royals.

 Bag c/o wholesale7.net
Top + shorts set c/o Dahlia

Earrings c/o Lovisa

Studded Bracelet from Urban Outfitters
Studded booties c/o ClubCouture

I've never really experimented with athletic playsuits-which-are-actually-just-matching-separates, but when I visited Dahlia's flagship store in London to select some of my favorite pieces from their new collection courtesy of their generous management (more about my exciting visit to Dahlia coming soon!), I fell in love with the silhouettes, the patterns and the versatility of this two-piece dream. The top is cut to a slouchy fit, which adds a touch of tomboy appeal and balances out the rather teeny athletic-inspired matching shorts. While the detailed design in varying shades of blue is luxurious enough to be teamed with sophisticated additions such as blazers and heels, the astonishing level of comfort tempts me to wear these pieces while lounging around the house on a lazy weekend morning. Sunday lie-ins have never looked this good! Initially I was inclined to shoot these separates with non-matching tops/bottoms and add complexity to the ensemble with bold accessories, but, being someone who rarely plays the matching game while getting dressed, I figured these pieces would be the perfect place to start being a little more cohesive with my dressing. It's hard to even tell that they're actually separates - they look so seamlessly perfect for one another!

Black is the boldest of all statements in my opinion; it floats airily above any fluorescent color combination you could ever concoct with the firm knowledge that, through its silence and apparent understatement, it reigns supreme. I am head over spiky black heels in LOVE with my gift from wholesale7.net - a black crossbody carryall. With lovely gold accents interspersed between all the perfect leathery slouch, this bag can hold my hopes and dreams and look effortless the whole time. Definitely a new staple of mine, considering I've been looking far and wide for my Prince Charming that takes the form of a slouchy black bag for quite a while now.

And of course, who can forget these shoes. With plenty of spikes and studs to ward off annoying unwanted people (please don't quote me on that), they add that extra edge that black leather alone lacks. They are also astonishingly comfy; they feel just like an elevated pair of Converse I swear. Snap these up on ClubCouture.cc! I wore these babies to the ONE day of FIDe Fashion Week I was able to attend - I literally hopped off the plane from London and into makeup and heels to catch the last couple shows of this year's fashion week. Is it crazy that I feel a bit like Chiara Ferragni, jetsetting from London to Singapore (albeit in an economy class seat and minus paparazzi) in time for fashion week? With this easy breezy playsuit, no-fuss bag and the comfiest pair of heels I own, traveling in the style of the world's top bloggers has never felt more within reach.

 current tune: royals // lorde

optical illusion.

 bag - c/o jumpfrompaper

top - c/o part and parcel

skort - zara

shoes - dr. martens

Meet the most exciting, unreal addition to my wardrobe: Jumpfrompaper's Cheese bag! I was bouncing up and down when JFP contacted me and asked me to make one of the hardest decisions of ever: picking one bag from their colorful website. While I would be the happiest bunny to take home all of their eclectic, puzzlingly wonderful creations, the "Cheese" bag had to be my favorite. I love the girl-next-door satchel style and I don't own anything in this cheddar cheese color, making it an even more special, unique newbie to my closet. I love the confused stares and obvious double-takes I get when taking this bag out and I certainly don't expect anything less of passerbys; it's quite the statement bag with a very confusing aesthetic construction! Browsing the JFP website left me curious as to how these bags actually looked and felt in real life - "they look so fake and animated!" said a good friend of mine. I don't know how much sense this makes, but if I say that the bag looks exactly as how you're currently imagining it to be through these pictures, I hope that clarifies things for you. 

