Quest for Fashion Sense

Early Spring Transition Outfits

April 30, 2013 in Casual, Outfits | Leave a comment

Some early spring transition outfits below.

I wore this outfit to have lunch with a friend:

Blush sequin shirt, gifted from a family friend; similar in gunmetal here, a gold sequined tank here, and blush/dusty pink sweater with no sequins here
H&M cardigan (old; similar here)
JewelMint Earrings
F21 Belt (similar, but with studs, here)
H&M Shorts (similar, but with no belt loops, here)
Hue Tights (from Nordstrom Rack)
H&M Flats (similar here)

This outfit was also worn to have lunch with friends:

Metal Ball Stud Earrings (similar here; brushed metal here)
Sparkle & Fade Blouse (last seen here; similar here and here)
BR Cardigan (similar here)
Uniqlo Jeans (from 2008; similar here and here)
Gap Belt (from 2011; similar here)
Target Mossimo Taupe Pumps (old; similar here)
Coach Court Bag (vintage Coach Court Bag via eBay here)

I wore this outfit to run errands:

Aldo sunglasses (old; similar here)
Dasha Boutique Filigree & Clustered Labradorite Earrings (here)
Gap trench (super old–from 2001!)
A&E striped sweater (old, from 2009)
Black jeans from Ross (I finally caved in and bought skinny jeans last year)
H&M Flats (similar here)
Coach Court Bag (vintage Coach Court Bag via eBay here)

30 in Chicago: A Recap, Part I

April 28, 2013 in Friends, Outfits, Traveling | 1 comment

The majority of my group of girlfriends turned 30 last year, and we decided that we wanted to celebrate together in a city outside of southern California. I had been to Boston and New York for undergrad and grad school respectively, and my group of girlfriends have traveled to Vegas many times. I had worked in Baltimore for a year and had also been to DC to visit my brother. We considered Houston, but I had spent the first three years of my life there and had visited a few times to visit relatives and for my brother’s college graduation. A couple of friends were also going to be visiting Houston the spring before our trip, so that city was out. We flirted with the idea of Vancouver, but that location was nixed based on price of airplane tickets alone. A few of the girls had taken girls’ trips to Hawaii and one had taken a cruise starting from Florida. I was the only girl in my group who had gone to Chicago and everyone was pretty excited about going there, so that’s how we chose “Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin’ town.”

We planned the August 2012 trip beginning in December of 2011, so by the time August of 2012 came along, we were all set to go.

My outfit for the plane ride and first day in Chicago:

I like wearing jersey dresses when going on the plane because I find that they’re not restrictive. The one I’m wearing is from Gap from 2005 or 2006 (similar dresses at Old Navy here, here, and maxidress version here). I also wore a lightweight cardigan from H&M (old; similar here), gold T-strap sandals (mine were from Wet Seal, the real deal here), and a grey scarf (here). Assorted bangles and jangles were gifted from relatives and the studded wrap bracelet is from BaubleBar. I’m wearing square mirror studs from Forever 21 (similar here). My convertible crossbody clutch/purse is from Ross (last seen here).

Jessica, Mia, Sam, Em, Lola/R1, Elle, Me (QfFS)

We got into Chicago on a Tuesday afternoon. Our first evening in Chicago was pretty low key. We walked around and took touristy photos.

We had plans to try Chicago pizza on Thursday and we were having nice dinners on Wednesday and Friday, so we decided to have sushi at a nearby restaurant because the fare would be light, the meal would be moderately priced, and the location would be convenient.

We also stopped by a Chicago Trader Joe’s for snacks and beverages to enjoy in the hotel room.

We stayed at the Raffaello, a boutique hotel located close to the Water Tower. We spent our first evening relaxing at the hotel and went over a girls’ bonding activity. It was my idea. Yep, I’m cheesy like that.

In various leadership development seminars, I’ve always enjoyed activities where we got to know each person better, and I thought it would be nice to be able to conduct a similar activity within my group of girlfriends. We’re kind of a ragtag group who somehow found each other, mainly through R1 and Elle. A few weeks before we went to Chicago, I sent the girls a form response to fill out on each other, then I assembled the questionnaires into little packets.

