'Stress Release' Friday Evening:-P

Below: Gucci's so called Skinny Fit Dip Dye Jeans at SGD $850.

Below: YSL Easy bags, men's on the left (SGD $2460) and Ladies on the right:-) YSL loves gender bending styles!

Below: Bottega Veneta Coated Canvas Tote at just SGD $1320!

Below: Dressing room shots! Trying out the Nylon Jacket which is absolutely chic:-P

Below: Yes, I fell for the temptation of LV again...Yikes!

Below:A must buy super cool, super skinny Zara jeans! I love the tight feel around my butt:-P

A Friday To Finally Cool The Steam Off...

It was a horrible week of work for me. Imagine coming back from a relaxing resort vacation to find tonnes of work needing your attention almost right away. I was still on holiday mode when I step into the office on Tuesday (I was back from my Hua Hin vacation only on Monday night) so it was tough to get my gears rolling immediately to start the work frenzy.

Fortunately, I survived. Albeit stressed, tired and frustrated. Next week will be another busy week. But I will be mentally prepared. Okay Okay...Enough talk about work! It's Friday night and I am in a fantastic 'wind down' mood now and work is one word I am temporaily casting aside.

Before I got off work today, I got a surprise call to inform me about the arrival of something that I had left my name for. :-P I got a huge grin after hearing the news. So I had to pick it up right away in the evening:-P This gives me good reason to drop by the ultimate land of temptation, namely Orchard Road.

Into the store came Kevin, minutes later, out came Kevin and my loot:-P What did I get? Reveals soon!

After the visit to that infamous store of lusts, I drop by Paragon to check out Gucci. I had wanted to see if the Spring Summer menswear have arrived. There were a handful of pieces displayed on the racks, but none really caught my eye as they were mostly NOT runway pieces. However, I did spot those cool runway featured dip dye jeans in blue on the display shelf. I asked the SA on the availability of the jeans in green which I liked better. He went away to check and return with the Gucci Green Dip Dye Jeans in size 44 for me to try. I was thrilled! I had listed the jeans as one of my potential buys this season. And the lookbook describing the jeans as skinny fit...I had good hope that it should fit perfectly. I think I had my hopes too high....to my dismay, upon putting them on, they look more like a relax fit than skinny fit. What happened? Aren't skinny jeans supposed to be super tight and hug your butt? I had lots of room around my butt and thigh, it was not what I had anticipated. Which leaves me to feel Gucci has a warp sense of sizing. The tattoo print tees in small were like kid's size, very small and short and now their skinny version of jeans are quite the opposite, loose and relaxed. How weird! Perhaps I am too slim to fit the sizing. But the 'skinny' label on these jeans is simply misleading. At a SGD $850 price tag, I'd give it a miss if it does not wow me immediately.

Next stop, my favourite store...YSL. I want to check if they received any new man bags within the last 2 weeks. Apparently there are some, but not the leather 'Muse II' inspired leather bag I recently featured. The SA is unsure if the bag will be stocked in their store.

The one bag I found that catches my eye the most is the YSL Men's Easy Bag in Distressed Leather. It comes in either a deep reddish brown colour or black. Very stunning and chic. I adore the deep reddish brown version. If the brown hue had leaned more towards a deep red, I would have most likely bought it on the spot. At SGD $2460, I need to think carefully. I left the shop to regain my bearings and avoid impulsive buying (SGD $2460 for the bag is not something I will buy in haste!).

I left the store and move on to Prada...which I have not been impressed with anything except a military inspired canvas belt with a brass gold buckle. Very nice. And at SGD $380, it is not an exorbitant price...but do I really need another canvas belt? Answer is NO. So I left Prada in mere minutes. While exiting Prada, I walked past Bottega Veneta and saw the Bottega Veneta Spring Summer 2009 Ash Coated Sardegna Canvas Vachette Tote which Joseph recently acquired. I instantly walked into the store to get a closer look. Intricately crafted in a no frills design, the ash coloured coated canvas juxaposed with warm honey brown leather handles and trimmings is indeed a very elegant 'bag candy'. The size was perfect too. Not too big to be cumbersome and yet large enough to hold tonnes. The best surprise that came after trying the bag was the incredibly affordable price tag. It's just SGD $1320! No wonder the SA told me it was a popular buy for the Japanese market. Anyone will find the price tempting for a Bottega Veneta piece! So grab yours before they fly off the shelves. I think I need to stay focus on my search for a white bag, so I digress.

Leaving Bottega Veneta, I went scouting thru CK Calvin Klein and Burberry Prosum but again, I did not find anything I like, which is a good thing. I will not be adding more baked beans to my diet:-) Thank goodness! Praise the 'baked beans'!

Before ending my Orchard Road trip, my final stop had to be another one of my favourite shopping haunts...the ever so chic and welcoming Zara at Ngee Ann City. Fast fashion, classic pieces, bargain buys are all to be found in this amazing store. Of course, having a roomy dressing room makes it all the more easier for me to do my dressing room outfit photo session:-)

I picked 2 pieces of clothing from the new Spring Summer range to try. One pair of Zara Super Skinny Leg Jeans (now this is what Skinny Jeans should be!) and a Nylon Sailing Inspired Jacket with silver metal buttons. I took pics of my clothing tryout session to see if they look great on me. My shopping philosophy is if I look good in the pictures, they will be alright in real life:-P To my delight, the jacket was stunning. I could do a yachting inspired look and wear all white tee and shorts underneath. And there is a versatility to zip up or open zip look. Both looking equally cool. But my cheapskate side held me back from purchasing as my desired budget for Zara pieces must stay in the SGD $150 zone for this year. This was SGD $199 and was way out of the price I am willing to pay for. The skinny jeans however was a different story. They fit amazingly and at SGD $75, I just had to own them! I can never get enough of skinny fit jeans:-)

With my Zara purchase, it ends my 'de-stress' Friday evening. A taxi ride and 20 mins later...I am here blogging away what has transcended in the last 2 hours in the comfort of my room:-)

Good night and happy reading.

Source: Bottega Veneta, YSL

Retail price:
1) Gucci Green Dip Dye Skinny Jeans - SGD $850
2) YSL Men's Easy Overnight Bag - SGD $2460
3) Bottega Veneta Spring Summer 2009 Ash Coated Sardegna Canvas Vachette Tote - SGD $1320
4) Zara Nylon Yachting Jacket - SGD $199
5) Zara Super Skinny Blue Jeans - SGD $75

Where to buy: Respective brand boutiques in Paragon (1-3) and Zara Takashimaya (4-5)