Regina Chow - Singapore Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle & Travel Blog: ootd

Styling White & Rose Gold with Forever New & The Peach Box

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Channeling Song Hye Kyo's Casual Chic Style in Descendants of the Sun

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Styling Pleats with Pleatation

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Where to go for a Vintage Old Shanghai Themed Photoshoot

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

I did a vintage photo shoot recently with an Old Shanghai theme and I really love how it turned out.

Where? Where else, China of course. If you're traveling to China and you love having your photos taken, this is an enjoyable and relatively inexpensive activity (if you pick the most basic package) that you can add to your bucket list. Be prepared to draw lots of oohs and ahhs from all your friends and family when they see your photos!

There are two spots where you can do this in Nanjing:
1) Laomendong; and
2) Nanjing Museum

Nostalgic Photo Studio at Laomendong, Nanjing

Both attractions have a vintage photography studio. You can be a cheapie like me and just go for the most basic studio photoshoot package where you'll get 1 hard copy of a photograph similar to the ones above for 70 yuan or about S$15 (inclusive of a simple hairdo, accessories, clothes and professional lighting equipment). You are also allowed to take your own photos in the shop, so be sure to bring along your own camera too.

These are some photos taken by my hubby:

Waiting to elope with my secret lover

Laomendong, Nanjing (China)

If you prefer the full works, you can opt for the most comprehensive package which includes an elaborate vintage hairstyle, make-up and several backdrops and poses. You'll get to keep an album of photos too. This would set you back by 1680 yuan or about S$350.

The full works

These photos give you a flavour of what the backdrops look like. On hindsight, I should have styled my hair in the series of photos below to match the gorgeous Old Shanghai setting in Nanjing Museum. With the right makeup, hairdo and backdrop (plus some editing), anyone can transform into an upper class woman of leisure sipping tea in a retro tea house or a cute schoolgirl waiting to elope with her secret lover.

Retro tea house in Nanjing Museum

Cinema from a bygone era at Nanjing Museum

Streets of Old Shanghai at Nanjing Museum

If you prefer the DIY route, it is possible to ace this shoot with your Instagram boyfriend or husband by wearing your own cheongsam, styling your hair yourself (check out tutorials on pinterest & youtube) and bringing your own props.

It's a really fun way to spend an afternoon and you can expect the end results to be nothing short of spectacular!

The Secret To Dressing Like The French & Rue Madame

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Don't we all dream to be that woman who wakes up with messy bed hair but somehow still ends up looking effortlessly chic and sexy even with a simple white t-shirt and a pair of well-fitted jeans. The whole "I woke up like this" look is characteristic of the French woman who never tries too hard and always appears put together at all times.

What is the secret to dressing like the French? Well, it's actually very simple. The French woman loves basic pieces, and they have to be of good quality. She believes in investing in timeless pieces that she will get the most wear out of, which makes perfect sense.

As you would know by now, minimalism is my cup of tea. The minimalist style, a classic style that makes dressing up a breeze for anyone, probably best describes the French woman. T-shirt and jeans are great for summer, but when temperatures are cooler, a tailored shirt and black pants or overalls (like the one pictured here) are my go-to ensemble.

Some of my favourite brands that do great simple basics include American Vintage, Majestic Filatures and Toupy, to name a few, all of which can be found at Rue Madame.

This French fashion boutique houses many brands and each collection has a distinctive Parisian flair to it. Not only do they have quality basics at affordable prices, you can also find playful, vibrant, feminine pieces that add a quirky touch to your wardrobe staples. I'm currently obsessed with boxy silhouettes and I have my eye on this two-tone cut-out sleeveless dress from Tara Jarmon.

Tara Jarmon Two-tone Cut-out Sleeveless Dress

The cut-out details at the side add an element of surprise to the clean, minimalist look. I love how sophisticated the collection is and the amazing thing about Rue Madame is that it only carries exclusive, one-of-a-kind pieces that maintain a sense of individuality.

Rue Madame has recently launched their online store, which is so exciting especially since summer is just around the corner (fine, for Singaporeans, it's summer all-year-round)! But yes, whatever the season is, check them out to get some Parisian inspiration and lovely festival wear with several boho, gypsy style brands that are all the rage right now!

Fashion: Neutral Minimalist & Fashion Steps Out 2016

Friday, March 25, 2016

Black, grey and neutral shades form the foundation for a minimalist wardrobe. I used to think neutral colours such as beige were boring, but I couldn't be more wrong.

