New Blog

Dear All,

Due to recent messages received on Facebook, I was made aware that people STILL read this even though it has been defunct for over a year now. Please visit my new blog at Fried Rice Connoisseur to abreast of my latest blog posts.

My twitter is now changed to @frconnoisseur and my instagram is now @friedriceconnoisseur. My email is also friedriceconnoisseur@gmail.com.

Best,
Joy

I MOVED!

After calling this space home for the past 2 and a half years, I have decided to move. I’ve already stated my reasons for leaving, which is because of the responsive design that the Tumblr theme can offer me. I pride myself on being up to date with technology and it bothered me greatly not to have something that would be compatible with the way that people are consuming technology nowadays. I am made all the more painfully aware due to the nature of my work at my internship now. Though many of you are still reading this blog via more traditional formats, rather than on the mobile devices, I am sure soon many of you will eventually adopt such technologies one point or the another. I personally could not stand the look of it on my iPad! 

Moreover, I’m saving up for an Google Nexus 4, so I hopefully I can finally join Instagram (which will sync all the easier on Tumblr). I know Tumblr is notorious for offering unoriginal reblogged content, but rest assured that the same kind of ramblings you see here will be seen there. I hope the domain will already redirect you there. So here's to new things ahead of us: I can’t wait for the new Of Stranger Sensibilities.

(click banner to site)

All Hail the Newcomers

Please believe me when I say that I never intended to drop off the face of the blog quite so dramatically and for so long. The transition to new city and the 9-5 schedule has been incredibly smooth so far, save for the horrendously slow internet both at home and at work. The unintended side effect is that I have become much less of a couch potato and generally more active in terms of seeking out other activities around the city — I am still surprised at how many people I know are in DC at the moment. My new internet haven for the moment is the local library.

Because it’s been so long since my last post, I owe you all a bit of a wardrobe update. I am happy to announce that getting a jacket is not necessary, as everybody is a bit more lax in the hot summer weather. In fact, I believe I may be able to wear even jeans on Friday. My uniform at the moment, and I believe for the rest of the summer, is going to consist of button down shirts, chinos and loafers. The uniform does not change drastically on the weekends for adventures around the city, except with chino shorts and sandals taking the place of the longer chino pants and loafer.

Though some have taken note of my lack of materialism on my recent AMA, I can assure you that I still give in to the occasional temptation, despite knowing better than to purchase more additions to the wardrobe, as I only have the one piece of luggage with me. I am a bit ashamed to say I was rather spendthrift this weekend, buying the following:

• Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray. Godsend for my limp straight Asian hair in the humidity of the city. It's great as a dry shampoo might I add. Investment grade: worth it.
• Warby Parker Preston glasses in Whisky Tortoise. My eyesight has deteriorated a little since I started college, so while I can still see quite well sans glasses, it does help to pick out faces in crowds for example. Investment grade: worth it.
•  Harry's The Winston razor. Though supposedly quite the stereotypical hairless Asian, I personally still see hairs that apparently no one else can see. Nevertheless, I am curious and I bought this along with the Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel as seen on Into the Gloss. Investment grade: ??? as I have yet to try it.
• Leather bag. My mother bought it for my sister so it’s a wash because I didn’t buy it personally myself. My sister didn’t like it so I picked it up. It’s absolutely enormous, so it’s a great alternative to my Everlane backpack. In hindsight, it looks like the iconic Bottega Venetta bag, which is a huge side plus. Investment grade: oh you bet it’s worth it. 

Things on my radar:

• Google Nexus 4 phone.
• New undergarments now that I can go to Nordstrom.

I’ll try to make more frequent visits to the library so that I won’t go AWOL on you guys again. Check out my AMA if you haven’t had a chance to yet in the meantime. Loved answering your questions people! 

