Pinstripes with a Bow

This outfit was sweet and comfortable - I played up the volume of the boyfriend shirt with skinny white pants. My favorite part about these shirts is the fit - I feel like I'm wearing pajamas! I added a bright green bow to complete the preppy look and my blue handmade necklace for some sparkle. 

Outfit details: Shirt: Gap / Pants: American Eagle / Shoes: TOMs / Necklace: DIY 

Have a beautiful day! 

Glamour: Pleather Leggings

Chambray shirt: Delia's / Tank top: Delia's (I think) / Leggings: Charlotte Russe / Shoes: Don't remember (sorry!)

Pleather leggings?!!?!

Wait! Before you overlook it completely, take a look at the outfit I styled here with these wet-look/pleather leggings.

I'm not a huge fan of leggings as pants but since these leggings look a bit more like pants than regular leggings, I figured it was okay to pair them with a long tank top and a chambray top. As a rule, NEVER wear leggings as pants unless your shirt is covering your crotch and butt. Please. I've seen way too many girls at school wear skin-tight leggings that reveal way more than should be seen in public.

Anyway, typically, pleather leggings are seen as super glamorous, party-like outfits, but if paired with casual pieces like a chambray shirt and a graphic tank, can be toned down for everyday.

Since I didn't want the outfit to completely lose its glamorous touch so I opted for some cute slip-on wedges that are actually really comfy. I got these in freshman year (ahh so long ago!) and I just remember teetering in them during the last day of school with a short skirt, thinking I was super cool. Oh boy. Thank goodness I've changed.

Earrings: Charlotte Russe

For jewelry, I went with gold bangles and these cute hoop earrings. For some reason, hoop earrings always seem kinda "bad girl" like. Ever heard of the saying, "Hold ma hoops!"?

Transformation

Would you believe me if I told you this shirt...was a dress?

Remember this dress? I wore it here.

I really wanted to pair the dress with these mint pants, but when I put them on, the flare of the dress didn't go well with the skinny jeans. I've never been into the dress over pants look. However, I still felt determined to make the two go together...with a little rolling and tying, I turned the dress into a shirt! I put on a blazer to cover up some of the pinning in the back and keep myself warm - perfect for a spring day.

Outfit details: Blazer: Gap / Pants: American Eagle / Top (dress): H&M / Sandals: Franco Sarto / Earrings: Native American shop in North Carolina 

Have you ever gotten creative with your clothes and transformed them? I'm going to try to learn how to sew this summer with my grandmother so I can create my own designs! 

Happy Memorial Day!

Fedora: Charlotte Russe / Cardigan: Charlotte Russe / Dress: Forever21 / Shoes: TOMs

Quick post today guys! Memorial day is all about honoring veterans who served our nation. It's important to show respect because a lot of men and women gave their lives for our freedom.

So I dressed for the occasion.

Today, I was planning on going to the Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania (ended up not going and went to the largest retail mall in American instead, King of Prussia Mall) so horse show = preppy (dresses and hats in particular). Now I don't have many hats, but I thought this straw fedora matched my outfit nicely without distracting from the red, white, and blue ensemble.

I started with the white polka-dotted, red dress as the base and layered on a light white cardigan with a lace back. The sides of the cardigan kinda dangled weirdly so I tied it up.

And for that final pop of blue....TOMs!

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day and weekend!

Colorblocking

I wore this colorblocked outfit recently for a Mother's Day lunch with my family. We went out to a local Chinese restaurant. I wanted to style a pair of statement earrings and I decided to match them to a bright colored outfit. I debated whether I wanted to wear the belt and decided to in the end because it helped transition the shirt and the skirt. It also matches my sandals, which are super comfortable. I believe comfort is most important when it comes to shoes. I don't care how good a pair of shoes looks, if I'm in pain, I don't want to wear them! 

