Wild Child

Crazy for Plaid by joanneinazoo featuring abercrombie & fitch

Happy Friday!

I've been stalking allwomenstalk (see what I did there?) for the report of the latest fall trends. A lot of my posts--the dress I wore in the NYFW post and the hunger games post-- were all inspired by the different trends of  the upcoming season.

Well, another one of my favorite is the PLAID TREND! I think it could be so girly and preppy but casual and formal at the same time. Soo many adjectives right? As you can see, this outfit is Wild Child inspired. Whenever I think plaid and preppy, my mind automatically wanders to Emma Roberts and the scary UK Boarding school.

ONTO THE SET! I started building the set by looking for the right skirt. The reason the skirt was the item of choice was because the skirt doesn't automatically draw that much attention. Plaid is a hard pattern to match because there's so much colors, and sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming. Of course! There are plaid flannels, but that's a completely different style! So the skirt already has a lot of colors, the top would definitely have to be something simple. The white polo would be the way to go! But my favorite piece MUST be the blazer. It has double stripes on one side of the sleeve. I like the asymmetry and it's elegant at the same time. Did you see the bow? It's soo blair waldorf ♥ Last but not least, it's a UK-inspired outfit, how can I forget oxfords!?

This would be the perfect outfit for school or going out to dinner!

Have a terrific weekend :)

xoxo.

Joanne

I wear white after labor day.

In Monday's post, I mentioned that I went to Griffith Park for a hike. I just wanted to share that it was absolutely beautiful! It was a very trip up to the observatory, but once I got there, the hike was totally worth it. The view was breath-taking. I might do a shoot there sometimes :)

Look at this view!

Photo taken from USC APO Website

If you've been following me on Twitter (@joanneinazoo), you probably know by now that I am the greatest Friends nut. EVER!

So, I was just casually scrolling through the millions of Friends tweet when I realized, Labor Day JUST PASSED! Do you remember that episode where Joey asked Rachel to help Charlie shop because everything she owned had shoulder pads in them? Joey said, "Yeah Rachel taught me everything I know about fashion, like 'you can't wear white after labor day.'" What is up with that? So I did some research.

According to Times, one of the reasons why this rule is created is because it's a symbol of summer's passing and the oncoming of fall. People wear light colors in the summer and darker colors during fall, and like I mentioned in the Sex and the City 2 review, Labor Day is like a pivotal day that transitions summer to fall, so it's like a symbolic day in which people change their dress from summer style to fall style. But there are rule breakers like CoCo Chanel, who totally just makes up her own rules, you can read more about her in my other post.

So I've decided to take on CoCo's rebellious spirit and wear white :)

Summer didn't exactly pass here in LA, it's practically summer "all-day errday" of the year!

White Sheer Shirt: Foreign Exchange // Red Shorts: Forever 21

Bag: Cotton On // Bracelet: Shanghai Boutique // Sam Edelman Ballet Flats: Nordstorm Rack

Turn to page 394!

Studiously waiting to learn!

Photos taken by: Caroline Sykes

I've been monitoring Fall Trends to get ready for the season for a while now, as you can see from posts like The Hunger Games Post, or the NYFW Post. Another one of my favorite trends is The Scarlett Fever. I really like the color of these shorts, they add that "Pop" that I value so much. Of course, since the shorts are such a bright color already, I had to pair it with something neutral, and white was what I had gone with. There goes me, breaking the "no wearing white after labor day rule!" But! In my defense, white and red is patriotic colors, so I'm paying respect to our country, and our country is built by laborers. So, by transitive party, I am respecting the laborers and workers!

Anyways, no more lameness. I like this look because it' spretty simple. Yet, it's not boring. Ideally, this outfit probably would have been better with a pair of red shoes, but the fact that the gold contrasts with the entire outfit worked out quite well!

Talk to you Friday,

XOXO.
Joanne

P.S. I have a super exciting idea to debut for Friday :) So don't forget to come back and visit me on Friday!