For each girl, we needed to answer the following questions:

1. How did you get to know X?

2. What are three words you would use to describe X?

3. If X were an animal, which animal she would be and why?

4. What is something you secretly like about X?

5. Hypothetical situation: X is a contender to be on a reality game show. You need to describe her to studio executives. What do you say?

6. What are your top five memories of hanging out with X?

7. If our Chicago trip was going to be the last time we were to hang out together, what would you want X to know?

We then went over each of the answers aloud while drinking wine and shots of tequila. The activity took about three hours, but we learned a lot of new, surprising, interesting, and hilarious information. Some of the girls had forgotten how they had met or had gotten to know each other (some of us had met in high school, others in college or through hanging out at different social gatherings) and many gave conflicting stories, then blamed their age and failing memories when the real story was revealed. We had a lot of laughs and came up with a lot of new nicknames for each other, and I think we became closer as a group because we were able to share that experience with each other.

Gold Sequined Top

April 14, 2013 in Outfits | 2 comments

At one of the Girls’ Clothes Exchanges, I scored two sequined tops, one of which I’ve worn a few times now.

The first time I paired it with a black maxidress for a small house party. I got my maxidress from Old Navy, but Ross also has a great selection of moderately priced maxidresses.

For my husband’s birthday dinner, I wore it with flared jeans, my Lands’ End boys’ blazer, and F21 heels. I’m pretty sure I’m one of the few who continue to wear flared jeans.

Hope you’ve had a good weekend!

eShakti Dress Review: Trapunto Trim Chambray Shirtdress

March 29, 2013 in Outfits, Reviews | 1 comment

I last reviewed an eShakti dress here.

Since then, I’ve worn the dress a multitude of times, most recently as seen below.

I recently received the Trapunto Trim Chambray Shirtdress from eShakti for review. Like the first time I ordered from eShakti, the ordering process was simple and the dress arrived quickly. I love that the dress is versatile as seen below.

eShakti Trapunto Trim Chambray Shirtdress
Obey Jacket
F21 Belt
H&M Tights
H&M Flats (yep, I’m wearing flats)

I wore the above outfit to go to dinner with an old friend. The dress is very comfortable and forgiving because of the chambray material. The buttons are very easy to manage as well.

BaubleBar earrings (referral link here)
F21 Sweater
eShakti Trapunto Trim Chambray Shirtdress
BR Flats
Similar bag in different colors here; for sub-$20 here; vintage Coach Court Bag via eBay here

The main problem that I had with the dress occurred when I sat. The skirt tends to slide up a bit and because there is a slit in front, sitting down can be a bit awkward. I wore a fitted skirt underneath (here) as a slip to help with that issue.

I wore the above outfit to dinner at a friend’s place. She had cooked a huge pot of bun rieu and invited my husband and me over to help finish the leftovers. We were happy to oblige.

eShakti Trapunto Trim Chambray Shirtdress
Pashmina from World Market
Sparkle & Fade Blouse (similar in white here)
Grey faux sude pumps from a Girls’ Clothes Exchange

I wore this outfit to go to lunch with my husband and parents. I love that, like most of their dresses, this eShakti dress has pockets.

The only other caveat is that the dress is prone to getting wrinkles. The comfort and versatility of the dress, though, make it a nice addition to any wardrobe, and I look forward to styling this dress in other ways.

In regards to the company itself, eShakti is unique because of the customization features that it offers. For instance, you are able to choose whether you want the dress to be longer or shorter (I chose an above the knee style), the type of sleeves you want, and whether you would like to remove a sash, embroidery, or pockets.

In addition, eShakti has a new bridesmaids line out, which is a good alternative for bridesmaids who are unable to get together with the bride and other bridesmaids to try on dresses. eShakti offers a convenient way for bridesmaids to select the dress that the bride has requested, and then the bridesmaids only need to provide their measurements to the company and will receive their dresses via mail.

This option would have helped me greatly back when I was getting married because one of my bridesmaids was living in Australia at the time and my maid of honor, the 1/2 DD, was up in San Francisco.

Lastly, eShakti is currently offering a $25 gift coupon for first timers registering to their site, and in addition to their customization options, they offer sizes 0-36W.

