Footlocker (523 Broadway) store this weekend (Saturday and Sunday the 20th/21st of September) to be at your footwear styling whims - you can find me in the Reebok corner with some sweet Skyscape sneakers. Come by, say hi, I will be your dancing (/styling) monkey. I'll be there from 11-6pm on both days as part of Lucky Magazine's Shop Out Event.

If you spend $100 at participating retailers, you'll earn 50 Lucky Points redeemable in the Lucky Closet on Crosby Street on a selection of goodies. See you there!

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Rooftop Whites

September 21, 2014, 4:33 pm
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Panelled silk organza top: Al et Clar; Shorts: Hunt & Gather Store; Heels: Senso; Necklace: Vintage;

Photos by XSSAT Street Fashion

I used to be obsessed with magic hour - the hour of sunset or sunrise where everything has this golden glow to it, like the world is about to be set on fire by fairies. Ashka and I climbed onto my rooftop and took a few shots in the fading afternoon light - everything seems so much clearer and fuzzier during magic hour. Rediscovering things you used to like is such an amazing joy - listening to old bands and certain songs that bring back specific memories, finding that the lyrics come scarily easy to your lips despite hearing it for the first time in years. Reading is another big one for me - finding books that are so good that I end up reading them WHILE I'm walking, on the train, at work, in bed, basically during every waking moment. It's so easy for me to forget how much I actually love reading when I force myself through books that are slower or not as well written. Two that have put me on a reading bender have been Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl (I know I'm late to the party) and Susannah Cahalan's Brain On Fire.

Being terribly coordinated in clothing choices is something else that's a little guilty pleasure of mine - the whole handbag to shoe match isn't something I would be ashamed of. When my bra matches my top, which matches my shorts, and my shoes match my jewellery? That's a winner.







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On Being an Adult and Having Nice Hair

October 8, 2014, 3:40 pm
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Images by Shirley Cai, Wonderland Styler from ghd

I've never been the best with being polished. Especially since I cut my hair, the days where I could roll out of bed with a rat's nest and pretend that it was "casual cool" are OVER. Long over. 

I think that as you grow older and move into a professional setting, being 'polished' becomes increasingly important. Not by wearing a twinset with kitten hills, but the little things - nail polish, hair, making sure there isn't spinach in your teeth, or soy sauce on your white blouse (which seems to happen to me far to often). As time goes by, I'm slowly mastering the art of looking like I'm not intentionally trying to look homeless.

I never actually knew that I could do my own hair until carefully observing the hairdresser and seeing that it was as simple as dragging a straightener through my hair. ghd sent me their Wonderland Styler, which comes complete in a groovy kick-ass iridescent shade. This is not the $12 straightener my mum bought from Target when I was 11 - it heats up in a few seconds and makes straightening my hair a dream. Now I just need to learn how to make curls and I'll start my own beauty Youtube channel (jokes).





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THE CLASSPASS SERIES: Tone House NYC

October 9, 2014, 8:09 pm
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Photo from my Instagram

I woke up dreading Tone House. The first time I went was at 7AM on a Monday morning, bleary-eyed and stumbling my way through Union Square - not really ready for life or the homeless man yelling at me "OOO IT'S A JAPANESE GIRL - SHE BUILT LIKE A BLACK SISTER", let alone an hour of what would be one of the toughest workouts I've gone through. I figured that if a workout had taken me hostage and made me giddy with fear, I should definitely go back - and so I rescheduled on Classpass.


But as the day went by, and the clock inched closer and closer to my 7.30PM class, my anxiety grew. Walking through the door and waiting for the class to start is an experience all on its own - the Midtown studio greets you with "CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR. IT'S GAME TIME", the room is tinged red and barely has any light, and something akin to the Inception soundtrack is humming in the background - casting a very Hunger Games esque vibe to the whole experience.

Photo from Tone House NYC

After glancing around at the insanely high amount of fit people per square metre in the room, it was time to warm up. Fifteen minutes of hurdle drills, facing each way, and then burpees between each hurdle, multiple times. This is not cross country warm-up at your Primary School. The warm-up ALONE grabs you by the neck and grunts in your ear that you are not ready, and you are not worthy.


I've trained with Alonzo, the founder of ToneHouse NYC and also Yusuf, the head coach. Both had an unwavering disposition of ex-athletes who are UNBELIEVABLY BUFF, and each have their own styles. Both were tough - Yusuf yelled more.

Image from StoneHenge NYC

After regrouping from mini workout #1 (the warm-up), everyone gets into a circle and jumps and yells and puts their hands in the middle. What then follows is a blur of harness sprints, normal sprints, and circuits of exercises dependent on what body parts they're targeting - I've been to both lower body and upper body days, and both have a variety of exercises that are half fun and half (mostly) excruciating, including jumping on an ab dolly and scooting around the room using your legs, box jumps, TRX rows and bicep curls and a lot of harness sprinting. The hour goes by quickly though, and each circuit or stage is split up with high fives all around.


