Back forever & always

I know, I know…The whole MIA blogger thing isn’t really cool. But those days are over, and I have a ton of new purchases and things to share.

First of all, I’ve had this vintage studded Levi’s jean jacket that I bought a while ago. Even though its really boxy, sometimes giving me a boyish looking build, I like pairing it with short shorts or a super feminine dress on those springy days where baring my arms would send shivers down my body. The studs make it unique; I like to think that the previous owner did it himself (“Brian” is written in pen on the inside of the pocket).

I wore the jacket with dark gray cut-off Brandy & Melville shorts, a white, lacy Free People tank, and silver Michael Kors wedges.

I must say, I’ve become a big Brandy & Melville as of late. All of their clothes are super soft and comfortable, these shorts included. The brand is primarily defined by its loose, flowy tops that can be dressed up or down, worn during the day or at night, for almost any occasion, but of course Brandy & Melville carries just about everything else too, dresses, shorts and accessories included.

That brings me to my next look. This flowery ruffled tank can be worn in so many ways. Here, I decided to pair it with dark green Citizens of Humanity skinny jeans, a BCBG belt, and my new suede Jeffrey Campbell high-heeled booties, yet another one of my favorite recent purchases. They are the perfect neutral color to be worn throughout the seasons and match quite an array of color palettes.

A better look at my Free People top, worn with a vintage Cameo necklace (a gift from my grandmother aka a true family heirloom):

Here is a closer look at my studded jacket as well as my springy hombre highlights. This lighting makes me look like I am basically half blonde:

A more earthy palette, complete with my favorite Jeffrey Campbell booties:
And, of course, this post wouldn't be complete without a close-up of the beauties, complete with a wooden heel:

And now for some spring trend updates…. From my most recent style/trend observations, I have noticed that the “it” jeans for spring all have a little shimmer to them. I personally love this look… I’ve seen everything from subtle sequins to shiny washes to give pants an extra edgy and re-vamped vibe. AllSaints carries the perfect ones; they have just the right amount of shimmer as not to be over the top. I also saw Seven for All Mankind’s take on this trend: they are showing a light wash with just a tad bit of shimmer that seems to be incorporated into the fabric itself (as opposed to being tacked on as an afterthought).

Another look that I have seen quite a lot lately is floral painted jeans. I’m a little undecided about whether or not I like them. It’s a great idea, but if executed improperly, can be a major fashion blunder, especially in a commonplace environment, such as school, where quizzical looks can be widespread, especially when one tries and fails at being “en vogue” to the highest degree.

I am currently vowing to revive my blog. I am ashamed of my past negligence, but I’m sure that my upcoming trip to Florence (yep, I said it) will bring Italian fashion and a ton of new purchases to the table, so be ready, my bellas…

xoxo stylista

New

I know I've been MIA for a while, but now I'm back (especially since the college app craziness and finals are over).

I spent some time in San Francisco over winter break, where I visited not only the Golden Gate Bridge and Chinatown, but also Union Square, the hub of San Francisco's shopping. Nordstrom, just a couple of blocks off of Union Square, was packed (understandably, considering it was just before Christmas), however I found this amazing long dress there, from the brand VPL.

Upon walking through Chinatown on my way to dinner, I could not help myself when I saw all of the fuzzy animal hats (complete with paw hand compartments)... I just had to buy a Hello Kitty one. Unfortunately, I was not in the mood to use my ever-helpful bargaining skills, so I was majorly ripped off on this purchase (especially considering I would never wear it outside my own home). But it's alright, at least I've gotten a couple of laughs out of it.

Here I am in my new VPL dress, black BCBG sandals and some silver jewelry:

A close-up:

Here I am in my Hello Kitty hat, most likely never to be worn again (except as part of a costume):

More to come, kitties; I can't give away allll of my new purchases in one post...

xoxo stylista

Parisian Princess & Supermodel Pooch

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I love this holiday, it's also so joyous, and brings everyone together, whether it's friends, family or even rarely-talked to acquaintances...

I've been in an especially artsy mood today, as I always am when faced with much-needed down time. This accounts for my creation of not just one, but two Polyvore collage masterpieces.

As for my fashion choices, I am wearing a Tiffany blue Wildfox cashmere shrunken sweater with a black Brandy & Melville maxi skirt (a little late to be blogging that trend, I know), black Belle by Sigerson Morrison flats, and silver jewelry.

