Slowly getting back into the routine of sharing more outfits lately and I wanted to first document the most recent purchase I made in 2023. I’ve been eyeing pieces from Havre Studios for a long time and finally caught this herringbone contrast blazer just in time at one of their end-of-the-year drop. It’s currently summer in Lima, but some days are a bit chillier, so I’m wearing it here with a simple bodysuit and white balloon denim. 'Balletcore' is supposedly trending this season but I think I found a pair that’s going to last me past its trend cycle. I love how put-together this Aeydepair makes any of my outfits look, and I’m going to list a few other options that I think are super cute below too.
As someone who’s constantly traveling, I find that having a few really great vacation dresses to repeat makes the packing process so much more seamless, and of course, great travel photos. Since I’m spending the majority of my “winter” this year in the Southern Hemisphere, I’ve been able to wear and rewear a bunch of my staple dresses quite often. I recently shared this dress again through a few snaps in Guatemala, and it got me looking around to see what other dresses deals are currently there.
As always, if these curated posts are helpful, clicking on and checking out with any of the items makes me a small commission with no additional cost to you as they are affiliated links. Happy shopping!
I got a chance to stop by NYC early December last year for a couple of weeks thanks to some exciting opportunities that came up. To my surprise, it was one of the only times I've ever caught foliage this late in the season despite living in New York for so many years. The weather was great as well and the vibes were immaculate during those pre-holiday days. The West Village never fails to not impress me with all of the seasonal decor- and this house was just the chicest.
For a quick brunch with my sister and an attempt to buy a Christmas tree later that day, I kept my outfit pretty neutral and simple with a Topshop brushed blazer (which was pretty sturdy and warm despite it's affordable price). While shopping for this blazer, I was actually considering another beige blazer that was 5x the price. Other than the blazer, the rest of my outfit consisted of pieces I've been wearing on repeat, my Acne ribbed knit sweater, B Sides jeans, Common Projects and my trusty blue Loewe 'Puzzle' bag.
I recently wrote a piece about 'A Vacation Dress To Repeat' and happened to come across this Zimmermann maxi dress right after, which will also be one you'll see quite often in the future. For my birthday this year, the boyfriend and I decided to spend a little over a week exploring Colombia, in which we spend the majority of our time in Cartagena. Usually for these vibrant and seemingly touristic places, one would only stop by for a day or two, but even after 3 full days there, we felt we could have at least enjoyed another day or two so that we can get out to the beaches and eat some more local delicacies (nevertheless, I'll share some photos of our stay here and share the places we did enjoy eating and seeing).
My eyes gravitated initially to this dress because by now I'm sure you guys know I have a thing for patchwork and contrasting prints in a garment. What I loved about this specific dress were the cutouts which were a little spicy as a vacation dress but still remaining modest enough that I could see myself wearing this to future weddings and other semi-formal events as well. I knew Cartagena would be a colorful and perfect backdrop for this outfit but I had no idea how well the orange tones would monochromatically suit this dress so much. I really love it when you can visually see how happy I was wearing a piece of clothing-- and this dress could not stop me from grinning ear to ear (the fresh coconut juice in my hand also helped, haha).
This isn't the first time you've seen me in this pair of color-blocked pants that I've scored on a sale from Petar Petrov, but I'm pretty sure that you're not sick of them at all (because everytime I share them, I get such a boost of confidence from all the compliments that I get). Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons, but fashion-wise, I get excited to try and style some of my favorite pieces again for cooler temps.
When you think of color-blocking in 2022, many of us will think of bright and bold colors right away, but to speak to how circular trends are, I love how these neutral color-block pair of pants have been working for me for the past three or so years (so that's like six fashion cycles). Of all of the clothing pieces that I cherish, these pants are one of the ones I've blogged the most of: 'Trifecta', 'Color-blocking', with Aedye knee-high boots, and Jimmy Choo crystal flats. I recently found a cute sweater that just went perfectly with them. It's always so exciting to build on my current wardrobe with new pieces. Unfortunately this color block sweater from Ciao Lucia is sold out, but I will be sure to share other color-block finds via Instagram if I come across any.
The general awareness of sustainable fashion brands and conscious consumption of clothing has increased tremendously in recent years. As someone who has been quietly advocating for a more thoughtful approach to participating in this ever-changing fashion industry, I'm really happy to see this shift in mindset. Personally, I think it’s extremely important to consider our consumption of clothing first and foremost while urging for a more sustainable fashion industry. At the end of the day, most fashion brands are businesses and the principle of any thriving business is products and demands.
Plus, let's say you're one of those people who don't believe in the fact that your small action will make a dent in the world, then I suggest looking inward and seeing if being more considerate about your consumption improves your day to day life. One of the reasons why I've always been passionate about fashion is that, I think it extremely poetic that, no matter who you are, you are always dressed in something specific about your life.
