Bicester Village Buys, London

Initially, we thought we wouldn't spend too long in Bicester Village as it wasn't as huge as some of the large American outlet malls we'd been to, but I ended up wishing we had a bit more time.

I did manage to come away with some lovely buys ....

First up:

A pair of ballerina shoes from Tod's ... love the bow details ....

Cath Kidson bag and pouches ... wish I had bought a few more pouches!

Cath Kidson cooler bag ... I spent a loooong time testing my friend's (and hubby's) patience debating if I should get this. It was such a good price and looked so pretty as well. But seriously, did I really need a cooler bag? Hmmm ... I'd need it if I still lived in Taipei and wanted to buy back some Cold Stone ice cream. But I no longer live in Taipei and am not overly impressed by Cold Stone in Shanghai.

Perhaps I could justify this by using it for grocery shopping to put a fabulous home cooked meal on the table? But I've been cooking perfectly fine without such a bag ....

Then the clincher:

My friend, M: Hmmm ... I think the handles on the bag (on the design I originally wanted) look a lil cheap ...

Me: Ya ... maybe I'll get the other one instead ...

M: Erm ... I thought by saying that you'd give it up completely ...

That's when I knew I really wanted it!

So, here it is ... my Cath Kidson cooler bag (with the nicer handles) ***! Hahaha ....

Radley passport holder and longish gloves with bow details ...

Again, I spent too long agonising over whether I should get the brown or navy blue gloves ... isn't decision making just the toughest part of shopping?

*** Incidentally, the Cath Kidson cooler bag turned out to be a terrific buy cos I used it to carry home all my English crisps! And in fact, Hubby even asked me to open up another one to put some other stuff in. I was like "how many Cath Kidson bags do you think I bought?" Maybe I should've bought the other one too! Hahahaha ...

Ju Lu Lu, Shanghai

While out shopping with the cousin and her colleague around Ju Lu Lu, I picked these up ....

I liked the "nude" colour of this Stella McCartney dress as well as the design ...

Loved the grey and "Chanel-esque" essence of this cardi ...

And I totally fell in love with all the detailing on this Catherine Malandrino dress .... look at the pretty lace cut-outs and the gorgeous pleated skirt ...

Orla Kiely for Uniqlo, Shanghai

I've always been attracted to Orla Kiely's prints and was totally unaware that she had collaborated with Uniqlo on this collection, so I was surprised when I saw these beautiful tees and shirts at Uniqlo. The prints were so pretty, I simply had to try them on!

These are what I brought home with me:

One of her signature prints on a tee-shirt .... gorgeous! It just so cheery it's irresistible ...

From afar, this looks like a normal red-checked shirt, but up close, you can see that each "check" is actually a little four-petal flower ... rather Mary Quant/50s looking, I thought. Pretty ...

Roughly a day after I bought these, I read that the Duchess of Cambridge (aka Kate Middleton) had worn an Orla Kiely dress which sold out promptly after she'd worn it. How coincidental is that!

Shanghai Purchases

It was soooo cold when we first moved to Shanghai in early Feb 2012, so when I saw this beautiful faux suede and fur lined jacket, I simply couldn't resist. This was from the "Star Shop". I came across these "Star Shops" while at Xinle Lu and later found out that this was one of the shops that actually had no name. Their signature look was a full glass front, white walls inside and racks and racks of clothes which you had to sort through to find your gem. They generally carry an assortment of clothes from Korea, Japan, etc. Due to their selection of clothes and their reasonable price range, they have become an essential shop to visit while in Shanghai.

I have to admit my weakness for Zara ... in case you haven't already noticed ... heh heh ... I shop at Zara whenever and wherever I can :) I like their range of clothes, the workmanship for the price you pay. I also like that you can get something very classic or very trendy, depending on your mood. These were my recent buys from the sale at Zara ...

A simple white top with an interesting yet subtle frilled overlay ...

For very classic and simple practical clothes, I like Gap. Got this on sale in Gap, Shanghai ...

Another shop that is usually on my have-to-visit list is H&M. Recently though, I've been finding that their sizing seems to be shrinking (or could it be that I'm expanding ... horrors!) and workmanship for some pieces aren't as polished as Zara, so my interest is waning ... but just a lil only :) I still feel compelled to go in whenever I see a H&M. This blue-striped top looks normal, but what I like about it is the lovely pleating along the neckline ...

I've also started the beginnings of a love affair with C&A - a Swedish high st fashion store. This pretty peach coloured top with lovely floral standout petals is one of the reasons why ...

A simple blue knit dress ... one of the reasons I find it difficult to completely fall out of love with H&M :)

One of the things I miss about Taipei is all the Korean fashion they carry at very reasonable prices. So, I was soooo happy to find this building around Qi Pu Lu that sells nothing but Korean stuff! It's like a lil DongDaeMon in Shanghai! Wonderful! I picked up this very trendy black and white silky top ...

And shopping just can't be complete without shoes right? :) I simply had to get these when I saw them at Zara ... love the color, the design, the scalloped edges, the lace-up, the heels ... drool ... now I just need to find outfits to go with these boots :)

Last Buys, Taipei

During our last few days in Taipei, I picked up some stuff to help me keep warm in the much colder Shanghai weather. I'd been eyeing a pea coat, and got this woollen one from Lowry's Farm (a Japanese brand) ...

As I currently have a thing for pleated maxi skirts, I got this too ... from Earth Music & Ecology ...

Earth Music & Ecology, Taipei

As we had spent the first part of the Chinese New Year in Taipei, Hubby decided to get me a "Fu Dai" from Earth Music & Ecology. Basically, a "Fu Dai" literally translated is a prosperity bag. The basic concept is that we pay a certain price for a bag with mystery contents, but we are assured that the contents are of a value at least equal (but usually more) than the amount we paid.

Although we had lived in Taipei for about 4 years, we had never thought of getting one. Since we would be leaving Taipei permanently, we thought why not just try getting a bag to see what everyone has been talking about.

So, here's my Earth Music & Ecology (a Jap brand) "Fu Dai" ...

What's inside you ask?

A lovely navy blue wool coat with toggle clasps! Nice!

(Incidentally, even the salesgirls didn't know the contents, so they were eagerly helping me to open the bag to see what I got! Pretty fun!)

Jeans with suspenders ... interesting ...

A knit top to be worn as an inner layer to achieve that nice Japanese layered look ...

A cream flannel peasant-like blouse ...

Simple hair accessories ...

I thought the entire process - from choosing which "Fu Dai", to opening it to see what the mystery contents were, to seeing the salesgirls' reactions - was great fun! And the euphoria lasted for at least a few days :) I really loved my new coat ... and tops ... and ... well, everything!

Singapore Buys