styling class: week 7, post 2

A second part of our assignment this week is to watch runway shows and give our own opinions.  When it comes to fashion, I consider myself an expert with blogs, a jack with magazine spreads/editorials, but pretty much a loony with runway and designers.  Granted, I'm familiar with the famous ones and several contemporary/independent designers, but rarely do I follow them consistently season to season.  Deanne (or anyone that's reading this), please send me designer suggestions for inspiration!

I did, however, force myself to sit through one full-length Youtube show of 3.1 Phillip Lim.  I was unimpressed.  Maybe I just don't like the direction he's taking in the past few seasons.  He used to be a favorite.  Now, I'm not so sure anymore.  Then, admittedly, I cheated and just scrolled through photos on Style.com.  I tend to prefer S/S shows to F/W shows, just because the floaty fabrics, light and drapey material, and soft prints really catch my eye.  While I'm one for muted jewel tones - most F/W shows are too...frumpy...maybe edgy (?)...and just too drab and depressing for me.  I did manage to find two that I like though.

1. Alice & Olivia F/W 2011 RTW


Image on the left - I love the neutral palette, but also the variety of textures that make up this palette.  The patchwork tweed skirt against the gray fringey-fur top makes a bold yet not over-the-top statement, and I love how the loose black cardigan finshes the outfit off.  For the outfit on the right, who says winter can't have color?  The skirt is actually very spring-y, but only with what appears to be heavy fabric.  I'm also loving the blitz and bling that's very obvious on the shirt, but less on the jacket.  Shows that sparkle can be worn during the day and past the holidays.

2. Jason Wu F/W 2011 RTW


So I'm not really understanding the black-lacey thing over the head - but I'll just attribute that to the part of Jason Wu's mind that we're not supposed to get. :)  I don't think I'd dare to wear the top-half of the outfit on the picture to the left, but I'm loving the 70s-halter style with the black sheer lace and the ruffle by the neck.  It gives the sheerness a sense of class.  And I'm a sucker for this mustardy-chartruesey color despite it looking quite awful against my skin.  For the picture on the right, I'm loving this update on the LBD.  I'm totally thinking of layering my white jersey skirt under a black dress now to give it the same look.  Maybe it's the influence of my mom, but I'm loving simple, clean, sleek lines.  She's definitely a structural minimalist but very opulent with the colors and patterns of clothing.

3. J.Crew S/S 2011 RTW



This line was all the buzz when it came out last fall, and for once, I did not mind the buzz.  I clicked on links that featured this collection over and over again.  Everything looked so bright, so cheery, so cute, and perfect for a petite person like me.  Words can't express how much I love this one collection by J.Crew.  It made me want to try out new color combinations, new silhouettes, and new ways of wearing the same clothes.  It's certainly not as inventive as most designer collections, but it gave me the inspiration I needed - and continues to give me inspiration everytime I look at it.

styling class: week 7, post 1

Warning: picture-heavy post ahead!


This week in class, we covered one of my favorite topics - closet organization and shopping.  Very few people, aside from my family and my best friend Jen (who I used to call and list my "closet statistics" back in the day, rofl) know exactly how OCD I am about closet organization.  Besides the pictures you're about to see, I admittedly (sort of ashamedly) have a working closet inventory in an Excel spreadsheet with each item and its purchasing origin, brand, and price listed.

With how I treat some of my clothes at Rice, I know this entire blog post might be shocking.  That's because at Rice, I've found it difficult to be as creative with my wardrobe as I am with it at home.

1. The tiny wardrobe cabinets do no justice to showing off my clothing.
2. There's no room for my shoes.  And the grove and pebbled sidewalks have ruined the tips of every single pair of heels I've worn at Rice.  I gave up wearing new shoes at school after mid-sophomore year.
3. I don't have an hour every night to think of an outfit.  And outfit-planning for me - at least a creative, inventive, never before worn one - takes an hour, sadly.
4. It's annoying and kind of offensive when people ask if I'm dressed up to impress guy(s).  No, you idiot, I'm dressed up for myself and myself only.  If I was dressing to impress a guy, I would be walking around in lingerie and stripper heels.  Interestingly enough, I don't get this question outside of campus walls.

