Noir

Have been juggling between work and gym five days a week, people watching has naturally become one of the most enjoyable ways to relax and rewind in the city. Being judgmental is inevitable as it is the instinct of then human nature. What they are wearing then tops the list of the observation mission agenda. Black, to my surprise, dominates the colour palette of this lively city. Coming from a small island where fashion and lifestyle are much influenced by the Japanese pop culture, this black prevalence is a cultural shock.

Whether they are Topshop girls, Whistles women or Cos gents, they have their own takes on defining the black chic. Black cropped top pairing with black high-waisted leather skirt rocks the vibe of Shordeitch. It is accessories, the hair and makeup do the talking. Black boxy bumper jacket contrasting a pair of black tailored trousers conveys the spirit of sport luxe. It is the mix and match of textures and proportion pinpoint the effort.

That black fine knitted jersey top on the rack still catches your eye when a complete collection of black pieces may have already existed in your wardrobe. But why does the colour never go out of fashion? The credit probably goes to the men behind the phenomenal fashion show, creators of those breathtaking pieces on the runway. Has curiosity ever struck you to peep into designer’s wardrobe?

It is not uncommon to see designers show up for a bow right after the catwalk finale dressing in black. Known for his manipulation of alluring colours and playful prints, Henry Holland was spotted wearing black leather shirt and black trousers at his Spring/Summer 2014 show. Black t-shirt and bottoms are the standard uniform of Alexander Wang and Christopher Kane. Making head-to-toe black uber-chic, the Olsen Twins know the best. The way they play with black is fascinating. Black is no doubt a versatile colour to dress up and down, muted black or fifty shades of grey are good alternatives to spice up the dullness. Despite the fact that London produces constant excitement, the locals of the fashion capital still pursue the subtlety within the modesty. Next time when you find yourself sitting at a café or on the tube, do take a peek at the girl next to you.

Places for peeping Toms:

Learn to brunch and dress in the Chelsea way at

The Good Life Eatery

59 Sloane Ave, London SW3 3DH

http://www.goodlifeeatery.com/

Ginger & White Hampstead

Hopped on the bus 268 for a 20-min journey of my cafe crawl, I have found my perfect cafe here at Ginger & White in Hampstead.

Upon stepping into this cosy cafe, I was immediately greeted by the friendliest barista, it must be the Hampstead gem!
The way the barista engages with the customers is just so cute and charming. 
Thumb up for that.

No sign of the city hassle and bustle, only the lovely local vibe oozing from the chit-chat between staff and customers.
Regular customers constantly popping in for their on-the-go caffeine boost and post-workout bites, MacBook users sipping their cappuccino, and two French families paying a visit (giving me the opportunity to revising my terribly-rusty French), Ginger & White seems as well one of hubs for Apple users. Even the wifi password, 100cupcakes, gives me a reason to pay another visit.
Sat for another hour with a pot of green tea because I would like to stay longer to enjoy the atmosphere and it is just so perfect to work on your laptop.

I had my cappuccino with soya milk as usually and ordered scrambled eggs on 2 slices of sourdough bread topped with roasted tomatoes.
The locally-sourced egg was literally the best I have ever had, perfectly cooked, not greasy at all. 
I am coming back for their home-made salad for sure!

Theme song: All I Want Is You by Barry Louis Polisar


Ginger & White Hampstead
4a-5a Perrins Court, HAMPSTEAD NW3 1QS
http://www.gingerandwhite.com/

The Riding House Café

Located at the Great Portland Street, the Riding House Cafe is probably one of the most hidden yet hippest spots in London to do brunch.

A mixture of brass and wood, the decor is absolutely trendy and stunning.

Some of the Poppy Delevingne girls were spotted sipping their cappuccino.

Do pay a visit to the toilet downstairs to admire the interior design.

As I am always on the hunt for the perfect avocado toast, I had to have one of those at the Riding House.

It was the simplest one I have ever had so far.

One slice of brown toast cut in half, spread with smashed avo, and sprinkled with black pepper on top, accompanied by some sort of vinegar source and a quarter of lime on the side.

Mine wasn't that boring as I managed to add roasted tomato to red the green a little bit. 

Soya Cappuccino was lovely but not impressive.  

I am not sure if I will give it another go in the near future, it could simply be a tick on my cafe crawl list. 

But I do suggest you dress up a little bit, even if its just a causal weekday brunch catch-up with friends. 

The Riding House Café

43-51 Great Titchfield St, London W1W 7PQ

http://www.ridinghousecafe.co.uk/

Albion

The official day 2 of my cafe crawl embarked today.
I am stepping out of my comfort zone and exploring new areas.
Been lingering around Marylebone neighbourhood, Covent Garden, and South Kensington for too long.

Well technically, it is not a cafe crawl because most of the spots that I'd pay a visit must have healthy food and lovely decor. 
The availability of soya milk is a must too.

Anyway, this is my second time in Shoreditch.
Having heard people raging about this place many times, I decided to hop on the overground for 40-min commute and gave Shoreditch another go (I am just not a fan of Brick Lane.)
The first stop has to be the famous Albion and early weekday morning means no queue!
Got asked anything to drink upon sitting, hadn't got comfy at my seat yet, a cup of soya cappuccino was already served. 
Coffee was nothing special to be honest, but the freshly-made toast and the grilled sweet potato with spinach were not bad.
I have to say the decor is lovely, a mixture of American, British, and a bit of Parisian maybe?
Red seatings, white walls and ceilings, wooden chairs and floor.
Let me put it this way, imaging the song, Why Do You Let Me Stay Here by Him & Her as a decor theme and you would get what I mean.
I can totally picture Zooey Deschanel brunching here.
Yep, that's it.
Overall, it'd be a lovely spot for brunch meet-up.



