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November is one of my favourite months of the year weather-wise in Dubai. The days are warm and sunny but not scorching, so you can comfortably spend the day rolling around in the sand and frolicking at the beach without burning to a crisp or sweating buckets like you would in the uber-hot months. The nights are breezy and cool but not cold, and it's the perfect weather for al fresco dining, or al fresco anything really. Actually, it starts becoming nice outdoorsy-al fresco weather as of October, but November is definitely less humid which is more pleasant in my opinion.
One of my favourite places to go on late-night excursions in such weather is 360°. Whether you go in dressy heels, jeans, or a maxi dress and flip-flops and so on, it doesn't matter as long as you don't look like a total scrub (it is a nightlife scene after all, albeit one with a more across-the-board dress code. In fact I don't think I've ever seen anything about a dress code in the first place?!) It's off a pier/jetty of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and while I actually enjoy the walk, you can take one of the golf-carts that drive between 360° and the hotel regularly until it closes.
View of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel from 360°It's just strange because in all the years it's been open and the times that I've been there, I've always just strolled through the lobby of Jumeirah Beach and out to the outdoors area again then headed over from there, whether by buggy or walking. But when a group of us went recently they asked us to go to the pool-club desk back through and past the hotel lobby again then take a golf-cart from there instead, unless we were hotel guests. Honestly we found it pretty odd since that was a first but maybe they changed policies for some weird reason. Maybe it's because we went really late, I dunno. Whatever, you end up in the same situation anyway, taking a cart to 360°, it was just random.
It's been open for years and no matter how much time has passed, I never like it any less - unlike a number of places in Dubai, it's been relatively constant in my liking for it. I love the view, I love that it strikes a great balance between chill and lively, I love that 'out on the water' feel, and I love the whitish-chillout decor. I also love that you can get shisha here. The only thing I don't like is that when it gets too crowded some nights it can be a real pain in the uncomfortably squashy sense, but nowhere is perfect I guess. The music isn't always the 'hottest part house' and they sometimes pick pretty random selections - some might say boring if you're in a really 'party' mood - but if you're in a relaxed mood, overall it's pretty decent lounge and house tunes. It's just a nice place to go for drinks, and if you head over at around sunset it's really great to chill out with a shisha and a drink and enjoy the view and general ambiance.
View of the Burj Al Arab from 360°, and of the pathway leading up to it out on the water
Designer-high street collaborations are now notorious for the frenzy they create, particularly those at places like H&M. It was always expected that the H&M stores in New York, London, etc. would have the products of the recent Jimmy Choo for H&M collaboration flying off shelves with queue upon queue of jostling, eager, people waiting to get their hands on the Choo-for-less goods all bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and full of pure, unadulterated HUNGER.
And although I've never really seen that level of hunger hit Dubai's high street-designer collaborations in the past, it seems that it has descended in full force, with all of the goods snapped up within 2 hours of the 8am opening at Dubai Mall. Scary. The Matthew Williamson collaboration earlier this year, which also had some really nice pieces, still had stock days after it arrived in stores. Then again, should I be surprised? Jimmy Choo's reputation takes it to another level I suppose. The annual or bi-annual mega-sales at Boutique 1 or Harvey Nichols in Dubai are hotly anticipated, full of unbeatable deals, and are a terrifying jungle of shoppers.
Now, the Boutique 1 or Harvey Nichs sales, while scary, are understandable to me - after all, if the meccas of designer goods are offering superb high-end products at knockout prices (50% off bags from Balenciaga to Dolce & Gabban
a, and 30-70% off shoes from Christian Louboutin to Alexander McQueen, YES PLEASE) once a year (or maybe twice if you're lucky), you can absolutely see how the effort of dealing with the terrifying crowds is worth the exceptional payback of getting the fab designer goods at discounts you'd rarely if ever see elsewhere, and with such vast selections of goods to choose from. Unlike other sales that happen elsewhere, the choice on such occasions is fab compared to the stock that'd be put on offer in many other parts of the world, in my experience. You'll still walk away with a hefty dent in your bank account, but you'll get those otherwise much, much pricier, high-quality investment pieces that will last you for ages and ages at a much lower cost than you'd have otherwise dreamed of.
