Introducing My New Clothing Brand...

If I ever had the chutzpah to start my own clothing brand, I'd call it Phoenix Clothing and the advertisements would look a little something like this...

As you know, my whole blog is an expression of my creativity, and so far I've shown you guys my sketches and my dance moves. Today, however, I wanted to use fashion as my medium, instead of paint or music. I found these geometric concrete blocks lying in the prairie grass and asked myself, "if I were to shoot a fashion campaign here, what would that look like?" And the images above are what resulted. Voila!

I can't really tell you how I arrived at "fringe shorts + diamond print + denim + boho + cowboy". All I had in mind was that the sun was really bright, the blue sky needed to be reflected in a piece of clothing, and that there was a certain wild exploration feeling in the air.

I've always been impressed with fashion editorials and advertisements in magazines, and now I am even more appreciative of what fashion editors, photographers, and stylists do on a daily basis. Shooting these pictures today made me realize that the process of making a great magazine image is not easy: there's a reason that an entire team of people have to help with outfits, posing, shooting countless angles and editing the final product. But this whole experience has left me exhilarated---would you guys like to see more "editorial" looks on my blog in the future? I'd love to experiment some more, instead of just taking pictures of me standing in one place!

So far, Phoenix Clothing is just a made-up concept in my mind, but if I ever wanted to capitalize on this idea, I would already have some preliminary pictures. How would you characterize this clothing brand? What kind of girl do you imagine this brand catering towards?

Special credit goes to my sister, for letting me play dress-up with her, and my boyfriend Andrew, for subjecting himself to our demands and still taking some damn good photos. Thanks, guys!

Thrift Shop Gown

If Macklemore invited me to an awards show, this is probably what I would wear. In case you didn't know, Macklemore is the singer/rapper behind "Thrift Shop", that catchy song on the radio embracing low-end shopping and clothes recycling.

I have mad respect for Macklemore, not only because he is rocking those batman pajamas in the video, but because he raps about important, inspiration topics in his other songs, like his addiction problems and consumerism.

As to why I would be a perfect date for Macklemore, it's because the evening gown I'm wearing in these pictures came from a store whose name starts with "Good" and ends in "will". In light of the Oscars on Sunday, I wanted to style this gown as though it was going to walk the red carpet. I like to imagine that someone was donating their mother's old clothing and accidentally tossed out this gem. What kind of event did the previous owner wear this dress to? What was the owner like? I love vintage items because they always come with a story, and I wish I could hear about all the places they've been!

By the way, do you remember when Alexander McQueen's skull clutches were all the rage?

The gold clutch I'm carrying is in a similar style, but without the beautiful detailing in the original. Still, I bet the knuckle protectors on my clutch would serve me well in a bar fight---if I will ever need to knock anyone out at a fancy awards show, that is!

This photoshoot is the surprise that I promised all of you on Wednesday, so I hope it lived up to your expectations---I certainly enjoyed the challenge of photographing a thrift shop dress so that it looked like a new evening gown. Let me know in the comments if you want more posts like this one!

Perforated Perfection

The trench coat is undoubtably a classic wardrobe item. In fact, every time I see a "What Every Woman Should Own" post, I always find a trench coat somewhere on that list. But who says that a classic trench has to be boring? (Personally, if I had the money, I would shell out for a Burberry trench with leather trim and sleeves). For now, I couldn't be happier with this trench coat, a lovely Kohl's find with a unique scalloped hem and perforated dot pattern at the bottom!

The other day, I realized (really late) that Houston has surpassed Chicago to become the 3rd largest city in the US. And that I'm in the middle of one of the most diverse, loudest, buzziest places in the nation, but I haven't blogged about it at all. That's like living in New York (#1 most populated city) and Los Angeles (#2) and not showing you the scene and eats of the city.

Would you guys enjoy it if I showed you some of the best restaurants, stores, and hangouts around Houston?

