Sunday Style Showdown | Print on Print

Hello again everyone!

Ever wondered how to tackle print on print looks? Well, we tried our hand at it for this week's #SSS!

The Print-on-Print Showdown
El	Christine
I styled my look around my gingham pants that I got from Uniqlo recently because I adore the pants! Gingham seems to be trending quite a bit recently. It's a cute but not overly girly print and can be worked into different kinds of look. For my top, I chose an off white long sleeve with sheer blocked print design on it. The sheer print makes it easier to carry off mixed prints because it's not as loud(although I love to mix loud prints too). It's a great way to mix prints in a subtle manner. As the colours of my clothes are quite muted, I went a little crazy with colours on my accessories, choosing to colorblock my pink bag with my yellow shoes and bangle. I added a cherry clip to complete the fun retro look that I'm going for.	Rarely do I buy skirts with prints but this one from H&M caught my eye (the fact that it was on sale doesn't hurt either!). It has a really interesting geometrical print with the play on squares and triangles. The color combination was quite unique in my opinion as well. Sometimes, print-on-print may look like they are clashing with each other if not done right. To avoid this, I chose a darker colour top with muted prints to even out the colour aesthetics. This also helps to tone down the loudness of a print-on-print outfit. I added a white belt to help tie the outfit together. Since my outfit is quite basic in colours, I thought a brightly coloured bag will add some life to it! :)
Here's a close up of the print on my top-- notice the pattern is like roses but the lines are straight, so I think it goes well with the straight lines of the gingham print. To carry off print on print looks, I think it's easiest to get two prints with some sort of similarity between them, like a colour/texture/print. So in my world straight lined prints go together. I wore a black bandeau inside cos the top's see through. If you want to show your smashing body, wear a black tank or camisole inside so your figure could be seen through the top(I didn't have a clean black cami/tank for now). It's a great way of showing your body shape even if you have a bulging belly. *wink* My cherry clip has a nice retro feel to it due to the colours and stripes. I really like this clip for the cute and fun feeling it emits.	If you noticed, the print on my top and bottom pretty much matches each other - both are in squares! Like El mentioned, the trick to getting print-on-print outfits to work is to find a point of similarity between the prints. So, if you have always wanted to try print-on-print but aren't sure how to go about it, try this tip! If you're worried about the overwhelming prints, adding a solid colour belt will help make the ourfit easy on the eyes. The soild colour helps to break the otherwise visually demanding outfit into two, making it easier to process.
El's Outfit Details Gingham Pants: Uniqlo Top: Esprit Black Bandeau: China Shoes: Hong Kong Bag: Online Yellow Bangle: Diva Cherry clip: China Necklace: Esprit	Christine's Outfit Details Top: Stephie's Shop (online) Skirt: H&M Bag: Charles & Keith Shoes: - Ring: H&M Watch: Fossil

How did you find our outfits? Which do you prefer?

Tell us your thoughts via these channels and don't forget to use #SSS!

1. Comment in the box below!

2. Tweet us your response @ChapalangGirls

3. Find us on Facebook @The Chapalang Way

Show us how you use prints on Instagram and tag us or use #SSS! (Christine's and El's)

Till next time
Love,
El and Christine xoxo

Haul | F21, Uniqlo, Zara & F3 Bazaar

So...I did a little shopping over the past few weeks.
Nothing major (read: not a huge damage to my wallet), and I scored some sweet deals during the F3 Fashion Bazaar sale last weekend (9 -13 May)

Let me just say that if you are a fan of F3 shops, this once every 2-3 years bazaar is the best thing evarrr.

If you don't mind past seasons stuff, that is. Also, sizes either run big or small, so it's a good time for curvy/skinny girls to stock up.

Clothing items go up to 70% off (and more for some) while accessories and jewellery will not exceed $10. In fact, Topshop's jewellery line, Freedom, were all going at $2 each.

Tip: Follow them on Facebook or Instagram for first deeds! (but it won't be until a few years later)

Let's get right on to the haul!