***Disclosure: This dress was provided for my review without charge. I received no monetary compensation to write this review. All opinions expressed within this review are my own.***

Another Shopping Adventure

March 25, 2013 in Friends, Outfits | 1 comment

R1 and QfFS Before Shopping

I wore the above outfit last year in May to go to brunch and shopping with my girlfriends. R1 got her skirt at Ross for about $12.

The blue blazer that I’m wearing is the Lands’ End boys’ blazer that I also wore here, here, here, and here.

The blazer was altered from its original version to include narrower lapels, overall slimming, and a sewn-in back flap. The alterations, if memory serves correctly, were about $20.

When I first bought my blazer, I wanted a more affordable version than the J. Crew one; however, with all the sales that J. Crew has, the J. Crew Schoolboy Blazer, depending on the color/material that is chosen, is probably comparable in price to the Lands’ End one with the alterations that needed to be done.

The white dress is from H&M. I really like H&M for their selection of dresses. This dress in particular was the sole dress in my size and was just hanging on the rack back in March or April of last year. I saw it just a few brief seconds before R1 did, and exclaimed, “This is really cute.”

R1 turned to me and said, “It IS really cute.”

I mentioned to her that my husband would probably kill me if I got another dress, and she said, “If you don’t get it, I’m going to get it.” I immediately replied, “You should get it.”

After a few minutes of indecision, I ended up with the little beaut. Although not visible in the picture above, there are two little gold buttons on each side of the dress that I absolutely adore.

Some other cute fit and flare dresses from H&M here, here, and here (this last one is directed to you, Caramel Covered Everything!).

The necklace was from Ann Taylor, an early birthday gift from R1. R1 and I are dangerous together when we go shopping. We are definite enablers, and when I exclaimed to her that I really liked that necklace, she said, “Let me get it for you for your birthday.”

After many protestations from me, R1 bought it immediately and even more immediately, it went around my neck–while we were still shopping.

I also left the price tag on, much to R1′s embarrassment. She kept pleading with me to take the price tag off so that mall security wouldn’t go after us. I retorted: “You have the receipt; no worries.”

I have been known to try to embarrass R1 and my husband at almost every opportunity that I have.

The orange pumps are from Payless (back in 2009; a pointy toe version from Fergie here).

My handbag was part of the Legacy Collection at Coach. I call it “CB” (short for Court Bag). It was a big purchase in December 2011. Looks like the item is no longer available, but ExtraPetite had a great post on tips for purchasing vintage Coach bags on EBay.

More recaps to follow.

Renaissance Faire & Turning 30

March 17, 2013 in Friends, Outfits, Updates | 1 comment

Among some of the events that occurred last year, the Strongholdians attended our first Renaissance Faire in April of 2012. I first heard about the Renaissance Faire from Salazar. When I first brought up going to the Faire, I knew my husband would be interested, but wasn’t sure that the Rs would be as gung ho. Lo and behold, R1, a Comic Con attendee, was in and so was R2. I suspect that the connection to Game of Thrones may have played a part in everyone’s interest as well. The Strongholdians are very fond of the Game of Thrones series (that, as well as The Walking Dead, are very big TV events in the Stronghold). Thus, off to the Faire we went. A great time was had by all.

QfFS and R1 at the Renaissance Faire

I had looked for gold T-strap sandals for spring and summer wear last year and found a pair for about $13 at Wet Seal. I hadn’t shopped at Wet Seal for a while, but after perusing through a few shops at the mall, found that this pair was a good fit. For this year, I like these DV by Dolce Vita Archer look alikes from Wet Seal as well as the real deal here.

Close up of bracelets:

The middle gold bracelet was a gift from my husband’s aunt and the outer bracelets are from BaubleBar (referral link). The bangles on my right arm are from F21.

The mint hoop earrings are also from BaubleBar. The earrings are no longer available, but these mint daisy studs are rather charming.

***

I turned 30 this past year in June. I have heard of other women feeling sad or crying when they turned 30, and I never thought it would happen to me.

It did.

Evidence as follows:

Everything was fine until everyone started singing and a cake came out with the numbers 3 and 0 prominently displayed. I believe the first words (read: wail) out of my mouth were: “I didn’t know it was going to be like this!”

