Keeping it Cool in Puerto Rico

My family and I decided to take a trip to La Concha Resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico as a post-wedding treat for my mother. The second I stepped foot out of the airport, the sun beat down on the back of my neck as the moisture caused my clothing to stick. Once I got back to the hotel I immediately changed from my charcoal skinny jeans and thick white / navy gingham button-down into the combination you'll find below. 

The beige chino shorts I'm wearing are very comfortable, light, and airy. As a mater of fact, they used to be pants before I got a little crazy with my best friend (a pair of scissors) and did away with all the extra fabric. What I like most about the shorts, at least for this occasion, is that they mimic the soft colors of the sand you find on the beaches; moreover, my powder blue +American Apparel shirt matches that of the Puerto Rican sky. I topped off the entire outfit with a contrasting chestnut leather belt my uncle owned in the 80's and a pair of navy +Sperry Top-Sider boat shoes which match the various shades of the ocean quite well. Over all, I decided to keep the look very simple, understated, and natural - even leaving out some of the black accessories I never seem to take off. An overwhelming amount of layering and dark coloring would be silly under these weather conditions as well. However, something that might work and that I may attempt later is utilizing neons and brighter colors as many of the residents in the area do. Perhaps a tangerine similar to that of the backdrop in my photos. What do you all think? 

Getting Lost in Fashion

Something you may have noticed is that I have been using this set of pictures for quite some time. One as a display picture, another as a contact image, and I'm sure there are countless other uses of them around my blog. However, I've never really explained WHY I use them as often as I do. There's something about this scenery that just gets me. Something that I love about it, as if I could build a cabin in the center of the field and openly call it my home. But, there's something else that I love.

When I was standing in the center of this field surrounded by trees, grass, and an overall openness of nature, it made me feel playful and almost like I wanted to frolic through it all. It was like the natural embodiment of my idea of fashion. When I wake up every morning, I just want to get lost in my wardrobe and really play around with everything I own. The polka dots, the yellow denim, the grey suede oxfords, sure they all make for a very eclectic outfit, but they reflect my attitude and just how playful I can or want to be at times. To me, style is a reflection of how you feel and who you are. Patterns are bold or playful for the days you feel the same. Sometimes you wear black to reflect your mood, even if it's unknowingly. Overall, there's a lot more that goes into what you wear than just what does or doesn't match. It's all how you see things and if you allow your outlook of fashion and style to go beyond those limitations. What's your take on it all?

Winter in the Summer

One thing you might be asking yourself is, "Why is he wearing winter layers in the summer?" Well, unfortunately for me, when I got out of bed yesterday morning, I had no choice. The weather outside was just as dark as the lightless room I found myself laying in. For whatever reason, Mother Nature decided to let it rain and cast a shadow over the city I live in, producing a sort of nippy weather you'd otherwise experience in the winter. It was a nice change of pace from the 100 degree weather we've been having, but with all my summer clothes being so light, I had to think of a way to keep warm. 

 Even though I was forced to bundle up for the cold weather, I still wanted to maintain a very summery look. I used neutral colors and a vibrant yellow in order to keep the illusion that the weather was warmer than it was. The denim jacket was just an added little touch since I've been obsessed with denim as of recent. The oatmeal v-neck sweater is one that I found at a thrift store some time again; my denim jacket was purchased at Forever 21 back in the fall. What I love about the denim jacket is the light wash. I can dress it up or down without having to worry much about how well it matches. As for my yellow denim jeans... I love them! They're +Levi's® and they're so comfortable. Very soft cotton and don't stretch very much after wearing them for a full day like some others you might buy. Lastly, my shoes... God I love these shoes. They're fantastic! They are part canvas with a suede cap-toe and heel detail. Overall, I found this outfit to be very weather appropriate without compromising the style I love for the season I love... Summer.

Oversized Sweaters & Shoes of Leather

After last night's unexpected thunder storm here in Stockton and the hazy weather that followed, I decided to wear an oversized sweater I found buried under other piles of clothes in my apartment. What I love about this sweater is the kind of waffle knit detail in navy and beige. But! That's not the best part of it, the best part is that I found it at a thrift store for only $2.00. Tell me that isn't a deal! As previously mentioned in a few of my other posts (Like this one), thrift shopping is great to do if you'd like to find common items for a cheaper price. This sweater resembles one that I have been eying from +American Apparel for quite some time, but could never find it in myself to spend so much on a sweater. As far as the rest of the outfit, I kept it minimal with some plain black skinny jeans and my go-to cherry red Justin rider boots with kilties. What do you all think of the outfit? Too much? Too little? Not enough? Feel free to share! 

