JVlog #7: Japanese Jewellery Haul

Good Day Everyone,

In this Japan vlog I take you jewellery shopping. This is not shopping for traditional Japanese jewellery but more of what's available in the shopping malls. Japanese women tend to have a very feminine dress style and this is reflected in the jewellery styles available. The jewellery tends to be very delicate and dainty looking. Most jewellery pieces are silver or gold in colour and there are a lot of pearls (real or otherwise).

In the department stores such as Takashimaya (think John Lewis in England) there are independent jewellery makers selling their own unique pieces and these tend to be more colourful and often larger pieces, kind of like statement necklaces. We also have stores such as H&M and Zara which are great for statement necklaces as well as slightly more delicate pieces, although not quite as delicate and fragile looking as those in the local Japanese jewellery stores.

Something that I did find particularly interesting was that in all of the local Japanese jewellery stores there was a huge selection of earrings available for those that don't have their ears pierced. I was truly surprised by the sheer volume and diversity of the styles/designs available.

Its been a long time since I bought any new jewellery and so I picked up a few pieces. You can see more about the Japanese jewellery stores in the vlog above.

Store: Shazbot Karako / Cost: 1,620 Yen

My favourite piece is this necklace that I picked up from a store called Shazbot Karako which are two separate stores (Shazbot and Karako) that share the same shop space so I'm not quite sure which store the necklace belongs to, but it's located in the Bay Quarter mall in Yokohama. I love that the stars are different colours and the copper colour is especially pretty. The stones in the centre of each star catch the light beautifully and sparkle.

The stars are not fixed onto the chain as they're threaded onto the chain from the back, and move independently of one another. I can actually remove the stars from the chain which gives me the flexibility to wear all three or just two or one of the stars as the pendant. The chain is a fixed length and so I did try the necklace on in the store just to ensure I was happy with it.

I picked up two pairs of long dangle earrings as I have quite a lot of stud earrings. The first pair are these silver twists which look really pretty against my dark hair when I wear it down.

Store: Puretre / Costs: 1,080 Yen

The second pair are three gold coloured diamond shapes that hang within each other. Both of the earrings I bought are nickel free and were clearly labelled as such in English on the packaging. Most of the jewellery pieces I bought were labelled as 'made in Japan'. I tried to ask the sales assistants in the stores whether the jewellery I was buying was hand or machine made but my lack of Japanese and their lack of English didn't make for a fruitful conversation.

Store: Guilty / Cost: 1,404 Yen

I also picked up the four rings below. I'll be honest, I haven't worn many rings over the last few years due to me feeling particularly self conscious about my arthritic fingers with their slightly deformed joints and my unsightly psoriatic nails. I haven't liked to draw attention to my hands but this is something that I'm trying to overcome as I do actually like rings. So I'm trying not to let my own insecurities about my fingers and nails get the better of me because this is just part and parcel of the disease that I suffer from :o).

Store: Puretre / Cost: 2,268 Yen - Store: 3 Coins / Cost: 324 Yen - Store: Before the Boom / Cost: 1,190 Yen - Store: Before the Boom / Cost: 1,400 Yen

The first ring that I picked up was a gold floral cutout ring with a flower in it's centre. This fits on both my index finger and my thumbs and I love the swirly pattern either side of the centre flower. The second ring I got was from the 3 Coins shop which was an absolute bargain. It is a dirty gold colour band with leaves. I love it's simplicity and colour. The next ring is one that I've had my eye on for a couple of weeks and the store was actually having a 30% off sale on the day I went shopping and so naturally I took that as a sign ;o). It's a pale coppery colour and I love the design around the stones. It looks quite Aztec-y to me. It is a pinky ring that's a bit too big for my little finger and so I bought it to wear as a midi-ring on my middle finger. Finally the last ring I got is a bit more dressy with the gold and the diamond-esque stones (I've no idea what the proper name for such stones is). This is also a pinky ring and does actually fit my little finger perfectly but could also be worn as a midi-ring.

I hope you enjoyed my little Japanese jewellery haul and the vlog showing you what the shops look like. If you want to read more about my experience of psoriatic arthritis then click here and about psoriatic nails here. I hope you all have a lovely weekend :o).

Love Sheen xxx

Autumn Accessories

Good Day Everyone,

It is so wonderful to be experiencing seasons once again. Not only that, but it is also great to be able to wear something other than a summer wardrobe after almost four years. Most of my winter clothes are stored at home in England but I did have a few pieces with me that I've been enjoying recently in Japan. Plus, as I'm currently back home (it was a last minute thing), I may pick up a few of my winter clothes to take back to Japan, in preparation for the wintery months ahead.

