FEMURS & FIBULAS

Wide Brim Hat c/o Oasap, Black Chiffon Shirt Dress c/o Sugarlips, Forever 21 Belt, H&M Skirt, Leg Bone Tights c/o Oasap, White Mountain Booties

I don't think my obsession with bones will ever subside. Aesthetically, they are beautiful in form and also fun to draw. But metaphorically, wearing skeleton bone inspired clothing is the idea of showing your bones on the outside---not being afraid to expose your inner self, and dressing in a way that people can see right to the core who you are.

For this look, I went all black again, but I definitely will want to do an all-white outfit with these tights in the future! I got this incredible chiffon shirt dress from Sugarlips, and you can wear it so many ways: as a dress buttoned up, a cardigan buttoned down, or button it half way from the top and half tuck it in like what I did. (It's kind of hard to explain but I was just playing around with the dress and thought it looked cute this way!) There's even metal collar tip detailing; a nice accent amongst all the black. From the Halloween vibes to the black color palette and the orangey hues in the background, this outfit especially screams for October to come sooner already! Halloween is my favorite holiday, but I think that's a common favorite amongst fashion enthusiasts in general!

I also have a new giveaway with Shop des Créateurs for you guys! The prize is a May 28th watch of your choosing! Even if you rely on your phone for the time, these watches are so gorgeous that they still make striking accessories. All the watches feature different patterns and designs, but below are a few of my favorites. This giveaway will end in one week.

From left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
View all the designs here

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URSULA

Spiked Headband c/o Oasap, Purple Gothic Bodysuit c/o Motel Rocks, Sparkly Maxi Skirt c/o Oh My Frock

If you were getting the vibe that today's look was inspired by an evil mermaid, then you were correct! Well, even though Ursula is actually a "sea witch," I'm also okay with that title! I kept having the urge to style this bodysuit with all black but I wanted to get away from the black for this look. When I have trouble coming up with unique outfits, I like to go the route of envisioning a character I might want to embody. Instead of worrying as much about whether the colors or patterns match, it redirects my focus into constructing a look that accurately represents the character serving as my inspiration.

Since this bodysuit's gothic pattern reminded me of sea shells on the bust and had the architectural intricacy of a palace building, I wanted to do a look inspired by mermaids! But the purple is on the darker side, which is why I looked towards Ursula, instead of Ariel. I have this perfect sparkly maxi skirt that's made out of sparkly fabric which really glistens in direct sunlight and in addition, the glistening blue color looks a lot like a waterfall. To finish the look, I selected this spiked headband as it looked a lot like an evil crown!

I think these photos might just be the best set of outfit photos I've taken up to date. I'm so happy with the final product! :) I hope you guys like the photos too! <3

APOCALYPSE PLEASE

Wide Brim Hat c/o Oasap, Cat Eye Sunglasses c/o Romwe, Black Lace Bralette c/o Chicnova, Pacsun Fringe Skirt, White Mountain Booties

I've been wanting a lace bralette for a while and this one from Chicnova is perfect! :) It's not too skimpy and has more structure so it feels more like a top. It's still on the shorter side, so I decided to pair it with a high-waisted piece, like this fringe maxi skirt. The top had a really edgy yet romantic feel to it, so I accessorized the ensemble with my cat eyes and this wide brim hat. There's something very Parisian chic about this hat and sunglasses combo!

And for those who are aware that The Avengers came out on DVD today... no, my copy did not arrive. Even though, we pre-ordered it 5 months ago?!?! WHYYYYY?! You know, now that I think about it, it's pretty funny that I named the title of this look, Apocalypse Please (after the Muse song)... it is quite fitting after all...