(Pardon the un-ironed sight of them)

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F21/UNIQLO 

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F21 is to fashion what MacDonald is to food. Both are cheaper alternatives, both give customers satisfaction and happiness, and both end up with customers regretting (sometimes) going in there after coming out, with their wallets/health not unscathed. *All are from F21 unless otherwise mentioned*

1. Knit Cami in Heather Grey/Black/Mint - $4 each
These are good for layering under that translucent/gaping back top or even on its own with high waisted shorts and midi skirts. At $4 each, I almost got every colour they had in stock. Almost.

2. Burgundy Dress - $23
Something easy to throw on with a dainty necklace for those lazy-to-move days. Plus, since it's so lightweight, it's great for the summer!

3. Short Sleeve Long Dress (from Uniqlo) - $29.90
I have the same exact dress, minus the belt, in mustard yellow and I LOVE IT. So I decided to get it in this pretty blue too.

4. Dripping Necklace in White - $10 (UP: $27)

5. "C' in Gold necklace - $1 (UP: $7)

6. Triangular necklace in Orange - $10 (UP: $21)

7. "C" on Black - $1 (UP:$7)

I don't have colourful statement necklaces and since 4 & 6 were on sale, I thought I'd add them to my collection. I got 5 & 7 because, how cute are they!! And they have my initials on them too! They would make great everyday necklaces as well~ Can't believe I didn't see them previously and at $1? They are a steal.

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ZARA

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My love for ZARA has been rekindled. Recently, they have been coming out with really pretty and trendy pieces and I am lusting after them. Unfortunately, I am not working i.e no income which pretty much means no spending recklessly.

1. Striped Shirt with Jewel Buttons - $79.90
I love the details on this blouse and my mum personally okayed it so...I got it. Although horizontal stripes are usually frowned upon for full-figured people, there are ways to make it work. The material that the striped top is made of, for one, can help soften the overall effect that stripes have. Here, the blouse is made of chiffon, a lightweight and flowy material, which helps mitigate the 'blocked' effect that stripes impose. Another tip is to look for thin stripes. Thick stripes add to the overweight effect which is what we want to avoid. So, with these tips, don't be afraid of wearing horizontal stripes anymore!
(A detailed shot of the blouse at the bottom of this section)

2. Faux Leather Skirt - $79.90
Yes, I jumped on the skorts bandwagon. Like everyone else. Gotta say though, I sorta understand what the hype is about now. These are great for spring/summer.

3. Faux Leather Skirt with Zips - $69.90
I know. It's white and no, I'm not crazy. I had to exchange this after buying it because the black skorts stained it. Just from being in the same paper bag. My heart dropped when I saw the stains but thankfully, and gratefully, the people at ZARA were willing to exchange it for me. So BIG BIG THANKS TO THE PEEPS THERE :) Note to self: gotta be extra careful wearing this out.
You might wonder why would I buy it if it's so troublesome. I got it because, first off, it's white and second, it's so soft! It's like wearing cotton candy. Plus, the dolphin hem - the curved line at the sides - gives it a sporty vibe and additionally, it is supposed to be a very flattering hemline for shorties (like me) as it helps to elongate your legs.

Close-up of the jewel buttons.
I love the level of details but this blouse is gonna take some time to put on.

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WAREHOUSE/TOPSHOP/IZZUE

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Bought all these on 2 separate occasions. First on F3 members preview day (9th) and the second on the following Sunday (11th). They had a promotion for DBS/POSB card members - $10 off for every $100 spent. Which means, more savings!!

1. Black Utility Jacket with Pleather sleeves (Warehouse) - $59 (UP: $156)
I'm a sucker for outerwear. Nuff' said.

2. White Strappy wedges (Venilla Suite, made to love) - $69 (UP: $159)
"I don't need more shoes," said no females ever.
White is always en-pointe for summer and this pair of wedges has an interesting detail on its strap - it's a clear band going across the top of the feet. I have high hopes for this pair of wedges as my everyday shoe this season.

3. Flocking Foil "X" Tee (Izzue) - $19 (UP: $59)
This is a men's tee. Sometimes, I feel that men's tees have such nice designs. This is one of those times.
I was pulled in by the holographic detail with the cutout stars. Usually, I don't like tees with words but "HEATWAVE" is pretty apt for the upcoming weather. And yes, don't limit yourself to only the clothes meant for your gender, if you like it and it fits, get it (if you have the means), regardless of which gender it is supposed to be for.

