Dress: Delias.com ^ Shoes: Charles & Keith ^ Leggings: Korea Spree ^ Belt: Thrift

One UK brand, Topshop has a dedicated section for its range of Playsuits. Have a look here if you are interested. Personally I think playsuits are meant for infants and toddlers (although this bias most likely arises from my body type not looking even remotely cute in a playsuit). I am increasingly surprised at the number of women I’ve seen recently that actually look good in a playsuits. In Jakarta, particularly the short jumpsuits are very popular (I’ve yet to spot someone in a jumpsuit with long trousers)!

Fabsugar’s take is that 2009 is ‘the year of the jumpsuit’.

This week ASOS is featuring playsuits from its front page and I’ve just browsed their selection of jumpsuits (so far these are the ones I like best among the online shops I’ve visited).

Here are some of my favorite picks,

ASOS Tencel Jumpsuit, 44.75 pounds

Sophistix Tamara Pinashorts, SG$32.00

Warehouse Silk Structualism Playsuit, 59 pounds

Lots of shops are also selling denim jumpsuits (which can look very cute if worn properly). Do check them out (especially if you are lean or petite as they will suit you gorgeously!) Check out the Denim Jumpsuit at Forever21.

Apparently the dresses are a take on the ‘Goddess Dress’ by Versace which Leighton Meester was seen wearing nearly a year ago in March 2008. Granted this is not a new style (this was pictured I about a year ago) but it seems to just be taking off in the malls in Jakarta this month!

For those that are interested in buying an affordable alternative to the ‘Goddess Dress’, lots of online stores are selling dresses similar to the Versace version. The Versace at present is still going at above US$700. Check out the ones at ASOS,

The one above is by Warehouse from ASOS retailing at a somewhat affordable 44.75 pounds. This next one is also from ASOS (and my personal favorite), a Jersey Dress with Side Drapes at a very affordable 27.50 pounds.

This last dress is from Forever21 and although not with as many drapes and not nearly as ‘Goddess-like’ as the first dress, I’d say this may be a lot more likely to be bought and worn by the general population then the previously mentioned dresses,

Price of the Forever21 piece, the Caryn Satin Dress is US$27.80.

I don’t know how long these dresses are going to be popular, they’re not very flattering on a lot of body types (including mine!)!

The dresses that Blake Lively and Leighton Meester wore to the White party were gorgeous,

I especially love the Grecian style dress that Blake Lively wore! A few months ago I did read in a trend forecast somewhere that Grecian dresses were coming into style but never actually saw anyone getting the right ‘look’ till Blake Lively! I love how she finished her look with the double hair-band and the oversized white hand bangle. I searched online to find similar dresses on a few of my favorite stores but came up with nothing so far.

In this same episode, Leighton Meester wore a really cute floral summer dress (it reminds me a little of the Lilly Pulitzer look and style but with a younger and more chic style). Have a look,

I am now waiting with anticipation for the next episode

Cosmopolitan magazine even did a feature on celebs spotted in maxi dresses last month.

My favorite is Nicole Ritchie’s boho style maxi-dress, isn’t it lovely?

This soft blue dress worn by Kim Kardashian is sweet as well but I don’t like that the chiffon accentuates her hips so much.

Rachel Bilson’s dress is cute, but a little too long for her (but she still manages to pull it off – a cute face really forgives a lot).

A lot of maxi dresses are available online at ASOS at the moment. If you’re looking for a party dress, there is a gorgeous Twisted Strap Maxi Dress up on ASOS in the style of Rachel Bilson. And Katherine Heigl wore a very similar maxi dress to the 80th Annual Academy Awards.

A few maxi dresses I found that you can purchase online:

1. Monsoon.co.uk

2. Bebe.com

3. Bloomingdales

Lastly, check out this great guide, 20 Ways to Wear the Maxi Dress!

Nowadays, the world is so different, and yet in some ways so similar as well. This post is about 90s fashion hits and faux pas – some of which survive till today.

Grunge Plunge

Nineties fashion was all about comfort over style. It was cool to have messy hair and wear clothes that looked old. This style was known as Grunge, which apparently owes its horrible birth to Seattle (back in 1992). It featured baggy pants and backwards baseball caps for guys, including the infamous “sagging” and exposing patterned boxers. How could anyone ever think that was cool? I wondered it then and I wonder it even more now! Girls, of course, wore baggy pants also, usually paired with tight-fitting baby-doll tees. Or of course there was that other favorite style — a loose flannel shirt over a t-shirt.

