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Custom Wedding Dress & Kimono Upcycled Clothes | オーダーメイドウェディングドレス&着物ドレス

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4 Items I Added to My Closet This Spring

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floral dresses thrifted

1. Floral Items

There is a thrift shop chain, called “Tanpopo.” There are several in Tokyo. They have a 100 yen section (about 1 USD), and I use it for some of my more adventurous style choices because it is so cheap. If something doesn’t work, no problem…it was only a buck. On a recent trip I picked up these two floral items. I like the vintage feel. For the brown mini dress, I modified the back neckline to a V, changed the skirt shape from a flare to an I line and added extra lace at hem.

au-rate gold earrings

2. Small Stud Earrings

To pair with spring/summer clothes, I like smaller earrings like these pearl studs and gold huggie earrings. When we have more skin showing, I think smaller earrings look better and seem a bit more classy. On the other hand, in the winter, when my skin is covered and wearing darker colors, I prefer big statement earrings. In any case, I updated my earring collections with these, plus made a few by myself by simply supergluing the earring parts to pretty stones I found laying around in my sewing room.

kimono obi tote crossbody

3. Obi bag

Initially, I made this to sell at my pop up shop. I like to incorporate new items that are non-clothing items every time I do pop up. I do this to diversify and add something new for my customers to come and see. The last pop up was in an area of Tokyo called Oshiage. Oshiage is East of Tokyo where the Tokyo Sky Tree is. I made a bunch of computer cases, mini backpacks and totes using obi fabrics. I had many obis donated but was was reluctant to use them for clothes because of the fabric’s stiffness. However that kind of fabric works really well for bags. 

This particular one in silver and blue is easy to integrate into my wardrobe, and I ended up not putting it up for sale. When I first saw the obi, I could not envisioned myself wearing it, but in a mini bag form, it turned out to be a good accent piece for my wardrobe, which consists of mostly solid neutral colors. Everytime I take this with me, people comment on it. Even my brother, who is rather critical about my fashion tastes, said he liked it! 

gold ear cuffs small

4. Ear cuffs

I love this trend! I’ve contemplated wearing cartridge ear piercing, but was scared to actually take the plunge. With ear cuffs, I love how I can be a bit “edgy” without going through the painful experience of getting the actual piercing. I added two to my collections this Spring, both from Au-Rate(here and here). I take inspiration from Valeria Lipovetsky’s instagram on how to layer dainty jewelry.  

What have you added / will you add to your Spring 2021 wardrobe?

Winter 10 x 10 Challenge Day 6-10

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ootd geek sweatshirt

Winter 10 x 10 Challenge Day 6-10

Check out my 10 picks in my previous blog post. My day 1 – 5 post is here.

winter ootd

Day 6:
January 26, 2018
Red turtleneck + GEEK sweatshirt + dark red maxi skirt + jean jacket (not in 10 x 10 challenge item) + Zara boots 

Today was cold. A Russian friend of mind told me that Tokyo winters are colder than Moscow winters, which makes it really horrible since I’ve also met an Indian person who told me Tokyo summers feel hotter than Indian summers. Anyway, I needed to really bundle up. This was a day that I worked and took my kids out for a play date. Later in that evening, I had a friend’s exhibition in Sangenjaya. For that, I decided to switch up. I took off the sweatshirt, and pulled up the maxi skirt as if it is a strapless dress, which made the length of the skirt to be a little below the knees. I wore the same Zara boots in the evening and marked my waist with black leather belt. I’m really happy with the discovery of new way to wear it. I’ve never thought of putting together an outfit this way before this challenge. This challenge encouraged me to play with the pieces that  I already have in my closet. 

red turtle neck and pleated skirtDay 7:
January 27, 2018
Red turtleneck + pleated midi skirt

Similar to Day 1, but just a different top.white button down and ribbed skirtDay 8:
January 28, 2018
White button down (self-made) + dark red maxi skirt (wearing as a dress like day 6) + thrifted belt + Lands End canvas tote

Two more days to go! I feel like I can just keep going on wearing the same things over and over again the rest of the winter. Kind of getting used to mixing and matching the same items. Nothing much going on today. Just work. I was going to go to Herme’s exhibition in Ginza, “Greenland by Fujiko & Ukichiro Nakaya“. The exhibition is free. Unfortunately, my friend got sick and we had to cancel but If you are around Tokyo, you should check it out! 

Day 9:
January 29, 2018

For some reasons, I cannot find the photo for Day 9. Although I do not remember what I wore this day, I swear I did keep within the 10 x 10 challenge.

striped shirt and levis denim

Day 10:
January 30, 2018
White button down (self made) + GU stripe sweater + Levi’s mile high super skinny jeans

Today’s outfit is basically the same as the Day 2, but instead of putting the shirt over the sweater, I wore it underneath. Does this count as a new outfit mix? 

