Category Archives: What I Wore

Old Navy

When I bought this sweater, it immediately reminded me of my father and old pictures of him when he was in the navy. I decided to really do up the outfit and I came up with something that made me feel like a vintage sailor girl, circa 1920’s to 1940’s. Then my sister and I went out to Harbor Drive near Downtown San Diego, so that we could have pictures with The USS Midway in the background. It was a beautiful day, which really made the pictures even more like the ones in our dad’s old photo albums, especially with the sepia color. I miss my dad, and it’s nice when we can pay some homage to him in small ways.

Outfit – Hell Bunny sweater from ModCloth; Libertine for Target dress; Hanes textured tights; Jeffrey Campbell shoes; Fleur de Lis necklace (close up here), “Recoil” and typewriter rings by Suki Bijoux; Wendy Brandes ring; handmade bracelet given by my best friend Janice; La Marquise glasses by BonLook; unknown brand purse

All photos by Rholnna Jiao

Sheer Luxury With a Purpose: Frangi Pangi Hosiery

When I first started to wear dresses, I always wore sheer pantyhose because my mom used to wear them all the time. This led to my love of tights, and I’ve really only worn either tights or have gone bare-legged when wearing something for day or if the outfit didn’t call for it. Recently, I’ve thought about wearing pantyhose again because I find that I need to wear something with more support. There are really only two things that hold me back from donning sheer pantyhose: color and wear. I feel like I can’t quite find the right color for my skin tone, and I have this very bad habit of ruining a new pair of pantyhose within the first wearing by snagging them on something, creating a huge run.

I have come to realize that sometimes you have to spend a little to get the quality you want, so I did move to the higher denier tights to get that opaqueness that I wanted, which meant moving to a higher price point. Of course, the same applies to sheer pantyhose because you literally get what you pay for: if you pay $2 for a pair, then it is inevitable that they will most likely run after the first wear because of the lower denier. So after I was contacted by Frangi Pangi to try out a couple of pairs of their pantyhose, I wasn’t sure what to expect, being that it’s been several years since I’ve worn them. After putting them on, I was pleasantly surprised with the not only the quality, but the color. Their hosiery is guaranteed to wear at least 4 times without a run or your money back, and so far so good after my first wear! Because these they are “Designed for women of colour by a woman of colour”, I felt confident in finding a shade that is near an exact match to my skin tone. For my sheer pair, I chose the color Fava and I was not disappointed. The color was perfect, and they felt very luxurious like silk. They are sheer to the toe so I felt just fine wearing them with open-toe pumps. I also received a sheer black pair, and they looked and felt just as amazing as the skin tone pair, great for the day as well as evenings out. Both pairs of pantyhose also have a very comfortable control top, so I also have the support that I was looking for. Their website offers a wonderful “Buying Guide” section which will show you all of their colors, sizes (A to 2x), and how to best care for your pair of Frangi Pangi pantyhose.

Frangi Pangi founder and Chief Executive, Jocelyn Maminta, spent years developing the concept for this line of luxury pantyhose in such a wide range of colours that there is truly a shade for every woman. As a woman of colour herself, Jocelyn saw the need for a greater selection than she was able to find as a consumer. In her words, “There is no need to settle for less anymore.”

What impressed me the most about Frangi Pangi is that they support Caroline’s Room, whose mission is “to ease the trauma of families with children in neonatal intensive care”. Not only is Jocelyn Maminta the founder and CEO of Frangi Pangi, but she is also a broadcast journalist at News 8 WTNH and the co-founder of Caroline’s Room. Profits from Frangi Pangi goes to support the funding of Caroline’s Room. It’s always nice to lend support to a company that not only cares about women and their quest for style by offering a wider range of colors and sizes in their hosiery, but gives back to their community and Frangi Pangi is just such a company.

Outfit 1 – Blazer c/o The Limited; Forever 21 dress (old); Kenneth Cole purse (old); Michael Kors pumps; Honeybadger glasses by Bon Look; Origami Owl necklace; Fava ultra-sheer pantyhose c/o Frangi Pangi

Outfit 2 – Costa Blanca cape c/o High Gloss Fashion (I won it from their December 2012 Facebook contest); Forever 21 purse (old); Alice Temperley for Target dress; Poetic License shoes; La Marquise glasses by Bon Look; Park Avenue lipstick by Radiant; Black ultra-sheer pantyhose c/o Frangi Pangi

Photos 1 & 2 by Rholnna Jiao; Photo 3 by Deon Chen

FTC Disclosure: I received free product and was asked to review the product in return. Although I did receive free product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

