It seems that everyone wants a piece of China ( remember the Fendi Great Wall?); more recently Chanel hosted its annual Maison d’Arts show in Shanghai.

Check out the two short films below, Paris-Shanghai: A Fantasy by the Kaiser, Karl Lagerfeld himself and Yang Fudong’s film First Spring for Prada Men’s Spring/Summer collection.

Shanghai Fashion Week starts in a couple of days, although it’s still largely a local event I doubt it’ll be this way for much longer.

So this month on the Tattler blog, lets celebrate all things Chinois.

Click on the images to watch the clips.

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Spanish label Bimba Y Lola has recently taken up residence at #B1-22 at Ion. Tucked unobstrusively into a corner, it looks like another high-end boutique, especially since the front rack has about a grand total of 4 items of cothing hanging from it. When hanger real estate is so generously assigned, it’s usually a clear sign of HELLO OUT OF YOUR PRICE RANGE!

However, the fact that it dwells in the basements meant for the poorer peasants* like myself signalled that it couldn’t be that outrageously expensive.

And I’m right. Sorta. The prices range from $75 for accessories to about $2000+ for a fur coat. Not quite Zara, and a certain grey cardi I’m eyeing is about $250…but we can always look forward to sales, can’t we?

I’m actually really enamoured by their aesthetic, defined as an ‘eclectic mix of styles, that incorporate a unique twist on trends’. Especially the slouchy pieces, even though I know structured is in and all that, but still. Slouchyness is a classic look. Attested to by myself.

My favourite looks from the A/W ‘09/10 collection:

denim shirt

I LOVE the cardigan. LOVE. To the power of ten. However...it's made of a thick woollen material. Sadly.

(all pictures from bimbaylola.es)

perfect fitted shirt.

Baggy jeans that don't look obscenely baggy

They have a really adorable range of shoes and accessories as well. For a look at the complete range, please click on to their official website, where you will be accosted by bobbing heads of little dogs. It’s completely charming. Bimba and Lola, by the way, are the names of the 2 sisters who started the label.

*said ironically, of course.

My first reaction: “EWW..Gross.”

Somewhere in Australia, these are being sold as accessories.

I mean…Why?!

It reminds me of the teeth I had to extract before I put on my braces, which the dentist eventually gave to me, and that I (sterilised and) kept in a ziploc baggy.

Everytime I whipped them out for a little show-and-tell – hey, I was only 17 okay, – the response would always be, “Why, Granny, what big teeth you have!”…or something along those lines. Whatever it was, it was always disgust and bemusement, never “YOU KNOW WHAT? This would make a great fashion accessory!”

But apparently, Ms Polly Van der Glas thinks it is.

(more after the jump!)

Rapunzel called! She wants her hair back. (pictures from vanderglas.com.au)

She sources her hair and teeth from India and China, and they are all 100% pre-owned by an actual human being – it is not known whether the former owners of these little bits of themselves are still alive.

And somehow that matters to me: I mean, what if some vengeful ghost is on my tail just because I fancied his/her bicuspid as a pretty pendant, and because of that he/she can’t chew properly in his/her afterlife?

I would never forgive myself.

Fancy a tooth ring?

I think this would make a great knuckle duster.

you can't tuck this hair behind your ears

By the way, Ms Van der Glas would be grateful if you could send along your teeth as a donation, because according to the site, those are ‘hard to come by’. This is your chance to have a bit of you live on forever, even if it’s only as someone else’s accessory!

oooh.

now don’t get me wrong, I don’t go to any dodgy sites.

I chanced upon this attention-grabbing header while browsing new york magazine online.

what was the product being advertised?

the latest Maybelline vibrating mascara.

a pat on the back of the people behind the advertising/marketing campaign.

whatever happened to “Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.”

here’s the plug:

The latest “buzz” on the beauty scene is vibrating mascara. Now, lash know-it-all Maybelline is introducing Pulse Perfection Vibrating Mascara, so you can check out the technology without breaking the bank. The patented vibrating brush coats evenly, separates precisely and sculpts perfectly for a new level of lash definition from root to tip.

personally, i LOVE maybelline mascaras. cheap and good for those lush lush lashes.

A ring.

One can never have too many rings. That’s why we have 10 fingers.

You can always pile them up. Stack them up.

Add some pizazz and reflect your character with rings.

So in this article, I’m going to show you some unique/custom-made rings that I stumbled upon while on my hunt for some fierce-ass knuckle rings – all so amazing you’d want to wear them all at the same time.

Such insanely awesome and creative ideas, I must admit, I would have never thought possible.

