3.23.2012

St. Patty's Night Out

Naven dress / Jeffrey Campbell Cosmic Lita's
Sadly, this is the only picture I have of this amazing dress by Naven. I've had this dress for a while now, and have been waiting for the right event to wear it to. And what better event than St. Patrick's Day in Hollywood? This probably explains why I only have this picture from that night by the way. But anyway, this dress was perfect for a night of dancing and night crawling with friends. It conforms to your body to fit like a glove, yet doesn't ride up when you walk or dance. Plus, no one really knew whether or not to pinch me since they couldn't tell if the top color was a light green or a neon yellow. 

Hope everyone enjoyed their St. Patrick's Day!

3.19.2012

Blocks of Color

Urban Outfitters dress / H&M shorts/ ASOS sunnies / Make Up Forever lipstick / Jeffrey Campbell Lana's
I don't know what the universe is up to nowadays, but it seems like it decided to up and move a couple of my friends to different homes all within the same time period. And since they know that I have nothing else better to do with my time, they recruited me as a member of their moving crew/interior decorating squad. So on the off day that I wasn't lugging a full sized mattress up a flight of stairs or looking through the bushes for missing screws in the middle of the night, my friends and I decided to take a trip to Ikea to work on the aesthetics for their new home. I wore this, I guess you can call it a dress, to draw some inspiration for the motif they wanted to go for. Or at the very least inspire a theme they'd want to go for considering that at the time, they hadn't the slightest clue of what they wanted. I'm not really sure what to call this though. It has all the makings of a dress, but it reminds me of an over-sized poncho-kimono dress hybrid type thing with a bohemian vibe to it. Whatever it is, it was interesting enough for me to take the time to try it on which I'm glad I did since it's become one of my favorite dresses (I'm going to stick to calling it a dress). It has a very high slit on both sides of the dress, which is why I usually wear something underneath. Since this was one of those unusually hot days, I decided to wear a pair of denim shorts with it. I love how there are draw strings on both sides as well so that you can adjust the fitting of the dress to your liking. Actually, when both sides are loosened, the dress almost looks like a big, rectangular piece of fabric or a half of a curtain (I'll try to remember to take a picture of it in it's natural state). I get that comfy, homey, urban feel every time I wear this dress. I was hoping that it would exude some type of home decor inspiration. But sadly, it only inspired the purchase of black side table that I also got hoist up the stairs once we got back. At least I got some Swedish chocolate this time around.

3.14.2012

Pastel and Pastries

Vintage top / Kimchi Blue pants / Jeffrey Campbell Lana's

 Although I often daydream about traveling outside of the SFV and LA, there's one thing that I know I can't find anywhere else but here: Porto's Bakery & Cafe. Like I've mentioned before, bakeries are my number one happy place. They just are. How can you not jump for joy at the sight of bountiful pastries all lined up waiting for you to take them home? However, it is dangerous for me to frequent there (both financially and not-being-able-to-fit-into-my-clothes-ly), so I try to limit myself to one visit a month, or find a "reasonable" excuse to go. Lucky for me, my friend came to visit from San Francisco, and they don't have a Porto's there! And herein lies my reasonable excuse to go. In anticipation of this joyous, yet fattening visit, I decided to wear my paperbag trousers that bunch-up when you tie it together, similar to the look of an actual paperbag when you clasp the top of it in your hand. It seemed appropriate considering that I was going to a place that I inevitably wasn't going to walk out of empty handed. And as you can tell from the picture above, I most certainly did not come home empty handed. No regrets though. It was a justified visit--all in the name of friendship. 

3.13.2012

The Cats Meow

Cheap Monday sweatshirt / Topshop pants / Jeffrey Campbell Lana's

Have I really been M.I.A for a week now?! Wow, I can't believe it's been that long since I've been on here. Well, I'm putting an end to that now. 

While waiting to have lunch with some friends last week, my boyfriend and I decided to take a couple pictures around the neighborhood. He noticed a furry little something in the back of the shot, and when he looked up he saw this little guy. I've never ever been a cat person. But there are those lucky few that have been able to break through my "anti-cat" exterior simply by nestling up against my leg and purring very sweetly at me. He must've been attracted by the sunlight bouncing off of my shoes. He couldn't get enough of them (or maybe it was the afternoon scratches behind the ears he was getting from two generous strangers). He matches my outfit though, doesn't he?

3.07.2012

Dance Magazine

All images via Dance Magazine
I had the pleasure of assisting with Dance Magazine's photo-shoot for their March 2012 issue, styled by BTFL People (the amazingly talented designers whom I've had the honor of interning for). For this shoot, they styled three of Lady Gaga's dancers and the most charming people I have ever met--Amanda Balen, Victor Rojas, and Mark Kanemura. I got to see how dance and fashion collided, making leotards and tights a stereotype of the past. They even said that BTFL People had changed the world of dance just by stepping in and lending their guidance on this shoot. This was a great project for me to be able to participate in and an overall great learning experience.