So yes, it is worth it for those particular occasions. You mentally prepare yourself. You wear comfortable clothing. You go in ready for battle, prepared to be poked and prodded by hundreds of jostling elbows, ready to fend of terrifying women who are animalistic about protecting a coveted good they spied and want to race you to, claws out and snarls bared. Jungle indeed.
Yet somehow, although I really liked what I saw of the Jimmy Choo for H&M range from pictures and whatnot, I didn't like it enough to even consider that kind of jungle-frenzy for this. It's just not worth it to me in that case. Yes, the pieces are beautiful, and you are getting Choo designs for way less than pure and original Jimmy Choo, but unlike the designer-goods-unbelievably-marked-down sales, I personally couldn't work up the energy to face the snarling crowds, queues and all that comes with for designer high-street collabs. I certainly don't have anything against these collaborations - in fact I've acquired many a fantastic piece from them, an Alice Temperley for Target top being one of my favourite purchases ever - I just wouldn't deal with the waiting and tooth-snarling required to get the first grab at these things. It terrifies me. It's both scary and impressive just in the amount of sheer determination how these other women manage to go and queue up to get the goods - they have a level of willpower I don't in such cases. Especially since in such cases, the pieces may look fab in photos but you have to really see, touch and feel it in person to decide if the quality is worth buying - and would I want to deal with the hellish frenzy just to go and see a 'maybe'?
I also don't understand the people who'd queue up and go crazy fighting to own something, anything from such collabs just for the sake of owning something with a bit of a certain designer's name on it somewhere, regardless of how much they actually like the piece or not. One doesn't wear the label, they wear the item, and much like how people often buy things that the might have otherwise overlooked just because they're on sale, I feel like with such collaborations it's very easy for people to buy thing they might not otherwise have thought were anything special (especially if it had, say, a regular H&M label on it as opposed to __(Fill in designer here)__ for H&M on it for example) just because it's got a famous name stuck on it. It's just not worth the frenzy if all one wants is to get Choo-for-cheap, as opposed to if they actually genuinely like that particular item.
I mean yes, designer stuff has got status and the allure of reputation wrapped up in oh-so-beautiful packages, but for me the largest appeal in designer items is in the quality and how long it lasts. So if you take the design aspect and shift that over to the high street, where the quality inevitably has to be compromised - yes, I'd still like it, but no more than I'd like any other high-street good. And that should come along with a regular browsing/shopping experience. How people justify the hours-long waits and pushiness for that, I just don't know. It's not the actual collab-products I have a problem with - as stated, I like a lot of them. It's the intense effort that goes into acquiring them that I can't wrap my head around.
If there's something left over, by all means it's great to check it out. Or, check out the photos of the collab-collection pieces online (photos are always released months before they actually come out) and if there's something so loveable one can't get it out of their mind, go to the store and try to get it - but it's never seemed worth it yet. I hear Jean Paul Gaultier is an upcoming collab candidate and that really intrigues me, but perhaps my mind is too stubborn and will always tell me that for me at least, the majority of such collabs aren't worth the vicious process it takes to acquire them.
I guess it just depends on what it takes for each person to release their inner animal. For me, those collabs aren't enough to lure it out, especially not when people are that viciously pushy and wild over something as simple as a pair of shoes that has a designer's name on half the label and that are sold at full price. Yes, I'm aware that the prices are a LOT less than the 'pure designer' goods, but logically the prices should be diluted you are losing the quality and full-designer-label of the non-collab items, whichever it is you're after. At least in the Harvey Nichs/Boutique 1 mad sales, I can personally justify the craziness by the fact that I know what level of quality I'm headed for before braving the battles and I rest satisfied knowing I'm getting exactly that but for half the price compared to normal. To each his/her own, but I'd rather save my moolah for longer to hit up such occasions rather than squander them on the collabs I'm not 100% certain I love as they make their appearances at various high street stores throughout the year. Those are the occasions that would make my inner shopping animal struggle to stay caged and be there on the first day to snap up the best choices of the loot, haha.
