When We Were Young

Beanie: eBay

Sweater: H&M

Jeans: Wholesale Buying

Shoes: Target

From middle school to college, boys would ask me, "Did you pay full price for those jeans with holes in them?" And I'd respond, "Yup, I did." And they'd shake their heads in flabbergasted confusion and chortle a bemused, "I don't get it." Needless to say, I've been befuddling the opposite gender with my choice of denim since the early 2000s. 

For some reason unbeknownst to me (and clearly to the myriad of men who take it upon themselves to question my sartorial decisions), I've always had an affinity for destroyed denim. The sight of abrasions make my eyes sparkle and my bank account weep because "jeans with holes" are ironically quite pricey and no I can't make them myself. Believe me, I tried and epically failed.

But sometimes. Sometimes, the retail gods decide to #bless us plebic consumers with a pair of distressed denim in the perfect fit with the right amount of tears that (gasp!) don't cost an arm and a leg. 

The ones I'm wearing above, for example, are only 9 bucks. No, that's not a typo. They're 9 dolla dolla bills y'all. (See for yourself here.) Like...when does that ever happen? Well, I can tell you it happens all day errday on this Chinese e-commerce site called Wholesale Buying. They sell all the latest trends for basically pennies. Go take a peek for yourself if you don't believe me: wholesalebuying.com

On an entirely separate note, this article from Man Repeller was exactly what I needed this week. Given the alarming number of senseless and heartbreaking acts of violence occurring around the world these days, I think we all need some positive words in our lives. Let's also remember to try to understand and listen to different perspectives with peaceful empathy. Everyone has their own truths. Spread love, not hate.

Music

When We Were Young by Adele

Water Under the Bridge by Adele

Coffee by Miguel 

xx

Speaking of Dreams

"We're so young. We can't, we MUST not lose this sense of possibility because, in the end, it's all we have." 

Violet Issue Four is out. 

Plunge into sartorial dreaminess here. 

xx

What Do You Mean?

Top: Nordstrom

Denim Skirt: Forever 21

Sandals: Street Market 

I don't know about you, but I'm really diggin' the new Justin Bieber song on the radio. Homeboy is killin' it! I also finally got the denim skirt of my dreams and I already know I'm gonna wear it 24/7. Apparently, fall is LA's hottest season so I got this piece just in time.  

P.S. A-line skirts are back, y'all. And denim is always in. 

P.P.S. GUM magazine recently interviewed me. Check it out here.

Music

What Do You Mean by Justin Bieber

Home to Mama by Cody Simpson ft. Justin Bieber

Marvin's Room (Cover) by JoJo

Slab of Butter by Miley Cyrus 

xx

Sure Thing

Top: Forever 21

Culottes: H&M

Heels: Vintage 

This outfit was inspired by the fact that Vegas.com recently asked me how I would style a look for Vegas. Since I'm such a grandma, my favorite thing to do in Sin City is eat a bunch of food (the brunch there is seriously amazeballs, especially at Paris) and snap photos in all the swanky hotels. So I decided to pair culottes with a classic striped top and peep-toe heels for a dinner-at-the-Lago ensemble. I feel like this outfit is an effortlessly stylish blend of formal and casual, which is perfect for a classy night in one of America's wildest cities.  

Music

Sure Thing by Miguel 

No Type by Rae Sremmurd

Built on Glass by Chet Faker 

Prisoner by The Weeknd & Lana Del Rey

On Top by Flume

xx

Toying Somewhere Between Love & Abuse

Top: Express

Pants: Zara

Booties: River Island 

I recently discovered that I live next to Zara, which resulted in the purchase of wide-leg pants. This is why I can't live next to shopping centers. But these polka-dot pants are v much in line with my new Man-Repeller-meets-French-girl-cool style and I don't already own chic voluminous pants, so no buyer's remorse from me. (At least that's how I justify it to myself.)

Since it's 97 degrees in Southern California, I decided to team the pants with a ruffled tank top. To elevate my look a bit further, I slipped into a pair of pointy-toe booties. Then, I swiped on bright pink lipstick for an extra pop of color. 

If you're currently melting under the summer sun, I definitely recommend wearing wide-leg pants (of chiffon construction) with a dressy tank top. It keeps you well-ventilated and sophisticated at the same time. 

Music

Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene by Hozier

Lay Me Down (Lollapalooza) by Sam Smith

Isn't Just by Danke

P.S. Can we talk about the location power of Sam Smith singing "Lay Me Down" in Grant Park under all the Downtown Chicago lights and emotion? Ugh, my heart is breaking. 

xx

I Know You Don't Understand

Scarf: Vintage

Top: Thrift Shop

High-Waisted Shorts: Forever 21

Booties: Target 

Sunnies: Ray-Ban

This outfit is a direct result of me reading too much Man Repeller except there is no such thing as reading too much Man Repeller because it is the bomb dot com. After a brief flirtation with minimalism, I realized that I can't do without a bit of quirk in my ensembles. So I've decided that my new, "adult" style will be French girl cool meets Leandra Medine's sartorial eccentricity. With the above look, I chose to create a simple but chic base by wearing a white button-down and high-waisted shorts, which I felt was tres French girl cool. Then, I added in a splash of Leandra's sartorial eccentricity with a technicolor neck scarf and leopard-print booties. My mum thought I looked like a flight attendant, which I can kinda see but whatever. I felt very "me" in this, which I haven't felt in a while. Cheers to that? 

For music, Ronnie found a leaked version of Lana's new song, "High by the Beach", which I'm absolutely obsessed with. Been listening to it on repeat for the past hour. My favorite line is, "You can be a bad motherfucker, but that don't make you a man." 

To listen, click here. 

I swear, my emotional life is a Lana Del Rey song. The entire Born to Die album is like umm Lana are we the same person? 

"Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough I don't know why." 

xx