After a very tornado and hail-filled yesterday; today is the prettiest, sunniest Saturday you'll ever see! I met some friends for coffee at Michelangelo's today, so I put together a casual-yet sweet outfit.


This fun flowy top is a rental from Le Tote. (Join here to get 50% off your first month using code APR50!) The clutch is from Le Tote also, but I think I love it so very much that I think I'll keep it (You can purchase items by simply keeping them! Plus, I have a $20 credit they gave me. Yay!)


Blush lace-up heels: so necessary right now! I got this sweet pair from Go Jane. It was my first purchase from them, and I am pleasantly surprised at the good quality and fast ship time. These heels are super manageable and comfortable... I'll be wearing them a lot in future.


Here's a big development in Julie's fashion world: I decided that I can no longer bear the loose threads, dodgy material, and ill-fits that comes with cheap jeans. So, I'm saying an everlasting bye-bye to Forever 21 $7 skinnies and saying hello to Paige Denim and Joe's Jeans. (Thanks to my fabulous friend A for suggesting them!) These wondrous Paige ankle skinnies envelop your legs in such high-quality comfort! Not a loose thread in sight, and I love the cute signature pocket stitch.



The other exciting news is that this is my very first sponsored post! The gorgeous jewels are from Rings & Tings. If you need a low-cost way to expand your accessory game in an instant, check them out.


I can't get enough of this pretty (and comfortable... I forget I'm wearing it!) bracelet and minimalist wide ring. I've already gotten tons of compliments.


Have you had any fashion epiphanies lately? I'd love to hear about them.

Love,









Julie

SHIRT | JEANS | SHOES | BAG | SUNGLASSES | BRACELET | RING | EARRINGS

Here are my favorite jeans from Paige Denim and Joe's Jeans:

It's hard to believe how such a little thing like a capsule wardrobe could change your life. I truly feel like my life is transformed these days in every area... not just fashion! Who would have thought that one of the keys to happiness is not incessantly buying more and more, but getting rid of all the junk you have so you can properly see what treasures lie beneath.


These basic pieces: skinny jeans, a striped tee, pretty bag, and black heels... I believe they make any outfit stand out louder than the gaudiest fashion. I'm always on the lookout for pieces like these of better quality... but I'm not in a mad rush to find them. When I do, I'll let go of something I currently own to make room.

I feel like I finally became an adult and am fashion-ing responsibly!

I got rid of all the jewelry that didn't mean much to me and only held onto key pieces... like this beautiful "J" necklace that really belongs to my mom. (I'll give it back someday, I promise!)


I found this gorgeous springy Kate Spade at a great deal second hand (it was hardly touched!) so I bought it and then turned around and sold my previous Kate Spade... and came out of the deal $30 ahead. Now I'm richer, and have a bag that I love even more than the one I had before.


I always like keep specials things I have found on my travels. This eagle ring I made out of a vintage medallion I picked up from a Turkish antiques dealer in Vienna... and the other stacked ring my sister brought back from her trip to Thailand. It was hand-made by a village of women who wear a bigger version of those rings on their necks!


The last time I went to Tokyo, I saw some Diana fringe heels that made me almost have a seizure, but I couldn't afford them. Sooooo, I bought some fringe and vintage earrings (off eBay) and spruced up a standard pair of patent Nine West heels I had. Instant drama!


Have a lovely week ahead! It's almost spring!



Other minimalist faux fur I currently love:

I went to Japan for about 10 days for a friend's wedding and to see all my relatives. I love Tokyo so much, and the weather was gorgeous most of the time like this day in Setagaya! This is such a peaceful neighborhood close to central Tokyo. I'd love to live here someday soon.

I kept my look simple, mostly to feature a beautiful vintage silk scarf which my grandma gave me. I love wearing scarves because they look so incredibly high-fashion, elegant, ladylike, and not many people in my region wear them... which makes them stand out all the more!


 I hope I can learn so many fancy ways to tie it. I love being able to use treasures like these handed down by family members. My grandma has great fashion sense, huh?


Don't laugh: but here is a shocking fact. Seven Eleven in Japan is awesome in every way. Semi-homeless shelter-ish Seven Elevens in the US will faint in pure amazement of their counterparts abroad. Even the coffee at our little shop was great... the beans were ground right there in front of your eyes! At ¥150 (about $1.22) for the big size, it was a great (and certainly cheaper) alternative to Starbucks!