4. Flowery Spag Cami (Topshop Boutique) - $15 (UP: $103)
I only realised that this is made of 100% silk when I got home. Imagine my joy and surprise as 100% silk anything is usually pretty expensive. In the scorching heat, wearing silk is a good way to keep cool. I thought that this would be a good piece to bring with me for an upcoming trip in July (more details later!) as it's going to be hot and humid where I'm going.

5. Leather top (Warehouse) - $23 (UP: $153)
I gotta give my thanks to my friend who saw this and gave it to me (because it was more my size than hers).
This is a mixed media top - the front is of real leather (sorry my vegan readers) while the back is of chiffon with an overlapping flaps detail. Initially, I was hesitant about getting this because it's kinda tough to wear leather in Singapore and I debated this over a Topshop chiffon top. Which, come to think about it, was kinda stupid to debate over because the savings for this leather piece totally tops the Topshop piece. So, I'm totally glad I got this in the end. Now, the question is how to wear this in this weather...

6. Spikes Earrings/Earcuff - $2 (UP: $23)
I've seen many versions of the earrings/earcuffs but they are always studs. Which, sadly, I can't wear because I have thick earlobes. So when I chanced upon this at the bazaar, I snapped it up! And at $2, it's a major steal.

7. Stegosaurus Ring in Gold - $2 (UP: ???)
Doesn't the 3D flatten things resemble the dermal plates on a Stegosaurus' back? Well, at least I think so. Pretty cool!

8. Religious Statue in Resin Necklace - $2 (UP: ???)
A plain white tee is the best canvas for this necklace to stand out. Not your traditional statement piece and pretty unique within my necklace collection.

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Didn't do much damage considering my past record so I'm plenty happy.

Can't wait to wear some of them this coming summer!

Have you done any shopping for Summer 2014?

What are your must-have pieces?

For me, I think the white wedges, Spag Cami and Knit Camis will be my go-tos this summer.

Hit me up @ Twitter or Facebook!

I'd love to hear from you :)

Also, follow me on Lookbook or Instagram to glimpse a slice of my daily life!

Till next time.
Love,
Christine xoxo

Outfit | At Your Service

 Hope you guys had an awesome weekend!

I thought I'd do an outfit post since it's been a while I did one :)

Here's what I wore on Saturday.

Taken with my Samsung S4 | Photo credit to my mum.

I wore this to the S.E.A. Aquarium @ Sentosa as part of celebrating Mother's Day!

My family and I decided to celebrate it one day early partly because I've a previous engagement on the actual day and also, we thought that there will be lesser people.

Now, do you see why I named this outfit "At Your Service?"

No?

Well, here's one more photo.

It occurred to me that in this outfit, it looks totally natural if I had just curtsey and said "at your service." 

Don't you think so?

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I love the cutting of the dress: fitting at the bust area but flares out from the waist.

This is a very flattering cut for those who have bigger hips but a pretty toned upper body (or a ample chest area) as it accentuates your assets and downplays the flaws.

Wearing a white long sleeve top inside changes the dress game from a simple I-just-threw-on-a-dress-because-I-can't-be-bothered look to a preppy yes-I-put-in-effort-to-look-effortless look.

Doesn't this remind you of the time where we had uniforms for school?

Probably a good time to add #throwback.

Red is a pretty bold colour so, for me, it's either match it or keep it simple.

In this case, I matched my shoe to the dress while keeping accessories in simple black (which matched the crosses on the dress anyway)

Outfit Details

Dress | H&M

White Top |  Chicwish

Bag | Aldo

Shoes | Atmosphere, Primark

Sunnies | Isetan

Watch | Fossil

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That's all folks.

Happy Monday and have a great week ahead!

:)

Oh yes, bonus photo!
Had a Sorbet Lolly in my dress colours!
Strawberry and Yoghurt flavoured.

It was pretty yummy too! :)

Till next time.

Love,

Christine xoxo

Mum's The Word | A What-To-Do Guide 2014

Mother's Day is just around the corner!
Literally 1 day to go.

There's this old Chinese nursery rhyme (video) exalting the greatness of mothers:

"世上只有妈妈好 

有妈的孩子像块宝

投进妈妈的怀抱

幸福享不了

世上只有妈妈好

没妈的孩子像根草

离开妈妈的怀抱

幸福哪里找"

The nursery rhyme is about how a child with a mother is the most blessed and how happiness is only found in the arms of one's mother. Mothers are the noblest beings in the world.

