Comfort Zones

I would say these photos are quite different from all of my other photos.  These were taken upstairs on my roof.  I usually come up to tan due to the fact that I have no privacy downstairs and practically live next to a man who I should never be wearing a bikini in front of.. (beating around the bush by using nicer phrases).  Living in Queens, there's not many convenient places in which I can shoot so I had a great idea of shooting on my roof.  I initially planned on doing these myself but my intern (hehe jk my good friend) Evelyn came over one day so I decided to take advantage of her since she usually takes my photos anyways.  

I would say these shots are not what I would usually do and I definitely changed up my game a little.  These are much more "street" than I'm used to so it was a little weird posing for them.  As Evelyn was taking these photos she was like "Who are you?? You look so street." I kind-of liked when she said that because it showed I was stepping out and doing something I've never really done before.  I've never had that "bad bitch" vibe and I'm always categorized as "cute" and "tiny." I used to feel some type of way because who doesn't wanna be a bad bitch right? But over time, you have to realize you were born with a certain look, a certain vibe, a certain personality and the bad bitch life ain't for me. I'm in no way trying to pose as a bad bitch in these photos but I took inspiration from Sophia Chang, a YouTuber, who's style is such a mixture of styles and reminds me of my own style. 

I think it's important to stay true to who you are – but it's also good to try new things and step out of your comfort zone from time to time.

Below is my second fashion YouTube video! Go check out my Fall Lookbook ft. my Stuart Weitzman 5050 Boots!

#NYFW

As you know, New York Fashion Week was this month.  Being a part of the fashion industry means it's a very exciting time.  We get to see all the runway shows and new collections, we get to get inspiration from street style shots, and we get to dress ourselves up even more than usual.  Ever since I've been interested in fashion, I've always wanted to both work a fashion show and attend a fashion show. Well, this year I got to do BOTH and they were both such great first experiences for me.

Back in my first year of college, when I was still at FIT, my friends and I went out to fashion week at Soho where there were all types of little events and freebies to collect. It wasn't much of an experience, but that was my first ever fashion week-related 'event.' Years following, I didn't have time to attend fashion week events because of conflicting class schedules and whatnot but I still always followed the shows via blogs and Vogue. I've always loved seeking inspiration from Instagram and online publications to see what the upcoming trends are in runway AND on the streets. 

This year, I am now officially done with undergrad and I've moved on to grad school back in Manhattan at NYU. I also managed to get a PR internship at Prabal Gurung just in time for fashion week. I was super ecstatic about it because like I said previously I've always wanted to work fashion week.  Unfortunately, I'm no longer an intern at Prabal because it just wasn't for me and I already have a lot on my plate as a first semester grad student. However, Prabal Gurung is such a nice guy, and I'm so blessed to have gotten the experience to work with him even if it was only for such a short amount of time.  Getting to work backstage for him and seeing all the chaos that goes on behind-the-scenes was not something everyone gets to do. I'm glad my experience was for such a great well-known designer like Prabal Gurung. His collection was also GORGEOUS so if you haven't checked it out you definitely should! I now have a Prabal Gurung backstage pass as my souvenir for working fashion week and it's hanging in my room :)

The following day, one of my friends, Lucy @lucysiyu on Instagram, had an extra spot at a fashion show so I jumped on the opportunity and she took me as her +1.  It wasn't Chanel or Marchesa or anything but hey I'm still so thankful for her taking me to experience my first show ever.  It was #nolchashows and there were a number of designers whose collections I got to see so it was like a few fashion shows all at once.  It was such an interesting experience and I would gladly do it again, haha. The outfit above is what I decided to wear to the show. I've really been loving midi-length things. I used to think it was such an awkward length for me since I'm so short but they've been really appealing to me. So when I saw this top at Primark I knew I had to get it because it's such a versatile piece; I can wear it as a shirt-dress, as an open-shirt, or the way I wore it in the photos above. I wasn't even planning on wearing it this way until I actually started styling it. I loved how it flowed when I was walking because it showed a bit of leg every time I took a step with the wind blowing in my favor. Who remembers when the assymetrical skort was in? It's been about a year or two since I wore mine so I decided to bring them out. Don't you love finding old stuff in your closet that you haven't worn in a while and it ends up making a really cute outfit with your new clothes? I know I love it! My slippers are from Nine West, but from the outlet so I got two of the same pairs (one in white and one in black) for an amazing deal of 2 for $27 which is a steal! I love how simple they are yet they still add such a sophisticated look. Yes, you're not seeing wrong, I am carrying a new céline, it's actually my mom's but we all know I'm going to be wearing it more than she will hehe. #célinegirl

Céline belt bag

Say hello to my new bag! The Céline belt bag. I've had my eye on this beauty for quite some time and I decided to choose this as my 22nd birthday gift. I am, once again, in love with another black bag. If you follow Chriselle Lim, she has this bag in white and I love it in white, but white is just not practical for me. Then, I wanted it in a nude/beige color because all my other bags are black. Like all of them. However, over the months I was just drawn back to black. Black matches with EVERYTHING and plus most of my shoes are black.