Japan is the land to buy cute dainty teeny tiny jewels. I adore this skeeny ring I got at a little clothes market right by our apartment. Shimokitazawa area has the most adorable independent boutiques, cafes, and art galleries. Just the place for me indeed!






I love this adorable little bar we walked by often. Too bad we weren't there longer... I'd love to go to it regularly.

I was only able to do one fashion shoot in Japan, but my trip really revived my spirit. I certainly know where I belong.


Sweater: Old Navy
Leggings: eBay
Shoes: Antonio Melani via Dillards
Bag: Steve Madden via Ross
Scarf: Vintage
Jewelry: Shops in Shimokitazawa

Shop for my choice of similar items below!

We spent a week in St. Maarten! It was very hot and muggy, so sleeveless + loose clothing was a must.


I went a little WILD with the big cat-themed jewelry! You can be wild about everything on vacation, right?


I got these shoes at ALDO one day on a mad sale! The heels are not too terribly high, but they still look rich and elegant. I like that.


Sometimes island bed hair is the best... I didn't do one thing to my hair today except flip it to the side. I also paired these fun aviators to complement my FIERCE look.


My sister sweetly bought these dainty earrings for me when she visited the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. It's my fave museum in London, so it was very kind of her to get me something from there. I wore them to match the red on my jaguar's tongue!


We stayed at a resort with the ocean on one side and the Marina on the other. So fun! It was sure risky to walk on this pier with my heels. The space between the boards were wider than my heel width. :O


Look at these houses on the hill! I was super creepy and took pics of my fave. Next time, I'll upload the ocean view pics. St Maarten really is the friendly island. No-one there seemed stressed at all.



#stmaarten #stmartin #caribbean #vacation #fashion #summer #beach #island #outfit #ootd #islandfashion #tiger #leopard #jaguar #blackdress #casual #lion #gold

Dress: H&M
Shoes: Aldo
Necklace: Body Central
Bracelets & ring: Forever 21, Cookie Lee
Sunglasses: 1036 Cat. 3 via NYS Collection
Earrings: From the Victoria & Albert Museum (London) gift shop

Shop items (or similar items) below!

It's almost St. P's Day so I had to choose green, but I also wanted to feature this supercool gun bag I just bought! It seemed like the only common denominator would be "Boondock Saints." Hence the title. My brain is amazing.

I think ruched details can look old style very quickly if you're not careful. But I think this sophisticated pattern def. passed the test! I paired my festive green with good old Leprechaun-approved gold.


On to the main event, this extremely cool gun bag / clutch. Is it really possible for Julie to see such a thing and not own it? I don't think so.


And then, just an easy nude wedge pump just to avoid being too matchy-matchy with the blacks. Someday I wish I could graduate to a fancier nude pump, but my odd feet size (I must be like 7.75) makes it almost impossible to find something that my feet won't pop out of. Oh well. I'll keep looking.


Hope you enjoyed my fash! Be safe on St. Patrick's Day and don't start any fights!


Shop similar styles below!

I'm stepping out of my comfort zone today thanks to clothes rental subscription Le Tote and makeup sample subscription Glossybox! I wouldn't normally go for a boxy-shaped python print, but why not try fun things when you can try whatever clothes you want with no commitment?

I asked E, "Don't I look like a person transformed beyond my usual style by the power of Le Tote?"
He said "... you look like a person wearing the pieces of clothes that were in your box."

I guess that dream got shut down quickly and logically.


But, moving on with my dreamy Le Tote frenzy, I also rented this necklace. Don't you utterly heart? I feel it could go with any look.


This cool mod black bracelet was the other piece of jewelry in my box. I'm also wearing this crocodilian ring to complete the reptile-theme. CAN YOU TELL I LOVE THIS SERVICE? I simply can't wait to get my next box! I will write a full review post of my experience with them soon.


I've barely ever worn lipstick even though I'm 30 years old in the world because I've always felt ill at ease applying it. HOWEVER, I fell deadly enchanted with this amazing Lip Tar from September's Glossy Box. It paints super precisely, is hydrating for my skinny wisp of a mouth, and keeps its color amazingly! If my mouth can look the same before and after eating Chipotle, you know the lipstick is a winner.

Just today, I found the key to looking better in lipstick is the shape in which you draw your top lip. It's taken me 30 years to figure that out. Better late than never, I guess.


