Rue des Chats

Just discovered this new Vietnamese brand a couple weeks ago and I'm in love. Their latest and also first collection is right up my cup of tea. Very Parisian chic at the same time suitable for the tropical weather of my homeland : clean strong cut with sweet subtle detailing at the neckline and in the back (my favorite is the top above, ahhh those buttons ♥); light fabrics such as cotton and silk-crêpe in white, cream and other neutral colors promise to keep you cool, especially when it's hot and humid almost everyday throughout the whole year. I heard that the founders/creators are a couple who went to fashion and photography schools in Paris so maybe that explains the name Rue des Chats and its styling? Also loving their choice of model, Tuyết Lan looks incredibly elegant and fresh in their ad campaign, particularly in this video.

Looking at their lookbook makes me miss how lightly I was able to dress back then, no layers, no coats, no jackets, just top + bottom + shoes or dress + shoes and I was good to go. Gotta cherish the rare summer days when the temperature is actually higher than 20°C. Damn you, global warming!

All photos belong to Rue des Chats.

Definitely stopping by their boutique next time I'm in Hanoi. Or they should open another one in Saigon and Paris :))

Crisp

As much as I love shirts, I prefer them on other people, not on me. It's rare that I find shirts that fit me well except for my high school uniform ones which have short sleeves and navy trimming (a more detailed post coming soon). Other than that, I feel as if they make my petite frame even smaller, my already-voluminous-with-all-that-hair head even bigger, therefore I look like an ice cream scone which is not something I'm going after despite my love for ice cream (fun fact: I once went to an ice cream buffet and ate 20 scoops hehe ^^). And I also find that it gives me too much physical matureness than needed. Or is it just my imagination? Hmmm.

But the crisp white shirt. 

Ahhh this famous classic staple, when nicely done in the material and cut that suits your body and taste, can really do wonders.  

I've always loved the look of a boxy, well-fitting white shirt especially when paired with denim or cigarette pants. It gives off a professional but still very relaxed and fresh vibe. But it's really hard to find a simple white button-down that ticks all the boxes nowadays, at least for me, particularly one that is not sheer and that doesn't have any ruffles and that is not from the men section because let's face it, even the smallest size looks like a dress on me, or worse: I look like a walking version of my 25 kilos rice sack. But I must admit, I love to wear men shirts to sleep or to lounge around the house, hoping I would look like this. There's something very sexy about them that I cannot resist. Anyway, back to the subject... I am now the proud owner of this timeless piece of clothing. Boxy but still very feminine, just how I want it, not to mention the student-friendly price, especially at 40% off :)) Monoprix has a lot of nice stuff if you try to look and dig around. In terms of quality, we will see but I hope this one is like the shirt I bought there last season during the sale because for 4 euros, it still looks impeccable after numerous washes and the organic cotton stays very soft and new.

Shirt, Monoprix - Pants, Benetton - Ballerines, Mango

My sister said I looked like Kim Ha Neul in A Gentleman's Dignity from the back in this outfit which is flattering because I absolutely adore her character's style: simple and elegant with interesting but very subtle details.

Euhhh, I think I should go to sleep now before I start my *fangirl* moment so my sister wouldn't yell at me again for staying up so late these days. Until next time, night night!

Stripes on camel

One of the most comfortable outfits I've ever assembled. The marinière has been worn every week since the day I got it back in January and it still stays just as new, only softer, which proves to be a very good investment. I had to go 2 sizes up because french sizing is kinda unusual (or is it just Saint James?) and I prefer it loose and not too cropped. I've created many ensembles using this classic piece and I'm still excited every time I pull it out, thinking of what new combo I can come up with. 

My sister gave me this tote last month but I've never used it until today to go meet up with a friend.  It's from the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle. Lately, I've been preferring small cross body bags but lurking a camera around town requires bigger volume so this tote comes in handy. I can tell I will get a lot of use out of it in the future, especially when school starts again. And how cute are the dinosaurs skeletons? (There are 3 of them ^^)

I acquired these ballerines last week during the sale. They are ridiculously comfy and have a nice sheen to them. Last pair in black, so glad I tried them on because they are one size smaller than my usual size, I was bored waiting for friends so I figured why not?

Marinière, Saint James - Pants, Maje - Ballerines, Mango - Tote, gifted 

As for the pants, I got them from the Maje outlet, 30% off. They are so incredibly comfy, 2 plies of pure cotton softness. It's something I could wear to go to bed at night and straight out of the house the next day - my definition of a good piece of clothing. However, they are a pain to take care of, super delicate so I have to hand wash them and be very careful of how I walk or where I sit in order not to ruin them :|

Prune and cherry

H&M shirt + thrifted bag, borrowed from sister - Shorts, Nafnaf - Blazer, AA - Boots, Benetton

Wore this outfit to lay on the grass at the Luxembourg Gardens more than one week ago with my sister and her best friend on a dry sunny day but it was still a bit cold so we didn't stay very long. I really like the color of the shorts and the bag, how they surprisingly work well together and with other garments in my wardrobe, how they make this outfit interesting without being too much. Hmmm, new neutrals? Possibly.

Since the whole chill-on-grass plan didn't work out but it was still too bright and nice to go home, we picked up some Dalloyau macarons and sat at a café named Le Rostand near the gardens to chat and people watch. At first, we thought the waiter didn't approve of us bringing food from outside because he looked super serious... until he jokingly stole my bag of macarons and smiled. The three of us couldn't stop giggling after that, especially when we saw written on the receipt ''Votre serveur: Garçon 4''. We're such grown ups, I know hehehe ^.^