All posts in: Madewell

24 Dec 2019

What To Wear: Ringing In A New Decade

Left and right, friends of mine are messaging regarding our New Year’s Eve plans. What I’m coming to find is that as we get older, there is less and less excitement revolving around this holiday. One day, I really hope one of my friends decides to get married on this day because I think that’s ultimately the best way to celebrate this evening. As of right now the number one plan in the running is a lovely dinner with my girlfriends and then after that, a quiet night in. We are graduating to grandma status over here.

For those of you who still have the energy to get out there on New Year’s Eve, I wish you the best and that you look great doing it!

Style

28 Nov 2019

“Your Gap Look”

Top – shop in Taipei / Denim Jacket – Gap / Pants – Alternative Apparel / Scarf + Bag – Madewell / Heels – Oak + Fort

If there’s something that I could work on with regards to getting ready in the morning, it would be accessorizing. This look was caught on a good day, but in general, I’m usually without any additional accessories or jewelry. The combination of red, white, and blue is a classic look, but my concern is that it sometimes gets branded 4th of July too quickly. Maybe this felt more subtle because there are a few other colors mixed in. Perhaps it’s because this was an outfit I wore to work and not to a summer BBQ.

Lately, I’ve noticed that I tread the line between comfy cozy and professional a bit closely. I received some anonymous feedback that sometimes the addition of heels to my outfits doesn’t work because the overall look is too casual. *shrugs* You can elevate nearly any look with heels. Also your own discomfort with the look doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m doing it incorrectly.

Style

27 Oct 2019

The Closet: October 2019

[Everlane – The Day Boot] – $225

After spending last week in Seattle and being hit hard with a burst of cold, I couldn’t wait to get back to California. Upon arrival, we celebrated a week that was high 70’s and 80’s and I felt blessed. While it feels a little abnormal to still be wearing dresses and walking out the door without a jacket, it is something I’m not going to take for granted. Now that we’ve hit the weekend, the transition from summer to fall is getting real. As I type, I’m perched up right next to my space heater and cozied up in my warmest wool sweater. There are so many pieces that are essential for fall that you just couldn’t get away with in summer. Here are my favorites for the month of October!

Style

12 Jul 2019

2019 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Halogen Wool & Cashmere Long Cardigan – ~~$199~~ – $132.90

If you’re from Seattle, you grew up knowing the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale to be close to a national holiday. Angel and I have had this on our calendar for weeks and knew that we’d be at day one of Early Access. I wish I had known ahead of time how big today was going to be in San Francisco. Do people not work?! By the time we arrived at the mall after work at 5:30 PM so much of everything was picked over! While the Nordstrom in Westfield is fairly large and five floors, it doesn’t boast the same selection as you would have online. However, I’ve never been much of an online shopper. For me, the tough calls get made when in the dressing room.

That being said, I look forward to this sale every year. It’s my version of a pre-back to school back to fall shopping. We scoured every floor not missing a single section. At the end of it, I walked away with a tank top I wanted and saw online beforehand and a classic striped top. I thought I’d be leaving the store with more, but my bank account is grateful that I didn’t. That being said, here are some of my favorite picks from the sale!

BP Heath Bootie – ~~$109.95~~ – $69.90

Style

09 Apr 2019

5 Favorite Pins: Madewell Scarves

It has been over 10 years since I returned to Asia so it’s natural to have a little bit anxiety when planning a trip this far away! I had a personal day to myself yesterday and found myself at the mall because naturally. While it’s great to have the perfect outfits for the gram, most of all, I want to be reasonable. I should actually pack for maximum flexibility in terms of weather, outing, etc and only the staples that can be worn more than once.

I don’t know how we got here, but this path led me to scarves. Personally, I’ve been wanting the Madewell scarves for as long as I could remember. However, I never knew if I could pull it off. The last time I used bandanas as an accessory, I found them getting loose very quickly. Eventually, I lost two of them this year so purchasing these Madewell scarves as a replacement seemed necessary. I’m excited that spring has come around and that I can use them around my neck, but also in my hair to wrap my ponytails. Here are my five favorite ways!