Enough griping though.  Here's a peek into what my wardrobe at home, and later in my apartment in Austin, looks like.  I've tried many different closet organization techniques: by type of clothing, by color, by season, by fabric.  Due to the way my stand-in closet is structured, I've found it easiest to pick outfits from the way I have it now - even though it might appear like a giant mish-mosh to someone else.  Every season, I go through a closet-cleaning process and get rid of a shit load of crap (and money). :(  This past year, I've gotten rid of  empire-waisted dresses/shirts, sweatshirts, brightly-colored plastic belts, and some horrid jewelry from Claire's back in the day.  Now I'm left with a much more pleasant muted color palette, more quality fabrics and materials, and less patterns you'd find in dELiA*s.

I realize from the way I took these pictures it's a bit hard to tell what the items are/see the detailing of the items.  Most items are organized by contrasting or similar colors/patterns, depending on how easy it is to see them in my very crowded closet.

A few pairs of shorts, culottes, and skirts.

More skirts.

My few pairs of pants - working on getting some more trousers, but not of the "work pant" variety.

Several of my casual dresses - formal dresses are tucked behind these.

Tunic-length layering shirts, blouses, cardigans, sweaters, and jackets.

Regular-length layering shirts, blouses, sweaters, and jackets.

I'm not much of a bag person, but here are the practical three I own.  I put shoeboxes in the bag to help keep their original shape.

I keep my belts in a cabinet drawer.  They're either neatly rolled or folded for convenience.

I keep my scarves in another drawer.  On the left are mostly winter scarves, and the right, spring/summer scarves.

In another cabinet drawer are hoisery.  My collection of tights and thigh-high socks above.

And my smaller collection of ankle-length and knee-high socks.

I keep my jewelry separated in my bathroom drawers.  This is the drawer of jewelry that I don't wear as often.

And this is the drawer with the jewelry I tend to wear more often.  I keep rings and earrings aside.

I keep dangling earrings on this asian gazebo earring holder (that my best guy friend Jim got me back in high school - he apparently spent an hour in Claire's by himself picking this and three pairs of rather hideous earrings out - gotta love this guy) and studs in a jewelry box.

My small collection of sunglasses and a pair of fake readers.  I wanted to look like a K-pop star...

My assortment of rings.  I actually have my suitemate Eva to thank for getting me into rings.  They have become my most-hated jewelry to my favorite.  I think it's when I said "Fuck my chubby fingers, I'm going to wear these anyway!" that I officially became obsessed with them.

I'm not much of a makeup person, but I love nail polish.  Ever since Chanel came out with its Nouvelle Vague, I've been trying to collect all the trendy colors since.  That might explain why I have a disproportionate amount of green in my rather limited nail polish collection.

You know you're a slave for fashion when you have an entire wall dedicated to shoes.  And a collage in a shape of a high-heeled shoe.

And you've got sandals perched on top of your dresser cabinet.

And flats behind your closet door

And boots lined up along the wall.

And worst of all, you've turned your bookshelf into a high-heeled shoe shelf.  My dad literally yelled at me for this: "Phebe-yah, people think you crazy.  You supposed study study study, people think you work red-light district!"

So that's essentially the tour of my current, but ever-expanding wardrobe.  I think I'm in a good place with assessing my closet and additions for now.  I would like to do some DIY/modifications to some of my old clothes though.  And to conclude this post, some detailed pictures of my favorite items!

[vivienne westwood knockoffs | ebay | $26.00]
I'm not one for blatant knockoffs - but I've been wanting the originals forever and now they're pretty much sold out in the color I wanted.  I found this lovely pair on ebay, and I had to have them.

[miu miu knockoffs | forever 21 | $25.80]
And my favorite pair of shoes are Miu Miu knockoffs as well.  I swear I don't many knockoffs!  I'd love these shoes regardless though, they are so adorable.  If only I could walk properly in them!  Still working on it.

[Black Floral Dress | Urban Outfitters | $10.00] [Blue Floral Dress | Urban Outfitters | $10.00]
Two of my favorite dresses.  I love the back of the second one - it's unexpectedly edgy.  There's a wide zipper in a huge black frill on the back of the dress that's a complete contrast to this sweet front.

[Metallic Floral Skirt | Charlotte Russe | $8.50] [Purple Lace Skirt | Charlotte Russe | $5.00]
Two of my favorite skirts I have yet to wear.  I tend to usually swear simpler, less frilly skirts - but these would be fun to pull of with some basics.

