THE SUITCASE CHALLENGE DAY 13 - HONGKONG

Topshop lace dress, Zara belt and boots

Sometimes, I suppose, less is more and a little black dress really is all you need. Definitely helps if your LBD speaks for itself like this super gorgeous all-over lace number. Its high neckline and semi-sheer back already got me hooked and there was definitely no turning back once I saw the bargain price tag. You would've done the same. Kept the black and gold theme with the chain belt and right down to my beloved zip up boots - I foresee a very close relationship with those ones. I absolutely adore a good red lippie for company out to dinner and pom pom beanies always get me. We stopped by the harbour on the way and found these locals on their daily walks and waiting by their fishing lines - Hong Kong itself is such a juxtaposition of new and old, of flashy shopping districts and simple fishing villages. If you're gonna be there anytime soon, head further than just the usual shops and tourist attractions, perhaps hop on the train and get off at one of the local neighbourhoods to see what really is in store! 

So comes the end of a 13-day Suitcase Challenge - a mix and match of travel and outfit posts that was really just a challenge for me to come up with something different every day that I was away. Moral of the story: forward planning and sticking to a limited colour palette (in my case white, red and blue) truly helps. Coordinate your colours, mix your prints, and pick up a local bargain or two and you'll get the most out of your nifty suitcase. I'm so glad to have started the year with a decent bout of travel and can't wait to share my (food) travel diaries of Vietnam and Hong Kong! x

Photos by Thomas Lo

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THE SUITCASE CHALLENGE DAY 12 - HONGKONG

Nastygal top, Zara jacket, 7 for all Mankind jeans via Shopbop, Zara boots

I'm definitely a fan of the dressing-in-one-colour thing (otherwise known as tonal dressing, I believe) and my prior encounter with a triple dose of white left me wanting to explore this gorgeous yet sometimes much-feared colour in different ways. 

Enter 7FAM and their textured snakeskin jeans - I love that the print isn't overdone and white was naturally my top choice; green and red were a little too in-your-face for me. I knew I had to do it with them lovelies, and here wore the same white top from early suitcase days in Vietnam and bargain Zara jacket perfect for weather hovering just below the 20 degree (C) mark. Sometimes you'd like to finish your look the way you started, and perhaps this would've gone well with pointy white heels and a little white cross body bag. But those heels never made it into my suitcase and in any case these black zip-up booties are my current obsession. And speaking of obsessions, this little patchwork bag and I have been inseparable ever since day 2 in Ho Chi Minh City. Colourful company is good company, right?

Stay tuned for one last dose of suitcase dressing x

Photos by Thomas Lo

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THE SUITCASE CHALLENGE DAY 11 - HONG KONG

Mango suede jacket, Topshop lace dress and booties, Zara bag

I hadn't seen Twee in awhile and was looking forward to meeting her in Hong Kong! The little Vietnamese patchwork elephant you see up there came along for the ride while Twee expertly navigated the twist and turns of busy streets in Central. We slurped up some local noodle favourites at Tsui Wah, checked out the sales at Swedish brand Cos, stopped for more french toast & milk tea at yet another cha chaan teng, and stocked up on some brown paper bags (more on that later). I was wearing a lace dress, dressed down with flat booties and kept warm with this suede jacket. Have I shared with you how much I adore this piece? It came in about 6 different colours when I saw it in Milan and I decided burgundy was the one, which probably set me up for the start of a full-fledged maroon affair.

Hope you've been enjoying the outfit/travel posts! Got a couple more up my sleeve x

Photos by Thomas Lo

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THE SUITCASE CHALLENGE DAY 10 - HONG KONG

Zara jacket, Target tee, Blank NYC jeans via Shopbop, Zara boots and bag

Quick outfit post from day three of being in this cosmopolitan and food-laden city of Hong Kong. I'm wearing a lot of Zara of late and I blame that on the ridiculous affordability of their end-of-year sales. Currently the two most versatile pieces of my travel wardrobe, I wore both these stripes and jeans in more casual get-ups around Vietnam, but factor in a couple of bargains from good ol' Zara -  a refreshingly white tailored tweed jacket and super sleek zip-up boots, and you get more of a dose of city chic and less hippie-wanderer. We stopped by the curiously named Australia Dairy Company which comes highly recommended as one of the top teahouses (cha chaan teng) in town, for a breakfast of scrambled eggs, french toast and milk tea. The line was long, kitchen frantic, service quick, and food unfussy yet delicious.

Photos by Thomas Lo

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