Sex and the City 2: The Breathtaking Fashion and the Inspirations

Happy Labor Day everyone :)

Savor this day! It signals the end of summer and the coming of school (for those who are still on vacation). For the observance of this labor day, I've done quite a few things to have fun and stay well rested (sort of). Kind of sad that summer's almost over, but there's not that much of a difference here in Southern California.

Well what did I do?

You guessed it! I treated myself to yet another must-see-fashionable-movie this weekend! My aunt has been wanting to watch Sex and the City 2 with her for a while now. Finally, this weekend, as we don't have much to do, I pulled up the movie for her. She loves this movie for its fashion. I actually gave her Sex and the City 1 DVD for Christmas once!

Here's what I absolutely loved about the movie. As mentioned in the NYFW Post, I love the style of this City. I feel like watching the movie gives me a better sense of what looks good, too. Again, who knew watching movie could be such a treat and have so many purposes!? Props need to be given to Patricia Fields! Every single outfit the qudrio (like trio, but 4) wore made me wish I was them. One of my favorite outfits had to be an original Carrie Bradshaw. Like I said in Tribal Love, I love the styles of SJP/Carrie Bradshaw, this is no exception!

doesn't she look stunning?

What I loved about this outfit is that it's so effortless and casual, yet so unique and exotic! Perfect for Abu Dhabi. Sure she's glowing in this picture, it may have something to do with the fact that she just saw her ex-fiancee "60,000 miles away from New York," but the outfit definitely brought more light!

Aside from the fashion, which I can go on and on about, this movie really opens my eyes about the places I could go with the PR career path that I've chosen. Samantha started out as a bar tender, but now she's grown into this amazing publicist. Just look at the fact that she's turned Smith into a huge star! But because of her expertise, her and her best gal pals were invited to an all-expenses paid trip to the exotic UAE with complimentary butlers and everything! One of the reasons why I chose New York to be my life's next destination is for the wide range of opportunities! I truly admire Samantha's professionalism...most of the time. Unfortunately, for Samatha, her promiscuity and albeit unprofessional urge has gotten herself out of a business deal of a life time. But hey, it IS only a movie. I will only set goals based on Samantha's competence and strength!

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Here's what else I'll be doing for Labor Day, going on a hike! Yay!

This organization I am rushing for will be going on a hike to Griffith park today! I'm super excited, I've been wanting to go there for a while, but never found a chance, too. I wanted to visit for the Haunted Hay ride, but I chickened out a bit, maybe this year! But Haunted Hay Ride or not, I'll be getting a taste of nature, and I'm super excited :)

Enjoy the long weekend,

XOXO,

Jo.

Coco Chanel: A True Inspiration

When it comes to girls picking their most inspirational designer, who wouldn't say Chanel?

Over the weekend, I was in the mood for some movies, and for some reason, I ended up watching Lifetime's version of "Co Co Chanel," which was released back in 2008. I'm so glad that I did! I actually learned a lot.

This movie really made me respect her not only as an artist, but even more as a woman. She came from a time when woman was strictly limited by "proper" social conventions. She didn't care for those limitations and went about her own ways. Most importantly, she was adamant about her own beliefs despite other's discouragements. She stayed true to herself, and maintained a DGAF attitude to the snooty, irrelevant criticisms. Somehow, Garbielle turned COCO just have the foresight of knowing what would be the best. Now look at her success now! With the signature double-C logo and the No 5 perfume, people would line up for hours just to buy her stuff. She built an empire, she established a brand, all while having a rather rough start, too! What I admire about her is her independence. She had a tenacity even when it comes to romance. Though she had a "love-of-her-life" she need no man *snap snap.* #girlpower

But in addition to the life lessons, I've got some fashion lessons from her as well!

I absolutely love Chanel quotes:

"You may have a date with destiny. That might be tonight, and you must be prepared to dress as pretty as possible."

