Tennis Court Style

April 25, 2014

Lacoste | Christian Dior | Lisa Perry | Louise Goldin | Marni | Rag & Bone
You don't have to be a Williams sister or the next Rafael Nadal to rock a preppy tennis-inspired look. Airy skorts, athletic crop tops, and country club argyles were all the rage on the spring 2014 runways and you don't have to be a rising tennis star or the one to watch at Wimbledon to adopt the crisp and pristine style of a grand slam champ.

For the preppy individual, it's all about the country club staples: crests, stripes, argyle, et cetera, preferably in sharp whites or polished pastels. Sporty visors or caps make for excellent finishing touches.

If you are more of a downtown girl, get inspired by the sports bra and tennis tops. Athletic tops have gotten pretty cool looking (just look at the successes of lululemon if you need convincing) and paired with relaxed trousers or a midi skirt you will look absolutely amazing.

Tennis shoes are also everywhere right now and a great way to add sporty vibes to any outfit. Just make sure you pair your sneakers with polished pieces to avoid from looking sloppy or like you just got back from the gym (unless, of course, you did just get back from working out, in which case good for you!)

Are you loving the tennis court style? 

Top | Cap | Tote | Sneakers | Skirt | Bracelet

Desert Style

April 21, 2014

All images from Elle and Harper's Bazaar online
After about the fiftieth festival style post featuring girls in crop tops and Native American feather headdresses, music festival outfits can become sort of redundant.

That is why I was absolutely delighted to see that not everyone succumbed to such overdone festival fashion cliches for the world-famous Coachella Music Festival.

Bikini tops are fine (it is 90+ degrees out there, after all) but they look way cuter with a ladylike midi skirt than with tired jagged-edge denim cutoffs. And a bohemian Valentino fringe suede coat is an amazing (and much less offensive) appropriation of "western" style.

Coachella has become a hub for the fashion crowd (my own offices were almost empty when I came in last friday, when the first weekend of the festival was already in full swing) and I love the inspiration they bring with their more original outfits. Because there is totally a way you can look chic and fashionable while still appropriately dressed for a festival in the desert (aka wearing practical clothing).

So thank you, Coachella fashionistas for continuing to transform festival style and giving me hope that not everyone attending is wearing fringe bikinis and and cutoffs.

To Cap it Off

April 16, 2014

ONE | TWO | THREE

Hats are still kind of new territory for me. I've only just started to experiment with them this year, and I still can be wary around them. Until quite recently I've always found hats to be rather unflattering atop my head, and they would always give me unfortunate indents on my hair. My stick-straight hair would look limp and dull under a headpiece, so I never gave much thought to wearing baseball caps. It's not like I was sporty, and if I needed protection from the sun, I had a fabulous floppy straw hat to do the trick.

But baseball caps have had something of a revival in recent months, and they aren't just ones that pledge loyalty to your hometown team. No, these cool caps are printed with flowers and leopard, or stitched up in denim or eyelet. They can dress down a nice dress or give some edge to an otherwise simple outfit.

Personally I think baseball caps look best with hair that has a bit of volume to it. I curl my hair and tease it to give it extra lift before placing a cap on my head.

How do you feel about the baseball cap trend? How do you style it?

SHOP FASHIONABLE BASEBALL CAPS:

MTV Movie Awards Best Dressed

April 14, 2014

Another day, another awards show happening down the block from where I live. But hey, that's LA for you.

While my mom and I did some pre-birthday shopping at the Americana in Glendale, the trendy stars of film and television gathered at the Nokia Theatre at LA Live for the 2014 MTV Movie Awards. It was hosted by Conan O'Brien so I'm sure it was funny, and I think people win things, but let's be real, the awards show isn't about the accolades but rather the fun of it all. And this attitude was well reflected on the red carpet, where stars donned colorful and bold looks for the evening. 

I love seeing celebrities attend these more casual award shows where they can take some fashion risks. Let's see if they paid off!

Arden Cho | Pia Mia Perez | Rocsi Diaz | Zendaya | Iggy Azalea
The ladies of the red carpet embraced spring colors, with dazzling whites and vibrant pastels that also ruled the Spring 2014 runways. Arden Cho and Rocsi Diaz looked absolutely radiant in white dresses that featured fun cutouts.

Iggy Azalea has proved herself to be quite the fashion lover, and I'm proud of her for taking a risk in John Galliano. The proportions of the look were pretty hard to pull off and I don't know if it was the best choice for Azalea, but I like that she tried it out.

Also, I don't know who Pia Mia Perez is and I don't know what her usual style is, but I'm kind of digging her purple gangsta glam get-up. This seems to be one of the most polarizing looks of the night, but I for one don't hate it.

Lupita Nyong'o | Holland Roden | Shailene Woodley | Rihanna | Victoria Justice
As you all know I have a total style crush on Lupita Nyong'o and her choice for last night's event was no exception. She killed it in a colorful Chanel dress and I loved her electric blue pumps and matching eyeshadow.

Holland Roden and Shailene Woodley both rocked summer leather looks. I love Holland's simple nude Salvatore Ferragamo dress and the way she played up her shoes and lips. Fresh and fun. As for Shailene, she looked equal parts sweet and edgy in an olive green Balmain outfit. The little peek of skin was cute and not a bit too much. Also, I think Shailene wins for best shoes. Those things are awesome.

Rihanna is no stranger to best dressed lists but I find that I often waver between loving and hating her style. Tonight she was totally glam in Ulyana Sergeenko couture. The sweeping silk robe screamed old Hollywood, but the playful bodysuit beneath kept the look young, sexy, and appropriate for an event that is all about having fun.

I also thought Victoria Justice was one of the best dressed in a stunning Versace Atelier mini dress. The pink is perfect for MTV and the detail on the dress is stunning. I also loved how she kept her styling to a minimum so the dress could do the talking. 

Who was your best dressed of the evening and who should have gone home to change?

Shopping in San Diego Just Got Better!

April 7, 2014


I may reside in Los Angeles during the school year, but San Diego is and always will be home. It's a truly beautiful city and no matter how busy I get or how crazy life in LA is, I can always count on San Diego to give me peace and serenity in the form of glorious rays of sunshine and fabulous shopping

If San Diego is my home, then Fashion Valley is my oasis. So many favorite memories of the gorgeous mall, so many great purchases made. It's because of Fashion Valley that I didn't realize indoor malls actually existed until middle school, and it was there that I cultivated my own personal style. In a sense I grew up there - I transitioned from Roxy-wearing elementary schooler to sassy Abercrombie middle schooler (oh, those were dark days) to full-fledged fashionista, all with the help of Fashion Valley. I really owe a lot to the place and whenever I make a trek home you know that I'll be stopping by.

So imagine my excitement when a representative of Curator PR (who oversees public relations for Fashion Valley) gave me the awesome news that Fashion Valley was introducing a few new stores this year (as if I needed more reasons to go!).

Looks from Free People's March 2014 Catalog

Among the new additions: Free People and AllSaints, both brands that you know I love! This will be the first standalone AllSaints store in San Diego or Orange Counties and you can be sure that it's going to look beautiful. 

PINK of Victoria's Secret is also getting it's own standalone store, which will allow the preexisting Victoria's Secret to expand, and workout mavens beware, because lululemon is finally coming to Fashion Valley. Maybe if I get a pair of "wunder unders" I'll actually be motivated to work out? Who knows.

Anyways, I am totally stoked for all these new additions to my favorite hometown mall. AllSaints opened this past weekend and the rest of the stores are set to open within the year, so get your credit cards ready and I'll see you there!

Looks from AllSaints Spring 2014