The Art of Aging Gracefully (I)

This is perhaps not the best title for a post ever, given the context of the film. I watched Amour (2012) over a small glass of Rosé back in March with a French buddy C. Everybody did a marvelous job, from  Michael Haneke to Emmanuelle Riva, who I thought really should have won the Oscar (instead of Jennifer Lawrence with her good but terribly overrated performance in Silver Linings Playbook (2012)). That’s one of the main reasons I hate the Oscars: it’s all politics and not really about awarding who is truly good in the industry that year.

While they may not have aged particularly gracefully in this film (not really a spoiler), they at least look the part. I liked how the film chose an honest depiction of a couple growing old together, which is at times frustrating, infuriating and painful—a good reality check for those (ahem me) who constantly romanticize about getting older. I can’t be the only odd one who does this: you can get away with ignoring stupid societal norms, first priority seating on public transportation and everything else for that matter, with all the time and the means to pursue your hobbies. What’s not to like?

That aside, I am now convinced that the key to looking understated chic when you are 65+ is a dark minimalist wardrobe. I love how the ladies over at Advanced Style look, but I personally aspire to the way Georges and Anne look here. The fuss free, über-utilitarian feel of their clothes strongly appeals to my sensibilities. Anne is proof that you can wear a hair band and not look like a silly school girl and/or remotely Blair Waldorf-y. Might I add they also have the dream bourgeois apartment.

I hope the screen caps are okay, considering it’s the first time I’ve made them myself. This is part I of II, on style, age and consumer perspective.

Things of Note, May & June

It’s been a long long time since I’ve done this sort of post. I shouldn’t be surprised that June has already rolled around here but I am. Fashion has been quite low on the scale of importance/need of wants so I guess I would just be sharing some things on my mind at the moment that are not necessarily related to the wardrobe per se:

• Sicilian Dreams by Tom Craig for Vogue Russia. The best summer holiday themed editorial I have seen this season thus far. I have to admit I have a strong Arizona Muse bias. See the rest of it here. 
• Lomzynianka. I didn’t even know I had a taste for Polish food until I came to this place in Brooklyn Greenpoint. It’s BYOB, so I brought one of my favourites, Weihanstephaner Hefeweissbier. Most recommended. Website here.
• Black tie formal wedding this Fall. I just received the invite for my cousin’s big splashy society wedding come September—ughhh. I am happy for her to be sure, however it does add considerably to my budgeting woes. The most fancy garments that I currently own are cocktail dresses at best (yeah I was that girl who skipped prom in high school) and I’ve been sternly told by my aunt (my cousin’s mother) that as part of la familia that won’t cut it. GREAT, JUST FANTASTIC. I should just count my blessings that I was not made a bridesmaid. *dodged that bullet*
• Still on the fence about the navy blazer. Yeah I’m still drooling over it in my sleep and I understand it’s probably truly worth it; however there is a part of me that wishes it would be so hot in D.C. (and it probably will be) that a navy blazer would not, understandably, be required. I’ve decided the best course of action would be to follow Kali’s advice that I should just wait and see what my senior colleagues wear. Should I feel too underdressed, I will get it.
• Housing woes. Just when I thought everything was set in D.C., I received a surprise email saying that I could no longer sublet from this alum due to a change in management rules. I suppose nothing can ever work out too perfectly for me, eh?
• Falling out of love with fashion, but still in love with style. I’ve been thinking about my recent waves of ennui regarding fashion since I last wrote about it and comparing it to Amanda’s latest post. I’ve come to realize that I falling out of fashion again (ceasing all contact with bull$hit fashion news etc.), which has happened to me before during the tail end of my high school years. That being said, I can always appreciate good style, which is often easily confused with fashUN but in reality are two very different things. If you were wondering whether I would still talk about fashion style, then this is the latest update on it.
• American Vogue on Youtube. Having said all of that on fashion just before, it’s a bit of contradiction to say that I’ve been enjoying most of the content uploaded the Youtube channel of Vogue US. If they put Hamish’s new show (called “Vintage Bowles”, I kid you not) then I will watch it. It’s still a few steps behind the kind of videos that Mr Porter puts out regularly, but it is by far superior to the content offered by Net-à-Porter. 
• New haircut desperately needed. I hate this mop that’s sitting on the top of my head that passes for a hairstyle. It’s long overgrown but per Chinese custom regarding the recently deceased, I can’t. Cut. My. Hair. For a month. It’s hot in Montréal these few days, so it’s been hell. I suppose I should learn how to braid my own finally and attempt those heidi milkmaid-ishy hair braids. Yodeling and the Sound of Music comes to mind...is that the name for it???

