Chuffin' 'ell, I 'av nowt t'wear!

We have ALL been there at one point or another: 

"Oh my God, what do I wear to attend (Insert name here)'s birthday party/celebration??"

Even as children, we had to make that life-changing decision of dressing up as Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella; or as Wolverine or Batman.

This post was actually collectively inspired by my friends. Of course, it is T's birthday soon (April 5th *hint hint* lol). It was also inspired by her as, well, being a girl; my best friend in Malaysia; and my girls back in England.

There always came a SPECIAL time (most of the time, if not every time), when we were facing a closetful of outfits, yet had NOTHING to wear. Yes ladies (and gents!), I am sure you know that feeling very well!

And so, as the (modern) saying goes: "We gotta do what we gotta do!" - and shopping time it shall be.

(Editor's note: It is Causeway Place, not Causeway Plaza!)

This was my dance day-cum-shopping day outfit: the skirt is easily taken off and the top was my dance top previously featured on "Backstage Pass"

Initially, I thought I would end up scouting around many places, but I actually only went to two places: Cotton On in Central and Causeway Place in Causeway Bay. Here are some outfit selections from Cotton On:

  

I especially LOVE the polka-dot skirt! I find that patterns are a great way to spice up an outfit/look and if paired with heels, either one of these outfits would be a good birthday party/celebration outfit (although it is leaning towards the more casual end of the line!)

So after leaving Cotton On in Central, I ended up at Causeway Bay and also, shop-spotting (you know, when you spot something and instinctively know that it is perfect and all that jazz) in Causeway Place and Causeway Place only! The first, were the heels:

I came across this shop called 'HiHeel' at the place and it instantly drew me in:

Somehow, the shop just spelled out: "There's something for you" the moment you set eyes upon it - and indeed I did!

The sales member, Jason, was very lovely as well! He noted my favourite style/colour etc. of heels and recommended to me a selection of heels for me to try and choose from. Most importantly, they accommodate for 'larger' shoe sizes here than the average UK 5 shoe size that you normally find in independent shops!

The service is exceptionally personalized and friendly and within 10 minutes I have found my perfect shoes. (And a good deal with it as well!) Another point to note is that you know they are quality the moment you try on the heels - if you don't, experiment with the different price range of shoes, take note of the 'sensation' when you wear it and move it around and you would come to recognize the shoe's quality. (Although it isn't always necessarily the case for the more expensive shoe to be the better one! It is all about individuality with that shoe!)

I definitely look forward to returning in the near future to get more heels and will be featured on Dashion. If you are interested in taking a trip there or finding more about HiHeel, here are some details:

"If you are looking for something funky, wicked, unique heel; than you have come to the  right place. We hand pick all the finest shoes around the world, just for you to choose from and if you have any enquiry, please do drop us a line on our facebook "https://www.facebook.com/causewayplace.hiheel" or can reach us on whatsapp +852 6685 6582 as well. 

Happy shopping my Lady. Cheers" (Edited)

146, 1/F Causeway Place

1-1L Yee Wo Street

Causeway Bay, HK.

+852 3116 9993 or WhatsApp: +852 66856582

HiHeel's Facebook Page

So what are the shoes like? *Drum roll*

My beautiful Gianmarco Lorenzi heels that fit like heaven and is actually a variegated version of a pair of heels I used to have (with the glitter and all that!)

The best bit of this pair of the heels is the heel shape itself. It is subtly caving inwards but it makes all the difference and it is just so. damn. beautiful!

So as you may have come to know in the video, the shoes were ever-so-slightly over-budget therefore I was reconsidering about getting an outfit and using what I (don't) have in my closet. HOWEVER, it was destiny to get lost whilst trying to leave Causeway Place ...

I came across this corner shop called 'Babylon' and what caught my eye was this:

"MAX MAX MAX MAX MAX SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE .."

I kid you not.

 So I went in and looked at the sales rack, hoping to find a dress (and at the same time, hoping not to so I don't go even more over-budget) and what happens? I found it.

I was in love. The red-black colour combination and lace sleeves and top lining it. *swoon*

I didn't even manage to try it on and I knew I had to have it (Though, it is NOT recommended to do what I did! Always try on your outfits before buying them - it is one thing to spot them and another to wear them).