Albion
2-4 Boundary St, London E2 7DD
http://www.albioncaff.co.uk/

One of Those Days

Today has been one of those days that I don't feel like myself.

The level of my anxiety already reached the peak since yesterday partly because uni starts tomorrow, partly because I still miss Alex an awful lot. So I decided to take a day off, what I mean by taking a day off is being a homie with no makeup on. Therefore, I popped into M&S for a last-min grocery shopping, coming home with a tote bag of instant coffee, skimmed milk, avo, spinach, broccoli, smoked salmon, and chicken.

Cooking isn't my thing, this I am not ashamed to admit. Little did I know that I suck at making coffee as well. 

I have a craving for coffee or any food from one of  my fav chill-out spots even today is supposed to be a lazy stay-at-home day.

It is the specialty coffee, friendly people, and the decor that keep me going back for caffeine boost.

Attendant 
For the quirky location, soya cappuccino, Royal chicken sandwich and homemade salad

Nordic Bakery (Dorset Street)
Soya latte, Gravlax salmon rye sandwich, and the cinnamon bun is to die for

The Good Life Eatery: probably the most trendy destination for healthy food gourmets

Souli: an array of exquisite sandwiches on display, along with freshly-made salads.

Ozone and The Riding House Cafe are fancy spots for causal breakie and bruch slash Chiltern Firehouse alternative if you know what I mean.

Rosy brunching spot

Stepping into the Dover Street Market, eyes are immediately treated with an outrageous array of work of art. Arguably the best example to showcase the spark when street fashion meets avant-garde haute couture, the 5-floored building houses only the highlights of designer labels, showing off a collective haul of the Japanese fashion designer, Rei Kawakubo. An illusion of wandering around an exhibition then struck on me when every piece of art thrives to remind you of their existence with top of the voice, but it is the Rose Bakery on the fifth floor steals the show. 

Curated in the simple aesthetic, Rose Bakery breaks the rule of Dover Street Market. Four rustic wooden long tables aligned and floor-to-ceiling windows with a balcony overlooking houses with French windows not only create an open-space atmosphere but also fulfil my Parisian craving. Rose finds you serenity, it is like Marylebone enjoying the geographic privilege where hustle and bustle of the city is yet out of sight. Only the plates of artisan cakes and organic salads served at the bar live by the spirit of Dover Street Market, wide in variety, sourced only the best. If you are discouraged by the price point all the way to the fifth floor, Rose Bakery may make it up for it as self-indulgence at the Dover is actually achievable with just an elegant fare.Forget about the price tags, come dine at this hidden spot for a rosy brunch meet-up with friends.

Whistles

Pardon, high street fashion. 

(Yo! Topshop, ZARA, H&M, I am talking to you!)

This post is dedicated to Whistles and COS.

To begin with Whistles, I have to mention that it can be so viral when content marketing meets bloggers.

(Disclaimer: Though I am a marketing communications student, the nuts and bolts of the marketing I possess is still at minimum, and I am not ashamed.)

Anyway, why Whistle has something to do with content marketing?

Because the British boutique-ish fashion brand has been playing with it sneakily. 

All of my fav bloggers/YouTubers have confessed their splurges on Whistles with amiability more than once.

My first acknowledge of Whistles started with Hello October, a Brighton-based blogger called Suzie (adore her!), followed by Anna from Vivianadoesmakeup as well as her BFF Lily Pebbles (love them! Met them in person at Grosvenor Square last month!), etc, whose subscribers/followers/readers belong to Whistles’ target audience. 

The design concept is pretty simple.

Whistle women are contemporary and independent.

The effortless style updates your everyday wardrobe with an instant chic with ease. 

A transition from workwear to a night-out outfit is not a problem at all.

Stepping into any Whistles outlet, it is not impossible that you will find out the staffs at Whistles are all such a babe! 

How they style, mix & match is just so inspiring.

They do know how to whistle! lol

Recently just welcomed this lovely navy stripe print silk trousers and currently am eyeing on this beautiful navy jumpsuit. 

The power of social media on digital communications has not only rendered a brand the ease of customer acquisition and retention but also reinforced the customer engagement.

How can it be not viral when every single popular blogger is raging on the same thing at the same time?

You’d understand if you have witnessed the incidents of the Urban Decade Naked Palette and Bioderma, etc.

My alternative to Whistles would be COS, which is considered more wallet-friendly.

Less is more concept has been clearly voiced out loud.

It’s all in the detail, fabric texture and material.

Did I mention that they have the cutest brand ambassadors in every single outlet?

The colour palette and the silhouette are probably inspired by fashion designers who always looks ultra chic in black, grey, or navy.

Not glossy or fashion-y, but a bit of Nordic Scandinavian aesthetic vibe.

Do I make sense?

Londoner

"You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."— Samuel Johnson

Been out and about in the London town for 9 months now. From the perspective of an outsider trying to fit in in terms of fashion, lifestyle, and attitude.

London has taught me:

To dress in black from head to toe (50 shade of grey would be an alternative), let your makeup, nail polish and accessories do the talking

Navy is the new black

Sun-kissed tan is gorgeous

Winter sunbeam is a luxe

You are probably missing out some of the greatest social opportunities if u don't smoke or drink?!

Monday is a living hell, Friday is the the salvation day

We can live on avocado toast every meal and never get tired

Kale, quinoa and sweet potato are super food at the moment

Messy hair is sexy

Eat not only with fork but also knife

Freshly-squeezed juice and smoothies are so in