When Kimonos & Robes Are Totally My Thing | Floral Embroidery With Pink Polka Dot Socks
First things first: RAMADHAN MUBARAK TO MY FELLOW MUSLIMS AROUND THE WORLD!!! It has been a week since we entered this blessed month, alhamdulillah. I'm so grateful that I'm able to experience a big portion of early Ramadhan with my family in my hometown, especially since it means more of my mom's cooking during breaking the fast, yasss. Hopefully we're already accustomed to the slight hunger pangs and drier mouths, and in turn feeding our souls with more good thoughts and good deeds than usual. ❤
Maybe some of you have seen this super loose black robe I shared on the blog in 2017? If you ask me to pick a few firm favourites in my closet right now, honestly, that shapeless sack of a thing would make it into the top ten.
Seriously, I have worn that robe so so so many times but I worry about it getting worn out from washing it too many times.
PS: I wash my clothes and jeans often; can't stand to wear clothes I've sweated in — this is the hot and humid Malaysia we're talking about!
So I decided to search for a sub for it and thankfully discovered this kimono, which looks similar enough to my black robe with its length, its cut and subtle black print, only it has these gorgeous,bold floral embroideries on the front and back.
My mom absolutely loved this kimono when she saw me in it and already has ideas about adding buttons to the kimono (for her to borrow, of course!), an idea that I am all for; I like wearing flowy long kimonos open-front but I like wearing them half-closed at the front even more.
See: My fab red-orange kimono robe that I adore
• • • • • • •
Maybe some of you have seen this super loose black robe I shared on the blog in 2017? If you ask me to pick a few firm favourites in my closet right now, honestly, that shapeless sack of a thing would make it into the top ten.
Seriously, I have worn that robe so so so many times but I worry about it getting worn out from washing it too many times.
PS: I wash my clothes and jeans often; can't stand to wear clothes I've sweated in — this is the hot and humid Malaysia we're talking about!
So I decided to search for a sub for it and thankfully discovered this kimono, which looks similar enough to my black robe with its length, its cut and subtle black print, only it has these gorgeous,bold floral embroideries on the front and back.
Kimonos and robes are totally my thing not just because of their modesty but also because when I throw them easily on top of a (sometimes even ratty) t-shirt and jeans they make me feel like the hijabi version of Mary Kate and Ashley, whose effortless modest, so-called "bag lady" style I covet.
My mom absolutely loved this kimono when she saw me in it and already has ideas about adding buttons to the kimono (for her to borrow, of course!), an idea that I am all for; I like wearing flowy long kimonos open-front but I like wearing them half-closed at the front even more.
See: My fab red-orange kimono robe that I adore
On this day I paired the kimono with my exaggeratedly ripped hem flare jeans, mules and added two fun accessories: a beaded sling bag I got from Mecca and hot pink polka dot socks. Will try to shoot this kimono again in the future when/if buttons are added! ❤
Wearing: Topshop floral embroidered kimono robe | Mango exaggerated ripped hem jeans | H&M pink polka dot socks | Topshop black mules | Beaded evening bag from Mecca
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If Safari Chic Were A Thing
(At least, based on what I know from photos of safaris other people go on.)
But like I mentioned, it wasn't done intentionally. If it were intentional, well, it just wouldn't be befitting at all now would it, since I have no immediate plans to go on a safari, nor did I secretly go on one recently.
I do know that if I ever get to go on a safari, I'd revisit this entire ensemble.
What I wanted to do on this particular day was to put on this cool tan corduroy shirt but I didn't want to just throw on a pair of jeans underneath, even though — hand to heart — jeans is exactly what I would pair the shirt with from here onwards because it's just the ultimate easy way to go for any kind of top.
That day was one of my rare shoot days though (and getting rarer thanks to my constant back-and-forth travels from Selangor to Johor) so I thought I should make things slightly more interesting, so safari chic it is.
Wearing: Topshop camel corduroy shirt | Ciaopanic tan culottes | Timberland boots
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Rachel Green's Go-To Lipstick That Fans of Friends Would Want To Know About
If you're a fan of the hit show Friends, chances are you have heard about Jennifer Aniston sharing in an interview with Glamour last year the exact lipstick she used to wear when she played the iconic character of Rachel Green.
But just in case you haven't, the lipstick in question is very much accessible and relatively affordable, much to us fans' joy. Behold: MAC satin lipstick in Paramount.
