Category Archives: Fashion Forward

Grand Opening: Double Happiness Jewelry & Home

I apologize for the lack of posts lately! Sometime life happens and we all get caught up, which has happened these last two weeks! But I promise to be posting more regularly, as I’ve been attending several events and have been taking outfit posts with my sister during my new days off. In the meantime, I wanted my first catch up post to be about this wonderful new kiosk that opened up at Liberty Public Market called Double Happiness Jewelry.

Stephanie Wells, jewelry designer and author of The Earring Style Book, brings her gorgeous creations locally to Liberty Public Market and has expanded her line to include “Wall Jewelry” and home accessories. I had the pleasure of attending their grand opening, which was busy from when I got there to when I left! Good luck to Stephanie and her new venture, and you’ll be seeing more of her beautiful jewelry and home designs here!

Yummy chocolates shaped like gems by Mission Heights Chocolates!

Delicious Chimney Cakes were provided by Mia Sorella

I bought this fantastic silver ring, but I think I also want it in gold!

Thank you to Daisy Mae PR for inviting me to celebrate the Double Happiness Jewelry and Home grand opening!

Give Mom the Gift of Kipling!

Kipling at Fashion Valley celebrates Mother’s Day with ways to show your appreciation for that extraordinary woman in your life! Whether that special mom is adventurous, super, new or stylish, Kipling has what you need to find that perfect gift. And in honor of Mother’s Day, select items will be 25% off!

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know Kipling is my mom’s favorite brand and she would probably adore anything we find for her, but I personally love the new Louna Vegan Leather Saddle Bag in black.

I’d like to wish all my fellow mums a wonderful and blessed Mother’s Day, cheers!

(Photos c/o Kipling Fashion Valley)

Like They Do It In The Factory

As a blogger, we are dared to try new things and new experiences because of the nature of what we do. I have discovered new restaurants, new shops and boutiques, we well as new hair salons through this blogging experience. I discovered Kelly Cardenas Salon because they contacted me to try out their new location in Hillcrest. After they consolidated locations and when my main stylist, Salvador, moved to Las Vegas, I decided to try out a new place through a recent contact in the blogging world. Aaron Lacy is a stylist at theFactory, located in Downtown San Diego. I swear it was Kismet when I walked in and Music For the Masses was playing in its entirety!

Immediately, I loved the industrial-style space of theFactory. It’s very clean, modern and stylish. Once I got settled into the chair, Aaron explained what he had planned for my haircut that day: a simple and sleek bob cut, my favorite hairstyle. Aaron suggested we take my hair back to basics, and took great care to even out any odd layers. Without a doubt, this cut was one of the most precise bobs I’ve ever had. It’s been about a month since I’ve gotten my hair cut, and it’s growing out beautifully!

Thank you Aaron for the amazing cut and the fantastic pictures!

theFactory is located at 1025 F Street, San Diego, CA 92101. Contact them at (619) 255-6338 to schedule an appointment and please be sure to ask for Aaron!

Outfit: Unknown brand jacket from Wysh Boutique; Mossimo sweater from Target; Free People jeans; Jeffrey Campbell shoes; “Mason” necklace c/o Kendra Scott; rings by Wendy Brandes and Suki Bijoux; Leather jacket pin by Bananna Bones (from Gypsy Warrior), “Space Punk” pin by Major Crimes Division & “It Wasn’t Just A Phase” pin by Punky Moms UK; “Ceremony” Matte Lip Veil by Cryptic Cosmetics

(FTC Disclosure: I was offered a service free of charge as a courtesy, but not necessarily for the purposes of a review. Although I did receive a service free of charge, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.)

(All photos of me were taken by Aaron Lacy. Post title: Lyrics from “Lie To Me” by Depeche Mode.)

Celebrating Galentine’s & Valentine’s at Kendra Scott!

It’s rare that I put up a blog post so soon after an event, but I felt it necessary because today is Valentine’s Day! Yesterday, I was invited to celebrate Galentine’s Day at Kendra Scott in the Fashion Valley Mall with my fellow San Diego Style Bloggers, co-hosted by Paulina of Lil Bits of Chic and Vanessa of Vanessa Balli. Of course there was plenty of laughter and bubbly, but we also had the chance to customize some beautiful Kendra Scott jewelry courtesy of their Color Bar.

If you’re looking for a fun last-minute gift for your gal pal or Valentine, the Color Bar is the perfect place to get it! Either make the selections yourself based on what you know your special someone likes, or have them do it themselves by bringing them there! Start off with the style of jewelry you want (necklace, rings, earrings or bracelet), then choose the metal and stone to complete that special piece! It’s easy and there are so many choices. All of the pieces are under $150 and are so incredibly beautiful! I chose the Mason necklace and Elton bracelet, both in silver with black stones.

I hope you enjoy the pictures from last night’s event below, and I want to wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day, cheers!

