Feels weird to start October on a slightly good note from where I left off in September. But I guess that's what the title is for. All the good things that happened this month were all much-needed distractions.

Aside from getting to work on a couple of projects that was really fulfilling, a couple of friends came to visit in Tokyo so I got the chance to play tourist here all over again. There was also some quiet weekends where I got to spend with Shun, which was also really nice too.

Outfit

October 10, 2018

You might have remembered this outfit from this post, but I still wanted to update you and share that I've been using this bag non-stop throughout this month. Surprisingly super practical despite its circular shape.

Sweater: COS (similar here)
Pants: Uniqlo
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Meli Melo 'Santina' in White (c/o)

Outfit

October 15, 2018

On a random weekend, Shun and I were craving some curry - so of course, we took a short day trip to Shimokitazawa and had our favorite at 'Kyuyamutei Curry'. Shimokitazawa is known for many things, including great thrift shops as well. It's kind of like a Williamsburg comparison to New York, but I mostly always come here for all of its curry shops.

Sweater: Acne Studios
Skirt: Black Crane
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Loewe Puzzle Bag

Photo by Shun S.

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Creamy Knits

Travel

Hitachi Seaside Park - Kochia Hills
October 21, 2018

After many Fall in Tokyo, I finally got the chance to see the Kochia hills in person. I grew up with a great affinity for Dr. Seuss, so it was kind of a childhood dream come true to see the real-life version of 'Truffula Forrest'. The Kochia blooms for pretty much only a week in a single year, so although the park was packed to the brim, I couldn't blame all those people for wanting to see the hills in all it's burning glory.

Travel

Kyoto and Nara
October 25-30, 2018

I've said before that I've been to Kyoto several times before - but they were all pretty short and quite exhausting since they were focused around all of the major attractions. This time was much different with friends, and we actually got to stay in one of the chicest ryokans I've been in. Apologies for such scrappy photos from this part of the post, but maybe I'll compile all the photos to make a Kyoto part 2 including Nara.

Outfit

October 25-31, 2018

Despite it being fall and all, I didn't shop too much this month. As you can see, I wore this same outfit like twice in two weeks. But you're not wrong, I did buy a new sweater (which is technically old) in a cream. I'm a sucker for ribbed knits and it was nice that it was a little bit cheaper in Tokyo too.

Again, I feel terrible that it's such a scrappy post this month but I just haven't really felt fully myself and I'll let this sloppy post slide to represent that.

Hopefully, it'll get a little better in November.

Ribbed Wool Sweater: Acne Studios
Satin Skirt: Pixie Market
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Meli Melo previously worn here

Photo by Shun S.

Wearing

All pieces in this post

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Shearling Grey

It's that time of the year when dressing like a sheep is highly appreciated. I'm taking advantage of the nice weather we're having in Tokyo to wear something a bit more frilly. Pairing this satin skirt that I've been wearing non-stop underneath a ribbed crewneck to keep the top part of my outfit neutral for the sky-high grey boots on the bottom.

I'm a sucker for all things fluffy, but this shearling jacket was something that I suckered up to get on Amazon fashion since online shopping for US brands is a little of a hassle when I'm in Japan.

Stay warm out there sheepies.

Shearling Jacket: ASTR The Label
Crewneck Sweater: old (new version here)
Satin Skirt: Pixie Market
Shoes: Grey OTK boots
Bag: Chanel
Earrings: Similar

Photo by Shun S.

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Ribbed Wool Sweater Two Ways

I'm not sure if you're sick of seeing me wear this ribbed wool sweater yet, but I don't think I'll probably get tired of throwing this over possibly every kind of bottoms I own when the weather is chilly and I have one of those "I have nothing to wear" moments.

Aside from how chunky and cozy it looks, I personally haven't come across another sweater, which's structure holds up quite like it. I'm speaking from experience since I own the same one in grey that looks just as new (even though it is well over 2 years old and a million times of wear).

Ribbed Wool Sweater: Acne Studios
Pants: GRLFRND Denim
Snake Skin Boots: ATP
Bag: Chanel (vintage options)

Photo by Shun S.

Ribbed Wool Sweater: Acne Studios
Satin Skirt: Pixie Market
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Meli Melo previously worn here

Photo by Shun S.

When it comes to clothes, I love versatility. In this ribbed wool sweater's case, it's how easily it goes from grunge/street when paired with raw-hemmed denim and snakeskin booties, to effortlessly casual and soft with a satin skirt and some usual white sneakers.

Now I'm not saying you should get yourself the same sweater just because I'm showing you that it's probably the only sweater you'll need this winter (and more winters to come). I'm just hoping that you'll keep this in mind when tempted with fast-fashion sweaters that you'll be purchasing that are generally 100% polyester this upcoming winter season. They might be affordable, trendy, and "cute" but they leave a significantly damaging effect on the planet. In case you didn't know, regular polyester is made from petroleum (processing oil). Meaning, the sweaters, shirts, and even scarves that you picked up from any mass retailers last year that you thought you'd wear again this year sitting in the back of your closets now take anywhere from 20 to 200 years to decompose.

