Archeologist cardigan in Grey – courtesy of MAIA, ‘Dress’ – tailored (read below), Gold belt – thrifted @ Lost & Found, Melbourne, Gold cocktail ring – ASOS, Blue glass ring – Sunday Art Market @ St Kilda, Melbourne, Bag – Chanel, 200 denier tights – ASOS, Platform heels – Forever 21 (previously seen here).
Putting up outfit shots on t-n isn’t feasible for me because there really isn’t anyone I can ask to take photos of me except for my best friend but he lives in Singapore and I’m in Melbourne most of the year so I’ve taken to putting up my looks on Instagram instead (add me on Instagram: @ilyana 
) But when MAIA emailed me and asked if they could send me some pieces from their first collection, there were no apologies, no excuses – a style post had to be written.
The Archeologist cardigan I was sent is no ordinary cardigan. I’ll be honest: when I first spotted it on the MAIA website, I only picked it because I needed a new cardi stat, the Archeologist was a quirky option (name and all) and that was it. What you don’t really see in their photos is that each cardigan has secret air pockets hidden at the bottom (see first photo) to trap the wind, allowing the billowy fabric to float and whirl every time you move; it’s a cape disguised as a cardigan (it’s even made with a bit of spandex in it ;p) Genius! Easily my favourite pick from the collection.
Each clothing piece you purchase has a tag with a pretty sweet handwritten note with an inspirational quote from the MAIA girls. “In order to be irreplaceable, one has to always be different” – I’d like to think I am lol! 
I also picked up their Zoologist scarf whose name is strangely fitting; it’s a blend of two very abstract leopard and grunge prints doused in a dusty gradient of rose and pink. I think it is this feminine hue that makes it very wearable and I hate that I haven’t gotten the chance to wear it yet. It’s made of the softest poly satin, a godsend in our crap weather. Ready for more secrets? If you observe the scarf carefully, you’d notice these 6 black loop holes emerging from one of its edges..
Those loops are meant to be fixed onto these buttons you see on my President dress (I LOVE THESE NAMES LOL). I believe most of their pieces have this element in them, meaning the scarves were designed to be worn in synchronisation with the rest of the collection. Naturally, you can wear the scarf on its own but you can tell immediately a lot of thought has gone into the design process of this entire collection which is why I hesitate to call MAIA your run-of-the-mill “blogshop”.
Their prices are on the more expensive side and I think it’s fair because their clothes aren’t the sort of basics you buy and throw after two years – they have little secrets embedded in them and they’re designed to be statement pieces that are meant to add a little somethin’ somethin’ to your own style. If you want to check out MAIA‘s clothes in person (which I highly recommend you do!), they are stocked at OVA.
Thank you Diana and the other girls behind MAIA for sending me these pieces! Diana actually won my last giveaway too, I gave her free Lush products and now she’s giving me free clothes – good karma also exists, people! Don’t forget to join MAIA‘s mailing list and get 15% off your order ;D Full disclosure: I wasn’t paid for this post kthx!
Of course, I have my own style secrets too. The dress that I’m wearing in this style post? You see, technically it isn’t a dress. No one believes me when I tell them but it’s actually the top bit of my baju kurung – has your mind been blown yet LOL? This is probably the only baju kurung I bothered bringing over to Melbourne and I thought it was a bit sad I could only wear it once a year because it’s so god damn beautiful. It’s made of this sheer blue floral chiffon with gold lining so it’s got this duochrome effect I’m crazy about. I broke the baju out of its traditional realm and I’ve been wearing it out paired with the perfect gold belt, andddd INSTANT CHIC SHIFT DRESS TYVM. This, ladies, is how you ‘recycle’ your baju kurung without looking like a skank.
The gold cocktail ring is a recent purchase from ASOS to add to my dizzying ring collection and honestly I wasn’t expecting it to be this huge obnoxious thing (online photos, they lie) but I actually like it this way. My other bff, Aaron, and I have been jokingly calling it my future wedding ring – whether it’s really a joke or not, I can’t tell you that yet ;p
And my Chanel bag finally makes its debut on the blog with its own almost gratuitous shot. I suppose perfection doesn’t need to be explained.
This is exactly what happens when I go shopping: I see something I like, I check for colour variations and then I check its price tag, holding my breath since I’ve decided 10 seconds ago that I couldn’t leave the store without buying every colour available. It’s not surprising that I am one of those people who fall prey to bargains. You don’t say no to pretty things when they’re cheap and come in colours that would complement my almost monochromatic wardrobe.
Even if they aren’t exactly cheap, this is the best time to get a sugar rush (can I recommend a small cone of ice-cream?) and let your mind play tricks on you. Don’t worry darling, your bank account has more money than you think. Buying that extra pair of shoes isn’t going to change the numbers drastically. And your mother will never find out as long as you get the credit card bill from the letterbox before she does. Your pulse will quicken once you’ve signed for the shoes and when you carry them with you on the train home, you feel a strange sense of fulfillment. Savour it, it won’t last long.
Since I am no longer earning my own keep and my love life is a barren wasteland, I can’t afford nor bribe a foolish man into buying me expensive shoes. No worries, actually. I’ll just keep finding cheap designer rip-offs. My Forever21 chunky heels are an amazing combination of ugly/beautiful and I’m pretty sure they were inspired by this pair of miu miu platforms. J’adore <3 Of course, the most blatant shoe rip-off in this entry would be my fake Ferragamos lol. They aren't exact copies (I prefer it that way) and I couldn't decide between the black or gray so I bought them both!
I have new rings too, don't they look like cracked speckled eggs? Again, I couldn't choose between the coral or the turquoise so...don't you see the distinct pattern here lol? Currently having a rekindled love affair with my tilkah bracelet, I can’t decide what it reminds me of: reptilian scales or a costume prop from Xena the Warrior Princess. I bought it on my birthday but it’s very heavy so it isn’t the best accessory to wear to school when you’re expected to take down a flurry of notes.
Sadly, my shopping/eating adventures in Singapore are drawing to an end. My heart grows uneasy whenever I am reminded that I only have two weeks left before I am due back in a country I don’t call home. It is natural for people to link studying overseas as something fun, prestigious even and while I would never trade this experience for anything in the world, leaving your family, your things behind is the most bittersweet feeling. Sometimes I feel like a gypsy; always moving around in places never been, forging beautiful memories but never truly belonging. I don’t feel particularly attached to Singapore, to be honest. Sure, I was born and raised here but I find it a little too stifling, too safe. Still, there is an eminent sense of familiarity that draws me back whenever I’m away.
I don’t know if I’m meant to call Singapore home forever but for the moment, this is home and that is good enough.
