Oh wow, it’s been such a long time since my last sole outfit post. These days outfit posts on this blog come with an additional context—either an eatery recommendation, an exhibition/event recap or a traveling diary. But, lately, I’ve just been so drained from the weekdays that I hardly have any will to go to any events or even think about exciting new places to discover on the weekends. It feels easier to just pick a place I’ve been to time and time again just to sit around—which, I promise you, feels a whole lot more exciting than it sounds when you’re tired mentally and physically as hell.
Not going to lie: it’s been so exhausting to the point that the prospect of having these photos taken drained me—imagine that, the prospect of it! It hadn’t even happened yet and already it took energy away from me. What I hadn’t anticipated in my exhaustion was how easily it was to feel refreshed the moment the sight of Agung caught my eyes—but it did and it was magical.
Oh wow, it’s been such a long time since my last sole outfit post. These days outfit posts on this blog come with an additional context—either an eatery recommendation, an exhibition/event recap or a traveling diary. But, lately, I’ve just been so drained from the weekdays that I hardly have any will to go to any events or even think about exciting new places to discover on the weekends. It feels easier to just pick a place I’ve been to time and time again just to sit around—which, I promise you, feels a whole lot more exciting than it sounds when you’re tired mentally and physically as hell.
Not going to lie: it’s been so exhausting to the point that the prospect of having these photos taken drained me—imagine that, the prospect of it! It hadn’t even happened yet and already it took energy away from me. What I hadn’t anticipated in my exhaustion was how easily it was to feel refreshed the moment the sight of Agung caught my eyes—but it did and it was magical.
📷 Fujifilm X-T100 with Fujinon Aspherical Superb EBC XC 15-45mm lens
Le Fin du Monde
Another thing that’s been happening lately is the undeniable symptoms of the climate crisis. Experiencing the thick pollution smog and crazy heat everyday—especially around noon—it’s easy for me to think that it’s only happening in this godforsaken country. But then I would look at the news and it’s just as chaotic everywhere else. Floods are happening simultaneously all over the world—including Japan, Greece, India, and Turkey (places that do not normally flood!). Heatwaves have become more common, which even leads to devastating wildfires in Canada and Hawaii. It has even been reported that photosynthesis—a process that has sustained plants for millenia—is starting to break down and fail. Literally everything that David Wallace-Wells said in his book The Uninhabitable Earth has happened. Okay, not everything…yet. But it’s slowly starting to look like it’s getting there. And that’s stressing me out a lot.
Le Fin du Monde
Another thing that’s been happening lately is the undeniable symptoms of the climate crisis. Experiencing the thick pollution smog and crazy heat everyday—especially around noon—it’s easy for me to think that it’s only happening in this godforsaken country. But then I would look at the news and it’s just as chaotic everywhere else. Floods are happening simultaneously all over the world—including Japan, Greece, India, and Turkey (places that do not normally flood!). Heatwaves have become more common, which even leads to devastating wildfires in Canada and Hawaii. It has even been reported that photosynthesis—a process that has sustained plants for millenia—is starting to break down and fail. Literally everything that David Wallace-Wells said in his book The Uninhabitable Earth has happened. Okay, not everything…yet. But it’s slowly starting to look like it’s getting there. And that’s stressing me out a lot.
Yet somehow, amidst all this chaos and natural disasters—despite the unbearable heat and the terrifyingly visible air pollution—all we care about is making money, grinding away at a self-destructive rate. Recently, I shared my take on burnout and it resonated with pretty much everyone. We’re all experiencing it at an alarming rate—and it all seems to be for nothing.
From the WGA & SAG-AFTRA strike going on right now, we can see how our hard work feeds the greed of the people on top (and they don’t like to share). Case in point: in 1980 CEOs make only 30 times more than their lowest-paid worker, while today CEOs on average make 399 times more than their lowest-paid worker. Talk about making the rich richer.
Meanwhile, the rest of us average Joes and Janes have to scour for every last penny we earn to meet our needs—what with the skyrocketing housing prices and surging food prices. And this is really not an isolated case, it’s happening everywhere.
Yet somehow, amidst all this chaos and natural disasters—despite the unbearable heat and the terrifyingly visible air pollution—all we care about is making money, grinding away at a self-destructive rate. Recently, I shared my take on burnout and it resonated with pretty much everyone. We’re all experiencing it at an alarming rate—and it all seems to be for nothing.
From the WGA & SAG-AFTRA strike going on right now, we can see how our hard work feeds the greed of the people on top (and they don’t like to share). Case in point: in 1980 CEOs make only 30 times more than their lowest-paid worker, while today CEOs on average make 399 times more than their lowest-paid worker. Talk about making the rich richer.
