Combating Winter Blues with "Blue"

Hi everyone,
Hope you had an awesome weekend! :)
但愿亲们都度过了一个不错的周末！

For a girl, who grew up in a southern-coast city where 0 degree was considered extreme cold, living in Toronto with 5-month-long chilly winters is quite bizarre. So just by taking some Vitamin D isn't going to completely help me to combat winter blues. Instead, I have to consistently remind myself spring is approaching and always choose to integrate bright and uplifting colours to my outfit.

对于一个在南部沿海城市长大的女孩来说，多伦多这种每年5个月之长的寒冬实在令人郁闷。所以光是吃些维他命D是不足以帮我抵抗郁闷的冬天的。我会不仅经常性地提醒自己春天就要到来了，还会把许多鲜艳又令我心情愉悦的颜色搭配到我的日常着装中。

And YES, I AM wearing socks with pumps. If you're not really into this idea, I urge you to give it a shot. It not only keeps your feet warm, but also creates the height and lift that you may need. 

是的，你没有看错，我正是选择了袜子配高跟鞋的搭配。如果你对这个搭配不感兴趣或持有保留意见的话，我建议你不妨试试。它不仅可以帮你的双脚保暖，还可以给你提供那你正需要的高度呢。 

Thank you so much for reading! If you decide to give the socks-and-pumps combo a try, I'd like to hear your thoughts on it- you like it or hate it?

Photography: Stephen Foks

Coat: Joe Fresh (current, similar here | here)
Stripe Shirt: American Apparel (on sale right now)
Trousers: Urban Outfitters (old, similar here | also love this one)
Top: Club Monaco (old, similar here)
Pumps: H&M
Beanie: Club Monaco (current, similar here)

Girly Girl

How does pearls and pastel pink sound to you? Well, they remind me of chicness and elegance. 

珍珠和粉红色听起来怎么样？给我的感觉就是别致和优雅。

For the longest time, I've been trying to determine who I am and what kind of style I have. I felt that I had to put my style into a specific fashion category in order to contain the sense of being normal and secure. Finding this answer was just like chasing after a string- I was once so close but then became so far again. Sometimes I like anything girly and dreamy; sometimes I'm into everything that is edgy and bold; and sometimes I'm crazy about styles that are eclectic and unpredictable. With the consistent changes my mind was going through, my heart was also beeping like crazy. Did I have this-skirt-is-so-not-me kind of moment? Of course. Have I experienced that I-don't-know-what-I-am-wearing type of day? For sure. So recently (yes, I didn't think this through till very recent), I started to ask myself: "Why do I have to put a label on my style?"
To draw a conclusion, I don't think we HAVE TO match an accurate answer to the question of who I am and what kind of style I have. Seeking who we are is truly a piece of art which could be confusing and frustrating sometime, but should also be a never-ending and self-improving process because everything is changing, including us and our taste. 

有很长的一段时间我都在寻找自我并想鉴定我的时尚风格是什么。我总觉得只有把我的风格归类了，才能说明我是正常的，才能给我带来安全感。寻找这个答案就像追着一条绳子跑一样，若即若离，忽近忽远。有的时候我对小可爱和梦幻的东西特别青睐；有时候我沉迷于很野性和大胆的感觉；有时候我又对那种不拘小节，扑朔迷离的风格特别钟爱。随着我的感觉不停在改变，我的心也跟着波动不少。直到最近我才领悟到：“我为什么一定要给我的时尚风格贴上一个标签呢？”
总结陈词吧，我就觉得我们不一定要完全给“我是谁”或“我的时尚风格是什么”找一个准确的答案。一切都在变，我们和我们的品味也在变。找到自我应该是一种艺术，一种自我提高的长期过程。

If you want to put a pink bow on, do it! If you wish to add an edgy twist to your outfit, don't hesitate! If you'd love to wear your mom's over-sized vintage sweater, why think twice?
如果你想戴一个粉红色领结，别犹豫！如果你想给你的穿着增加一点酷酷的色彩，为什么不呢？如果你想穿你妈妈的那件很大的复古毛衣，别再想啦，穿吧！

Thank you so much for reading!
Photography: Stephen Foks                                                                                                                                    
Shirt: J.Crew (current, similar here | here)
Top: Club Monaco (old, love this one | this one)
Skirt: Aritzia (old, similar here)
Coat: J.Crew (old, also love this one | this one)
Belt: American Apparel (old, identical here)
Beanie & Shoes: Zara
Necklace: Aldo
Gloves: Le Chateau

Big Bow

Hi everyone,

Happy almost Friday! Just want to drop a quick hello to you all and hope you will have a nice weekend. :)

嗨亲们，

马上就要到周末了。就在这里简短的跟大家问声好！祝你们周末愉快啦！

Thank you so much for reading!