When I got back to T's place, I experimented with various accessories and had a further choice of using a thin, black waist belt or my black furry scarf. 

 It has been a great day shopping and finding my perfect outfit for a birthday celebration party. Especially with my new heels! (which, honestly, was actually my main priority for the shopping trip - a good pair of heels could make whole lot of difference to any outfit!)

So if you had nowt t'wear, what would YOU do? :)

Tweet or Instagram us (@DashionHime) your shopping successes (especially heels! lol) and we will feature them on our Twitter/IG pages! Also, don't forget to follow us for more Dashion love to come soon!

♥ "It's all about how you put it together" - J x

Lace love

In this cycle, there are a lot of birthdays of people I know coming up, including my own :). So we are going to be doing some birthday ideas! 
 
There are going to be a few changes starting from this cycle. Our dear K has to leave us, but there is still J and myself to keep this going! Now because we have K's slot open, we are going to have a week where we feature designs that are inspired by the cycle! If you have some good designs that you want us to feature on the blog, you can email it to us on dashion.hime@gmail.com or hashtag us on instagram for #dashionhime! You can also see some of our own!
 
Now to begin with, to my dear childhood buddy, Julian,
 
a big fat HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 
I love birthday parties, it's a chance to dress up, get together and have fun with your friends. Birthday parties are always way more fun with your closest friends.  Now put on a mask with your best friend and you will do crazy things.

 

"We all have a social mask, right? We put it on, we go out, put our best foot forward, our best image.  But behind that social mask is a personal truth , what we really, really believe about who we are and what were capable of." - Phil McGraw

I agree with Phil McGraw, we all act a certain way when we are with people. Only a few people in our lives can really see us be ourselves at all times and usually those are the people who love and care about you the most.

J has been one of my best friends since I was eight, when I'm with her I definitely strip away my social mask. Only when you are with people who you are very comfortable with, you can be yourself completely. Even if you are acting like a complete fool, you know they will love you because you are just being you.

 

Masquerade theme parties are always fun, it adds a sense of mysterious and excitement when everyone is wearing their mask! You can be anyone you want to be, a beautiful stranger.  We are all braver behind a mask because it's like a protection of our identity. We can do things that we never would without a mask.  Hence the previous statement of doing crazy things with your best friend as you know they will prompt you to go futher than you would.

 

 

For this idea, I have decided to draw my own lace mask to match a lace outfit. It is quite simple to do and definitely a lot of fun if you enjoy a little bit of art. All I used was a black eyeliner to draw the designs for Me and J. At the end I dabbed some black eye shadow over it to make it look like a see through layer of fabric. For my lips I used the same YSL Rouge Laque in Enchant me to add some colour to the outfit.
 

 

I matched it with a lace dress I got when I was in Vancouver this February.  It is from Urban Behavior. In our first blog Passion for Dashion I have mentioned in my short introduction that I love lace because it could be classy, sexy and fun :) The dress that J wore was also featured by me in her blog Wherefore art thou, mon amour?

 

 

We are both wearing high heels from Steve Madden. High heels are the best inventions ever. It just elongates your legs and make them look so much more nicer. J's patterned heels were previously featured in Be strong, Juliet . 

  

 

With this look, you are now ready to attend a masquerade party and have a blast with your best friends! And here's a little sneak peak of how I really am when I am with people I am close with :)

 

 

 

 

Next week we have J's blog coming up! Don't forget to follow us on twitter: @dashionhime and instagram: @dashionhime for updates!

 

♥ "It's all about how you put it together" - T

Centre Stage

William Shakespeare once wrote in his monologue,‘As You Like It’:

“All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages.”

We would all have different opinions towards this phrase. Some may deem this as looking at life as superficial, or fake; some may find this viewpoint as an obscure notion, or a dreamer’s speech; some may wholly understand and relate tothe metaphorical gesture; or some may disagree yet acknowledge these words.

However thine or mine perception shalt be casted upon this phrase, it does not really matter – we are only going to touch on this on a very literal level; we are actually going to create an imaginary scene now: there is a seemingly limitless, physical stage and we are to place the world onto it. You are the lead of this cast, you are to play yourself and all you have to do and say in each scene is one thing: Accidentally bump into someone and say: “I’m sorry.”