FALL FASHION INSPIRATION

Smythe Blazers: 1, 2, 3

These two films are serving as my fall fashion inspiration this season! Produced for Smythe's Fall 2012 collection, I really identified with the mood and the way the clothing is meticulously styled. Smythe describes their brand as ' "something quintessentially “autumn” but also very “Canadian”. [To show] the breadth of a strong and beautiful woman.' "

Chopping down wood and gutting a fish never looked so stylish, am I right? I thought it was absolutely genius to style the blazer, especially the plaid one in the first video, with the long gown and beanie! The mixing of the grungy elements with the elegance of a long gown goes together like a match made in heaven. Blazers, beanies, and long dresses/skirts are a combo that I will definitely embrace this fall and winter. This look will keep you warm, without having to sacrifice style when it gets chillier and all you want to do is bundle up in a puffy jacket.

To show you how I would personally style the beanie, blazer, and long dress/skirt combo, I chose my favorite plaid blazers from Smythe as well as the gorgeous red one with the sharp lapel detailing. Perhaps you already have a blazer that would be perfect sitting in the bottom of your closet somewhere, or maybe now you have an idea of what kind of blazers you'll be looking for this season. Either way, I hope you are similarly inspired!

Smythe Plaid Elbow Patch Blazer

For this look, I went with plaid on plaid, but kept the top and bottom within the same color palette to help the prints mesh more seamlessly. I added burgundy accessories for a pop of color, and the beanie and combat boots helped create that rugged feel. Lastly, I finished the look with a leather backpack, and long leather gloves inspired by the elegance of opera gloves.

Smythe Plaid Blazer

For look number two, I was inspired by the icy blue shade of the blazer and how that reminded me of Cinderella. I paired the jacket with a dark blue chiffon dress, but wanted to add white accessories to keep the look on the lighter side. To compliment the gold chain in the purse, I found this cute moon and star necklace, which is another reference to Cinderella and the ball at midnight.

Smythe Peaked Lapel Blazer

For this last look, I decided to pair the blazer with a chiffon dress in the same shade as the lapel and pocket flap. To add some more intrigue, I wanted to incorporate a print by adding the black floral boots.  The outfit started to remind me of a whimsical, garden-party theme, so I added this quirky necklace to match.

Which one of these 3 looks is your favorite? Tell me in the comments! <3

THE PIXIES

H&M Beanie, Cross Necklace c/o Le Wolf, Forever 21 Top, Target Vest, Starry Night Leggings c/o Romwe, Patent Combat Boots from Target

I can happily add another pair of galaxy leggings to my growing collection! :) These ones are from Romwe, and I love the lavender tones! Purple, in general, is a color I want to wear more often from now on! I added black to compliment, the silver cross necklace to accent, and threw on the fringe vest on a whim. With the space-themed print and the cowboy-inspired fringe, I couldn't get the movie, Cowboys & Aliens out of my head. I've never seen it, but I would have, had Robert Downey Jr not dropped out of the lead role for that film... :'(

The Avengers DVD is going to be released in 5 days!!! I can't wait! One of my closest friends got me a belated birthday present: Iron Man stickers and a mini Iron Man bobblehead (the cute, simplified version of the Marvel characters). It was so thoughtful and made my day! Another friend, Madeleine, made me a card with a watercolor skeleton on it; also so sweet! I have 4 gifts I need to buy for my friends' birthdays, so I'm planning on dedicating an upcoming post to some cute gift ideas for friends and family while I'm at it so you can expect that one soon!

PORCELAIN

Forever 21 Hat, Blue Baroque Floral Dress c/o Romwe, Forever 21 Belt, Ballet Style Tights c/o Romwe, White Mountain Booties

THIS is exactly what I want when I go out and look for floral print. I love bold and colorful floral prints; it's even better when they have that photographic effect to them cause you can see the details in the individual petals really nicely. The cut of the dress in general is very flattering as well; there is a tulle under layer in the skirt which helps give it that poofy effect! I complimented this eye-catching dress with more subdued black accessories like my fedora, double buckle belt, and these unique ballet dancer-esque tights! The tights are particularly soft; I hope my dogs don't tear holes in them when they greet me whenever I come home! (They like to scratch at my legs)

You probably have also noticed that I redid the blog layout! I made it less cluttered and more minimal. Even though I loved my old banner, I was getting bored of it, and simplicity is often a welcome change. I felt that it would be better to keep everything else black and white, and leave it so my photos would add all the color to this blog. I like to change layouts whenever my sense of mind changes. This one is more timeless (can't really get more basic than a plain text banner) and it matches with how my mind and stresses feel much less cluttered now.

