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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.