Drew Roy for August Man November 2011

So, the boy has grown. Once, you saw him in the teen show on the tele... and bamm he's now fronting the editorial in the fashion magazine looking all grown up. Drew Roy, the eye candy in iCarly and also Hanna Montana has graced the fashion spread in the November issue of August Man. Wearing ensemble from Burberry, Emporio Armani, Louis Vuitton and All Saints - to say the least - the actor look gorgeous to exude the mood of the new autumn season.

I love that the theme is anchored to the hues of blue and neutral tones. The one that I really like - that chambray shirt on the last pix: very droolworthy...

Love the quote!

[pix from august man fb page and magazine scan]

From Lacklustre to Lust-worthy

So, the discovery during the weekend really paid off. I have revived the chcocolate beauty of my Armani boots, thanks to the help of the Kiwi shoe polish in neutral shine. Now I can rock better, coz these boots are truly made for walking!

Btw, I wanna make a special shoutout to my nieces - Nadiah Shinee and Finie Sky (nama2 glamer facebook le teww, huhu) - who're gonna be sitting their SPM exams starting today. GOOD LUCK and ALL THE BEST!! Don't forget to solat hajat a lot! ^__^

BigFat Chocolate Sunday

My nose today is like a leaking tap on a sink; the 'fluid' keep on running non-stop without even being asked for. I got cold... so this runny nose is part of the whole package, okay. I think it's all due to last week where I've been drenching wet in the rain trying to get into my car. The downpour is absolutely unexpected coz it hit in the afternoon, just on the right time I'm going for my lunch break. And a week later, this is what happen. Getting sick due to the cold struck. Moral of the story - if it rain, always bring the umbrella! (I forgot my Burberry brollie that day...sigh)

Unlike yesterday where I am mostly bedridden due to being slightly weak myself (or sofa-ridden to be exact, eeek!) - and by which my lunch + dinner is just the pizza delivered to my house at the noon - today things getting better as I gain the strength again. Though this nose is still like waterfall, and my voice is sounding much sexier than ever... I brave myself to go out. Otherwise I'll be much sicker than ever.

Anyway, long story short after getting my groceries at Jusco I went to the new Haagen Dazs outlet which has just being open at De Garden in Ipoh, just opposite the Kinta City. Pretty cool outlet, just like where I used to go to the one in front of the Gloucester Road tube station in South Kensington, London. You should've known that HD is all about the delish ice creams (and their ice cream cake too), and who won't be tempted by the cold confectionery, right?

So, my choice of the day is 'making' my own sundae - the 2+2 version. Belgian chocolate + Chocolate Midnight, topped with the Chocolate sauce + chocolate sprinkles. Ok, I know it's too much chocolate... but that's actually my weakness. Chocolate! Delish without a doubt. 

When I wanna pay at the counter, I asked the cashier is they ever had any 'opening special' promotion? Thankfully they do! And guess what, I got a free scoop of ice cream of my choice from the purchase. And what did I chose? No, not chocolate again silly. It's the cappuccino truffle. Ok, fine... there might be a hint of choc bits in it, but who can say no to that?

I actually wanna eat it in store, but after seeing lots of people I just do a take-away instead. Upon bringing it to my car, it so freaking hot outside and the ice cream just slightly melt. Dang! But it doesn't hampered the temptation to finish it all. And voila... in less than 5 mins, the cup is successfully emptied. :)

I wanna sit here, but suddenly come three old ladies who search for seats. I'm a good Samaritan, I just gave up my seat then... ^__^

 The choice of the day. Too much choc? Doesn't matter coz it's all gone in less than 5 minutes!

Prior to my way back to the car park though, I stopped by at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaves on the ground floor at Kinta City to get some dose of caffeine. (hehe) I asked the waitress if they got anything special for the new season, and they pointed to the 3 new flavors: the agave cappuccino, triple chocolate cappuccino and crème brulee cappuccino. I have previously tried the creme brulee cappa, so for today I chose the triple choc instead. Whaaa..tt? Choc again? Well, I'm in the chocolatey mood - so why not? Nggg.... :)  

Oh, btw. What am I wearing today? Some chocolatey mood as well. I brought with me the moc-croc leather bag from Zara in dark brown. The shoes is my choc brown Chelsea boots by Emporio Armani... that looks like it hasn't been polished for ages. Actually it is, coz I haven't found the right shoe polish for the color (wait for my next post about my discovery!)

And of course, my driving won't be completed without putting on my fingerless glove. (watch is the black Nixon Shutter, if you're asking)

Unfortunately, for my tee I opted for a cheapo white shallow V-neck which I previously got from Primark London. It costs only £4... but it fits great on me, you know. (So, ada aku kesah?)

Oh, btw. My cold getting better after eating the ice cream. I think it's true what people say, you've gotta fight cold with cold. Nggg.... (and I lose my sexier voice, tho the nose is still like waterfall!!)