I love the casual, slouchy and breezy quality of this blue and white striped top gifted to me by local blogshop Part and Parcel. It has a wide, low neckline, making it perfect as a swimsuit throw-over too. The slanted breast pockets and aforementioned neckline create physical linear patterns, emphasized by the stripes, which I like to believe gives a nice slimming effect, as well as the linear cut of my trusty Zara skort. This skort is probably the most overexposed garment of 2013, and rightly so. I have yet to find a more comfortable, versatile option to carry me securely through the awkward gaps of dress codes that life presents me with. Fashion events, tuition, meetings, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacktimes, coffees... the list of instances where this skort is appropriate is truly infinite. The geometric nature of the "origami" skirt instantly adds an interesting angle to the simplest white-tee-and-flats combo, yet simultaneously serves to simplify an ensemble consisting of digital prints and kaleidoscopic sky-high heels. You want versatility, affordability, effortlessness and perfection, did you say? Get your a** to Zara and snap up one or four of these gems.

fade.

floral-framed sunglasses -- urban outfitters // floral button-down -- thrifted // denim cutoffs -- gap // bag -- H&M // belt -- H&M

"Let summer set you free."

The quote above was from a letter written to me at the beginning of summer by my best friend. I feel so peaceful whenever I read it; it makes me feel like I'm putting my life into the hands of an unknown entity dubbed as "summer," and letting "summer" take me away and throw me into situations and places I could never even dream of. Summer is when we unravel the dusty cocoons formed during the remaining months of the year and spread our wings and go places and open ourselves to the new world around us. It's when we let ourselves be touched and moulded and shaped and influenced by the new people we meet, the new things we see and the new places we go. Summer is the time we all become butterflies, you could say. But as much as summer changes and shapes us, it also manages to embed a slice of itself into us: a slice saturated with scars and snapshots and memories that'll remain infinitely vivid and play a vital, albeit nostalgic role in the rest of your life. Summer leaves it's mark on me every year in one way or another, be it a heartbreak and a subsequent love lesson, or a friendship that will stay dear to my heart for the rest of my life. Summer has many facets and it is somehow much larger than the sum of these facets: it's a part of something bigger. It's not just about sand, hot lifeguards and late nights, nor is it merely a vacation from life as we know it. It isn't just a time for fairytale love, and it certainly isn't just what the thermostat reads on a baking afternoon. These tiny aspects are what summer is made of, but adding them all up won't even come close to the authentic magic of the season.

Much like this Marks and Spencers floral button-down I picked up at a thrift store in Ireland a few weeks ago, summer is slowly but surely fading. But maybe that isn't a bad thing - faded shirts with granny-inspired prints will always be cool in my books. As for summer's gradual fade into the school year, that is a bad thing. It's a terrible thing. Heck, I already find myself dreaming about and planning for next summer!

Although I wish I could chase the perennial humid summer weather out of Singapore, it's the long months of absence and relaxation that summer entails which I must sadly wave goodbye to. Summer, I bid you a bittersweet farewell.

+ Don't forget to enter my summer care-pack giveaway here!
xx v.

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook -- twitter -- bloglovin'

white, denim & leather.

button-down blouse ~ paradise on a hanger

acid washed jeans ~ h&m

brogues ~ the little things she needs

tank top  ~ cotton on

cross-body satchel ~ h&m

.
One trend that never fails to weave its way into every single gossip magazine is the classic ensemble of white, denim, and leather.There’s something so expensive-looking about a crisp white shirt, blue denim bottoms and a leather bag, and this simple look has a 100% success rate with all body types and skin colors. One of the best things about this look is how versatile it is; throw on an off-white trench, jeans and a messenger bag in the winter, and opt for a slouchy white tank top, frayed Daisy Dukes and a cross-body pouch for an afternoon in the sun. 

.

I teamed this floaty button-down with contrasting acid-washed jeans, which I rolled up to a three-quarter length for a more classy, refined silhouette. Creamy leather brogues would've been the ideal companion to this outfit, but for now, my battered, faux-leather ones (RIP) will have to do. It was the subtle detailing that drew me into purchasing this cross-body pouch; I like things that appear simple at a glance, but prove to be more intricate upon a second look.
.

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/twitter/bloglovin'/tumblr

join seven inch stilettos' first ever giveaway! (open till january 20th)

personal style?