By the way...be sure to check back on Friday...I'll be posting a surprise for my followers!

Birds Returning for the Spring

Hi, everyone!

I received some amazing compliments from you on my "Sexy Gothic" Valentine's Day post, so I decided to wear the same colors for my actual Valentine's date. Once again, here is an outfit with a blush and black color palette. I promise not to wear this color combo for a while after this week!

I know peplum is supposed to be worn with skinny bottoms, but I think there is something lovely about a belted peplum top over a flouncy skirt. It really adds volume to my backside, which is a region where I (and perhaps other Asian women) sometimes need a little boost.

My actual valentine's date was really sweet and low-key; because my significant other and I are both students, we had tons of work to do, so we just ate together and exchanged small presents. I did stalk some other bloggers' instagrams, to see the romantic things that they did for the holiday. One day, I'll be able to afford those luxuries!

If you couldn't already tell, my skirt full of birds and the fact that Rice University has Spring break next week has gotten me in the mood for spring! I'm really excited for the week off, and I'll bring you some more outfits pics from my spring break destination!

Bright Blue

When it's rainy or cloudy outside, I like to amp up the color in my outfit---as if wearing a bright blue jacket will single-handedly defeat the gloominess that is permeating Houston. I like to think I bring a little cheer and light to people who passed me by today!

This week was tough---I have a problem set and a project due tomorrow, as well as an interview for an internship! In times like these, I'm almost tempted to just give up fashion-wise and wear some sweatpants to class---the key word being almost. But I know I never will, because I really dislike girls who wear sweatpants in public, unless they are at the gym. It just seems so lazy of them, and the pants are so unflattering to me. Obviously, I'm pretty shallow for judging people based on what pants they are wearing, but it takes 2.5 seconds to pull on some dark jeans and walk out the door. Make an effort, college girls!

By the way, did you think I was wearing black leggings in today's post? If so, look again! These leggings actually have intricate gold dots on them in a multitude of patterns. I love clothes with subtle details that surprise you on a second glance.

I hope you have a great Valentine's Day. Let me know in the comments how it went, and if you did something special or stayed at home with the girls!

Double (Faux) Leather at Lovett College

My school, Rice University, is a lot like Hogwarts: each student gets sorted into a college when they arrive. We also have a "President's Cup" competition, which is just like the House Cup competition in Harry Potter. We even have a Quidditch team!

Because of Rice's similarities to Hogwarts, our student body likes to compare the colleges to the Harry Potter houses. Personally, I think that Lovett College, featured in the pictures above, is the Hufflepuff of Rice. Just like how no one really wanted to be in Hufflepuff, no one really wants to be in Lovett as well!

Why? As you can see from the pictures above, Lovett looks like a jail. The rooms don't get any natural sunlight and mostly everyone agrees that Lovett is the worst dorm on campus. Now, that doesn't mean that everyone hates it, because I'm sure that Lovetteers learn to love it there, and they have made the atmosphere very welcoming. However, there are quite a few stories of disappointment from freshmen who are sorted into this college, and friends of mine who have stayed there for Rice's summer programs were not very pleased with their rooms.

So there you have it: Rice's least favorite dorm, comparable to Hogwarts' least favorite house. And if you don't know why Hufflepuff seems to be the butt of so many jokes, check out this hilarious video about Hufflepuffs:

Before I end this blog entry, I thought I'd mention to you guys that my tweed/white leather jacket is from JCP (since many of you commenters were surprised that my last outfit was bought entirely from this previously-unstylish store). I decided to wear this leather jacket on top of a black faux leather skirt, making this a double-leather outfit. Also, check out my sheer back-seam tights: I think the exposed seam is a sexy detail, something unexpected from the back view!

 // Outfit Details: XOXO tweed jacket

 gray tank top 

faux leather circle skirt 

sheer back-seam stockings

black suede desert booties //

Comment below if you want to know more about how similar Rice and Hogwarts are. For example, Rice's mascot is an owl, and there are secret tunnels and doors in a lot of the buildings. Ask away!