The Power of Customization: eShakti.com

I am definitely someone who takes garments to a seamstress or tailor to get things to fit correctly, or I will customize something to get it to be the way I want. So when I was asked by eShakti.com to review a garment, I was excited to see just how it all worked for an online shop. The premise of the site is to provide affordable clothing that can be purchased in standard sizes, or that can be customized to fit to one’s exact measurements. When ordering, standard sizing is available from 0 to 36W and they also ask for your height. For a small fee, if you wish to further customize your order, you can enter all of your measurements to receive a garment that is made to fit only you (and they will save your meausrements for additional and future orders)! Depending on the type of garment you are ordering, you can also choose sleeve length, sleeve type, and even the length of your skirt or dress. For instance, if you really like a dress pattern, but you would like a halter top in a shorter length as a casual dress, but maybe you would also enjoy it sleeveless in a longer length for a dressier affair, you can purchase the same dress in two different styles.

The internet allows us to be extremely customer-centric by enabling the buying to be inter-active.

Shakti means power in Sanskrit.

Internet + Shakti = eShakti.com.

I chose the Asymmetrical Fan Pleat Blazer because of the awesome design and detail. As soon as I added it to my “Awesome Outfits” board on Pinterest, it was repinned more than anything I have added to date, which means many of you out there agree! I chose a standard size, but entered my height and customized the sleeve to be a longer length. It took only two weeks from when I put in my order to when I received this beautiful, lined wool boucle jacket, exactly as it was pictured on the site and it fit perfectly.

I styled it two ways to show that this jacket is incredibly versatile and can be worn on a night out or for running errands with my son (who decided to join in the picture). This jacket is one of many fantastic pieces on the eShakti site, including retro flare dresses, skirts, and cardigans. If you are new to eShakti, your first time registration will also earn you a $25 gift certificate. I signed up myself, but I’m still deciding which dress I want because there are so many cute things to choose from. If you love retro styling, tailor made to fit you perfectly at affordable prices, check out eShakti.com!

Both Outfits – Fan Pleat Blazer c/o eShakti; BonLook glasses

Outfit 1 – Alice Temperley for Target dress; Forever 21 purse (old); Vince Camuto boots; black sheer stockings c/o Frangi Pangi; rings by The Shangri-La and Suki Bijoux; Radiant lipstick in Park Avenue

Outfit 2 – English Beat concert t-shirt; H&M jeans, cardigan (under jacket) and shoes; The G Collection Union Jack studded purse; rings and necklace by Suki Bijoux; Union Jack belt buckle was a gift

FTC Disclosure: I received free product and was asked to review the product in return. Although I did receive free product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Pretty Vacant

I wore this to the San Diego Style Bloggers meet up last November, but did not get the chance to post the pictures. The only difference is that I’m wearing my new Bon Look glasses and different shoes. It was raining the night of the meet up, so I wore boots rather than these fuchsia pumps, fearing that they would be ruined. I know it’s a bold outfit, but this Sex Pistols shirt deserved some strong elements like the pops of color and metal accessories, like the Swear Rings and the London Underground cuff. The lyrics “We’re so pretty/oh so pretty” kept coming to mind while taking these pictures. Pretty? I hope you all think so! Vacant? Not a chance!

Outfit – American Living blazer; Sex Pistols t-shirt from Hot Topic; Guess jeans; Mossimo by Target pumps; Bonjour! bag from Jump From Paper; Wendy Brandes rings; Michael Kors watch; black La Marquise glasses by BonLook; London Underground cuff c/o designhype; Union Jack belt buckle was a gift from a friend

PS: Thank you Wendy Brandes for the mention on your blog (her post here)! That Jump From Paper bag is pretty amazing, as are your rings!

Photos 1 & 3 by Rholnna Jiao

Well Covered

A couple of weekends ago, my family and I attended an 80th birthday party for another great-aunt, Remedios Posadas Madrid (my cousin Regi’s mother). It was a semi-formal daytime event at a beautiful location: The Skyline Room at the Admiral Kidd Catering and Conference Center. I kept my look very simple by wearing a lace babydoll dress, a light blazer and printed clutch. Although I wore all black, I made sure that the blacks had texture: my tights had a different pattern than my dress, and my shoes were velvet with glitter. I’m glad I kept it simple, because I wanted to make sure that my fantastic clutch really stood out. I included a couple of other pictures: one with my handsome hubby and one of our son. We had a great time at this lunchtime affair, especially with that gorgeous San Diego skyline in view.