Facing the Inevitable

VIA

I am sure all college students go through this at some point: the transfer from collegiate casual dress to something a little more professional. I have been luckier than most, in that my internship last summer in Greece had basically no dress code. Whereas this summer, working in relatively conservative environment in Washington D.C. means I can no longer get away with wearing whatever.

Thankfully, due to my obsession with menswear, I already have a good steady rotation of button down shirts, chinos and a great pair of tan wingtips to boot. What I am lacking is a great navy blazer, which to me would be the cherry on top of a great business casual wardrobe.

For my search for The Great Navy Blazer, I headed to Soho. After my eye exam at Warby Parker (just got a pair of Preston in whiskey tortoise!), I beelined for my usual hotspot of Uniqlo. I couldn’t be more disappointed since they usually have a great selection of office basics, which is replaced by designer collaborations and subpar summer prints. As Zara was nearby, I popped in just to check it out. I couldn’t find any navy blazer that I liked but I was awed at how on point the prints at Zara were. Someone either hacked into the Céline/Liberty London/J.Crew HQs or my mind, but it was very hard to walk out of there without buying anything. Thank god I’ve trained my willpower through periodical shopping fasts and general curation (more on this later). I did eventually found THE perfect blazer at J.Crew in the end—it was everything I wanted from the lining down to the buttons but sadly it costs more than what I would’ve liked. I’m still mulling over it because it was just that beautiful and utterly flawless. It would be a worthwhile investment as navy blazers are classic.

Last but not least, after seeing these cute pair of heels at Miss Sophie's Les-Antimodernes, I have been thinking about getting them too. Not only are they affordable, but they will be very forgiving for a complete heels n00b like me. At my height, heels are not necessary but knowing how to walk in a pair of heels in my books is still a good skill set to have.

So here you go, a complete update with regards to my stance on shopping and what I’m currently looking for. I can’t wait to start writing full length pieces again for C+C once I’m settled in Montréal.

Art Basel Hong Kong

If you’re currently in Hong Kong, you’re in luck as Art Basel Hong Kong is on right now from May 23-26. Formerly known as the Hong Kong International Art Fair, MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd. has bought it to join Miami and Basel on the world stage. You can bet that I would be there in a heart beat if I was anywhere near Asia. The online catalogue looks amazing and with that many participating galleries, one can only expect great works to be available on view.

Also Kisha has kindly invited me over to her blog, Chronicled, to share 5 things that I want, need, visit, learn and eat, this week. Check it out when you can :)

FEATURED ARTWORKS (CLOCKWISE): GERT AND UWE TOBIAS, UNTITLED, 2013; YAN PEI-MING,  PORTRAIT OFFICIEL, 2003; YUE MINJUN, CONTEMPORARY TERRACOTTA WARRIOR NO. 10, 2007.

Look Out for Me in D.C.

Enough of general malaise, sadness and melancholia around these parts (at least for now)! I have finally finalized my summer plans and I will be in living and interning in D.C. this summer. How exciting! I feel like D.C. and I were meant to be: I fell in love with the city after visiting for this past spring break and it’s now my favourite city in the U.S. by far. First, I will be in Montréal for my sisters’ high school graduation but after that it is to D.C. I go.

