Contrast

Since finally investing in a 50mm lens, I've been feeling more inspired and have been pulling my DSLR out of that Mary Poppins bag whenever possible. I'd been living off my kit lens for about 3 years, so it was about time I upgraded. As you can see from my not-so-intentionally unfocused shots, I'm still getting the hang of it. More photos from the past week can be found on my Tumblr as well.

In real time, it's Sunday night. I'm surprisingly relaxed, and happy to be blogging after another unintentional hiatus. I had one hell of a week so moments of calm are always welcomed. I'm slowly but surely beginning to appreciate the constant contrasts in life. Whether it's something small like a polished outfit photo in an industrial setting. A rough skyline against a soft sunset. Or, something much bigger than I can fit in a few blog photos. 

Anyway, here's to the last 5 minutes of...weekend.

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Shop This Post:

Madewell Silk Blouse

Anthropologie Black Trousers

Cameo Necklace

Nixon Leather Watch

Madewell Leather Satchel

Target Black Strappy Sandals

Art Teacher

The second I saw this sweater at Nasty Gal I knew I had to buy it. Don't ask me why of all the trendy and usually bodycon styles on their site, I honed in on this oversized, chunky coatigan. I'm not an art teacher and/or crazy cat lady yet but I'm definitely channeling my inner eccentric whenever I wear this (note: extremely cozy) statement piece.

Not pictured: my paper mache earrings and patchwork vest.

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Shop This Post:

Nasty Gal Coatigan

Target White Tank

GUESS High-Rise Jeans

Gold Pendant Necklace

TOMS Sunglasses

GUESS Gold Watch

Brown Leather Satchel

Black Leather Mules

Gravitate

These pants are an oldie but goodie. I've worn them a couple times on this blog, and a million more times in real life. I'm a creature of habit and I've found that regardless of how many options I have in front of me, I'll always gravitate to the same few (note: comfortable) pieces. In college, I was drawn to more structured, belted looks. At the time I thought the more tailored, the more sophisticated an outfit was. But now? I avoid cinched waists at all most costs. To me, there's something chic about throwing on a shift dress or loose joggers and using accessories to dress up the look

Speaking of which...I'm currently on the hunt for dressy Vegas outfits that don't involve tacky bodycon dresses or bandage skirts. Can I get away with wearing a shift/muumuu to da club? Or a full-length floral jumpsuit? Send help...

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Outfit Details:

Madewell White T-Shirt

Nordstrom Light Denim Vest

Nordstrom Black Printed Joggers

TOMS Sunglasses

Gold Jade Necklace

GUESS Gold Watch

Madewell Glasgow Satchel

Seychelles Black Leather Mules

Particular

Over the years, only a handful of people have taken photos for my blog. I think it stems from a place of my own self-consciousness. Not really from posing in front of a camera, but more from how incredibly high maintenance particular I can be about my blog photos. Which is why...friends who blog are the best. Because you can convince them to take outfit photos of you and not feel bad giving very (very) specific requests on the exact cactus-flower ratio needed for the "perfect" shot. 

P.S. Unlike the rest of Los Angeles, I didn't go to Coachella last weekend. Instead, I wandered around a cemetery for 2 hours by myself because I'm a normal person who does normal things like that. Stay tuned for more photos once I finally decide where to upload them. Instagram? Tumblr? These social networks are getting low-key out of control and I'm really starting to miss the good-ole-fashioned scrapbook's heyday.

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Outfit Details:

Vintage Pink Blouse

Anthropologie Army Jacket

Vintage Cameo Necklace

TOMS Sunglasses

GUESS Gold Watch

Madewell Destroyed Jeans

Madewell Glasgow Satchel

Banana Republic Tan Heels

Fine Line

The first photo was a product of the wind and the right moment on my self-timer. And I know what you're all probably thinking. It's walking a very fine line between cool and Cousin Itt. Which is fine, because Cousin-I definitely had his moment in the '60s and is making a comeback. I can feel it.

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Outfit Details:

Reformation Cali Dress

Cameo Necklace

TOMS Sunglasses

GUESS Gold Watch

Madewell Glasgow Satchel

GUESS Denim Jacket

Heeled Sandals

Strong Suit

To an outsider, style blogging is weird. And when I think about it...maybe it is a little strange that I genuinely enjoy taking outfit photos on a tripod in a stairwell after work. But you know, everyone needs a thing and I guess this one's mine. Another thing of mine is blogging in bars. (I swear—I'm going to make this trend happen. The era of laptops in Starbucks is coming to an end!)

