Playing with Proportions

I was browsing through the last vestiges of the summer sale in Zara the other day, and came across these two pieces.  I fell in love with this skirt – its vintage cut and a bright-pastel, lilac color.  I feel quite ladylike in it, because it nips in so nicely at the waist.  Unfortunately, it’s made from a linen-like material, so wrinkles spread like wildfire, and I don’t own a clothing iron.  However, let’s all take a moment to celebrate the fact that the original price of this skirt was around 45, but I scored it for 17!!!!  And the little crop top?  1.99!  Good deals give me such a life-high!

I’m quite wary of crop tops because of my larger bust, although in theory they should be very helpful in terms of adding height to my short legs… it’s a catch-22.  I liked the idea of putting the crop top over a high-wasted skirt; it just feels easier and more fresh than tucking in a blouse.  I think this skirt runs the risk of looking very old-fashioned, so I was careful about how I styled it.  Maybe it’s not the MOST flattering outfit on my body, but I shouldn’t let things like my natural body shape deter me from wearing whatever the hell I want.  That’s a lesson I continually have to remind myself of, almost on a day-to-day basis.

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Modern Florals

Florals never go out of style, especially because there’s infinite ways to create a floral pattern.  It can be more traditional and old fashioned, more tropical, or something else entirely. Florals can become modern if paired with a second pattern – like a grid, plaid, stripes, even polka dots. Of course, you don’t want to get too crazy, but as long as the patterns are contrasting enough, or one pattern takes the backseat, the pattern-mixing works.

Even though the pattern of this dress is uniform throughout, it still feels a little more modern to me, probably because of the interesting colour combinations but also because it almost looks abstract.    Here are some examples of modern floral prints I found on Lookbook.nu:  Here, here, and here.

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My Perfect Summer Outfit

In the summertime, skinny jeans suddenly feel like a sticky wet suit impregnated with your own sweat, sweaters make you want to rip holes in the underarm area, the slightest breeze feels like heaven, and the sun rays continually blind you with piercing intensity.  You just want to wear something that doesn’t touch your body, something that floats.  The best and worst thing about hot summer temperatures is that you can get away with, and often must, wear next to nothing.  Showing more skin generally makes me feel uncomfortable, however, I’ve found a solution, and it’s really quite simple: the t-shirt dress.  

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April Outfit and Face of the Day

Today, I’m bringing you a quick outfit-of-the-day. I don’t do these very often, partly because it’s a tiny bit out of my comfort zone, but also because my wardrobe is relatively minimal at the moment, since I moved to France with only 1.5 suitcases in tow. I was looking back on my outfit posts within the last few months, and I realised they all look the same: Black, gray, and my one colour of choice, burgundy. Although I completely believe in the idea of a “capsule” wardrobe, where the mixing-and-matching possibilities are endless, it doesn’t make for the most varied outfit posts.

With warmer weather around the corner, and skinny jeans becoming less of a prevalent trend, I decided to add some lighter pieces into my wardrobe, and this lace dress is one of them. I also got some loose-fitting trousers that are basically constructed like pajama pants, a peach coloured blouse, and a floral kimono. I really feel like just these few pieces transform my wardrobe!

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The Last Bookstore + Outfit + Abbot Kinney Road

I’ve lived within Los Angeles County for the entirety of my life, and this week marked my THIRD visit to downtown… and the other two were so brief that they hardly count. I don’t give this city enough credit. I complain about how warm it is everyday, wanting to have that cozy winter holiday feeling that never seems to come, but really? Who can complain about year-round sunshine?

Michelle and I decided to go to The Last Bookstore, which is probably one of the coolest places I’ve been in a while. It doubles as artist studio space, performance venue, and even offers knitting classes. They had some awesome art installations with deconstructed pianos and sculptural sheet music! The ground level looked like a pretty standard bookstore, but upstairs is where the magic happens. Not only were the artist studios upstairs, but also “The Labyrinth above The Last Bookstore.”

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