[Fashion] Uniqlo Quick Picks

Hey there!  I'm heading out to Westfield Valley Fair Uniqlo pre-Opening Party in 1.5 hours and I'm suuuuuuuper excited!  That's right San Francisco, with a Uniqlo in my back yard, I no longer have to drive/train an hour just to get my Japanese basics fix.  I don't NEED you anymore!  (JustkiddingIstillloveyouyouhipstersonofa)

I thought I'd share some quick picks that I plan on checking out while I'm there.  Uniqlo is like the Gap of Japan -- tons of great basics, designer collaborations and petite friendly sizes!  I first came across the store in 2005 while studying abroad in Japan, and it's ONLY taken 7 years for it to come to the US (first NYC, too far; then SF, closer, but still too far).  But I'm so glad!  I love their selection of tights and socks.  There's a whole wall!

I'll be back with a full report later.  For those who are interested, the official San Jose Westfield Valley Fair opening of Uniqlo is tomorrow when the mall opens!  For those not local, never fear -- there's an online site.  And you can start shopping by clicking some of the links below!

Uniqlo Skirts · Uniqlo Cashmere Sweaters · Uniqlo Leggings

Anything you're eyeing?  Thanks for stopping by! 

[Fashion/Adventure] Anthropologie Petite Event with Corey Lynn Calter

You guys, this past Friday, I made the 1.5 hour trek up the bay to Corte Madera, where Anthropologie opened a new petite shop in their location at The Village at Corte Madera.  For a girl that prays ankle skinny jeans stay in style as long as possible (YAY for hems that don't drag on the floor with flats!), this is a godsend.  After all, now I can get my whimsical fashion fix fulfilled with petite appropriate hems, waistlines and sleeves!  I just had to go up and support.

 

First off, Anthropologie invited Corey Lynn Calter herself to help host the event!  Corey Lynn Calter creates so many fun pieces and was such an amazing sweetheart. I made 2 trips around the store before working up the courage to ask her to take a picture and she just up and put her arm around me.  *Happy Dance*
 
 

Outfit: Sylvana Leather Moto Jacket, Unknown Shirt,  Sirene Sequin Skirt

The Corte Madera store is huge and, in typical Anthro event fashion, the displays, food and drink were elegant and quirky.  Just look at the paring of a sparkle maxi skirt and a leather jacket -- chic, warm and slightly to the left of mainstream. 

 

And now to share more styling!

 

Starting from top left and going left to right .  Top Left: Shimmered Sweater Shift, Unknown scarf/ Top Right, Outfit 1:Ruched Porcelain Blazer, Channeled Dots Column Dress, Medusa Flats Outfit 2: Guepardo Pullover /Middle: Side Tied Booties/Bottom Left: AG Farrah High Rise Skinny Jeans, J Brand Coated 620 Super Skinny Jeans/Bottom Right: Anthropologie Pixelated Fleur Dress, Paned Hourglass Column Dress , Glossed Dots Shift


Top Left and Bottom items come in petite!  Yay!

What do you think about Anthropologie opening Petite Shops in select Anthros across the country?  Where do you like to shop petites?  Share in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by!

[Fashion/Nerd] Fashion Tips from Not-Real Chicks: Aladdin's Princess Jasmine and Skinny Sweats

 

Our favorite Arabian Disney princess knew how to rock some royal garb in comfort and style! No oxygen depriving corseted dresses or skirts that force you to mind the open-ness of your legs while sitting. Just some billowy pants offset by a sexy crop top. What better way to emulate chic comfort than with a pair of skinny sweatpants? No need to stick to the light blue and gold color palette (though if that floats your boat, then go for it!) – there are tons of different variations to try. Case in point?

Skinny Sweats by thessachan featuring tall sweat pants

We like the idea of pairing these with a silky pajama top and a sick pair of pumps. Throw a leather jacket over that and you’ll mean some serious business. How would you rock the skinny sweatpant? Voice your ideas in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by!

[Fashion] OOTD: All Dressed Up With Somewhere to Go

Outfit Details
Top: J Crew
Blazer: Bought on sale in Japan
Skirt: Bought in Italy
Shoes: Anthropologie
Belt: Anthropologie
Necklace: WorkPlayDate
Bracelet: Stella and Dot

Sometimes outfits just come together. Have you ever bought something so long ago that trends finally catch up with it? I bought this skirt 10 years ago (no, literally, 10 years ago) while I was studying abroad in Italy. I've always loved it, but felt it was too fashion forward to wear anywhere normal and too casual to wear to formal occasions. But, year after year, I could never bear to purge it.  Well, high-low hems AND military wear are in style, and I just happened to have had a fashion show to go to on this day. Sometimes you just have to wait a decade for that perfect storm to hit. Patience comes to those who wait.