For my readers from Canada, one of the brands I recently worked with, Shoppalu, is opening it's first pop-up shop from Thursday, September 20th to Sunday, September 23rd, with Miracle Theives in Toronto, on Dundas at Crawford Street! Shoppalu is an online vintage store so this is a great chance to check out what they have to sell in person! The owner of Shoppalu, Janice, is also really nice and I enjoyed working with her a lot! :)

INFINITE

H&M Beanie, Faux Fur City Jacket c/o Sugarlips, Vintage Cross Necklace, UO Lace Tank, Handmade Bleached Denim Shorts c/o Paradox, Colin Stuart Wedges

For today's look, I wanted to combine lots of textures and patterns; as you can see, we have some faux fur, lace, bleach, and distressed elements coming together. What makes this look work is keeping everything within the same color palette (besides, denim matches with any color!). I didn't realize I had worn this tank top, with this necklace and beanie before (like in my look, Frostbite) until after I started editing the pictures! xD I just really like those 3 items together!

I love this furry jacket from Sugarlips because it feels like one of those microfleece blankets, and it also looks a lot like my sheepdogs' fur! I was thinking about taking my outfit photos with them but the sun was going down too quickly, so maybe next time! :) These shorts are a new obsession too; they have just the right amount of bleach and distressed detailing. If you guys are looking for quality and affordable, upcycled denim shorts, you should check out Paradox for sure! Even though these were sent to me as a sponsor item, I'm going to order the colorful pair below myself because I'm very attracted to the particular color scheme. (They also do custom orders so don't worry if you don't see your size or something is out of stock). Right now, Paradox is having a sale where they are selling off their sample shorts for only $5 each! If the samples were in my size, I would have bought them all!!! Did I mention that they sent me a mix CD too? It was so thoughtful! :) Below are a few of my favorites from their store.

From top left, clockwise:

1. Acid Trip Short

2. Cloud Mine Short

3. Outside Universe Short

4. Sunset Boulevard Short

Don't forget to enter my giveaway with Chicnova for a $30 voucher to their store here!

CHICNOVA $30 GIVEAWAY [CLOSED]

From top left, clockwise:

1. Ripped Detail Cotton Leggings in Punk Style - $16.80

2. Stone Embellished Collar - $27.60

3. Crochet Lace Bra with Scalloped Edge - $23.40

4. Metal Collar Necklace with Leather Inset - $14.00

5. Punk Black Metal Rivets Detachable Collar - $29.50

Here is a giveaway with a new sponsor of mine, Chicnova! The prize is a $30 voucher (You can see my picks above) to their online store and this giveaway is open internationally. It will end in 10 days, on Monday, September 24th. Please follow the instructions listed on the widget! Good luck!

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PS: Thank you so very much to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday! You guys are so kind and I really had a wonderful day! <3

17TH BIRTHDAY!

Chiffon Cape Dress c/o Oasap, Lock & Key Belt c/o Romwe, Forever 21 Cut Out Cuffs, White Mountain Booties

Today, I turned 17 years old! :) Do you guys know the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower? The movie of it is coming out next week! I keep up with Liz Osban's blog, and her post immediately convinced me to buy the e-book this afternoon and read it! Since it was my birthday, and it's my half day (only 2 periods today), I decided to devote this day to doing whatever I felt like; I refused to allow myself to do anything remotely related to school or college.