Nancy of Happily Ever Nancy and Jealeyni of Dainty Jea work on customizing their selections at the Color Bar!

My pieces went from this…

…to this!

Back Row: Stephani of Sass and Sun; Kristy of SHIFT; Vanessa of Vanessa Bali; Gina of On The Daily Express; Moi; Alessandra of Alessandra Gonzalez

Front Row: Paulina of Lil Bits of Chic; Nihan of Style With Nihan; Nancy of Happily Ever Nancy; Jealeyni of Dainty Jea; Laura of Laura Neuzeth

(Group photo courtesy of Paulina)

Star People

Once in awhile, there is that outfit that makes you walk with a little more confidence, or is it a little more attitude? Either way, this RENAMED jacket does it for me. If one is going to wear a faux fur jacket covered in stars, then you’ve got to walk with a bit more swagger, like David Bowie or Lady Gaga. I also agree very much with my Social Decay t-shirt: I have never ever said I own too much black clothing. Since this outfit is quite monochromatic, I gave it a pop of color with this fantastic choker by GFASH.

Outfit: Faux fur jacket by RENAMED & t-shirt by Social Decay from The Beat Clothing; Flared jeans by Madewell (old); Distressed “Lita” platforms by Jeffrey Campbell; Choker c/o GFASH; “Keiko” prescription sunglasses in Roxy Noir by BonLook; @ and # rings by Wendy Brandes; Vintage London Map ring by Suki Bijoux; Unknown brand handcuff earrings

With Astrid, stylist at The Beat Clothing. We seriously did not plan on wearing practically the same thing (all black in our Social Decay t-shirts with furry jackets). But, I guess great fashionable minds think alike!

(All photos by Rholnna Jiao. Post title from the song by George Michael.)

Recap: Social Decay Trunk Show at The Beat Clothing

At the beginning of December, I was invited to an awesome trunk show/sale at The Beat Clothing by stylist Astrid Montalvo. She styled and presented t-shirts from the Brooklyn based clothing brand, Social Decay. I have seen the Social Decay brand at The Beat for the better part of the year now, so I was looking forward to seeing the trunk show because I simply adore Astrid’s edgy style. I loved the new line of t-shirt so much, I bought one for myself and you’ll see how I styled in my latest outfit post, going up next week. Cheers!

I Said Don’t Stop, to Punk Rock

Happy New Year to you, and I’m starting off the new year with an outfit post! I can’t recall exactly where, but I know I’ve mention that my style seems to lie somewhere between classic, chic and punk rock. It’s kind of like those Reese’s commercials from the eighties when they would argue “Hey, you got your peanut butter in my chocolate/No, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter”; I always have to add a little punk to my classic outfit, or add a little chic to my rocker one. I love this article from Complex called “Know Your Rights: A Complex Guide to Punk Rock Style“. I think I own every piece in that guide and wear them anywhere and everywhere, from the office to the concert hall. Truth be told, I did not read the article prior to putting together my outfit for this post, and wore two of the mentioned pieces together: a bomber jacket and leopard print. Now that I think about it, I want to take each of the pieces mentioned in the Complex article and create outfits around them, since I have them all!

I believe I own ten bomber jackets (and counting), and this one from Shimmer is one that I intend to do a DIY patch job on very soon, where I’ll be adding patches from my favorite bands to every inch the fabric real estate of the jacket will allow. As an FYI, I bought that jacket because of the fact that two of the patches are indirectly tied to Depeche Mode: the Union Jack patch because they are British and the Route 66 one because they did a cover version of that song. Before the additional adornments, I wore my jacket to a few concerts and this photo shoot with my sister at The Observatory North Park.

Although I know many bands have performed there, I’ve only seen Blondie at The Observatory (so far). I’ll have to check out their concert calendar to see who else is playing. Another FYI: I saw George Clinton and Parliament in Los Angeles a few years ago, but I did not see them when the pictures were taken. But I did include a couple of pictures when I ate at the West Coast Tavern (which is connected to The Observatory), prior to seeing Blondie live with my friend Angi. Debbie Harry is definitely a style icon, and I featured an image of her in a post about my love for vintage rock t-shirts (here). I mean, check her out in the picture I captured below, rocking fishnet stockings at age 71. I only hope to be that cool in 30 years!

Outfit: Distressed t-shirt by G Mini, Eunina Jeans and choker c/o Shimmer; C’Est Toi jacket purchased from Shimmer; CHARLES by Charles David over the knee boots (old); Kate Spade purse (old); “Keiko” Rx sunglasses in Roxy Noir by BonLook

(All outfit photos by Rholnna Jiao. West Coast Tavern and concert photos by moi. Post title from the song “Rapture” by Blondie.)

