Cécile & Jeanne

In celebration of the end of finals, I treated myself to a gorgeous pair of earrings from Cécile & Jeanne, which I discovered at Bon Marche.

Based in Paris, Cécile & Jeanne has been around for over 15 years. I love this brand so much because it's subtle designs that combines elements of the past and future are elegant yet just a little bit funky! (This it their signature dove).

So I was debating between these square chained earrings or these 1001 Nights Long Drop Earrings. Both looked nice, but while the circular ones were more classically elegant, the square ones were more youthful and funky. Torn between the two, I finally decided to be youthful and funky and got the square ones (left). But now I'm wavering and want to be classically elegant instead. Thoughts?

From the same collection as the circular long drop earrings, they have these cool yet elegant rings and cuffs. I really want that ring. I think it'll be the perfect compliment to any outfit.

I just ADORE these two Downtown earrings and cross bracelet. The design is simple yet chic.

Another very elegant collection they have is the Voie Lactee collection. It looks modern and feminine.

These two earrings from Josephine collection is just the thing to add funk and edge to any outfit.


Personally I’m too lazy to match my accessories with my outfit (and hence my love for classic silver/gold styles), but for those who DO make the effort, these Arabesque earrings (left) and L’Opera chandeliers (right) would be fantastic.


And even though these Riviere necklace and Kyoto ring may look over the top right now, I think they will be the perfect thing to amp up any simple outfit and make it interesting, because they are feminine yet unique. Plus, my favourite color is purple, so I think these are awesome ;)

The Softest Tees II: Clu

Yesterday, I mentioned there were two soft tees brands I love. The first is Splendid, the second one is Clu. Clu's shirts are so so so soft and light to wear. Clu's shirts usually have some sort of special design to it, but they're still relatively simple shirts. Nice, casual and relaxing. I first learnt of this brand when I went to Barneys NY. Later on at the beginning of fall, I bought a Clu long-sleeved pleated shirt and have been loving this brand ever since.

Clu makes some basic tees, but they're not totally boring. The pink tee comes in many colours, and there are actually ribbed banding around the sleeves and on the back.

These shirts are quite similar to some of the ones by Splendid, but I think Clu pays more attention to details and cuttings. (Again, please do wear pants underneath such tops!)

Doesn't this remind you of a tent? I can't decide whether it's a top or a dress but it sure looks comfy though.

Such sweet, super casual dresses. Both colours give off a summer, relaxed vibe. Looking at the pictures, wearing leggings, boots and pumps with the dresses do make the dress look a less California-ish than if worn with flip-flops -which instantly adds style points.

I LOVE this top. It's so perfectly casual-looking without looking like any old tee. I esp love that silverish grey (left.) It's such a perfect shade. I've been staring at these shirts are quite awhile, (a better alternative to doing econ homework.) Sigh, if only Clu was available in the shops where I live...

Like Splendid, Clu is pretty expensive for a cotton shirt. Actually, Clu is even more expensive than Splendid, but Clu does have more interesting designs. Anyone tried on or love Clu shirts too?

Again, most of the photos are from shopbop.com. Go check out more Clu clothes there.

The Softest Tees I: Splendid

I've recently been obsessed with super super super soft tees from the States. In my mind, there are two such brilliant brands, one being Splendid. Last Friday, I went to Selfridges, (the even more stylish than Neiman Marcus department store of the UK) because it was on a 20% off sale, (but I didn't buy anything.) My friend and I stood in the Splendid section just touching the shirts for a few minutes, oohing and ahhing. Seriously, they're so smooth and soft. I would have tried them on, but Selfridges only stocked the boring-looking tees which I wasn't in the mood for.

As shown by shirts like these, most of the Splendid shirts you will find in department stores are *yawn* boring. But they're great if you're just looking for really plain tees.

One thing my friend did complain about is that these tees are quite hard for non-super-skinny people to wear because they're quite body-fitting.

Don't these tees look nice and comfy. So perfect for lazy people like me. One could just roll out of bed, slip one on and run to class.

Ooo... I love this top. I'm showing it in both colours because while olive is not a particularly loveable colour, black just doesn't fully show the cut of the top. The tee has got that not-body-tight comfort while still being a nice, simple tee.

Another top I really like, although maybe preferably without the hoody. These kind of tops which come down to the hips are perfect for skinny jeans. In the picture, the model wears it with leggings and it somehow reminds me of a stylish Peter Pan. In real life though, please wear skinny jeans underneath!

One thing to keep in mind though, is that these shirts are more expensive than your typical plain tee. But I think owning one or two classic ones is worth it. You seriously can't appreciate these lovely tees until you feel or own one, and wear them over and over again.

Most of the photos above are from shopbop.com.

This Week BG is Loving. . .

. . the New LAMB bags by Gwen Stefani!

I've been missing LAMB bags since Gwen stopped collaborating with Le Sportsac. And when I saw these babys on the catwalk last seasn, I practically drooled! They are chic, cool and oh-so-versatile! I am especially loving these two, Capri and Venezia

In addition, they also have matching clutches to go with it! The top stone colored one (top left) is the large Catania, and you can get a sense of its size on the right. Its quite big. I prefer the white clutch/wallet (bottom left) more. It looks so simple and cool.

And of course, there were some cool funky things too like this Signature Carlisle Convertible Clutch Tote. Can you believe it? They are both the same bag! Even though that rasta/saddle print is a little bit too funky for my tastes, I just LOVE the idea behind the bag.

