Hi folks! If you're just tuning in now, I recommend checking out my previous posts from this week. I'm taking a walk down fashion lane from the time I started my blog - looking back at my fashion do's and faux-pas as well as social media lessons learned along the way!

Let's talk about 2016, my fifth post in this series! I call it my most prolific year for a few reasons:

• More posts: I had the most number of blogposts and evolved my thinking about what an outfit posting should be about. I used to feel that if you're posting about an outfit, it has to be something dressy. Why couldn't we also post about regular everyday or casual styling too?
• More social media presence: I also began acquiring savvyness on social media. I began to use Instagram more seriously as a blogger/social media platform. Until now, Instagram was just a semi-extension of my blog but now it became an equal partner (after 2016, it morphed completely into my main platform). The blogosphere was beginning to change and people were consuming less of blog posts and more of faster, visual platforms like Snapchat and Instagram.
• More self-reliance: I realized that I couldn't continue to rely on photographers or my husband for photos - I was either at the mercy of photographer's limited schedules or my husband's limited patience. I knew I had to figure out my own way if I wanted to post consistently. So I "invested" in a camera tripod and a remote (it cost no more than $50!). All except one photo below is taken by yours truly - can you guess which one is not taken by me?

Let's take a look at the pictures! :)

Jan 2016: Looks like a jumpsuit but it's actually an olive-colored two piece set. I purchased it from a store in Singapore called Lowry Farms (store no longer exists). I still have it and wear it a LOT. The fabric falls in a very flattering manner and you can wear this outfit with flats or heels. I remember waking up at 7AM for a shoot at this location to avoid the crowds. It's called the Helix Bridge, so called because it was made to resemble the DNA double helix structure.

May 2016: I'm wearing a black shift dress from Boohoo.com (similar here) with my Rebecca Minkoff round Sofia crossbody bag. The dress has a cute scallop detailing but otherwise plain. So I used my accessories to dress it up! A simple black dress is a wardrobe essential, I say!

June 2016:  Not afraid of color! I bought this dress online from Lulu's and just loved its colors. I have styled this dress in multiple ways in the past - as a dress, as a beach cover-up, and as a top paired with a skirt!

July 2016: A casual outfit of shorts paired with an ethnic top I purchased from a trip to Chiang Mai (a northeastern province in Thailand). I think this top precipitated my growing love for pompoms and tassels in outfits! More to come as you scroll down! Also, this location was literally around the corner from my old apartment in a random alley. Yeah, real sexy....

July 2016:  More of the "casual styling" outfits making an appearance. Here, I wore a fusion look of dhoti pants with a black top. The look was elevated with accessories like this colorful pom pom necklace and ethnic clutch.

Aug 2016: More of the fun color pops here! Blue and color make a great complementary color pairing and I like how I paired this striped cropped top with these yellow bottoms.

Sept 2016: Did I mention tassels? Again, just a weekend casual outfit made cute with this off-shoulder white top with tassels and a red duffel Coach bag.

Oct 2016: I have a general love of white because the color is a canvas against which you can add any splash of color! I still own every piece of this outfit - the dress from Morning Lavender, the shoes, the boho pom pom bag. :) Another photo taken just near my old apartment  at a heritage shophouse.

Nov 2016: I loved this navy blue jumpsuit that I had ordered online from Lulu's (available here). I wore a thin yellow belt to break up the monotony of the blue (a thick belt would have looked too chunky) and matched my clutch to the purse. Notice another outfit where I paired blue with yellow!

Dec 2016: This is a jumpsuit I ordered from Style Theory, a subscription box for renting clothes. I remember ordering this red outfit for a Christmas shoot along Orchard Road which was decked up for the festive season. I was 2 months pregnant with my second one then but hadn't shared the news yet! :)

Dec 2016: This was an outfit I wore for a collaboration with Rent-a-Dress. I opted for this strapless dress with its unusual shade of green and paired it with these pink heels. At 2 months pregnant, I was able to squeeze into this dress and that's probably the last time I wore anything fancy for a while!

My fashion tips:
- I like to use accessories to elevate a simple outfit or to make it more visually interesting.
- If wearing something dressier, then think about keeping everything else like accessories more understated so that it looks balanced (let the dress do the "talking" so to speak)
- White and black are classic colors and hence I think a plain white dress or plain black dress are nice closet essentials to have! You can dress them up or down in numerous ways!

Fashion Journey Series:
The Year of Discovery 2012
The Year of Change 2013
The Quiet Year 2014
The Year of Fresh Starts 2015