All That Shimmers In This World

As blogger, I’ve become an advocate for local businesses and have had wonderful the opportunity to work with some amazing clothing stores in the San Diego area. A long time favorite is a store called Shimmer because they have a large selection of affordable, on-trend clothing. They have three locations (Chula Vista Center, Plaza Bonita and North County Fair), but I frequent the Plaza Bonita one the most. I’m happy to say I’ve recently become a Shimmer Ambassador, which means I’ll be showcasing clothes from their store, starting with this outfit I posted on Instagram a couple of weeks ago. Since it’s finally sweater weather, I picked this cozy long cardigan along with these amazing jeans by Eunina. I know the distressed denim look is really hot right now, but I was drawn to this solid darker pair. I felt really pulled together in this outfit, and it’s definitely something I would wear to work.

Also, this is the first time I’ve worn a “bib” or dickey collar, which simply means a fake collar (think Howard Wolowitz from the Big Bang Theory). I actually really like them because I can do a layered look without the bulk. The one I’m wearing is from ASOS, but since they’re out of the black one I’m wearing in these pictures, you can find similar ones for a great price at a site called I Got Collared (I’m going to buy a few more myself).

Outfit: Cardigan by Timing and Eunina Jeans c/o Shimmer; Striped sweater by Express (old); Plain bib in black by ASOS (no longer available, but they have it in white); Necklace by The Limited (old); Houndstooth pumps by Nine West (old); Vintage Chanel tote from Portero; “Tippy” glasses by Lookmatic; Rings by Wendy Brandes

(All photos taken by Rholnna Jiao. Post title from the song “Shimmer” by Fuel.)

Fashionably Late: October & November 2016 Events!

Wow, it’s already December! I’ve got a few holiday posts to put up to ring in the season, but I thought I’d catch up on some events that I attended in October and November that I didn’t get the chance to post. Who’s ready for Christmas? I am!

The Luxe Show at Fashion Valley – 10/29/16

Back in October, I attended The Luxe Show at Fashion Valley, featuring cocktails and a trends display, followed by a runway show and after party at Louis Vuitton. It’s always fun to not only see great fashion, but to also spend some time with my fellow San Diego Style Bloggers! After the runway show, we each got to choose one gift from a selection of shops at Fashion Valley and I picked something cute from Henri Bendel.

Malia Designs Trunk Show With San Diego Style Bloggers – 11/16/16

This picture with Laura of Laura Neuzeth and Alessandra of Alessandra Gonzalez is definitely a tradition! Check us out here and here!

(Above photo courtesy of Laura)

It has been quite sometime since we have had a San Diego Style Bloggers get together, and we finally had one in November! I love getting together with my favorite blogger friends, and meeting new ones. This event was extra special because it was a private trunk show for Malia Designs, where a portion of the proceeds goes to help fight human trafficking. I purchased that amazing purse above and wore it on my most recent trip to Las Vegas.

Bloomingdale’s 10 Years of Beauty & Style – 11/16/16

There are times when more than one event is scheduled in one night. I’m lucky enough to call on my friends and family to help me out with attending an event when I’m already at another. Case in point: as I attended the San Diego Style Bloggers trunk show with Malia Designs, my best friend Janice attended “Bloomingdale’s 10 Years of Beauty & Style” at Fashion Valley on the same evening. She got some great pictures, celebrated with delicious drinks and received a gift card. Thank you Janice for attending and representing my blog, and I’m glad you had fun!

Classic Breton Stripes

I have recently become obsessed with Breton stripes. I completely understand that there are more well-known images of stars in this classic look, like Audrey Hepburn, Bridget Bardot, Jean Seberg, Edie Sedgewick and Marilyn Monroe. But my favorite images of celebrities wearing what I consider a wardrobe “must have” come more from my era, like Meg Ryan in French Kiss and Madonna in Papa Don’t Preach. The look is so simple and fresh, and so French. The history of the Breton stripe shirt dates back to the French navy’s official uniform, but has been in fashion most notably through Coco Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier. In fact, I really do have a history of this type of shirt through one of Gaultier’s own designs with Target in an outfit post (here). I guess my love for this look runs deeper than I thought!

I had been hunting for an affordable version of the marinière, and found it at J Crew, complete with a slightly different detail: a fringed hem. Already a steal at $39.50, I bought it at the Fashion Valley location for an additional 25% off! I purchased it in a large to get that loose-look as worn by Meg Ryan, but styled it with a leather jacket like Madonna. I was going to wear my trusty Stan Smiths with them (which I already have because this shirt has rotated twice through my wardrobe in the last week), but opted to give my outfit more of an edge with a pair of rocker shoes by Miista.

Outfit: Striped boatneck t-shirt with fringe by J Crew; “Collin” shoes by Miista (no longer available); “Trigger” satchel by Botkier; BCBGeneration leather moto jacket; Old Navy mid-rise cropped flare jeans; “Simone” glasses by Warby Parker in Blue Coral; Topshop hat & belt (no longer available); Leather Depeche Mode wrap bracelet by Little Treasures by Mir; WendyB Rings by Wendy Brandes

(All outfit photos by Rholnna Jiao; movie images searched on Google)

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