I was watching some old reruns of Sex and the City recently, and those episodes where the gals were really excited about an influx of sailors in town, or a bunch of firemen doing a fundraising chippendale-style act, got me thinking about "outfits that women find attractive on men." I know many guys find certain outfits on women irresistible, such as Princess Leia's famous bikini-n-buns slave girl outfit, Lara Croft's Tomb Raider with the micro-shorts and guns-in-holsters, Catwoman and her body-hugging spandex, etc. And many women love men in uniform like sailors, firemen, cops, army dudes, etc.
I just don't get it though - I've never found any of those aforementioned men's uniforms to be sexy on men. In fact, I find some of them (sailors and firemen in particular) quite off-putting. The 'biker boy' Harley look puts me off too, and I don't get the appeal of Chippendales either - they in particular are just sooo cheesy and not hot to me! I'm not talking about the "oh it's the strength and nobility part they find so hot!" thing that some women say is their reason for the uniform-love - I'm talking purely sartorially here. Who knows, maybe it's the fact that being in uniform forces the men to be groomed as opposed to the wildly unkempt look some may have otherwise, thus making them more attractive by default?! Anyway, it inspired me to drum up my own list - threads that I find can actually make the men wearing them more attractive (while they're wearing them anyway, hah!)
In no particular order...
A nice, well-cut suit, James Bond style. Alas I couldn't find a pic of Timothy Dalton as Bond to use as my illustration. Although he was a short-lived 007, I thought he was one of the sexiest, most roguishly charming ones aside from Pierce Brosnan and early-days original Sean Connery. A nicely-cut suit that fits a man very well can leave a lady shaken not stirred. Okay that was awful I know but you get the point - meagre suit makes a man look nice enough and well-scrubbed-up whereas a niiiice suit with a splash of style makes a man look much more dashing.
Image Source: imdb
Next up we have football, and by that I mean soccer not American football, uniforms. Yes, uniforms, but sports uniforms are slightly different from the other types of aforementioned uniforms of course. Cleats, long socks and all. Of course it helps if the guy wearing it looks as good as Fabio Cannavaro for instance but still, the uniforms are sexy.
Then there's one of my absolute favourites: the 1920's-30's prohibition-era style outfits, or just the 1950's-60's sharp-suits-and-fedoras sophisticated looks. Mad Men is a perfect example. Luckily for those among us who have a Y-chromosome, there is the Brooks Brother's special edition 'Mad Men' suit, designed by Janie Bryant, the costume designer for the show (especially great, since apparently Brooks Brothers provides a lot of the clothing for the show too). I also was excited in the Gossip Girl Season 3 episode where Chuck opens his new business venture with a Prohibition-themed party - all the men looked very dapper in the style from that era. And Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in Public Enemies? I feel cheesy saying this, but seriously: swoon. Why don't more men dress like this anymore?! SUCH a pity. The sexism can stay in those decades past, but the style makes me feel all a-flutter.
Image Source: imdb
Personally, I think those are the best, though there are some other good looks. Surprisingly, I realised while watching an old movie the other day that I actually find some cowboy outfits nice. Don't laugh! I don't mean the nasty toothless, tobacco-stained-gums, dirty-bastard type of fugly cowboy look, I mean the cheeky-yet-charming-still-a-southern-Gentleman and mostly clean look found of the style in fun Westerns. While more a comedy than a Western, Maverick comes to mind (I loved that movie), or Leonardo DiCaprio's 'The Kid' in The Quick And The Dead. Vampires are often sexy too, with the entire cast of True Blood or Brad Pitt's Louie from Interview with the Vampire as prime examples.
To be honest, I don't know how one would describe Indiana Jones's unique style exactly but that was pretty bloody attractive too, I must say, whether he was in his whip-branding fedora-wearing Indy outfit or in his archaologist-professor suits.
