free form

creative direction CYNTHIA NGUYEN
photography VINCENT KO in collaboration with MEJURI
“She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn’t suppose to look nice; it was supposed to make you
feel something.”—Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor & Park 

 

dress ARITZIA shoes ISABEL MARANT (here and here)
ring MEJURI

 

 

 

Selfish

creative direction CYNTHIA NGUYEN
photography VINCENT KO special thank you to
Tobi, Geox Boutique MinimalistGlossier
“that is the thing about selfish people. they gamble entire beings. entire souls to please their own. one second they are holding you like the world in their lap and the next they have belittled you to a mere picture. a moment. something of the past. one second. they swallow you up and whisper they want to spend the rest of their life with you. but the moment they sense fear. they are already halfway out the door. without having the nerve to let you go with grace. as if the human heart means that little to them.
and after all this. after all of the taking. the nerve. isn’t it sad and funny how people have more guts these days to undress you with their fingers than they do pick up the phone and call. apologize. for the loss. and this is how you lose her.
– selfish”
― Rupi Kaur

Stemmed from this very quote above is a feeling that is so relatable to so many, but brought up little in discussion. Is it because it makes us feel vulnerable and irresponsible for our actions when explaining to others? Or is because we believe that 90% people just simply don’t care? I question why concealing these kinds of emotions away from the public is being done while half the people feel uncertainty and depression from this.This way of feeling has reached me more frequently than I least expect it. It has made me question my standards, myself and my choices.

I would doubt myself after what I would say, wear or put out. I was judgemental and extremely critical of my own portrayal in public and online. What I delivered online became the foundation of how most new people got to know me before meeting me— Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram and online dating profiles as well.

However, what we often do is forget to recognize that others may not be as considerate, kind and self-assured as you really are. The shortage of communication and all the assumptions from the other side are derived from cowardliness and the scarcity of consciousness. Typically, people are selfish because they, themselves, lack understanding of what they really want and have their priorities arranged in a list that simply doesn’t align with yours.

DETAILS:


Dress c/o Tobi
ANNYA black Chelsea Boots c/o Geox
Leighton earrings c/o Boutique Mininalist
Leather black backpack c/o Hieleven 
Balm dotcom c/o Glossier

Oh, Vimeria

creative direction CYNTHIA NGUYEN
photography VINCENT KO and myself
in collaboration with VIMERIA

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week.
I’m finally back on the blog to write about my current obsession with wearing timeless, gold and dainty jewelry.

There was a period of time where all I would ever wear were pearl stud earrings and arm parties (stacks of bracelets). Now, all I ever wear are dainty necklaces, long, drop earrings and sometimes minimal rings. These are the kind of pieces I picture myself still wearing 5 or 10 years down the road. Thoughtfully designed and timeless pieces are worth investing in. Recently, and I mean for the past year or so, I’ve been sporting long, gold, drop earrings and have been layering the cutest gold chokers and necklaces to accessorize my minimal ensembles. Because less in the summer is better, right? My love for statement jewelry has faded and I am now all about those refined, minimal pieces with a bit of geometric play to not only elongate my neck but to also accompany my silk dress shirts and slip dresses.

Based in Toronto, there’s an emerging label (est. 2016) that creates beautiful and modern jewelry, called Vimeria. The labour and vision behind Vimeria is my lovely friend, Anna Laskin. I’m delighted to share with you an editorial that Anna and I have collaborated together to create, featuring each and every one of her pieces. Something about these modern drop earrings (like these) or fun, semi-structure earrings (like these) add such a strong yet subtle statement to any look! I consider these, especially the first pair, my go-to earrings for just the right amount of elegance and simplicity. They add such a chic and timeless element to whatever it is that I’m wearing and I feel absolutely luxurious but in the upmost modest way.

xx

Brunch: braised brisket poutine, green tea egg waffle  and Matcha lattes at

LOOK 1 DETAILS— VIMERIA Lilly earrings, VIMERIA Bridget chockerNATALIJA olive slik dress
LOOK 2 DETAILS— VIMERIA cleo chocker, VIMERIA Eva earrings, VIMERIA Eva necklace, A.L.C silk top

 

Ruffles

 

creative direction CYNTHIA NGUYEN photography VINCENT KO in collaboration with SHEIN and NICOLE VIENNA

Pinch of Chic Shein Ruffle Sleeves

Let’s understand what’S HAPPENED

This entry is my second article published in 2017— another little milestone reached! In between all this crazy hustling and bustling, there’s no better way to give yourself some positivity but to take a breather from reality and just start typing away your feelings…or ‘feels’ if you will.