[Tiger Print Blouse | Charlotte Russe | $5.00] [Navy Embellished Tank | Ann Taylor LOFT | $6.50]

I love chiffon and silk pieces for the summer.  They look like quality pieces without breaking the bank.

I'm really enjoying all the free time I have during this Spring Break.  I've been able to indulge in reading and rereading my favorite blogs, take bubble baths while going through the latest magazines and catalogues, etc.  Next up - a recap of some of my favorite fashion shows! 

styling class: week 6, post 3

For the last part of our assignment this week, we are to choose three photos that we really like to represent indefinable styles: high fashion, street style, and eclectic.  I'll really try to limit myself to three this time, since I can't afford to use up much time on this assignment for the sake of my other grades and actually enjoying spring break.

High Fashion

So, I cheated a little bit - this isn't exactly high fashion on the street, but where better to spot high fashion than in magazine spreads?  I love this photo in Ceci magazine featuring Han Ji Hye.  The intricate details of the vest combined with the frilly but not frissy details of the dress really draws attention to the clothes themselves.  I love how it is casually balanced with a pair of ordinary sandals.  I need more of this casual/dressy mixing in my life.

Street Style

One of my favorite street style photos of all time, brought to you by Copenhagen Streetstyle.  I've never seen such wonderful subtle pattern and color mixing in my life.  And something about those plum boots.  I tend to dress in this silhouette quite a bit, but her mixing of accessories make me want to reconsider how I approach putting items together.

Eclectic

Susie Bubble, sometimes crazy, sometimes genius - but most definitely embodies eclectic style.  I like how every piece she has on seems to tell a story - and  I know that I personally worry too much over putting all statement pieces together.  Maybe it's the subdued colors or the way the patterns go together, but this is certainly what I consider eclectic style at its finest.

styling class: week 6, post 2

For the optional assignment this week, we had to wear something that could be classified as indefinable.  I'm not sure my style can quite be classified as eclectic  - since I can usually pinpoint what style influences I'm drawing from.  As for street style, I'm not exactly sure I fall within a particular "norm" for street style either.  And I'm certainly not high fashion.  But with all that said, there are definitely certain days that I feel like pulling off all three - and have the confidence I can.  Most of the time though, I stick to a classic, flirty (although I hate that word) silhouette with whimsical touches.

Although I hate to admit it - this is my typical uniform of sorts.  A shirt tucked into a circle/a-line miniskirt.  It's really boring, but it's the one thing that I find to work consistently with my body shape and fit with my girly girl personality.  Recently though, I've really gotten into the socks with heels trend, so little touches like these make me less frustrated with my lack of creativity when putting together an outfit.

[white chiffon embroidered shirt | Ann Taylor LOFT | $4.00] [black chiffon miniskirt | Express | $10.00] [White face socks| Betsey Johnson | Gift from Eva] [Black Polkadot Maryjane Heels | Forever 21 | $25.80]

Suddenly I decided to go all Korean catalogue cute and stick my tongue out.  Sometimes I don't understand what I'm doing when posing for photos.  Scratch that - most if not all the time.

I love these socks, I literally squealed when I received them.  Mucho gracias, Eva, if you're reading this.  I also adore these shoes - also first time wearing them in public since buying them last semester.  They're 5.5" heels, and as much as I'm a pro heel-wearer...these are really difficult to walk in.  Must practice some more.  It doesn't help that they're slightly big either. =/

[white & black snake bangle | Ebay | $3.50] [oui ring | Charlotte Russe | free with coupon] [gold knuckle ring | forever 21 | $5.80] [cupcake ring | ASOS | $4.00]
I love my accessories - and thought that these few would be a cute and fun touch to the outfit. :)

styling class: week 6, post 1

This post is actually a bit late.  A week or two back, we were discussing the three different types of definable styles in class and there was this one classic minimalism look that I really want to try.  Being a huge girly girl myself, I haven't quite gotten into the whole menswear trend that seems to be all the rage lately or rather, starting a while back.  Nevertheless, I tried to give the look a try.

In retrospect, I wish I hadn't chickened out the last minute with the white miniskirt and gone with my original plan of black harem pants.  Sigh, next time.  Also, ignore how angry I look in these pictures.  Me trying to look fierce model cool = fail.