When I got home, I watched Adventure Time while I ate lunch, then I took a nap, impulse bought the e-book and dove right into it from the start. Later in the afternoon, I took outfit photos and took my dogs on a walk! When my Dad came home, we took the more stubborn dog (Charlie :P) who freezes up on walks, out one more time cause he refused to walk more than past two houses today when I tried to take him. For dinner, we had Buca di Bepo: spaghetti, mashed potatoes, and calamari. And my birthday cake was an Oreo cake! The supermarket put my Mom's name on accident -.- but it's okay. Tonight, I'll probably watch Iron Man! Today I really enjoyed and savored the happiness that can come from the little things that you don't usually take the time to appreciate when your mind is muddled with schoolwork and college apps. A normal day for me is coming home from school, and napping out of exhaustion, procrastinating out of stress, doing homework late, and going to sleep at 1 AM. But today was the day where it didn't matter about all the other obligations in the future I had. All that mattered was what was happening right now. And for the first day in a long time, I felt at peace, and at ease, and I definitely felt infinite.

PS: I just picked out this awesome purple gothic print, bodysuit and this dip-dyed, off-the-shoulder crop top from Motel that I'm really excited for to arrive! :) If anyone's planning on buying anything from Motel, you can take advantage of the discount below! <3

PLAYING WITH FIRE

Red Round Sunglasses c/o Oasap, Red Mesh Sleeve Dress c/o Sugarlips, Red High-Low Skirt c/o Romwe, White Mountain Booties

I like to describe this look as the best possible marriage between elegance and grunge. I love mesh, and when I found out Sugarlips made the mesh sleeve bandage dress I had in black, in red, I was immediately drawn to it! Red is a color that brings to mind formal wear so I knew I wanted to somehow bridge the gap between the roughness of the mesh with the elegance of this classic color. I pulled down the neckline (it's stretchy) so it would rest as an off-the-shoulder dress, a common cut of formal gowns. Even the detailing of the mesh begins to evoke the intricacy of red lace! 

Next, I added my chiffon, high-low skirt from Romwe to add some flowiness to the look. Finally, I thought it couldn't hurt to throw on some red sunglasses seeing as I was fully embracing the color! To add a contrast and rougher feel to the look, I chose to wear my lace up booties. It also provided a nice compliment to my darker hair amidst the monochromatic look. Hope you like this outfit! I definitely enjoyed the challenge of putting it together!

I also want to let you guys know about Romwe's Back to School giveaway! There's a winner everyday, and the prize is a schoolbag with over $200 of Romwe merchandise inside! It ends on September 18th and is open worldwide. You can enter and view the rules here. Good luck! :)

And yes, depending on when you are reading this, September 13th is my birthday! But I have a different look planned for that day! ;) I'm finally seventeen!

HAPPY 1 YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY

One year ago, September 5th, 2012 marked the day I first started this blog! I never expected it to grow so quickly and to receive so much support from you all! I'm truly grateful and very humbled by all the feedback and love. Thank you so much everyone! <3

I made my first blog post the day I got my 50 mm lens for my 16th birthday, which basically had test photos from the lens, and soon after, my first outfit post. Initially, I started out taking most of the photos on my own using my tripod and remote, but now my sister is always so kind to help me out. (She does get lots of free stuff that I no longer want in my closet though! :P) It's also been very interesting to see the way my style has evolved. I used to have a very bohemian, gypsy-like taste, and now my style is a lot edgier and darker.

Some of my favorite old looks!

For the first few months, I only used Lookbook as my outside platform. Eventually, I joined What I Wear and Chictopia as well. By the end of 2012, I hit 100 blog followers and now one year later, I can't believe there's 700+ of you guys! Even with Lookbook, my goal was to earn 2000 fans after one year, and now the 7900+ fans also astonish me. 

The growth was not overnight though; of course, there are users on Lookbook who shoot up to the Hot page within their first few looks, but it took me 5 or 6 months until one of my looks ended up there. Then in April, my following shot up extremely rapidly after I posted the looks of the collection I designed for the school fashion show. Imagine my surprise when I woke up to see that my brown lace dress had become the top look on the Hot page! I actually scrolled past it because I didn't think it would be in that spot! xD It was the first time that had ever happened to me and I was elated that it occurred with one of my own designs.

My Spring 2012 collection for the school fashion show.

