my style, press

maternity style: a holiday outfit with r29

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things have mostly been super casual around here, what with being over 38 weeks pregnant and about to pop at any moment! and while i’m not gonna get crazy at the holiday parties this year, it’s still fun to get dressed up and throw back a few glasses of sparkling apple cider. i pulled together this holiday outfit for my latest post up on refinery29 my stylist last month, but today i’m laying low and hanging out in pajamas. i was hoping to be with family for the usual traditions: steaming hot home made tamales with rice and potato salad. and to watch my cousins unwrap presents around the christmas tree with my family all around. but this year they all contracted a nasty virus, so i opted to keep the baby safe and stay at home. but i did end up deciding last-minute to cook my own feast, and weathered the christmas-eve crowds to gather the necessary ingredients for my own small batch of tamales. so we’re not completely stranded this year.

and now it’s just the waiting game… holidays are so much more fun with little ones around. when will this baby dude get here so we can celebrate together?!

wearing: velvet smock dress courtesy of asos, vintage tapestry blazer, mirrored gold heels courtesy of anthropologie, clutch courtesy of joy gryson, and just a touch of nars lipstick in fire down below





my style, giveaways

maternity style: seychelles year of shoes giveaway!

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today i’m excited to announce my latest giveaway courtesy of seychelles footwear! i’ve long been a fan of the brand, so i was over the moon when they asked me to participate in their #yearofseychelles giveaway. for the next 12 days, 12 bloggers (including me) will be offering you 12 chances to win 12 pairs of shoes in the new year! you can click here to see the full schedule so you don’t miss out on every opportunity to win. for today, i’m trying out a new tool, so check out the directions below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

to enter: simply visit seychelles and tell us which pair of shoes is your current favorite using the form above.

bonus: win extra entries by liking seychelles on facebook and twitter using the form above.

the fine print: this contest is open to international readers, so anyone can enter. a winner will be randomly selected after saturday, december 21st. you can enter 12 times on all of the participating blogs to increase your odds. seychelles will then compile all of the winners and choose one lucky gal on saturday, january 4 to win 12 pairs of shoes in 2014!






wearing: the whitepepper velvet spangle collar dress, vintage coat from secret shop vintage, dkny gold tights, clutch courtesy of joy gryson, duty calls heels courtesy of seychelles

my style

maternity style: baby blues

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…of the sartorial variety, of course! had fun in a pretty simple and casual look this weekend for a little bit of window shopping and a whole lot of relaxing. i picked up this skirt and a few others like it on my trip to st. louis with a $25 gift card from savers since i figured it would come in handy when most of my other clothes no longer fit. it’s got a nice comfy elastic waist band with pleats so it expands to fit my enormous bump, and while normal tops no longer cut it, this little cropped number is still working quite well with all of my high rise skirts. it’s a nice combination for these last weeks and will also come in handy once this baby finally gets here!!!

i also finally trimmed my hair up. it had been so long that the ends were getting pretty damaged and i kept getting ratty tangles at the nape of my neck. and since i figured it might be a long while before i make it back to the salon, i decided i might as well cut my bangs short, resulting in some pretty saccharine doll hairs. which i kind of love.

wearing: whit top, vintage skirt and vintage woven leather flats courtesy of savers thrift stores, vintage coach bucket bag

i look relatively normal until i turn to the side. but this boy is getting big! over 35 weeks along now and kinda praying he opts for an early arrival because this is getting tough! for all of you mothers, how did you make it those last few weeks?!

my style

maternity style: sunny side up

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oh man you guys, i officially feel like a big old oompa loompa. the doctor pushed my due date up to january 2, which means i’m now over 34 weeks along now! and boy am i feeling it. i have slowed down considerably, and doing normal everyday activities is becoming a thing of the past. thankfully the little guy could be here as soon as christmas (fingers crossed!) and since we’re heading into the holidays, i will finally get some precious time off from work before i officially go on maternity leave. it’s going to be nice to visit with family this week and basically just lay on the couch in sweatpants. but i’m still making an effort to get dressed most days, and this is one of my outfits as of late. separates are starting to take over and comfort is ruling my life more than ever. i am really beginning to see how motherhood has the potential to dramatically change my style.