One of the stages that was particularly fun/terrifying was circle drills - essentially standing in a circle and reacting as quickly as you can to the instructions of the trainer - whether that be to drop to the ground and do a burpee, hold a squat, jump high in the air, jump around or squat-press with a sandbag. When someone is yelling at you to do something before you've finished the previous movement, shit gets real.

Image from StoneHenge NYC

Another portion I had never come across was wearing a harness attached to a long stringy bungee rope, that applies resistance when you run beyond the length of the rope - we were told to sprint, do bear crawls and get on a table top position and walk like a crab. My lack of coordination proved to be too strong, and I was dragged back by the rope multiple times. Another star example of my lack of coordination is during a sprint drill, when a portion was running backwards - I decided to run backwards at a completely random time, confusing everyone and myself in the process.


Tone House is challenging. And if you are ever in the situation where you can work out to cinematic theme music, have war cries and incredibly confused muscles, it probably works and you should definitely go back. 
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The best things in life are (almost) free

October 13, 2014, 5:38 pm
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Jacket: Zara, Shoes: Customized converse, Shorts: American Apparel, Bra-top: H&M, Rings: Wanderlust + Co

Photos by Jocelyn from Eleven Suns

The best things in life are simple (but not always free). A great jacket with a million zips and the perfect shade of pale pink. The same H&M bra-top that does nothing for my lack of a chest but works with every single high-waisted piece of clothing I own. The joy of getting over my 16 year old conscious nagging at me that wearing high-top sneakers makes my legs look short/stubby. 

I'm finding that as I'm getting sloooooowly older, I'm learning to appreciate the simpler things. A random friend on Facebook posted a status the other day from Australia, where he lamented the downpour that Sydney was experiencing, and that the whole day was just torrential rain and wetness - but that it was also bookended by rainbows and his ability to narrowly avoid stepping on a snail. "You make your own happiness."

I'm a big believer in making your own happiness, and I definitely haven't yet mastered this skill. I'll still swear internally when a girl backs her ass up (in the worst possible way) into my face on the subway in her way of bullying me out of a seat, or when a guy spins the revolving turnstile door too hard and it smacks you in the face on your way out of the subway (it turns out that all my #firstworldproblems are rooted in taking the subway). Even if I'm having a bout of heavier stress from work or life in general, it's alarmingly easy to forget that I'm in New York, this is the best time of my life, and the best things in life are as simple as buying some green tea mochi and getting over it.





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Bonds Girl

November 7, 2014, 11:53 am
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I'm a terrible fashion blogger. Catch me on any given day and I'll most likely be wandering around in gym clothes that I just sweat in profusely, hair askew and makeup melted. It's not that I don't array an extra set of clothes around with me or anything, it's just that I feel at most in my element in stretchy pants and a sports bra. It's like being constantly ready to sprint - for trains; when you're late meeting someone; away from a robber.

All gear from Bonds

Specifically sports bras - I'm definitely nowhere near tummy-baring status just yet, but there's something empowering about giving your bellybutton some air when you're working out. I feel so much more powerful. 




On Sunday, I put on some Bonds activewear to do some errands in (when the package came to my doorstep, I basically had a little moment where I missed the shit out of Australia), and some stair sprints - which is the quickest way I fit in exercise when I'm strapped for time. Stair sprints are especially cruel, but it gets the job done. I'll do 15 minutes of 30 seconds rest, 30 seconds work of full-speed sprints and call it a day as I collapse into a sweaty heap. Throwing a jacket on and zipping it up makes no one the wiser that I'm not actually wearing clothes underneath. 


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Subway tests

November 11, 2014, 6:30 am
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Photos by XSSAT Street Fashion
Bra top: Missguided, Cardigan: I stole it from a friend, Shoes: ROC, Skirt: Choies, Belt: Vintage, Hat: Al et Clar

Here's the thing about wearing full skirts in Winter. It works in theory but it doesn't in reality, when the freezing air seeks any bared or available skin like a homing missile. I have a feeling that this Winter, my concept of what is cold and what is acceptable clothing is going to be turned on its head. Apparently it's snowing this weekend - which fills me with a mixture of excitement and cold fear. I have never seen snow, I have never felt sub-zero temperatures and this is the first time I've had to learn weird American-winter survival terms like snow boots and portable glove warmers and heat tech socks. The concept of carrying a second set of clothes to put on once you enter any heated building baffles the mind, and since everyone can barely fit on the subway at the moment, it's going to be verrrrry interesting to see what the room to breathe will be like once everyone takes up five times more space from all the misc winter clothes they're carrying/wearing.