See, with so many other options of 'outfits that are sexy on men', I really find it hard to understand the fuss over sailors, firemen, and the like, even when I try not to be biased by the fact that I find the uniforms themselves off-putting, purely aesthetically speaking. Anyway, I guess it's a good thing we don't all find the same things attractive otherwise the world would be overrun with people who look, talk and act the same and there wouldn't be any fun in that now, would there. ;)
Like a magpie, I am drawn to shiny things. So it figures that I like things with sequins on it, hehe. For some reason my camera doesn't seem to be such a fan though, since it didn't want to focus properly. Oh well, can't win 'em all! hehe. Since the top was so shimmery and 'loud', I felt it was better if hair was swept up and out of the way in a playful and bouncy ponytail, with the fringe (or bangs if you prefer) swept up and pinned back into a mini-pouffe.
Too many accessories would have been overkill too, but no accessories at all would have looked oddly unfinished against all those sequins, so simple diamond stud earrings and a funky ring sufficed. But all that black needed a pop of colour somewhere, so the teal bag did the trick!
Top: Cantwo (Japanese shop)
Leggings: Shop in Taipei
Ring: Vintage
Shoes: Zara
Bag: Balenciaga
As silly and self-indulgent as these things are, and as annoying as we find these questionnaire/survey type forwarded emails as we get older and don't have as much time/patience for them anymore, these were fun to fill out when we were in high school eh? Every now and then I do find it fun to do them anyway, and even if the answers are more of the 'of the moment' type, it's still interesting thinking about how my answers may have differed from, say, 5 years ago for instance. So here goes! Feel free to copy and paste and fill out your own responses on your own blog if you have one :)
- I'm listening to... 'Angel On My Shoulder' by Kaskade when I started, 'Flashback' by Calvin Harris when I finished.
- I'm buying... less than I did in the past, and only things I love/actually need.
- I'm holding on to... my sanity after recent work burnout. And my favourite years-old cream cowl-neck sweater; I'll wear it til it falls apart! And sentimental keepsakes from important times in life.
- I'm excited about... (separate) visits from one of my best friends and my brother, Christmastime, my own upcoming trips, and for 2010 to be better than 2009!
- I'm spending time... organising, exercising regularly, writing.
- I'm eating... tabbouli with toasted pine nuts. And mango mochi. Right now.
- I'm drinking... Ahmad Tea English Blend No. 1, with half-a-teaspoon of fruit sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- I'm reading... Shanghai Baby by Wei Hui.
- I'm shopping at... wherever the item is 'right' regardless of label, but not shopping much in general these days.
- I'm watching... Lots of TV shows, including Fringe, Dexter, Heroes, The Mentalist, Gossip Girl, Mad Men, Californication and more, awaiting Weeds and True Blood to restart next summer! Yes, I know, a lot. I love them.
- I'm hanging out at... cafes, bars/lounges with good music and vibes, the beach, and shisha places.
- I'm giving up... wasting my time on flakey people.
- I'm collecting... interesting jewellery and accessories that I can wear for many years to come.
- I'm crushing on... Zachary Quinto, as always ;) Intelligence, humour, charisma and great looks = endless crush.
- I miss... my friends and siblings in other countries, my late father and my late bunny Waffles.
- I can't live without... the people I love. Good music. Knowing there is good in the world. And good tea.
- I'm travelling to... Bangkok and Koh Samui, Thailand around New Year's! Then after that... to be determined!
Want to 'dress up' a comfy jeans-and-tee outfit a little bit but don't want to lose that snuggly at-ease feeling or put in too much effort? Throw on a blazer and some knee-high boots with the jeans tucked in! Voila, instant fix. Works for me anyway!