That's something my mom had always repeated to me through out my life. And I completely agree! I guess my mom wasn't the only one who thought of it! Even though it's very superficial to think that if any opportunities--romance or career wise--do arise, one must be dressed nicely to welcome it. But they don't say "dress to impress" for nothing! For all you know, you could be running into the boss of your dream job on the street, and if you're dressed sloppily, they can automatically make a snap judgement, you wouldn't want that! so always be prepared!

"The poetry of fashion lies in the creation of illusion."

That cannot be more true! Even though she said that decades ago, it can still be applied today! For example, I am 5'8'', and if I want to maintain that tall illusion,  maxi dresses is my go-to solution.  Also, I don't have the straightest legs in the world. So to cover up this flaw, I try to wear things that falls below the knees, which looks a lot better than the shorter alternatives.

I even found a great example how popular fashion site, allwomenstalk, was able to pull together a few tricks to make shorter girls look taller! Those were all wonderful illusions!

"A woman can be overdressed but never over elegant."

Take Duchess Kate, for example, even though in the picture above, our beloved Kate is playing ping-pong and looking intense, I still think she looks pretty elegant. Why? She's a terrific dresser.

I think as duchess, she's already at he very top in terms of having elegance and social grace. Yet, whenever the world think she can't get any classier,  she probably can still amaze the world by pulling off something simple, but still looking classy and well, elegant! Here's one of my favorites:

This is a Jenny Packham teal dress our favorite princess wore to an Olympic gala. Her best accessory was simplicity and effortlessness.

However, drawing to the point Madame Chanel made, if one were to deliberately try to feign elegance with pearls, pastels, and tweed, or all kinds of accessories, without having consideration of the overall image, it might end up looking tacky and overdressed. There we have it, Chanel described a true and simple concept in a nut shell!

Lots of famous designers have the great potential to have as much influence as Chanel by creating breath-taking master pieces. But what distinguished Chanel from the rest of the fashion industry is her sharp wit, her tenacity, and an amazing talent.

Now that I've watched the movie, I have the urge to read the book as well!

I would definitely recommend this movie!

So what do you guys think of CoCo's beliefs or her life's accomplishments?! Please let  me know in the comment below. I'm very interested in hearing what you guys have to say :)

Xoxo,

Jo.

What to wear to weddings

I don't know what is it about weddings, people are just obsessed. Three billion people watched THE Royal Wedding back in 2011 (that's half the world's population!), and who knows how many people watched the Kardashian Wedding. But, I guess there's just something special about a little ceremony that celebrates the love of two people who have agreed to be together forever. At least in the Kardashian case, that's what people thought they were watching. But that was down the drain in 72 days. Ok, I'll stop the bashing.

So, I've been following Chriselle for a while now. I really like her style. In honor of her wedding, she's been uploading these "Down the aisle with Chriselle" videos that lets the viewers get the inside scoop on all things her wedding! Today, she uploaded the finale, which is the actual wedding video. And she actually had this special event, which she made this "virtual" wedding very realistic, in which her followers are allowed to upload what we would wear to her wedding. If you go to my facebook page, you can see that she shared my outfit! Teehee! And this is why I was very inspired to write today's post. Also, my friend Cheryl will be attending her cousin's wedding, and she's been asking me for advice on what to wear. Therefore, I'm extra inspired!

These photos are taken by the wonderful Caroline Sykes :)

Here's the look I planned on "wearing" for the virtual wedding. I've actually worn this to a wedding before, too! When I first saw this dress, I was instantly in love. I really like the very chic fabric, but the neckline and the cutting added a bit of elegance to it. I've recently learned this trick of accessorizing navy outfits with red accessories from my friend Jade. I'm really glad I learned this trick because it really brings a new light to the entire outfit! This dress is also very versatile. It can also be worn to other social events. It's rushing season, this could definitely be worn to a rush event. Or, just simply on a date!

Here's what Chriselle wrote:

"Love how ladylike, conservative, yet chic Joanne Zhu looks in her black lace dress with pops of red!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥"

I'm very honored to be mentioned :p

Here are more sets I've created that could be worn to different types of weddings.

