I was supposed to post this last week but I was actually on a plane last Friday, so that didn’t work out. Today is a Q&A edition of Fashion Friday, and I’ve answered questions related to fashion/beauty that people have asked me. I’ll return to outfit posts with the next one. If you missed out on asking a question, post it in the comments below and I’ll update this post with my answer.

What’s one essential item you’d never be without?

This question was asked by Emmie.

Probably my engagement ring, now. 😆 But I usually can’t leave home without earrings. I have three piercings in each ear and my ears just feel naked if any are left without earrings. I wear silver earrings most of the time so they are okay to shower with, but every now and then I take them off to clean them, and I might forget to put them back in. I even go running and to the gym with earrings, so it definitely trumps ‘can’t live without’ things like, say, my handbag.

I wear sunglasses all the time, in the mornings and during the day when I am outside, even if it is winter. My eyes are very sensitive to light, and I often get ‘sun headaches’, so I feel awful without my sunglasses. I take them with me in my bag all the time. I was not always dependent on them until about three years ago.

Other than that, from a less fashion-related point of view, there is obviously my phone and ID (driver’s license), which I do need to carry with me everywhere.

Do you own any attire that doesn’t go with much but you can’t let go of it?

This question was also asked by Emmie.

Yes, definitely. I wrote a list of all my clothes recently and I am hanging on to a few that I have grown out of but can’t seem to get rid of. One of them is the green poncho I wore in Limeade, which I feel is too bright for the universe! I also have a brown skirt that my aunt made for me (that’s why it is hard to let go of) but I don’t like the colour and it only goes with brown, which is too much for my liking.

I have a pair of purple jeans and a pair of light green ones that don’t really go with anything I own anymore. The thing is, they fit me so well, and are designed by Guess, so even though I bought them on sale, the quality is very good. It’s hard letting go of them and I am not sure who I could sell them to.

How much is the most you’d spend on…

These questions were asked by Nancy, and she said I can give prices in Australian Dollars. (Right now 1 AUD = 0.77 USD = 0.58 GBP.)

a shirt

If it was a t-shirt, unless it was custom made, I really wouldn’t spend more than $40. I say $40 because a lot of limited edition band shirts and concert shirts cost about that much. I don’t buy them much now though.

If I was buying a button-up shirt or blouse I would spend at most $70. I usually wait for sales and I recently bought a plain white shirt that was originally $59 but I bought it for $35. I would actually consider that a decent price for a shirt.

a skirt

I love skirts!!!!!! But I am very used to buying them cheaply ($10-30). I have seen skirts upwards of $200 and immediately decided not to buy. However I would pay up to $120 for a really good quality one, if it was a bit fancy as well.

a dress

You can spend any amount of money you want on a dress if you can prove you like it and if it is worth the money. :D I am used to spending $200 on ones I really like. I am sure my future wedding dress will be quite an investment…

What is the dress code in your office, or generally what you feel are the expectations of you, and how that influences your style?

This question was asked by Catherine.

Luckily, for the past few years, I have been working in the tech/tech startup industry where there isn’t really a dress code, and the jeans-and-a-t-shirt ensemble is encouraged. I also used to work somewhere where suits were not allowed. But as I am not a big fan of jeans and feel that the casual style makes me look like I’m still in school, I like to dress quite professionally or at least neatly. It gives me a sense of satisfaction and a boost of confidence. I find that other women who work with me like to dress nicely as well, though I’ve often been ‘accused’ of being so dressed up!

I feel like I am expected to dress very appropriately. This may be because of my cultural background and my body shape/size. I don’t always feel comfortable wearing short shorts and crop tops, and you will find very little (if any) of these in my wardrobe.

I am always making myself aware of what looks good on me and what doesn’t, and try to steer clear of what doesn’t.

Would you ever consider trying a capsule wardrobe? If yes, how many pieces would you have?

This question was asked by Holly.

Oh the horror! I have thought about this so many times before. It’s sort of what I’m trying to go for, yet at the same time, sticking with a number isn’t really my thing. I actually have something to admit: That list I was talking about in the first question? I listed 170 pieces of clothing including shoes and t-shirts (that I usually just wear at home). I seriously feel ashamed that I advocate living simply and cleaning out clothes when I realise I have clothes buried so far deep and away that I forgot they existed.

Ideally I would love to get all my clothes to less than 50 pieces. I don’t like the idea of having separate seasonal wardrobes for coats and whatnot, and I don’t really fancy the idea of having a certain amount of each type of clothing. But if I can get my entire wardrobe to 40-50 pieces (maybe not counting shoes) I would be so happy. I’m seriously aiming for it. I think it’s very doable, it’s more that there is so much I don’t wear that’s just a little hard to let go of. But that is my goal. Less than 50 pieces. I’m aiming high. 👊 And I’m going to write an update when that finally does happen.

Which is more upsetting: undies on the outside of pants, or socks with sandals?

This question was asked by Phil.

I’m sure underpants were called underpants for a reason, so I would find it pretty upsetting if someone wore them outside of their pants (sorry Superman). I’m excluding flip flops from this answer because I wouldn’t class them as a ‘sandal’ but socks with sandals can be somewhat stylish for women. Think cute socks with some peep-toe heels; or thinner, lighter socks with gladiator sandals; maybe even fuzzy socks with glitter jelly sandals… at least that allows you to be creative and be unique. Hey, men can also wear glitter jelly sandals if they want! Actually, on second thoughts, you could wear stripy toe socks with your flip flops, right?

Fashion doesn’t discriminate. But yeah, definitely not going to feel good being around someone wearing underpants over their actual pants, because then they’re not wearing something for its actual purpose. It also poses the question, are they wearing another pair of underpants under their pants? Or are they just wearing the pants? Anyway…

If you got offered unlimited shopping at one clothing store for the day, which store would you pick and why?

This question was asked by M.

Probably Cue. As tempting as it is to choose large, fast-fashion stores like H&M and Forever 21, their quality can leave something to be desired. Cue does not usually sell a wide range, but I love their classy clothing styles. They are on the more expensive side, so having unlimited shopping at a Cue store would be lovely. I would stock up on both fancy dresses and business-like clothing suitable for the office. :D

Do you go to thrift stores/consignments? What is your favorite item gotten from one?

This question was asked by Jessica.

I used to go to them a lot. (We call them ‘op shops’ in Australia.) I also went to markets a lot. I bought more from markets rather than any thrift stores, but I used to love scrounging for unique items. After some time I really got over it. I bought a lot of clothes that were so cheap but I never really needed them. I guess I could afford to spend more once I got a better job, so I was OK shopping elsewhere for the clothes I wanted.

I actually got the green poncho at a market! That might be my favourite. But I wish I could find more stores here where I can actually sell my clothes rather than buying.

Got a question for me? Post it in the comments!