sea breeze

Country Road shirt, Unif.m leather shorts, Toga Pulla boots, Miu Miu clutch, Celine sunglasses

Beautiful weather should always be celebrated by the seaside, even if it's not quite hot enough for a tanning session. And there's no better outfit than a simple (and thin!) white shirt that is just the right amount of creased, paired with leather shorts- everything is better in leather. 

However the boots are optional, pony hair probably isn't ideal for strolls on the beach but these have been sitting in my closet for way too long and they need to see the light of day. It's nice to give my Chloe boots a rest, because I foresee these boots being glued to my feet this winter - absolutely cannot wait to wear them with either leather pants or ripped jeans (surprise, surprise!). 

x karen

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lover

If you follow me on instagram (@thechicndamned) you've probably seen this photo already but I really 

can't get over how much I love this dress. I'm dying that I didn't get a chance to take proper photos but Sydney

was being rainy and the sun sets way too early these days. 

So, this dodgy iPhone photo will have to do for now.

x karen

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grey pastels

Kahlo tank top | Bardot shorts | Miu Miu 'coffer' bag | Zimmermann heels 

I scored big on these heels, so big that even a 'yo mamma' joke can be fashioned out of it. They're part of the Zimmermann Flip Side 2012 collection and they've always lingered at the back of my mind until I saw 
them again at the warehouse sale last week. They're the perfect summer alternative to the Alaia 
heels which I gushed about, except cheaper. Much, much cheaper.

The Zimmermann Warehouse Sale is one of those bi-annual events that you'd hate yourself for missing,
or even for not getting there the moment it opens. It's the perfect opportunity to stock up on their
delectable bikinis and sundresses (and occasionally splurge on a pair of heels that don't even require the
word 'splurge'). BUT I'm pretty sure it's only ever held in Sydney, I guess this is one of those only times 
where us Down Under-ers don't turn a nasty shade of green at the thought of all the warehouse sales we're
missing by not living in the US or Europe.

BUT if you took a note at all the talent currently happening at LMFF (that's in Melbourne, darling),
I'm pretty sure it's time to get all jelly at our proximity to Ellery, Dion Lee & Lover, amongst many others. 
Not that I wouldn't give my left arm to get into an Alexander Wang, Helmut Lang or Chanel sample 
sale (I need to keep my right arm to sign for my credit card of course).

x karen

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knits & dots

 Zara knit | vintage skirt | Miu Miu clutch | Acne boots | Luv AJ necklace | Michael Kors watch

If you've ever been to Hong Kong, you know that from the moment you land its a go-go-go pace

amidst a sea of people. It's a potent mix of a zealous need to hit all the shopping spots and a heady 

realisation of the overpopulation. This is the excuse that I'm sticking with to counter for my lack 

of posts here. 

This outfit was taken just a few days before I left for the far Orient, it was when Sydney was 

under an awkward spell of a dip in temptation and I pulled out my knit, in preparation for my Asia

travels. Admittedly, I could easily wear this outfit here in HK, so really, that's just as good as 

an HK outfit post. Although, there will be one (or two) coming. But this is just the first leg

of my journey, there will definitely be more photos from Thailand and Japan.

x karen

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p.s. totally splurged at Celine today, photos to come in the next post

accented red

Zara leather singlet | handmade shorts | Topshop heels | Miu Miu clutch| Jennifer Zeuner necklaces

It's not everyday that you can find a place to take photos that match your outfit to the T, but when you're walking the streets

of Paddington, there's more than just an abundance of locations to find just that. You can see how happy I am in that last

photo, but that might also be because I finally got around to getting my hair coloured AND I'm wearing my favourite
texture for this summer; leather (as you can see here). This leather singlet is the perfect balance to a pair of flimsy 
pyjama-styled shorts. Overcast weather simply means that I can wear leather without the fear of sweating it off.

x karen

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thechicndamned on instagram

1/ Christmas shopping (for myself)

Saint James tee | Nicholas leather skirt | Converse sneakers | Miu Miu clutch

2/ I love spending summer by the beach with ice cream in hand

3/ Christmas present from my awesome bf

4/ Shakuhachi skirt & Zimmermann sandals

5/ Brunch @ The Grounds of Alexandria with my mum

6/ New Year's Eve with my girls <3

6/ Fresh peonies for my mum

Alexander Wang boots (seen here, here & here)

If only blogging was as easy as Instagram, find me on @thechicndamned for more updates

x karen

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highwater

Joe's Jeans High Water // Lee men's shirt // Miu Miu bag // Madewell belt // Tony Bianco heels

If I'm going to wear a certain brightly coloured or patterned (or both) item of clothing

in my outfit, my knee jerk response is to reach for my trusty Bassike white or grey tees. 