From posting on What I Wear, I won the first photo contest they held in February and the first place prize was an iPad 2, which I gave to my mom, and she bought me the JC Lita Spikes in exchange :3 This July, I was even selected as one of the three Chictopia Style Icons for that month!

I started getting contacted about sponsors in January 2012, and some of the first sponsors that I worked with were Oasap, ShopSosie, and Sugarlips but in time, as my following grew, I eventually started working with Romwe, Motel Rocks and ShopAkira. More recently, I worked with Lulus, Shoppalu, and In Love With Fashion... but never in my wildest dreams would I imagine I'd have the chance to work with my favorite store of all time, Wasteland! This would have to be the holy grail opportunity of them all. @_@ I still think I'm dreaming about this one in particular!

Looking back in retrospect, it's crazy the things that can happen in only one year, and even more unbelievable how the original whim of starting a fashion blog can grow into something like a part time job for me now. As I look forward into the future with my blog, I'm only excited about the opportunities that await and the wonderful people I will get to meet! And of course, come spring time next year, I'll find out if all my hard work paid off and see if I get to fulfill my dream of going to school on the east coast to study Fashion Design. As always, I'll constantly be keeping you guys updated! :)

Lots of love to all of you,

Jennifer

PS: Any suggestions for other posts you'd like me to do, let me know in the comments! It's also my 17th birthday this coming Thursday! <3

WASTELAND

Vintage Cross Necklace, Mesh Top c/o Shoppalu, Cosmic Print Knit Pants c/o Wasteland, Custom "Avengers" Laptop Case c/o Snupped, Patent Combat Boots from Target

I know I always freak out about my leggings but today my obsession has gone to a whole other level! Not only do I love the cool colors in the galaxy print, but the mesh stripe down the sides feeds right into my current obsession with anything that looks like netting. Naturally, I had to pair these leggings from Wasteland with my mesh tank top from Shoppalu, but even my awesome Avengers laptop case matched the same color palette! I also got these new patent combat boots from Target and I'm extremely pleased with them. They are comfortable yet heavy duty, and super shiny! For only $35, these were an incredible purchase. They come in both black and burgundy so you should definitely grab a pair while they are still in stock! There were literally only 3 pairs left at the Target I went to, 2 of them were 10s, and the last pair was a 7, which was my size-- it was meant to be!! :P

I also want to review my laptop case from Snupped for you guys! Not only did the company have great customer service when they were helping me through the custom design process, the printing quality of the case is so detailed and vibrant! It felt like I was looking at a Blu-ray photo! I selected this portion of the Avengers photo for the front, and then the Avengers logo for the back. You can choose the size of the case for your laptop model and the material of the case is tarpulin coated with PVC; it's squishy yet thick and durable. The interior is padded as well. Whether you want to buy one of their premade designs or make your own, these cases would make wonderful gifts and it really just brightens my day to own something that I'm so obsessed with! :) The package also came with these giant stickers featuring some of their other pre-made prints, but my sister took them from me :P 

OLD SCHOOL

H&M Beanie, Spiked Headband c/o Oasap, Papaya Plaid Dress, Forever 21 Belt, Jeffrey Campbell x Wasteland Coltranes c/o Wasteland

What I love about this outfit is that this dress is from like 6th grade, and I had picked it out for a piano recital but I never touched it for like 7 years until today! Always a good feeling when you rediscover old pieces in your closet. It's a cute dress you can wear on it's own or you can throw a vintage t-shirt or sweater over it so it peeks out like a skirt.

I'm also sporting this "spiked beanie" which is really just my spiked headband over my black beanie, but I like that it's an unexpected combination! If you can't decide which headpiece to go with, you can just wear both at the same time ;) And of course, I've got on my new favorite shoes, the red Coltrane boots!!! I like the quirky yet rock and roll feel of them. They really are super comfortable and they make any outfit look 10x better! 

Have a great end of the week guys, I personally can't wait for tomorrow! I'm seeing The Avengers for the third time (no shame) on Friday night! I know that Marvel does this to get more money out of suckers like me but whatever! Take all of my money, Marvel!!