Beach Weddings

Beach Weddings by joanneinazoo featuring a silk shawl

Here in California, because we're so close to the water, beach weddings are so common! It's totally romantic. Having the cool breeze bringing the smell of ocean to the ceremony as the couple exchange their vows sounds like a beautiful, not-want-to-be-missed experience. Unfortunately, the messy sands may bring a bit of burden upon the wedding guests.

This outfit is a bit more casual than the usual wedding attire. But it's a beach wedding, everything should be relaxed and chill! I really like this blue dress with the tie-dyed looking white stripes. It rests somewhere between the casual, semi-formal range, but not casual enough to disrespect the about to be betrothed couple. The sand really limits the options for shoes. The wedges matches the outfit well, though! Plus, the heels is a great complement of the weave envelope bag (how cute is that?!) The coastal winds may be a bit chilly, so it's a great excuse to break out the scarf! I like how the contrast of the scarf is able to add that oh-so-important "pop" to the outfit. Lastly, sun protection is important! But that's not the only reason to wear the floppy hat and the aviators!

General Outdoor Weddings

Outdoor Wedding Guest by joanneinazoo featuring turquoise jewelry

No matter how much people say it's okay, I'm very against guests wearing white to weddings. It's so disrespectful to the bride. It's her special day, let her be the only one wearing white! Remember that Friends episode where Monica asks if it's inappropriate to wear something white and lacy to a wedding because she wanted to get back her cousin for not inviting her, and everyone's like totally inappropriate! and Phoebe's like "I've got go do some shopping." Well, they're right! (Sorry, I sometimes subconsciously make Friends references.)

So what I like about this set is that the vibrant pastel colors are great for an outdoor wedding. The heart-shaped neckline dress are just very plain and simple, and the accessories can just add the cherry on top to both of the outfits. As you can see the accessories, bracelets/cuffs especially, contrasts the dress. I borrowed the philosophy from the red on navy, and applied it to these outfits. Again, I think they give the outfits that extra "pop."

Traditional Weddings

Traditional Wedding Guest by joanneinazoo featuring cotton dresses

As you know I'm in a teal/tribal phase right now. When I came across the dress on the left, with the peacock feather-like patterns, I thought I'd add it to the set because the conservativeness and the material makes it wedding appropriate. Black and gold goes well.

I've also developed a new obsession with coral-colored clothes. Of the two, I definitely like the one on the right more. The original white embellishment decorates the dress well. To match with the belt, I added white accessories, but the gold details of the white accessories are very nice, too!

Hope these outfits helped, and that's my take on what to wear to different wedding scenarios.

Have a great weekend!

Joanne

Cute accessories haul

Hey all!

Wednesdays are usually reserved for outfit posts. But today, I'm very caught up with packing because I will be moving into my school apartment, I've decided to do a haul instead.

I've recently went out and did some MAJOR shopping. Most of my finds are mainly accessories (including shoes). So with the pictures, it may seem like a LONNGGG post. But, please bear with me, it's mostly pictures! I promise! :)

Back in Tribal Love, I've spotted these cute oxfords with a tribal trim from zooshoo.com. It looked so great in the set, I could help but get my self a pair. But, I couldn't stop with just one, and I ended up totally splurging. I couldn't stop myself! Here's all the "shoos" I've bought.

I just pulled pictures from their site because their quality's a lot better. But I do plan on wearing them in future outfit posts! Stay tuned.

Trimmed Oxford Flats- $21

So these oxfords were one of the items used in the set in Tribal Love, I actually don't have any oxfords, and I'm really glad I got these to make up for my lack of oxfords! The tribal trim makes it really unique!

black oxfords- $21

So even though I just added a pair of taupe oxfords to the shopping cart, I am still suffering from oxfords deficiency. I figured I should throw in a pair of black ones so it would be easier to match. I originally set my eye own these cute oxfords with pink neon soles, but they didn't have my size. It's still comforting to know that I picked a pair of shoes that many others liked, too!

ballet flats- $19.90

These were also featured in another post, back to school essentials. I listened to Cassandra, and realized a cute pair of flats is an essential piece of the outfit! So another item added to the cart! My only consolation is that the price is very reasonable--I will end up getting a essential pair of flats, without totally splurging!