Outfit – H&M blazer; Forever 21 dress (last seen here); Poetic License shoes; Hanes argyle textured tights; American Apparel clutch; Clutched & Covered clutch cover; Origami Owl necklace; Coach sunnies; Juicy Couture ring; iSee glasses from GlassesUSA

On Deon – Trevero hat; Van Husen tie; Michael Kors shirt; Old Navy pants; Steve Madden shoes

On Dominic – US Polo Association sweater; H&M pants & Northside high tops (both unseen)

Photos 1, 2, 3 & 5 by Deon Chen; photo 4 by Leonard Ancheta

Until the End of the World

I’ve always admired designs by Vivienne Westwood from afar but never indulged until recently. I love that her style was born out of the punk era, so her fashion seems to speak to me musically (I always include a little punk or goth into my wardrobe). It was my intention to visit her shop, World’s End, while I was in London this past August. Due to time constraints, we never got to do it. Instead, this sweater was my first ever purchase from Vivienne Westwood, and I snapped it up when I saw it on sale on Zappos. It’s from the Anglomania line and the crazy threads woven through the cable of the chunky knit gives it that punk feel. I can let them dangle or cinch them up and tie them for the asymmetrical look. My favorite part is the safety-pin closure. I absolutely love this sweater!

Outfit – Vivienne Westwood Anglomania chunky knit sweater in chartreuse; Old Navy skinny cargos; H&M top; Gunmetal shoes; Wendy Brandes ring; Necklace gift from my sister; Rebecca Minkoff MAC purse; iSee glasses from GlassesUSA

(Photos by Rholnna Jiao. Post title is a movie from 1991 and Depeche Mode’s song Death’s Door appears on the soundtrack.)

Warm Leatherette

The weather is starting to cool off, but I can still get away with wearing some sleeveless clothing now, that I know I can layer later. I love these studded boots, and have been figuring out ways to always incorporate them into my wardrobe. When I got this soft furry vest from Bloomingdale’s, I couldn’t wait to pair them up with these boots. The cool colors and softness of the vest together with the leather and studs of the boots make me feel like a rock star (Warm Leatherette by The Normal was playing in my head while posing for these shots).

Outfit – Aqua faux fur vest; H&M Jeans; Steve Madden “Fraankie” boots; Rebecca Minkoff purse; Michael Kors watch; Coach sunnies; Personalized leather cuff from the San Diego County Fair; Unknown brand studded silver bracelet; Wendy Brandes ring; Cross necklace from Southwark Cathedral in London

All photos by Rholnna Jiao

Waiting by the Park

I didn’t get a chance to get my whole outfit for this picture, because I was busy watching my son play and I didn’t want to ask one of my cousins to stop and take an outfit picture for me. We went to a birthday party for my cousin Regi’s son, Riley, a few weekends ago at a local park. It was still quite hot here in San Diego at that time, so cut-offs were still okay to wear. I’m excited because we finally are getting cooler weather, which means boots and layers!

Outfit – Joy Division tee (Urban Outfitters); Mossimo denim shorts (Target); Steven by Steve Madden booties; Rebecca Minkoff Covet purse & studded leather cuff; Shamballa bracelet c/o Cutey UK; Unknown brand studded silver bracelet

Great Reception

As mentioned previously, we went to a wedding in Las Vegas a couple of weekends ago for our friend Celeste and her new husband Donya. I only really got one decent picture of my outfit, but we got some other great pictures elsewhere because the rest of the night was spent hamming it up in the photo booth. I love a good reception, but this one was a great one because of the relaxed atmosphere. Celeste made sure that everyone knew they could have fun, and we certainly did. I think these pictures speak for themselves, don’t you think?

The happy couple and part of their entourage

Outfit – Kirna Zabete for Target dress; Sam Edelman shoes; vintage Judit Leiber purse; Michael Kors watch; unknown brand bracelet; iSee glasses (GlassesUSA)

(Photo booth pictures include my husband, Deon, and our friends Anthony and his wife Jen)

Tailored Textures

It’s finally starting to cool down, so I’m feeling like wearing textured clothing and layering them in different ways. These pieces are not new, but I’ve never worn them together so it feels like a new outfit. The jacket is a colored tweed or boucle and the pants are corduroy. I kept the layering simple, but all in the same muted shades. I’m also starting to embrace wearing different shades of the same color. I was always hesitant to do so, but I think that it makes an outfit more dynamic and now actually expands my wardrobe possibilities!

Outfit – din bin jacket (from Nordstrom a long time ago); LEI corduroy pants; Old Navy blouse; Wet Seal tank; Poetic License shoes; Rebecca Minkoff MAC purse; Michael Kors watch; iSee glasses from GlassesUSA; Vintage brooches; Tiffany & Co necklace; Wendy Brandes ring

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