This outfit & background (which is my bed) remind me of Paris (and my far-fetched dream of being some sort of Parisian goddess)... Maybe it's the "No. 1" on my sweater, which automatically makes me think of Chanel's numbered perfumes. Or maybe its the color scheme, reminiscent of the Hotel Castille, which is where I stayed when I visited Paris:

One of my dogs decided not to budge when I tried to move him out of the frame, so I instead took advantage of his cuteness and had some fun posing with him in the grass: In this next photo, which is a close-up of the last one, you can also kind of see my unusual-for-me make-up; My eyes are rimmed with black MAC liquid liner (winged, of course), with MAC's "Hint of Sapphire" eyeshadow (worn as eyeliner) around that:

Puppy love:

And finally, here are two sets I created on Polyvore, my favorite source of online creative satisfaction, aside from blogging, of course:

so...live a little by stylistah featuring turquoise gold earrings

Matthew Williamson long sleeve cocktail dress
$4,375 - ssense.com

Blue pumps
140 AUD - sirenshoes.com.au

Giuseppe Zanotti leather clutch
$1,135 - giuseppezanottidesign.com

Ippolita jewelry
$2,800 - net-a-porter.com

Irene Neuwirth turquoise gold earrings
$3,610 - ylang23.com

Munnu diamond flower ring
$38,000 - barneys.com

Popbeauty Cat Eyes
$16 - zappos.com

Victoria'S Secret Fragrance Mist
$12 - victoriassecret.com

Crayon Box / Sunday in bed
pinterest.com

i-D Editorial A Smile and a Wink Gets You Further Than You Think,...
myfdb.com

M·A·C Cosmetics |
maccosmetics.com

feather me crazy by stylistah featuring feather hair accessories

Silk evening dress
$495 - barneys.com

Jimmy choo shoes
$1,995 - net-a-porter.com

Gemma Redux earrings
$246 - gemmaredux.com

Feather hair accessory
$10 - bardot.com.au

Hypnôse Body Lotion - Perfume and Fragrance by Lancome
$45 - lancome-usa.com

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday. And don't forget to stock up on Black Friday deals...But if you have to camp out in a tent, it's definitely not worth it...

xoxo stylista

Why aren't the leaves crispy yet?

Frosty windshield on my car, chilly air, skinny peppermint mochas in jolly burgundy Starbucks cups, layers of cashmere and wool, and early sunsets that fade into quiet nights... Besides the fact that basically every plant in sight is still green and thriving, it's finally starting to feel like fall/winter, in my opinion, the best time of the year.

Fall and winter fashion are also, of course, highly regarded. Designers never hesitate to pile on the fabrics, and on the coldest of days (which are few and far between here in L.A.), so do I.

In these photos, I went more for the fall color scheme as opposed to the bundled-up look. I am wearing a beige BCBG cashmere tube top, a sheer Lush button-down blouse, chestnut Rich & Skinny flared pants, a BCBG belt...and BCBG snakeskin heels (in the first two photos), but I changed to black strappy Dolce Vita wedges for the last two photos. For jewelry, I opted for my usual assortment of silver, plus a short strand of pearls as a necklace:

And why did I change my shoes, might my style stalkers be asking? Answer: to go with my brand new black patent Yves Saint Laurent clutch!!! Shared with my mom and sister, this timeless bag our latest purchase, and will undoubtedly be worn by one of us to any and every significant event in the next many years:

Here is a close-up of THE Yves Saint Laurent clutch, my silver Tiffany "kiss" necklace, an old pearl necklace, and my YSL mascara and WetnWild liquid eyeliner, both in shades of plum that also remind me of fall:

Get in the mood, fall into the chic and cozy seasons of bliss...

xoxo stylista

Put another dime in the jukebox baby

I figured I'd try to go a little rock n roll for this post... I bought this extremely soft and comfortable Chaser sweatshirt at Bloomingdale's. And I know, I'm a little late on the leopard trend (I had been obsessed with the Current/Elliott leopard stilettos over the summer, and was heartbroken when they looked AWFUL on me... But when I saw these leopard skinnys (Joe's), all was forgotten. My sister helped photograph and style me; I'm wearing her Steve Madden platform wedges, and a few of her necklaces and rings mixed in with mine.