I've never missed Australia's moderate weather so much. It doesn't help that all my peers back home are sending photos of beaches in what could possibly be every digital platform that exists. Snapchat, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram - the phantom of beaches past is assaulting me at every internet corner I turn into. I've reconciled myself to the fact that living here means giving up moderate sunshine and being a pro at stripping/putting on layers on the subway/off the subway. It's kind of exciting  - some days I don't even need to listen to a podcast on my way to work because I'm so preoccupied taking my clothes off.

I read somewhere (it was probably Man Repeller), that you TRULY live in New York once you've ridden a subway, had your groceries break on you on the way home from the store, walk to work in the snow. I'll raise you with: ridden a subway on Halloween when you're neck to neck with three Hulk Hogans, a jellyfish umbrella and a man puking at your feet, carried your groceries home while it's 500 degrees and then you forget them on the train, walking to work in mildly cold temperatures as an Australian in inappropriately sparse clothing. 








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November 26, 2014, 12:38 pm
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Pants: Derek Lam via Tokio 7, Top: Zara, Heels: Nasty Gal 

This is my balcony, the one that I look out of in the mornings - all these plants are now withered and dead, and in replacement there are pots of ice. Today marked the first time I've ever seen snow in my life, and it still wigs me out that the city was this green, this kind of pot-plant end-of-Summer green, only a few weeks ago. The transition between seasons here is almost as if someone has jammed the 'fast forward' button - Autumn is nothing but a flash of foliage in Central Park, and then gone. I have been told that Summer is a hot minute, and Winter drags on for months and months. The term 'polar vortex' is being thrown around, as well as the phrase "You're going to die" in response to my "I've never seen snow".

I've yet to purchase a real coat that will protect me against anything below zero degrees, but I do have my snow boots ready (and have been putting them on my feet for the past two weeks in anticipation of being able to use them).

There is a thrill to not being able to navigate my phone for a few minutes before hastily clamping my hands in my armpits, of feeling like fifteen pairs of pants worn simultaneously wouldn't be enough. I'm so psyched for snow. I'm sure my next post will be about how much I'm over it.
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Racing Attire in Non-Racy Bushwick

December 5, 2014, 12:28 pm
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All from Forever New. Maisie Metallic Lace Co-ord Skirt and Bralet; Belle Clutch; Nina Heel; Hollie Floral Crown, Vest: Lantern Sense via Asoni Haus

Photos by XSSAT Photography

Let me admit something: I've never actually been to the races before. I know it's such a quintessentially Australian thing to do, that the fact I'm dressing up for it for no race in particular (besides maybe a drag race on the street), in the middle of stark (but beautiful) Bushwick, where a stiletto and a bared midriff is not welcome (unless you're happy to deal with 120% more cat calls than when you're wearing sweatpants, which is still an inordinately high number)...the irony isn't lost on me. 

As a kid, I always saw women who wore fascinators and pretty cocktail dresses to go watch a bunch of horses race was enormously confusing. What were they celebrating? How do you walk on the grass in heels? How does that half a hat stay on their head? At the age of 21, I've yet to attend my first race, but I'm totally happy to wear a pretty lace set and deck myself out in blue as three older men ask what kind of model I am as I awkwardly side-step piles of trash on the streets of Bushwick.









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NYC Photo Diary - December

December 10, 2014, 3:41 pm
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If you didn't know any better, you would assume that I hated New York. I've been so focused on the bad weather and the bad subways in recent posts that I've completely bypassed exactly why this is the most magical city, and how it's encased me in its garbage-filled arms in a tender embrace. New York is home for now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Here's why, alongside a giant photo dump of what's been happening over the past few months.

The Dogs of New York - New Yorkers are obsessed with dogs. The ultimate culmination of the obsession with dogs is the annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog parade, which was singlehandedly the most amount of cute (and bizarre) I've had thrown at me in a single day. I've always wondered where people are keeping these dogs, because it almost certainly isn't in the tiny apartments people are renting for a million dollars a month. I've also encountered the phenomenon that every time I see a dog, they're either mid-defecation or urination.

Their obsession with fitness, and with burgers -  This is the city of Classpass - a service that, in exchange for a one-off fee monthly, you get access to unlimited classes at hundreds of studios, from trampoline fitness, to underwear spinning. There is a class and a niche for any exercise interest, and being an avid anti-runner, even I can admit that running through Central Park makes up for the wheezing and feeling like you're about to pass out. On the flip side, everyone has an obsession with food here - I have been through my $1 dumpling phase, my authentic Asian beef jerky phase and now I'm anticipating phumplings (pho in Shanghai-style soup dumplings). New Yorkers do food like nobody else - walking down a single street can yield anything from McDonalds to gourmet burgers to artisanal shaved ice. Shake Shack is amazing, and so is Five Guys. Umami Burger and Ruby's have been the two hands-down best burgers of my life thus far.