While shopping at Neiman Marcus, I was actually close to getting another bag (which I will probably be getting soon so I won't reveal the name yet) but my heart kept telling me to go look at Celine. I was also close to getting an Antigona, but I didn't love it as much as I love the belt bag.  Personally, I would choose Celine over any other brand, so for the Antigona and belt bag to be around the same price, I had to go with the belt bag. The antigona is obviously gorgeous as well, but I feel like it's more contemporary while the belt bag is more of a classic that I'll be able to use when I'm an old lady so it just seems like a better investment. This is my own opinion of course, to each their own!

While telling my dad I liked the belt bag, we started calling it the moustache bag haha.

frenchie

"Oui oui," some guy working at a car wash called at me. "All you need is a baguette (beret)," silly Evelyn said, even though it works both ways.  This outfit was not intended to make me appear as a Parisian lady or a Venetian gondola driver, but it kind-of just happened.

The title of this post is inspired by a few things: 1. my outfit resembles that of a "french outfit" 2. I absolutely adore frenchies and on a more serious note 3. the tragedies that France has been facing. 

As many of you should have heard, the other day Nice, France was attacked leaving a significant amount of people dead.  I'm not one to bring up these tragedies, especially in a blog post like this but it's so heartbreaking to see how disgusting our world has become.  There's so much unnecessary violence that results in innocent people getting injured or losing their lives. It's sad to see this happening around us. Pray for all those countries in need.

On a brighter note, I've seriously been obsessed with french bulldogs lately. I want one so badly but that'll have to wait until I'm living on my own since my dad is against the idea of having a pup in the house. I'm already set on getting a frenchie as my first pup and I already have the name ready, so my future husband better let me do all the name-giving.  I've been stressing about post-grad responsibilities and I think having a frenchie next to me would have alleviate a good chunk of that stress ^_^.

vertically

We tend to travel horizontally, but sometimes we need to go vertically.  Part of life is going by a schedule, a daily routine but what do you do when you get bored? When you feel like it’s time to take a new direction? You take a step off your usual path and find something new, something different.

I’ve learned that while we’re young we should take advantages of all the opportunities that are put forth for us. They may not be right in front of you but with a little wandering and searching, they’ll find a way to you.  Now that I’ve graduated, I know never to settle for something that’s not making me happy or that’s not offering me what I deserve. With the days and months of being a little intern, I’ve learned a lot from those above me. I’ve also learned that those “above” you can teach you nothing.

My striped shirt gave me a little inspiration for this post, it being vertical lines instead of your typical horizontal lines. I paired it with some white shorts, a pair of heeled sandals, and a DIY necklace. I’ve been obsessed with chokers this few months so I decided to buy leather cording from Michael’s, measured it, cut it and viola, a necklace!  I’m not much of a DIY person unless it’s really simple but I’ve got an idea in my head and I’m hoping I can step out of my comfort zone to make it happen.

hump day

After a two month hiatus, I am back on this bloggin biz! A lot has happened these past two months: my last projects and finals as an undergrad, going to Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, and officially graduating from St. John's University (even though I wasn't physically present) but now I'm ready to get back into blogging and putting out content for you all.

These photos were actually taken months ago but I've finally decided to post it.  More of a simple post just to ease back into this.  Back when this was taken, it was not shorts weather at all, but now it's definitely summer. Going to try to get back to my two posts a week, Sundays and Wednesdays, aka hump day! 

Camel has really become a popular color and I'm not complaining. It's such a calming, neutral color but adds a chic touch making everything look more expensive. It's easy to work with if you're trying to go more casual or trying to make it an office-appropriate look.  For the past few seasons, I've been digging and digging for the perfect camel coat but have successfully failed at that so I settled for this simple BooHoo blazer.

Hump day means we're getting closer to the weekend, but I just wish I was back on vacation in Asia. I'm probably going to put out some food posts because you best know I took pictures of all the food we ate! Can't wait to rave about the milk tea and Hong Kong french toast we consumed. Hopefully a vlog will be out soon too, even though I haven't even started :(. 

20 facts about kay-ng

Decided to do a post different from my normal fashion posts because yah girl doesn't have any outfit posts that are ready to be posted. Soooo I did some "brainstorming" and I'm going to do a simple 20 facts about me (some will be straightforward and some will be random and some will be weird) so you all can get to know me a little better since I've never really talked much about myself.