[all pixs taken using iPhone4]

Operation Desert Storm

What kind of footwear that I don't have in my shoe closet? Desert boot, that is. I have the typical Chelsea boots, zipper boots and even lace-up boots. But not desert boot. I dunno why this type of footwear doesn't really appeal to me. One reason, maybe it's because of the design itself with the very rounded-almost-squarish toe front which kinda repel to my taste. I've been searching for a good desert boots quite some time - but always come across the one by Clarks Original, i.e. so synonymous with the 'desert shoes' tagline.

Anyway, finally I found some collection that is worthy to be on my ooh-that-look-nice list after all. They got almost similar form factor, but slightly difference in term of the material and the construction of the undersoles.

Two of them are by Cheap Monday @ SSense.com in black leather and olive canvas. I love their simplicity of not being over-the-top. The undersoles are almost flat, with a slight jagged look which I think could give a good grip when you take it on any slippery or wet pavement. The black leather suits anyone who wanna look edgy without going overboard, while the olive green in canvas material is great during the warm weather as the material is breathable and won't heat up your feet too much.

[pix from ssense]

But if you love something slightly different and wanna win on the hi-fashion side, these desert boots by Emporio Armani in patent leather might tick the boxes. From the watery, hi-sheen patent leather upper to the contrasting undersoles, these shoes are for those who're dare to stand out in the crowd. I love that the chunky soles which hit the FW11 trend right on is not too thick unlike Burberry or Prada, which means you may not look like a total fool when wearing them. The grey one looks quite ok, which I can see pairing it with a trousers or jeans in similar grey but in a one tonal lighter. And the light caramel desert boot looks quite delish itself... to delish that I feel like licking it instead. It's more  'dessert' than a 'desert'!

[pix from emporio armani]

Travel in White and Green

It's traveling time today as I took time to drive about 5 hours journey back to my hometown for the Eid-ul Adha celebration. To be honest, I'm not feeling like going home because it's just a short celebration - by Tuesday I'm back to work. But, given that my brother and sis-in-law is here - unlike last year that they left for their Hajj - I think I have to go back though for a short time. Plus, I'm having a big birthday celebration as well with my other two boys and my niece, so I think my presence is absolutely important! (and there might be a barbeque too, just like last year)

Anyway, one thing I hate doing when I got to travel is the packing. (DUH! what else??) However, this time I'm feeling quite at peace somehow coz I don't have any issues in thinking what I should bring with me for this short break. All my clothes are packed in just one weekender, while the other stuff like my IT thingy (netbook + iPad + eHDD) and the camera (and tripod + lenses) - they're all pack in other separate bags. Also, since balik kampung it's always a troublesome in getting a nice blanket for sleep (coz there's a lot of people in the house fighting for one!) - so I brought mine instead. Easy.

The results - all four bags are ready for travel, all in one theme: Off White!

clockwise from top right: Fashion's Night Out canvas-leather tote - Brahmin; weekender bag - Emporio Armani;

leather tote - SEED; pleather tote with side zipper - SEED

Another important thing prior travel is checking the fuel is in full-tank. I am delighted to say that I've returned to use Petronas fuel again after finding out their Primax 95 Extra is much better than the Shell Fuel Save 95. What a surprise, surprise... (at least now I'm doing my part supporting the local brand, huh?)

Btw, upon getting some waffles and mineral water at the Mesra store, the cashier reminded me that I won't be getting any plastic bags today coz it's Saturday. Thank God I spotted the lovely bag-for-life in green color which says : Going Green Starts Here. I said to myself, this is pretty cool... coz somehow if I posted its image in this blog, it could also read the same.

Going Green Starts Here - as in 'going green with envy starts in this blog'; coz I know by looking at my bags and shoes collection in here, some of you already turn a Shrek! Ahahaha!

Anyway, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha.

Is It Time for the Fori Shoes, Again?

So, you have watched Dolce & Gabbana show for Spring/Summer 2012, huh? What was it like? Do you love all the perforated things that have been paraded on the runway a couple of weeks back? Just a quick newsflash for you - do you know that the inspiration of everything 'mesh' and 'perforated' on those easy breezy clothes and accessories are actually came from the fishermen's village in Italy? Yup, you heard it right. Apparently the dynamic duo are really inspired by the fishnet and all that they decided to feature it into the collection and make it high fashion. And voila! You see the cutout on almost everything. I dunno if Dolce & Gabbana really wanna outdo Prada when the fashion house also did their fori version for SS'10. (which made me go gaga over the saffiano fori portfolio bag!)

Anyway. One of the perforated accessories seen on Dolce's show is this pair of lace-up shoes which i took somewhere in the blogosphere (which I've forgotten the link, sorry!). Somehow I'm sensing a similar vibes with the YSL cage boots for the ladies since they all feature the squarish fori throughout.