Shirt: TopShop

Shorts/Belt: H&M

Bracelets/Bangles: Vintage

Necklace: Forever 21

Boots: Doc Martens

I wish I had something intelligent to say in this post, but I really don't. So hello my darling readers, and welcome to one of Veena's "philosophical" rambles that most often don't make an ounce of sense. I hope you'll stay a while.

Anyway, this is one of my absolute favourite outfits. It's the perfect summation of my "personal style," edgy, a little cluttered, and a touch androgynous; although in a perfect world I would be wearing about thirteen rings in this picture. 

To be honest, I've never really understood the phrase "personal style," nor do I think I ever will, because sometimes what you wear is different from what you want to wear/like to wear, and that sort of contradicts the meaning of "personal style." I think it's stupid that people feel the need to categorize their taste and limit themselves by labelling a piece of clothing as "their style" or "not their style." Style should revolve around you, not the size of your hips/your ability to pull off daisy dukes. Style should make you smile and feel confident with who you are, so let yourself be happy with what you wear because style is an expression and extension of your personality. Anything can qualify as your "personal style" if you let it.

Moving on, YAAAAAAAY PHONE UPGRADE.

My early Christmas present has come my way, and I am overjoyed! (see before and after picture above). It's a huge upgrade from my previous Nokia, which was supposed to be temporary anyway, but oh my gosh I love my Blackberry 9780 (his name is Charlie by the way, I have a thing with naming my electronics), it's honestly the best thing ever. 

I'm definitely Team Blackberry as opposed to Team iPhone, what about you?

Follow Seven Inch Stilettos on Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr/Bloglovin'

doc martens.

 Doc Martens. Iconic, Rebellious, Bold, Timeless, Unique, Symbolic. These are just a few words that attempt to describe the extent of the Dr. Marten legacy that is so well known for transcending trends, age, place and time. "Anti-Fashion defined in eight holes" is the most perfect way to sum up the Doc Marten's 'ethos.' I found that fabulous quote, and many others, on the Dr. Marten's History page, which I strongly encourage you to read.

You cannot even begin to express my happiness when I received these beautiful shoes from my mother as a Confirmation gift. Not only do I adore these shoes for their luxurious comfort and the bewildered stares I get on the street from wearing them, but because I feel like I own a little piece of fashion history. "The greatest type of fashion is that which encompasses a meaning so much larger than its tangible presence," and I know no more iconic brand than this one. Another wonderful line I quote from the History Page of Dr. Martens is this:

"The Dr. Martens' brand... A blank canvas on which a generation can paint their personality."

Dr. Martens were primarily created for industrial purposes; they were first discreetly flaunted by an army of postmen and factory workers who'd found the perfect combination of comfort, lightweight, durability and practicality all poured into a pair of shoes. But the legacy definitely didn't stop there. 

The fleet of Doc Marten-donning Brits grew rapidly, from just the working-class community to the "rejects, outcasts and rebels from the fringes of society." The spunky 60's and 70's saw the boot being adopted by the various 'tribes' spilling out of the East end of London. "Mods, glams, punks, goths, emos, grunge, straight-edge and Britpop," you name it, were all proudly strutting around in the timeless 1460 model. These tribes were completely different and in most cases, hated each other. But whether they liked it or not, they were inevitably joined together by what they wore on their feet: A humble pair of 1460's.

Today, amidst the pleas of humanity and the seas of creativity we are constantly being exposed to (both of which are being painfully commercialized and publicized through something that has dragged us out of the colorful, social explorative stage of the 1900's: TECHNOLOGY), finding an "anchor" for liberal expression and individuality (which is, according to Klaus Martens, the greatest form of rebellion) is vital for creative souls. Doc Martens Shoes have one of the richest histories in fashion, and the brand's ability to withstand the dynamic turbulence of the 21st century is commendable.

"Dr. Martens anchor you, liberate your creativity, inspire and fuel your identity. Our heritage fits your future; your future is our future."

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/bloglovin'/twitter/tumblr