The other day, I was wearing this men's Lee shirt and I happened to be trying on this

pair of Joe's jeans I had lying around in my closet- because this is actually what

 I do for fun. I was surprised how nicely the two looked together, there's a subtlety 

in the way the almost non-existent pinstripes on the shirt is blended with the very bold

print of the denim. 

It was a good blend that just goes to show that I should have more fun with my wardrobe
& not always following my knee jerk response. 

x karen

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staple.

Sportsgirl white shirt // Chicwish shorts // Topshop belt // Miu Miu bag

Nothing beats the versatility of a simple white shirt. It's pretty much a staple in my wardrobe so it's no wonder that I have collected a huge quantity of white shirts in different cuts and materials. Recently I've been trying to cull my wardrobe to make it more 'capsule' and it has been eye-opening to see the sheer amount, of what is essentially the same time of clothing in my closet when in reality I only ever see to reach for my Bassike white tees and Equipment silk shirts. I hate myself for my need to collect staples, it really undermines the whole idea of having an essential item that I can always reach for when I collect too many of the same "staple". 

I've really been trying to not buy anymore 'repeats' and just concentrate on being pieces that will last, even if it means splurging a little bit. But somethings, it's hard to draw the line between when it's an appropriate splurge (i.e. when I will get lots of wear out of it) or an inappropriate splurge (i.e. when I think I'll wear it everyday from now and until forever but never do). Which is why I've decided to sell some of things on ebay, wish me luck!

x k

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stockings layering

Wildfox muscle tank // Forever 21 cardigan // Sass & Bide skirt // Miu Miu bag // Nine West shoes

I found these photos on my laptop from about a month ago. I think we were quite lucky this year, our winter was mild and I could still prance around in skirts, albeit I am wearing 2 layers of stockings. My friend took these lovely photos for me, and that's her boyfriend bombing in the 3rd photo. I love the days where the sun is out and it's just finished raining, it's just warm enough to wear minimal layers and still call it winter. But I'm welcoming summer with both arms! Come to mama!

x

karen

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leather? check. black jeans? check.

herringbone check shirt // j brand zoey triple zip jeans // saba leather jacket // miu miu bag

I hope my terrible title didn't make you want to click that little 'x' to close this window. But you get it? Am I wearing leather...check(ed shirt). Get it? Get it? Don't worry. I'm blaming this weird mood on too much caffeine, in preparation for my essay due this Friday. I'm not quite sure why 'friday' deserves a capital except for the day that my essay is due...and it leads into the weekend. So, I really have mixed feelings towards friday. 

Drove to the DHL centre today so that I could send off a few items back to shopbop. I'm not a big returner, especially things that I buy online- sheer laziness. But actually can't wait until I get my refund- feels like payday, especially with all the sales going on at the moment. Although I've been good and only bought one or two things that I've had my eye on for awhile. Anyways, when we were leaving the centre the sun looked so pretty behind the palm trees so we snapped a few photos before going to uni for my night time class (it sounds good in theory but really kills your spirit). 

Believe it or not, I've never owned a pair of black jeans. I know it's meant to be slimming but I never got around to buying a pair. The other day, my friend looked really good in her high-waisted Cheap Monday black skinnies and I got inspired and splurged on a pair of J Brand triple zipper jeans in black. If you haven't bought or tried a pair of J Brand jeans yet then you are missing out. And this isn't even a J Brand sponsored post (although, if they wanted to send a few pairs my way then just holla). They are ridiculously comfortable and I love the zippers. I'm not going to lie, I have such anxiety wearing jeans because I hate when they stretch but J Brand really holds their shape well!

Seriously, go and get yourself some J Brand jeans and you can thank me later. 

x
karen

pyjama party.

Zara blazer // Zara trousers // Dotti cami // Tony Bianco Karissa shoes // Anarchy Street collar // Miu Miu clutch

I've been wanting to try the print suit for awhile and this Zara outfit is perfect to get me started. It is such a different mind frame from the past few years of mix-and-matching; I was never really good at mixing patterns because I'm a scardey-cat. I love the idea of a matching suit because it really takes the time out of deciding what to wear in the morning it reminds me Cher Horowitz (if you didn't get the Clueless reference, I don't think we can be friends). The pants are comfortable and the print reminds me of pyjamas; it's rare to find fashionable clothes that are comfortable but now I really want to get my hands on pair of slightly more uncomfortable suit with a more bold print a la Camilla & Marc. 

toodles
karen

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