Shirt: Weston Wear (via Le Tote)
Jacket: Nicai (via Fashion71.net)
Jeans: Forever 21
Necklace & Bracelet: Adia K (via Le Tote)
Lip Tar: Black Dahlia (via Glossybox)
Shoes: Nine West via Ross 

I can help direct traffic today because my sweater is SO FLUORESCENT! It's a bit blinding, for real. I love the slouchy, comfy style matched with my super-versatile leather look leggings. Can you believe I got them years ago on eBay for $12? They haven't failed me yet and I wear them constantly.


I bought this lovely Tory Burch satchel recently by my magical methods. I'm not the hugest Tory Burch fangirl, but this was one time that I had a case of a very overreactive trigger-finger whilst viewing an eBay auction. The next thing I knew, I was the winner. Oops. Oh well. I love the purse after all!



I went to Dillard's the other  week in search of some perfect black pumps. As I was intently scouring the sale rack, I spied these lovelies shoved away on a bottom shelf. They were just my size! I tried them on in a wild frenzy, asking a random nearby lady if she thought I looked good. (She said yes.) Win! They were Antonio Melanis (so comfortable) on sale for $32!


The heels are acceptably tall so I don't look like a shoe sissy, but low enough that I can do human behaviors like walk. The ankle straps ensure that my feet don't pop out mid-gait, and the double strap ensures that I look totally smashing.

Can you see that I'm having a good Friday? I hope you have a nice weekend toooooo!

Julie <3


Sweater: Forever 21 (old)
Leggings: eBay (old)
Bag: Tory Burch (buy it here!)
Heels: Antonio Melani via Dillard's (sold out)

Hi friends!
Today I'm wearing an edgy grey moto jacket with this eye-poppingly bright raspberry pink dress. If you want to know how I got such hot-pink cheeks, I'll tell you a secret: I just used my lipstick on my face! Really, if you think about it... it's just pigment. If it's fine for your lips, it's fine for your face. Stays on better than regular powder blush for sure.



I always get lots of compliments on these interesting leaf-patterened tights. They are also surprisingly warm in these late days of winter!


Huzzah! I can finally wear these big circle earrings because I changed the backings from metal to plastic. Apparently my ears could sense the metal even if I painted the wires with nail polish. Plastic, you are my rescuer! (Now if I could only find plastic hooks that aren't microscopic size... a harder feat than you'd think.)


Have a warm and safe weekend. Always be aware of who's around you. (Random closing advice... but there have been a spate of weird violent crimes in town lately.) Don't be a victim, my fabulous girls!

Jacket: Dollhouse (gift)
Dress: Forever 21
Clutch: From Rome, Italy
Shoes: Antonio Melani via Dillard's

This Valentine's Day, I wanted to do something different than the usual red dress look. So, I opted for my fun and warm heart sweater, white pants, and a cream blazer!



 I know it may seem weird to wear slightly different shades of the same color on the top and bottom, but lately I've been inspired by Ashleigh over at fabulous fashion blog The Daileigh. Her color combos are so unexpected but amazing! She gave me the power to try out this look. Thank you Ashleigh!

I've been trying not to get an iPhone this entire time simply because I felt like I was doing fine without one, and didn't want to become addicted or feel like I had to have a certain gadget because everyone else does. However at some point the world moves ahead so much that there arise certain things you simply cannot do without a smartphone. I still didn't want to waste money buying a new one, but my dear E bought a damaged one on eBay, fixed it to perfection with his amazing skills, and gave it to me as a gift. Isn't that thoughtful?

I take the iPhone cover VERY seriously... I didn't want a run-of-the-mill one, so I specially designed one just to my taste and had it printed!


Time for a sad story, guys. These days my ears reject wearing any type of earrings. I had absolutely no sensitivity when I first got them pierced as a teenager, but one time I had got an ear infection, and then everything fell to shambles from there. I'm still trying to figure out what I can wear... even hypo-allergenic, nickel-free, and pure 24k gold earrings make them blister and bleed. I've tried painting them with nail polish, plastic posts...nothing.

However, time to make the best of things. Until I find a cure, I'll get my bling fix by wearing an ear cuff... isn't this the prettiest one? >.<

Here are my golden heels again. Though they are stunning, I've come to the conclusion that they're "sitting shoes." Right after this photo, I fell down spectacularly in the middle of the alley. Smooth going, J. T.T


I liked the lighting today... it feels like California-lighting, for some reason. Have a Happy Valentine's Day!


Shirt: Old Navy
Blazer: Forever 21 (old) Similar one here
Pants: Abbey Dawn via Kohl's. Similar one here
Heels: Forever 21
Sunglasses: Mossimo via Target
Watch: Precision by Gruen via Kohl's (old)