These attention grabbing pieces definitely make a statement on their own:

Candy Ring

This ring would be perfect for a much needed sugar pick-me-up any time of the day. Upon seeing these goodies, I was immediately reminded of the $3 ring-pops that was a hit favourite among my generation of kids when we were 5. Sucking on the sweet candy would result in sticky fingers and very coloured blue/purple/red tongues. And the ‘rock’ would always be so big that I always felt queasy after. But I never learnt my lesson.

Unicorn Ring

Unicorns are without a doubt, one of the most awesome things you could wear on your fingers. Better than plain horses or little ponies. But if I had to choose between unicorns and pegasi, that would be a hard one. Nonetheless, wearing this rarity is like having a bit of magic with you wherever you go.

Crowned Skull Ring

This Jessica Kagan Cushman piece is such a great twist on the commonly seen skull. Not just for Goths, the crown atop the skull adds a bit of fun to the piece. The very wide smile of the skull makes the skull seem a tad sinister to me; which makes the ring all the more interesting.

Dining Surprise

Okay, this is not wearable on your finger, but you must admit, this is such a smart, subtle idea. Guys who intend to propose need not worry on the future wife-to-be choking on the ring. And what a lovely surprise at the end of a fabulous meal! Also, no more of the disgusting “let’s get a HDB flat” marriage proposal.

Diamond Ring

On the topic of marriage, comes the issue of engagement rings. The most important rule all guys should learn to accept and adhere to: let the girl choose the ring. The cut, the setting, the clarity, the colour – these are things that the bride-to-be has thought hard and long about for most of her life. In the meantime, a pseudo diamond ring such as this would be perfect! Or ladies, if you are one of those independent ones who don’t need your man to buy you a diamond ring, this is a great substitute during the saving up process :)Crude Oil Ring

Diamonds are forever, but crude oil is in a league of its own. A novel idea that grabbed my attention.  The barrel on the ring states the price of the oil on that particular day of the year. The only thing left to wonder about this is: Is there really some crude oil in that barrel? If that’s the case, I’m totally for it!

If you liked this article, please comment, or you could be so very amazing and give me one of the featured darlings :D

With two blogs which I stumbled upon and found really amusing (whether in a good or bad way, you decide).

The first is entertaining due to her “Miss Know-It-All”+ SPG tendencies.

The second is hilariously b**chy, coming from a guy.

we went to clark quay. and 3 guys hit on me!?
this never happened when im out with others.
crazy ding dongs. im not interested! i really am not. go away.
they all had the same opening line
“I was looking at you the whole night and i just have to come talk to you..”
“I want to take you for lunch, daylight!”
“I need a date like right now”
“if your heading to att ica, pls tell me! i so have to dance with you”
“can you pls just tell me your name? or a fake name”

- the girl who would like to hook up with some Caucasians (note the typo errors -eek-)…

Years on and inured with lived experiences, I got so good at rejecting them, some of them would actually yell at me before they leave and I always imagine them to be praising me for it, only just alot louder. Then sometimes, there are the ones that just come out with the weirdest reasons.
She: “Hello.”
Me: “No thanks.”
She: “But you send me signal.”
This was highly amusing to me because for one, I wasn’t even looking at her. I certainly wasn’t waving and neither was I even smiling. And now all of the sudden, I was sending her signals? What the f*** is she? A Dolphin?
How the f*** am I even transmitting signals to her? So I used my hyper squeak sonar, “eek eek” that said, “f*** off”.

- the guy who likes to hook up with strangers (too funny. got to love the dolphin theory. And yes, I believe Tattler has a rule against vulgarities…)

A popular fashion store, with its iconic red and white logo, just opened another outlet in the current hot favourite shopping centre along Orchard Road. I’ve never considered myself to relate to the basic and layer-y cool pieces of the store, preferring mass-market high street fashion (so sad but true).

But on a lazy Friday afternoon while waiting for the rain to stop, I ventured into the store which was packed with people of all ages. I even spotted a 40-something year old lady with her backpack, crouching over her potential purchases in a overflowing basket. Maybe she really thought the national day specials were a great bargain.

However, I digress, what got me seeing red, was the fact that I was told to remove my shoes before entering the changing room. Something which I saw coming (but thought was utterly ridiculous) when: I saw a girl coming out of the changing room with her sandals unzipped and I spotted various brands of shoes outside the doors of the individual changing rooms.

I decided not to throw a fit, nor ask why, and took a good five minutes to unbuckle my gladiator sandals. Yes, I do not believe in buying those pseudo gladiators with the zips hidden at the back.