Today I want to share with you a few of my favourite autumn accessories. Even though it is December, the weather where we are in Japan is still very much autumnal rather than wintery. Originally, I had planned to photograph the accessories I wanted to share with you, even though personally, I like to see accessories modeled on people. That way I can get some inspiration on how I might incorporate something similar into an outfit. But I'm no model and not particularly comfortable in front of the camera... perhaps it's because I'm not from, what my hubby calls, the 'selfie' generation i.e. I'm old ;o) But after some coaxing from my hubby and bearing in mind that it's mainly my friends around the world that read my blog rather than strangers (I think), I decided to be brave and give it a go... so here goes :o)

I'm loving my burgundy sunglasses. Now sunglasses are not particularly autumnal per se but the colour definitely is. I find black sunglasses a bit too harsh given my dark features and loved my tortoise shell ones as a good alternative. However, I lost those on a shopping trip whilst trying on hats and scarves...don't you just hate it when that happens?! I spent two days shopping for a new pair but I struggle with glasses! Having a relatively large face (and an even larger nose... I can't help it, it's a family trait lol), means that most styles do not suit me with the exception of these larger ones. These balance out my face ;o) So when I couldn't find tortoise shell in this style, I opted for burgundy and I absolutely love the colour.

 

I am really enjoying being able to wear scarves again. I picked this red and green one up from Singapore last year. I fell in love with the colours and pattern and knew that one day, when I moved to cooler climates, I would get a lot of wear out of it. Plus it goes so well with these maroony-red trousers, and the fact that it was the last one in the store was clearly a sign that I should get it ;o)

This very long, bright red scarf was a gift all the way from New Zealand, and this is the first year that I've actually started to get some decent wear out of it. I love that it's a bright shade of red, which may not be all that autumnal, but it's great on those days when its a really sunny bright blue sky but very cold. It is sooo warm and soft to the touch that I can't help but feel all cosy and snuggly in it :o)

For many years, I've never had the confidence to wear hats but a lot of people wear hats in Japan, and recently I've joined in. I only have a collection of three at the moment, but they come in sooo handy when I'm having a bad hair day, (which tends to be quite often as my ghds don't work in Japan due to voltage differences), that I know I'll be buying more in the future. Plus they are good for keeping my head warm in the cold!

What autumn/fall accessories have you been enjoying over the last couple of months?
Love Sheen xxx

P.S. A special thanks goes to my hubby who took these photos for me x

My 3 Rules For Clothes Shopping

Good Day Everyone,

A couple of weeks ago I did a post on clearing out my wardrobe (Closet Clear-Out) and today I've decided to revisit the theme of clothes and will be sharing my three rules for buying clothes. Different people will have different tips / rules for buying clothes but over the years I’ve found that these three work really well for me :o) 

1. The Right Colour & Shade:

When it comes to clothes shopping, the first thing I do when I walk into a store is to seek out my colours. There are some colours (and shades) that just instantly make me look more alive, they lift my complexion making me look healthier and brighter. I’m not talking about bright, loud colours here, I’m talking about colours that suit my skin tone, hair and eye colour and my overall complexion. On the flip side there are colours (or shades) that just do not suit me. They make me look washed out, ill, and just don’t do anything for me. My main thing with colour is that I want to be wearing the colour, rather than the colour wearing me… there’s an important difference, I feel. When I’m wearing the colour, I will look good, and both myself and others will notice that I look good. When the colour is wearing me, I don’t look good. The clothing item / colour may look good and people may comment that that is a nice top / dress but that’s just it, people notice the clothing item, not me. 

The way I tell whether a colour (or shade) looks good on me is by holding it up close to my face when I’m wearing no makeup. Makeup can alter and interfere with the way a colour looks on you which is why when I go clothes shopping I tend to wear no / minimal makeup with not much colour. Colours that suit you will look good on you in your natural state i.e. with no makeup.

Some of my shades of green: khaki green, sage green, lime green

Over the years, I’ve learnt that there are some colours where most of the shades within those colours will look good on me. For me, these include most shades of green, red, pink and purple. I can wear most shades of green ranging from olive, khaki green to bright avocado green through to even lime green. However, there are some colours where only a very specific shade will look good on me. For years, I thought that blue was not my colour. It didn’t matter what blue clothes I tried on they just never looked right on me. Recently I discovered that it wasn’t a case of blue not looking good on me but rather I just hadn’t found the right shade of blue for me. It was only when I came across this blue blazer that I realised that I could actually where blue but it needs to be in this particular shade. Likewise, yellow isn’t my colour unless it is a mustardy shade with a warm undertone to it. Also, I can only wear very specific shades of orange, beige, white (yes white does have more than one shade ;o). Most, if not all, colours look good on everyone, it’s just a case of finding the right shade of that colour for you. 