Navy Flats, $23

 How long have we been obsessing over the sailor/nautical trend? I really love these because of the color. And I like how I can wear it casually to school as well.

That's all the shoes I've bought! Not THAT bad right?

 Onto jewelry!

So like I mentioned in back to school essentials, there are cute accessories everywhere, but the RIGHT accessory is so hard to find. Like the peacock feathered necklace that I really wanted. Fortunately, I was able to find a just-as-cute replacement:

Forever 21 Necklace, $5.80

So you know what they say, can't a peacock? Settle for owls! Ok, they don't say that! But I really like this piece of accessory is because it has very unique colors, which widens my options for pairing it with different outfits. I'm really glad I found this necklace while I was standing in line!

Claire's Owl Ring, $6.50

I think I may have deformed fingers, but it's VERY hard to find a ring that fits. Sure, there are elastic ones, but they always cut off my circulation. Since this fits nicely, and it would go great with my necklace, I couldn't resist. Hate to admit it, but I actually have very little will power when it comes to cute things, clothes, shoes, accessories!

Earrings: Claire's Star cuff, heart cuff, star and moon cuff, $7.50 each, buy 2 get 1 free

I was actually in Claire's looking for other accessories when I came across these. I thought they were really unique, plus they were buy 2 get 1 free. My favorite is actually the star and the moon. It reminds me of the dreamy night time sky. AND it's very unique.

leather bracelets from Cotton On, $3.50 each set

I've been looking for leather bracelets for a while as well. I really like the colors of the bracelets on the right. Together, they really complement each other. But the set on the left has a traditional vibe to it. I really like the heart shaped peace charm as well. Plus I get to donate to charity with these bracelets as well. I'm all for good causes :)

BAG!

envelope bag, $29

You guessed it right! I've been searching for envelope bags all summer. I came across a couple, but I'm glad I got this one because I like the color blocking and it allows me to pair it with different color schemes. Plus, the snake-skin pattern give it a bit of an edge.

HAT :)

"Style for less" sun hat, $6.60

Here in LA, where the sun shines almost everyday of the year, it's important to get sun protection. Having a big hat is an effective way to block out the harmful UV ways. I purposefully got the plainest one so that I could put embellishments according to the outfit I'm wearing. I can't wait to try these on with my Maxi-dresses.

So that was all the accessories I've got during these past weeks. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned as I feature these cute accessories in future outfit posts!

Until Friday,

XOXO. Joanne.

May the odds be ever in your favor...

Combat Girls by joanneinazoo featuring a quilted jacket

Hunger Games DVD's come out today! (Well, technically, midnight tomorrow morning.) I will probably wait till Black Friday to get it, but it's still an exciting moment in history! A movie that took millions' breaths away is going to be out on DVD and BluRay with BONUS FEATURES! Yeah, I sound like the Target narrator guy, I blame the commercials. Well, after reading the trilogy, I can't say I'm the biggest fan of the books. Despiste, I've got to admit, as I was reading, I didn't want to put them down even though it turned out to be a huge disappointment when I finished. But, I did enjoy the movie! I was constantly on the edge of my seat as I was watching the movie--even though I knew exactly what was going to happen! So, props need to be given to the amazing cast, including Jennifer Lawrence. Based on the interviews I watched, she is a terrific person, she's genuinely funny. And of course, I can't forget the fellow Trojan, Alex Ludwig, who played Cato. And cute little Rue. Bottom line is, LOVED THE MOVIE, and can't wait for Catching Fire--FINNICK ODAIR (more like OH DEAR!) Melody, if you're reading this, I know you're rolling your eyes at me. So yeah! The reason I'm even mentioning the Hunger Games DVD is because everywhere I go, it's HUNGER GAMES DVD OUT MIDNIGHT 4/18...literally everywhere--TV, youtube, other internet sites. But it was one of the hottest blockbusters! People loved the movies. I mean what's not to like about it? Aside from all the reasons I've already mentioned, the fashion's pretty great! Since this is a fashion blog, I can't forget fashion! Cinna IS a revolutionary designer (pun intended). I, personally, wouldn't wear the burning costume, but it was a really cool concept! I can't wait to see all the beautiful gowns in Catching Fire. Aside from the fictional fashion, the actual costumes designs were nice, too! The costumes of the Capitol freaks would definitely be runway-worthy. Probably not street, but definitely runway.