Why would they want customers to take off their shoes? Are they afraid people will dirty their clothes when they don’t take off their shoes when trying on bottoms? Or do they think this will keep their carpeted floors cleaner for longer? Either way, I think it is unhygienic to ask people to take off their shoes and expose their feet to the millions of bacteria breeding in the un-vacuumed carpet. Oh, not forgetting the big fat fact that it is a total chore to take my shoes off.

So there, I was right about the store. With regards to the store’s concept not fitting in with my style or character. I don’t know about you, but from this experience, I can guarantee: That was the first and last time that I’ll be stepping into that store.

Being a Singaporean means many things; and I have the urge to start by listing the negative ones, but let me first try some positivity: I can walk alone at night without any particular feeling of threat to my well-being. Food is good and cheap. There’s um, plenty of shopping malls that you can walk in if you get bored of the identical one next door. Major downside: the weather. The zit-inducing, cranky-fying sticky humid weather. Other people get road rage, I get weather rage. Like seriously, I am the Incredible Hulk of Humidity. Anyway, there’s as much to moan and gripe about as to celebrate, but here at Tattler we’re paying homage in our own (very positive) way to this idiosyncratic, funny little island hovering somewhere above the equator.

So: red and white – we tell you what comes to our minds when we think of this colour configuration. A sneak peek: We help you take bold steps – you may not want to stand up (for Singapore) but that doesn’t mean you can’t stand out: discover the reds you can wear on your lips and get tips on how to add a dash of fieriness in your wardrobe. Colours in your food can mean great benefits for you – munch on them while you listen to some (almost) patriotic music – Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and White Stripes count, right? :)

Meanwhile, all you Singaporeans – enjoy the long weekend! Plus: our comments are open so please, leave a comment to let us know you’re there. Randomness completely welcome. There’s no prize to be won (yet) but we are real friendly. We won’t bite. I promise. COME BE OUR FRIEND.

Adding to the stereotype over here in the Wild West of us Chinese people being mystical, kungfu wielding, unfathomably slitty eyed, and well, kooky creatures* – are fortune cookies. I’ve been amused by – as what Wikipedia aptly describes the advice on the tiny strips of paper to be – ‘faux wisdom or vague prophecy’: “Wear yellow today. Bring you good luck.” Oh no! I don’t have a single piece of yellow in my wardrobe! Must. Buy. Yellow. Something.

So – who thought up of these nifty fortune cookie thingys? According to the all-wise Encyclopedia for the lazy who do not bother to research past the first search result like yours truly:

As far back as the 19th century, a cookie very similar in appearance to the American Fortune cookie was made in Kyoto, Japan, and there is a Japanese temple tradition of random fortunes, called omikuji. The Japanese version of the cookie differs in several ways: they are a little bit larger; are made of darker dough; and their batter contains sesame and miso rather than vanilla and butter. They contain a fortune; however, the small slip of paper was wedged into the bend of the cookie rather than placed inside the hollow portion.

In one prevalent theory, in the aftermath of World War II with the internment of 100,000 Japanese American people, including those who had produced Fortune cookies, Chinese people took over the production of this wise little confectionery en masse (go, enterprising Chinese people!).

Still, the title of the original inventor of the cookie is still up for grabs – several Chinese and Japanese people have contested for this. Whoever did invent it must have been one shrewd businessman – how did he tap on to this strange American yen for little nuggets of wisdom to go with their Chinese takeout?

Anyways, fortune cookies before the early 20th century were all made by hand. Soon of course, machines were invented to facilitate the cookie making process churning them out by the dozens, leaving people all over America with a little tidbit to chew on both literally and figuratively after yummy dinners of Chow Mein and Mushu Chicken.

Incidentally, while in San Fran, I chanced upon the famous Golden Gate bakery on Ross Street where they are still made by hand:

Her cheeks are red from the open flame nearby - it takes nimble fingers to fold the cookie while it's still pliable and hot. My aunt still makes loveletters in a similar way - hot and tideous work.

Ross St, btw, is where Karate Kid was filmed (and a remake of Karate Kid will be hitting your theatres soon!). I love Mr. Miyagi. He was my first impression ever of what a Japanese man speaking English should sound like.

I’ll be looking forward to what my next fortune says, though I’m still troubled by my previous one. (”What do you mean – adventure is within?! You mean I came all the way to the States for nuthin’?!”)