3.06.2012

R.I.P


One of my favorite rings got decapitated recently. I'm so sad since this was one of my favorite  accessories that I constantly wore. This ring and my animal rings were part of my, what BabySister likes to call,  "Alice in Wonderland" accessories which, coincidentally, was my favorite Disney movie as a kid. I'm hoping to find another one like, or similar to, this one. Farewell my large, gaudy ring that made it difficult/uncomfortable to hold hands with my boyfriend. You'll be replaced.

3.05.2012

Lady in red

Urban Outfitters top&pants / Romeo and Juliet faux leather vest / UNIF Hellbounds
Helping my mom prepare for her three week vacation back to her homeland has kept me really busy these last few days. But now that I know she's landed safe and sound, I have enough peace of mind to do my own thing again. When anyone flies (myself included), I always have these nervous, anxious feelings at the pit of my stomach that can only be remedied by calling them as soon as they've landed. It's odd considering how I often dream of traveling and taking trips to all of my bucket list destinations. Packing, of course, would probably take longer than the duration of the trip itself. My mom only packed ONE large duffel bag of clothes for her entire trip. I thought she was planning on backpacking through the Philippines for three weeks. I think that duffel would have only been enough to carry my shoes. One thing that I would have to bring with me when I travel is my red, high waisted pants. Like I've said before, I like to incorporate "loud" into most of my outifts, and what can be more loud than fiery, red pants? I especially love how these have zippers at the bottoms for the option of having them open or closed. A girl's got to have options, especially when she's traveling.

3.01.2012

Women are from Venus

H&M knit / Jeffrey Campbell Saturn 2's
These shoes will always hold a special place in my heart. They are the very first pair of Jeffrey Campbell's that I have ever owned. I got them as a birthday gift from my boyfriend and fell in love with them right away. More Jeffrey's found their way into my life soon after. It's a good thing that my birthday is far enough from Christmas for me to still be able to make separate wish lists and add Jeffrey's to both of them. I love the high, pointed design on the back of these shoes. The Saturn 1 design is similar to this, but I think they made the point higher on this pair. They're so subtle and loud at the same time, and you get the full effect of them when seen from the sides. I once had a lady come up to me and (in my best friends own words) sounded like she was just so honored to be in the presence of my shoes as she asked me where I had gotten them, haha. These have easily become my go-to shoes because of their comfortability and their signature style.

Quick note: These tend to run half a size bigger than what you would normally wear. I wear a size 7 and should have gotten a size 6.5, but the site my boyfriend bought them from sold out of that size. So I had to settle for a 7. The size difference isn't too bad. It's roomy enough for me to slip my foot in and out without having to undo the zipper in the back, but not so roomy that it's uncomfortable when I wear them out. FYI, I would advise against slipping these shoes on and off without undoing the zipper. They might stretch out and just get even bigger, and that would be just so unfortunate.

Happy first day of March!

2.29.2012

Something Blue

 
 
Everly dress / Cotton on jacket / Vintage wedges
  I'm currently experimenting with mixing casual and formal pieces together. I like the idea of incorporating casual with formal, and vice versa, to either dress up or dress down an outfit. For this look, I decided to dress down my blue, strappy dress with cutouts on the sides. I paired it with a denim jacket and black, lace-up wedges to give it more of a laid back impression. I could have gone with my black heel booties, but I felt that these wedges gave off more of a relaxed vibe to this look.  And denim, well, in my opinion denim can make anything look casual. I used to feel really restricted with dresses similar to this one, like I'd only be able to wear them on certain occasions (i.e. church, weddings, nice dinners, etc.) instead of for everyday use. But being able to take a piece from my closet and wear it outside of its predisposed environment greatly expands my wardrobe potential; which may in turn lead me to shop less and experiment more. Well...let's be realistic now. Also, the way the bottom is cut to fall in an uneven pattern, almost like flower petals, instead of a straight cut is a beautifully added touch to this already charming dress. And I didn't feel the least bit under-dressed when I unexpectedly ended up having dinner at Roy's (a kind of fancy, shmancy restaurant). It was just the right balance of opposite elements.

2.28.2012

Products of insomnia

As I sat here yawning and wandering aimlessly through the internet, I found myself taking note of some outfits and pieces that I wanted to keep in mind for future reference. These are from New York and London's Fashion Week Street Style section in Harper's Bazaar. I couldn't muster up the energy to post up all the looks that caught my attention since now my eyes have gotten heavier and the yawns deeper--impeccable timing.

 I've been seeing a lot of polka dots lately, which made me come to the sad realization that I own about two pieces of polka dotted clothing (sigh). I need more polka dots in my life.

I really really really love this overalls look with the blazer. The whole "mixing casual pieces with formal pieces" is something I'm experimenting with at the moment, so it's no surprise that this outfit won me over.

Instead of buying a velvet maxi skirt, I'm really tempted to make a DIY one. I'm buying fabric every other week anyway, I might as well give it a try. It just seems like it would be a great piece that could help deter me from constantly relying on my tights to help me survive the cold winter air.