Photography: Stephen Foks

Dress: Urban Outfitters (current, similar here | here | here )

Denim Shirt: H&M (old, similar here | here)

Bow Tie: Vero Moda via M For Mendocino 

Peacoat: J.Crew (old, last seen here)

Rings: H&M

Bag: Vintage find

Shoes: Zara (old, similar here | here)

Skirt On Pants

Recently, I gave the Skirt 'N' Sneaker combo a try and ended up loving it (read the post here). Today, I'd like to bravely embrace another trend that I felt weird about: Skirt on Pants. 

Don't like the sound of it? Well, hold your thoughts for just a second. Trust me, at first I couldn't believe that this trend would take over the runways and the streets. However, the you-don't-know-till-you-try-it philosophy kept ringing like a wake-up call besides my ears, so I had no choice but putting my biasses away and testing it out. The result? I not only didn't sense any awkwardness at all, but truly loved how cute and warm this outfit turned out to be.

最近吧，我尝试了一个本来自己感觉很奇怪的组合：球鞋配裙子（这里）。今天呢，更是想再次挑战一下我一直以来难以接受的“裙子穿在裤子外面”的搭配方式。感觉怪怪的？别担心，我最开始也是这么认为的。难以想象这么奇怪的搭配怎么会红遍了大江南北，获得了各大T台和时尚人士的青睐。不过，有句话说得好：不试不知道，一试吓一跳。在尝试了之后，我完全爱上了这个组合。它不仅很保暖实用，看起来也很潮呢。

Would you give the skirt-on-pants trend a shot?
你会想挑战一下这个搭配吗？

Photography: Stephen Foks


Coat: Seven Sisters via M For Mendocino (current, similar here | here | here)
Top: Haightand Ashbury (identical here, also love the dress version here)
Skirt: H&M (old, similar here | here)
Pants: H&M (old, similar here | here)
Shoes: TopShop: (get it here)
Bow Tie: Ardene (similar here) 
Belt: American Apparel (on sale right now)

Olympics Spirit with Trainers

It's not a secrete that athletic footwear has been introduced front and centre onto both the runways and streets. The girl-meets-boy vibe and the I-don't-care-of-what-you-think look have been very popular since last year, and no surprise, this "trainers-transformation" is still going strong in 2014.

However, personally I always had mixd feelings towards this trend and especially couldn't accept the skirt 'n' sneaker combo. Until very recently, the more I look at this style the more I actually enjoy it and eager to give it a try. So, this is how the story goes. I put on my trainers with my skirt, AND, I loved it! In addition, with the kick-off of Sochi Winter Olympics, I figured the timing of rocking this sporty look is quite appropriate. 

近来在各大T台或各地街头都可以看到摇身一变后运动鞋的身影。这种随意且不拘小节的风格可以说成为了时尚界的一大亮点和时尚人士们追捧的特色。老实说，我一开始对这种搭配确实保持着一种怀疑的态度，并且对运动鞋配裙子的搭法更是难以接受。不过最近，我对这种搭配风是越看越喜欢，越看越有想要尝试一把的动力。于是吧，我就毫无保留地给球鞋配短裙来了一个史无前例的尝试。结果呢，我爱上了这种感觉。再加上俄罗斯冬季奥运会刚刚开始，咱也来走个运动风吧！

So what do you think of the sneaker 'n' skirt combo? Do you dare to try? Or you think it's a ridiculous trend that should be out? 

那你对这种球鞋配裙子的搭配怎么看？你会想要尝试吗？还是你觉得是一种不应该流行起来的潮流呢？

Photography: Stephen Foks

Baseball Cap: Aritzia (get it here, similar here | here)

Top: Scotch & Soda (get it here, similar here)

Jacket: H&M (current, similar here | here | here)

Skirt: Aritzia (old, similar here | here)

Bag: Zara 

Trainers: New Balance  

Double Trouble

If you have been reading my blog on a regular basis, you may have already noticed that I'd always like adding colours to and mixing different prints with my winter outfits. I'm not a big believer of the theory: Winter=Black. 

The beautiful blossom adds so much cheer and colour to spring; the hot temperature makes summer so attractive; and the fallen leaves take autumn to a romantic atmosphere. But how about winter? Besides the dirty and slushy roads, the never-ending cold days, as well as the gloomy and dark feelings, what else is left? Don't get me wrong though, the magnificently beautiful white snow, the winter activities, and the opportunity to play with layers are all the factors that make winter a unique and incredible season.  But after living in the minus temperature for almost half of the year, waking up while the sun is still sleeping, and unable to walk around local boutiques on Queen St, I have to admit that I do get the winter blues and need some bright colours to cheer me up. 

