I don’t like the idea of the ’10 wardrobe essentials’ posts. The basic black jeans and blazer may work for most people, but I very rarely reach for them. They’re just not my style. As a person who wears colourful items pretty much every day, I find the idea of shopping for basics utterly boring. Well, that was until I stumbled upon the Grana silk trousers in their fitting room store in Hong Kong.
It was completely coincidential, I swear. As I was looking for a veggie restaurant on that same street, I went in to ask the girls in Grana for directions. You see, I was really hungry! I went in for a reason, but I was quickly swayed by the pieces I saw in store. I can describe it with two words: beautiful simplicity. It turns out that I actually like shopping for basics – when they are made of high quality fabrics and come with a little twist.
To compliment my closet full of colour, I’ve been looking for the perfect pair of black trousers for ages. The reasons I wasn’t reaching for any of my two pairs were simple. One was too fitted and thick, so it felt a little old-fashioned. The other was made of 100% cotton, which was fantastic to touch, but as I wore it throughout the day, they loosened so much that I looked 10 kg heavier or as if I’d pooped myself! Not exactly what my ‘basic’ pair of trousers should do, right?
Enter the Grana silk trousers
When I tried them, I was pretty smitten. For starters, they are made of 100% silk. If you look into my closet, you’ll find more than 15 silk pieces – I just love the fabric that much! The silk makes the trousers fit nicely, and yes they do loosen up a little – but nothing like the previous situation! I loved the fit, and also that they can be worn with heels and flats equally easy.
As Grana is purely an online store (with a fitting room in Hong Kong), I had to order the trousers on their website. They arrived super quickly, and I couldn’t wait to wear and shoot them! Since taking these photos, I’ve worn the trousers 5 times in one month. It may not seem like much, but as a person who can choose between 45 bottoms, that shows how much I love them.
The best part about Grana: it is a sustainable fashion brand! I love that they produce in small quantities, using really high quality fabrics. And because everything is done online, they don’t need to mark up the prices. That’s what makes the clothes still affordable for ethically-made items. I’ve only ordered the Grana silk trousers so far, but I can promise it’s not my last purchase!
And because I love Grana so much, I’ve partnered with them to be one of their Ambassadors. As such I can offer you 25% off their whole website, plus FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. Just use the code MILIXGRANA at the checkout! Yes! Check Grana out as right now they also have 15% off on orders above £150.
Basics are important
If you love a simple, minimal style, basics are your forte. You need them to be of high quality to last you through time. My style is more trend-based – just look at my yellow top and ruffle mules. But it’s the basic black trouser that just ties it all together. Without a single basic piece, I’d look a bit too much ‘fashion week’ and a little less ‘PhD engineering student’, which may earn you style points but doesn’t give you professional credentials!
While I was shooting these images with a self-timer, I saw a photographer taking photos of the beautiful building of Hong Kong University. I would normally be quite shy to ask, but this time I went to him with a request for 5 minutes. The guy definitely knew what he was doing – can you guess which photos are his?
Outfit details:
Trousers: Grana (use code MILIXGRANA for 25% off)
Top: ASOS (thrifted)
Fendi-inspired bag: thrifted (Hong Kong)
Mules: Thrifted
Scarf & Hat: Thrifted