Shirt Dress

I like wearing dresses and skirts when I can (when I'm not feeling lazy dressing for work), especially in the winter. Always nice to mix up routine once in a while from the usual jeans.

This is a great dress for work: loose fitting, comfortable, warm, and appropriate length. It has a great tie detail and pocket on the front and a very clean and simple design. I paired it with some thick black tights and ankle cut heeled boots. The dress is by Lemon Story created by a woman named Kimenna.

This post was pretty short, but next time I'll have a nice long one.

LINKS:

Lemon Story

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lemonstorynyc

Favorite Outfit

This is one of my favorite outfits.

The t-shirt features an intricate silhouette of a nautical story. If you look closely you can see octopi, anchors, mermaids, narwals, sailboats and other sea life. The illustration is by Jaime Zollars and this t-shirt was hand silkscreened by her on a burn-out style t-shirt, which means it's extra comfy.

I like to pair some of my tighter fitting shirts with a vest. This vest is a simple versatile piece with fabric buttons down the front from H&M. Great for layering and setting the tone for the outfit.

The belt I'm wearing has some amazing brass stud work on it. And the grey spotted leather detail is beautifully done. Designed by Wild Card.

I paired this with my black skinny jeans and Adidas as always. I have two pairs of the same style jean because they're comfortable and I wear them so often. Sometimes it's good to have two of same thing, especially if it fits! I'm a very practical person when it comes to foot wear and being comfortable. This pretty much has a direct correlation to my everyday commute. I take 2 buses to work everyday and if you're running for the bus or have to shove your way onto a standing room only bus during rush hour, heels are out of the question. Although sometimes if I need to dress it up with a heel, I'll do the practical thing and bring an extra pair of flats.

LINKS:

Jamie Zollars:

http://jaimezollars.com/

Wild Card:

http://www.wildcardcollection.com/

Here are some better images of my black Joodito Jacket!:

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=14975071

torso shot

Jamie Zollars nautical detail

Wild Card belt detail

full outfit

T-Shirt & Jeans Day

Everyone does it. And so do I.

This t-shirt is probably one of my favorites out of the pile. I bought this a while back in a small boutique in Tokyo. I adore this shirt because of it's unusual sewn lettering, brass studs, and red contrast stitching. I also like the fact that it's a funny, pop-culture inspired impression of what Los Angeles might be like according to the designer. When your shirt says "Love Kills Slowly" how can you not like it? It also says "Motorcycle Los Angeles" on the back.

These pants are my new favorite. They're by Current/Elliott, skinny brown cords inspired by the 80's style skinny jean. I've never been a huge fan of cords, which was why I was hesitant when I went to the dressing room, but once I got into them, they felt like an incredibly soft, second skin. I got these pants at a small boutique called The Grocery Store in Burlingame.

The three accessories I've been primarily wearing lately have been my Massimo Alba black leather bronze studded belt, my casted tomahawk necklace, and my octopus tentacle earrings. The Massimo Alba belt is also from The Grocery Store, the necklace is from Needles and Pens, and the earrings are from a San Francisco based designer who runs OctopusMe on Etsy (she casted these earrings out of real octopus tentacles). These are three very interesting eclectic pieces I love to incorporate into whatever I'm wearing for the day.

To break up the neutral tones in my ensemble I have to turn to my second favorite eco-friendly Joodito jacket which has rich jewel colors like emerald, sapphire, and amethyst. This photo of my jacket again doesn't do it justice, so I've provided a link to the jacket Judy custom made for me. She has better shots of it anyway.

Current/Elliott:

http://www.currentelliott.com

Massimo Alba:

http://www.massimoalba.com

OctopusMe:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/OctopusMe

Joodito shots of the jewel colored jacket:

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=18090514

Renew and Reuse: Upcycled Clothing Part I

If there's one thing I've been loving lately it's upcycled clothing. I fully support this craft of deconstruction and reconstruction for 3 reasons:

1. It's eco-friendly

2. You're supporting local designers

3. The clothing piece is one of a kind and cannot be mass produced (Other people might purchase a similar design but the fabric and materials vary)

I'm an Etsy addict and that's where I find most of the upcycle designers I like. I stumbled upon Peeko Apparel created by a woman named Brooke. She reconstructed this tunic style top from a men's button up shirt. I love this top because there are so many unique details to it: cleaver interpretation of epaulettes on the shoulders, 3 tiny-buttoned detail on the cuff-sleeves, comfy cinched waist, and a fun, kinda band geek chic style buttons on the front.

I wore these with my default black skinny Levi's and a low cut boot for work. If I was wearing this tunic outside of work, I'd style it differently with black shorts, black stockings and high heeled boots (works with low cut boots or calf high). My chocker is an old favorite I bought at the SFMOMA Museum Store, (I forgot the name of the designer it's been so long!)

I never leave the house without my fallback jacket. The most comfortable and fashionable everyday jacket I own. It's another upcycled piece, custom made for me by a woman named Judy who runs Joodito, another lovely seller I found on Etsy. This jacked is a subtle patchwork of different types black fabrics. In the light you can see the warm and cool tones and all the textures of the fabrics she used. Impeccable craftsmanship, design, and so comfy it feels like my favorite sweatshirt. I love her designs so much I had her custom make me 3 other jackets. This photo doesn't do it justice. So I encourage you to seek out her stuff on Etsy.

LINKS!

Peeko Apparel:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PeekoApparel

Joodito:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/joodito

P.S. I'll try to take better pictures before my day starts rather than after to avoid horrid varied lighting.

tunic top by Peeko Apparel

detail

full outfit

my favorite jacket by Joodito

Dad's "Old" Tie

This outfit came together when I visited my parents one weekend and my dad said he was "too old" to be wearing this style of narrow tie. I thought he was being ridiculous, but I gracefully accepted the free tie. Especially a handmade Thom Browne tie from Barneys New York. I like to pair my ties with this origami inspired button down I got from the Brooklyn Industries store in Portland. This shirt has some a really nice subtle detail on the pockets and an extra front crease on the short, (almost boy cut), style sleeves. I was lucky I had bought a light summer jacket that matched the light gray stripe in the tie. The jacket is from H&M. My everyday pants default to black Levi skinny jeans. They're comfortable and versatile and kinda serve as a blank canvas. I'm also wearing Adidas black and white high tops. Both the jeans and sneakers break up the stiffness of the tie too. Great for my work environment which is mostly a t-shirt and jeans kinda place.