That’s the immediate thought that goes through my mind when I see something/ someone which I find unsightly. Why should I bring this matter up? Why, because this month we’re discussing the issue of ‘back to school’. Nearly everyone goes through the “what should I wear to school” dilemma, especially on the first day of school. Everyone wants to make a lasting first impression. And a good one, for that matter – you definitely don’t want people remembering you for some fashion disaster. For people who have just left schools which had a uniform, some might consider it a blessing; others find it a total chore. Fashion allows one to show off individuality and uniqueness. On the other hand, some people have relatively ‘alternative’ taste in fashion. Don’t get me wrong, everyone has their own opinions and sense of fashion, but there are just some that are ‘faux pas’ to me.

‘Faux pas’ does not mean ‘not to do’ but really, it actually refers to a blunder. So technically, the common ‘faux pas’ we know of are not ‘no-no’s’ set in stone. Everyone is free to express themselves, and fashion is one of the best ways of doing so. Wouldn’t it be utterly boring for every individual you see on the train or bus or around campus looking gorgeous and well put-together? There wouldn’t be any gasps of shock/ horror or sighs of envy when we spot something bad or good. There wouldn’t be any interesting, okay, slightly gossipy, news to share with friends when bored during breaks between classes (or even bored DURING classes).

The 10 things that I’ve seen around campus, which I find downright quite wrong:

1. Girls who wear too short shorts when they don’t necessarily have the legs to pull it off. Ever seen unsightly cellulite? Or legs which are scarred with scabs?
2. Ladies with the wrong colour of foundation/concealer/powder! Are you trying the geisha look? It’s very important to get the right shade and blend well! It’s meant to be subtle and make you look flawless. NOT: look at me, I have dark eye circles I have to cover up.
3. People who wear ‘long’ tops which just aren’t long enough to wear with leggings. Worse still, people who wear those short long tops with TIGHTS. I have an issue with this obscene favourite of many Singaporean girls who try to channel Lindsay Lohan or Nicole Richie. Often, the leggings you find in Far East are not thick enough, especially after washing. The thinner they get, the more see through it becomes. The ‘long’ tops often don’t even cover your crotch or butt. Such an ensemble only highlights the widest part of your body, something nobody wants. Remember, leggings/tights are not a substitute for pants or skinnies.
4. Wearing caps when class is in session. I don’t know about you, but I find it rude. Then again, flat hat hair is another problem.
5. Fishnets. Four words: I don’t get it.
6. Two words. Leather pants. In our hot and humid weather, it’s just plain uncomfortable and sticky. Ewww.
7. “Invisible” bra straps. THEY AREN’T INVISIBLE. The strapless bra was invented for a reason.
8. For the guys, I really don’t need to see your uber-skinny arms or bulging muscles in that sleeveless wife-beater. Or, that favourite ARMY top of yours! Especially when you show up for class in them with your black flip flops… did you just get out of bed? Oxford shirts = much more polished.
9. Ladies, please do a side mirror check when trying on a button-down top. Nobody needs to see your bra with the holes in between, even when you’re standing. Indecent exposure!
10. Last but not least, women wearing socks with heels! Vanity does come at a price. Heels are meant to be sexy and make your legs look good. Socks are sloppy and will distract anything nice about your heels and legs. When on campus, there’s often a whole lot of walking to and fro classes, so unless you are a pro at doing alot of walking in heels, I recommend comfy flats – such as classic ballet flats.

Please take this commentary with a pinch of salt. It all depends on whether the individual can pull it off. Seriously. Most things that look good on models would not look as great even on a size 2 person. Other fashion trends are just too outrageous and quirky for everyday wear. It’s the sad reality that we go to school for an education, not to have a fashion parade. Nonetheless, what you wear should not get people’s attention for the wrong reasons.

4 things which some may consider ‘don’t’s but I consider ‘do’s:

1. Chipped nail polish – who can afford to get weekly mani/pedis? Especially when they’ll get chipped with all that typing on the keyboard.
2. Wearing spectacles instead of contacts – geek chic is always cool! With the right frames to flatter your face shape, spectacles can do wonders. Isn’t superman much hotter with his spectacles than without? Plus, it makes you look like an intellectual!
3. Wearing different patterns – as long as one is more distinct than the other, this makes the whole outfit look more interesting.
4. Hoodies – just because they’re so darn comfy and lecture theatres are freezing!

Bottom line is: I think students in Singapore have to get used to the idea of dressing up to go to school and looking presentable.

Ultimately, the choice is up to you. Dare to be different and it might pay off. You might get recognised for your unique style. But I still believe that there are just some things that are definite don’ts.

*FYI: At the university I’m studying at, there’s actually a list of rules on attire. Imagine that. Only such things would happen in Singapore. Then again, I don’t think anyone actually enforces the rules.