That said, a sweater's price tag doesn't really determine its eco-friendliness either. But even if that's not in your interest, polyester isn't even worth your money. Invest in wool, cashmere, or even wool-cashmere blends. It's durable, and will actually keep you warm (which is the whole purpose of a sweater, RIGHT?).

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Aloha

It's a bit late to be sharing a sweater/jacket-less outfit - but I couldn't help but put this one together to document how the Hawaiian craze in Tokyo won me over this summer.

If you know me, you'll know that I've never been big on prints and loud colors. Not really sure if being in Tokyo has anything to do with it but I've been gravitating towards greens and oranges-- colors that I would probably never even think about wearing in the past.

Looking at this outfit, you probably couldn't even tell that green is actually my least favorite color. Haha.

Top: Hawaiian Shirt thrifted (similar here)
Pants: Olive High-waisted Pants Solov
Shoes: Chanel Espadrilles
Bag: Chanel

Photo by Shun S.

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A Real Life Spirited Away, Juifen, Taiwan

If you've already seen my Taiwan post, you'll know that Jiufen was one of the main reasons why the boyfriend and I decided to stay in Taipei. Upon making the final decisions for this trip, we decided last minute to spend a night and full day in Jiufen despite knowing that most people generally do a day trip here, instead.

We got there at around 5 pm even though we left Taipei around 1:30 pm or so because our driver got lost taking us to the closest drop off point to our hotel. Tip: make sure you find the best route for your driver ahead of time before going since they will generally just drop you off by the bus station for Old Jiufen Street. For those who've seen snippets of our trip there via Instagram, the place we decided to stay at was called 'The Ore Inn Jiufen.' Since we had booked this hotel at last minute, most of the rooms were sold out. Because of that, we ended up getting a quadruple room that had mountainside views and a bathtub (which was super nice to sip bubble tea in, haha).

After throwing all our things down in our hotel room, we immediately went out and got a spot at Ai-Mei teahouse on the terrace for the best view of the sunset. The sky turned purple and pink and it was so gorgeous. We were super lucky since it was typhooning just the day before and even early that morning.

It probably wasn't a good idea to have tea and sweets on an empty stomach since we didn't get to eat anything for lunch. But that gave us the best appetite to try a lot of the food in Jiufen Old Street that night. On the walk back to our hotel, we stopped at pretty much any vendors that were still open and bought everything to go to have dinner back at the hotel. It was this moment that I realized we made such a good decision to stay while everyone else was rushing to get on the last bus back to the city.

Wearing Pomelo dress, Common Project sneakers, and Proenza Schouler PS11 Mini with a Fendi bag bug.

The next morning was probably one of the highlights of my trip. We woke up to catch the sunrise, and although I'm not an early riser, it was quite easy to get up since our hotel's window was massive. The air was crisp and the town was really quiet. Something about Jiufen was ten times more charming to me in its early hours rather than its lively night scene that so many of us are reminded of from the famous 'Spirited Away.' Maybe it's the hoards of tourist there at night that really ruined it for me. The roads were small and there were so many people that we were literally moving one step at a time. If you're planning on visiting Jiufen, I definitely recommend just finding a quiet teahouse with a good view to perch yourself there for a good hour or two and really try and enjoy the quaintness of being in a place that feels worlds away.

Shops along Jiufen's Old Street doesn't open until 10 am, and despite that, the place was super characteristic. The second photo that the boyfriend snapped of me ended up looking like a screengrab from the part where Chihiro lost her parents because they turned into pigs from obsessively eating at the street stalls.

Aside from being able to really get to know Jiufen since no one was around, we were also able to stumble upon cute teashops that had the cutest ceramics and chat with some locals (something that would probably be impossible during the daytime). On one of the strange alleys that we decided to climb through, we found a photographer's studio who was happy to see us and share some of the photos that he has been taking across Asia. He also laughed at us since he was prideful about shooting with only film and developing everything himself-- seeing that the boyfriend and I both had digital cameras.

By 10/11am, the tourists began to show up and shops started opening. We grabbed a quick bite and some taro buns to go and looked for quiet shelter back at the hotel before checking out. I'm glad we ended up staying the night and avoided daytime there since even on the way down around noon, we saw all the traffic jams that took place for those that were on their way there.

Honestly, I'm no expert on traveling, but I do think that the best way to experience a place is to really give it time. If there's a place that you've been wanting to visit, don't just show up for the photo opp, but make a little time to actually stay and allow it to grow on you. And of course, I couldn't advise this anymore for a place like Jiufen.

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Camera Gear Used: Nikon D600 (body only) with 50mm F1/4 and 24-70mm F3.5 lens.

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