fashion

blog favorites april 23

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gary pepper vintage: runaways
not only are the shots in this post absolutely breathtaking, but i love her pretty sweater and matching little crochet socks. it’s a simple outfit, but she keeps it interesting with the subtle details and cool styling.

little sassy fashionista: sunny days
her outfit is basically perfect. she’s wearing chambray with the perfect peach sweater, which are two of my favorite things right now. add the relaxed trousers with oxford flats and i’m in love! seeing this look reminds me that i still need to stock up on comfortable summer trousers in place of skinny jeans.

pani mruk: sun-dial
this girl has some serious style. i could honestly post any one of her outfits in here and call it a favorite because everything she puts together is so perfectly balanced and chic. i like the subtle pattern play going on here with the wavy stripes on her blouse and the bejeweled skirt. and doesn’t that look like the coziest coat ever?

summerlisten: sharing the passion
i love the easy styling of this outfit! she looks so laid back and perfectly cool in a silky belted dress with those cute little shoes and a big messy bun. i am always inspired how effortlessly chic some girls can look!

the clothes horse: samsies!
um yeah, this one is pretty obvious. it’s one of my blog besties wearing the calivintage dress! i mean, i know it’s not actually my dress, it was just named after me on modcloth and it’s a totally awesome piece by one of my favorite designers, dear creatures. and rebecca wore it so well. i kinda get a bit of a heathers vibe from her styling complete with the side ponytail. loves it!

february forehead: backyard nostalgia and the ball tights
you’ll have to excuse the rough translation on the title of her post. i do not speak finnish and must use my google translator to read these posts, so i only get an idea of what is being expressed. but that’s quite alright since this lovely lady can inspire me with her outfits alone. i want that scalloped edge purse and perfect black trench coat!

giveaways

and the winner is…

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libys11 is the lucky winner of the $250 shopping spree to her favorite beso.com shop! she was selected as the winner using the random number generator at random.org.

thank you so much to everyone who entered the contest, but no worries if you didn’t win this time! there are many more opportunities to win great prizes each week thanks to the sponsors of calivintage.

fashion

perfectly preppy

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calivintage cali vintage l l bean l.l. bean

and pretty eco-friendly, too! being that it’s earth day, i was going to write a post about a “green business,” but i thought it might be more fun to point out that l.l. bean is actually pretty kind to the environment, too! i was recently doing some internet research on the environmental and human-rights records of some of my favorite businesses to see just how bad some of them are. i do this occasionally to remind myself that even though the prices are low in some shops, i can’t be tempted by price alone! it’s also important to remember to keep a balance and buy thrift, vintage, and eco-friendly sometimes.

so you can imagine that i was quite surprised to discover that not only is l.l. bean taking steps towards being a more responsible business, but they also put out a really awesome spring collection called l.l. bean signature. and while some of the styling is a bit mature, i’m really appreciating a lot of the classic pieces in this collection. it makes me want to throw on some topsiders and go sailing!

my style

off days

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soooo… did you know that today is administrative professionals day? in honor of the occasion, i had big plans to wear an outfit in homage to the secretaries of days past. unfortunately, my mood and the weather conspired against me and i couldn’t exactly wrap my head around the idea of wearing a form fitting pencil skirt, or even going outside! in fact, as you can see in these photos, i was only bold enough to step out of the door frame for a brief moment before running back into the cave of my apartment building. some days are just better spent indoors, especially when you’re feeling a bit off and it’s stormy and gray outside. so i know this is a bit of stretch for secretaries days, but this is what i’m wearing. (i’ve since layered a big chunky sweater atop the whole thing, and i’m currently wrapped in a blanket.)

so while my pictures aren’t the most exciting, i decided to post them anyway because i thought you might appreciate my “off day.” we all have them, right?

dress: obey silky ruffle front dress from 80’s purple
tights: tabio clear ribbon tights
shoes: payless platform ankle boots
headband: forever 21 ribbon bow headband
glasses: 3.1 phillip lim spring 2009



fashion

hunting for espadrilles

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ever since i saw the mini for many collection with bright fuschia and black & white striped espadrilles, i’ve been on the hunt for a pair. i think i may have faint memories of wearing a flat version of this classic sandal as a child, but since then, they never really peaked my interest. but as the motto goes, “never say never.” my new obsession with finding the perfect espadrilles is similar to my new found love of wooden clogs. if you’d asked me about them two years ago, i probably would have called you nuts, but now i need like a million pairs.

