The lacy romper is like black tea: delicate, floral, cosy. Spiced up in 3 different ways ft a quarantine home photoshoot. What's your favourite tea?
lace romper / Topshop
Off the shoulder romper and so much lace. Oh dear.
So cute, so delicate. But sooo unnaturally girly for me.
I remember the day I bought this : it was just after my final submission in first year, and I was about to travel to Norway with a friend. It was a desperate afternoon as my vanity despaired over my wardrobe that seemingly, consisted of only sweatpants and t-shirts. Dreams of beautiful photos against the Norwegian countryside fuelled an urgent run to Topshop.
OH MY GAWWWDDD THAT IS SO CUTE! SO COMFORTABLE YYYEEEEAAASSHHHH!
This romper was their new summer arrival, hung by the entrance. It was a shining beacon of hope at the time. I tried it on, and bought it within 10 minutes. Ironically, I barely got to wear it because little did I know that summers in Norway were below 10 degrees. And the one time I wore it, the locals, all sensibly dressed, turned to stare at this odd, daring Asian. Like, did she NOT check the temperature before leaving the house? Or is she just adamant to freeze her legs off? Thinking about it now, yes, why the hell did I not think to check the temperature when I was packing?
Anyway, a few years later:
OH MY GAWWWDDD SO MUCH LACE TOO GIRLY LA WHY THE HELL DID YOU BUY THAT?
Me. Turned melodramatic, boyish architecture student, filling her wardrobe with edgy things in hopes that the edge would help her graduate.
Regardless, this romper is really comfortable (except for its bathroom inconvenience which keeps me from wearing it outside the house). And since my 2020 resolution is to challenge myself to style the pieces in my wardrobe more, in hopes of getting a better inkling of 'my style', let's get to it!
1 / The Base
Scenario :
A kitchen frenzy as I rush to prepare a course dinner for my guests. Guests are arriving in minutes, and yet I am sticky and disgusting in food-splattered, tattered home t-shirts. Shit. 5 minutes to look decent. No time to put together an outfit. The romper comes to the rescue. 1 piece. Lots of lace. Looks fancy and cute.
Done.
Like an English Breakfast Tea, the lace detail of the romper speaks for itself : delicate, refined, yet impressionable and great on its own. Or...
... with a dash of milk (aka simple accessories).
For something as detailed as this romper, I think it instantly adds flair, and makes you look dressed up without literally, having to do more. However, if I want to look a bit more put-together, I like to pair it with this red lipstick ( instant chic! ). Because this look puts emphasis on the romper itself, I keep my accessories simple with minimalistic hoop earrings and a small pendant necklace.
2 / Choose your spice!
To me, this all-white romper is like a canvas that can easily be spiced up to fit any personality. Take spiced chai for example : it enhances simple black tea with a mix of spices to create a wholly new (yet delicious!) flavour.
This romper is the same: I was intimidated by all the lace at first, but like a bold black tea, it can be spiced any way you like. I like things 'edgy with a feminine twist', so I enjoyed the juxtaposition between the lace and the black. But because of my cute, kinda statement vintage-style robot necklace, I balanced it with a completely plain black faux leather jacket around the waist such as to not overdo it. Again, it's like spiced chai : once, I overloaded it with cardamom and ... I ended up looking like I was hyperventilating.
necklace / I bought mine from Camden Market in London! Similar one here.
- BEWARE! -
Pieces like these can be really thin, and under strong light, underwear may show. During the day, I try to have a longer dark hoodie/jacket/shirt around my waist for that reason. Plus, I can always put it on if I get cold.
Fun fact : I did this, but with a long cardigan, in Norway when I discovered my wardrobe malfunction. That cardigan was so not thick enough for the cold though...
3 / Add a kick~ HAIYYAHH!
lipstick / NARS Cosmetics
Earl Grey Tea is like that punchy, chic, age-defying Grandma.
No offence intended! Earl Grey is such a classic black tea: refined with milk, but refreshing with a youthful, citrusy kick with lemon. It gives me the sense of something old, but vibrant with the right kick. Hence inspiring this vintage chic kinda look.
For accessories, I paired it with a leather belt, this colourful vintage page boy cap and my neutral rose lipstick to match the orange-brown theme. I kept to my simple hoop earrings as the cap is the statement here.
Now, excuse me as I embark on a narcissistic morning of self-portraits. But honestly, because I'm such an awkward bean, I actually take my own photos with videos because:
1. it's usually only those 2 seconds that I look decent.
2. it is way faster, especially for a modelling dummy like I am. Put me on a self-timer and ... this post won't be out till next week.
Halfway through I really just lost my cool and pretended that I was a scandalous, vintage chic female version of Dr.Watson. But the main thing about fashion is to have fun with it!
Anyway, hope this helped, and hopefully you guys enjoyed this as much as I did writing it!
Thank you for reading!! Let me know what you think, if you have any suggestions, in the comments below!
- Sheryl