Thrifted Clubmaster Sunglasses (Similar), Thrifted Waffle Knit Sweater (Similar), Black RSQ Skinny Jeans (Similar), Cherry Red Justin Boots (Similar)

Blue is the new Black

One thing that I'm very excited for is the extreme amount of blues that will be making its way in-store. There's already a ton of different variations of the color, but as a blue-enthusiast, I can't tell you enough how much I love it. You can wear blue with almost absolutely anything, that's why it's so perfect! Even more so than black in my opinion, because there are some things that you can't wear with black that you are able to wear with more specific shades of blue (such as chocolate brown). Furthermore, I think that blue as a color is more appealing than any other because it can be soft, gentle, bold, understated, a statement, and just pleases most people whenever its worn. Although it's associated with somberness and sadness in literature, in fashion I find that it's associated with a sort of playfulness and vibrance. For example, if you take a black and white striped shirt, it's automatically colorless and lifeless. Although the patterning of the stripes makes it a little fun, think of the shirt with royal blue stripes and the piece already has a different feel in your head.
The power of blue is incredible! The greatest thing about a trending color as opposed to a trending style is that you can find a color in any store, whereas a style is store-specific. On your right, you can see how I've recently worn it. Although the picture is a bit muddled by the lighting, you can still see the more muted shades of navy blue. My more modernly styled jacket is from a store in called Foreign Exchange (FE) and the striped shirt is from H&M. They're both some of my favorite pieces of clothing and I love the fact that I can wear them out and still be trending with the changing season's fashion. Another great part about blue is that you probably already have it in your closet in some way, shape, or form. Blue is everywhere and anywhere, and it's complemented very well by mostly every other color. Just think about it! But don't let me convince you, what do you think about it?

Wake Up and Smell the Flowers!

One thing that I can very honestly tell you is that I have never really been a big fan of floral up until recently. Why? Well, most floral prints that I have seen in the past are always a little too bright, a little too bold, and a little too much. However, the print has been done more frequently and as always, with practice comes perfect. Picture to your left are some examples of floral prints that I love. The subtlety again, as I have mentioned before with the likes of camouflage and stripes, is key. Look at the Billabong tank top on the bottom right of the image; using neutral tones and soft hues, the floral print isn't offensive in any way and may in fact be wore successfully by anyone who's willing to try it out. There are those men though who find that floral patterns are too "feminine" for them and are unwilling to try something new but if you notice the tie pictured above, you'll see that even some menswear accessories are incorporating a little spring trend. Alongside the ties, shoes are being slammed with floral prints as well, such as the unisex Doc Marten shoes pictured in the top left of the above image. Now, for those of you who ARE adventurous, I would suggest the more vibrantly colored tops, such as the Panama shirt by +Topman. Now, on your right you can see how I played around with a floral print. I was lucky enough to find these shorts at a Goodwill months ago and shortened them a bit to fit my style. Then, I paired the shorts with a simple loose-fit pocket tee from +H&M that I purchased last summer. I personally love that the shirt matches the hint of green in the leaf patterning on the shorts. I threw in some neutral browns to match the earthy feel of the shorts as well. Florals are fun to play around with and if you really are looking into trying some out, I would suggest +ASOS and TOPMAN; they're usually always keeping up with these trends way better than I am. Again, thanks for reading and have a great day! 

The Secret is in the Scent (Part I)

For me, the most important thing to do before leaving my home is applying my cologne for the day. No matter what occasion, I also feel as if there is a scent which can accommodate the theme, weather, feel, or whatever mood it is that I am experiencing at the time. Pictured left is my very first cologne that I got my sophomore year of high school, Lacoste Essential. Now, what I loved most about this cologne is not that it was a strong, statement scent, but that I was a 15-year-old boy who had such a thing in his wardrobe collection... And I wanted more. So, I started collecting and overtime I just acquired more and more types of colognes by different labels and, although it might have been overkill, I just couldn't stop myself! So soon after the first Lacoste cologne was given to me, I ended up getting this beauty, Burberry Summer (right). First off, the bottle is beautiful. With the Burberry pattern imprinted on the glass, it already has that sort of class that you associate with the label. The scent is no different - it has a sweet and subtle citrus-like aroma that sort of lures you in to get a closer look. The only unfortunate thing that I find, both about the Lacoste and the Burberry, is that they are two very daytime-esque fragrances - meaning, I personally wouldn't wear them at night given their spring and summery resemblances. For that sexier, "I'm all yours" kind of aroma, I go straight to my favorite (and newest) cologne that I actually happen to be wearing right now, L'Homme by YSL. It's very alluring in its own way. It has a blend of fresh spice, mixed with a citrus and woody melange. There's that hint of citrus that makes it fine to wear during the day, but that oh-so amazing spice that makes it beyond perfect for an outing for dinner, a show, or an adventure with friends. You're bound to catch attention with this fragrance by YSL. As a matter of fact, you'll turn heads (in a positive way) with all three of these. Just don't be that guy who wears TOO much (Remember, less is more!).

