Accessorise with Accessories

Accessories are used by women to spice up their outfits and create different types of looks. While there are some who prefer to look simple, most women enjoy pairing different accessories with their clothes to create a variety of looks even if they are repeating their outfits. There are plenty of accessories to choose from such as sunglasses, hats, scarves, belts, rings and necklaces, which could dazzle up your outfit without going over the budget.

If like me, you don't have the luxury of taking your sweet time to get ready for work in the morning, accessories are the best toys to play with, without having to wreck your brain for outfit ideas. A simple monotonous outfit can be instantly made interesting with a colourful or edgy chain or chandelier earrings.

One could never go wrong with a statement necklace together with a plain white tee and tapered pants, or adding a printed scarf to your maxi dress to complete the bohemian look. However, wrong accessories choices could make or break your outfit. Fortunately, there are three fail-proof accessories that are sure to help you avoid jeopardising your outfit.

A no-brainer would be the popular sunglasses. Not only does a pair of shades protect your eyes from the harsh sunlight and UV rays, they are able to make a statement and even jazz up your everyday look. A pair of sunglasses could be worn with a simple tee, a floral blouse or even a mini bodycon dress and still look that they are part of the entire outfit. Wearing the right pair of shades that suits your face shape is important, so do take note of your face shape when picking out a pair.

Danielle from We Wore What (top), and my favourite blogger Annabel of Blushing Ambition chose just the right shades for their face shape

Ladies who prefer a simple yet fuss-free approach can always opt for a scarf to dress up their look. There are multiple ways to style scarves with their outfits to suit their look. Some can choose to wrap it around their neck with various styles such as the modern one-loop or the bunny ears while some even can try draping it over their head for a sophisticated fashion look. Be sure to select scarves with colours that compliment your outfit and shows off your personality at the same time. Bright and striking colours and patterned scarves, which are always in trend, reveal an outgoing personality while soft, pastel shades exudes a certain elegance.

The Blond Salad Chiara Ferragni styling a black scarf with loud prints

Aimee of Song of Style adding a pop of colour to her striking blue jacket

A third choice would be hats but this accessory might be a little tricky to pair with your outfit compared to sunglasses and scarves. But no worries, you girls can apply the same tip as the sunglasses when picking out the right hat for yourselves. Take into account your face shape and just knock yourself out experimenting with the different types of hats available in the market. The trilby or panama may look amazing on some of your friends but it will probably not look good on you. Alternatively, try wearing a beanie or beret for a good-girl look or a floppy felt hat if you are going for a holiday feel outfit. Take your time to mix and match your hats with different looks because with the right selection of hats, your outfit will definitely look more fabulous.

Cutie pie Bonnie Flashes of Style sure knows how to top off an already great outfit with a hat


Bonnie's best friend and housemate Christina (from TropRouge) shares an equal love for hats but the way they style theirs are very different from each other

One place I find that you girls can easily get your hands on a wide selection of accessories is by checking out ZALORA for their accessories collection online. Scroll through their amazing accessories with the tip of your fingers and purchase them instantly. I recently purchased two statement necklaces from the site and I must say, I am really pleased with them!

You should try browsing through the site - after all, a girl can never have too many accessories, right?

♥

Ho Chi Minh Day 3: Crazy Colourful

*Links for Day 1 and Day 2*

Day 3 at Ho Chi Minh was a bit more laid back compared to Day 2 where we were on a schedule for the guided tour. On the third day, we planned to just go see some tourist attractions and monuments on foot so it was more flexible and less hectic. But by the end of the day, I had bruises on my toes (which were still visible at the time of this post was published).

Although it was just a foot tour, I was very pumped for that part of the trip because I have always wanted to visit the Saigon Central Post Office and it was part of the places we went to see. First, we went to the Ben Thanh market again because on the first day we only went in the evening. So we wanted to see the day market and everyone wanted to shop for textiles and cloth.. lots and lots of textiles at bargain-able and cheap prices.

Then we went to the Reunification Palace, the Notre-Dame Basilica cathedral, the Central Post Office (!), to the main mosque in Ho Chi Minh District 1 and then the HCM Hard Rock Cafe. It was on this day where I got to fully appreciate Saigon's beautiful parks and the towering trees lining the streets.

The landscaping is awesome here, there's so much greenery to see. From its busy streets against the quiet historical buildings, the colonial buildings against the backdrop of the clear blue skies, people enjoying their piping hot pho on tiny stools on the curbside while passers-by stroll past them, the tooting of the motorcycle horns every few seconds - there is much to take in here. And I love that everything is so colourful and vivid here! :)

Fresh flowers at the day market.


Getting lost in a textile haven.






The Reunification Palace.








Notre-Dame cathedral.


The entrance.


The majestic interior.




Central Post!


Look at the interior! Did you know that it was designed by the same architect who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris? It's still a working post office and when we went in, it was cute to see tourist snapping photos while people behind the counters were busy sorting mail and orders.


Post office OOTD
Padini checkered shirt; Topshop moto shorts + yellow sling bag; New Balance 574; Cotton On floppy hat


Even the empty spaces are beautiful.


Brunch spot.






Exchanged hats for our late lunch haha!


Roadside barber anyone? This uncle is snipping his customer's nose hair. (Y)

Such a fun third day. May not seem much, but we actually walked A LOT that day. We walked everywhere. And after the sightseeing, we returned to the hotel to shower and change before we headed to the night market again for last minute shopping for more souvenirs. By then, everyone went all out to spend their Vietnamese Dong before we leave the next day, hence the mess.

Everyone was stuffing their purchases into their luggage and weighing their bags in case they're overweight. I didn't buy much compared to them, I bought four pairs of baju kurung, three types of silk and some cotton cloth for making baju kurung, t-shirts, Vietnamese coffee and souvenirs. That's not a lot, is it?

♥