Anyways, so the other day, I stumbled upon this "18 Terrific Fall Trends 2012" post from allwomenstalk. I couldn't help but drawing the connection from trend #17, "Modern Military" to Katniss's hunting look. There's also some element of trend #15, "Boyish," as well. And before all this, ever since I saw Emily from Pretty Little Liars wearing that military like jacket that Hanna found from the church charity drive (I can't find a picture anywhere), I've been looking for the right jacket myself to prep for fall. With all the anticipation for the Military trend, plus the hype about Katniss's hunting outfit (there's Halloween costumes, where I found the mockingjay pin), I was totally inspired to create a set!

I started out looking for the right jacket. Since I'm trying to honor the Hunger Games, I feel like a cognac leather jacket would be more suitable for this situation that a military jacket would. Next up, I felt like a nice loose fitting white Tee would draw attention to the jacket more. The USA-themed tee was perfect and very appropriate for the military theme. I felt like white pants would go more with the jacket because I wanted the combat boots to match with the jacket, and the boots wouldn't be as effective if paired with dark colored pants. Last but not least, accessories! The dog-tag fitted with the theme, yet it's so girly and cute. I really like the bracelets because of its rockstar edge. To top it all off, Aviators! But the true cherry on top is the mockingjay pin.

As Effie Trinket would say, "may the odds be ever in your favor!" I guess the odds were in my favor as I was able to draw from the DVD release and the fall trend to create a set that I would really like to try out one day.

XOXO.

Joanne

Back to School Essentials

I've been following Diamondsandheels14 for a while now. I find her health-related/skin/beauty videos very helpful. But, since she uploaded this back-to-school video, I feel like it's relevant considering school is starting soon. I for one cannot wait to get back to school, catching up with friends after the long summer, and most importantly, FOOTBALL SEASON! Even though I've been shopping and stuffing my closet to get ready for going back to school, I find this video very helpful. I like her suggestions because most of the stuff she suggested were very simple, yet they still have the potential to be nice, eye-catching outfits. Sometimes, I feel less comfortable wearing a flashy outfit to class because that's an environment for learning, and wearing something attention-grabbing may drive the focus away from the learning. Of course, that's just my opinion. Still, I'm really appreciative of her suggestions for the basics. I think for me, I plan on trying to go for the basic looks for a few days of the school week, and for the rest, I would go for something more unique and shows my personality. It's a win-win compromise :)

Here are the things listed in the video:
Basic loose T's
Cassandra (the guru) recommended stylemint T's.
But I think it would be just as easy to find more affordable basic T's from Forever21, Wet Seal, Cotton On, or other stores you go to regularly at the mall.
But there's one thing she mentioned that I couldn't agree more, make sure it's comfortable!

Flats
Ahh shoes! The piece of accessory I couldn't get enough of! In a basic outfit, a cute pair of flats really adds a bit of femininity.

I recently got a pair of ballet flats. And I love it! The neutral blush color is easy to match, and it's a very reasonable price!

Fun Accessories
I love playing with all kinds of accessories. Like in raspberry swirl, the scarf really changes up the originally basic outfit.

Over the summer, while I was shopping in Shanghai, I came across this GORGEOUS peacock feather necklace. I wasn't feeling it at the moment, but looking back, I SO regret not getting them. It's a total dont-you-hate-it-when-that-happens-moment.

But this is the closest one to the one I liked

However, I won't give up! The search for cute accessories continues!

