In other news, The Life of the Party chose me as last week’s fashion informant. The Life of the Party is a great fashion blog with weekly link-ups. Head on over to check her out, as well as see yours truly. Thanks again, Sherry, for the feature. (: Cheers!
XO.
{ Top & shorts: Banana Republic | Necklace and blazer: Forever 21 | Purse: Kate Spade | Shoes: Dolce Vita, Nordstrom } Happy Sunday, guys! Banana Republic Factory was having a huge sale this past weekend and I … Continue reading
The chambray shirt is a classic — and for good reason. It can be dressed up or dressed down, and matches nearly anything. Tuck it under a pencil skirt to go to work, or pair with distressed boyfriend jeans and a statement necklace for a GNO. You can expect to find them sold anywhere from Target to J.Crew, varying in wash, fit, style, and to mention, price.
I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect chambray shirt for quite a long time now. I wanted one that was light, fitted, and not too stiff. And you’ll never guess where I found it. Plato’s Closet. Macklemore would be proud. 🙂 **Note: I am actually selling an old AERIE chambray shirt. I’ve worn it maximum two times and it is still in great condition. You can find it (as well as some other gently worn items) here. Site is updated daily.
{ Top: Plato’s Closet | Belt: Forever 21 | Pants: Old Navy | Necklace: The Limited | Purse & watch: Italy | Shoes: Dolce Vita @ Nordstrom )
I’m not sure if I shared it here or not, but I am now a style guru intern at the website, http://www.collegefashionista.com. The site is more or less a digital magazine showcasing the current street style on the nation’s different campuses. The whole site is written by and features only college students, so readers can trust and engage with the content.
I write for the ACCESSORIES REPORT column which comes out every Friday. My first report will go live this week. In the mean time, you can read my bio post right here:
Here is a sneak peek of the photo shoot for this week’s article:
When we arrived to Barcelona, we were greeted with brisk wind and abundant sunshine. After all the rain and fog Italy had been receiving, it was a nice change of pace. We embraced Barcelona’s sun with open arms and decided to capitalize on its perfect weather by staying outdoors. We walked along the main streets, took a short boat ride gaining an incredible view of Barcelona gems, and then relaxed with cold cider on the beach.
To dress for the occasion, I wore bright, bold colors and paired them with equally bold prints — a polka dot collard tank and a cheetah print belt. Take a look:
XO.
Before I came to Italy, I only needed two hands to count the number of times I rode on an airplane. Now, it’s a different story. In the past three months, I’ve flown on an airplane 11 times. I’ve flown more in the past three months than I have in my entire life! Flying around in Europe isn’t nearly as expensive as it is in the states. Example: I flew to Barcelona last week for only 8 euros! Flying is, also, not nearly as glamorous as I imagined it to be beforehand. It’s exhausting and tedious and always leaves horrendous blotches on my skin. Given, I do fly through really low-budget airlines, (curse you, Ryanair), so customer service tends to be awful and the restrictions are short of not letting the passengers on the plane — but hey, it’s all part of the experience right? Anyway, maybe flying really is glamorous when you’re doing it first class. Wouldn’t know.
Along the way, I’ve picked up some tips and tricks to minimize some of the awfulness that unavoidably follows when flying.
1. BIG SUNGLASSES | Often departure times are at absurd hours and makeup is the last thing on your mind. To not scare off the entire airport with under-eye bags and dry skin, I cover half of it up with sunglasses! This also lets me keep a little bit of my dignity when I doze off on the plane with mouth wide open.
2. SWEATER, TANK, & SCARF | Airplane temperature is SO unpredictable. Sometimes you’re in an ice box, others you’re in a tanning bed. You never know until you’re already high in the air and it’s too late to jump. I always come prepared ready to take off layers if the ride starts to get stuffy, or use the sweater and scarf as a blanket if the temperatures lowers.
3. MINIMAL JEWELRY | I keep my earrings on but other than that, everything stays in my carry-on to avoid any hassle during security. I hate when a piece accidentally makes the metal detector go off and I have to awkwardly get felt up by a stranger in front of everyone. Oh, don’t forget to take the belt off and leave the bra with underwire at home. (I learned the hard way.) No, I don’t have any bombs or knives hidden inside my pants.
4. LONGCHAMP | Now, I don’t have a longchamp tote but I do think it would make for the perfect carry-on bag. Any bag large enough to fit everything works, and a long strap to free your arms for balancing other luggage is a plus. Inside the bag? Headphones, tylenol, a good read, hand sanitizer, lip balm, tissues, body spray, makeup, a journal and pen, wallet, passport, and fuzzy socks (in case the plane gets really cold.)
5. FLATS | Usually when you wear flat shoes, they don’t make you take it off to go through security. And even if they do, slipping them on and off is painless. It’s always annoying having to take your boots off, go through, lug them to a nearby bench, and then put them back on.
6. BLACK LEGGINGS | Because it’s comfortable and lets you pretend you’re wearing no pants at all. No one likes to sit through a flight in stiff denim. No one. Sticking to black, specifically, is a good choice because its chicness can be dressy enough if you have somewhere to be right after with no time to change.
