I might have possibly jinxed the warm winter thing... because when I was taking these photos, I was freezing. Anyone else here just gets super cold and feet while the rest of their body stays relatively warm? I mean, it could be because I was pretty much wrapped in a cashmere blanket of a coat, but yeah.
It's been a while since I got to try out some self-timering out. Being back in Tokyo just somehow puts me back in my comfort zone. That said, this is an outfit that you'll probably see me wear 3x a week if you somehow ran into me M-F. How does one go wrong with turtlenecks tucked into some loose fitting jeans that are perfect for another layer of tights under?
In any case, if you're looking to stock up on some winter essentials, I can't tell you any other place than Uniqlo and Shopbop.
I’ve been lucky enough to have experienced such a warm and comfortable winter so far, splitting my time between New York and Tokyo. I can’t say it doesn’t make me skeptical for the dropping temperatures to come for the coming months -but I don’t want to think about that yet. From what you can see, my outfits are still on autumn tones.
To be quite frank, I don’t generally like colors, especially for outerwear, and green (my least favorite color) too. But I got this olive green coat a couple years ago that I wear on random occasion. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to fully adapt my rotating winter wardrobe to it. The trick is to just keep it neutral and simple. To make it even easier, here are two outfits that look completely different with just a change up of pretty much just accessories and footwear.
Olive Coat: Mute by JL (Mansur Gavrielsimilar)
Camel Sweater: Aritzia (similar here)
Pants: AGOLDE
Shoes: Similar leather flats
Bag: Mon-Purse
Photo by Hardy T.
Olive Coat: Mute by JL (Mansur Gavrielsimilar)
Sweater: &Other Stories (turtleneck option)
Pants: AGOLDE
Shoes: Acne Studios Jensen boots
Bag: J.W Anderson Mini Velvet Pierce
Photo by Shun S.
For a more casual look, I switched out the bold matching colored pair of flats with my usual pair of Acne Studiosblack boots. Looking at this now, I wish I kind of threw on a belt to make it look a bit more polished. Otherwise, this coat works with pretty much everything as long as you got a simple base. I wouldn't mind switching out the fuzzy knit for a turtleneck either.
It's December again, and so much has changed since January, despite this year flying by faster than a hummingbird. Actually, I'm finally writing this post 8 whole days into January of 2019 as if nothing has really changed for my procrastination habits. To be fair, I thought about laying this whole post out weeks in advance to make sure I can get it out first thing this year - but...
My resolution last year was actually to be better about my finances... which I'm finally starting this year. So that's progress somehow right?
Anyway, there's a bunch of outfits in this post for this month as I go back from Tokyo to New York to spend the holidays at home with the family.
Throughout the month of November through December, I really got the hang of self-portraiting on a daily basis again. To be quite honest, it's actually kind of therapeutic to pick out an outfit for whatever the day has in store, taking a walk to find a workable location, and solving the puzzle of how to place a 50mm-lensed-camera so that it captures my entire body without it being too obtrusive to the surroundings.
Some of my best-performed post on social as of late has been my self-portraits and it might or might not be due to the fact that they were taken without an actual photographer, but I'm really glad to know the efforts paid off somehow.
Between the days or nights from Tokyo back to New York, I ended up catching the flu straight off the plane and was pretty much sick for as long as I could remember for the remainder of 2018. I even stayed home on Christmas because I just felt that crappy. Don't let this make-up filled face fool you. I was definitely dying inside.
Despite 2018 being a rollercoaster of a year, I did end it feeling quite fulfilled. Something about the balance of both the good and the bad made me overwhelmed with gushing feelings that everything is going to be alright. And there's so much in-stored for 2019.
Travel
New York
And while the trip back home was short, it was definitely sweet. Getting to see so many of my closest and dearest friends from near and far in the tight timeframe that I was back for made me realized how lucky I am to be surrounded by all of them. I'm more of an underachiever, so I honestly always thought I had like 5 friends - but a whole month back and I still couldn't catch up with a few, so that made it very clear that my calculations were totally wrong, in the best way possible.
As I looked out my window seat, ascending out of NYC, I realized something that will always keep me at ease. And that's: 'Home is just where everyone I love is.'
Quite a warm winter I've been experiencing both in Tokyo and New York this year. But that's no excuse not to dress to the fullest- I mean, warmest. I don't know about you, but shearling has always been a winter material that oozes warmth, even if it can get a little bulky.
As much as I love shearling on the inside layers of outerwear, I love it when it's on the outside too. Shearling gives this great illusion of texture that feels cozy, and therefore, warm. Even if you're not into fur, you'll be able to appreciate shearling since it can be worn more casually. See how I'm just wearing this over a soft pink crewneck and a pair of skinny jeans with sneakers?
Shearling Jacket: ASTR The Label (another option)
Top: COS
Pants: J Brand
Shoes: Common Projects White Bucket Bag: Similar here
You might have already seen this shearling and satin combination before, but one thing I forgot to share about this outfit is that I love how it feels a little dressed up, but not too over the top as well. Something about this moto structure to this shearling jacket that just screams casual cool.
It's taken a while, a whole year to be exact. And I finally feel like I've gotten my rhythm back. Quite a journey, now that I look back, on how much I've grown, personally, this year. December has always been a month for reflecting, and this year is no difference.
I look back at my lowest and highest moments, and one thing that those have in common was really, how naive I was. Not necessarily in a bad way, but definitely something I look forward to improving in the future. Don't get me wrong, I think there's a beauty that's attached to living life a little less calculative. There has to be a reason why we adore children's innocent-ness, no?
I always feel like as someone who's always on the brighter side of things, my expectations are always way too high. The formula that I've figured out is just to take it one step at a time. Same with my clothes, tbh.
My wardrobe is an ongoing work in progress. This double-faced coat was bought last year (camel coats are always in), and now I'm layering it over a linen blazer that I wore non-stop all summer.
For the longest, I wanted to have my whole life plan out. Not sure if it's a blame I can put on living in New York. But being there put such a huge pressure of success and time limit on by when those successes are validated by. It' might be a "working" formula for some, but I guess for me, I've figured out that it isn't.