*CURTAIN RISES*

First scene: you are at home.

*Bump*

You bumped into a family member, you say your line:

“I’m sorry.”

Second scene: you are hanging out with your friends.

*Bump*

This time you bumped into one of your close friends.

“I’m sorry.”

Third scene: you are at work.

*Bump*

Uh-oh, it was your boss you bumped into.

“I’m sorry.” 

Final scene: you are at the zebra crossing, the lights are flashing, a flurry of people and… *Bump*

“I’m sorry.”

Who did you bump into? Did you actually manage to see their face?

*CURTAIN CLOSES* (Audience applause)

Now the question is: who were you at each scene? Yes, yourself, but what exact role of yourself were you?

What did those words mean to you?

What did those words mean to those that you bumped into?

The point here is, albeit being ourselves at any given time, we have derivatives of ourselves that are ‘oncall’ as according to our surroundings. It is all the same, from a mother or afather, to Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn – and not everyone will see each and every of these derivatives.

There comes a time when we all wonder who we really are. Who’s the real me? Audrey Hepburn starred a magnificent role in “Breakfastat Tiffany’s”.  Holly Golightly,spontaneous, glamorous and fun-loving New York party girl turns out to be a small town married young wife name Lula Mae Burnes. Lula Mae Burnes wanted a different life, a different role to play and became Holly Golightly.

“You’re wrong. She is a phony. But on the other hand you’re right. She isn’t a phony because she’s a real phony. She believes all this crap she believes. You can’t talk her out of it.”

This quote from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" really makes one think about it. Holly Golightly is a typical example for our theme today. When we play a role in our own lives, and we really believe in it, does it become who we really are? A lot of the times our lives forces us to play a certain role, whether it’s to be someone’s mother, lover or daughter. We always act accordingly because there are expectations, but does it make it any less us?  I think whatever we do, there is always an element of us in it. Just like how Audrey Hepburn plays the role of Holly Golightly. 

 

Every girl loves her in the movie, despite the factthat she really is a gold digger and a high end prostitute, she’s still an icon. Why? Of course Audrey Hepburn is beautiful, but a lot of women are beautiful. Personally I feel the most special feature about her is her classy elegance. It just stays with her no matter what role she does. This is also the reason why I picked to recreate her style for this blog.  I have always love Audrey Hepburn because elegance is not something you can mimic. Ever since I was young, my grandmother has taught me that beauty is not just from how you look, but also how you act. In her “when I was young” stories, she told us how men was not attracted because of beauty but because of elegance and how classy one is.

“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with passing years.”  – Audrey Hepburn

The dress chosen with an exaggerated detail on the shoulder is to create the glamorous look that Audrey Hepburn had in "Breakfast at Tiffany's". Although instead of the typical black dress, a bold, bright orange was selected to add a bit of spice to it. The dress was bought from a local store in Hong Kong that is not branded.  We don't have to wear expensive clothes to look expensive. It all depends on how you carry it and you can look like a million dollars. The shoes and thin belt worn was showcased in T's previous blog Enchant Me. 

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." - Audrey Hepburn 

"If I'd observe all the rules, I'd never have got anywhere." - Marilyn Monroe 

Marilyn Monroe was chosen because of her symbolism during the height of her career. She was perceived largely as a 'sex symbol', but also, this correlated to a number of other perceptions: her independence/success as an individual female; her somewhat 'rebellion' against societal norms; her sweet yet sexy charisma (she was once described as symbolising what is the 'grey' area - she is neither an angel nor a devil; she is angelic-looking, yet she has her underlying rebellion).

 

She also signified the womanly body - her curves, charisma and atmosphere. Her logic, intellect and spoken words established her further in her calibre as, not just a woman, but also as a person; an icon; an inspiration. Hence the reason for the outfit selection of a ruffles-sleeved top and a tight-fitting, pencil skirt:

a) it embodies the embrace of a woman's curve, regardless of what 'amount' we have on our bodies, a woman was naturally created with small/big/eminent/subtle curves.

