Category Archives: What I Wore

She’s Dressed in Black Again


Something about Depeche Mode just makes me want to wear everything black. In this case, it’s ok because the bright red “Violator” rose breaks up the black quite nicely. This is another item from Idle Vice’s Fashion Rocks line, and by far my favorite for all the reasons you may think: it’s my favorite all time group and it’s one of my favorite all time albums.


We found these murals outside a Mexican restaurant called El Camino, which is in Little Italy (Downtown San Diego). The sunlight was perfect and created such wonderful contrasting light because of the time of day we were there. With such a fantastic exterior, we will have to go inside to see if the food is just as good.


Outfit: Idil Vice dress; Bamboo shoes; Vintage velvet bolero; Vintage Judith Leiber clutch; Burberry sunglasses

(Photos by Deon Chen)

Totally Capable

I used to have a couple ponchos, but I never bought a cape because I just couldn’t find one that I really liked. Now I have this fantastic sweater cape and I’m about to make this a regular part of my wardrobe. I love the fact that it’s light enough for San Diego weather, but it keeps me warm like a blanket. In a way, it’s like a very stylish Snuggie and was truly a steal at $36. It was perfect for Dominic’s chilly early morning doctor’s appointment and took me into the semi-warm afternoon.

Outfit: ASOS military knitted cape; H&M skinny jeans; Lucky brand striped top; Steve Madden Luxe boots; Vintage Gucci clutch; Burberry sunglasses

Out of Focus

Sometimes you have to work with what you’re given and the best pictures from this little pictorial were not quite in focus. After putting them up and previewing them, I ended up liking the soft and blurry effect.

There’s a tiny bit of mixology in my outfit (ala The Glamourai) with the pin-striped skirt, leopard print shirt and tweed jacket. But it looked like rain, so I didn’t have time to take the jacket off before I dashed behind the mall to grab a few shots of what I was wearing while getting to my next errand.


Outfit: Tucker for Target jacket; Old Navy shirt; Forever 21 skirt; Target tights; Loeffler Randall heels; Vintage Judith Leiber clutch; Burberry sunglasses

(Note:  Today is the anniversary of my father’s death.  I didn’t want to call it out in it’s own post because my previous blog was almost exclusively about how I was coping with his death, and this blog is a celebration of life.  So in this blog, I decided to have celebration posts when it’s his birthday or my parents anniversary instead of marking the opposite.  I just wanted to take a moment to mention how much I love him and miss him.  I love you daddy!)

Layered in Laundry


I remember I bought this dress when we used to have these sample sale stores that opened up in old warehouses or empty spaces in buildings that were between construction. I really didn’t think they were true sample sales because the store would be there for several months before closing and to me, sample sales were open for only a few days. I have since lost track of these “stores” and I now wish I could locate them again because I was getting great designer items for next to nothing, like this Laundry by Shelli Segal dress.


Outfit: Tulle coat; Laundry by Shelli Segal dress; Target tights; Jessica Simpson suede boots; Vintage Judith Leiber clutch; Burton’s knit hat; Burberry sunglasses

Quick Dash


I ran some quick errands and managed to snap a picture of my outfit between going to the drugstore from the bank last week. It was our first week back to business casual, and this little dress from Mod Cloth was perfect. I love the ease of the fabric and the print for the price (believe it or not, it was $26!). I kept it very simple by pairing it with a long dark cardigan, tights and booties.

Outfit: Spicy Girl dress; Mixx booties; Target tights; H&M cardigan; Burberry sunglasses; Tiffany & Co necklace; Juicy Couture & Forever 21 rings

Head Over Heels


I absolutely love these “Make Your Mark” heels by Quipid Luxe from Mod Cloth (seen here and here). As with a lot of things I buy, I live in them for a few weeks, then they go right into my regular wardrobe rotation. I’m finding that they are incredibly versatile, so I’ve been wearing them with everything from jeans to trousers to skirts. I think they’re just ducky, don’t you?


Oufit 1: Old Navy shirt, jacket and scarf; H&M jeans; Qupid Luxe shoes; Louis Vuitton purse; Juicy Couture sunglasses; Foreve 21 ring


Outfit 2: Nordstrom cardigan; Topshop t-shirt; Anthropologie trousers; Forever 21 purse and ring; Juicy Couture sunglasses & ring; Quipid Luxe shoes

Ode To Joy


Here is another purchase from Fashion Rocks: The “Love Will Tear Us Apart” Joy Division skirt. I used two different looks for this pictorial. One look I felt was softer and more feminine with the scarf, knitted hat and cardigan.


