Inspiration of the month: Paperbag Pants

For the past few months, I've been dying to get my hands on a few pairs of statement pants. Whether that be zigzag patterns, bold colors of orange and yellow, or pinstripe, I was craving something-- different.

 Yes, I do love a good pair of mom jeans or high waist skinnies, but more often than not, I felt restricted with the jean material. Also, to be quite honest, I grew tired of them. Fast. 

I know, there's always that slight hesitation on investing in statement pants. It's as if there's a stigma in the air that styling statement pants can be tricky, and maybe too much of a risk for what it's worth. Well, you will never know if you never try, right? 

I was thrifting in my hometown a few weeks ago when I came across some cream colored Ralph Lauren pants. They weren't just any kind of regular pants though. It was a type of Paperbag pant, so I've soon discovered the name. 

As unflattering as the name sounds, the pants were priced at a very affordable $6. I repeat, 6 flippin' dollars for Ralph Lauren! I've also never owned any bottoms that were white before, so I decided to give these bad boys a try. 

To me, they fitted beautifully. Not only were they the perfect length, but they were high waisted and gave me that retro 70s aesthetic look I've been attempting to incorporate with my outfits. It was definitely an A+ purchase I made over spring break. 

The thing about cool statement pants like these, is that you can totally dress them up or dress them down. Pair them with some golden boots and a red blouse and a black clutch if you're going out. Or maybe a black halter and sneakers if you're running errands around town. Even with some black pumps and a blazer, you can dress it up in a formal manner for your work or school presentations.

I styled my pants (similar here) with loafers, a leather jacket, and a red tee (my shirt says "Be a Hero with Chris Phillips, my brother. The day this photoshoot was taken, my little brother won a talent show event at his highschool. So incredibly proud of him!!).

Here are some of the many ways I would style Paperbag pants. 

I love the scrunch of the waistband and how the pant fits loosely around your legs. If gives you more freedom to stretch. Seriously. It's a very comfy yet very stylish and unique piece of clothing you need to own or at least try. 

Shop in the gallery below to find your perfect color of Paperbag pants. 

Très Élégant

It's January, which means the holidays are over, school has resumed which usually feels like the longest stretch until spring break, it's still cold outside, and I'm just tired. I don't know, I've never really enjoyed the remaining winter months for some reason. I just feel so exhausted and empty.I'm done with the cold weather and I just want the sunshine.

 During these times, I tend to daydream about what it would be like to be in one of my favorite foreign countries. Walking around old streets, reading poetry in tiny cafes, and enjoying the culture that I'd immerse myself in. After the holidays, my style turns from this rustic boho look to just plain, simple colors. I wear a lot of black until it starts warming up in Portland.

So do you know what other place tends to be gloomy but still remains to be one of the most famous cities in the world? Paris. About a year ago around this time, I started listening to jazz music, I began to invest in drinking dark coffee, and I guess that was the time I started creating bangs with my curly hair. Aren't those all kind of minor essentials to being Parisian? Or at least feeling like you're Parisian? 

This was also the time I finished reading a biography on the legendary Coco Chanel. She, herself, created the  fundamentals of what it really meant to be the Parisian woman. Scratch that. She defined what it meant to the THE ultimate elegant woman.  Whether that be having minimal attire in your wardrobe (less is more), owning simplistic jewelry, or never forgetting to leave the house without a signature fragrance you can call your own, it doesn't even seem like you need to be wealthy to live that elegant lifestyle. Even in Christian Dior's Little Dictionary of Fashion, he states that elegance must be "the right combination of distinction, naturalness, care, and simplicity." I actually find this really great, especially since school has started again. You really must take care of yourself. Eat right and dress appropriately for the weather (something you'll notice I really didn't do in my ootd post since I wore frikin slip ons in 30 degree weather. A hypocrite, that's what I am). 

Thanks to the influence of Paris, I wanted to do a photoshoot that incorporated such plain pieces, but altogether, creating such a simplistic and stylish look for the rest of winter. It's definitely something I found to make me happier when the dull school weeks just drag on.  It lifts my spirits up and gets me out of the old blues I always seem to be in at the beginning of the new year.

I wore this Francesca's cropped turtle neck (similar one here), vintage trousers (similar one here), a vintage trench coat (similar one here), eBay transparent aviators, vintage belt, and these brand new forever 21 loafer mules. Insane how it looks exactly like the Gucci ones for like- $595?!

Say hello to my new Boy Chanel! Got this little guy from my mummy for Christmas. She's the only one who gets me. Honestly. 

I've also created some inspired Parisian looks and hopefully you guys can also start living that simple lifestyle while you finish up midterms and all that jazz. Can spring come any sooner? 

Au revoir, mon petit amis! Xoxo

Stevie.

Stevie Nicks. The frizzy haired, retro gypsy, who's raspy voice and dark looks not only led Fleetwood Mac to wild success, but has permanently made a top mark on indie music as being one of the most legendary singers of all time.

 Oh, how I've always adored Fleetwood Mac's songs ever since I was a little girl. My dad was actually the one who introduced me to them. They were one of my his favorite bands, and I can still vividly remember him nodding his head rhythmically while pretending to pluck imaginary strings to the classic guitar piece in Never Going Back Again. 

Since then, I've always drawn most of my 70s inspiration from Stevie. From flared jeans, knee high suede boots, and classic fringe shawls, it's no secret that she was (and still is) the epitome of bohemian fashion. In honor of the spooky month, October, and to the deity of witches, this post is dedicated on how to dress like Stevie Nicks.

     Shop my affordable Stevie Nicks collection here!

                 

Inspiration of the month: Caps

It's nearly the end of August and I've spent the past week and a half- working. Seriously, it's like- once you finally get back from vacation, you're just consumed by work while also being generous enough to cover multiple of your coworker's shifts because it's that time of year when everyone's moving into new apartments and dorms. 

Hey, it's alright though. Work hard, play hard, right? 

Aside from that, something of great importance for me and little to no importance to you has happened this month! I decided to wear a cap, but not just any cap, a baseball cap.

Ever since the start of my undying interest in fashion, there was one thing I always promised myself I'd stay away from: baseball caps. I thought they were horrendous and I didn't think they'd look good with anyyyything.

But hey, promises are made to be broken. I don't think I've ever even made a polyvore set that incorporated these simple hats, not until now.

 I blame my trip down to Los Angeles. The place is littered with skaters who wear all sorts of stylish caps, and although I'm not 100% sold on the popular vans/obey snapbacks, I think it's safe to say I can tolerate the old school looking ones. They have more of a bohemian feel and they're perfect for when you're having one of those less-than-perfect hair days.

Shoutout to my new friend, Nick, for actually wanting to take my photos for this post. You're incredible.

Here's a collection I made on styling these cozy hats. Scroll to the bottom for affordable options!

  

Outfit details: Marc Jacobs top (sold out), 

vintage denim shorts, vintage cap 
(taken from my roommate. Ssshhh.), 
converse, s/o forever 21 buckled belt (similar one here).