 

b) Ruffles. They are classical, beautiful, yet unconventional. No one set of ruffles and curves will be the same as the next; there is always a surprise. Like Marilyn's quote, she does not follow the rules; the 'straight line. Ruffles, then, can somewhat depict individuality yet also, the many different aspects of it. It also adds a grandeur aura to the watchful eye. :)

 

"I have feelings too. I am still human. All I want is to be loved, for myself and my talent." - Marilyn Monroe

Like a performer, we ‘perform’ variations of ourselves. If you noticed, the terms ‘perform’ and ‘performer’ are used instead of ‘act’ or ‘actor/actress.’ In this somehow philosophical context, there is a fine distinction between the two sets of words. We are all given roles throughout the stages in life, i.e. from birth, school, work etc. However, an actor reenacts a given role - a performer portrays a given role. (Think about it. It took me awhile as well, to word this properly!)

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – OscarWilde 

Are you going to let people decide what role you are to play in your own life or are you going to regain control and take the lead. Remember this: you are the leading roles in your lives and if you are not happy with it, change the story - change the plot! You have that power to do so and the most important thing is for you to live happy. 

Fun fact: Did you know that Marilyn Monroe was originally casted for the role of Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"?

Cycle two comes to an end and next week and we have T's individual blog coming up. Follow us on Twitter: @dashionhime and Instagram: @dashion_hime for updates! If you have recreated your favourite styles, hashtag us #dashionhime and we can give you a shoutout! :) 

♥ "It's all about how you put it together" - T & J.

Backstage Pass

"When I am off the stage, my life consists of... well, dance. But a more... 'behind-the-scenes' way - the training, the stretching, the things to be done so to deliver for the audience. It's more than a way of life, it's a being." - J ♥

Everyone has a 'behind-the-scenes' life - one does not have to be a superstar to have that. Friends have the VIP backstage passes to our lives; certain friends and family have the VVIP backstage passes to another part of our lives ...

But it is only us selves that have that VVVVV(x 100)VIP backstage passes to THAT one specific part of our lives - outside of work, outside of nights out with friends, beyond the days you spend with friends and family: just you. 

This is where your 'Me' outfit comes in.

Your 'Me' outfit: just you, strolling down Soho or something, on a random day, without a specific place to arrive at, or any errands you need to tend to. Yes, those days we may usually call 'random' but in fact, is your backstage day; your SOLE/SOUL - SO(u)L(e) day. (see what I did there, BOOM!)

As mentioned previously in D-h's launch post, I stated that my personal style is that of anything I can dance in; dance-related. So, to go into more detail, ANYTHING to do with dance - aesthetically and functionally. For me, even when I'm not on the stage, I am constantly engaged with dance. 

So what's my SO(u)L(e) day/'Me' outfit like? 

Well, top, shorts and a selection of 'I-can-dance-in-them-shoes' shoes (which basically, are all my shoes). 

Shorts, I love shorts. God bless whoever it was that invented shorts. Even during winter, I'd just pair it with tights. It is indeed very casual, but for the 'behind-the-scenes' days, it is Godsend. 

With that, I can match it with many different tops, especially a top that I LOVE, recently discovered and bought, and actually have not been worn yet as I was waiting to showcase it on D-h first, so here it is!

Shorts: Blue Asphalt

Top: b + ab

Tights: Market! ;)

Shoes: Converse

Usually, I would opt for two rings - on my right thumb and index - to match many of my SO(u)L(e) day outfits, and usually it'll either be the silver pair as seen in the picture above, or my gold pair. (I LOVE RINGS!) Aside from that, no other accessories - bare minimum get up (and makeup). 

Think... Bruno Mars' song 'Lazy Song' - that should be all our official SO(u)L(e) song (lol, no pressure. Not that we're lazy or anything, it's just so... soulful!). 

Though if you're one that'd like to add more glam to your SO(u)L(e) day outfits, be sure to have a read through T's 'Biglamous' post from last week to check out how to glam up any simple (like, seriously simple) getups!

So beyond the stage we are on called 'Daily Life'; the VIP-est of VIP backstage passes to our lives that which only we solely own, what is YOUR 'Me' outfit? 

Tweet us (dashionhime) or Instagram us (@dashion_hime) your snapshots and we'll hoist your SO(u)L(e) outfits onto the
limelight! [ ... and whilst you are at it, might as well give us a follow! ;)] 

♥ "It's all about how you put it together" - J x

P.S. Have you guessed Cycle 2's theme yet? ;)