Outfit details: Blouse: Mine via TJMaxx / Belt: LOFT / Skirt: H&M / Purse: BCBGeneration / Sandals: Franco Sarto via Lord and Taylor / Earrings: Lord and Taylor 

Here's a closer look at the earrings. 

I love how they combine all my favorite colors. 

Have a wonderful day! 

LWD: Little White Dress

Dress: Charlotte Russe / Shoes: Guess (Macy's)

So if you haven't already gotten the message enough, here it is again: LWDs are IN! LBDs were all the rage (and still are classic pieces) but for this spring season, little white dresses are the trend.

I absolutely love them.

White is a much better contrast against my tan skin tone than black, which can make me seem rather dark and gloomy at times. Also, white dresses are just automatically associated with purity and innocence, like standing in a  field of flowers. Black dresses are more sexy and seductive...something that's not easy for me to pull off unfortunately.

To style my LWD, which has cute crochet detailing on the front and along the hem, I paired it with a brown belt to accentuate the waist and also break up the otherwise monotonous white. For shoes, I went with my brown gladiators to match the belt. Also, I went with gold-toned jewelry.

Awkward picture, but you can still see the back :)

The back of this dress is its highlight as it has a deep v-shaped plunge. Ordinarily I would wear it with perhaps a neon or black bandeau, but since we must remain appropriate for school :P, I went with a black cami.

Charm bracelet and gold/copper bracelets

Cute gold and turquoise leaf earrings for that pop of color!

Shine Bright

For this outfit, I wanted to style my powder blue blouse with my white jeans. Both items are classic and simple. I matched the silver crystals on my blouse to silver TOMs, and tried a double braid in the back instead of my usual braids that meet in the middle. My hair is getting long! I'm going to get a haircut soon...only a few inches, though! 

Outfit details: Blouse: Forever 21 / Pants: American Eagle / Shoes: TOMs / Watch: Pierre Cardin / Bracelet: Handmade 

I like the hairstyle, and I think I would bobby-pin it next time instead of using the clips. I've been brainstorming prom hairstyles...there are so many pretty styles! Prom is in a few weeks for me, but some of my friends have already had theirs. They looked gorgeous! This is a fun time of year and the weather seems to reflect everyone's mood. The seniors are starting to feel restless, because our AP and IB tests are over. I think everyone is ready for summer and starting to realize how soon graduation is. I'm trying to enjoy the last few days of high school before summer - and college - begins. 

Have a beautiful day!

Light and Sheer

Blouse: Charlotte Russe / Skirt: Forever21 / Sandals: Guess (Macy's)

Yay for the change in scenery!

Today's outfit was all about light, sheer, and flowy, kind of like the spring day that I wore it during. I wore a sheer, nude blouse and rolled up the sleeves (to beat the heat!) and I paired with my blue floral dress. I tied the two pieces together with a brown belt and matching gladiator sandals. 

For spring days, I really like wearing light, sheer blouses just because they're modest, yet ethereal. Very lady-like and womanly rather than youthful like tank tops.

Arm candy + Accent Nail Manicure!

I ended up wearing silver because one of the bracelets has blue on it which I thought would pair nicely with the blue skirt and nails.

On a side note, lately, the weather's been overcast and rainy which actually makes spring so much lovelier. I love sunny, breezy days, but rainy spring days are just gorgeous. Have you ever tried sitting by an open window and just listening to the raindrops patter and smelling the pretty scent of rainwater? It's relaxing and inspiring.

Bohemian Maxi

In Xuewei's last post, she styled a pretty maxi skirt with a chambray shirt. Here's how I styled my maxi and chambray. My outfit features a  bohemian, relaxed style. I wanted to be comfortable yet stylish for school.

Outfit details: Chambray shirt: American Eagle / Printed shirt: Delia's / Maxi skirt: TJMaxx / Shoes: TOMs / Watch: Citizen / Belt: Vintage / Necklace: The Hot Jewelry Box (local store) 

The printed top contrasts with the simplicity of the black skirt and the chambray added another layer of comfort and warmth.