Finally, a shade of blue I can wear

The other thing about colours and shades is that I try to wear what suits me as opposed to what I like. Often there is a difference. I don't particularly like the colour purple, but over the years I've learnt that it's actually a colour that really suits me. People at work used to compliment me whenever I wore purple and now its quite a dominant colour in my wardrobe, so much so that I even have a purple coat! Very Willy Wonka-ish! 

When it comes to wearing the colours (and shades) that suit me, I wear these on the top half of my body i.e. close to my face as they greatly enhance my complexion. Now I’m just going to put this out there… but black is not my colour! I know some people think that black is a wardrobe staple and people often refer to it as a safe colour but black does absolutely nothing for me. As a result I tend to wear black on the bottom half of my body, away from my face, and pair it with one of my colours on the top half of my body. I do have a black blazer but as this gets paired with a coloured top and / or coloured scarf that suits me, the black not suiting me doesn’t become the focal point. I have a few black dresses that I’ve worn to black tie and formal events but here I will use colour in my makeup and accessories to make it look better on me.

Some of my shades of red, pink and purple

There are professionals out there such as personal shoppers and image consultants that can help people determine what colours / shades suit them the most using colour analysis techniques and principles. Whilst some might find these very helpful, I feel that most people can usually tell what colours / shades suit them because they will instantly look and feel beautiful, confident, positive and happy in their colours.

2. The Right Fit & Cut:

Once I’ve found clothes in one of my colours, the next thing that I look at is the fit and cut of the clothes and this includes the shape / style of the clothes. I guess you could say that whilst colour and shade is about enhancing your natural complexion, fit and cut is about enhancing your body shape. 

How clothes fit me is just as important to me as the colour and shades of the clothes. Being particularly short (4’11”) and unable to wear high heels (due to arthritic feet) I have to be very careful about the fit and shape of my clothes. To make things even more tricky, despite being slim (I’m a UK size 8-10) I have curves which can be challenging to dress when I’m sooo short! The top and bottom half of my body is quite evenly balanced in that I’m not long waisted and neither do I have particularly long or short legs relative to my overall height. 

However, I do have hips and so I tend to avoid clothes that cinch me in at the waist because whilst I do have a defined waist, being short, I feel that clothes that emphasise my waist by default also emphasise my hips, as they’re so much wider than my waist. Plus as I have a bit of a tummy I feel this gets highlighted with clothes that go in at my waist because right after my waist goes in, my hips and tummy go out and this contrast is too much for my body height to pull off. Therefore, I prefer clothes that go in above my waist, like an empire cut although not always as high as right under my bust. This way immediately below the narrowest part being emphasised, there is a bit of length space for the clothes to gradually and subtly move outwards and skim over my wide hips – does that make sense?

I look better in structured clothes that define my shape rather than long floaty maxi dresses that just drown me and emphasise my wide hips along the way. Just as you want to wear the colour, rather than the other way round, you also want to wear the clothes rather than the clothes wearing you. Maxi dresses definitely wear me! This doesn’t mean that I can only wear trousers / blazers and not dresses, it just means that I have to be more selective in the types of dresses that I wear. 

Generally speaking long dresses do not look good on me, even if they are fitted and not maxi dresses, because wearing that one colour / pattern for the whole length of my body makes me look shorter, I feel. I tend to look better when I can break the colour or pattern up to create two parts to my length. So if I am wearing a long dress, I will look for one that is fitted at the top and with a different colour or pattern on top versus the bottom. Alternatively, with a long dress that is the same colour / pattern throughout its length, I will throw on a crocheted top or shirt that I can tie in the middle or a cardigan to break up the colour / pattern. I will often wear long (usually dark coloured) skirts with a fitted coloured top. This gives me structure and definition on the top half of my body in a colour that suits me and the long skirt doesn’t dwarf me the way a long dress would due to the difference in colour and fabric on the top half of my body versus the bottom half. With shorter dresses, the break in colour / pattern becomes a bit less important to me as my legs will break the look up. I will opt for short dresses that cinch in somewhere between under my bust but above my natural waist and therefore skim my hips. 