You know that elated feeling we get when we put on a statement t-shirt depicting our favourite movie or TV show or our beloved band? I get a very similar feeling when I wear this lipstick out, so here's to hoping MAC won't discontinue this shade!
But just in case you haven't, the lipstick in question is very much accessible and relatively affordable, much to us fans' joy. Behold: MAC satin lipstick in Paramount.
It was actually a surprise for me uncapping the test lipstick tube for Paramount the first time as the colour seemed a lot moodier than what I remembered Rachel Green sporting in all 10 seasons. But scouring online for on-set still photos afterwards proved otherwise — turns out I didn't pay that close of attention to Rachel's makeup after all! Jennifer Aniston, by the way, had described lipstick hue as "browny brick".
Paramount is in the "Satin" range of lipsticks but the slight shine that comes with it is minimal. It's not going to be as long-lasting as a matte liquid lipstick but putting it on is quite a hassle-free process so I don't see a problem with popping it into my handbag for reapplication.
Paramount is in the "Satin" range of lipsticks but the slight shine that comes with it is minimal. It's not going to be as long-lasting as a matte liquid lipstick but putting it on is quite a hassle-free process so I don't see a problem with popping it into my handbag for reapplication.
It seems like a brown-red hue that would suit any skin tone and colour, although it might appear more dramatic on fair skin and more neutral on darker skin tones. Either way, it is perfect for everyday use to complete a full-face makeup or even on its own on a clean bare face.
Personally I've mostly paired Paramount with very minimal makeup that includes just a little bit of eyeliner, but I loved using it with smokier eyes too.
Personally I've mostly paired Paramount with very minimal makeup that includes just a little bit of eyeliner, but I loved using it with smokier eyes too.
You know that elated feeling we get when we put on a statement t-shirt depicting our favourite movie or TV show or our beloved band? I get a very similar feeling when I wear this lipstick out, so here's to hoping MAC won't discontinue this shade!
Affordorable is now The Good Weekender
From now on, my blog will operate under the new name
The Good Weekender.
Changing my blog's name was one of the toughest decision in my blogging life, for sure, but it was inevitable. As much as I love the name Affordorable — I already even kind of miss it! — it was a name that started to slowly feel incompatible with my blogging direction and most importantly, with me.
I have thought about changing the name for a really long time but had put it off because I couldn't settle on the right new name. That is, until one fine day, it came to me.
And after a long, lo-o-o-o-o-o-ong time of mulling over it and playing around with other names, I made my decision.
And after a long, lo-o-o-o-o-o-ong time of mulling over it and playing around with other names, I made my decision.
So this, is The Good Weekender.
To the readers who have been frequenting this space for a while, THANK YOU so much for having my back in this blogging world, ever since you first rested your eyes upon my space here up until now; I feel honoured to have caught your attention, and to have kept it.
I cannot wait to share more of my outfit ideas with you all, as well as more travel stories (here's to more travelling opportunities, eek!), plus my lifestyle bits and pieces.
To those who are here for the first time, welcome to my little virtual world! I sincerely hope you'll enjoy this ride with me.
More fun posts coming your way!
Much, much love from me ❤❤❤
Much, much love from me ❤❤❤
I Was In Medina & Mecca
It was relatively last minute, too. Shah and I had dreamed of performing the umrah for a while and had hoped to perform it in the next few years or so, but when the surprising opportunity to perform it this very year came calling, we just had to answer it!
We have a saying that goes something like this: we plan, but God is the best planner of them all.
• • • • • • •
OK, confession: except for the post right before this one, the three previous ones before it were scheduled to publish automatically while I was in either city. It was necessary as I didn't want my blog to go quiet for too long while I was away, especially since I didn't know how often I would update my Instagram from Saudi.
But I obviously couldn't predict that I would get a viral infection while I was in Mecca and that it took me a while to recover, so in the end my blog did go radio-silence! I also had zero inclination to update my Instagram while I was away in Saudi, which felt refreshing to be honest; I was able to be in the moment, at all times.
I couldn't not snap any photo at all though! Medina and Mecca are immense beauties of their own; they're unlike any city I ever visited. It was the most special trip Shah and I have ever taken.
• • • • • • •
This photo of me here is not from my trip, no; this was just a little corner in my neighbourhood! I did however want to say that I brought this purple and magenta accented black abaya with me on the trip.
While I will not be sharing the outfits I wore in Saudi — it was a lot of head-to-toe black outfits anyway (which I absolutely loved, and I even wore the niqab, but more on that soon) — I would however love to share with you guys some of the photos I took of both cities, so stay tuned for photo diaries!
