Aloha:: Take Me Away

Happy Friday everyone! I am sorry that I have been MIA for a while. But as a college student, I have to put my schoolwork first. I have one more week left before finals, so the end is fast approaching. Then I plan on heading to Washington D.C. this summer to do an internship with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Seeing that I have not spent more than five consecutive days in the East Coast, this is an exciting yet terrifying opportunity. I still have yet to find housing. (yikes!)

This dress reminds me of Hawaii, which is where I want to be right now. The bold colors and pattern are reminiscent of the tropics.

As summer nears, the items at the top of my shopping list are maxi dresses. I love the way a maxi dress flows as I walk down a street or to class. And because of its length, a maxi dress always adds a touch of elegance to an outfit.

Thanks for reading guys! 

OUTFIT

Dress: Ella Moss

Shoes: BCBGMAXAZRIA (old)

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

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Black Lace Love

I normally stay away from anything that is remotely body hugging. I just see more versatility with looser fitting dresses, especially since I associate that style with comfort. But today, I decided to venture into the body-hugging zone. Though it is not a Herve Leger-esque body-con dress, this black lace dress is the one of the few items in my closet that gives definition to my curves.

The silhouette of this dress is very simple, but the lace overlay gives it an added dimension and makes the dress look more elegant than it actually is. This dress easily transitions from day to night just by switching up the shoes. During the day, pair it with flats or sandals. Then at night, swap out your school or work shoes for a pair of heels.

Thanks for reading!

OUTFIT

Dress: Soft Joie

Shoes: Kate Spade

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Accessories: House of Harlow necklace, Kate Spade necklace, bracelets

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GUEST SPOTLIGHT:: Christine Wang

Hey everyone! My sister graduated yesterday and, unfortunately, I could not be with her to share her final high school experience. Here are her reflections on and styling tips for her big day.
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Yesterday I officially became an alum to my high school. It's unreal to think I became that "big kid in the church choir outfit" that I looked up to when I was younger. Of course we had graduation outside (for the first time in years) in the lovely mixture of humidity and hotness that characterizes St. Louis springs and summers. But while I sat in my seat feeling my makeup melt off my face and watching the boy's blue gowned backs darken in sweat, I realized that the mere fact I was graduating dispelled all the other dismal conditions of that day.

I chose to stick with the classics and wear a white dress on my last day of labeled adolescence and THANK GOD I did. The dress has an open back so that helped me keep cool during the ceremony. I also wore my Sam Edelman sandals because the last thing I wanted on that day was to trip over the grass in front of thousands of people. A Kate Spade bangle that was given to me by two fantastic people for graduation helped add some color to a very white and neutral outfit. 

OUTFIT

Dress: Free People

Shoes: Sam Edelman

Accessories: Kate Spade bangle

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Thanks for reading you guys and congratulations to Christine! She will be heading to Columbia University in NYC this fall.

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Mosaic Pattern and Nude Pumps

Happy Friday everyone! I just wanted to check in with y'all after a tiring week.  

When I saw this dress online, I was immediately drawn to the colorful print. I like that this dress requires minimal accessorizing, which I am always on the lookout for.

I finally purchased these Kate Spade heels that I had my eyes on. I got them in nude because I wanted to get the most utility out these shoes, and nude is the most versatile shoe color (even more so, in my opinion, than black). 

 Blaine is graduating in a month, so I got to take his pictures for his graduation announcement. This is my favorite photo from today, mostly because I managed to NOT get myself out of the photo.
(J. Crew shirt courtesy of Christine)

OUTFIT

Dress: Mara Hoffman

Shoes: Kate Spade

Accessories: Forever 21 ring, bracelets

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Boyfriend Style (literally)

 

I think you already know how much I like to go through other people's closets. This time, I ventured into my boyfriend's wardrobe. Make no mistake, I am not into androgynous style, but with many stores offering women 'boyfriend-style' clothing, I thought it would be appropriate to try out a literal version of that style. 

The heels are obviously not Blaine's– there was no way that I could have made his shoes work! It glams the outfit up a little bit anyways, which is how I like it.

I love this belt. At first I thought it was kind of creepy, but it has since grown on me. Also, I never quite understood why men's jeans have the dimensions in plain sight for everyone to see.

Thanks for reading guys!

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Denim on Denim

I had always been taught that denim on denim was a no-no, but this trend is making a comeback so I decided to give it a try. Before you go running away with this 70's style, here are my thoughts on how to pull it off correctly.

Avoid picking out a one-note outfit. When you are pairing denim with denim, make sure that you choose different washes. I rolled my jeans up to add a lighter blue to my outfit in addition to the different washes of my shirt and jeans.