[white button-down | kohl's | borrowed from mom] [black striped tie | borrowed from dad] [black boyfriend vest | ny & company | $10.00] [white jersey mini skirt | h&m | gift from jen] [black faux suede wedge ankle boots | forever 21 | $34.80]

I got these boots over the summer but these are actually my first time wearing them since I keep most of my favorite clothes, shoes, and accessories in my home closet.  It just makes me sad seeing my shoes ruined by the nasty grove at Rice.  I believe they're Jeffrey Campbell knockoffs and I couldn't help but want a pair myself after I saw the originals on several of my favorite blogs.

Verdict: I like the menswear trend, the minimalist look - just maybe not on me.

styling class: week 5, post 1

A big apology to this blog for not updating it for so long.  When I feel sick and gain five pounds because of eating a lot to get better and not exercising for two weeks, I suddenly become a lot interested in wearing pretty clothes.  I really admire plus size models for working their body shape, because oftentimes, if I don't look and feel my best, I feel a lot less confident in how my clothes look on me and my ability to style around my flabby arms and legs and stomach pudge. :(  So with that said, no more outfit posts again! I promise promise some photos soon though.  Meanwhile, this week, Deanne had us polyvore (using as a verb, yes) our ideas of classic, bohemian, and minimalist looks.  Speaking of minimalism - I'm really starting to like the whole streamlined classic minimalist look - must buy some skinny ties soon. :)

Classic:

My take on classic style is a bit more girly and colorful than the conventional by-the-textbook classic style.  I really like the structured and tailored lines of vintage Chanel but also the vibrant colors and patterns of modern day classics that Blair Waldorf wears so well.  I'm loving lady-like pumps, shift dresses, a-line skirts, shift dresses, crisp shirts, tailored blazers, and nude makeup for a classic look.  I feel that this might be who I am at heart - even when I experiment with different looks and trends - this is what I come back to.

Bohemian:

The bohemian style is one that I love to experiment with every now and then.  I tend to do more of this in the summer, when its 100 degrees outside and all I feel like putting on is a loose flowy maxi dress or a lightweight shirt and dress.  Then I let chunky heels, colorful tribal bangles, colorful nail polish, and printed fabrics do the trick of making an outfit less boring.  I'd love to experiment with the bohemian style more in the winter though - when it's all about piling layers over layers.  Note to self: must get super chunky knit scarf.

Minimalism:

I've been recently more drawn to the minimalism look, which is quite surprising since I'm quite the accessorizer.  Sometimes, nothing is better than a clean, crisp, look.  I also find that I can experiment most with different cuts and construction when sticking to a single or two colors.  It definitely makes me feel less self-conscious when stepping out in a weird outfit concoction.  If only I were Susie Bubble.  But with that said, I see crisp white button downs and trouser shorts, and "flat", "smooth-surfaced" shoes and vests and other clothing items like above.  I love nail polish - and either a black, dark maroon, dark blue, or nude would work really well with my perspective of minimalism.

styling class: week 3, post 1

I've been sick with the flu the past several days so this post isn't quite up to par or where I'd like it to be.  This week we learned about the three "main" style categories: classic, bohemian, and minimalism.  While modern fashion, at least the type I like, mixes these three together in an effortless manner, I always find it refreshing when you can look at a picture an pinpoint exactly what kind of style the person was going for.  We were asked to choose 3 style icons that portray each type of style category.  All three of these icons seem to dabble in various styles, but I've chosen some of my favorite pictures that best represent each of the styles above.

Classic

I've loved Carey Mulligan since before watching An Education.  She has such a prim and proper sense of style all while staying completely modern and interesting.   I adore this dress on her - a beautiful shade, a beautiful cut, all properly belted and accessorized.  Her amazing pixie cut helps some too.

Bohemian

I confess - I used to think Miroslava Duma to be really overrated.  Sure the girl dresses well - but she has the body and the clothes and the job.  I'd be surprised if she looked like a wreck all day.  But then she became pregnant.  Once I saw how well she pulled off some pieces with that huge baby bump, I became a fan myself.  I love the entire assembly of this outfit - props to mixing colors and prints and textures so well. :)

Minimalist

So Diane Kruger isn't really a minimalist, but she definitely makes some minimalist choices, such as this dress for the Met Ball above.  Being a not-so-minimalist dresser myself, I'm surprised that this dress is hands-down one of my favorite red carpet dresses of all time.  It has such a clean, sleek quality to it, and she pulls it off so well.  The cut is so severe, and the color is possibly really unflattering on anyone else, but it looks great all together.