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? 

A Modern Day Peter Pan

Something that my friends have always given me grief for is how similar I look to the classic Disney character Peter Pan. I've never found any offense in it and actually find myself making light of it quite often. So, going with that, I decided to embrace my inner Disney and tried to embody the character with a more modern, edgier twist. How did I do this? Well I started off with the green pants I was fortunate enough to find when I was bargain shopping last summer. They were very cheap, only costing me around $13 total. Although the green pants are should generally be reserved for the fall months, I stepped out of the general rules of fashion for the sake of attempting this look. Next, I switched out the lighter green tunic you would normally find the actual Peter Pan wearing for a distressed tank top I made myself about a week ago. The tank top was a basic shirt I found rummaging through my closet and found to be too simple for my taste. What I love most about the top is that it looks almost careless and a sort of 'I don't care' attitude courses through me when I put it on. Lastly, since I don't have a pair brown boots accessible today, I threw on the +Justin Boots I can't seem to take off. The Justins add that last little touch of edge that I enjoy finishing off my outfits with. Overall, I love the look and find that it would work for a lazy day out in the city (at least for me). I'd love to know what you think about it. Feel free to share!

The Mad Scientist

My look took a little turn when I decided to wear these Tevin Vincent GEMINI sunnies today. They're a little different from most sunglasses that you'd find in-store, but that's exactly why I love them. They have a sort of uniqueness that, as you may have noticed, I try to incorporate in my style. Overall, this look is very laid back, but has it's quirks that make it come together. Paired with the sunglasses, I also am wearing the Tevin Vincent beaded skull & cross bracelets that I've grown to obsess over. Their simplicity is nice, but again, they have a boldness to them that sets them apart from the rest through the skull & cross details. 

The rest of my outfit consists of what was once a button-down shirt (now DIY vest), my powder blue American Apparel tee, black skinny jeans, and +Converse high-tops. A very casual look for a simple day of running errands around the city and lounging about with some of my friends. I'm always wearing black skinny jeans because they're able to go with anything. You can dress them up or down and still be able to squeeze a seemingly endless number of outfits out of them. Paired with the powder blue shirt and the blindingly white vest and high-tops, I was able to dress down the jeans quite a bit and actually brighten up a look that could have otherwise been very dark , almost grunge, like some of the other looks I've worn (See my look Powder Blue & Polka Dots for an edgier combination). Overall, I love the look and how well it just meshes together. The sunglasses give me that sort of "Mad Scientist" edge, while the canvas shoes and basic denim balance it out with casualness. 

To see more Tevin Vincent products, check out his website at www.tevin-vincent.com.

DIY Vest, American Apparel T-Shirt (Here), Black RSQ Skinny Jeans (Similar), White Converse High-tops (Here)

Can We Go Thrift Shopping?

Sometimes your best friend isn't the department store. More often than not, when I go shopping with something in mind, I go to a store like American Apparel, H&M, or some other popular place to look for styles which I recently discovered are trending. BUT! There's one problem with all of these places: they're going to charge you higher amounts for clothes that are in season and in style. So, what's your alternative? Well, instead of paying the high prices at the mall, sometimes I find that going to your local thrift shops is the best alternative. Now, some people might not like the idea of wearing previously worn clothes, but if they're in great condition (some still with tags on them) and are nearly identical to what you almost bought at Store X, then why not buy it at the consignment or thrift stores around you?
On your right is an example of a shirt that I found at a thrift store, Goodwill to be exact. It still had all of its tags on it and was unworn, so I purchased it, cut it up a bit, and made it my own. As a matter of fact, the boots that I am wearing - I found those at a vintage shop, too! Sometimes you can find pure gold when you're really trying. Now, you won't always have luck, but it's always worth a shot. So, today I'm going to ask you to try something different and go out and try to find something that resembles one of the trends I've told you about these past weeks. Think about the trending colors of blues, pinks, and orange; or maybe the ethnic styles, such as aztec, tribal, Native American; or how about the yesterday's topic of the "Urban Safari" uprising with it's olive green, khakis, and clay-like colors? Give it a shot! You never know what you'll find. And while I ask you all to try it, I'm going to test me luck here in San Francisco and see what I find. I'll be sure to let you guys know if I have any luck. Until then, thanks for reading!

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!

Take Me Back... Please?

Late post! Well, as things are starting to wind down during finals week, I can't help but think about that little taste of summer I got when I was at +Coachella . Here you can see me relaxed and soaking up the sun in one of my favorite festival outfits from the fun-filled weekend. I paired my favorite corduroy shorts with a self-made tribal top using a plain t-shirt from +American Apparel. I loved the color combination of the chocolate brown and bright turquoise. I paired the shorts and shirt with my +Steve Madden troopa boots and folder them over for a more "I just threw these on" look. And lastly, no Coachella outfit would ever be complete without a fedora and equally trendy clubmaster sunglasses. I wish I could go back now! One more final to go before my summer dreams become a reality! Thanks for following :)

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.