(All images via Harper's Bazaar)

I'm falling in love with these high waisted, wide leg pants. I almost bought a pair similar to the white ones from H&M but the size was too big, and I ended up looking like a child playing dress-up in their parents clothes. They make such a bold statement alone that it's almost effortless to put together an amazingly chic outfit.

2.26.2012

Hellbound Streetwalker

DIY shorts / UNIF robe&heels
Ask and you shall receive...

I'm finally the proud owner of one of UNIF's latest shoe blessings-- Hellbound. In an earlier post, I mentioned how badly I've been wanting to get a pair, and now it's finally happened! I wore them out as soon as I bought them. Actually, I walked out in almost a whole new outfit than what I walked in wearing. Once I tried on the shoes, they never came off. I wore them around as I continued to graze through the racks, where I found this leopard robe(?) also by UNIF. Not entirely sure if it's a robe or a dress since it can be buttoned down all the way to the bottom. I've always been a big fan of multipurpose articles of clothing. In any case, I decided to button the top half and left the bottom half free flowing. Since I had to get it one size bigger than what I normally wear (it was the last one they had left), it ended up being really long. But with the extreme height of the Hellbound, it barely touched the ground, if at all. The garter in the middle of the robe also helps in tucking away any excess length for when I decide to wear it with a different shoe. Completely and utterly happy with my latest purchases. I'm ecstatic.

2.24.2012

Sunny Winters

American Apparel top / YourEyesLie shorts / Vintage bag&belt / Michael Kors watch / Jeffrey Campbell Lana's
While hanging up clothes in my closet, I discovered my white lace top that I so stupidly forgot I owned. Given my love for lace, you can only imagine my initial reaction when I was reunited with it earlier today. Good thing too, since it contributed to the styling of one of my favorite outfits. It rendered that feminine, womanly touch that made me feel like a lady (which sadly, often times my guy friends tend to forget that I am). To keep with the ladylike trend, I layered my lace top over a plain white tank and cinched it together with a pair of high waisted shorts that are an odd, bluish-purple color. The pink shoes added that loud factor that I often try to incorporate into many of my outfits, which is a little ironic to me since it's more of a soft, pastel pink. I further decorated myself by putting on some accessories, and gravitating back to my vintage bag and Weekend by Spitfire sunnies to supplement this classic look.

2.21.2012

Window Shopping

Something Special hat / Vintage Ramones shirt / Lucca Couture shorts / UNIQ poncho / Jeffrey Campbell wedges
If it weren't for procrastination and boredom, I probably would have forgotten all about these pictures. Good thing I tend to look through everything and anything on my computer in an effort to avoid whatever it is that I should really be doing (probably not the best quality to have but oh well). This was my second attempt at wearing these wedges without the expense of losing part of my leg. I mentioned in an earlier post how these shoes nearly severed my feet from the rest of my body. But this time around, the socks acted as a padding that allowed me to wear them out comfortably as I window shopped up and down the streets of L.A. It's been a while now since I've had them, and the breaking-in process is going fairly well. As you can see in my last post, I can now wear them with tights pain-free. Just a few more test runs until I can go without the padding. At least it's cold enough to wear tights and socks more often now.

2.19.2012

My chilly Valentine

H&M faux fur vest / Forever21 top&blazer / Ark&Co. shorts / Jeffrey Campbell wedges
I underestimated the weather on this day. I've grown so accustomed to wearing light, spring-like clothing that I just assumed that the freak drop in temperature would soon rise and go back to it's warm ways. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Originally, I counted on my leopard knit top and my vest to keep me warm enough for what I thought would be a temporary winter breeze. We were waiting outside of the restaurant (where I had to survive without my vest so that it wouldn't smell like cajun spices) as the winds continued to blow right through me, almost aiming for me as if to get back at me for doubting them. Sitting in the sun didn't help much either. Lucky for me though, our next stop was the Grove in L.A. where I was able to pick-up this unexpectedly soft, impromptu mustard colored blazer. I've actually been wanting a mustard colored blazer for a while now; but every time I came across one, I never had the urge to buy it. I guess it was all about timing--a need instead of a want. The blazer added that layered look to this outfit that I absolutely love. It was like that missing piece that I had no idea was missing. It's almost an unconventional look, layering a faux fur vest over a blazer. My boyfriend didn't really get it. He looked at me and said "You aren't dressed like any other person here." Good thing it was Valentine's Day, and he had to love me no matter what I was wearing.

2.17.2012

Between the lines

Lush button-up / Vintage high wasted pants / Jeffrey Campbell Night Walk / House of Harlow necklace
These pants are a bizarre phenomenon to me, which is probably what prompted me to buy them as soon as I saw them. They're so...quirky. So much texture and detail to them--it's as if someone took the elements of a knit, denim, and leggings and created a hybrid of the three. In addition to the wonder that is these pants, I find that tops that are uneven in length (short in the front, long in the back) are a great companion for high wasted bottoms, especially if the top is flowy. Needless to say, these pants paired with this blouse is a perfect blend of sophistication and edginess, all wrapped into one outfit.