Details matter, which is why I love this chambray shirt (and chambray in general). The stitching, buttons, and pockets add additional texture to the outfit and breaks up the denim. Although I did not do it here, you can add a belt to further break it up.

And lastly, style this trend with some natural-colored sandals. Layering denim on denim packs a punch, so nude or brown shoes complement it perfectly.

Thanks for reading!

OUTFIT
Top: Cloth & Stone (from Anthropologie)
Bottom: American Eagle
Shoes: MRKT (previously seen here)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (previously seen here)

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Trench Coat and Damier Duo

 

During the summer before I started college, I wanted to buy a timeless coat that would be useful in sunny Pasadena. I decided to invest in a trench coat because I foresaw myself wearing it for years to come. This light coat is perfect for spring and I can see it easily transitioning into my work wardrobe in the future.  

                                             Knotting the belt gives my outfit a casual vibe. 

I was at a consignment store back in St. Louis and spotted these Louis Vuitton ballet flats in Damier Ebene (the official name for the brown-checkered pattern). And since they matched my wallet, I had to get them. If you are hesitant to shell out hundreds of dollars on a luxury-brand item, I suggest you look at items sold through consignment stores. Consignment stores sell other people's designer items at a huge discount. The reputable ones guarantee 100% authenticity and go through great lengths to ensure that. The one I always frequent back home is Byrd Style Lounge. And in Los Angeles, consignment stores abound with the most notable being Decades. The owners even have a show on Bravo titled 'Dukes of Melrose.'

Thanks for reading!

OUTFIT

Top: American Eagle

Bottom: Siwy (previously seen here)

Outerwear: Burberry

Shoes: Louis Vuitton

Accessories: Louis Vuitton wallet, House of Harlow necklace (previously seen here)

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Room for Improvement

Hi everyone! The universe is constantly evolving and so am I. So over the weekend, I decided to revamp my blog a bit by changing the template and adding some new features. I try to stay away from any computer programming tasks because of my inability to perform them in a timely manner. But with the help of Google, I managed to accomplish what I wanted. Now, at the end of every post, you can share/like my posts through Facebook and Twitter. Also, if you click on each post to go to the post page, there is also a button to 'pin' a photo on Pinterest. In this way, I hope that I made things easier for you guys to share what you like. Let me know what you think!

P.S. here is a picture from my weekend.

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Let's go to the beach

It is starting to feel like summertime in SoCal. Tomorrow, I am giving myself a much-needed break in the midst of midterms and going to the beach. Here are my beach essentials (minus the swim suit).

fedora, tote, dress, book, flip flops, sunscreen, sunglasses

1. Fedora: A wide-brimmed fedora is the perfect hat to take with you to the beach.

2. Beach Tote: I like to be prepared for the beach and a tote bag fits everything that I need. The last time I went to the beach, my friends and I brought sandwiches from Togo's. I love the idea of packing a lunch meal for the beach with your friends or significant other.
3. Colorful Dress: The beach is the one place where bold prints truly belong. You can buy a swim cover up, but it works just as well to wear a colorful and simple dress over your swim suit. And in that way, you can get more use out of a purchase.
4. "Elite" by Kiera Cass: Even though I am in college, I still read books from the Teen section of Barnes & Noble- it is my guilty pleasure. "Elite" is described as The Bachelor meets Hunger Games, which sounds like pure heaven to me because I am a fan of both series individually. "Elite" is actually the sequel to "The Selection," which I did not think was too impressive and received lackluster reviews. However, critics seem to be taking a better view on the sequel, so I am excited to give the series another go.
5. Rainbows: I don't own these sandals (yet), but my sister has them and they are the best things ever! Nothing says quintessential California quite like Rainbows.
6. Sunscreen: Do not, I repeat, do not forget to apply sunscreen. I burn fast, so I like to slather some on before I head to the beach and keep the bottle in my tote bag for further reapplications.
7. Sunglasses: I have been loving cat-eye sunglasses lately. A fedora and these cat-eyes would be a great combination.

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Booties and a Bandana

Happy May everyone!

I usually wear my hair down naturally, but I love a chance to style it up a bit. Instead of buying fancy hair bands, which usually do not fit my head properly, I prefer using a bandana to accessorize my hair. You can buy these square cloths at the dollar store and they come in a myriad of colors.

I like to wear a bandana with my hair down to add a pop of color to an outfit or with a ponytail to keep stray hairs away from my face.

A bandana in your school's color(s) is a cute way to show school spirit at a pep rally or sports event. I have an orange one for Caltech.

I also love a good pair of worn-in boots. I have been into ankle/short boots lately. They look best paired with dresses and shorts.

Thanks for reading!

OUTFIT

Dress: Free People

Jacket: J. Crew (similar here)

Shoes: Frye

Accessories: pearl bracelet, red bandana

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