Meanwhile, the rest of us average Joes and Janes have to scour for every last penny we earn to meet our needs—what with the skyrocketing housing prices and surging food prices. And this is really not an isolated case, it’s happening everywhere.
To me, this just proves that the economic system we have right now just isn’t working. A global economy based on making profits and disposability just isn’t a sustainable model. Once we see an item or product as disposable, sure enough we will see people as disposable—or is it because we see people as disposable that we make products that are disposable?—and that will lead us to create a system that doesn’t humanise anyone, even ourselves. The way I see it is how we view the environment around us really affects how we view people in general, because the more we strive to heal the earth, the more we will commit to taking care of each other. Maybe it’s time we rethink how the world works and if it’s truly serving us equally.
To me, this just proves that the economic system we have right now just isn’t working. A global economy based on making profits and disposability just isn’t a sustainable model. Once we see an item or product as disposable, sure enough we will see people as disposable—or is it because we see people as disposable that we make products that are disposable?—and that will lead us to create a system that doesn’t humanise anyone, even ourselves. The way I see it is how we view the environment around us really affects how we view people in general, because the more we strive to heal the earth, the more we will commit to taking care of each other. Maybe it’s time we rethink how the world works and if it’s truly serving us equally.
L'art des Vêtements Occasion
Phew! Now that I’ve got all of that out of my system, let’s talk about something a little lighter: these clothes. If you’re a keen reader, you may notice a new wardrobe item in this outfit—yes, this cute button up shirt is “new.” Bloggers in my day would call it “new to me,” as a way of saying that it was acquired secondhand—and this one was too.
Around two weeks ago, Agung and I finally crossed a place off our bucket list: Pasar Senen. If you don’t know, Pasar Senen is a marketplace in Jakarta that is renowned as a thrift haven. They have a whole floor packed with used clothing that have been rejected or export leftovers from abroad. In truth, the practice isn’t exactly sanitary and the quality isn’t guaranteed—so proceed at your own risk.
Personally, Agung and I had always wanted to go there together since we first started dating. Agung himself had been here many times before—he’s a real thrifting avicianado—but I had not. The other day I suggested we go and we did—finally!
Phew! Now that I’ve got all of that out of my system, let’s talk about something a little lighter: these clothes. If you’re a keen reader, you may notice a new wardrobe item in this outfit—yes, this cute button up shirt is “new.” Bloggers in my day would call it “new to me,” as a way of saying that it was acquired secondhand—and this one was too.
Around two weeks ago, Agung and I finally crossed a place off our bucket list: Pasar Senen. If you don’t know, Pasar Senen is a marketplace in Jakarta that is renowned as a thrift haven. They have a whole floor packed with used clothing that have been rejected or export leftovers from abroad. In truth, the practice isn’t exactly sanitary and the quality isn’t guaranteed—so proceed at your own risk.
Personally, Agung and I had always wanted to go there together since we first started dating. Agung himself had been here many times before—he’s a real thrifting avicianado—but I had not. The other day I suggested we go and we did—finally!
This button-up beauty is actually from Uniqlo’s collaboration with Ines de la Fressange, a supermodel-turned-fashion designer who launched her clothing line in 1991 and has been designing for Uniqlo since 2013. Ines herself is apparently a fashion icon who has been dubbed the symbol of Parisian style. Honestly, though, Agung and I thought she was an up-and-coming artist—or pehaps even an illustrator.
When we spotted this shirt, I was instantly in love with the pattern. Polkadots are one thing—which I love—but pairing them with florals is just genius. Not to mention the cut of the shirt as well—the little collar is just adorable. The material also feels short of magical. While being pretty thick, it does not feel too hot in the tropical weather—on the contrary, it feel rather breezy.
Our favourite feature, however, is the details on the button. They’re all custom made to seamlessly blend in with the rest of the shirt. How gorgeous! I can surely picture myself wearing this for years to come.
This button-up beauty is actually from Uniqlo’s collaboration with Ines de la Fressange, a supermodel-turned-fashion designer who launched her clothing line in 1991 and has been designing for Uniqlo since 2013. Ines herself is apparently a fashion icon who has been dubbed the symbol of Parisian style. Honestly, though, Agung and I thought she was an up-and-coming artist—or pehaps even an illustrator.
When we spotted this shirt, I was instantly in love with the pattern. Polkadots are one thing—which I love—but pairing them with florals is just genius. Not to mention the cut of the shirt as well—the little collar is just adorable. The material also feels short of magical. While being pretty thick, it does not feel too hot in the tropical weather—on the contrary, it feel rather breezy.
Our favourite feature, however, is the details on the button. They’re all custom made to seamlessly blend in with the rest of the shirt. How gorgeous! I can surely picture myself wearing this for years to come.
