warm december

I scored these babies during Black Friday weekend and got them for a pretty good deal! With my height, it makes it super hard to find riding boots that fit me well. Most riding boots hit into my knee and it just doesn't look right. After two years of trying to find riding boots that are fit for me, I gave up in time for the over-the-knee boots trend. I tried on a few but none fit like this one. I'm obsessed with them and will be wearing them most of this upcoming season!

The weather has been amazing the past week! It's 60 degrees in December in NYC! That never happens but I wish it would stay like this for the rest of the winter. Being able to wear dresses without tights and being able to go out with no jacket is wonderful, this is how Californians must feel. I love the look of dresses or shorts with over-the-knee boots! 

Balmain x H&M

Yet another year of H&M collabs, I knew I wanted this t-shirt in the Balmain x H&M. It's so simple but as I always say, simplicity is key sometimes. There were tons of fashion websites with leaks of the collection ahead of time and looking through the collection, most things were just too flashy for my liking. I absolutely LOVED the beaded, embellished blazer but I know I wouldn't be able to rock it so it would be a waste since it was around $500 if I remember correctly. 

Last year I remember I was in my Event Planning class, about to present my project but still trying to get into the H&M site on my phone and my laptop. I was lucky enough to get 4 things in the Alexander Wang x H&M collection (I have a blog post about the items.) This year's collab was SO much harder to get into. The site was crashed.. you would think that H&M would get their shit together knowing that there's going to be an enormous amount of people trying to get into the site. The collection released at 8am and I was repeatedly trying to refresh and I finally got in at 8:47.. that's 47 minutes after release and everything (besides ugly stuff) was sold out. I was so frustrated because I really wanted the t-shirt! Luckily, one of my friends, hi heej peej, went to H&M in times square and she was able to get these two shirts for me! We both initially wanted the men's ones but they got sold out by the time she got in. The lettering is written in a velvet-like material, which I personally like. I wish I worked at H&M during this collab because employees got a different Balmain x H&M shirt that looked even cooler. But, I know it got pretty chaotic in other countries.. I came across some ridiculous videos. People are crazy.

bring on the blanket scarves

I was lucky enough to be chosen to take part in the College Fashionista x Aerie collab where I was gifted a blanket scarf and plaid shirt to style! I love love love blanket scarves for the winter so I was ecstatic when I saw this as one of my items. I also loved the color palette of the scarf.

I'm super happy with how these photos came out (thanks babe and skittz.) The top 3 photos were taken at Storm King where my previous blog post was taken. It's such a great spot to take photos and if it weren't so far I would definitely go there more often for shoots. Nature is the best backdrop.
My outfit in these photos are definitely better for warmer places or if you're just relaxing at home. I think it's the perfect holiday outfit, snuggling next to the fireplace with a warm cup of hot chocolate watching Christmas movies in your living room full of Christmas decorations. For colder places, like here in NYC, I would either throw on a pair of leggings with fleece lining (YES THOSE ARE A THING!) or a pair of jeans. Personally I would wear leggings only because they're 100x more comfortable. To finish it off I would put on a long wool-blend coat, some touch screen gloves and call it a day. A very comfy but winter-inspired outfit.

I love how cozy blanket scarves are since it gets pretty cold here in NYC and I get cold super easily. I just ordered another chunky scarf from Zara (thank you black friday deals) and you bet I'm already searching for more. Happy Cyber Monday shopping!

storm king art center

Photos by Kyle Braganza

On Saturday, I finally got to visit Storm King Arts Center thanks to my boyfriend! I've been wanting to go for a while but the trip is a little on the longer side. It's somewhere upstate so it was about a two hour drive from my house. Admission for adults is $15 but if you show your student ID it's $8 so take advantage of that!! I was a little sad because we went later in the fall therefore a lot of the trees were already bare, but there were still a lot of trees full of red, orange and yellow leaves. The ground was filled with crispy leaves and it was just so.. fall. I love fall, it's my favorite season and NYC's weather has been on point! Usually it's freezing by now but it actually still feels like fall and I am absolutely loving it. Anyways, back to Storm King, there are a lot of art structures scattered throughout the park and the park is pretty huge. I've heard that in the warmer seasons, a lot of people picnic at the park because it's a huge chunk of land with such nice surroundings. This place makes a good day trip because after you can go to Woodbury Commons Outlet, which is where we went after and it's only about a 15-20 minute drive from the park. 

Can you tell that these are my favorite pair of pants? I think I've been wearing them at least twice a week because I'm in love with them, oops. 

layer slayer

Photos by Evelyn

As you can see, we tried to take another fun shot but it didn't turn out as successful as the other time. It would've been great if my hair didn't block my whole face.

This is the same outfit as my previous blog post because these were all taken on the same day but I decided to split them into two separate ones since we had photo shoots in two different locations. This here is Washington Mews, a hidden gem just outside of Washington Square Park. It has a very town-house feel and it doesn't seem like something you would find in New York City. It's a nice block to visit and a great place to take photos! The block is full of cute houses of different colors and textures. Eve and I have decided to come here every season, we've already been in the summer and now the fall.

I'm sure you've all noticed the lace-up trend and I absolutely love their lace-up flats. I can't wear them for a long period of time or they start hurting my feet but they're so gorgeous (beauty is pain, beauty is pain.) Time to start playing the layering game because it's only getting colder and colder here in NYC. I love how my black kimono added a soft, light layer to my outfit while still adding a touch of warmth (not that much.) 

z i g g y

Photos by Evelyn Ng
Stumbled upon this fascinating wall while scrolling through my Instagram feed (which is how I find most of the artsy, hipster places I go to) and knew I had to come here with my fellow art appreciator bestie. We were in the area so we decided to stop by and snap some photos. 