Top: Superdry Vintage tees
Jeans: Uniqlo
Blazer: Bosch
Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo boots
Bag: Yves Saint Laurent
While I do like a lot of modern men's fashion (and I must say I much prefer men's fashion in the 00's to that of the 90's). I sometimes lament the way men just do not seem to dress up the way they used to anymore. Of course some still do, but I'm talking about the majority here. Although certain items like the fedora (which was originally a women's item, in fact) have made a comeback of late, sometimes when I watch movies set in older times, I find myself looking at the way men dressed before and wishing that more men would make more of an effort like in the past - they just seemed so polished. I know, they're movies, but you get my point.
So I was tickled pink to read an article from the New York Times lately describing how late 19th century men's fashions have come back into style. Click here to read it if you are so inclined. As the author says, some people may think certain pieces are over the top, but I have to say I like it! Of course, certain things might look a bit odd on their own without the rest of the getup (e.g. men tucking their trousers or jeans into tall boots with a t-shirt or polo shirt? Yeah, definitely odd and not funky like when modern women do it), but it's nice seeing men incorporate certain pieces be it a vest, type of hat, trimly-cut tweed piece or whatever, into their modern look for something that's got that touch without going overboard and looking like a costume. Smoking jackets and uber-stylish waistcoats are fab, although I'm not such a fan of cummerbunds hehe, those can stay in the past I think.
If you have any doubts, just go and have a look at Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, or Sense and Sensibility's John Willoughby and tell me if you think they look dashing or not. ;) There's just something about how they're dressed that combines elegance with manliness in a lovely balance; frilly shirts, tall boots, tweeds and all. My personal favourite 'old-time' looks for men are those of the 1920's or 1950's-70's (watch Once Upon A Time In America, Borsalino and Co, Mad Men, Public Enemies for illustration!), but I still do have a bit of a penchant for Victorian era clothing so I'm delighted.
The Japanese have a word for those tastes so divine that there is no other word for it: umami - when a combination of flavours, textures, smells, and tastes in general come together in such a perfectly medley that your tastebuds want to dance and rejoice while pausing the moment and savouring the taste at the same time. Or at least that's how I like to think of it as being defined!
You know that scene in Ratatouille where Remy tries to explain the glory of good food to his garbage-gobbling brother Emile by illustrating the difference between two pieces of good food on their own, and then the burstingly colourful delight of certain complementary things combined to create a magical final dish? That pretty much sums it up.
Well, the black cod dish at Zuma, one of the best restaurants in Dubai, certainly is umami. It's just so delicious I have no other word to describe it. That's not the only good dish they have though. Everything in the restaurant is top-notch - divinely mixed cocktails, a menu that offers a varied selection of creative and oh-so-yummy dishes, and great decor. I love the loungey-chic look and feel of the place. It's glamorous without trying too hard, and doesn't rely on the ambiance to ensure its success since the food is high-quality as well. The beef teriyaki is so tender it melts in your mouth, the sashimi is superb, and I could pop the rock shrimp in my mouth one after the other and be just as delighted each time. Their dark chocolate mousse is divine as well - I could savour every bite even when I'm stuffed to the brim.
The Dubai outpost of the award-winning Zuma in London, it certainly doesn't come cheap, but it's definitely a fantastic place to go on a special occasion or for a little bit of indulgence. Love. Don't forget to make a reservation though, since it can fill up pretty fast especially at popular timings - when a place is this good and for real reasons too not just social-buzz, that doesn't tend to stay under wraps!
I am starting to think I am cursed. Cursed with the issue of SMELLY CO-WORKERS. I know, I know, mean to say but SERIOUSLY I can't help it - the situation is getting to me.
In my last job, there was this lady. She was nice enough, although one of those 'only good in small doses' types of people. She wasn't a bad person, she had some very sweet moments and I actually liked her at the end of the day. Even if the way she said "cawwww-feee" and "oh my gawwwd" was like nails grating down a chalkboard to me. But oh, her smell! She wore the same jacket every single day. And I don't mean Betty Boop style of owning tons of copies of the same garment like a daily uniform - I mean the exact same item. Never went in the laundry. Then there was her hair. It was so greasy, you could squeeze it and get oil out - I think she washed it once a week at most. I'm not sure how often she showered either, but it was pretty evident that it wasn't often either. It's not like she was homeless or couldn't afford to stay 'fresh' - she even had a higher salary than me, but for some reason she just couldn't understand that spending money on personal hygiene is not optional, but a necessity.