I'm sure you've seen this video floating around:

Indeed, a mother has the toughest job in the universe.

If you haven't been showing your appreciation to your mum, this IS the day to do it.

:)

This guide is for those who still don't know what to do or want to celebrate this day without breaking the piggy bank.

Sometimes, spending time with your mother is the best gift for her.

Your presence is what she wants and values the most.

So, here are 5 things (take your pick) to do with your mother on her special day, special only because of your existence!

Click to read the guide!

Great News! We're Now on Lookbook!

Hello lovely people!

El here with a quick update!

I should have announced this earlier, but both Christine and I have Lookbook accounts now! If you haven't already heard of Lookbook, it's "a platform that enables members to publish and share looks as well as draw up-to-the-minute fashion inspiration from other members." (I'm quoting directly from Lookbook FAQ) 

We've decided to incorporate Lookbook into our blog because it is a convenient and quick way to get feedback on our outfits (especially for our fortnightly Sunday Style Showdown!). Now, besides the usual voting channels (Comment Box, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram), you can vote for your favourite look via Lookbook(If you have a Lookbook account. Create one here.) It's easy to vote! Just click on the 'Hype' button that will be under each of the image! You can also see the number of times the look has been hyped by others on Lookbook! You can also 'Fan' us if you like to have us in your feed. I decided to start adding the 'Hype' button from the recent Flower Girl Showdown. I look forward to seeing your hypes!

If you're interested to see more pictures that we post on Lookbook in the future, you can fan us through these links below:
El: Chapalanggirlel
Christine: Chapalanggirl_tine

Well that's all folks!

Till next time.
Love,
El xoxo

Sunday Style Showdown | Floral

Hello everyone!

It's our fortnightly #SSS again!
Since it's Spring/Summer now, we're totally feeling the floral mood. Plus, flowers have been blooming all around Singapore due to the drastic weather change. Thus, for this week, we decided to battle it out with flowers (on our outfits)!
Read on and vote who wore it better! :)

The FLOWER GIRL Showdown
El	Christine
I love the floral skirt I'm wearing because of the bright colours!I paired it with a white top with a ruffle edge that is simple and pretty(so it's pretty simple? Lol). My arms aren't the stick thin kind, but the weather has been so hot,that I just have to wear something sleeveless. For cooler days, add on a simple cardigan to the outfit!	It's getting pretty warm in Singapore now that Summer is almost upon us. Thus, this casual top and shorts combo is perfect for this cray-cray weather! Although it's a mid-sleeved, the top is made of a light material (chiffon)and has these mesh cutouts at the shoulder to combat the heat. For those who don't like really loud floral prints, finding one like mine with these subtle little flowers all over is a good way to wear floral (Spring/Summer trend!) but yet stay relatively 'quiet'.
The rest of the outfit is pretty simple because I wanted to let the skirt be in the spotlight. Thus I accessorized with a simple brown bag and black bangle with floral details. For shoes, I have on my white ribboned platforms which match the overall colour scheme of the outfit.	I decided to pay Spring homage and bring out the pink in my outfit - an SS14 trend too! To wrap things up, I paired the pink with a brown cross-body bag and sneakers, giving the outfit a somewhat LA feel. Keeping accessories to the minimum, a pink flower ring to fit the theme and a geometric necklace to break the floral print a little. Also, instead of the usual high-up ponytail, why not try a low ponytail to the side? It's just as easy and makes for a more elegant hairstyle too.
El's Outfit Details Skirt: Forever 21 Top: Esprit Shoes: Guangzhou Bag: Hush Puppies Bangle: New Look	Christine's Outfit Details Top: Zalora Shorts: Cotton On Bag: Online shop Shoes: H&M Ring: Diva Necklace: Japan

How did you find our floral-themed outfits? Which do you prefer?

Tell us your thoughts via these channels and don't forget to use #SSS!

1. Comment in the box below!

2. Tweet us your response @ChapalangGirls

3. Find us on Facebook @The Chapalang Way

Show us how you wear florals on Instagram and tag us or use #SSS! (Christine's and El's)

Till next time
Love,
El and Christine xoxo