The nature just on the outskirts - It is SO accessible. Taking a one hour train out of the city exposes you to the most amazing landscapes that are in such a stark contrast to the garbage-filled streets of Chinatown. I've only done one hike so far but am planning to do many more when it gets a little warmer next year, it's just way too easy to be surrounded by nature, even when you live in such a bustling metropolitan city. It really helps to get out on the weekend, breathe a little fresh air in and remember that trees still do exist.

The Australians - We're everywhere. Recently went to a Flight Facilities gig, and the entire audience was Australian - evident when an "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" chant erupted to the sounds of Client Liaison playing a song with both koalas AND didgeridoos in it.

Understanding pop culture - There's nothing like watching a movie and quietly poking your boyfriend in the ribs to let him know that you live in that city, that you've walked past that trash can. We recently watched Birdman, which is set primarily in the Theatre District, and I recently watched Manhattan. It's incredible, and surreal, and is definitely one of those New York moments that strike at any given moment, at any given time. I can now watch Sex and the City and fully understand what a joke it is that Carrie lives in the Upper West Side on a freelance journalist's income, and what Duane Reade is (it's not a person).

Thanksgiving - Stuffing. Apple pie. Pumpkin pie. That's all I need to say. It's also helpful to have a national holiday that's a reminder to be thankful (even though in truth, this should happen every day). This year, I'm thankful for New York.



















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Dressing warm in the big city with Lyst

December 13, 2014, 9:00 am
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Click through to see this outfit on Lyst.

There is only one thing that I like more than sales. It's making lists of things that are on sale. I discovered Lyst on my own a few months ago, and it was introduced to me sort of as a magical sales assistant - you make note of everything you like, and it tells you when it goes on sale. Sort of like filling your shopping basket up preemptively before patiently waiting for prices to be slashed.  


Click through to see this outfit on Lyst.

In recent memory, my shopping habits are erratic - an often-asked question is "Where do you get your clothes"? The honest answer is, some are gifted by companies, some are found in thrift stores, some online and a lot on random Asian e-commerce stores. The only time I've had to organize my shopping efforts is when faced with the roaring beast of cold and fury that is New York's winter. I'll spare you from any lamentation around the topic, as I'm sure I've mentioned enough to fill the next decade of winters, but I found myself with a double-edged conundrum - I had to basically build my Winter wardrobe from the ground up. 

Websites like Lyst make this task super easy - I tend to make lists of what I need such as these Michael Kors bags, black boots, big puffer coats, a down vest, jeans, etc, and fill them up with ideas on where I can find these items. Lyst also helped me organize outfits - I'm the biggest noobie when it comes to dressing for the cold, and I'm slowly building up my skill in avoiding looking like a giant puffy hamburger.

So what's my method behind a good winter outfit? Mixing it up. It's so easy to fall into a mindless repetitive trap of always going for dark clothing, and I'm definitely not one to wear all black. Mixing in pastels and neutrals is an easy way to ensure variety - I find it's as simple as buying 4-5 different scarves, beanies and boots to mix and match with everything. Accessories become the new basics in Winter for me. It's also helpful to play around with textures and patterns to offset the same basic warm coat you wear all the time.


Lyst is completely free to use, and they're partly fortune tellers - you specify which brands you like when you sign up and they keep showing you the good stuff as you use it.

**This post was sponsored 
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Bed Bonds

January 4, 2015, 4:07 pm
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Onesie: Bonds Australia;Hat: Nirvanna Designs; Socks: Uniqlo;
All photos by XSSAT Photography

As cold as the garbage-lined streets are, and as tiring as walking down a way-too-breezy street clutching at your coat and pulling your beanie down far enough that you almost can't see where you're going, nothing beats the sigh of relief as heating grabs you by the neck as soon as you walk into any internal building. The heating in our apartment is turned up so high that sometimes at night I'll wake in a sweaty mess, blinking in the dark and forgetting it's December in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Getting a Bonds onesie on and supplementing it with thick socks and the single beanie that has decided to take up permanent residence on my head helps me straddle the metaphorical temperature equator - my mind is in sunny Sydney and the barely clothed days of last Summer, and my body is firmly frozen in place as my hands fumble like bricks attached to my arms and I still take delight at breathing out and forming hot clouds in the air (I'm not 5 but my hobbies remain the same).

There was a decent amount of snow yesterday before it became too warm and turned into rain - walking in a light snowstorm felt like a dream, where everything was muffled and nobody was on the streets - the flakes falling into my eyes like a thousand tiny stabby, wonderful, incredible daggers. I'm not the first Australian to wax lyrical about frozen rain, and I won't be the last - and as many other Australians who have charged through the bleak Winter and survived, I'm finally learning how to juggle my FOMO for frozen Paddlepops, and a growing appreciation for the quiet magic that is Winter.












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