White + Rose

Here in Australia, we call our proms ' school formals ' or just simply ' formals '. I suppose it is the same for the UK. So my year 12 formal is less than a year away and I've been thinking about what I could possibly wear. Most people wouldn't think about the formal this early but I plan to make my own dress. This isn't the first time I have heard of Luly Yang's trademark Papillon Dress (or gown...) or Butterfly Dress. I don't know exactly what it's called.  I know it is a little too extravagant to be a formal dress. If I see someone in this dress at my formal, I'd gawk at her dress for hours. Not to mention that this dress is US$25000 (according to a few sources). I would love to wear this at a wedding - if I was the bride and I wanted to stray away from the traditional white or ivory dress.  This dress can be used as inspiration for a formal dress. It's timeless, elegant, feminine and unique. I'm assuming it is a corse...

My favourite seasons to dress up are autumn and winter. It's the time of year for layering and adorable knits, elegant coats and boots. So, it's summer in Sydney ... and the rest of Australia and I've got all the time in the world to knit ( almost ). Now some people think it is strange to knit in summer (namely my friends) but I say that knitting sooner will keep you warm . I don't tend to knit during the winter because it is the time I want to be warm and not knitting with frozen fingers. Here are just some of the things I have knitted. Above: This is a cable and bobble hat I have recreated for my friend, Flora. I've also knitted the same hat for another friend for Christmas. I double-knitted this so it's perfect for really cold winters.  Pattern available here   (The hat I made has some alterations) This is the mint herringbone cable bangle I had made. The yarn is 100% merino, so it's not itchy. I know that this isn't much of a winter knit but ...

For those who don't know me, I'm a knitter . It's definitely not winter in Australia but I had to express my love for oversized and chunky scarves. Even in winter, Australia isn't a very cold place so there really is so need for such thick scarves. When I saw this cover for 07 Ghost, I couldn't help but to admire the scarf that Teito (the boy) wears. Sure, it's pink but I think it's adorable. The scarf reminds me so much of Evan Biddell's Fall 2009. Yes, I know it's a little late but knits are always in fashion during winter. It's like the scarf came to life except Biddell's scarf is black. It's definitely a scarf suitable for Canadian winters, or anywhere else where the winters are very cold. This project would definitely be on my list of things to knit someday. If I were to knit this, it would be with very, very large needles and wool roving/tops. It's just a simple scarf, probably stockinette. It would probably be very ...

Recently, I've regained my love for Vampire Knight. I pretty much stopped reading it after the main character, Yuuki, turns into a vampire. It would have been around the time when Twilight was gaining popularity and the shelves of the bookstores were stacked with vampire books. Not to mention that the vampire mania reached television. It was just too much. My favourite character had to be Maria Kurenai. Her style would be summed up in three words: cute, girly and quirky. She tends to be in black/grey/white in the anime. She often wears frilly clothes. For the ball, she wears a black dress with a black choker decorated with pearls and pearls around her little side-bun. Also, she's wearing these before she attends the academy. Those stockings are rather 'Emilie Autumn'-esque and the blouse reminds me of the blouse which Blair Waldorf wore on the first episode of Gossip Girl - the pilot because of the frills on the collar. Basically all the clothing she wears i...

The inspiration: Kaori Yuki's '0 no Soukoushi' or 'Parfum Extrait "0"'. It's a manga about a perfumist with a very strong sense of smell and he solves crimes using his abilities and his knowledge of scents. (Go check it out!) Although the art isn't that pretty and is quite simplistic, it's still pretty good. I just love Kaori Yuki's work. In one of the authors notes, she writes of a certain perfume called 'White Rose Natural' by Shiseido, which apparently is very rare and expensive. (I wonder what it smells like... it better be worth the money) From that perfume's name, I got the name of the blog White + Rose . (Yes, the '+' sign is necessary) Would I ever consider becoming a perfumist myself? Eh... maybe. He sure makes it sound really cool to be working with chemicals and sniffing stuff all day. Do I have what it takes? Probably not since I don't have a sharp nose.

Welcome to White + Rose . It's a blog about fashion : focusing on making trends and not following them. Fashion should be something that allows you to find your identity , so this will not be a guide that will only focus on current trends but will also give you inspiration to find yourselves.