Another favorite of this style were overalls. This farm-inspired fashion was oh-so-cool for us back then. Thus, me and my sister begged for two pairs of our own, which we proceeded to share (she was in high school and I was in middle school so it was all okay…no one would notice we were sharing. The coolest way to wear these overalls? – By unhooking one strap and letting it hang down, or else leaving both unhooked and wearing a belt.

The other mainstay of this style were Doc Martens and other chunky shoes. Also there were LA lights’ light-up sneakers – I sported a pair of knock-offs for a while. I really wanted a pair of Doc Martens back in middle school, but they were too expensive so I was relegated to wearing my Keds high-tops. This was of course a second-best for the kids who couldn’t afford Doc Martens

For all that I’m so disparaging of the Grunge fad, it has actually had a long effect on the fashion industry — think about that pair of artistically ripped/paint splattered jeans that you just paid $100 for! Apparently, Doc Martens are also making a come-back this year.

Image Sources: Grungy Shoes, 90210 90s Fashion, Doc Martens

Hairy Heads

Hair in the 90s (especially the early 90s) seems to have been singularly sprayed, pulled and teased to be as huge as possible. High side ponytails were very in and I sported this hairstyle fairly often. Thankfully I was still young in the early 90s and so this hairstyle still had the potential to look “cute” on me. This was probably a leftover of the big hair styles from the 80s. Mullets were also seen, as well as bleached hair (usually only on the tips) and bad perm jobs.

Of course, in the mid-90s Jennifer Aniston caused a hair revolution and suddenly every other girl around you was sporting her layered hairstyle. Straightening tongs became a must in every hair salon. Definitely an improvement in terms of style, but it totally killed the diversity. In a well-deserved reward, Jennifer Aniston’s hair was voted the most influential of all time in 2004.

Image Sources: Saved By The Bell, Jennifer Aniston

The End Of Grunge?

In Clueless (that popular 90s movie), Cher commented, “So, OK. I don’t want to be a traitor to my generation and all, but I don’t get how guys dress today. I mean, c’mon, it looks like they just fell out of bed and put on some baggy pants, and take their greasy hair, Ew! And cover it up with a backwards cap and like, we’re expected to swoon? I don’t think so!” While some people are of the opinion that grunge came to an end soon after this, I actually still saw the after effects for a while afterwards (at least in my school)…maybe because we were half way ’round the world from the evil originators of this horrible fashion crime. Whatever it is, after Clueless, girls DID become more aware of their fashion sense and dressing up. Cher brought knee-high socks, high heels, babydoll dresses and minis back into fashion. However, sad to say I saw little change in guys’ dressing.

Image Sources: Clueless

Seventies + Eighties = Nineties

Nineties fashion was quite unique in drawing inspiration (and the worst) from a great many time periods. First there were the 80s leftovers including big hair, shoulder pads, and multicolored leggings with huge oversized sweatshirts. This was followed by the anti-fashion grunge style, and then finally we hit a seventies revival around 1996. This was embodied in bell-bottom jeans, tie-dyed t-shirts and peace sign/happy face necklaces and accessories. Crazy, flashy prints and platform shoes were all suddenly in. Eventually, things evened out and we were given the gift of the boot-cut jeans – a hybrid of bell-bottoms and straight-cut jeans. Which are now found virtually everywhere and flatters most body-types. A great development!

Snap Bracelets!

The snap (or slap) bracelet was one of the hottest trends of the 90s. They were thin metallic bracelets covered with fabric that would contract when hit on your wrist — an amazing invention for us 90s kids. There is now a 00s version of the slap bracelet: an e-paper version. Another hot trend was the half-heart best friend necklace. This one still survives somewhat ’till today. Of course, there was also Beanie Baby love – I was obsessed with collecting them. And then there was Lisa Frank stationery – I spent way too much on a really cute polar bear set, as well as cat and unicorn stickers.

Image Sources: Slap Bracelets, Lisa Frank

Well, I think that I could go on for a while more about 90s Fashion but I think I’ll end off here before it becomes too monotonous. To conclude, 90s fashion was all about comfort and mixing trends from different time periods. From baby doll tees to shoulder pads to tie-dyed hippie t-shirts, the 90s had it all.