I had no idea how to style this black maxi skirt, so I browsed Pinterest for ideas. Whenever I get a new piece of clothing, I always look at Pinterest for inspiration. It's great to see how other ladies have chosen to pair clothes together. Sometimes I come across some ingenious solutions! 

Hope you're having a great day.

The Maxi Skirt

Maxi Skirt: Forever21

 I used to think that short girls couldn't wear maxi skirts, that despite what all those fashion blogs said about maxi being for everyone, it just would not look right on me. I guess I never realized though that the material of the maxi plays a HUGE role. Heavy, knit maxi skirts will definitely drag your figure down if you're short whereas the one I'm wearing, a light, slightly sheer chiffon one, can elongate your legs and make you seem ethereal.

Maxi skirts can also be worn in a variety of ways, either at the waist (the smallest part) or at the hips. I prefer the look of the maxi skirt sitting just on the hips because I think it looks more laid-back and casual, but it's harder to pull off if you're short in my opinion.

I paired my maxi skirt with a chambray button up which I tied up at the bottom so my legs look even longer with the maxi skirt sitting at my waist. I actually think the outfit looks great with a bit of stomach showing, but since I can't wear that to school, I tied the shirt a little lower and pulled the skirt a little higher.

As a 5ft tall girl, I needed heels so the maxi skirt wouldn't drag on the ground, but I think that the heels just made my legs seem even longer. Look at the picture...it's kind of ridiculous!

As you can see, the skirt is sheer in the sunlight.

Since coral goes well with gold, I paired some gold bangles.

So after receiving many compliments on my outfit, I think I've changed my mind about maxi skirts. They're so comfy and just make the outfit so laid-back and California casual. Plus when I'm wearing it and the wind blows it around, I just feel like a goddess.

Morning Meditations

So I've been trying something new lately: Meditating every morning! I used to turn my phone on automatically each morning after I woke up, but for the past two weeks, I've been trying to spend five to ten minutes sitting cross-legged, breathing deeply, counting my breaths, and allowing myself to think uninhibitedly. I simply allow thoughts to come into my head, such as thoughts about what I need to do that day, and once I understand what I need to do with that, I let the thoughts go. 

Image from Aquarianbookshop.com

At first, it was hard for me to do it. I kept thinking about things I needed to do and could not focus on my breathing. I felt impatient for the five minutes to be done and I wondered how I could possibly just sit for that long. But after a few mornings, I realized what a huge impact those quiet moments at the beginning of each day made on my mental well-being. I need that time to prepare myself for the day; I need to start each morning feeling refreshed and recharged. During those five minutes, I remind myself to be happy, to take it easy on myself and to be patient with others. I feel calmer and I find that I go through my day's activities with a renewed sense of purpose and flexibility.

I found the idea here from A Cup of Jo, one of my daily reads, and I think it's brilliant. I would recommend meditation to anyone - you don't have to be stressed or overwhelmed to reap the benefits of a daily affirmation of your beliefs and moment of calm before the events and information of the day start to set in. 

Give it a try! You might find that you like it. Good luck! 

Pastel Pairing and Arm Parties

I had wanted to wear pastels in an outfit, inspired by all the cute spring lookbooks I've been seeing! Pastels are so feminine and sweet. I put together this sweater, hand knit by my extraordinarily talented grandmother, and these mint pants. I've had this sweater for ages (literally: think elementary school) but it amazingly still fits me. It's super comfortable and every time I wear it, I think of my grandmother. To keep the outfit from being too colorful, I wore a white neutral shirt. I also played up on the arm party trend with a mix of handmade, gifted and store-bought bracelets! 