My boss at the time, who is only a few years older than me, burst out laughing. Everyone else was mainly younger than me and they all gave awkward chuckles. My cousin has a video of the entire escapade somewhere.

Afterwards, we did a Settlers of Catan tournament (this was my mini-birthday celebration; my girlfriends and I celebrated our 30th birthdays together in Chicago in August).

Now that a few months have passed and I’m edging up on turning 31, I don’t think my age is as big of a deal; I think it just took me by surprise. My boss ended up asking R1 if she cried when she turned 30. She replied: “Well, I think I felt that way on the inside. [QfFS] just expressed everything on the outside.”

Yep, sounds about right.

***

My husband and I went to San Francisco in October to celebrate my good friend and Maid of Honor’s 30th birthday. She is known as the 1/2 DD (for one-half of the Dynamic Duo; I am known as the 50%). The 1/2 DD had won the opportunity to throw an event at the Haas-Lilienthal House at an auction. I am pretty sure that the House had never seen a celebration like the one that took place that night.

The 50% and the 1/2 DD

I got my dress above from H&M. Closeup of my earrings:

I got these for $10 from The $10 Boutique at the New York, New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas back in May. Everything at the store (except for a few select items) was $10!

My bracelet below from BaubleBar:

What I love about the bracelet, in addition to the sparkliness, is the clasp:

More updates to come! Enjoy the week!

Return of the QfFS

March 10, 2013 in Family, Friends, Outfits, Updates | 2 comments

Hello, all. Sorry for the long absence.

I do not have the greatest of explanations; only that I have concentrated on work and blogging fell to the wayside.

I have only a few outfits here and there saved up from events in the last seventeen months (including one from my sister!), and between them, I hope to share some brief stories.

I wore the above outfit to good friend Jessica‘s wedding in November of 2011. The scarf was picked up at a girls’ clothes exchange, the earrings are from BaubleBar (referral link here), shoes from Payless (a go to for comfortable basic shoes, similar here), and the cardigan is from Victoria’s Secret (cashmere version here; similar here from Banana).

I didn’t take a lot of pictures from this wedding because of a few unexpected occurrences, such as almost jumping into a pool, scaring a family or two, and a Dancing with the Stars moment (long story), but it was a very fun and memorable wedding.

A new development is that my husband and I have roommates in the Stronghold. We very literally call them R1 (for Roommate 1) and R2 (Roommate 2). You may recognize R1 from earlier posts. She has previously been referred to as Lola. R2 is R1′s boyfriend.

The picture above is of me and R1 at the girls’ 2011 Holiday Dinner held at Mia‘s home. The dress I am wearing above is also from the Girls’ Clothes Exchange.

Prior to the Rs move-in, our living room and dining room were pretty empty, except for a table donated from a family friend.

The move from my parents’ home, the Homestead, where my husband and I were previously living, to the Stronghold was hard for me because I am very close to my family and the Stronghold seemed very lonely at first, especially coming from a fully furnished house of five to an empty house of two. Also, even though I spent seven years on the East Coast, I have always considered my “home” where my parents and sister have lived. I ended up calling my parents’ house the Homestead and our house the Stronghold because I kept saying “home” and my husband never knew which home I meant.

I ended up naming everything in the Stronghold, including every room and even some of our lamps. After R2 moved in, he provided a great explanation for my naming of everything – it was basically a way for me to personalize everything so that the objects were like friends.

The Rs moving in really helped us out because it made the Stronghold less lonely and the Rs also brought their keen sense of design with them.

Our living room, Jacquasse (a reference to this movie), before:

I helped my husband install the below laminate flooring (we call the floor Larry for “light and airy”).

Jacquasse after the Rs:

The picture above is to attend Jessica’s housewarming. My cardigan above is from H&M back in ’07. Similar colored cardigan in a V-neck style here; velvet-trimmed crew neck style here. The F21 white dress (bought in 2009) was last seen here. I scavenged the necklace from my mum (she has had it since the eighties; I last wore it here), and the heels are also from H&M circa 2007. The quilted crossbody purse was a great find from Ross last spring. It was about $15! In the words of my good friend Sam, “Steal Deal!” A non-quilted studded one can be found here; a similar one that’s studded and in coral can be found here.