Tribal Trends Part Deux!

Following this week's previous post about ethnically inspired clothing for Spring & Summer, today's post focuses on more Native American & tribal styles. What I love most about Native American-inspired clothing is the patterning and how bold all of the colors look together. One online store that I know I can go to for many tribal styles is +ASOS which seems to always carry these types of clothing. 
However, what I was surprised to find is that +Dr. Martens has their Pendleton boots which are tailored specifically to match this Native American theme. I'd LOVE to have a pair for myself, but at over $100 for a pair, it just isn't practical on a college budget. But! That doesn't mean I can't find different clothing and accessories with similar style elsewhere. As mentioned, ASOS has tribal

clothes and accessories, like the bracelets pictured above, so if you're interested I would check them out. The button-down shirt in the collage is nice, but again, I'm on a college budget so I went ahead and improvised. I happened to have a plain brown +American Apparel t-shirt and I that I cut into a tribal-like design myself. I did this by slicing the sleeves and cutting out a triangle pattern around the collar (the shirt cost about $7 and took 20 minutes to cut). I think it looks great and I would definitely love to try it again in a different color! The Justin boots add a little flare with the kilties and give it a sort of edge that I'm always looking to have. What do you guys think? I'd love to know!

Clean Cut with Some Edge

The one thing that I loved most about my spontaneous trip to Chico state was the weather. With unexpected rain, I was able to get away with wearing darker colors, as well as my favorite tobacco blazer from +H&M. I've always loved more classic, refined styles but I personally like to add a bit of an edge to them. I feel the blazer keeps the look crisp, but wearing all black and bringing it all together with some eclectic boots is what I like most about this outfit. These boots are also another thing that I seemingly love more than anything else in my closet. Having had the luck to find them at a thrift shop, I scooped them up before anyone else could notice them and I essentially ran out of the store throwing my money at the cashier on my way out. The lighting here really allows you to notice just how well the colors complement each other. The cherry color of the boots is great with the pop of color from the blazer. Oh, and did I mention the blazer has a navy lining on the inside? It's fantastic! One thing I'm most looking forward to adding into my wardrobe in the fall is more blazers. But for now, I need to worry about adding a spring / summer statement blazer to my closet. What do you think of this outfit? Any suggestions for future use? Feel free to share! :)

Casual in Green

Today's weather was beautiful and the sun made every color around me pop, so I felt like I had to do the same. So, after searching through my closet for a number of minutes trying to find something nice, yet playful, I went ahead and wore this bright green cardigan for the first time. Now, green isn't really my color so I don't really know how to be as bold as I would like to be in it, so I dressed myself down a bit. Pairing the color-packed cardigan with a pair of self-made, distressed shorts and some light creams, I threw on this little outfit and went on with my day. Funny how something as simple as the weather can change your attitude for the entire day.

Red, White, and Blue

Today I felt a little more playful and wore denim on denim. My entire outfit consisted of my denim jacket purchased at +Forever 21, paired with an almost salt & pepper-like hooded sweater from +H&M, as well as my favorite bright red denim jeans and brown +Steve Madden Troopa boots. It's one of my more laid-back outfits as opposed to the proper Oxford look I go for at times, but I love being able to dress up (or down) certain articles of clothing. Can't wait to rock this denim jacket for an edgier grunge look soon. Lately my style has been taking a turn for a bit of a retro 90's baby look and I love it. The denim jacket in this picture is the first step toward the style I have been trying to adopt. Now, I'm not looking to permanently alter my style, but add a different element to it so that I can remain playful in many different ways. Something fun that you might be interested in knowing about me is that I only like to wear colored denim jeans. Red, white, and blue are my go-tos. What do you think about my outfit? Pros? Cons? Don't be afraid to share!

Fashionista, or Woodista?

Ever hear of a wooden watch? Well, try this one on for size. +WEWOOD, a sustainable watch company supporting forest conservation, specializes in edgy, one-of-a-kind watches. Made for both men and women, WeWOOD is making its name in the fashion industry with an earthy-chic design made entirely out of wood. With varying styles and colors made from woods like blackwood, maple, and mahogany, the line is making a huge impact. Be sure to visit their website to learn about their watches and find out how you can be a Woodista.