While I will not be sharing the outfits I wore in Saudi — it was a lot of head-to-toe black outfits anyway (which I absolutely loved, and I even wore the niqab, but more on that soon) — I would however love to share with you guys some of the photos I took of both cities, so stay tuned for photo diaries!
I wish I had snapped more photos honestly, but looking over what I have in my phone (and Shah's) are enough to remind the both of us that our trip there was indeed real. ❤
The Dress I've Been Wearing Since Forever Without Knowing It
How is it that I never knew the style of the dresses I've been wearing for basically forever has a specific name?
I was editing the photos for this geometric dress + striped blazer post when the word "prairie" oddly kept popping into my head. I didn't understand why that was but somehow only knew the word was supposed to come in a phrase. At that moment, for the life of me, the phrase just wasn't escaping the depths of my brain.
What I was sure of: the word "prairie" was the main key.
A few days layer, out of nowhere, it finally came to me: Little House On The Prairie. A TV show that I am positive I have never seen in my life but most probably have read about, maybe on the world wide web somewhere.
That got me thinking: why in the world would my brain associate the photos of my dress with blazer with the word "prairie" and the phrase "Little House On The Prairie" in the first place?
So I did what I always do when I'm flummoxed: I Googled. For what "prairie" means, specifically. To simplify, here are a few words and phrases that are usually affiliated with it:
There's no clear definition for "prairie dress" so the term covers a pretty vast range of dresses; I wouldn't have categorised certain dresses as "prairie" but who am I to argue with the experts?
Example: The green floral dress I wore next to a bike below, but a well-known fashion site included that exact dress in their prairie article, so, I digress.
There is however no doubt that a prairie dress is always long-sleeved with a high neckline, and almost always with a little frill.
And that was when I find out I have been loving living and breathing in prairie dresses my entire life.
Perhaps even a little ironic because prairie dresses are traditionally associated with cute-as-a-button little girls but I am positive I wear prairie dresses more in my adult life than in my childhood! Modest dresses have become trendy these recent years though so I'm pretty confident that prairie dresses are not unique to my closet, or even the closet of modest dressers. (Seriously though, riffle through your stuff, you probably do own at least one.)
However things are, I've decided these two things a long time ago anyway (whether I realised it or not): prairie dresses are part of my modest aesthetic, and I will forever look for my next perfect modest dress.
What I was sure of: the word "prairie" was the main key.
A few days layer, out of nowhere, it finally came to me: Little House On The Prairie. A TV show that I am positive I have never seen in my life but most probably have read about, maybe on the world wide web somewhere.
That got me thinking: why in the world would my brain associate the photos of my dress with blazer with the word "prairie" and the phrase "Little House On The Prairie" in the first place?
So I did what I always do when I'm flummoxed: I Googled. For what "prairie" means, specifically. To simplify, here are a few words and phrases that are usually affiliated with it:
Modest. High neck. Long sleeves. Midi-to-maxi length.
Ruffles. Lace. Frilly. Florals.
Victorian. Pioneer-esque. Bohemian. Relic of the past. Vintage.
There's no clear definition for "prairie dress" so the term covers a pretty vast range of dresses; I wouldn't have categorised certain dresses as "prairie" but who am I to argue with the experts?
Example: The green floral dress I wore next to a bike below, but a well-known fashion site included that exact dress in their prairie article, so, I digress.
There is however no doubt that a prairie dress is always long-sleeved with a high neckline, and almost always with a little frill.
And that was when I find out I have been loving living and breathing in prairie dresses my entire life.
Perhaps even a little ironic because prairie dresses are traditionally associated with cute-as-a-button little girls but I am positive I wear prairie dresses more in my adult life than in my childhood! Modest dresses have become trendy these recent years though so I'm pretty confident that prairie dresses are not unique to my closet, or even the closet of modest dressers. (Seriously though, riffle through your stuff, you probably do own at least one.)
However things are, I've decided these two things a long time ago anyway (whether I realised it or not): prairie dresses are part of my modest aesthetic, and I will forever look for my next perfect modest dress.
• • • • • • •
Here's a collection of some of my favourite prairie dresses that I've worn on this blog — and still own/wear up to this day:
Being a modest dresser, it makes perfect sense that prairie dresses are my jam but at the same time I can totally understand anyone else's rejection of this particular style of dress, so out of curiosity: are you Team Prairie Dress?
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