I just realized I haven’t shared zip about my spring break trip to D.C. so here are some pictures of Oyamel, a Mexican restaurant that has come highly recommended by Aurelie. Thanks for the rec! This place probably has some of the best guacamole and ceviche I’ve had ever and you can bet I will be back this summer. I can’t wait to hang out with my greatest blogger pal Jada, whom I had met through the blogosphere and more, but if anyone needs a buddy for new eateries/concerts/galleries/museums/festivals/outdoor adventures in either D.C. or Montréal this summer, be sure to hit me up!

The Difficulty in Moving On

With the current weather so sunny and warm, I haven’t been spending a lot of time in front of the computer these days. Perhaps it is this, coupled with the general anxiety I have as a rising college senior, that I haven’t been thinking about fashion much. At least in a substantial way.

On the odd occasion that I do think about fashion, it is always twinged with certain sense of melancholia, especially after all the recent Bangladesh accidents. It feels wrong to talk about “silly” things like aesthetics again, when so many have died for fast fashion. A particularly gruesome image of a man crushed under the rubble at the collapse of Rana Plaza continues to haunt me. I can’t help but feel partially responsible, even though it has been years since I bought anything from the known brands that used Rana Plaza for their manufacture of goods. What is particularly upsetting is to see so few mainstream fashion blogs (the big personal style ones) even mention in brief, anything about the tragedies in Dhaka. More so, I have yet to see any fashion magazine discuss the events either.

I want to argue that fashion is more than clothes, that it’s about capturing the zeitgeist and creating a channel for self-expression; nowadays, I just see D-E-A-T-H. It might feel overly dramatic, but for every piece of clothing (especially fast fashion) I notice, I can’t help but wonder: who has suffered for it this time round? I have always known intuitively, ever since I started buying fast fashion clothing as an pre-teen, that fast fashion sounds too good to be true. Though I have matured much since, with the full extent of the hidden social costs revealed before me, I have incredible difficulty in moving on past these tragedies to more lighthearted anecdote and musings in my continual discussion about fashion. Even menswear, which generally focuses more on quality and craft rather than trends, has lost its allure. I might be happy and thus learnt to deal with being small, but I highly doubt many others ever will be.

I wonder if there is any others, who feel as strongly as I do about the general appalling state of consumption habits in fashion, especially amongst the younger demographic that I belong to (ages 18-24). Perhaps there are more important issues that us Millenials have to deal with—terrible employment opportunities for one and chronic underemployment for another—yet the choices we as Gen Y makes, continues to matter with profound impact on the rest of the globe. Is there an easy(-ier) way out of this mess we’ve made?

My Current Uniform

Finals are finally over (well they have been over for a while now but it’s been hard getting back into the blogging game)! I’ve taken these photos a long while ago in mid April but it still holds true even now in mid May (can you believe it!). EVERYTHING goes so well with my chinos it’s insane. My jeans are definitely put on the back burners for the most part. The weather so far has been uncharacteristically cold...or maybe just last year was uncharacteristically hot. Either way, it’s pants and jackets weather still—not that I particularly mind.

As for other news, all the media attention over Bangladesh factory disasters, most prominent of which is Rana Plaza collapse and the latest being the Tung Hai Sweater Factory fire last week, has prompted changes in regulating the industry. This is great, yet more still needs to be done. Alas it is an absolute abomination that it had to take so many preventable deaths to warrant even minute changes in the fashion industry.

I have been creeping on all the great discussions on the topic, from Jess to threads on /r/femalefashioadvice to Lin. With regards to Uniqlo in Lin’s post specifically, this is a evidence of just how hard it is for well meaning customers (like Lin) to ascertain the origins and manufacturing process of their purchases, unless they are part of some convenient PR campaign (see H&M report at Jess and Everlane’s latest factory video). For those who argue against more regulation, it is economics 101 that for markets to be perfectly competitive, there needs to be perfect information, which is not the case here. As some someone who has tried to look into Uniqlo purely out of sheer curiosity, I have trouble finding the latest reports and figures too, since most of the up to date information is entirely in Japanese. Some things are mentioned, but only in vague statements in their annual report.