More to come at a later date. For those who have dropped by to say hello, thanks so much for thinking of me, and again, apologies to all of you who may have checked in and haven’t heard from me. I will also mention that I did go through a period of unemployment that was pretty difficult and am now getting acclimated to an area of law that I never thought I would do.

I have followed your blogs like the creeper I am, though, and I mean that in the least creepy way possible, and I’m hoping to fill in the rest of the gaps of 2012 and 2013.

Let me end this post with these amazing pictures of my sister, the A-Face:

My mom had asked me to help my sister pick out a dress for my cousin’s wedding. My sister picked out the dress herself from H&M and chose the jewelry from F21. I let her borrow a blazer and belt I scored from another girls’ exchange (she has since kept both). For the day of the wedding, my sister wore the following:

That Zoolander pose–that’s all her.

The Stronghold

October 9, 2011 in Outfits, Updates | 14 comments

Outfit: Sweater from Mervyn’s (2008), Skirt (2003, tailored in VN and recently altered), Assets Tights from Target (2009), Boots from Ross (2009), Gap Trench (2001, below)
Accessories: BaubleBar Necklace (2011, via the Vault), Gold Hoop Earrings (gift from high school)
Occasion: Running Errands (this was taken at The Homestead, aka my parents’ house)
Vibe: Autumnal

Outfit: H&M Dress (2011 – via clothes exchange with friends), Payless Peeptoe Shooties (2011), H&M Tights (2000), H&M Coat (2008, below)
Accessories: Leather Woven Belt (from sixth grade!), F21 Peacock Earrings (2011)
Occasion: Dinner with Friends (this was taken in the front yard of The Stronghold, aka our new house)
Vibe: Put Together

I’d wanted a long black coat since the time I was a legal assistant in New York (2006). All the lawyers in the office, including the owner, had these long black coats that made them look so intimidating and lawyer-like. Yes, I’ve always wanted to be intimidating and look like a lawyer (looking like a lawyer, being a lawyer, and feeling like a lawyer are all VERY different – so far, I only have the second one nailed down and that’s really by default, i.e. passing the Bar).

I used to think that once I had that long black coat, I would feel like I’ve made it – like I’m actually on my way to being intimidating and that much closer to being a lawyer. I got the below coat in my second year of law school (2008)…while living and going to school in southern California (where obviously the weather would call for wearing such a coat; heh, I do get a chance to wear it every now and again). At the time, it was only $99, which I thought was a great price. I actually haven’t worn it very often, but I do feel rather intimidating when I do wear it. Sometimes when I wear it, I’ll make my eyes look very hard and suspicious and I’ll feel a little like Mrs. Coulter (I’m referring to The Golden Compass).

Outfit: Old Navy Button Down (2008), H&M Sweater (2008), Gap Skirt (2005), H&M Tights (2000), Payless Patent Heels (2009)
Accessories: Blue Flower Earrings (2008; NYC street fair), Purple Jade Necklace (rec’d when I was 7 – made it longer by adding ribbon)
Occasion: Dinner with Friends (pic above was taken in the kitchen of The Stronghold – behind is a small view of the backyard)
Vibe: Schoolmarm

Elle’s Surprise California Adventure (egg, avocado, and Sriracha)

***

My husband’s been telling everyone that our property has no curb appeal, which is true, because from the front, our house actually looks like the backyard of someone’s house. It also looks a bit like a fortress. We’ve named our house The Stronghold because it’s surrounded by six-foot concrete walls in the front yard; six-foot concrete walls that surround a pool. Yep, you heard that right: We have a pool in the front yard. (My sister’s on the left and my dad’s on the right.)

Some Days

October 6, 2011 in Outfits | 6 comments

Most days I end up wearing outfits resembling what I wore during my last day in Vegas, i.e. sweats/running gear. On really lazy days, I wear my pajama bottoms and my bathrobe a la the Dude.