I can safely assume that for anyone who has started their journey on creating a staple wardrobe or have established a capsule wardrobe, that getting dressed has gotten much easier and that you now find joy and full comfort in the clothing that you naturally gravitate to. And I'm sure you have started to understand how important it is to have a wardrobe that is easy to access and reliable on a day to day basis.
Dress by Rixo - in Bali (left) and Mexico City (right).
That said, one thing that I don’t think is talked about enough is a sustainable vacation wardrobe. It’s very common and quite honestly understandable in this day and age to think about going on a trip and being excited to wear all your cutest clothes (that are most likely going to be new). I can't say that I'm 100% not guilty of this either, but seeing how some of my favorite dresses (like the bubble-gum pink dress I'm wearing above) have been repeating themselves on all of my trips in these past couple of years, I noticed a few patterns that I want to share to help you start collecting those vacation pieces to be more conscious of your travel/vacation clothing purchases.
Opposites Attract
While my day to day style consists of very basic and neutral pieces, I noticed that the pieces that I do end up packing (usually as back-up outfits) are louder and are definitely more statement pieces. I think this speaks volume to personal psychology as generally, I want to feel more "dressed up" than my usual when I'm away. I believe this could work opposite for those who have a more colorful and bolder style in the reverse way. I would definitely say if your everyday style is prints and color, a really good solid neutral maxi/midi dress could be that piece that you can safely count on for all of your future travels. And of course, vice-versa if you are like me.
Weather-proof
Ok, I don't mean that your dress is also a windbreaker- so hear me out. I think when purchasing a dress, it's really important to think about how versatile it can be worn. Whenever a dress arrives to me, I always try it on with several different types of shoes, layering pieces (such as jackets, sweaters, and blazers), and either tucked in as a top or worn as a skirt. Having a dress being able to simply go with two different type of shoes already guarantees that it can be worn with knee boots under for fall weather, or with sneakers/sandals in a more tropical location.
Get It On Sale
This one isn't mandatory but happens to be something that I noticed between all of my favorite dresses, and yes, they were all bought on sale. When talking about sustainability, no one really mentions about how inaccessible some brands might be and how that's directly unsustainable for our means of living (depending on your income and tax bracket of course). But, I find that waiting a period of time makes a dress that much more special knowing I have had it in my cart, and have been thinking about it all season long. And that extra attention to the piece helps me make sure that it's not an impulse buy as well. Plus, since I'll be repeating it for trips to come, I don't feel too bad about not being able to wear it right away.
A month flew by so fast that I finally found the time to say hello from Lima officially on the blog. I wasn't expecting things to move as quickly as they have been going so far, but if you're keeping up with me on Instagram, we just got back from Bolivia last weekend and it got a bit chillier here already despite the "tropical" weather that I was looking forward to. I packed so many dresses and skirts but instead, I ended up wearing all of my long sleeves and denim jackets for the past couple of weeks. I picked up this beige ribbed knit top from Proenza Schouler on a super good end-of-season sale. I loved the slight shimmer in the knit, and it honestly is why it makes this, seemingly a colder weather top, somewhat more appropriate to wear all year round and across warmer weathered days. I've worn it before with darker denim and a more dressed-up pair of shoes, but I love how it works casually with my everyday AGOLDE white denim and usual sneakers too.
I'm excited to keep exploring Lima and update this space with more looks/outfits that I'm inspired by this city to put together in the upcoming months. Hope you're ready to see all of the bougainvilleas in the background because there are a lot of them here (I'm not complaining at all though).
It's about time I share this final Valladolid appreciation post with one of the nicest weathered days we had before moving. I've been back in New York for the past few weeks and am still not fully caught up with the fact that my six-months Spanish chapter came to a close. These photos were taken at this little corner of our town that I passed by every single morning on the way to class. Not pictured is, of course, my tote bag that consisted of my notebooks and daily essentials, but I'm sure you get the gist.
While living in Spain for the past half-year or so, my perspective on luxury goods and fashion definitely changed a little bit. Nothing too crazy from things I already knew before, but my appreciation for dry cleaning and tailoring services will stick with me for the rest of my life. I've been on the hunt for the perfect camel coat for years but stubbornly haven't committed to one since I haven't come across one that I could see myself wearing for at least the next five years or so. But I did find this slightly oversized, cocoon beige short coat that I immediately fell in love with. My favorite part is that it's a cashmere blend with a liner for extra warmth. Everything else in this outfit is pieces that I've had for longer than a few years each, I know, I can see this jacket being this type of piece for me too in this outfit and how it fits so well with everything.
Beige Cocoon Coat: 12 Storeez via Farfetch
Top: Topshop
Pants: GRLFRND Denim
Shoes: ATP
Bag: Chanel WOC