 Thanks for stopping by!

iFabbo Social Media Conference Recap

Outfit Details: Top: Madewell via Crossroads Trading Company/Tank: Yummie Tummie/Pants: Urbana Outfitters/Shoes: Target

This past Saturday was the iFabbo Social Media Conference.  I have to say, it was a fantastic event!  They brought together a wide array of new brands (BooHoo.com! Dermalogica! Becca Cosmetics! Lotus Premium Denim), engaging speakers (Tracy Sun from Poshmark! Marlena Stell from Makeup Geek! Christina Martinez from Luvocracy! Susan Yara from New Beauty Magazine! Annemarie Frank from HSN!) and super fun fellow bloggers -- all of whom made the whole thing super duper fun.

I'm not a Redditor, so I'm going to knowingly do this wrong.  Here's the TL;DL key take away of the conference:

Be authentic and use your voice on your blog.  Actually engage your users and, of course, keep creating content!

And you know, while this sounds like "duh" advice, it was amazing how consistently these different speakers and brands with wildly different backgrounds drove this message home. 

From Right to Left: 1. Plaid dress from BooHoo.com/ 2. Trying on Google Glass/ 3. BooHoo Display/ 4. My Skin Map from Dermalogica/ 5. The "Future of Fashion and Beauty" Panelists/ 6. Close up of my outfit pants and shoes (hehe)

And for those that are still interested, here's the highlights: 

• Bloggers are better en masse.  It's significantly better to band together to work with brands than to try to step on each other.  No YouTube trolling! (On a related note, anyone want to band together with me? :D)
• Quality readers are better than quantity of readers.  How often do your readers engage?  Can you motivate them to do things?  This is what makes brands notice you. 
• Personality and Authenticity is extremely important.  There's something endearing about being a liiiiittle bit weird with your content. 
• On taking pictures on your phone vs. a DLSR: Sometimes the best camera is the camera that you have.  
• You can get Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop on Creative Cloud for 9.99 a month - yay tools! 
• As a blogger, disclose all relationships with brands.  It can be something as simple as getting swag from a store -- ensure it's clear that you were given something to avoid legal trouble. 
• One way to get more following is to jump on a social media platform in its infancy.  Many of the big bloggers and vloggers got their start when YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram were just starting. 
• Engage with others - Find a community with the same interests as you! Reply to every single on of your comments.  Comment on other blogs! 

Honestly, there were tons more good tidbits, but this is what I took away.   Apparently iFabbo is replaying the conference on Spreecast if you missed it.  Check it out here.

Thanks to all the fantastic people that put this together -- it was a great learning experience!

Did you go to the iFabbo Social Media Conference? What did you learn?  Share in the comments?

Thanks for stopping by! 

OOTD: Not a Punk

Outfit Details
Button Down: Gap
Tank: Spitalfields Market in London
Jeans: AG Stevie Ankle
Shoes: Anthropologie Diamond Stitch Skimmers

Every fall for as long as I can remember, tartan has been in fashion.  Normally, I associate tartan with preppy school girls gone bad -- black leather, safety pins, plaid leading to the punk look. This?  This is NOT that sort of vibe. I think I'm going for a sort of weird, lazy, chick lumberjack sort of deal.  But you know what?  It was comfortable, had fun patchwork and plaid elements and some graphic art on the tank.  Plenty of interest for a weekend outfit!

How do you spice up a comfy weekend outfit?  Share in the comments!  Thanks for stopping by!

SF Fashion Week 2013 Recap: Emerging Designers Showcase

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending a few days of San Francisco Fashion Week.  It was an awesome week of fashion, technology and fun!  The Bay Area is such a hot bed of tech, that it's only natural that this would be where fashion and tech meet.  It's such an exciting and emerging area.

Speaking of emerging, I went to the Emerging Designer's showcase and was blown away by all the fashion.  It was held in the amazing Folsom Street Foundry, a beautiful venue that looks like a warehouse.  The vibe was great -- as were the drinks and the runway show.  And lucky for you, I got some video!

Let's look at the women's fashion first:


I love these colors so much!  Anubha Srivastav had a color-filled take on tailored clothing and neat whimsical details.  I particularly fell in love with all the buttons on the jackets!  I could easily see taking many of the pieces and making them pop by pairing them with a neutral outfit.  They would totally work in the office! Sorry for missing all the shoes in this line-up, it was the first one and I was still getting my bearings :).


How perfect now that I have weddings on the brain!  Trixie Zarate brought some fantastic evening wear to the table with some serious sleek and elegant silhouettes with interesting details and touches.  That yellow dress was Oscar-worthy in my mind!


Speaking of color-pop -- Leela Dhanya Gutta really brings eye-catching style to the night scene.  Neon is totally of the moment and the she really picked some trendy styles and shapes.  A little something for everyone -- a little peplum, a little form fitting and some flowly pieces -- yet they were all a very cohesive collection.  Those sunglasses were a great touch!  I was really impressed and wouldn't be opposed to sneaking some of her clothing into my closet for fancy occasions.  *hinthint winkwink*


Last but certainly not least, Sam Shan brought some intense drama to the runway.  The brocade, dark colors and sleek silhouettes are a nod to goth and punk.  And the gloves!  The quilting! The strategic placement of gold and white!  It was amazing.

All in all, I was incredibly impressed with the talent at this show.  What is your favorite designer or look?  Did you go SFFW?  Share in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by!