On her instagram (@benevelynce) I snapped a pic of her standing slanted and it was just amazing, it makes me laugh just thinking about it. She tried to do the same for me, but I was so slanted that it was so funny. We laughed and laughed forever. We had such an amusing time here at this wall. The background is very busy yet simple at the same time. It's weird. But I like it.

blue hues

Photos by Kyle Braganza

Something about these photos feel so refreshing; I think it's the blue hues. I'm pretty much in denial that it's no longer summer, which is why I threw on my thigh highs and wow was I underdressed that day. It was a pretty nice day but walking along the water plus later at night was not too good for my body temperature especially since I get cold easily.

We visited Brooklyn Bridge Park this day and o m g, it took us about an hour just to find parking! It was pretty ridiculous but that's dumbo for ya. I suggest commuting or taking a cab so you don't have to deal with parking. I finally got to see the Mirror Labyrinth exhibit. There were so many little kids running around. Overall, it was okay. I thought it was going to be more fascinating but it was still a dope concept in a great location.

inVEST in stripes

Photos by Evelyn Ng

I have about 5 black and white striped shirts and I still find myself gravitating towards them while shopping. I can't help it, I love black & white stripes! They go with anything and you can dress them up or down, and versatility is important. Stripes are definitely worth the investment because I guarantee you will wear them for years and years!
Yes, another outfit with a lack of color, but somehow I always put together a black and white outfit. After taking these photos, I actually got sick because this day was so chilly and wearing a t-shirt was just not cutting it. I had a trench coat with me but these few minutes taking photos without a jacket really affected me. Scared about the winter days when it's going to be 20 degrees. But you gotta do what you gotta do and it is likely I'll be freezing my booty off trying to take some blog posts, especially if my outfits cute, can't waste a cute #ootd! 

doctor who?

Photos by Evelyn Ng

Whenever I wear this long-lined blazer, someone always tells me I look like a doctor! I must admit, from the back I do look like one. Last week, we had a cold front here in NYC so it was COLD; it was like a sneak peek of winter and I wasn't feelin' it one bit. This past week warmed up and it felt more like fall, which was nice. The next few days are cooling down to the 60s, and I would prefer 70s, but 60s is better than 40s and 50s. 

This outfit seriously makes me miss summer and how I could just walk out of my house in shorts and I'd be fine. Now it's time to layer and soon enough we're going to be walking out in bulky winter clothing. Don't get me wrong, I love love layering, but it's one of those times when you want what you don't got and I want the warmer weather back.

leap into fall

Photos by Evelyn Lesmy Ng

I actually had a lot of fun shooting these. It was different from your typical photo session. During New York Fashion Week I came across a video of a fashion blogger getting her photos taken, and she would leap forward, go back to the starting point, leap forward again and it just went on and on, so I decided to give it a try and it was hilarious. My photographer, hi skittle, and I had a good laugh shooting this outfit.

It is officially fall because it has been chilly! I can't wear shorts or skirts out without shivering. Don't get me wrong, I love fall but I just hate how cold it is in the morning and as the day goes on it gets warmer and warmer. I have quite a few morning classes this semester so leaving the house at 8AM, I need to prepare myself for the crisp, chilly air and by the time I get out in the afternoon I feel so overdressed. 

The suede button-up/down (whichever you prefer) skirts have been the huge rave these past months. When I was on a search for a pair, I kept seeing them for a ridiculous amount of money, American Apparel had it for $60+ and TopShop had it for over $100 and I would never pay that much for one! More affordable websites would have some but my size would always be sold out. Through several attempts at searching for a suede skirt that fit and was in a color I was satisfied with, I came across this one on Rue 21's website and it was only $16.99! I've received many compliments on it and it was so worth the price. It is a little long on me so all I do is fold the top over and the length is perfect!

grid monster

Photos by Evelyn Ng

This a little teaser of my upcoming Style Guru Style article on CollegeFashionista that should be live some time soon. I'll keep it short and simple here since I did write a more detailed post on cfashionista. Grid print is definitely one of my favorite prints and I love how modern yet retro it can appear. I think my dress itself looks like it belongs in the 60s, but since we are in the 21st century I twisted it to create a more modern look. 

Since NYFW is actually still going on, I would like to bring up that this outfit definitely reminds me of DKNY's collection (which I personally loved.) Dao-Yi and Maxwell killed their first collection at DKNY and I think they will do big things as the new creative directors. I loved the modern vibes and how it was a collection where femininity meets menswear, where flowy pieces meet structured pieces. There were no crazy patterns or even colors but the collection as a whole was so powerful and inspiring. 

I can't believe it's fall in less than a week and it's still hot as tamales here in NYC. Looking forward to the cooler days and cozier outfits but not too excited for winter.

Blazer: H&M | Dress: Urban Outfitters | Shoes: Forever 21 | Hat/Shades: Soho | Bag: Prada

comfy stripes

Photos by Evelyn Ng

I don't know about you but I'm still not in school mode. It's so hard to get myself up and out of bed and so hard to get myself to do my work. It's only week three and I'm ready for winter break already. Perks of back-to-school season means fall is coming and that means layering and cozy outfits! 

To make it easier on myself, I love wearing outfits that make me feel comfortable as if I'm still in my pajamas. This outfit does just that. I got this romper from Boohoo and it's soft and super comfy. Due to the fact that I'm only 5' I had to belt this romper because if I didn't, it stopped at a very awkward and unflattering part of my leg. With this very black outfit, I decided to put on my Quay shades and  to some red lips to bring some color. I love how ankle booties look with shorts, especially around this time to show the transitioning of seasons.

Romper: Boohoo | Shoes: Steve Madden | Hat: Soho | Sunglasses: Quay | Bracelet: Kate Spade