As much as I like this new collection, the thing I miss most about the old LAMB/Le Sportsac collection though is the price- this new collection now ranges from $75 to a whooping $750! Oh, and the light Le Sportsac material. It made them very good for travel. The rest of the collection can be found on the nordstrom website here.

BG's Paris Diary: Week 9

Last weekend HG and another friend of ours came to visit me in Paris, and we had an awesome time. Since all of us have been to Paris before, we wanted to avoid the usual cliche places and instead visit other places that tourists on the go don't usually see.

So, we spent half a day at the Chateau de Fontainebleau, which is only about 45 minutes away from Paris center. Honestly, I didn't think it compared to Versailles or the Chateaux de Loire, but it was an interesting experience. We had oodles of fun imagining ourselves living there back in the days of Marie Antoinette and finally decided that it was too drafty for longterm living. Besides, what would we do without internet connection??
We also went to the Paris Catacombs at Denfert Rochereau. This used to be a quarry, but because of some disease some time ago, they excavated nearby cemetaries and deposited all the millions of bones here to make room. They are all literally stacked on top of each other in neat rows. With the dripping water and it being more than 10 meters below ground, it was quite a creepy experience.Then we went to the Musee D'Orsay, which used to be a trainstation. It was quite interesting with these bizarre statues (left) and works of art by Monet and Van Gogh. Out of them all, we thought this picture (right) by Monet was the coolest, because you literally have to step back to see what it is.
Other museusm of interest you might want to try out that is not the Louvre is the Carnavalet Museum, which is about the Revolution. Although the art inside is really not that amazing or authentic. Like this room here is a replica of Marie Antoinette's room when she was imprisoned for 6 months. Personally I prefer the maison de Victor Hugo, which is really hard to find at Place des Vouges. Its real cool inside as the furnitures in it are designed all by Victor Hugo (he writes AND draws!). He was really innovative and liked to make furniture out of furniture. For example, this dinner table here(center) is actualy a desk (see the drawers?) with a DOOR on top as the surface! He also managed to put his signature very subtly on everything. Like this picture here (right), can you see the VH?I know we said we didn't want to go to any cliche places, but it seemed a crime for HG and I not to go to the Vuitton store together. Of course, it was enormous and awesome. Really more like a museum than a store. And how cute are the mini vuitton kids (right)?
Later that night, we also went to the Buddha Bar, located on this quaint little street next to the Hotel Crillon. A restuarant/bar with a huge buddha in the middle, the ambiance is excellent, a must go if you like barring. Except. . . good luck finding a table!

Du Juan in FW06 Ads

Du Juan (Nationality: Chinese)-The first Asian model to really break out. Hye Park (Nationality: Korean) was already considered successful in terms of Asian models working in the high fashion world, but Du Juan is the one who managed to secure an impressive number of FW06 ads.

Du Juan trained to be a dancer when she was young, but according to articles/ interviews of her, she just wouldn't stop growing tall, so she became a model. (She also won some beauty contest thing.)

And bam! everyone fell in love with her after the high-profile and very first Vogue China cover, also starring Gemma Ward. (Remember back when the cover was first released, I said she was my fav Chinese model on the cover?)

Anyways, so since then, she's been a staple of Vogue China. Also, she's started to appear on runways and this season, quite a few campaigns. Du Juan's FW06 ad portfolio includes:

Gap -She doesn't really look like her in the ad, but it's her. I suppose this is Gap's attempt to reach out to more people, although I'm not sure the whole Gap using low-profile high-fashion models campaign worked.

Roberto Cavalli -I love Du in this campaign. So dramatic and cool.

Swarovski -Sensual, (where is the jewelry on her?)

Louis Vuitton -Another loveable campaign, this one featuring Du and Raquel. Not that you can really see Du's face in the ad, but still. She's like a Vuitton bag hanger in this ad! I wasn't so sure about it at first, but it grew on me!

YSL -Du's outfit here isn't exactly my fav, but it's impressive she managed to get high fashion ads at all. Actually, the contrast between the background and her outfit is pretty cool.

Although according to thefashionspot forums, Du Juan so far, does not seem to have any SS07 campaigns yet. Let's hope she's not a one-hit-wonder!

Nara Camicie

In Milan, besides Prada stores everywhere, on every other street there are also stores by this brand called "Nara Camicie" everywhere. Intrigued by the display, we went in and found a gem for dress shirts. They had them in every cutting and color, with chic variations that are just to die for. Turns out, this Italian brand has been specialising in dress shirts since 1984! My friend and I ended up each buying this one dress shirt (her's in black and mine in white) with a built in wrap-around thing, which is super cute. The only complain I have about it though, is that it wrinkles very easily. But I guess I can't expect too much since it IS relatively inexpensive for Milan standards. They don't have a picture of it available on their website (turns out they are available worldwide), so I can't show you guys. But here are a few pieces from their collection that I like:

This is what I like best about them: they transform the classic dress shirt into something more unique while still keeping the clean cut classic quality of a dress shirt.

Their take on frills is also refreshing, adding a soft feminine touch to the crisp shirts.

In addition to dress shirts, they also make more elaborate things that are quite pretty.

Although I must admit, some of their stuff are way over the top and borders on tacky. I guess, we'd just have to sift through all the sand to get the the gems!