Just as how grey comes in 50 shades (or more), beige too doesn't disappoint where the colour wheel is concerned. I came across this simplified colour chart from fellow blogger Glam and City, and gosh, just look at how many neutral shades there are!

Credit: Glam And City

It is amazing just how many looks you can pull off when you have a wardrobe filled with pieces in these colours. You'll never look like a clown again, even if you decide to pick out an outfit with your eyes closed.

Take this outfit that I put together over the weekend as an example. I paired my tan culottes with a nude top that came with choker-like details and an asymmetrical hem, not forgetting my trusty New Balance sneakers in beige.

Not too shabby an ensemble isn't it? The tonal contrast added dimension to the nude-on-nude outfit while the little details and tailored silhouettes amped up the style factor.

It is no secret now that I am a minimalist convert, and if you need more reasons to convince yourself to make the switch, perhaps you may wish to read my previous article on minimalism here:

Why I Adopted the Minimalist Style

*****

Fashion Steps Out 2016

In other fashion news, one of Singapore's largest fashion festival, Samsung Fashion Steps Out @ Orchard 2016 begins today!

It is unfortunate that I can't participate in this event as I am currently overseas, but if you are in Singapore right now, be sure to catch this six-week extravangaza that lasts till 8 May 2016.

Here's what you can expect this year:

Star-studded Orchard Fashion Runway (26 March 2016)

Happening tomorrow, the biggest outdoor fashion show curated by Singapore's fashion doyen Daniel Boey will be kicking off the fashion festival in style. As with previous years, the stretch between Scotts Road and Bideford Road will be closed to traffic and transformed into Singapore's longest fashion runway.

This is also the first time that an entourage of more than a dozen personalities, influencers and artistes from Singapore and around the region will join the Orchard Fashion Runway. They include JJ Lin [Singapore]; VJ Daniel [Indonesia]; Min Chen [Malaysia]; Laureen Uy [Philippines]; Aisyah Aziz [Singapore], Sheila Sim [Singapore], Hayley Woo [Singapore] and more!

Fashion labels to look out for at the runway show:

Fox Kids & Baby
MASH-UP
PHANTACi
Raffles Privato
RÊVASSEUR
Sean & Sheila
Thomas Wee
UNIQLO Lifewear

Fans of Asian pop icon Jay Chou will have something to look out for this year. PHANTACi, Jay Chou's label, will be making its debut at the Orchard Fashion Runway.

Raffles Privato, Thomas Wee and UNIQLO Lifewear are also participating for the very first time.

Fringe Activities (now till 8 May)

Adeline Khoo, Knit in the City [15 Apr - 8 May] at Wisma Atria, Atrium B1

Love knitting?

Head on down to Wisma Atria from now till 8 May to check out craftist Adeline Khoo's vision of a fantasy knitscape, featuring fully knitted giant backdrop, headpiece and train as well as giant needles.

Knitting demonstrations will be conducted over the weekend, where you can learn to knit like a professional!

Interested in technology or the latest virtual reality trend?

Samsung Fashion Visionaries is another fringe activity that's not to be missed. Held at Paragon, Main Atrium also from now till 8 May, visitors can enjoy an immersive experience with the new Samsung Galaxy S7 4G+, S7 edge 4G+ along with Samsung Gear VR and Samsung Gear 360. Anything that is remotely related to virtual reality is so popular these days, and I really wish I could pop by to try out these gadgets!

Shop, Dine & Win Draw (now till 8 May)

From now till 8 May, shopaholics and foodies can also stand a chance to win shopping vouchers in the Shop, Dine & Win Draw with every S$50 spent (charge to your MasterCard card and triple your chance of winning!) at the following participating malls:

1. 313@somerset
2. Forum The Shopping Mall
3. Mandarin Gallery
4. Ngee Ann City / Takashimaya Shopping Centre
5. Orchard Central
6. orchardgateway
7. Palais Renaissance
8. Paragon
9. Scotts Square
10. TANGS Orchard
11. Wisma Atria

15 tourists stand to win MasterCard prepaid cards worth S$500 or a trip back to Singapore with S$1,000 shopping vouchers.

Ah, how I wish I was back on our sunny island!

*****

If you would like to find out more about Fashion Steps Out 2015, click on the link below to read my lovely friend Isabelle's account of it (we had so much fun attending the event together!):

Fashion Fridays: Fashion Steps Out 2015