I'm of course referring to the pattern and not the song. Not gonna lie, I was unsure if it was spelled gingham or gangnam ... I blame PSY lol. One thing for sure, this checkered gingham pattern is definitely a timeless trend especially for the fall. I found this cute summery top online from Popcherry, they're one of Australia's largest online retail stores and their prices are honestly very good for the clothes you get. I also ordered three other things from them and they were all true to size. One of the pieces had a completely different texture from what I expected (it was rather flimsy). However, same goes for every other online retailer, it's important to pay attention to the photos and description to know what kind of material to expect. A great thing about Popcherry is that each item listing actually a pretty accurate "Details" section. It usually provides information on whether the fabric is sturdy or flimsy which I totally didn't pay attention to at the time. Online purchases can always be a miss-or-hit but you can definitely avoid many misses if you set your expectations in the right direction by being well informed. By the way, wouldn't it be great if one day there was a way to see how every outfit from online shops actually fit on you using virtual reality? C'mon technology! Anyways overall, I was satisfied with my experience with them and would recommend it (note that delivery to Canada usually takes a little less than 2 weeks since it's shipped from Australia).

I also recently added this corduroy jacket from The Cords Co to my fall staples. It definitely adds some texture to this outfit so I don't entirely look like a black blob. I think it's a great idea to play around with textures when you're only wearing one or two solid colours to make every piece stand out. To be completely honest, this is probably the only corduroy piece I own but I'm absolutely in love with it. I was never a fan of corduroy to begin with because I feel like it usually looks slightly too washed off and easy to stain. However, there's something about the material for this one that makes it look lustrous while also keeping that vintage vibe that we associate to corduroy. It may be slowly growing on me... hmmm.

Finally, if you know me well or have been reading my blog, you probably know I usually don't wear much jewelry. If I do wear some, it's 99% of the time very minimal and subtle. This is why I picked this small wishbone necklace from an online store called Thea Winston. It was actually recently launched by a friend of mine (hi Sean). There are still a limited selection of items available but I highly recommend you stay tuned for what's to come! If you're interested in any of the pieces and are in Montreal, feel free to message me and I can probably arrange something with him to save you the shipping. You could also save 10% off your entire purchase (use "PING10" at checkout) if order directly before Dec 2nd.

ALSO, I've partnered up with Daniel Wellington from now throughout holidays season so you guys can still get 15% off until end 2017! 
New code is "PINGGYU15" at checkout. 




WEARING
POPCHERRY Gingham top
THE CORDS CO Corduroy Vest
THEA WINSTON Wishbone Necklace (SHOP HERE)
ALDO SHOES Ankle boots
ZARA Jeans
DANIEL WELLINGTON Watch (get 15% with "PINGGYU15" at check out)

GET THE LOOK



Photos by Dany
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


October's right around the corner but temperatures are rising and fall doesn't seem ready to hit just yet. Am I complaining? I'm not even sure. Half of me misses the cold (yep.. I'm Canadian after all). The other half still wants eternal summer, or perhaps the feeling of still being on vacation.

SHOP THE COAT HERE.
 

WEARING
SHEIN Sleeveless Blazer (SHOP HERE)
ARITZIA Crepe Top
ZARA Suede Skort
ZARA White Blockheels
DANIEL WELLINGTON Watch (get 15% with "PING15" at check out)

GET THE LOOK



Photos by David


I've always had a love and hate relationship with white clothing. As clean as a white dress look, it may as well be the next victim of a spaghetti meatball sauce. Hopefully, this one pulls through longer than a summer.

SHOP THE DRESS HERE.
   

WEARING
MAKEMECHIC Dress (SHOP HERE)
STEVE MADDEN Heels
DANIEL WELLINGTON Watch (get 15% with "PING15" at check out)

Photos by Dany


It was around mid April, when I knew I only had a few weeks left in Asia. I wanted to do one last trip before going back to Montreal. Like many others, I had a list of places I wanted to go that were left unchecked. Korea was one of them. Just a week before, I met a friend in Bali who had already booked a solo round-trip to Seoul in May. The only downside was that upon looking at the return date, I realized I had a pretty important final exam one day later. After not much thinking, I did what most exchange students on pass fail would've done and just like that, I landed in Korea.