I'm currently blogging at a wine bar in Santa Monica while eavesdropping on people chatting about their reality TV connections. Because...LA. I love the West Side in every way—but thought-provoking conversation isn't its strong suit.

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Outfit Details:

Oversized Green Blazer

Madewell Grey Dress

TOMS Bellini Sunglasses

Vintage Black Cameo

GUESS Classic Gold Watch

Black Opaque Tights

Madewell Glasgow Satchel

Madewell Black Ankle Boots

Fashion Crossword

When you're a postgrad and don't have an endless clothing budget...sometimes you've got to get creative. Especially if you're like me and live in LA where it's "winter," but you can still get away with wearing a summer dress under a sweater and calling it a day. In my opinion, weird transitional weather like this makes getting dressed more fun. If this analogy makes any sense, I'd like to think of layering as some sort of (budget) fashion crossword.

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Outfit Details:

Madewell Green Sweater

ASOS Gingham Dress

TOMS Bellini Sunglasses

Black Cameo Necklace

Nixon Brown Kensington Watch

Coordinates Collection Legend Bracelet

Madewell Black Leather Belt

Anthropologie Brown Leather Bag

Madewell Brown Leather Ankle Boots

Urban Oasis

On my recent trip to the flower district, I also stopped by an orchid shop that felt like an urban greenhouse—a little oasis in the middle of the city. My new bag fit right in, and the foliage brought out the green hues in one of my favorite vintage scarves. I decided to keep the rest of my look simple, sticking with my tried-and-true shift dress + ankle boots combo.

On another note, this weekend was equally as fun and "LA" as the last. Some weekends seem to fly by and all I can really recollect is waking up at noon, making almond toast, and walking to Trader Joe's. But others—like this one—feel like a mini-time warp where I conveniently forget that Monday is waiting on the other side.

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Outfit Details:

Madewell Grey Shift Dress

Vintage Brown Printed Scarf

TOMS Bellini Sunglasses

GUESS Classic Gold Watch

Coordinates Collection Bracelet

Fossil Preston Crossbody

H&M Black Sweater Tights

Madewell Brown Ankle Boots

About Town

Downtown LA is such a strange little place. It's a motley mix of high rises, urban neighborhoods, and places like the Arts District—a collection of warehouses and industrial buildings with trendy cafes tucked in between. Luckily, I work in Downtown so I have an excuse to explore different parts of the neighborhood each week. Even though...I'm really just a creature of habit and tend to stick to the same places once I've found something I like. (New Year's resolution #34: be more adventurous.)

This outfit has been one of my go-to looks for work lately. An oversized silk button-down, jeans, and simple heels creates the perfect balance of casual and chic. Also, red lipstick. Until recently, I had seriously underestimated the power it has to fool people into thinking you're sophisticated.

On another note, I'm currently in denial that I have to go into work tomorrow. This weekend was just what I needed—spent shamelessly doing cliche-LA things and loving every second of it.

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Outfit Details:

Madewell Black Silk Shirt

Madewell Destroyed Skinny Jeans

Etsy Gold Wishbone Necklace

TOMS Bellini Sunglasses

Nixon Kensington Leather Watch

Coordinates Collection Legend Bracelet

Vintage Bally Black Quilted Tote

Seychelles Nude Mules

NARS Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

Wednesday Inspiration

If Wednesday Addams suddenly turned girly, I feel like she would wear something like this. So...I suppose you could say this outfit was subconsciously inspired by her. But, this look was consciously inspired by a number of these Refinery 29 style videos. Usually, I'm not one for watching online tutorials (very short attention span), but they cleverly managed to cut them into 30 second clips on Facebook that held my focus. Plus, their Senior Style Editor is a layering queen that I've been taking a few fashion cues from lately.

Continuing my green-obsession...I picked up this leather crossbody from Fossil a couple weeks ago. I would never have thought to invest in a little green bag, but good old T-Swift has already pioneered the trend so I've convinced myself it was a good idea. I've been wearing it non-stop for the past two weeks and it's somehow managed to match with almost everything. I feel like the Girl In The Green Scarf Handbag.

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Outfit Details:

Urban Outfitters Floral Shift Dress

Vintage White Silk Shirt

Vintage Gold Pendant

GUESS Classic Gold Watch

Target Black Faux Leather Jacket

Fossil Green Preston Crossbody (c/o)

H&M Black Sweater Tights

Madewell Brown Ankle Boots