Winter in the Summer

One thing you might be asking yourself is, "Why is he wearing winter layers in the summer?" Well, unfortunately for me, when I got out of bed yesterday morning, I had no choice. The weather outside was just as dark as the lightless room I found myself laying in. For whatever reason, Mother Nature decided to let it rain and cast a shadow over the city I live in, producing a sort of nippy weather you'd otherwise experience in the winter. It was a nice change of pace from the 100 degree weather we've been having, but with all my summer clothes being so light, I had to think of a way to keep warm. 

 Even though I was forced to bundle up for the cold weather, I still wanted to maintain a very summery look. I used neutral colors and a vibrant yellow in order to keep the illusion that the weather was warmer than it was. The denim jacket was just an added little touch since I've been obsessed with denim as of recent. The oatmeal v-neck sweater is one that I found at a thrift store some time again; my denim jacket was purchased at Forever 21 back in the fall. What I love about the denim jacket is the light wash. I can dress it up or down without having to worry much about how well it matches. As for my yellow denim jeans... I love them! They're +Levi's® and they're so comfortable. Very soft cotton and don't stretch very much after wearing them for a full day like some others you might buy. Lastly, my shoes... God I love these shoes. They're fantastic! They are part canvas with a suede cap-toe and heel detail. Overall, I found this outfit to be very weather appropriate without compromising the style I love for the season I love... Summer.

Just A Touch of Color

The pattern I'm wearing today follows the ethnic trend that is found in this season's menswear trends and styles. When I wear any sort of pattern, I like to make sure that it stands out against whatever I am wearing. As previously mentioned in many of my other posts, patterns should be noticed and not overshadowed by a combination of too many other statement pieces. That's why, with this Aztec patterning on my backpack, I decided to use a very colorless pallet of whites, greys, and blacks for the sake of letting the backpack stand out against everything else. The watch that I am wearing luckily matches to some degree the oranges in the backpack's fabric (a little touch which I really like about the whole look). 

As far as where I got everything, it's all very affordable. The jeans I'm wearing are from a thrift store like any other in your neighborhood and I was lucky enough to purchase them for around $5. My 3/4 length baseball tee is from American Apparel, which at this point in my posts might be recognized as my favorite store, and I purchased it for around $25. As for the shoes, they are identical to the white ones I wore in my post "Spring Green" and were around the same price. Equally loved, but probably worn more often as I wear black more than I do white. I'm not able to tell you where I found my watch as it just appeared in my closet randomly one day. (Now if only that happened more often!) Lastly, my backpack was purchased in Los Angeles last summer from a street vendor for $20 and I couldn't be any happier for making that purchase. What do you think of the backpack? Could you see yourself wearing it? 

The Boy with the Burberry

High class grunge is my theme for the day. I've been all about wearing cute, summery clothes this week but I felt like changing it up this morning with my favorite distressed look. My black jeans are what bring out the little bad boy in me and make me feel like putting on my toughest boots and darkest clothing. I'm not sure why they make me feel that way, they just do. With that, I threw on my basic black t-shirt with self-cut sleeves (I cut the sleeves very simply by using a pair of scissors and thin enough to make them dangle). As far as my waisted shirt for today goes, I changed it up as well and went with a grid-patterned dress shirt I haven't worn in a few months. The grid striping on the shirt adds a little touch of something to an otherwise bland outfit. Even if the waisted shirt was a solid color, it would still be lacking in that something which the pattern provides. 

You can see my accessories are revamped as well. Granted my watch may not be very different, but one thing you haven't seen me with is a bag. I love this bag so much! My best friend gave it to me before she left for Japan and I couldn't be any more grateful to her for it. Even though I could never love a bag more than her, it sure is a runner-up (don't tell her I said that). It's beautiful, versatile, well-made, and matches the equally spectacular sunglasses I'm wearing. These sunglasses are from none other than Tevin Vincent himself! They're his GEMINI Sunnies and I couldn't be any happier to have them. Then again, I love everything about his clothes. What do you think about the switch in accessory choices today? Love or hate?

 

DIY T-Shirt (Similar), Black Denim Jeans (Similar), Cherry Justin Boots (Similar), Tevin Vincent GEMINI Sunnies (Similar), Burberry Duffle (Similar)

The Neverending Closet

Right now I'm living alone in my apartment and am lucky enough to have both rooms to myself until I find a suitable roommate. With that, I can't express how happy I am for both closets! Without them, my room would be such a mess and filled with more clothes than I know what to do with. Anyway, when I got out of bed this morning I walked into the empty room filled with clothes and started digging until I found a pair of bottoms that I found worth wearing. The weather outside seemed warmer, so I went ahead and sought a pair of shorts that I could wear. Well, when I was sifting through my neverending closet, I found a pair of black shorts in a suitcase that I have yet to unpack. The shorts are unworn so I could really pair them with anything and it would basically be a new outfit (kind of) to play around with.

