Tiny Dancer

 

Black Silk Dress: Joe's Jeans 'Dorian' Dress (here)

Heels: Banana Republic 'Gayle Zip-Strap Pump' in deep chestnut (here)

Clutch: Valentino

Bracelet: Torchlight Jewelry

 

I took ballet & figure skating classes for awhile when I was a kid, but I quit them both when I realized I wasn't any good at being elegant or feminine. I eventually came to terms with the fact that I was never going to be graceful or coordinated enough to be the amazing dancer I always dreamed of becoming. But hey...that hasn't stopped me from at least faking it. Plus, my signature top knot helps "ballerina-ize" any outfit lol.

Electric Blues

  Coat: Reformation "Landon Coat" (here)

Sweater & Blouse: Olive & Oak (Nordstrom)

Denim: Dittos Brand

Blue Booties: UGG Australia "Cortona" Convertible Boot in Indigo (here)

Necklace: Vanessa Mooney

Below are some tips that I find helpful when layering for the cold and rainy weather we've been having lately in LA. I personally like the option of shedding layers rather than not having enough layers & freezing my buns off, so I typically stick to the 3 layer rule.  

1. Start off with a good base. Then layer up your outfit piece by piece by piece.
2. Layer thin ➡️ thick ➡️ thickest.  Start with thinner layers and work up to your thickest layer. I started with a thin silk blouse, layered a cropped knitted sweater for some warmth, and topped off the look with a heavy duty coat from Reformation.
3. Mix it up with different textures and material. I kept my look fun and interesting by mixing silk and wool. 
4. Show off all your layers. I chose a cropped sweater to show off the bright blue blouse underneath and then draped my coat over my shoulders to pull the whole look together. 

Printed Perfect

Blouse: Reformation (other styles here)

Printed Shorts: Angel Biba (LF stores)

Lucite Heeled Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

Necklace & Leather Bracelet: Jenny Bird

Black Studded Clutch: Monserat De Lucca (other styles here)

Rings: Torchlight Jewelry (other styles here) & Vintage

Make some noise with powerful prints like these black & white, lace trimmed printed shorts from LF stores! There's nothing like spicing up a simple outfit with the perfect printed focal piece! When I style a statement piece like this, I try to stick with basics for the rest of my look. I paired my shorts with a simple mustard yellow silk blouse from Reformation, and finished off the look with some strappy heeled sandals and an oversized clutch.

The key to this outfit is making sure the proportions were right in order to really pull the whole look together. I generally like to pair long sleeves with short shorts and short sleeves with pants because I'm naturally a creature of balance, which I blame on the fact that I'm a Libra haha. Too much of anything isn't good and showing off too much skin is usually no exception...the exception being it's acceptable in my book when the temps have been reaching upwards of 110 degrees everyday! (Currently breaking my own rule of thumb as I'm writing this! lol)

Stripe Hype

Striped Top: Bec & Bridge 'Elements' Top (on sale from $125 to $84 here)
Silk Shorts: Parker 'Pacific Kane' (on sale from $223 to $78 here)
Wool Blazer: Joe's Jeans 'Meredith Blazer' (on sale from $278 to$139 here)
Shoes: Dolce Vita 'Elka' Heeled Sandals (on sale from $170 to $118 here)
Leather Backpack: Stela 9 ($224 at Revolve Clothing here)
Necklace: Chan Luu (similar here for $155)

What's the hype with stripes you ask?! They're simply a perennial and versatile staple. You can style them with just about anything all year long ...which means more bang for your buck! Plus, they can easily be dressed up or down. 

That's why I'm currently obsessed with this Bec & Bridge 'Element' top. It's my ultimate go-to piece at the moment. When I'm feeling lazy, I just toss on this top and pair it with some jeans, shorts, skirt, or pretty much anything. It honestly goes with everything! Unfortunately there aren't any pictures showing the back, which is what sets it apart from other simple black and white striped tank tops. It has an adorable open tulip-style back with contrasting stripes, which shows just enough skin to keep it classy and a little bit sexy. 

