Archive for the 'Inspiration' Category

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For Royalty

Published on May 6, 2010 in Ensemble and Inspiration. 0 Comments

Another week and another luncheon at a fabulous Waikiki hotel.  This one is the pinnacle of Hawaii-amazingness.  I haven’t been to the Royal Hawaiian in decades and since pink isn’t my usual forte, I was never excited about the frosting-colored building.  But, after spending an afternoon there, I am singing a new tune.  I love the Royal Hawaiian.  The modern-meets-vintage-glamour and island-ease all rolled together in seamless aesthetic is breathtaking.

The Royal Hawaiian opened on February 1, 1927 and is credited as one of the first hotels in Waikiki.  It was fully renovated in 2008-2009, but the designers lovingly stayed true to the original decor and even pay homage to the hotel’s heyday with display cases of incredible vintage dresses and antiques. I was just happy running around and snapping photos before my meeting started. (Thanks, Ash for being my photog!).

dress – Gap
striped shirt – Forever21
belt- vintage
necklace – handmade by me
earrings – Forever21
wedges – Linea Paolo

Copy Cat

Published on May 4, 2010 in Ensemble, Inspiration and Morphed. 2 Comments

A couple of weekends ago, I was in American Apparel and spotted this great skirt (below).  Such a perfect, comfortable, summer look.  I was smitten with it.  But, like many of the items at AA, it seemed overpriced for what it was. I tried it on, took note of the details and committed myself to finding a cheaper version or making it myself.

On a quick run to the first thrift store on my list, I found a perfect copy cat! Blue chambray? Check! Banded waist? Check? Elastic back waistband? Check!  Vertical stripes? Check! It had everything I was looking for PLUS pockets! I was ecstatic. Don’t be mislead, my skirt in it’s original form was not perfect. It was ankle length and came with a matching shoulder-padded top. But, I was able to separate the set and just purchase the skirt for $8. I took it home for hemming and voila!

Just had to throw in this LOST shout-out. My office is in a very “special” neighborhood near downtown Honolulu. What it lacks in glamour or sanitation, it makes up for in cheap real estate. Therefore, empty lots in the area provide perfect storage for props. Being the crazy “Lostie” that I am, I get really giddy when I see replicas of the Dharma Initiative’s VW twinkie vans or yellow NYC taxi’s. While I was taking these outfit photos, I spotted the Oceanic Airlines cargo truck and had to snap a few photos. I was surprised to see how the Oceanic logo and my earrings mirrored one another.

skirt – thrifted and morphed
black top – GAP
belt – vintage
necklace – Ginger 13
earrings – Forever21
leopard print shoes – Preview from Nordstrom Rack

Thrifted History

Published on April 30, 2010 in Ensemble, Inspiration and Personal. 0 Comments

Another favorite skirt find for me. I believe this was from a thrift store in Pittsburgh, PA where I attended college – lasting me quite a couple of years now. One of the reasons I love thrift and vintage clothes is that you get to breathe new life into these unique items. From close inspection of the skirt, I’m assuming it was handmade, which makes it even better for me.  The thought of someone out there getting the idea to make the skirt, finding the material, and putting it all together makes me so happy.

I think my passion for thrift and vintage, aside from the inherent frugality of it, stems from the element of adventure.  You are at the mercy of the merchandise in the store.  Thus, finding a piece that fits you and your style is so much more of an accomplishment than walking into a mall store and coming home with new clothes. Indeed, there is also a bit of history and storytelling with thrift and vintage clothes – where have they been, what decades and events have they witnessed, who has loved them in the past?

I imagine this rant might sound crazy, but since childhood, I’ve always had a strange attachment to inanimate objects. I’ve never had a security blanket and since I’m allergic to animals including the stuffed kind, my attachments were to my clothes. Each time I lost something, a shoe for example, I would imagine it out there in the world lonely and sad, desperate to be reunited with it’s solemate. I’ve been known to assign personalities and feelings to all of my possessions, which makes it hard to part with them. Fortunately for my hubby, we live in a one-bedroom apartment so I am forced to organize and downsize from time to time, thus avoiding a terrifying “hoarders” situation.

Another piece of history: these seemingly plain-old curbstones are more than meets they eye.  They are actually made of lava rock quarried during the late 1800′s – mid 1900′s and are considered historic because of their significance to the roadway infrastructure development of Honolulu.  Although they seem to only stand about 6 inches, most are actually large boulders that go down as much as 5 feet underground. Neat-o huh?

Hope you had fun learning some new facts.  May your weekend be filled with making a little history of your own!

lace skirt – thrifted
v-neck – GAP
belt – vintage
earrings – forever21
booties – Vince Camuto from endless.com
nails – Rimmel in English Rose

Inspiration: The One & Only Coco – Part Deux

Published on April 13, 2010 in Ensemble and Inspiration. 0 Comments


I honestly could not get enough of the Coco inspiration so I decided to play with a second outfit.

I had coveted this long strand of Japanese pearls from my grandmother decades ago as a child playing dress up. To make a shorter, double stranded necklace, I just hooked the two ends together with an old brooch. Too easy and so perfect. I also had a lovely matching pearl ring to go with the necklace that was my mother’s. But somehow after a slightly intoxicating Halloween night, I’ve managed to misplace it. If I find it, I’ll definitely take photos – it’s one of my favorites.

black/white striped shirt – Forever21
blazer – vintage
fabric flower lapel pin – handmade by me
jeans – 7ForAllMankind
pearl – grandmother’s
brooch – vintage
wedges – Linea Paolo
nails – Rimmel’s English Rose

Inspiration: The One & Only Coco – Part Un

Published on April 12, 2010 in Inspiration. 1 Comment

Recently, I sent the hubby off for poker night with the boys and settled myself in with some fashion blogs, and “Coco Before Chanel” from Netflix. May I just say, “I LOVE AUDREY TAUTOU!”  The night was glorious and the fashion even better.

photo credit: swingfashionista.com
photo credit: thefilmstage.com

I have always been a fan of pearls, a black/white color scheme and sailor stripes, and the movie only served to revive that admiration. After the movie, I found myself digging around in my closet to recreate some looks inspired by the film. This is what I came up with:

black/white striped shirt – Forever21
pearls – my grandmother’s
brooch – vintage
tube dress – Express
belt – BCBG
pumps – Biala from Nordstrom
sequined bag – vintage Whiting and Davis (also from my grandmother)