Some days, though, I do make an effort to dress up. Over the last few months, I would take a picture any time I actually wore clothing other than workout and sleep clothes because of this little QfFS venture. During the last few weeks, I missed a few outfit shots (and there were a few cute outfits – at least I thought so!), but I enjoyed the freedom of not tethering my camera to my person, and I’m sure my husband was happy that I wasn’t hounding him to take a picture for me (although I’m pretty sure he didn’t quite enjoy my not-so-happy mood).

The days that I did make an effort to dress and take pictures as follows:

Outfit: BR Jacket and Martin Fit Pants (2011), Ann Taylor Silk Shirt (2010), Target/Mossimo Virginia Taupe Heels (2009)
Accessories: JewelMint Opera Necklace (2011), BR Belt (2010), Grey Crystal Studs (gift, 2010)
Occasion: Court
Vibe: Professional

I prefer to have my hair fuss-free. I’m more of the wash-and-go (or wake-up-and-go) type of person, but I found that my longer length hair tended to make me look younger than I was. Therefore, I cut my hair a few months ago to see if that would make me look older and more professional. It didn’t. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from cutting my hair again a couple of weeks ago in the efforts (again in vain) to look older and more professional.

What I have learned is that bangs are not my friend; hence, I wore them up, up, and away for court (so I wouldn’t keep sweeping them out of my eyes).

Later for a happy hour with a fellow friend and lawyer, I added a black bead necklace (gift from Lola from Express, 2008) and my bishop’s ring (F21, 2011), and switched out my suit for black pants (hand-me-down from my auntie from Jacob, 2006) and changed out of my heels into my peep-toe shooties (Payless, 2011).

For a very special occasion:

Outfit: Dress (tailored in Hoi An, Viet Nam, 2011), Moda International/Victoria’s Secret Cardigan (2010), F21 Wedges (2011)
Accessories: BaubleBar Rugged Amber Necklace (2011 via the Vault), BaubleBar Luxe White Wrap (2011), Initial Pendant and Rhinestone Necklace (from my parents from a long time ago), Gold Hoops (gift from high school), F21 Bangles (2011)
Occasion: Wedding
Vibe: Fun and a Little Funky

Outfit: Lands End Girls Oxford Shirt (2010), H&M Pinstripe Pants (2008), Ann Taylor Perfect Patent Pumps in Walrus (2010), Lands End School Boys’ Blazer (2010, below)
Accessories: H&M Men’s Suspenders (2011, new), Silver Studs (gift, 2010), Guess Watch (gift, high school)
Occasion: CLE (Continuing Legal Education), Visiting Our New House, and Celebratory Dinner
Vibe: Happy

Outfit: Lands End Girls Oxford Shirt (2010), F21 Short Sleeved Sweater (2011, new), H&M Bermuda Shorts (2010), Target Camel Pearce Pumps (2011)
Accessories: Pink Glass Earrings (kiosk, 2010)
Occasion: Brunch (hooray to discovering friends who play Settlers!)
Vibe: Fresh & Preppy

I hope you’re all enjoying the Fall Season thus far!

Relax

October 5, 2011 in Friends, Outfits, Traveling, Updates | 5 comments

[Apologies for the long delay in posting. Besides going through a post-quarter life crisis - shouldn't that be over already? I'm past 25! - my husband and I recently closed on a house, so we've been busy with the activities surrounding that. A flurry of posts will soon be forthcoming, hopefully on a regular basis. On to the post!]

My friends and I went to the Overlook Grill (at the Cosmo) for brunch on the Sunday before we left for Vegas.

The Magic Cocktail (muddled berries with lemonade – I stuck with coffee, but Lola and Mia ordered this and loved it)

Ceviche (I believe we unanimously decided that Elle’s ceviche is still the best)

Tuna Carpaccio

Fish Tacos

Steak Salad

Most of the girls ended up noshing on leftover pizza from the Pizzeria, so we weren’t too hungry, but overall, the food was good and refreshing.

My outfit for brunch and the trip home was very un-Vegas like:

Taken with Jessica’s camera by Lola (this was actually taken on Saturday before we got ready to go to the club; on Sunday, I ended up wearing black running shorts – BIG difference, I know)

Next time, I think I’ll wear my Bermuda shorts with a loose blouse for the trip home. I did love the spa socks (seen above) that my team received as part of winning the bridal shower games, though!