Two steps backwards, but at least one small step forward. What will this mean for the future of (fast) fashion?

P.S. Thanks for all the interest in sponsorship! I will respond shortly.

This Summer

I’m always jealous of the beautiful mood boards that so many graphic designers make and display on their blogs nowadays. Taking a page from Miss Sophie (who else?), here is my amateurish attempt at a mood board for the summer.

Make up for the summer = beach waves + a touch of bronzer + a perfect orange red pout with MAC’s So Chaud. Armed with best white tees ever, you can bet they will be part of my uniform this summer, though I have to say Marlon Brando as Stanley from A Streetcar Named Desire will always be the ultimate god of white tees everywhere. After my internship this summer, I hope to get off the grid to Vancouver Island and spend the rest of my summer bumming on the beach with a lot of books in hand. The Django Unchained (2012) soundtrack will also be on constant rotation (not pictured).

For everything else, I read Gear Patrol.

TO FINALS!

IMAGES FROM 1, 2, 3.

New In: Everlane

A few days ago my Everlane goodies arrived. You should have seen me skipping my way down to the campus center mailroom. The one showcased above is the Box Cut Tee, which had been high on my want list for spring. I also got the V (neck) White and a zip backpack in Military.

I wasn’t planning to do a post on them exclusively, but Kali expressed interest in reading what I think about them so here you go. I LOVE IT. I know I have been saying that quite a lot, especially after getting my Barbour coat finally but I mean it most sincerely. I think it’s due to planning and thinking about one thing so much that it becomes something of an obsession. Everlane more than delivered, on the account of the huge hype the label has received as of late from the Internet. These are the BEST tees I’ve ever owned, hands down, even compared to my mum’s CK ones and to the ones by Uniqlo (to which I am still a loyal customer). You cannot get better crisp white tees anywhere else, even without regarding Everlane's low price points. If you were wondering why the tee looks rather wrinkled, it’s because I’ve been wearing them nonstop since I got them — my friends can attest to that.

An unexpectedly great thing about Everlane is that they’re made in the USA, namely an entirely guilt free purchase in light of the horrific factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (For reference: I have talked about fashion sustainability issues already before here and Jess just wrote an analysis on this particular instance on her blog.) I suspect is it due to this tragedy that Everlane has revealed parts of their factory process on their website to differentiate their practice from the grand majority of bigger labels out there.

I won’t bother reviewing the V neck as it is pretty standard in the way it looks on me. I am reviewing the Box Cut Tee instead, simply because the fit is more unique than most. I’m 1.71m (~5'7") and usually wear around US size 4. I ordered all tees in M and they were all true to size. I have slightly broad shoulders from swimming as a kid and the shoulder seams sit on the right spot. The length of the cropped tee is shorter than expected, though it does not come as too big a surprise since my boobs are so much bigger than the model of the Everlane lookbook. I don’t mind it so much as it does not reveal anything, however ladies with bigger busoms should keep this in mind when ordering the Box Cut Tee. I like how menswear-ish it is in design, though still constructed with the female body in mind so I get to have the best of both worlds. Hip hip hooray for female menswear lovers everywhere! The weight of the cotton of both tees feels substantial to me. Everlane will now be my one stop shop for all things basic tops. It’s just too bad things go out of stock/on the wait list so quickly. For a review of their silk/cashmere offerings, see Miss Sophie of Les Anti-Modernes.

A big thanks to my friend G for taking these photos. I was not compensated by Everlane in any way for this post. If you would like to sponsor me for the summer, click here for more info.

At Into-Mind

Anuschka of Into-Mind (I have talked about her previously here) has just published the guest post I wrote of my own personal style profile. In many ways it’s similar to my earlier post on basics, except in this one I write a lot more on my background and how I have developed aesthetically speaking over the years to where I am now. It was so much fun collaborating with her — go check it out now.

Here are some of the outtakes that were shot on the same day with my friend A at my school’s botanical garden. I really should go more often. Have a great weekend!