On another note, I started reading the Alexa Chung issue of Teen Vogue and fell in love with the story "Nailed". I am amazed by the perfection that nail artist Fleury Rose achieves in painting each nail to look like a different runway design. Literally, I have never seen such beautiful works of art on such a small scale. For the story, Rose had painted prints straight from the current Miu Miu, Prada and Balenciaga collections, among others, making each nail an individual piece of a trend report. It definitely inspired me to get creative with my nail art, as opposed to using my go-to Chanel graphite, chipping away as we speak.

Here I am posing in my rocker look:

Pretty nails and rock n roll are my callings du jour... What is it for all of my lovely style stalkers? Comment and let me know...

xoxo stylista

Oh my Alexander

Hello again... Sorry for the lack of posts; school and college apps are the culprits for that.

Anyway, after seeing the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met in New York, I became obsessed with not only his outlandish creativity and originality, but also his classic skull-print chiffon scarf, an iconic piece of his. After dreaming of owning it for a few months, my wish was granted...

Because I got the black and white color scheme, I can pair this scarf with just about anything. Here, I am wearing my robin's egg blue Genetic Denim capris (to go along with this season's colored jeans trend, which is undoubtedly catching on everywhere), a white tank top, a BCBG belt, my black Dolce Vita wedges and an assortment of silver jewelry, plus a vintage black beaded necklace, worn as a bracelet.

A close-up of the lovely skull print:

It's never too late to say R.I.P., McQueen...

xoxo stylista

Baci & Reversible

So last post I talked a little bit about Baci, the amazing boutique I found while walking in Nolita (a neighborhood in downtown Manhattan, for all you non-New Yorkers). Baci and Adriana helped my sister and I pick out some pieces and styled looks for us. Overall, it was a great, personal shopping experience...The opposite of what you would get at a department store or even a small boutique with snooty salespeople (which seems to happen a little too frequently). I only ended up getting an asparagus colored t-shirt, but since it is a such a staple, I have worn it so many times already.

As for my Bleulab shorts, they are from a little boutique near my house (another gem that has nice salespeople). And what's cool about them is: They are reversible! So amazing, righttttt? Well I'm a fan at least...

Last cool thing that I'll be wearing my photos: my grandma's vintage magnifying glass that she gave me over the summer. I love that it's true vintage, passed from her to me (and my sister to share). And it also opens up so it can have two lenses at once...

Here I am wearing my Baci top, reversible shorts, BCBG belt, newish black Dolce Vita strappy wedges, and my vintage magnifying glass necklace:

Keep it fresh for fall...

xoxo stylista

More East Coast Photo Diaries...

Finally back from the east coast... To say it was successful in the shopping department would be an understatement. In addition to finding a ton of small things here and there from stores around NYC, I found two jackpot (but on sale) dresses: one for homecoming, and, more importantly, one for prom. Unfortunately for you style stalkers, I'm keeping the details under wraps until the actual event, so I can display these dresses in their full glory (with hair, makeup, jewelry, and the bag, of course). With this huge relief of not having to scramble around for a dress the weekend before, each dress was definitely worth every penny. Can't wait to blog them! In the meantime, here are a few of my urban, as well as suburban, chic outfits.

Here I am posing in Nolita, one of my favorite shopping areas in the city. There are so many cute boutiques around there, including Baci (more to follow on this fabulous boutique in my next post). Anyway, I am wearing black American Apparel overalls, leather Luxury Rebel lace-up flats, my favorite black bag, my entire stash of gold jewelry, and a colorful silk scarf given to me by my true New Yorker grandmother. Major photocreds to my sister, who took these 3 photos on her super intimidating looking camera:

And for the more suburban side of me... I forgot to mention I took a side trip to Pennsylvania...

I'm wearing a BCBG tank, Hudson jean shorts, my Luxury Rebel nude flats, and my signatue black bag of course:

I'm definitely not one of those history nerds, but I will admit that I'm at Valley Forge here. It does have pretty scenery and some cool restored cannons and such. Makes for some interesting compositions, yes? I'm wearing a knit sweater and dark Seven jeans:

Ta ta for now, my lovelies...More to follow (especially photos from my New York shopping adventures) soon...

xoxo stylista

P.S. I would love to know everyone's take on this fall's trends... Comment and tell me what you're looking forward to showing off come September...