The short length and pleat detailing at the waist makes this a great blazer for me

I definitely wear trousers more than dresses because they give my short body more structure and definition. I often wear jeans / trousers with a top and a blazer as my day to day look but I do have to be careful with the length and cut of my blazers. A longer blazer can make me look like I’m being drowned by it and shorten my legs, and so I never wear blazers that completely cover my bum as they’re too long for my height. I tend to go for short, cropped blazers that sit above my bottom as they make my legs look longer and ideally blazers that have some kind of detailing at the waist to draw the eye in. The cardigan blazer below is shorter at the back and sits above my bottom and becomes slightly longer at the front and so works perfectly on my short frame.

Typically on the top half of my body, if I’m wearing something that’s a floaty fabric then I make sure it’s cut in a shapely manner and fits well, doesn’t drown the top half of my body and I will pair it with fitted jeans / trousers. If I’m wearing a fitted top I always make sure that it fits my shoulders and chest well without being too clingy on my tummy area. 

Whilst for me personally, the cut and the fit of the clothes is more important than the fabric itself, often the fabric type determines the cut and style of the clothing item and therefore the fit. So it is important to pay attention to the fabric. I like structured clothes on me but certain fabrics that are a bit stiff and often used for structured tops can look a bit boxy. Floaty chiffon type fabrics that are very elegant and good for skimming over, the not so favourite parts of my body, my tummy and hips, could add unnecessary bulk if the fabric is gathered or pleated, for example. Likewise, whilst a chunky knit sweater is a great winter staple, the bulkiness adds unnecessary bulk onto my short stature and so I prefer a thinner sweater like ones made of cashmere that I could layer with a blazer. I only ever wear chunky knits if I'm wearing them more as a coatigan like the lime green one below (a cardigan that's worn as a coat) as that way the clothes underneath it will define my shape. I wear this particular one with black skinny jeans and a cream or white fitted T-shirt or sweater.

3. Frequency & Longevity:

Once I have found clothes in the right colour and fit / style for me the third and final thing that I look for is frequency and longevity. What I mean by this is how much wear am I realistically going to get out of a particular clothing item and therefore is it good value for money? I don’t tend to pay much attention to current fashion and trends and instead prefer to focus on what works for me and my body. 

By frequency I’m referring to clothes that I will wear often and on a regular basis. For me these include items such as blazers, day to day tops and jeans / trousers. Clothes that I wear on a daily basis and will often go with other clothes to create different looks and outfits. 

By longevity I’m referring to clothes that will be timeless pieces for me. So whilst I may not wear them day in day out, they stand the test of time by lasting me for many years. These are things like a well fitted shirt, a good pair of jeans, a lovely going out dress, a black dress for formal events / dinners, a nice sparkly top etc.

Sometimes clothes will tick both the frequency and longevity criteria. These typically tend to be pieces that may be a bit more expensive as they are very well made and last a long time despite frequent wear because they wash well. 

Obviously there are other things that I will consider when buying clothes such as price, the detailing or pattern, quality of stitching, whether it’s something that is a trend and therefore may be in fashion now but not in a few months, whether I have something similar to the item in question already, whether the item in question goes with other clothes in my wardrobe to make a complete outfit versus having to buy more clothes to create a look around the piece in question etc etc. However the three points highlighted in this post are my top three considerations for buying clothes.

What rules or tips do you bear in mind when shopping for clothes? How do you decide whether something is a good buy?

Love Sheen xxx

Closet Clear-Out

Good Day Everyone,

Okay, so in all honesty closet isn’t the word that I would use. Being English means I’m more likely to say wardrobe but Closet Clear-Out makes for a better blog post title, don’t you think? 

I’m just as guilty as the next person of getting into a rut with my clothes and wearing the same selection over and over whilst ignoring the deeper section of my wardrobe. Like most women, I have clothes in different sizes for when I’m having a particularly slim day versus more of a bloated day partly because I may have over indulged and / or partly down to hormones. I also have a selection of clothes that no longer fit me since I came off my steroid medication and lost the drug induced weight gain, but I’ve not discarded them. At the back of my mind I know one day I will end up on more potent medication as my arthritis progresses and chances are I’ll get bigger again because of it. Therefore I may need these clothes again. In addition, and again like most women, I have a few clothing items that have never seen the light of day. Call them impulse or what was I thinking buys but either way they are brand new, never worn pieces that just evoke feelings of guilt (and shame) whenever I look at them.

