Bali, Khaleesi, and Me

I got this sarong in Ubud, Bali last month (posts from my trip here, here, and here if you are curious). I have a bunch touristy sarongs from Thailand but none of them compare to this one! The fabric is much higher quality and the gold print has much more detail - I especially love the border that goes around the entire cloth. And I think the best part about sarongs from Bali is that you can see Balinese women still wearing them; they tend to wear them with (usually lace) tunics that have a sash around them. The outfits are so beautiful, feminine and flattering to curves. 

When I got this sarong home, I was so pleased to see it matching some of my favorite gold jewelry. I made this body chain (oh so what would khaleesi wear?) a few years ago.  I used a dress dummy and a bunch of old gold chain necklaces I had hanging around my jewelry boxes and voila! I love how it reminds me of armor. Sadly, I don't wear it as much as I would like to. I am particularly pleased how the lines of the chains balances out the proportions of my hips in the sarong here. I also adore my bracelets; the one with the red gem and filigree-detail is vintage. The cuff - also very Khaleesi-inspired - is actually two butterflies put together.

So what do ya think; would you ever wear a sarong as more than just a beach cover-up?

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The Highlighter Dress & Perfection

3 things:

1. You know what's stupid? Sometimes when my posts come out as "subpar", I won't like that outfit later. I'll view the quality of the photos, the lighting, the fact that I look "chubby" and decide it must be the clothes. I think fashion photographers needs to have an eye for detail but sometimes I have to remind myself that nothing is perfect. 

2. On that note, these photos weren't my favorite. I chose a gray wall background to be simple with this neon dress but it ended up coming out very flat. So I put myself underwater! Why not? Water is calming for me, lol. I like that it looks like I'm at the bottom of a swimming pool, even if it's weird. 

3. This dress!! It's not perfect either. It's made in Korea which means it was made for ladies with smaller busts and arm-pits; the fitting at the top is a wee-awkward. Also the fact that the grid isn't lined up kinda drives me crazy. But whateves. It was $10. I saw it and wanted it. I love the colors (I haven't really participated much in the neon trend) and I've been dying to try out the looser-romper-style dresses that Keiko Lynn and Noelle have perfected wearing.

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The Librarian

Keiko Lynn and Gabi Fresh beat me to it but I'm gonna say it my own way, anyways: sometimes I wear clothes solely on how they make me feel, not how they make me look. This skirt is a wee too tight in the hips and gives me a bit of a pouch in the stomach from certain angles. But I love.it. I can't care that it's not always so flattering. It makes me happy. I love this particular shade of pale pink and besides the fact that the fit is a smidge tight, it actually fits! I've tried for years to find a thrifted pencil skirt (predominately from the 80's, it always seems. I think this was probably an 80's one as well) but my hips are too wide and my waist is too small to usually find one. Ironically, in Singapore of all places,  I've found three that have fit! I also got this blouse here in Singapore. The bright color and of course, the wide Peter Pan collar! It's too darling.

Another reason why I love this skirt is it feels like me (the whole photo shoot does!) I've always been very bookish. My mom read to me every night for as long as I could remember. When my brother was born, I spent many nights reading to him before bed as well. For me, reading was a way to connect with my family and I always associate it with love. It's always been an escape for me as well. When I moved to a new school in 5th grade, I was having a hard time adjusting. My teacher actually wrote my mom a note saying something along the lines of: "I don't normally discourage students from reading but Lindsey is reading so much that she is neglecting her studies and not interacting well with her peers." Whoops! Luckily, I eventually made friends in 6th grade. 

After living in Korea for 3 years, having a library down the road from me with FIVE floors of books in English is one of the most happiest feelings! The current book I'm reading is Shocked: My Mother, Schiaparelli, and Me by Patricia Volk. It's memoir about how fashionable her mother was in the 50's and how one of the most famous fashion designers of her time influenced her. Great read! 

What clothes makes you happy? What are you currently reading? 

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Photos by Amanda 

Summer Basics

These have been my summer basics on repeat. Whenever I just have no clue what the occasion calls for, I grab this. It fits into my casual vibe I've been feeling lately but just dressy enough for going out. I love that it's also subtly sexy with the transparent-gauzy material of the shirt. I can't get enough of blue and white (as you might have heard me mention before) or embroidery details. I saw this shirt and HAD TO HAVE IT (it didn't hurt it was only $5! Bam!) And of course, my H&M hat. I wear that thing as much as I can! 

My favorite favorite nude wedges died on me and a single sad tear fell down my face when I had to finally admit I needed to get rid of them. I traded them out for these slides and honestly, I'm just as much as in love with these. They remind me of Bianca and Danielle from Kastor & Pollux. Time will tell if they are as comfortable as my old wedges. 

What are your summer basics right now?

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On the Carousel

I told y'all I love mint. This chiffon flowy maxi skirt is perfect with my carousel-print crop top and pink flip-flops. I threw on this comfy summer outfit to go on a lunch date with my boyfriend for our "Sunday" (we are off during the week). I love how all the details are super-duper saccharine-girly-sweet but honestly the overall silhouette of the outfit is uber basic & effortless: baggy crop-top, maxi skirt and flip-flops. 

Hope your week is going just as effortlessly! 

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All Tied Up

Just so y'all know, I LIVE in this dress. I saw it in the window in a boutique in Bali and the color combination of mint, lavender and navy just drew me in. I also love how it ties and gathers at the neck (did you get my clever two-fold pun for my title? tied at the neck; tie dye?!) I styled it with a wide leather belt and a ballet-inspired shrug to make it work appropriate but I plan on doing a blog post soon about how I usually wear it - kaftan style. When I bought the dress (on impulse) I didn't plan on how versatile this dress actually is. 

What are some of your favorite recent fashion nabs? 

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Photos by Amanda