Slip into Something Cool

I've been wanting to wear this slip out for about… oh, forever. Maybe it was the rectification of the 90's but I felt like the need to wear this slip out in public has been stronger than ever lately. But here's the catch: I felt I had to style it to look casual and effortless, not fussy and old lady-ish. Easy peasy, I though. Wrong. The length is actually just a smidge too long for my short frame and everything just looked off. I was going for "oh, this old thing?" and instead it looked like I was trying too much. How in the world does someone succeed in the "throwing this thing on because I can't be bothered"? 

Either way, I found this slip at a Korean thrift store. Did you notice the butterfly lace appliqué on my leg…? Like I mentioned, it's a little too long, so I knew it would look better hiked up a bit with a belt (obviously, my go-to). I decided to go with my favorite brown woven belt. I've always heard folks saying, "You can't wear brown with black! You just can't!" It's one of my favorite things to do. I think by pairing brown with black, it instantly and easily changes an outfit that could become so dressy into something casual. I feel as long as your accessories don't clash, pairing black and brown together is fair game; they both in the neutral family, after all. I threw this fantastic military-istic jacket I got at a clothing swap with the outfit to perfect the toned-down vibe of the outfit.
What do you think - ready to wear your nighties as day wear?

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Faux Leather Leggings and Military Jacket for Errands in the Rain

I can't tell you how please I am with how this outfit turned out. To be honest, it was supposed to be a just a "throw on" kinda deal. I was running errands and needed something comfortable to wear without getting soggy in the rain (if you look closely, in some of the photos you can see rain drops). 

I hadn't worn these faux leather leggings yet and it was finally cool enough to do so. These things are awesome! They're faux leather in the front, and thick cotton in the back - roomy enough for my booty and lets my legs breathe. Man, you don't even realize how much the faux leather keeps in heat! 

This summer when I was checking out at DSW, we saw these hanging with the other leggings. I didn't try them on in the store and I was really nervous if they would fit or even look nice. And honestly, leather on my short stump legs? I wasn't convinced. But my mom convinced me to get them (thanks, Mom!) and I'm glad I did! I can't wait to style them with other things. 

For styling this time around, I just threw on my chambray top to keep it casual. The military jacket, hiking booties,  strong silver jewelry, and braids all organically came together to create this tough, outdoorsy kind of look. I love it. It's not something normally I go to but it was refreshing to wear something more masculine than I'm used to. It was also fun to wear three huge fall trends together, too: leather, military-inspired, and chambray. 

How would you style faux leather leggings? 

Shirt: Target | Jacket: Old Navy; similar here | Leggings: Jessica Simpson at DSW; similar here & here | Boots: Guess | Necklace: Handmade | Earrings: Naughty Cat

My Day to Night Look and Shopping for Spite in Korea

For this outfit, I needed something that would go from day to night easily. I was going to running around the city - late lunch with the boyfriend and dinner and drinks with the ladies. Well, when night-time came, all I did was stuff this vest into my leather backpack and change from my loafers to my heels. Easy-peasy. In my opinion, this dress is too short and too tight to be running errands during the day but by adding the vest, I felt like now it wasn't too overtly sexy. 

I got to tell you a story about this dress. And about shopping in Korea. I'm a size 8 in the U.S. but in Korea, I'm a size fat. It's a daily struggle for even the most confident or thinnest expats. Needless to say, shopping here can sometimes be a terrible pain. Especially when a lot of the stores only carry one-size-fits-all. I saw this dress and instantly loved it. It's such a cool geometric-print. I was looking for exactly something like this. I felt like I had a lot of cutesy-girly dresses but I wanted something sexy to show off my curves. I wanted to look and feel like a woman, not a kindergarten teacher (which was my job when I bought the dress). I also did not want a boring black dress. 

I grabbed this dress the minute I saw it and went over to the mirror near the dressing rooms. The sales clerk looked like she had just been electrocuted when she jerked her body towards me and threw her arms into a big "X", saying no in Korean. Now, I knew I wasn't going to be allowed to try on the dress the minute I walked into the store; I wanted to use the mirror. But the amount of aggression she displayed was very disheartening. She also was attracting a lot of attention from the other shoppers which made it even more embarrassing - I was trying to see if the dang thing would cover my butt. I still wasn't sure if it would fit or if it would look good on me - who knew if this would be a flattering print? I threw the dress at her and said I wanted to buy it. My $30 spite dress (I rarely spend over $10 on a dress). Man, I was pissed off. Luckily, this time my temper paid off and I think I look pretty dang svelte in it!  

I bought what my boyfriend creatively refers to as my "bowling heels" at a Korean thrift store and thankfully, trying on shoes is always a more pleasant experience. I also handmade my necklace last winter when I was inspired by the tribal-Native American trend. 

Sadly, my dressing room encounter isn't the first, last or worst story that's happen to an expat while living here. Have you ever been embarrassed when trying on something?

Dress: Eunhang Underground | Vest: Amber (Korean company) | Heels: Korean Thrift Store | Loafers: Target (Goodwill) | Sunglasses: Eunhang Underground | Ring: Clothing Swap | Necklace: Handmade by me 

This Is As Close As I'm Getting To The Camo Trend This Year

I think this look comes off as very military-inspired which wasn't my intention. But somehow this outfit just came together organically (I love when that happens). When I first got this vest at a clothing swap, I wasn't exactly sold on it. I had no idea how to stylize it. But I'm glad I got it now. This dress is just way too tight to do anything but have a hot date or a night on the town. But throw on the vest and it covers up the booty perfectly. 

And speaking of military looks, let's talk camo. My well-dressed man-friend and I were hanging out this past weekend and HE was the one who noticed all the camo prints walking past (Koreans tend to be extremely fashionable). Kudos for him for picking up on the trend because I had no idea until he opened my eyes to it. Personally, I can't stand camo print. Maybe it's because I'm from Georgia where the camo you see tends to be on Duck Dynasty-looking guys. But who knows? I usually favor very feminine looks and I'm pretty crazy about the military look I'm wearing. Maybe I'll eventually give in to the camo trend. Below I have pictures of the two camo looks that I think do work beautifully. 

What about you? Camo: nay or yay?

Dress: Forever 21 (Clothing Swap) | Vest: Armani Exchange (Clothing Swap) | Shoes: Guess | Earrings: Premier Designs  

Two Camo Looks That I Like:

1. The Office Armoire

2. Island Chic 77

Also, if you live in South Korea, get a lil' culture in. I will be participating in my 3rd art show in 2 weeks! Come check me and my talented friends, enjoy sparkling conversation, delicious drinks and the feeling of pretending to be a grown-up.