OTHER THINGS | If you fall asleep on the plane, be sure to keep your belongings wrapped around you so no one nearby can steal your things. Better yet, sit on them if you can! Better safe than sorry. Pack a snack and fill your water bottle before you get on the plane because all the prices get jacked up the second you step on. A cup of water? 4 euros.
Unfortunately, I can’t get rid of screaming babies, rude employees, or the long lines at security — if it were up to me though, I would in a heartbeat — but hopefully some of these will make your next plane ride more enjoyable. (: I’d love to hear any other travel essentials or tips I didn’t mention! xo.
When I was in London last week, I kept coming back to the same conclusion. And it is this. (I suggest you go ahead and grab a pen and paper. To take notes. You ready?)
London thinks jeans are overrated.
Deep stuff, right? I know, I know. You’re welcome for that epiphany.
Everyone in London is stylish and beautiful and should be on the cover of a magazine. So if my camera and map in hand didn’t give away my tourist status, my lack of long legs and flowy hair probably did. And ladies? If you are single, SAVE YOURSELF. Because your husband is out there waiting for you… in London. And he has a chiseled jaw and perfect hair and he wears a suit. And he has an accent.
Back to clothes. So I decided to start doing “street style” posts to really gather, archive, compare and contrast all the different fashion I’ve been seeing across Europe, and now UK. I took majority of the photos with my iPhone to be a bit more incognito, but then my phone was stolen and along with it, the photos. 😦 Whateves, life goes on. I tried to snap some pics with my not-so-small DSLR.
London style:
I think next time I’m just gonna go up to ladies/men in nice outfits and ASK for their permission before I take their photo. Til then, here are some pics of people who grabbed my attention and have absolutely no idea their image is floating on the world wide web.
Ciaoz.
^ How creepy is THAT one??
I love my layers as much as the next, but a girl can only do boots and scarves for so long. After two months of wrapping myself in denim and pea coats, I have hit my limit. But it’s still cold here in Italy — and it looks like winter wants to stay awhile — so I can’t seem to justify pulling out flip flops or sundresses just yet.
My favorite way to stay warm AND trendy is to leave jeans out of the equation entirely. Opt for thick tights, instead. A knitted sweater over a black dress. High-waisted shorts. Whatever the combination, I find it easier to be versatile when I’m not stuck with denim.
I went to Paris this past weekend, and when I started packing, I knew it would be the perfect opp to try more fun looks and leave the jeans at home. And I mean, it’s Paris — we gotta bring our “A” game. (; I packed those same darn boots I’ve been lugging because they’re the most comfortable to walk in, BUT I pulled out my trench coat and hat for the first time since arriving in Europe! Something old, something new.
XO.
Hat : Urban Outfitters | Trench coat : Forever 21 | Cable-knit sweater : Ann Taylor Loft | Shorts : Forever 21 | Boots : Franco Sarto | Necklace : Charming Charlie
I’m leaving for Italy in three short days. Where did all the time go? It’s time to face the music and start planning logistics: calling banks, making copies of the passport, buying toileries, and the most dreaded task of all, packing.
How does one with an absolute affinity for clothing fit four months — that’s two seasons — worth of attire into ONE suitcase? We’re packing for both winter AND spring. Not to mention that those clothes will also be sharing space with shoes, towels, sheets, toiletries, jackets, and personal items. I’m even exhausted just listing what I need to pack.
The study abroad office offered us practical tips to make this process a little less stressful. Take a look at their “suggested list of items to pack” for one semester:
Yes, you did read that right. They suggest you switch off between TWO blouses and TWO shirts for FOUR STRAIGHT MONTHS! I know the whole “pack lightly” thing is words of wisdom and a foreign concept, but that number just seems a little ridiculous. Who’s to say that you won’t spill or unable to head over to the laundromat on time or I don’t know, just get sick of that one shirt you’ve been wearing for four months.
So, I tried to find a nice compromise between the study abroad’s version of packing, and my unhealthy tendency to overpack, and surprisingly discovered a happy medium. Normally, I would rationalize that everything in my closet was necessary, throw it all in the suitcase without even thinking of how they would go together, and call it a day. This time, I selected a set amount of pieces and tried to mix-and-match to see how many different outfits it could create. Smartest decision ever. Learn new things every day. (;
JKFACEE tackles “packing lightly. | Here’s what happened:
One maxi dress + One flannel + One blazer + Two scarves + Three necklaces + Four shirts + Four sweaters +Five bottoms = 50+ outfits!
(hey, i know it still sounds like a lot but “packing lightly” is subjective. don’t judge.)
Below are the pieces I choice to include for this challenge and trip.
And these are some quick ensembles that can be created out of those pieces:
Mix and matching different pieces — plus swapping in jewelry — really change both the entire feel and look of an outfit. Expand your closet and minimize your spending by playing around with different items you already own, and challenge yourself to coordinate them in a completely new way that you’ve never thought of. Be adventurous and bold. Play with unique color combos, textures, throw in a scarf, or add an extra layer. You’ll be surprised to see how much more clothing you own; and in my case, the concept of living out of a suitcase for four months will be much easier to swallow.
XO.
A Cup of J. 