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Karen Cheng

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Building a Stylish Wardrobe – Three Modern Classics

February 21, 2014

Black Classics

I want to share three modern classic pieces from my wardrobe, that always make me feel fabulous whenever I wear them.

Versatile for work or play and perfect for mixing and matching, these items are wonderfully timeless… so I definitely classify them as my “wardrobe essentials”.

A black silk shirt
A real investment piece, this Isabel Marant silk shirt (from Forward by Elyse Walker) is heavenly. It is a size FR34 and it fits my arm length, body length, across the bust, neck, shoulders… perfectly! The fabric is luxurious silk, which feels, moves and falls like a delicious cloud. There are no pin-tucks, epaulettes, embroidery, shoulder details or print – it is a simple, clean-cut shirt with minimal design. A classic indeed!

A black leather skirt
This a-line, leather skirt is oh-so cool and understated. It’s soft, supple and has a raw edge along the bottom, which I really like. I bought it several years ago from Urban Outfitters. It used to sit on my waist, but I have since lost a bit of weight and it sits on my hips now. I do prefer it to sit on my waist, so I might find someone to alter it.

Black strappy sandals
These are a pretty good, quality pair of non-leather heels by high-street Korean brand Koo (from YesStyle). They were about $70, which I believe is quite affordable for good quality shoes. I purchased them about 2 years ago and I still happily reach for them whenever I want simple sandals to compliment my outfit. I wear them a lot, they are pretty comfortable and I look after them very well. I guess it proves to me, that I don’t *have* to buy leather everything for an item to last.

Building a wardrobe with key classic pieces is a whole lot of fun, especially when I see the results – that is, the ease in which I can put together a stylish outfit and feel fabulous!

Hope this inspires you too!

Related Posts

  • What I Wore: Tee + Green Skirt
  • What I Wore: Isabel Marant Skirt
  • What I Wore: Vince Silk Skirt
  • Ganni Rometty Dress Review: Not Great for Short Girls!

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Welcome

Hi I’m Karen!

I’ve been blogging since 1999, which pretty much makes me an internet dinosaur… who is a bit addicted to Instagram filters.

I strive to balance my blog with a nice mix of fashion, lifestyle, fitness, cooking, parenting, adventures with my 3 kids and nerdy talk about books and brain training.

Currently obsessed with:
Isabel Marant’s fashion aesthetic, trying out intermittent fasting (not going too well thanks for asking), reading about ancient Roman history and 19th century Russian literature.

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