in other news, i am unintentionally growing out my bangs because i’ve been too lazy to go get a haircut. my friend shannon dean (who has been cutting my hair for the past four years), is now living and working here in los angeles at refuge salon in echo park. he’s trimmed my bangs a few times since i got here, but now i’m just letting it grow wild and free. i’m sure i’ll get myself motivated to go back in pretty soon. the only question is, what do i want to do with it next…

wearing: yoko dress courtesy of family affairs, h&m cropped top, target maternity jeans, vintage coach bucket bag, ban.do bobby pin, woven leather flats courtesy of savers thrift stores



my style, press

maternity style: weekend wear

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it’s been a little while since i’ve shared an outfit post, so today i thought i’d share a simple weekend outfit i put together for my latest post on refinery29 my stylist. being so far along in my pregnancy means that things have taken a pretty casual turn around here. last weekend, i went out and got a bunch of really comfy basics like sweater dresses and knit skirts in hopes that they’ll hold me over these last few weeks. up until this point, i haven’t had much need for a sweater or a coat in los angeles, but we’re finally getting cool enough temperatures to add just a few layers to our outfits, so i took the opportunity to finally wear this sf-made coat by poppy von frolich. it was handmade in san francisco using sturdy carhart cotton and it is now one of my prized possessions.

wearing: madewell dress, socks courtesy of hansel from basel, lumber jane coat courtesy of poppy von frolich, rachel comey mars boots, tote courtesy of lawrence.



my style

maternity style: pink lips and paisley

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things have been slowing down over here lately. my belly is getting huge and i’m having trouble staying on my feet, sitting, or doing any productive human things other than slowly preparing the house for the arrival of the baby. but this weekend, i did have an opportunity to get a little dolled up to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday with family. and of course, the one accessory (besides this epic minju kim for h&m collar) that really completes my looks and makes me feel fancy, is a nice bold lip color. i probably own at least 20 shades of red and pink and am pretty much always on the hunt for the new perfect color. so of course, i was very pleased to team up with refinery29 and maybelline new york to try a few samples of the new color elixir lip colors. it’s a super-saturated lip gloss that you can layer on for a bit of sheer tint or a major pop of color, and this pretty pink shade in ‘fuchsia flourish’ was a perfect compliment to my green and blue getup.

wearing: vintage ’60s tent dress, minju kim for h&m leather collar, vintage salvatore ferragamo mary janes, color elixir in fuchsia flourish courtesy of maybelline new york.






this post was sponsored by refinery29.

my style, giveaways

outfit: a giveaway from jane sews!

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today i am pleased to announce my latest giveaway courtesy of jane sews. you may have heard of this new durban-based designer in my post a few months back, when i had completely fallen head-over-heels for her charming collection. since then, i’ve teamed up with her to offer you the chance to win your choice of any pair of shoes from her latest collection or the keren lace dress that i’m wearing in this post. this is especially great for those of you in the southern hemisphere, but i think these pieces are so classic and timeless that they can really be worn during almost any season that the weather permits.

to enter: simply visit jane sews and tell us which piece you’d pick if you were to win!

bonus: increase your odds of winning and receive an additional entry (up to three extra entries) for following jane sews on instagram, twitter, or facebook! simply leave an extra comment for each platform where you are following.