Man, has this year gone by rocket fast… It feels like only a few months ago did I decide to start a blog in my little bedroom I was renting out in a student house during my final year of post secondary. My full-time work schedule has shaded so much of my vision and attention that I had completely forgotten that my blog had turned 3 years old! January 7th marks the day this site launch. I told myself 3 years ago that I only had 3 years to hit that ‘blogging peak.’ You know, that pinnacle of success— that tier where one gets all the endless invitation to Paris Fashion addressed with ‘Madame’, get offered cool collaborations with Louis Vuitton and be gifted Chloe Drew bags of every neutral shade. I told myself that if I didn’t reach that peak within 3 years that I was going to fail the rest of the way because that new wave of bloggers will simply come and surpass me and my reach. There was no real over arching purpose for Pinch of Chic, other than to share my favourite outfits, foods, rants as well as inspirational pins from my Pinterest boards. In my previous post, I had mentioned that I migrated from Squarespace to WordPress and during the midst importing all the photos, I came across all my earlier blog posts when I had just started back in 2014. It was super nostalgic and pretty heart-warming to see where I’ve begun. J.Crew obsessed and Sophia Webster-loving… Wow, talk about trekking down memory lane.

Now, seeing my spurts of effort in the form of blog posts created alongside such talented photographers makes me feel kind of touched. All my great efforts to keep this blog alive, even with the sporadic posting times still did me good.

Looking at today, I wouldn’t exactly say that I’m an established ‘influencer.’ I don’t have the numbers and I definitely don’t have the kind of time like the full-time, dedicated ‘established’ influencers do. I would much rather call myself a content creator if anything. With that being said— I don’t really know how far this blog will go but 3 years has certainly passed and I’m still sitting here writing in this text field… All in all, it’s just real nice to know that I got this far with this platform— with opportunities to create and collaborate with great people anytime. Pinch of Chic not only has just been a blog but a portfolio book for me, as well as a platform for people to be inspired and feel as if they were engaging in conversation with me. It’s funny to acknowledge that this blog has opened so many doors for me— making great friends, pushing my creative thinking, practicing my entrepreneurial and negotiating skills, working with cool brands and independent designers, encouraging me to constantly go out and uncover the hidden gems, network and hunt for the most awesome brunch places all around my city. To showcase my hood through my taste and brand voice.

I’d say I’m doing pretty alright, even if I haven’t received my Chloe bag yet.

You can find me me doing a victory dance to surviving 2016 in exaggerated ruffles (only $15! See details below) with my good friend, latte.

 


Caught up with Vincent over some beautiful, and I mean really beautiful brunch at Baddies. Test drove the granola yoghurt + chia pudding.

OUTFIT DETAILS— Top SHEIN Suede pants BANANA REPUBLIC Watch NICOLE VIENNA Elenah heels NINE WEST

 

 

 

 

Taking Home the Bronze


Zara white sleeveless trench vest (simlar here)
Club Monaco Kendyl crop top
Banana Republic Maxi drawstring skirt (similar here)
Massimo Dutti Suede crossbody bag
ALDO CiCi heels in Bone

See below for similar options!


Allow myself to get into my part time role as a blogger and showcase a quick outfit post for you.

I actually wear this outfit out (sometimes with different tops or a black sleeveless trench) extremely often to the office. The white vest is a great addition to make your outfit appropriate and feel ~high fashion~ for any occasion— it’s also an awesome replacement for the work blazer. To be quite frank with you.. I get showered with compliments all around for doing this maxi and long vest combo from coworkers, friends, and even strangers. Not so much from the family since they believe I should be wearing short and fitted items to show my “feminine” petite body. But surprise surprise, if you know my wardrobe, you’ll know my closet contains a lot of oversize and pieces that drape on my body instead. (There’s a huge playing factor as to why I dislike fitted articles of clothing because when it’s worn, it rubs against my body and makes me irritated..and sort of.. itchy? Probably because of the irritation) Comfort has to be one of the most important things to consider when owning a piece of clothing. As for being petite… Don’t be afraid to do a maxi and a long vest when you’re under 5’4. Because it’s all about understanding and rockin’ those proportions, as well as pairing the look with a pair of nude ankle straps for the illusion of extra height. 😏

With the nightie slip gown trend going strong— it’s hard to avoid falling in love with the flowy, satin fabrics that drape on your body and making it office-appropriate and fashionably polished. That’s why a satin maxi works out so well as opposed to a fitted, satin skirt (starting to sound like I’m ready to run into a club with a matching black choker.) Let’s just say that maxi skirt and long vests go together real well.

Photography by: Artiese Studios



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