With the next look, I really wanted to use Ian Curtis’ iconic silhouette. To me, this look is marked by the trench coat and dark military-type clothing. I didn’t have a long olive colored trench, so I just used this 80’s inspired jacket. In both outfits, I’m wearing the “Make Your Mark” heels (first posted about here). I love them so much! They are as comfortable as they are cute, for such a great price.


I wrote a post about Joy Division last year (seen here), and I have been semi-obsessed with their music and the story of Ian Curtis for about two years now. Idil Vice has a few other pieces of Joy Division clothing in her collection, and as much as I love the group, I want to indulge in maybe one more dress.


Outfit 1: Burton’s hat; Nordstrom cardigan; Cotton On scarf

Outfit 2: Jezebel jacket

Both outfits: Blu Heaven striped shirt; Idil Vice skirt; Fior Di Melo crossbody bag (purchased in Italy); Qupid Luxe shoes; Burberry sunglasses; H&M studded bracelet; Forever 21 & Juicy Couture rings; Charm bracelet from my niece; Tiffany necklace

Photos by Deon Chen

Nevermind the Bollocks, Here’s Fashion Rocks!


I am happy to finally have my first pictorial with one of my purchases from Fashion Rocks: The “Nevermind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols” skirt. At first, I was pretty intimidated by the bright yellow of the fabric, but I decided to embrace it and really make it stand out by wearing mostly black, including my boots. I also had my husband help me take these pictures in Downtown San Diego with his Sony camera to give these pictures the desired effect.


The dress and the skirts that I purchased are amazing! In addition to the skirt pictured here, I bought a Joy Division skirt and a Depeche Mode dress. They are all made of a heavy t-shirt material and the large print itself is so clear. I can’t believe I’ve never worn my favorite artists in this way, and now I think I’m hooked. As much as I wear and love my concert shirts, these are definitely going to get heavy rotation in my wardrobe.


Outfit: Trilogy jacket; Idil Vice Fashion Rocks skirt; Old Navy top; Jessica Simpson suede boots; Depeche Mode dog tags; Burberry Sunglasses; Forever 21 and Juicy Couture rings

In Your Room


I took a couple of pictures in one of my favorite rooms of my house. My son was taking a nap while my mom and I were getting ready to go to a family party. I snapped a couple of pictures while I was lounging around waiting for him to wake up so we could get him ready, too. I kept my outfit simple for the get-together. I really love these lace-up Jeffrey Campbell shoes I bought from Bona Drag. They are deceptively comfortable and look great with so many outfits.


We remodeled our house after my father passed away, and I wanted our living room to feel like someone who was well-traveled decorated the room, which is the very definition of my father. My mom suggested the crown molding, which I absolutely love. I kept it very masculine by choosing earthy colors for the walls and couch, which worked with the existing dark woods of the Grandfather clock and piano. I incorporated a lot of the things my father bought during his travels while in the Navy. I then sprinkled in some vintage looking pieces, like five Tiffany lamps and the Hunter fan that looks like a throwback from another era.

The other inspiration for this room was my friend Trudy’s house. She has this very comfortable couch, on which I had slept on a few occasions after late night concerts or parties in Los Angeles. I made sure that we had big fluffy couches and lots of throw blankets so that friends would feel the same way I did in Trudy’s house: warm and cozy.


Outfit: Guess jeans; Old Navy sweater & tank top; Cotton On scarf; Jeffrey Campbell shoes

In The Navy

I’ve fallen in love with my new pair of navy blue suede Naughty Monkey boots that I bought recently on Zappos.com (seen here). It’s no surprise that I’ve worn them almost everyday since I bought them and even wore them shopping all day two Saturdays ago. The mid-heel makes them comfortable for walking and perfect for any outfit. I wore them with jeans and leggings for a few days, then decided to try them with my pretty little bird printed dress (last seen here). The navy blue color just makes them pop against anything I’ve worn, especially black.

Outfit: Erin Fetherston for Target jacket (seen here); Burberry sunglasses; Cotton On dress; Naughty Monkey boots; Zac Posen for Target belt; Kate Spade bag; Juicy Couture ring