Perfect Fitting JeansOk, that's sort of a given. But the options are still wide open!
A lot of retailers American Eagle, Holister, Aeropostale, and many others have been having jeans promotions. I think it may have something to do with back to school.

But of all the brands, one of my favorites is still AE jeans. Their marketing team must be happy to hear this. They'be been going all out with jeans promotion. With the contests, celebrity endorcements, yesterday, they even had a commercial on TV. But I've got it hand it to AE, they're the experts when it comes to jeans. I own two AE jeans, and they both have really nice fitting--certainly better than the other brands. Plus, there's lots of options, even within each "cuts." Most importantly, their jeans are very reasonably priced.

Last, but not least! Cardigan(s)!
Sure it's still summer, and it's still unbelievably hot (in LA at least). But I remember how the school AC was so cold, I got sick. So! Having a matching cardigan may be the cherry on the sundae, it may potentially save you from a cold!

Aside from these five wonderful suggestions, I may have some suggestions of my own!
Sleeveless Button-Up

I'm absolutely loving sleeveless blouses. The fact that it is a blouse makes it school appropriate. The sleeveless gives it a bit of an edge. And with a high low skirt, or a pair of shorts, it makes the perfect chic look.

SCARVES
I love scarves. If a cardigan is too hot, a nice thin scarf would provide the warmth AND puts the cherry on top.

So, with all these suggestions, I have all the more reasons for being excited to go back to school ♥

xoxo,

excited for school.

Tribal Love

 

Tribal Love by joanneinazoo featuring heart jewelry

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Blake Lively wearing the tribal Marchesa that took everyone's breaths awayWhile I was scrolling through the style section of People, I came across Ashley Tisdale and Elizabeth Banks rocking out some tribal outfits. They were really cute! It reminded me of this Marchesa that Blake Lively wore to "Fashion's Night Out," which I spotted from watching this episode of Style Star. I couldn't help but make a set of my own! I've never made sets on Polyvore--I usually use it for inspiration--so some of the editing is a bit rough. So I tried searching through different retailers looking for anything tribal, and I really like this Brandy Melville tank. I think it goes well with the AE shorts. At first, I was afraid it might have been too much, but based on the set, it seems okay! And the accessories are SO CUTE. The suede bracelets and the fringe bag really complements the tribal vibe of the entire outfit. And THE SHOES! I might get myself a pair of the tribal oxfords. I think I want to try a tribal look of my own.

So the Style Star episode I mentioned earlier, I watched it on the plane ride back to the states. It featured the famous Sarah Jessica Parker and the iconic Blake Lively, two of my favorite actresses.

Both these starlets have played characters that were New York it girls, and I love learning about the city style! But, in real life, they're constantly being compared to their fictional counterparts, but I don't see that as a bad thing! I mean SJP and Carrie Bradshaw has the style that's more mature. But she never seizes to amaze me, I've always been "Carried Away."

But I think Blake Lively, or Gossip Girl's very own Serena van der Woodsen (SVDW), is relatively more inspiring. I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like this golden goddess has a California vibe to her--she is originally from here! Yet, when I see her on the screen as SVDW (try saying that 10x's fast), I love her looks and I would totally believe that she's a born and bred New Yorker. Some of S's looks would definitely be ones I would try to replicate myself (even if I much prefer the style of Blair). Anyways, what really impressed me was that Blake doesn't even have a stylist! All her looks are styled by herself. I mean it's normal for a girl to style herself, but Blake's looks are great! It's no wonder she was named in "Time's 100 Most Inspirational People" list. Most of her looks are breath-taking, and they're actually really simple! For example, if she's wearing a Maxi, she wouldn't go all-out with crazy accessories, she would just put her hair up in a sleek pony tail, and out the door she goes! It's that simplicity that adds that real POP! Of course, her killer confidence might have something to do with it. She is an inspiration! So, in the documentary, one of my favorite looks is the Yellow Tribal Marchesa (showed above), and all the fashion commentators agreed with me. Now I'm even more motivated to try out that tribal outfit :)

Until next week, HAGW (Have a great weekend).
XO.