Jailbird

     I love button downs. I love stripes. So it was no surprise I grabbed this little number when I saw it on Asos. Unfortunately for me, I have a witty manfriend who pokes fun at my outfits. Normally I ignore him, but this time, his comment stuck and I can't unstick it!

     What's a girl to do? Go with the flow! He calls them 'prison stripes' because prison uniforms were black and white horizontally striped. I decided to give them a chicer name so they are now known as my 'jailhouse striped' top.

     These photos were taken a day after my haircut so I was still rocking my blowout. I've been eyeing lobs for a bit, and asked my stylist, Bendy, what he thought. He warned me it was a lot of work, especially for someone who asks to be able to wake up and go. I am super lazy, but I love love love all these lobs and bobs I see! What should I do??

Office appropriate? ✓✓
After-work drinks fun? ✓
Dinner date good? ✓

Jailhouse Striped Top  | Asos
Fluted Skirt | Zara
Two-tone pumps | Schutz
(leopard version here)
Sunglasses | Kate Spade
Jewelry | Shashi, Gorjana, Michael Kors

Would you get a lob haircut?

Let's stay in touch!

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Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

Blogiversary Outfit: Year 1

When I saw this photo, I thought I looked like an old time-y starlet addressing the paparazzi:
"Please dahling, stop with the photos~"

When Outnet had its clearance sale a few weeks back, I saw this beautiful, vibrant blue maxi. I bought it as an easy piece to wear to work or out to dinner; nothing special. Boy, was I wrong!

     With a belt, this dress gave me a sultry, svelte figure. I look taller, thinner, and way more voluptuous than allowed. I'm still in shock as I look at these photos, thinking 'did I grow?' I look a solid 3 inches taller than I really am. I don't look 5'3", right?? (160 cm for international readers) I saw the photos and knew at once they would be the outfit I'd use to commemorate my one year anniversary. I want the confidence this dress gives me to be representative of the year to come! :)

     Recently, I read an article where the author wrote about $/wear. She grew up watching her mother use this method to purchase clothing.

     Keeping this in mind, I considered where I would wear this dress and how often. This dress is long and covers my shoulders so I can easily get away with it at work. The relaxed fit and vibrant color makes it great for after work shenanigans. I won't wear it everyday (to avoid stares), but I can easily wear this to as low as $4/wear!


Office appropriate? ✓✓

After-work drinks fun? ✓✓
Dinner date good? ✓✓

Blue Maxi Dress  | T Bags Los Angeles (similar here)
Gold Heels | Charlotte Olympia
Sunglasses | Kate Spade
Jewelry | Shashi, Gorjana, Michael Kors

Ok, if you didn't notice, this last photo is with different shoes. After I went through the photos at night, I noticed I didn't capture how the dress caught the wind and rippled in the air like a blue ocean wave. So one day after work, I dragged the manfriend with me to take some more photos with whatever heels I had on hand!

Have you ever considered a method similar to $/wear?

Let's stay in touch!

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Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

Golden Girl

Gorgeous detailing by the ever creative namesake, Charlotte Olympia.

The delicate beading on this vintage bag had me swooning.

A few weeks earlier, I had the pleasure of attending someone's wedding. It was a beautiful afternoon filled with good food, good people, and a ton of love. It also signaled the beginning of wedding season for me! That means recycling/restyling work outfits for weddings and vice versa.

     This dress was purchased for a wedding, but is easily made office appropriate, which made it a winner in my book. It's past the knee, not low cut, and has thick dress straps. If your office is conservative or runs the AC, throw a cropped sweater or cardigan on.

     And the color of this dress is more than fitting for me. My family name is yellow in Mandarin and it has influenced my fashion choices from the beginning. I love any shade of yellow more than a bright green or navy blue. It's the color of sunflowers, the happiest flower on earth. And I've loved yellow (gold) jewelry more than silver.

     Speaking of gold hardware, I am absolutely in love with my new Charlotte Olympia shoes. They are my first "big girl" purchase. They're not practical, but these things never are!

Office appropriate? ✓

After-work drinks fun? ✓
Dinner date good? ✓

Yellow Pencil Dress  | Asos
Gold Heeled Sandals | Charlotte Olympia
Sunglasses | Kate Spade
Beaded Clutch | Vintage clutch (borrowed)
Arm Party | Heirloom, Shashi
Rings | Gorjana, Michael Kors

The top of these sandals have a metal bow like those you put on gifts and the shoes are called 'Surprise'. I kid you not. I can't help but love the little details that make Charlotte Olympia shoes so quirky and unique.

Are you prepared for wedding season?

Let's stay in touch!

  &    &   

Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

Polka Dotted Retro Beauty

Ok, someone needs to cut me off. I've gone and bought something from thredUP again! Second time in a month since finding out about them (1st time can be found here). I think I'm in trouble!

     This dress is a literal combo of my two of my biggest fashion loves: thrifting and Asos.

     It's one of those dresses you put on and instantly know it'll be with you for years. The cut and gathering of the dress lent a retro vibe to the dress so I wanted to pair it with my favorite Catarzi pillbox hat for the photo shoot despite the warm, humid weather.