Other co-workers noticed too. I started putting "odour eliminating air fresheners" on my desk - one of which a friend told me she used to freshen her entire garage, it was so powerful - and always made certain to carry some perfume in my bag so I could douse myself with it halfway through the day and at least make the overall smell cloaking my area better. The boss ended up having a word with her about personal hygiene, and she took deep offense as anyone would, but she did make some effort after that and it did get a little better. She was eventually fired for an attitude problem, and I felt bad for her, but I admit I was relieved to have a smell-free work environment.
Until now. Now, I have not only one, but FOUR extremely malodorous co-workers. I don't know WHAT they are eating for their pores to produce such vile smells, or if they have ever even heard of deodorant, but I honestly can't stand the smell because it's just so bad. But I'm afraid to say something to my boss about it. Firstly, it's not an issue you want to broach easily with the boss - it's so awkward and just feels wrong. But there's no way to talk to them about it either - telling one person they have a bad-smell problem is bad enough, but four? No way. There's just no good way to deal with such a situation.
I'm also concerned that people will say I'm being culturally insensitive if I say these people smell. My office is a very international one with people from all over. These 4 smellies in particular come from 3 different countries collectively, and I am certainly not picking on one particular culture, but people often do pull that card out when they're trying to point the finger, especially in offended defense. And their smell issues aren't about anything cultural - it's about personal bloody hygiene.
Shall I count the ways? Body odour - HOW can they not smell that so-bad-it'll-knock-you-out smell every time their lift their arms? Old sweat - if they want to walk to work in a desert country under extreme sweat-inducing heat, they need to remember it's not just them that's affected! Super greasy hair - it's not just reflectively shiny, it reeks. Old food - food smells good a lot of the time, but not when the scent has clung to your clothes and skin so long that it's become overpoweringly musty. And so on. Thankfully, they only interact with me on certain workdays during the week, so I don't have to suffer it all the time. But when it's going to be a smelly moment, I arm myself with scented and perfumed handcreams! Sometimes, it reeks so much that I even rub the perfumed cream ON my nose. No joke. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and sometimes a splash of perfume isn't enough.
Being clean for work isn't for vanity, it's consideration for your co-workers also. As adults in a professional environment, there is no excuse. They're not just creating an uncomfortable olfactory space, they're actually contributing to lack of efficiency in the workplace - when the smell is that bad, I can't concentrate. I know, nothing will be solved until I find a solution, but I won't be here forever anyway and hopefully I'll think of a way around this soon!
I love Alexander McQueen, I really do. There are so many absolutely beautiful things that label creates, gorgeous shoes among them. But the 12-inch python 'Armadillo' stilettos, that I would like to call ankle boots but that just doesn't fit them right (no normal description does to be honest), blow my mind. And not in a good way.
Impressive? In the sense that they made my jaw drop before I uttered "wow", yes. Creative? Without a doubt. Beautiful? Absolutely not, in my opinion. I thought we'd moved past that whole Chinese-foot-torture thing many decades ago. I can feel my spine about to crack just by looking at them.
Image Source: Vogue UK Blog
I have to agree with a comment I'd read somewhere about Lady Gaga being one of the few people who could actually wear these and pull them off (or actually walk in them). Otherwise... I'd really be curious to see WHO would actually wear these things. I really am astounded at how the models managed to walk in them at all. Flabbergasted, if you will - and it's not often one gets to use that word. Apparently the brave souls at Vogue UK couldn't walk in them either, and you should really check out their blog post on them - the pictures say it all.
In any case, these babies really should come with a health warning stuck to the (shoe)box.
View of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel from 360°
View of the Burj Al Arab from 360°, and of the pathway leading up to it out on the water
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