the only problem is that i’m quite picky, especially when it comes to shoes. i will think up a perfect item in my head and i won’t be happy until i find that pair. when it comes to espadrilles, i’m looking for a platform wedge in a solid color with a closed toe and ties at the ankles. such a simple and classic piece should certainly be easy to find, but so far i haven’t quite found them. perhaps my friends in spain will have to help me out!

having said that, here are my top four contenders in no particular order: enzo angiolini, juicy couture, spiegal, andre assous.

oh and of course, in my searching, i discovered that alexa chung had the perfect pair last year. if only those were still available!

images of alexa via mtv.

giveaways

win a $250 shopping spree from beso.com!

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enter for a chance to win a $250 shopping spree at beso.com!

this week, i’ve teamed up with one of my lovely sponsors, beso.com to offer you the opportunity to win a $250 gift card to one of your favorite beso.com shops! if aren’t familiar with the site, it’s an online shopping destination that allows you to browse products at thousands of stores – from big name retailers to exclusive boutiques. you can customize your search options to browse by your favorite category, brand, or store.

to give you an example, i put together these two galleries after doing a search on beso.com for chambray and refining the results to show only my favorite shops and brands. (click here to view the items in my galleries.) chambray is one of my spring essentials because not only is it versatile, but it’s also fresh and lightweight. so i wanna know, what is your essential spring item this year?

to enter the contest:
-do a search on beso.com for your favorite spring item or trend (i.e. chambray, florals, clogs, etc.)
-copy and paste the url of your results in the comments section below and tell us why you chose that particular item or trend as your spring essential
-be sure to leave your email address in case you are the winner

the giveaway is open to international readers, so anyone can enter! the winner will be randomly selected to receive a $250 gift card to their favorite beso.com shop on friday, april 23 at 10am p.s.t.

my style

april showers

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well, almost. it’s kinda hard to believe that there is apparently a big storm on it’s way, especially after that incredible weekend. i was all over the bay the past couple of days and the highs peaked at around 78 degrees. but today? well, it’s cooled off quite a bit and we’re getting ready for more of those famous april showers. i’m obviously obsessed with my hasbeens, so yeah, i’m gonna keep these babies on my feet until the rain actually hits. then i’ll have to switch them out for a pair of rain boots.

and i must say, this little chambray dress has come in handy so far this spring. i got it knowing that chambray was definitely one of my spring essentials, but since i cut my hair, i’m less keen on strapless numbers and low necklines. not that i was ever so hot on those styles, but now i feel inclined to decorate my decolletage with high necklines and pretty collars. which is why this little eyelet flutter sleeve blouse is a perfect layering tool for underneath my many strapless dresses. and it adds a little touch of romance.

coat: h&m navy trench
top: vintage eyelet flutter sleeve blouse from helgesok vintage on etsy
dress: jack by bb dakota brodie dress
sandals: swedish hasbeens peep toe super high clogs in mustard

uncategorized

endless weekend

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i’m not gonna lie. this weekend was pretty amazing. and i felt that it was quite fitting considering the lazy times i had last weekend, getting stuffed on rich foods and napping the whole time. apparently i recharged my batteries just enough to enjoy: nachos for dinner, a late night stroll to the theater to watch greenberg, brunch on the patio at lynn and lu’s, another nice stroll with a successful trip to issues for a copy of russsh and elle uk, a bbq party, another brunch (that lasted all day), and the acquisition of a new (vintage) bike! not bad, i say.

and while i did not bring my camera around documenting all of these things, i did get some photos of an all-day brunch at a friend’s house and a few little shots of my new bike. it’s a 1970 raleigh superbe with a sturmey archer 3-speed internal hub, a brooks saddle, and almost all of the original parts, save the tires and the pump. it came in a ‘his and hers’ matching set, so i bought both with the intention of selling the ‘his’ bike, but my boyfriend took it for a spin and now he wants to keep it. we sure have become quite the bike collectors, considering that these aren’t our only bikes… but i really wanted something fun with an upright ride for casual about-town excursions that would be suitable enough for wearing skirts and heels and things.

and before i finish, i should probably explain one last thing. after i made that little animation below, i recognized that gifs of opening champagne bottles can be a little, ahem, suggestive. but we discovered a new way to open champagne bottles, and i wanted to show you how it’s done. but um, don’t try it at home, kids.