Do you miss this fun time period? I do! Though I don’t miss the horrific clothes I wore. But then again, ten years from now I’ll probably be horrified by what I’m wearing today.

If you miss 90s fashion, you’ll be glad to know that it is apparently making a comeback. Though in a more feminine inspired form as opposed to the earlier tomboyish looks. Apparently, it appeals to the current generation because they were too young to live through the trend the first time around…which just makes me feel old.

All the celebs are wearing them (according to my trusty online news sources). Like Mary-Kate Olsen, Mischa Barton, Mandy Moore and Kirsten Dunst. My favorites were the basic black ones sported by Kirsten Dunst.

From left to right, Kirsten Dunst, Mischa Barton, Mary-Kate Olsen and Mandy Moore. All photos are from Instyle.com.

After work on Saturday, I started my hunt for a pair of gladiator sandals of my own. I figured it would not be too difficult to find a cute and inexpensive pair (since they are already plastered all over the internet in trend stories and at tons of online stores). Well, not such an easy feat apparently. First stop was a wholesale mall near my office, where I actually found one pair of gladiator sandals but with neon straps (in shades of gold, silver, green and pink – yes hideous!). Next stop was a department store but there I found nothing that even remotely resembled the kind of gladiator sandals I wanted and lastly, I visited NEXT but still found nothing. I was surprised and very disappointed that stores weren’t carrying gladiators yet. I’m in desperate need of a pair of flat sandals — everything I currently own is a three or four inch heel and walking in heels all the time is a little tiresome.

I’ve resorted to searching online and browsed through a few of my favorite online stores (Old Navy, Urban Outfitters and JC Penny). Here is what I found:

Women’s Ankle-Strap Gladiator Jelly Sandals, $19.50 (from oldnavy.com)
A very budget-friendly choice but I’m not a big fan of ‘jelly’ style sandals, slippers or shoes.

Orig $50 a.n.a® ‘Gina’ Leather Gladiator Sandal, $39.99 now $19.99 (from JC Penny)
Another budget-friendly option, this one I like; it is basic black and looks sturdy. I actually clicked through to it from Instyle.com (as a recommendation for the pair Kirsten Dunst is wearing in the picture above)

The biggest selection I found during my search was on Urban Outfitters. I quite liked a few of their pairs. They’re pricier than the ones Old Navy and JC Penny are selling but the designs are much more attractive.

Sam Edelman Ginger Gladiator, $98.00 (from Urban Outfitters)
An embellished pair of gladiators! This is way more than I’m willing to spend but it is a gorgeous design.

Everyday Gladiator, $48.00 (from Urban Outfitters again)
Black, basic and cute buckles at the side. I’m torn between this one and the cheaper a.n.a. alternative!

Metallic Gladiator, $58.00 (from Urban Outfitters)
Unique style and I like that it reaches a little higher than the other ones but since I rarely wear short skirts and cropped pants its not a practical choice for me.

All said and done – the a.n.a. pair is now somehow a more appealing choice than the Everyday Gladiator from Urban Outfitters. And I have to try other online shoe stores (like GoJane and Urban Original). And I will definitely check out the local scene a little further before making a choice!

One of the sites she introduced to me was StumbleUpon, a very active community of social bookmarking addicts such as myself (I admit, I am definitely obsessed and totally addicted). StumbleUpon also has photo-blogging available. For those of you that love uncovering weird and interesting new sites I would recommend registering at their site now. The stumble! button is addictive and oh-so-fun to click on and discover new sites. A few days ago while I was ‘stumbling’, I came across a Japanese store selling some very intriguing products – one of which is the topic of this blog post.

These cute dolls aren’t just for decoration. They’re called Hanakotoba and they are plant communication dolls. You can use them with any of your indoor plants by putting the stem of the Hanakotoba into either your plant’s soil or water. The Hanakotoba has a 200 word vocabulary (Japanese) and can communicate your plants needs (e.g. when it needs to be watered).

I often think Japanese products don’t really meet an actual need (I can’t imagine anyone would need one of these in their home!) but instead try to create demand for unnecessary wants. Although I really can’t think of anyone I know that would buy one of these dolls to remind them to water their plants!

Source: Japan Trend Shop

Price: $69.00