如果你经常光顾我的博客的话，可能已经发现了我很喜欢给自己冬天的着装增加色彩和各种图案。我并不觉得冬天就一定要穿黑色。鲜花盛开的胜景给春天增加了无限的生机与魅力；炎热的天气使得夏天那么具有吸引力；飘零的落叶更是给秋天带来了无限的诗情画意，那么冬天呢？除了湿漉漉，脏兮兮的路面，除了似乎从来不会有结局的寒冷之日，除了不具生机的阴天之外，冬天又有什么值得我们欢呼叫好的呢？当然，漫天雪花飞舞的场景，滑雪等室外冬天运动，和充满机会来玩时尚层次搭配等，都使得冬天别具美丽。但是，在寒冷的冬天里过了将近半年之后，我必须承认，我的确感觉自己有冬天忧郁症的前兆，所以需要给自己的穿着增加一模亮色。

How about you? What would you do to keep your mind off the cold?

那你们一般会做什么来帮助自己从寒冬里解放出来呢？

Photography: Stephen Foks

Cardigan: Aritzia (on sale right now, similar here)

Sweater: H&M (old, similar here | here)

Pants: TopShop (old, similar here | here)

Sleeveless Blazer: Zara (old, similar here | here)

Necklace: Zara (old, similar here | here | here)

Shoes: Nine West (old, similar here)

Bag: vintage find

Beanie: Zara (current)

Celebrate Chinese New Year with RED

Welcome to the 2nd episode of {Get Ready For CNY14 With Sasha}. In the first episode, I shared a CNY beauty look that I created by using many of my favourite Benefit Cosmetics. Today, I'd like to continue to embrace the holiday spirit with the shade of red.

My original plan was wearing a traditional Chinese dress called Qi Pao. But then I figured the couture dress is not really practical for every day life, so I decided to let different layers and some hints of red play an ensemble. 

欢迎来到｛与肖洒一起准备春节｝特别专栏的第二集。在第一集里，我跟亲们分享了一个用我很喜欢的一些贝琳妃化妆品打造出来的妆容。而今天呢，我就希望能延续红色所带来的节日气氛。本来啊，我是想穿旗袍的，但是后来觉得太隆重了，不太适合每天的日常生活。所以就决定搭配一套比较适合冬天又有红色点缀的着装。

When I was little, my mom would buy a brand new outfit from head to toe for me before Chinese New Year as she hoped wearing something new and red would bring me some good luck in the upcoming year. Although I didn't really buy this superstitious thinking, I was still always excited about New Year since it was associated with new cloths, fresh beginning, and of course, some lucky money. 

  

当我很小的时候，我妈妈总是会在过春节之前就给我买一身新的红衣服，因为她希望这样能给我在新的一年里带来好运。尽管我不太相信这种迷信的做法会真的有什么用，但是因为过年总是有新衣服穿，又能拿到红包，所以我还是每年都很期待。

Thank you so much for stopping by!
感谢光临我的小博客！

Photography: Stephen Foks

Top: Haightand Ashbury (Canadian Design Clothing)
Blazer: Club Monaco (old, similar here | here)
Leather Jacket: Zara (old, similar here| here )
Skirt: Club Monaco (old, similar here | here)
Shoes: Payless Shoes (buy one get one 50% off)
Gloves: Le Chateau (current)

Layers

Hi everyone,

Chinese New Year 2014 is around the corner. Do you know how to celebrate it like a real Chinese? What to buy? What food to cook? (Chinese take-outs don't count) How to lighten up your home with some Chinese spirit? And, what does the Year of Horse represent?

Well, starting from this Friday. We will be doing a series of feature: "Get Ready for CNY14 with Sasha". Stay tuned and make sure to come back to visit the blog. And before then, stay warm! :)

亲们，

春节已经近在咫尺了？你们大家准备怎么过呢？从这周五开始，我们将会与大家分享一下咱中国人一般都是怎么过年的。如果你也想参与的话，请别忘了继续关注我的博客哦。那在这之前，就请亲们注意防寒吧！

Thank you so much for reading! Hope can see you all in our Chinese New Year 2014 special series!

Photography: Stephen Foks 

Top: J.Crew (on sale here with code "FunSale")
Blazer: Forever 21 (old, similar here | here)
Faux Fur Vest: Club Monaco (old, similar here)
Shoes: Le Chateau (old, identical here | here | here)
Trousers: Urban Outfitters (similar here | here)
Necklace: Expression through Hudson's Bay (get it here)
Gloves: Le Chateau
Clutch: H&M