     I have fallen head over heels for this dress. It is spotted in adorable polka dots, has figure flattering ruching at the waist, and is easy to run errands in (I did my Reiss press day in this!).

Best part?

Office appropriate? ✓
After-work drinks fun? ✓
Dinner date good? ✓

Polka dot pencil dress | Asos
(similar here, like this one)
Two-tone pumps | Schutz (leopard version here)
Pillbox hat | Catarzi
Perforated bucket bag | Neiman Marcus
Mother of pearl necklace | Ippolita (similar here)
Arm party | Shashi, Gorjana (ring)

Have you tried thredUP yet?

Let's stay in touch!

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Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

Team Jenny Mermaid Nails & LWD

I wasn't joking! Anything lace inspired, and I'm there with credit card in hand. This eyelet shift is from J. Crew last year. If you've been reading from the beginning then you know I've worn it once. But last time was a bit more classic: standalone shift paired with vibrant neon colors in the Kate Spade yellow clutch, green and blue thin strap heeled sandals, and wavy hair.

     This time, I went for a boyish look accompanied with delicate, dainty jewelry for a touch of femininity. I love wearing shifts for their functionality, but as a short, curvy girl it's easy to look like an oompa loompa from Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. 

     A lot of streetstyle stars tie shirts around their waist for added dimension. I decided to use this trend to create some definition in my figure! The results? I definitely find shift dresses more appropriate for my small stature now, even for blog photos! Maybe you'll see more in the future :)

     And can I point out the amazing nail job? My friends at Team Jenny Nails painted my nails over the weekend, and it reminded me of the beach! The colors of the sea surrounded by bits of gold glitter like the sun reflecting off the water as sea foam washes up a starfish! Ahhhh! Makes me motivated to try and paint my nails all the time now to match my outfits. We shall see....

Eyelet dress | J. Crew
(similar here, like this one)
Chambray shirt | Zara
Platform sandals | L.A.M.B.
Sunglasses | Kate Spade
Accessories | Shashi, Handmade, Gorjana, Jules Smith

Are you shift dress averse too?

Let's stay in touch!

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Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

Thrifting Reform(ation)

I'm taking it back to why I started this blog: thrifting.

I never felt comfortable with most fast fashion trends and boutiques. But for the longest time, I didn't think I had any other fashionable option so I followed suit and wore whatever was available. Then I stumbled upon the world of blogging, introduced to thrifting darlings such as Nicole Warne, and had my eyes opened up to a whole new world of possibility. I could wear midi skirts with peter pan collars, indulge in bows on everything, and vintage clothes with a touch of whimsy.

Thrifting was a gateway drug.

However, since moving to New Jersey for work, I have found the thrifting resources here are a bit bare. It's filled with a lot less vintage pieces, and more upcycled fast fashion. My only option for good thrifting was to go into NY every time I had the thrifting bug, that is, until recently.

I buy clothes online all the time, but thrifted pieces are another story. Their inherent nature of being "pre-loved" pieces makes them bound to show signs of wear, but would I find them acceptable? Did the company's "like new" mean a beaten up old rag or still with tags? I took a leap of faith, and gave thredUP a try (my lack of thrifting the past few months played no part in this decision, I swear). With free returns and a coupon code, I couldn't really lose. Boy, am I glad I trusted my thrifting gut and bought from thredUP!

I bought a bunch of beautiful pieces including this one from the Brooklyn-based brand, Reformation. I've lusted over their beautiful dresses for YEARS. They originally started by creating one of a kind dresses from vintage fabrics. Each dress embodied the grace of eras past without being outdated. They hinted at sexiness with its sheerness and design. With their growing popularity, they've since moved to using sustainable fabrics in conjunction with vintage fabrics, but stayed true to the original design of the dresses. I loved it so much I couldn't decide on just my usual 5 photo round up, and had to upload 10. Sorry!

So my verdict on thredUP? They're really awesome & here's why.

First Bit of Awesome: A lot of "New with Tags"

The majority of the clothes are "New with tags" or like new. I was a nerd and read their guidelines for sellers. They have really high standards. They refuse old clothing, or anything showing signs of wear, but they will always disclose any imperfections found like pilling or mild fraying).

Second Bit of Awesome: Range of Choices

They carry every brand imaginable. There were big names like Louis Vutton, Tory Burch, & J.Crew but also indie brands like Shabby Apple & Free People! They also have a varied range in products including shoes, handbags, maternity, and petites. Literally, a little something for everyone!

So if you're itching to thrift, and can't get to a store, then I highly suggest you try thredUP! If you still have questions on how it works, then check it out here. If you do buy from thredUP, let me know as I'd love to see your finds!

Sheer dress | Reformation

(here or similar here/here)

Two tone pumps | Schutz (leopard version here)

Satchel with top handle | Kate Spade (here)

Gold-plated belt | Asos

Tortoise shell sunglasses | Kate Spade

Disc earrings | Jules Smith 

Mother of pearl necklace | Ippolita (similar here)

Arm party | Shashi, Handmade, Gorjana (ring)

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Let's stay in touch!

  &    &   

Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)