We stayed at a cozy hostel near the cultural district of Seoul, close to both Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung palaces (I can't recall the number of times I have butchered these two names while trying to ask for directions). As we were walking down the streets from our hostel, we saw several people wearing Hanboks, a type of traditional Korean dress. Our hostel offered a Hanbok renting service so we thought, why the hell not. For 15000W (roughly 17$CAD) for three hours, you get to pick a dress and a matching cover-up. Wearing one also grants you access to all the palaces without a fee and it's definitely a different experience. If you have the chance to visit Seoul, I would recommend renting one. They are beautifully made and there are also choices for men! You can easily find many Hanbok renting places pretty much spread out around the palaces and Bukchon Hanok Village. This area was perfect for pictures and filled with cafes, art galleries and shops.

As short and spontaneous as this trip was, it was the perfect last one. Despite having never been to Korea before, the environment felt both familiar and refreshing. Locals were extremely friendly and always willing to help. I would definitely come back one day to stuff myself of kimchi and rice cakes again. And oh, that flavoured soju.

Until next time, Seoul.
---

If you're interested in my hostel, itinerary or places visited in Seoul, shoot me a DM/ email and I'll gladly send it over.


All photo credits to Parklynn (insta)


The first day of summer finally came exactly three weeks ago. However, it only felt like an extension of what the weather has been like for me since January, minus the occasional unbearable asian humidity (thank god). It's already been more than a month since I came back from Asia and I still find it hard to properly answer when people ask "So how was Hong Kong/ exchange?". This post has been sitting in my drafts for way too long as I brainstormed thoughts and memories.

It was good in so many ways.

The thought of what I left behind only hit me towards the last few days of exchange. That I wasn't only leaving a city I could call a second home away from home but also the people and the experience of falling in love with a lifestyle that would never be the same. Booking last-minute flights for the upcoming weekend, taking bumpy minibus rides to get to the city, eating michelin star dim sum four days in a row, being in a pack of exchange students taking a cab back from LKF at 6 in the morning, late night seafront walk and talks on campus... It was only four months in a life but a completely different life in four months.

Time flew by. Everything seemed to happen on a separate, accelerated time line as we all knew the sands of our exchange semester hourglass would eventually run out. Knowing we all had a deadline to do all the things on our bucket lists and much more, it was the perfect opportunity to get out of your comfort zone. People who met the same week could end up booking flights for the upcoming weekend. You could get closer to people exponentially faster by traveling with them. Traveling can bring out the best but also the worst in you and others. You learn more about not only the kind of people you like to be surrounded by but also a lot more about yourself and how independent you can be while abroad.

Having been to 12 different cities in different countries around Asia for the past few months has been a hell of a ride. I didn't know I enjoyed traveling before I left, mainly because I had never taken a flight alone before. I slowly found a new passion in traveling. The differences in culture, people, lifestyle. It's one thing to talk about it but another to see it in front of your eyes and experience the reality of some people in other parts of the world. As cliche as it sounds, traveling is truly one of the only expenses that makes you richer.

But more valuable than anything are all the great people you meet along the way. Exchange basically felt like getting thrown into a pit with strangers from all different backgrounds and completely different personalities and being told to get along. You meet people that you click with from the start but who are so different from your friends back home. You will find yourself opening up to them at several occasions. I realized that the more you're honest and open, the more you'll attract this type of people too in your life. You definitely can't please everyone and you shouldn't. Even along the way, friendships can and will change for the worse or for the better from one day to another. For reasons that no one knows or no one can even fully understand. Sometimes, life just happens.

“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.” –Miriam Adeney

So dear Hong Kong, thank you for teaching me to always be grateful and to not take any moment for granted. And to each one you reading this, thank you for the life-long memories.

Photo by Irwin Chan


As spring in Hong Kong is slowly coming to an end, so is this semester. With temperatures and humidity rising to new peaks and my bank balance descending to new lows, I can say I am both sad and excited to go back to Montreal. As much as I love Hong Kong, I still miss the changing seasons back home and moderate temperatures. Having entirely skipped most part of winter in Montreal, I almost even miss the snow... One thing for sure, I will definitely be leaving with a bittersweet feeling.

SHOP THE TOP HERE.



 WEARING
MAKEMECHIC Open Back Top (SHOP HERE)
UNIQLO Camel Coat 
UNIQLO Grey Trousers
ST&SAT Heels
DANIEL WELLINGTON Watch (get 15% with "PING15" at check out)

Photos by Irwin


Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Contact

© INSPIRE YU
Design by The Basic Page