Overall, I’m really glad that I did this challenge. One of the benefits to this challenge was it gave me a chance to review my closet and purge some items I no longer wear. During this challenge, I ended up selling two cashmere sweaters I was not wearing anymore, one watch and one purse. I clung onto those items since I bought the sweaters myself and the quality was good. Those were the only reasons I kept them in my closet and  I did not love them. So I’m glad the challenge trigger the purging process. By selling those items, I made some money, so I bought new sandals (for my vacation)! 

Would I do this challenge again? Maybe in the summer. It is a good challenge to do periodically to face what you have bought or made. This put me in the mindset of what I should buy instead of binge buy to satisfy the urge of random spending. Whatever you bring in in your closet should be a good friend with other items in the closet; meaning the color should go with existing pieces and the style should compliment them as well. 

Winter 10 x 10 Challenge Day 1-5

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pink handmade chester coatWinter 10 x 10 Challenge Day 1-5

Check out my 10 picks in my previous blog post!

phillip lim pashli mini satchelDay 1: 
January 21, 2018
GU stripe knit + pleated midi skirt + Zara boots + chester coat (self made)

The pleated skirt used to be a dress that my sister bought in Taiwan. I wore that as a dress for a couple of Summers and then decided to cut and add elastic band at waist to turn it into a midi skirt. I thought I would get more wear out of it this way. Now it’s no longer a Summer dress, but a skirt that works in Winter as well with tights and boots underneath. For the outer, I’m wearing my pink chester coat I made a few years ago with 3.1 Phillip Lim pashli mini satchel. Today I’m just out and about with my family. I’m glad I wore flat boots since I ended up walking 10km. I know I am not supposed to buy any clothes during this challenge, but I could not resist picking up bright red leather gloves I found in Asakusa on sale while I was on the walk!. 

red on red ootdDay 2:
January 22, 2018
Red turtle neck sweater + dark red fitted maxi skirt + rain boots (not included in my pick) + gown coat (self made)

It snowed today! It’s the first snow day in Tokyo this Winter. The news were all over this snow, and people in Tokyo were not prepared for it. It might sound silly for someone who lives in Toronto or Boston, but with 20cm of snow, trains stopped, news warnings were everywhere and planes were canceled. I had to pull out my rain boots instead of my two picks of shoes for this challenge since it was an emergency! Despite the weather, I enjoyed this one tone color outfit (red + red) and was warm and cozy with knit skirt and leggings under neath.

geek sweatshirt

Day 3: 
January 23, 2018
GEEK sweatshirt + white button up (self made) + Levi’s mile high super skinny jeans

I love this sweatshirt! I found it at a local thrift shop for mere 100 yen. It’s fashionably short, and matches well laying with button up. My daughter commented “mommy your sweatshirt is so short!”. Just realized that four of my 10 items in this challenge were picked up at a thrift shop. My tips at choosing right stuff at thrift shop is 1. try on always 2. check the shop often. Even if it is 100 yen, if the fit is not right (or something can be adjusted if you sew), it’s not worth the space in your closet, so always try on. Also if you check the shop often, more chances that you to come across with something amazing. 

ferragamo shoesfolli folli white belt watchDay 4: 
January 24, 2018
Red turtle neck + tweed wide legged pants (self made) + white socks + Salvatore Ferragamo erice 70mm pumps

I’m cheating today because I’m wearing shoes that are not in 10 x 10 challenge, which were white sneakers and long boots. Today I had a hair appointment. I haven’t had a hair cut for five months so I wanted to dress up a bit for going to a salon. It’s still too cold to wear pumps on bear foot so I paired them with white socks. I read this Japanese style book called “how to dress stylishly and stay warm(my English translation)” by Aliko Yamamoto. One of the tips she demonstrates in her book is to incorporate white socks to prolong the life of pumps wearing through out the Winter. I like the look of socks + pumps. It’s something new which I haven’t tried so it feels refreshing. Anyway, next time I do the 10 x 10 challenge, I want to exclude outers and shoes in the count of 10, so I can have more varieties in the outfit. Shoes can make or break the outfit. I am a bit sad that I’m deprived of the shoe choices during this 10 days. 

archer button up with stripe shirtDay 5:
January 25, 2018
GU stripe knit + white button up (worn over the knit)+ Levi’s skinny jeans + Zara boots + gown coat 

Today was frigid. It’s close to 0 Celsius in Tokyo and feels like the real winter is here. I’m bundled up with hat, scarf and two pairs of gloves (!). I bike to my kids’ daycares and I need many layers to protect myself from cold wind. 

Some thoughts on the Archer button up: I think it’s great pattern for a shirt you would wear underneath sweater or sweatshirt. It’s structured since the top of the shoulder meets your true shoulders. However recent trendy styles are baggy with dropped shoulders as if you are wearing your boyfriend’s shirt. I feel like this white button up needs a bit of update. I want more loose style so it looks more like 2018. Do you have any such pattern recommendations?