Culture

10 Mar 2019

Blog Roundup

Nearly a Decade Later, The Hills Comes Back to Reality [Interview Magazine]
Chocolate Fights Coughs Better Than Codeine, Says Science [Coast Living]
Second Life Podcast: This Is How Revolve Chooses Its Influences [WhoWhatWear]
Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Conspiracy [Ohnotheydidnt] made me laugh
Abercrombie & Fitch Will Close 40 Stores This Year [Fashionista]

The Battle Is On For Sustainable Swimwear: [Madewell] vs. [Reformation]
Style Out There: Disneybounding [Refinery29]

Style

01 Feb 2019

The Closet: January 2019

Free People Esmeralda Printed Skirt – $98

2019 is off to a strong start! I used to always view the New Year as the start of the school year ie) the time for a new wardrobe. Becoming a little bit more aware of myself and my spending habits though, I decided to start off the new year by curbing my shopping addiction. It helped that going home for the holidays, I was able to inherit some clothes from my mom’s closet. They were the classic staples that I would’ve bought for myself like cozy sweaters, sweater dresses, and turtlenecks, but this time I didn’t have to spend a ton of money for it. They are fitting into my wardrobe with pieces I already own quite nicely. That being said, it’s still fun to have a wish list so these posts will never go away! Here are just a few favorites that I’ve been eyeing from afar.

Madewell Colorfleck Ribbed Turtleneck Sweater – ~~$110~~ – $89.99

Style

15 Nov 2018

Holiday Party Wear 2018

For Love and Lemons Marquee Maxi Dress – $270

Every year, holiday party season always comes up so fast! I’m excited this year to have a true holiday party with my current company and the opportunity to dress up. As soon as I discovered the date, I was off to the races. There are actually so many options this holiday season that I’m swooning over, but the trouble with every year is that I have in my mind what I already want. The hard part of that is that it often times is hard to find where that exists. Since I hold onto that dream of a dress for so long, I often don’t find it and find myself stressing last minute.

This year’s party will be on a Friday – a first for me! It’s also unfortunately the first year where Mandi and I won’t be getting ready together. I’ll be using my new favorite startup Glamsquad for hair and makeup though which I can’t say enough good things about. Lastly, I’ve got a couple of ideas in mind for what I want to wear, but I’m not quite ready to share that yet. What I do know is that I want to stay away from lace if I can and sleeves because we did that last year. If things don’t work out for me, at least I’ve got a post to fall back on.

To get into the spirit of creating this post, I just looked at last years post and am surprised at how much my tastes have changed in the last year. Since my party is earlier, I wanted to start this post early.We’re also going to release it earlier than any other year prior. Enjoy!

Temperley London Mosaico Dress – $1,295

The Closet: August 2018

Peixoto Nissi Pom Pom Dress – $102

This is an eclectic mix of items! If I’m being honest, I’ve been curating this list since August and every time I missed the time in which I could post it, I decided to just hold onto it until the next month. Since starting my new job, I indulged in my version of “self care” a little bit harder than the norm. I was convinced that fall was coming (not false) and that I needed a new sweater every week. As much as I love shopping, it isn’t sustainable to make a new purchase weekly so as of very recently I’m cutting myself off. Tommy tried to solicit me to go to Nordstrom Rack tomorrow for a big sale and I even said no to that.

Test Drive

Leather Jacket – Madewell / Top – Forever21 / Denim – Gap / Sneakers – adidas / Sunglasses – Marc Jacobs

For most of my life, I never thought I could pull off a leather jacket. I didn’t think that I had the toughness to own this kind of look. However, as time went on and the more I walked past AllSaints, I started to convince myself otherwise. There are so many instances where a leather jacket is more convenient than any other jacket that I have. Rather than bite the bullet, I decided to take Elisa’s Madewell one for a test drive! It’s a little roomy, but gave me a pretty good idea of how it would feel on me. Readers, what are your thoughts and what are your favorite brands for one? Since it’s such an expensive purchase, I want to make sure I’m doing my research thoroughly.