So last weekend I decided to take the bull by the horn and have a closet clear-out and just keep the clothes that fit me now. Whilst doing this I used a few rules / principles in order to make the clear-out process as effective as possible. I thought I’d share these with you, in case you too, were thinking of having a closet clear-out. With spring just around the corner for my friends back in England, I felt the timing was quite apt for this blog post :o)

1. Time: Allow yourself plenty of time to go through your closet. If you do it in a rush and under time constraints you are more likely to make a rash judgement call. I set aside a Saturday morning to go through my closet. 
2. Mood: Don’t force yourself to clear out your closet if you’re not in the mood for the task in hand. Like above, it may result in poor decision making. I would suggest doing things that make the process more relaxing such as listening to some of your favourite tunes and / or lighting some nice smelling candles / oil burners so that you have a more relaxed atmosphere as this could take some time ;o) 
3. Try everything on: This is a must in my books. Unless you are a 110% sure that you know exactly how a clothing item looks on you (and even then I would suggest you still try it on), you should try every item on to see how it fits your body today. It’s also important to see how the clothing item makes you feel when wearing it because what we wear can have such affect on how we feel. 
4. Mirror: To aid the above it’s important that you have a full length mirror so that you can see how the clothes fit you. You may want to pair a particular item with something else to see what the overall outfit looks like before deciding whether to keep it or not and for that you really do need a full length mirror. 
5. Be honest: This typically applies to the impulse and what were you thinking buys. If the items have been in your closet for over a year (i.e. through all the seasons and yearly occasions) and you still haven’t worn it then be realistic, are you really ever likely to wear it? Go on, be honest with yourself? 
6. Be ruthless: It’s always easier, I find, to add to my clothes than it is to take away. It’s more fun to shop for new clothes than it is to go through my closet and decide what I no longer want to keep. As a result my clothes collection keeps growing. With me, this can lead to me getting stuck in a rut, wearing the same few clothes because there’s simply too much choice, so be ruthless. If you buy a new piece of clothing then exchange it by removing a piece of clothing from your collection that you no longer wear / enjoy. 
7. Limit sentimentality: As I was clearing-out my closet I came across a few clothing items which I didn't really wear but because they hold sentimental value and have strong memories associated with them I didn’t want to get rid. Now you could end up using sentimentality as an excuse for keeping most things so limit the number of pieces you keep for sentimental reasons / as keepsakes. 
8. If it’s not an immediate yes then it’s a no: If you try a piece of clothing on and your immediate reaction isn’t yes I really like this / love how this looks on me then it’s a no, in all honesty. So for those clothes where you try them on and you’re looking in the mirror thinking, ‘I’m not too sure about this’ then it should go into the do not keep pile by default. 
9. Get a second opinion: Okay so now I’m going to contradict the point above but hear me out. If it wasn’t an immediate yes when you tried something on, yet you still can’t bring yourself to put it in the do not keep pile (for whatever reason) then get a second opinion. Ask your partner or friend how the item in question looks on you but do not tell them what you think about the item or how you are not sure whether you should keep it or not because you do not want to influence their response. If they say the item looks great on you but you're still not convinced then don’t keep it. 
10. Recycle: I have two points under this heading. Firstly, any clothes that are in your do not keep pile that are new / barely worn / in good condition and you think a friend or family member might like them then offer it to them. The rest can be donated to a clothing charity / second hand shop. If you have clothes that are not in the best condition, then you can find charities that will still take them off your hands for either recycling the fabric or sending them to third world countries where a lower standard / quality of clothing may still be acceptable than what would be in your own country. The second point I have is that you could recycle some clothing items yourself by changing it's purpose. For example a pair of trousers could be turned into shorts, a long maxi dress could be turned into a skirt or cushion covers. Clothes do not have to remain as clothes when recycling.

The maxi dress I couldn't put in the Do Not Keep pile

When I was clearing-out my closet I kept a beautiful silk maxi dress simply for sentimental reasons. I don’t wear the dress because it makes me look seven months pregnant (I’ve come to the realisation that despite being slim, with my short height and wide hips, maxi dresses are not my friend ;o)). I bought the dress whilst on holiday in Sydney from a really cool store and it reminds me of a wonderful time in my life. Also the print on the fabric is simply stunning and so I’ve held on to it with the view of turning it into cushion covers or making some kind of a throw out of it one day. That’s me recycling :o)

These are my tips and advice for having a productive closet clear-out, from my recent experience. I hope you’ve found them helpful. I’m sure there are probably a few ideas or thoughts I’ve missed, in which case do let me know as I’d love to hear your tips :o)

Love Sheen xxx