Fashion Fun Villagatan! Zara Baggy Crop Jeans, Sonia Rykiel Pearl Sweater & Chanel 2.55 Belly Pack at Eira Villagatan

Villagatan, Helsinki 

With ongoing restrictions of indoor activities, having a mini picnic at the greenery park never confines our social distance. Amid pandemic May Day, avoid the main streets, homemade our own specialty always makes the dining moments safe and fun. Strolling at Villagata (Huvilakatu in Finnish), built by 1910, 320 meters in length, the pastel hued housings lead us all the way to the Baltic seashore in a magical blooming wonder park. 

My outfits at park picnic today is Zara baggy crop jeans, made in Turkey, this 100% denim cropped style in vintage blue is my first-time try-on, since I have been always the fan of high-waist slim-cut in darker grey. At the temperature of 15’c and wind speed less than 7m/s in Helsinki, together with the effortless Parisienne vogue, Sonia Rykiel cotton-silk blended sweater in ivory white owns 63% silk and 37% cotton cutouts, its glass pearls ribbed trims show off the slightly sexy touch of shoulders and arms. Sonia Rykiel herself has been suffering from Parkinson’s before her decease in August 2016, since then the purchase of Sonia Rykiel fine garments became exceedingly upheaval, I therefore research and cherish all the purchases from the www.theoutnet.com. In 2019, after Paris commercial court rejected Lévy, the only remaining bidder for the company, Sonia Rykiel liquidated its operations. 

In view of effortless cropped silhouette, I adapt Chanel Sling Back mules, with its shining silver counter, black fabric toe cap and lamb skin insole lining give out both elegant and fun element to balance the loosen outfits. As for accessories, Chloé acetate ivory white round frame sunglasses is my always must-have, and Marc By Marc Jacobs copper palette bracelet and Chanel copper/Swarovski crystal ‘Angel Wings’ earrings deliver a more of Rock ‘n’ Roll glamour. For the convenience to stroll along the seashore park, Chanel 2.55 caviar calfskin belly pack is my on-duty essential, which its adjustable strap is perfect as black belt for Zara baggy cropped jeans. Unlike handbags, belly pack does not have to be carried, and unlike backpacks, it requires no undue strain on the back. Unfollowing the traditional way to position at front of belly or fall on the ass, to wear belly pack at right waist side, is my accessible style to reach for outdoor picnic: la clé, la carte, le Rouge de Chanel et le téléphone portable. 

TOP TIP 1: Ivory white with vintage blue are all good with a touch of black hues

TOP TIP 2: Carry the essentials at belly pack and pack the food, the drinks and blankets at large cotton tote at picnic 

Special Thanks: Tsai 

Tea Time May Day! Lomonosov Tea Set & Czech Crystal Glass serve Sakura Pocky & Vappu Tippaleipä

Hyvää Vappua! May Day is calling for the aid of le thé de haute! The traditional picnic session at Kaivopuisto in Helsinki central has been cancelled due to the outbreak of pandemic, still the happy hour of afternoon tea is, and never will be postponed. 

Also known as The Imperial Porcelain Factory, Lomonosov is a producer of hand-painted ceramics in Saint Petersburg. Established by Dmitry Ivanovich Vinogradov in 1744, and was supported by the Russian tsars since Empress Elizabeth. In 1925, on the occasion of the 200th jubilee of the Russian Academy of Science, IPF was given the name of the academy’s founder, Mikhail Lomonosov, which became recognized as Leningrad Lomonosov Porcelain Factory. I especially adore the tea set during USSR period (1922-1991); therefore, hunting all my current collection at flea market/secondhand in Finland, the backstamps of each masterpiece is either cobalt blue or orange crimson LFZ monogram, some with “Made in USSR” stamped in red. The Lomonosov daisy teacups set design pattern at tea time today is a combination of intersecting lines of 22 karat gold accents with inverted African daisy in the hues of royal purple and cobalt blue. I first spotted this teacup pair with extra two tea saucers at price of 14 EUR, then I completed this mini set with a sugar kettle by revisiting Helsinki Secondhand before the first of May, 2020. Comparing to Lomonosov famous cobalt blue collection, African daisy is more of spring/summer touch, assuredly perfect to mix and match with colours of pastel pink or violet purple. 

私は POCKY JAPAN chocolate cookiesが大好きです! Invented by Yoshiaki Koma and first sold in 1966, named after the Japanese onomatopoetic word pokkin (ポッキン), POCKY is chocolate-coated biscuit sticks produced by Ezaki Glico. During the sakura season among April and May, Pocky promotes the limited edition ‘Cherry Blossom’: Pretzel with browned butter scent, coated with cheery milk chocolate, garnished with Japanese sea salt and granulated white sugar; its fresh sweetness is balancing the Strawberry Rose black tea from THÉ HUONE. Boiling the water up to 90-97’c, adding a teaspoonful of white sugar, after 3-5 minutes the tea is ready to serve. 

Tippaleipä dates back to the early medieval Persian world and later spread to the whole Europe. Around in 1879, German immigrants brought tippaleipä to North America, which are made by pouring batter into hot cooking oil in a circular pattern and deep-frying the overlapping mass until it turns golden-brown. Our K-Supermarket version is crispy with powdered sugar, not only exceptional superb with Ladurée crystallised violet petals, having a piece chocolate by Café-Tasse in lait caramel salé or lait noix de coco, both containing in cocoa minimum 35%, is more pleasure to enjoy together with rather bitter black tea. 

As for the photography, the dark red roses naturally turn into deep purple after withering away, in order to match the strawberry rose black tea, I scatter the dried rose petals and pinkish rosebuds to make the tea table much more lively. And quartz liquor glasses and saucer from Czechoslovakia are transparently showing the sakura pink Pocky sticks and crystallised violet petals crystal clear, enhance the hues of roses and Lomonosov porcelain. Also I recycle the empty cosmetic boxes, preferably from Christian Dior, for its shining silver varnish to offer as my eco-friendly reflector during the process of photography.