What to Wear for Valentine's Day: Sexy Gothic

I walked into my neighborhood Kroger today, and it looked like Cupid had vomited all over the store: there were at least twenty shelves of cupcakes, balloons, and cookies at the front entrance, as well as what seemed to be the entirety of Moody Gardens' rose collection.

This is the week of love, and if you're still looking for outfit ideas to knock the socks off your date, you've come to the right place. Last time, I gave you ideas for a sweet and flirty Valentine's Day outfit, and now it's time to style a look for a night on the town.

Start with a lace-collared shirt (you can always wear a tank underneath if you feel that it's showing too much), and add a showstopping feather skirt. Trust me, there aren't that many opportunities to wear feathered clothes, so take advantage of Valentine's Day to go all-out! To keep the look from being too scandalous, wrap your hair up in a fancy chignon, and toss on some sparkly dangly earrings. The reason for keeping the accessories limited is so that you can let the actual outfit speak for itself.

Can you believe that this lace-collared shirt and skirt are both from JCP? Yes, the same JCPenney that your grandma goes to. The store's made some major changes to appeal to new markets, and as you can tell from this outfit, there are definitely more offerings for younger women.

By the way, if you've been reading my blog from the very beginning, you'll remember this clutch: I made it myself! I received a basic black clutch from Cotton On as a gift when I made an online order, and because it seemed so boring, I added the word BOURGEOIS to the front. "Bourgeois" is a adjective used to describe someone who is very materialistic and consumeristic, which is the perfect adjective to describe our national obsession with Valentine's Day!

I also think my clutch makes a point about fashion bloggers in general: we are quite materialistic-minded! Does that mean that my clutch is supposed to be ironic and that ----GASP---I'm a hipster? Please, no!

What do you think of the outfit?

What to Wear for Valentine's Day: Cute and Sweet

I love the fact that Valentine's Day gives me an excuse to wear various shades of pink, but I don't know if I would actually recommend this outfit to anyone for Valentine's Day: sure, it's sweet and cute, but it's also a very literal interpretation of the holiday. Roses in your hair? Check. Pearls and a lace dress? Check. Personally, I would want to wear something a little edgier (you'll see what I mean in Part 2 of this series!)

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed dressing up like a flower girl (even though I look really annoyed in one of the pictures. I think that was because it was raining a little during the photo shoot, and I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible).

Speaking of Valentine's Day, one of my roommates is doing a research paper on the holiday and her conclusion is that Valentine's Day is just another manifestation of our animal instincts. Men are expected to present women with gifts and flowers on Valentine's Day to demonstrate their wealth and resources, and women are expected to reciprocate with physical pleasure.

I'd never given Valentine's Day that much thought, but her conclusion totally makes sense: after all, look on any women-oriented website and you'll see posts on "Hottest Lingerie for Valentine's Day" or "Sexy Valentine's Day Looks". These types of messages are priming women to think that they must bestow carnal pleasure upon their partners on this special day.

Meanwhile, over on the men's side, you have articles on "Best Valentine's Gifts for Women" and "Jewelry She'll Love for Valentine's Day". I also saw a sign in my Kroger's floral section that read "Don't end up in the doghouse---buy her flowers today!" The idea is to spend money getting things for your girl so that you can enjoy the "sexy lingerie" that she has prepared for you.

This mindset doesn't really surprise me; it matches up with what I know about male and female roles way back when we evolved. Prehistoric men were supposed to show off their prowess through wealth, and women were supposed to mate with men that could best provide for them. But doesn't this talk of trading wealth for sex turn you off from the whole idea of the holiday?

I actually really enjoy the idea of doing something special for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day, or indulging in a gift for yourself, so I guess it doesn't bother me.

Look out for the rest of the "What to Wear for Valentine's Day" series this weekend!