My black shorts are ones that I made out of a pair of baggy chino pants that I bought for around $12 from +Kohl's last summer. I never wore them because, well, they were baggy. After cutting them into shorts in April, I put them away so that I could wear them this summer. I've paired them with a basic pocket tee from +H&M, the same one you saw me wearing in "Wake Up and Smell the Flowers", my post about floral prints for spring & summer. Once the shirt was picked out, I went with my vintage brown belt that I seem to be utilizing more lately. Shoes? Easy! The dual-tone oxfords from Generic Surplus. And since my shoes have grey tones in them and I was called out for not matching my watch with my shoes yesterday, I chose to wear a very simple watch with (matching!) grey straps. Overall the outfit was light, airy, and summer-appropriate. Feel free to share what you think! I'd love to know.

Green H&M Pocket Tee (Similar), Black Chino Shorts (Similar), Genric Surplus Oxfords (Similar), Brown Leather Belt (Similar), Grey Watch (Similar)

Spring Green

Waking up to great news this morning really set the mood for my day. After finding out that my fashion article submission was received well by the magazine I wrote for, my smile just never left my face. So, since I was feeling so chipper and ridiculously happy, I decided to wear an outfit that reflected that as well. To me, bright colors are truly what embody a very upbeat, lively feel. I mean, after all, isn't that what spring colors are all about? They reflect the life that has literally sprung up around us. Granted where I live, it feels more like summer, I still have until June 21st to flaunt the festive colors. 

Enough about why I wore it! Let's move on to what I am actually wearing. I always start off my mornings by picking out what shirt I want to wear, and since I found my stash of American Apparel tees the other day, I of course already had something in mind. After getting out of bed I stumbled into my closet and pulled out my Kelly green shirt and paired it with my all-white denim Levi's that I picked up last year. As far as my shoes go, since they're the last thing I pick out, I went ahead and chose my white canvas shoes from Lacoste since they match the white and green I chose to wear. The whole outfit is very bright and crisp in terms of color, so I traded out my signature black / burgundy bracelets for a nice stainless steel Emporio Armani watch. My best friend was gracious enough to give it to me as a gift and I've loved it ever since. What are some of your thoughts on color choices? Do you think they reflect a mood or am I just crazy? 

 (I got the shoes on sale so they were only around $35 when I bought them; cheaper than Converse!)    Kelly Green AA T-shirt, White Denim Levi's, White Lacoste L27s, Armani watch

Royal Blue & Black, Too

This morning I woke up and realized I had been wearing essentially the same thing for the past three days, just in different colors. So, I felt the need to actually put something on that hasn't circulated my wardrobe about a dozen times. As you'll notice, I'm wearing the same watch as I did in my previous post, Powder Blue & Polka Dots, but that's because I feel like a classic black strapped watch goes well with anything. What you might notice is different though is my striped vest which used to be a long-sleeve shirt. It's probably one of the best (and only) things that I have crafted well. It was simple to make and didn't take more than 10 - 15 minutes. Anyway, I love the vest as a statement piece, similar to polka dots or floral prints, and I always pair the striped top with a solid colored undershirt. It's the easiest way to keep attention drawn toward the vest and nowhere else. As for the jeans, you can never go wrong with black denim. Oh! And don't forget the shoes. I can't express enough importance about shoes (and no, it's not just because I have a shoe fetish). The pair of shoes are what make or break your outfit when someone scans you from head to toe, the last thing they see is your shoes. Today I went with my scarcely worn pair of patent leather Chelsea boots. They're amazing! When I put them on, I automatically feel like a different person. But buyer beware, if worn the wrong way, you definitely can make yourself look like the Wicked Witch. Enough about me, I want to know what you think! What would you keep / change about this outfit? :)

Royal Blue +American Apparel Basic Tee (Here), Black RSQ Skinny Jeans (Similar), +ASOS Patent Leather Chelsea Boots (Similar) 

Powder Blue & Polka Dots

Today, as every other today, I felt very playful and wanted to wear something that reflected that. However, as some of you may have noticed, I've also been obsessed with waisting my shirts. So, how do you incorporate playfulness and grunge? Polka dots! A few months back I was lucky enough to find this polka dot button-up on sale at Old Navy. If was probably one of the greatest finds since it was the last one in my size and that's always a great feeling. I've waisted it before, pairing it with a black tee shirt with DIY ripped sleeves, but I didn't want to be any more of a repeat offender than I already am. Luckily last night as I was sifting through boxes of clothes and slowly unpacking them onto hangers in my closet, I stumbled across this unworn powder blue American Apparel tee shirt and I fell in love! Before I even tried it on, I knew I could wear it with my polka-ed shirt and my usual black jeans and rider boots. I do have to admit, it's one of my favorite outfits in quite some time. One simple color change in my shirt changed how I feel about this outfit altogether. I loved it before, but now I love it even more! But enough about how I feel about it, how do you feel about it? Do you like it? Hate it? I'm curious! Remember, you all help my style grow - I can't do it on my own.