If you really into the economics, do you think it's worth to pay a huge sum of money for less material being used to made this shoes? Coz why, if you take a same lace-ups like this - but without all those mesh going on - wouldn't it be having more leather per square inch compared to this one since all the punched-out leather has made it become less material used (per square inch!). You get what I mean, right? Yet, if you're into art and stuff - of course, you can't put any price tag to it coz art is priceless. (for everything else, there's always Mastercard, ahaks!)

Anyway, mentioning perforated shoes... I think it gave me some kind of flashback to the time I tried the Prada fori lace-ups quite a while ago during the Sale at Selfridges. Though not as larger mesh as Dolce's, it's proven to be quite breezy when I wore it. Great 'ventilation' to the feet during the hot weather, though. 

the cutout mesh shoes at backstage Dolce & Gabbana SS'12 show

the Prada fori lace-ups that I tried at Selfridges, London.

Or at least, I can still experience the same 'ventilation' feel if I wear my previous Giorgio Armani shoes. And it's perforated white (with a bit of black), which somehow screams summer! without I'm knowing it! :)

the Giorgio Armani perforated lace-ups that I wore last time to Hummingbird @ South Kensington.

Lookbook: White Lovin'

1. Ruch-front t-shirt: Topman
2. White micro-cord trousers - Bottega Veneta @ Matches Fashion
3. Skull neckerchief - Alexander McQueen @ Farfetch
4. Slim leather belt - Topman
5. Canvas tote - Burberry
6. Diamante canvas tote with ostrich leather trim - Gucci
7. Chrono watch in white leather strap - Emporio Armani
8. Chrono ceramic watch - Emporio Armani
9. Padded pleather hi-tops - Topman
10. White brogue lace-ups - Paul Smith

Wreck Open My Wardrobe: Part 1

Some people suggested me to post less about the products out there in the market, and more towards what I got in my own wardrobe.Coz they said I live a glamorous life - with all the shoes, the bags, the accessories, the clothes and all the stuff... it's much worth to write it in here than be ignored. I dunno about the 'glamorous' life - but my collection itself is truly something that people has been talked about a lot. Just the other day, my niece stepped into my 'walk-in wardrobe' and say: I feel like going into a warehouse! Lol. Can't argue with that!

So, first up I think I put up my shoes collection that I've been having for the past 4 four years. How many? Unofficially it's about 4 boxes. But officially I think it probably could go up to 6 - 7 boxes, coz some are on the shoe rack, some is still in their own boxes in my wardrobe. But one thing for sure: it's PLENTY. Like what my friend used to say, you could rival Imelda Marcos, Zamri!

I actually dunno how many of them anymore coz to made a 'headcount' it's quite an effort. Last November there's one pakcik who came into the house to fix the wiring of my living room. He saw the shoes on the rack, by which that time I put a lot of them unlike in the pix below. He then said, I think these could worth RM10 k! RM10k?? I think it's more than that, pakcik! Why? Coz cost of one of my designer shoe like Gucci is almost £200 a pair. And I got plenty... the value probably shoots up to more than RM20k!! Fuyoooo! I just can't believe it myself! That didn't include other highstreet brands which is humungous! Where did I get all the money?? I dunno... ngggg..

Anyway, for the first installation of 'Wreck Open My Wardrobe'... these are some of my shoe collection. (Ok fine, I got plenty of blacks. It's the easiest to pair with anything!)

in 'unofficially' 3 boxes + 1 Ikea carry bag.

some already been on the shoe rack...

... some still in their boxes in the wardrobe..

...and more...

...and more, where most of them are designer brands...

...like Jimmy Choo (though it's for H&M)..

... and Hugo Boss suede desert shoe (still unworn!)..

... patent leather D&G...

...or another patent leather - Fendi boots!...

...some Prada...

...some Armani (Emporio)...

... lots more Armani (this time Giorgio)...

And the best investment is my Gucci collection, where I got just about 6 pairs. Not too bad. When buying Gucci I tend to go for their loafers or slip-ons or mocassin, coz that's what they're famous for. And also their boots. As for loafers, I always stick to their signature...

...either the signature classic Gucci 'horsebit' buckle..

... or the modern version horsebit...

..or tassle...

...and even the monk strap loafers.

Oh, the must-haves: plimsols!

As well as some boat shoes.

More patent leather...

...and some nudes!

When it comes to choosing footwear, I think I've come a long way. There has been a huge change in the type of shoes that I've chosen. If before going to London (and live there for almost 5 years!), I normally choose the square-end toe. Now I think anything square toe is utterly hideous. Ugly. Should be burned! In fact when I went to any shoe store in this country, there're all been awashed with this pattern. OMG... these people really need a shoe fairy like me!

Yet, living in London has opened up my view on various selection of footwear. The best part - they're all pointy toes which make me appear much slimmer and more chic. It give more elongation to the legs. In fact I truly believe that this type of shoes is what everyone should wear. You wanna appear sleeker? Then pointy toe (or at least almond toe) is the only choice...

Next time: I'll show my bags collection. :)

my choice pre-London (in my Lewre slip-ons)...

..during and post-London (in Gucci horsebit mocassin).