Choosing and Styling Horizontal Stripes:

1) Choose a top with thinner black stripes than white stripes. This will help counter the illusion of making you look wider when wearing horizontal stripes. 

2) Break up the stripes with solids. As the name of the top suggests, use the stripes as an 'Element' of the outfit because full stripe outfits will create the illusion of a wider frame. For example, I added my solid black blazer to break up the impact of the stripes, which helped slim my figure a bit. 

So just remember that horizontal stripes are not the enemy. If styled strategically, it could easily become one of your favorite go-to pieces too. Andddd...this amazing top is on SALE! So hurry up and get yours before it's sold out!

*Just as a side note, this was taken while I was in Portland where the weather was significantly cooler than Los Angeles. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a wool blazer in LA right now...it's too damn hot!!! 

Cream of the Crop (Top)

Crop Top: Fairground 'Astra Crop Top' in Dali Lama Print - Revolve Clothing (here)

Silk Trousers: Olive & Oak - Nordstrom

Heels: Jeffrey Campbell 'Hough' (here)

Bracelets: DIY Swarovski Crystal bracelet & Vintage Bone Cuff

Ring: CC Skye 'Fools Gold' Ring (here)

Short body-con dresses are obviously sexy but silk trousers can be sexy too if you style wisely! Since the weather has warmed up significantly, I no longer have to bundle up with huge coats or leather jackets to go out. Instead, I opted for a printed crop top and some silk trousers for a girls' night out this weekend. I chose a sleeveless crop top as the focal piece of my outfit to keep things young and fun. I also kept the rest of the outfit fairly simple to balance out the busy printed top. 

Styling Tip: When going out for fancy drinks at a restaurant or bar, I personally like to choose either to expose my legs OR my arms for a sleeker and chicer ensemble. I leave the shorter skirts and dresses for the more wild and crazy parties.

Even though we "sprang forward" with daylight savings, I feel like it's 3 hours later than it actually is. I can't help feeling this way after the weekend that I just had. The last 4 days pretty much consisted of nothing but drinking, hiking, and swimming with some work squeezed in here and there. I am so exhausted that I was ready to pass out at 7pm today but then I realized that I hadn't worked out, eaten, or blogged yet. Now that that's all done....Good night, world!!!

Hoppy Holidays

Christmas Eve dinner was almost a disaster...because my family forgot to make/buy desserts!!! But luckily my handsome hero, Eddie, came to the rescue with a box of DeLuscious cookies and milk. Anyone that knows me will know that I can't live without sweets and desserts. I mean...there must be a reason why literally 95% of people that gave me gifts added in bars, bags, & boxes of chocolates as a part of their presents to me. I'm clearly a chocoholic and there's no denying it lol. Ain't no shame in my game....

Because I tend to get carried away with food and sweets in general (especially during the holiday season), I decided to wear a loose fitting silk dress from Maggie Ward to hide my food baby after chowing down at the Christmas Eve dinner. I styled it with thick brown tights, crocodile boots, and a vintage bunny fur coat I found at a flea market to top off my look. I sloppily piled my hair on top of my head in a bun and called it a day.

Anyway, Christmas Eve and Christmas have been absolutely magical. I was lucky enough to see a lot of people I really care about and miss...especially my childhood best friend from when we were 3. She's been all the way in Panama and I haven't seen her since she left a year and a half ago for the peace corp so seeing her made my Christmas extra special!

I must say that there's really nothing as amazing as finding a friendship that will literally last a lifetime. This particular friendship has lasted over 20 years and it's got enough fuel to last a million more lifetimes. I love you to the moon and back, Tali!!! Ok...enough mushy gushy stuff. I hope everyone had an amazing time celebrating Christmas yesterday! I'm getting ready to head out camping soon and I can't wait to post about it when I get back!!!!

Bunny Fur Coat: vintage

Silk Dress: Maggie Ward (Saks Fifth Avenue)

Tights: Hue

Crocodile Boots: vintage

Earrings & Necklace: Vanessa Mooney

Rings: Jenny Bird & Spanish Moss