The 411

I haven’t been thinking too much about fashion lately, hence so little long form type pieces on curating as of late. I couldn’t bring myself to give a fffffffffff about Coachella. I bought flowers (for the first time ever, see above) for my friend, who was the piano soloist for my college's spring concert this past Saturday. 420. I started to hit the gym again. I bought tickets to a Youth Lagoon concert next month. I am seriously indulging now that my favourite TV shows are now back on air, namely Game of Thrones and Mad Men. My friend just introduced me to Misfits (how can I hate Ramsay Snow now that I know it’s Simon???) and now wants me to start Netflix’s new show, Hemlock Grove. Trying to stay on top of my school work is going to be a challenge. One that I will readily accept of course.

It hasn't all been fun and games chez Joy. I haven’t settled on an internship yet for the summer. I have been sidetracked by the insane (alleged) Boston Marathon bomber manhunt at the beginning of the weekend. The recent massacre in Syria. The restaurant bombing in Iraq. So much human casualty and blood shed all round.

Sigh. The complete fashion media fast (blogs, videos, magazines alike) this past few days has helped put things into perspective for me. I appreciate the clarity it lends me in my thoughts and opinions about fashion in general, regardless of how depressing some of the news can make me. Thank god the weather is beautiful outside. The effects are much like the experiences gained from imposing a shopping fast on yourself. I strongly encourage you to try it, even if it it means not reading my blog :P

I am slowly picking up the pieces again, first by reading interviews on Jenna Lyons and Tavi Gevinson. I am sure I will later move on to my long list of unread posts on Feedly next. Has anyone else “unplugged” from fashion before? 

Modern Details Nº2

I really enjoyed doing the last Modern Details, so I figured I would try my hand at it again. It is so much fun digging around the wardrobe for the pieces I love, things that get their fair share of wear but otherwise don’t get enough appreciation for their beauty and character.

Now that it’s nice out again, I’ve been alternating between these Melissinos sandals and my white Chucks. I have first heard of Melissinos from my professor, who was with me on the trip to Greece last summer. The final push to shove came from Lindsay, who mentioned them in her post on handmade sandals. I’ve blogged about my trip to Melissinos already but I’ve never shown my sandals in detail. The model of this particular pair is Socrates, while the other pair is Olympia, just so you know.

They were affordable, despite being custom made (I can’t remember the exact price on the top of my head but trust me they were college student budget friendly). I’ve worn them so many times now that the soles have molded to my feet. The leather straps have become soft and supple to touch. I’ve oiled these sandals with olive oil twice only, since I didn’t want them to get too dark. Incidentally, I made the other pair too dark so I will try to get rid of the oil buildup and stain them again from scratch. I have heard from Ask Andy forums that cheap vodka should do the trick. For this pair, I probably should have washed off the salt stains, which has accumulated from the trips to the beaches on the weekends last summer in Greece. However, I’ve grown to like them as they remind me of all the good fun we (fellow classmates on the trip) had mucking around on the shores of Glyfada. What a sentimental sop I’ve become. They are, after all, the marks of something well worn and loved.

In case you were wondering, the nail polish is OPI's Monsooner or Later.

Indulgent Mornings

I went out east this past weekend to visit some high school friends. It’s slowly becoming an annual tradition since I visited during the marathon weekend too last year. My friend overslept due to the Yard Fest this past Saturday, so I bought some magazines to read along the Charles while I waited for her. Out of Town News in Harvard Square has the best selection of international fashion magazines in Massachusetts. It felt particularly indulgent to sit by the river reading alone, with only runners, Canadian geese and the odd rower for company.

The wind picked up and my friend was finally ready, so I turned and headed back towards the Square for brunch. I wouldn’t mind spending most of my weekend mornings like this.

This was written originally for publication Monday morning but then, of course, I fell asleep. I hate to be so US-centric on the blog, but I just want to give my condolences to all the Boston Marathon runners and supporters who were either killed or injured during the explosions.