the fine print: winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email after tuesday, november 5. this giveaway is open to international readers, so anyone can enter. winner will receive their choice of any one pair of shoes currently available at jane sews or the keren lace dress.
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my style, press

outfit: topshop x nordstrom

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i just got back from a very quick weekend trip to san francisco and probably the last trip i will take for some months now that the baby is so close to being here! it was a nice opportunity to visit with a few of my bay area friends and of course, i had a blast hosting an event to celebrate the launch of topshop x nordstrom at the san francisco center. i’ve long been a fan of topshop and have spent many hours browsing through their online shop admiring their cool uk offerings, but i’d never had an opportunity to actually see the clothes in real life here on the west coast, so it’s pretty exciting to see that the retailer has finally expanded into the u.s. market with these cool shop-in-shops as a new permanent fixture in nordstrom department stores and online. and i finally got to try on a few pieces for size, and am drooling over their fall offerings, lots of fuzzy sweaters and soft oversized coats!

wearing: dot jacquard pinafore, floral check mix print shirt, jensen faux fur collar biker jacket, maple mid heel court pump all courtesy of topshop x nordstrom.



my style, press, maternity

maternity style

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i suppose every outfit that i wear now that i’m pregnant can be filed under “maternity style,” but today i’m sharing three looks i put together for my latest post up on refinery29 my stylist sharing a few of the tips i’ve learned about dressing my bump so far. these were all taken at roughly around six months, which is crazy to imagine considering i am now nearing the seven month mark! i try not to talk too much about my pregnancy on here, mostly because it’s a pretty personal experience and things are overwhelming enough without sharing something so private in a public space. and i also doubt anyone wants to hear an expectant mother talk about all of her annoying aches and pains, especially when it is obviously a very exciting time. but let me tell you, the cliches are true, and it is not as easy as it looks! i haven’t even gone through labor yet and i am already pretty impressed with how much of an impact it has had on my mind and body!

for me, one of the things that really helps me to feel good is getting dressed. whenever i feel kinda crappy, whether i’m sick or blue or otherwise feeling low, i always feel the best when i take the time to pamper myself a little bit. throw on a nice red lipstick, play with a new hairstyle, or put on something that gives me a little confidence boost. it kinda helps me to feel better facing the world and dealing with whatever other little annoyances might get in my way. so during this pregnancy, even when my ribs feel like they’re about to crack, or my hips are aching and i feel like i can barely walk, or i’m feeling super self-conscious about how much my body has changed, it’s made a huge difference to just feel pulled together and polished.

wearing: a.p.c. dress, palette red vegan leather handbag courtesy of alice & roi, vintage shoes from pretty penny, nars lipstick in jungle red



wearing: vintage maternity top from the loved one, j brand jeans, swedish hasbeens peep toe super high, j.w. hulme mini legacy bag, tom ford nikita sunglasses, nars lipstick in jungle red



wearing: lauren moffatt crochet top and striped skirt, rachel comey mars boots, orla kiely handbag, michael kors tortoise watch, ray-ban clubmaster sunglasses, nars lipstick in jungle red

my style

maternity style: tradlands

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if you haven’t seen it yet, i recently published a quick interview on refinery29 with sadie roberts, the sf-based designer behind the new womenswear clothing line tradlands. and to celebrate the occasion, i styled up my very own jones st. buttondown. what i love so much about her collection is that each shirt is carefully constructed with quality materials, just like you would find in some of your favorite menswear shirting, but she has really taken the time to make sure that the cut is made for a woman. and as someone with a small ribcage and large bust, this is always a challenge since i’ll find a shirt that fits every part of my body, but it will still be gaping at the bust! but such is not the case with shirts from tradlands. now that i have one, i kind of wish i could just have a closet full to wear with jeans and cardigans for a very casual sf style. what’s more is that sadie is generously offering 15% off all orders for the next week!

get 15% off your order at tradlands using code “calivintage15” now through october 22!

wearing: jones st. buttondown courtesy of tradlands , james jeans twiggy maternity jeans, bass wayfarer loafers in karicole, vintage scarf, fieldguided endless summer tote, flowers by alex knost sunglasses courtesy of raen optics, nars jungle red lipstick