introduction : carolyn [ c ]
Saturday, August 20, 2011 / 4:31 PM
my name is
carolyn, i'm 19 years old, and i've come a long way from tagging along with my mom as she shopped at nordstrom rack to reading hundreds of fashion blogs in my google reader.
my style evolution i grew up in the san fernando valley, california (envision the typical '80s baywatch valley girl, and that's the typified sfv girl) where high schools are dominated by blonde girls in jean miniskirts and uggs. i'm asian and kind of nerdy (?) so i could never pull off the halter tops and havaianas look. i looked to fashion magazines that were piled up in my house instead and since then, i've been morphing my style to try this and that. middle school? punk rock band shirts and converse. high school? dolman minidresses. now i attend college near san francisco and my style is a mish-mash of urban tomboy & classic city girl. recently i've been championing a 'less is more' simple kind of look.
favorites in my closet honestly, i'm really lazy and not too splurge-y with clothes. my collection of basic tees, sheer blouses and miniskirts is pretty standard, so the items in my closet that i pride myself on are outerwear and shoes. ankle boots are a must for me (well, any boots, really) and i love a warm winter coat with a sharp collar or a standard leather jacket that makes any outfit ten times better. i also own lots and lots of tights and leggings that get ripped all the time.
other essentials recently i'm into prints (polka dots, diamonds, unicorns), feathers, animal rings, and warm circle scarves. and of course, headbands and my geeky big framed plastic glasses.
where i shop the typical forever 21, h&m, zara, of course, as well as urban outfitters and the gap. i'm incredibly cheap but also impatient, so i love cheap, organized vintage stores like painted bird at the mission or the better buffalo exchanges in america. when i go to korea, i love looking at street vendors and five dollar clothing stores in the subway for great basics.
favorite designers i love the simplicity of acne and madewell as well as adam, rachel comey, rag & bone, organic by john patrick, chloe, celine, balmain, and alice & olivia. as for
favorite models i've always had a huge girlcrush on gemma ward, but i also love hyoni kang, georgia frost, monika jagaciak, and sigred agren. beautiful ladies :)
my style icons are zooey deschanel (i love her quirky outfits and use of eclectic tights), edie sedgwick, blair waldorf (yes, i went there) anna karina, olivia palermo and taylor tomasi-hill.
other sources of inspiration i love looking to magazines like lula and oyster mag for inspiration, blogs such as blushing ambition, song of style, and fifi lapin, as well as wes anderson movies and the talented mr. ripley.
favorite cosmetic brands i admit it, i suck at makeup. my skin isn't that bad but i don't even know how to cover up the few blemishes i have. because i'm so lazy i usually use missha bb cream and an urban decay eyeliner. i love nars, urban decay, and nature republic in korea. i also swear by vaseline for lip balm. i do believe in a strict skincare regime though (toner, essence, lotion)!
Labels: by carolyn, introduction
introduction : summer [ s ]
Monday, August 1, 2011 / 6:07 PM
my name is
summer yu, i'm 22 years old, and i've been interested in fashion since i was three and decided i wanted to be a flapper from the '20s when i grew up so i could wear a glam fringe dress and a big feather in my hair.
my style evolution i grew up in denver, colorado, a city full of people who are too laid-back to dress up even on saturday nights. fashion is a mix of hippie and western hipster in denver: plaid flannels, cowboy boots, tortoiseshell, fair isle sweaters, brightly colored sun dresses and turquoise. however, after spending the past four years in new york for uni, influenced by nyc culture and jersey princesses and the often overcast sky, i think my wardrobe has gotten darker, sharper - and has been invaded by retro shades, metallics, and studded leather. so now i'm a style mutt, and most of the time what i wear falls somewhere between urban glam and casual rock - but on my worst days where my mission to blend denver and new york fails miserably, i end up looking messy and homeless. (and! occasionally i'll have days where i want nothing more than to look like a chinese fob, and will also fail spectacularly at that since i'm neither short nor petite enough to pull off it off.)
favorites in my closet the flashiest/most unique thing in my closet is constantly changing, so i could give a more exciting answer, but when it comes down to it, i wear my black super-skinnies, sparkly black oxfords, 14s gauges, and studded cuffs, like, all the time.
other essentials for me include loose v-neck t-shirts, really comfortable blazers, muted animal print, sequins, and a pair of heels versatile but still unique enough to stand out. i also wear lots of jewelry, and have way too many purses (one can never have enough!)
where i shop h&m, urban outfitters, zara, forever 21 for trendy things because they'll break at about the same time i grow past the trend, express, banana republic, anthropologie. there's a great little boutique on pearl street in denver called unity that i'm in love with. i like shopping at independent boutiques in general. i'll look anywhere that displays a storefront with studs and worn leather. a lot of my clothes also come from china, taiwan, and korea.
favorite designers alexander wang, vivienne westwood, lanvin, prabal gurung, nina ricci, acne, philip lim, and nicole miller. i love that a lot more asian designers are breaking big internationally! :) and
favorite models are du juan, sasha pivovarova, cole mohr, freja beha erichsen, imogen morris clarke, sun feifei, and vivien solari.
my style icons are carrie bradshaw (and sjp to a lesser degree), g-dragon (his fabulousness transcends gender), kate lanphear, the olsen twins, patty hou, and taylor tomasi-hill. i like blake lively's style but don't think i can pull it off? and some of what lauren conrad wears, too, because our day looks are usually similar.
other sources of inspiration include old sex and the city episodes - it's amazing how many of what they wore from the 90's are relevant again; the other short-lived tv show with a similar plotline and fab clothes called cashmere mafia; w magazine (usa & korea); photographs by patrick demarchelier; http://whatdoiwear-.tumblr.com; and fashion weeks in london and japan.
favorite cosmetic brands urban decay, estee lauder, smashbox, napoleon perdis, mac, and maybelline for an inexpensive but quality brand. love for makeup started young for me, too. my mom always had a lot of it lying around and i liked messing with powders and eyeshadows and lipsticks. my everyday look includes a dramatic winged eye, even though many makeup artists have told me i'm not supposed to draw the line out that far. whateverrr! i also like playing around with bright colors and different looks i see in editorials or runway.
♥
s.
Labels: by summer, introduction