Outfit details: Top: Gap / Sweater: Handmade by my grandmother! / Pants: American Eagle / Necklace: Forever 21 / Shoes: Sperry 

The arm parties:

From bottom to top: Vivabeads bracelet, Handmade friendship bracelet (braided rainbow and navy nylon embroidery thread with a chain from a necklace), Citizen watch (gifted)

From bottom to top: Handmade friendship bracelet following this pattern (made it last summer!), Gold bracelet gifted from my mom, Jade bracelet (used to be my mom's)

I love making friendship bracelets and I'm looking forward to making more this summer!

My outfit reminds me of these cute and delicious looking macarons:

Image from Krista Palmu

Let's make today a great day! 

The Art of Layering: Pattern Play

I wore this outfit on a day when the weather was simply wonderful - not too hot or cold, and a slight breeze...It was one of those days where you can close your eyes, relax, and release all your thoughts. 

For a day like this, I wanted to wear something relaxed and comfortable. I chose this grey floral dress and added a printed belt to define my waist. On top of the dress, I added a green cardigan. The patterns in the dress and belt work together because they are both understated. If I'm mixing patterns, I try to keep only one as the focus. In this outfit, the dress is the focus, and the belt, which has thin stripes, is an accent pice. The green color in the belt and cardigan bring everything together. I kept all other accessories neutral - you can't see them in this photo, but I'm wearing these silver glitter TOMs.

Outfit details: Cardigan: Abercrombie and Fitch / Dress: Gap / Belt: LOFT / Shoes: TOMs

In this photo is my friend Victoria Elizabeth. I love her outfit! The dress, cardigan and belt combination is so great for spring, when it can be chilly in the morning but warm in the afternoon! 

I hope you have a pleasant spring day! 

Watercolor Florals

Chambray Shirt: Delia's / Purple Tank Top: Old Navy's / Jeans: Loehmann's / Boots: American Rag (Macy's)

It finally rained! I feel like it hasn't rained in so long. I could barely remember what a rainy day was like...

Today, I ended up wearing a new tank top that my mom had bought for me a long time ago. It's hard to tell in the picture but the tank actually is quite loose and drapes very nicely. The floral pattern on it reminds me of watercolors. I know the photo makes it look rather harsh, but trust me, it's like I'm wearing a watercolor painting.

The material's pretty interesting too. It feels kind of like a raincoat? (Haha, perfect for the weather!) Underneath, I just wore a simply purple boyfriend tank to stay covered up. And since it was a tank and for some reason, the weather is still rather chilly, I put on my chambray button-up over it for a very casual look.

Honestly, my chambray shirt might be my favorite piece in my entire closet. It always makes any outfit look more fashionable. It's super comfy AND looks laid-back. It never looks like I'm trying too hard. It has that effortless California look (Think Blake Lively). 

The other day, I saw an interesting make up tutorial that I wanted to try out. It basically involves rose gold eyeshadow all over the lids and turquoise eye liner on the bottom lash line and waterline.

My take on it:

Yeah I know, I take awkward pictures.

 Yup, so that's it for today! Here's a random picture my brother (the photographer) took:

Peppermint Patties

When I saw this hat in my room, I thought it would be a fun addition to this outfit! In this outfit, I combined white, brown, and mint for a slightly bohemian yet coordinated look. When I wear this top, I like to tuck in the front because it looks less bohemian, and leave the back loose so it is more casual. I added the leopard-print shoes to mix up the colors and patterns, while staying with brown colors.

Outfit details: Top: LOFT / Pants: American Eagle / Bag: Dooney & Burke / Belt: Vintage / Necklace: DIY / Earrings: Urban Outfitters / Flats: Nine West 

This hat was a gift from my grandmother. It's going to be a lovely addition to Spring and Summer dresses and skirts! I always make sure to wear plenty of SPF when I go outside. A straw hat like this will be essential for shielding my skin from the sun's rays. I believe that skin protection starts from a young age, and that healthy skin is beautiful skin. I recently read this article about skin care at different ages here on Refinery 29, and I'll be sure to follow it as I get older! 

I always try to remember that happiness and health are the most beautiful accessories a woman can have :)