1. I was named after Supergirl, because my dad is a comic world fanatic. If I was born a boy, I probably would have been nameless for a few days because he only had the name Kara in his mind.
2. I am 5' and have been below average height-wise for my entire life. When I was in elementary school and we had to take class photos, I was always sitting because I wasn't tall enough to stand.
3. I am an American-born Chinese, Cantonese to be specific, but I can barely have a conversation in Canto. Canto was actually my first language due to me being baby-sat by my grandpa when I was a baby, and I also went to Chinese school for 7 years, but yeah that all went down the drain.
4. I learned how to use chopsticks when I was 2 years old, also due to me being baby-sat by my grandpa, so now the way I hold chopsticks is very wrong since I couldn't properly hold it with 2 year old hands. But hey, I can pick up food so that's all that matters right?
5. I have an obsession with Hulk, I have multiple hulk t-shirts, keychains, dolls and even a Hulk cup. I have a big hulk tsumtsum that I sleep with.
6. I HATE h-a-t-e mushrooms. Yuck.
7. I talk to myself a lot. I think the reason is because I'm an only child and had no one to talk to when I was young. But I only talk to myself when there's no one around me.
8. I can never sleep a full night. I wake up at least once, but during a normal slumber I wake up twice.
9. My foot size used to be a 6 but my feet somehow shrunk and now I am a 5.5 and can no longer fit size 6 without it falling off my feet. So I can wear a kids size 3 (and save money.)
10. I can read and write Korean well, but 98% of the time I can't understand what I'm reading. 몰라
11. Most girls like Chanel, but I am a Celine girl. When I grow older, I'm going to own every style of bags they have.
12. My favorite color is periwinkle. I used to be favorite-colorless for a good amount of years until I discovered Essie's Bikini So Teeny, which is a periwinkle shade.
13. I went to Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) for my freshman year and I feel fabulous when I say that but yeah, I hated it.
14. I'm really bad at science and history. I've failed lots of science and history tests. Lots.
15. I've recently started to love french bulldogs and every time I see one on the streets, I freak out a little bit!!!
16. I. love. babies. They're such cute little humans. Hope this doesn't sound too creepy.
17. I have a weird thing for guy's elbows. This goes back to when I was a baby and used to play with my dad's elbow, and now I do it to my boyfriend too. It's not an elbow fetish, but I just like 'em.
18. I get cold really easily but I also get hot really easily. And I get super cranky when I'm hot.
19. I watch YouTube vlogs every single day. My favorite vloggers are itsjudyslife and wahlieTV.
20. I love sunglasses. My collection keeps growing and I love finding cool, inexpensive sunglasses. However, I do want to invest in a designer pair soon, but I haven't found the one yet.

Okay, this list was definitely all over the place and random as hell, but I hope you guys enjoyed this post! I'll definitely try to start posting content other than outfits so there'll be a variety to my blog. Hope you guys had a great weekend!

new york minute

New York Minute was one of my favorite childhood movies, starring the well-known twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The Olsen twins were two of my most admired celebrities as a child and it's amazing how they, and myself have entered the same industry. They've become successful women within the fashion industry and I admire everything they do and have done throughout the years.

Anyways, I got a little off topic but since my title was "New York Minute" being an avid fan of the Olsen twins I HAD to bring up the movie.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday I am blessed (most of the time) to be in the city due to my internship. I've grown up with the hustle and bustle of NYC and have grown accustomed to this lifestyle. Backtracking to the (most of the time) it gets frustrating trying to hurry my way to the NQR train station dodging smokers, tourists and people who just have nowhere to go. I used to think that us New Yorkers were really rude but I recently came across an article talking about how it isn't us New Yorkers being rude, but tourists visiting our city being rude. It's so important to learn the culture and lifestyle of the place you're visiting, because you are a visitor to a person's home where they do the same routine every day and if you just so happen to block the path of a NYC subway rider, that could cause them to miss the train they're supposed to take to get to their set destination at a set time. Of course, we don't mean to be rude, but it's important to know that New Yorkers are always in a rush and almost have no time to spare. But of course there are going to be those miserable people that are just rude and nasty every day. I hope this post didn't scare anybody from coming to New York, but it's only super hectic during rush hour when people are trying to get to work or get the hell home (like me.) I'm usually rushing at 6:00PM rather than 9:30AM because I just want to go home, sit back and relax. 

Note to take before visiting New York City: we would greatly appreciate if you could just step to the side and not stand in the middle of a sidewalk when you're trying to figure out which way to walk via your smartphone. Be prepared for the crazy rush hour of New York City if you're planning to visit! I've visited different cities and there's nothing quite like the concrete jungle.

Does your city/country have a certain culture that tourists should know about?

I'm going to Asia soon, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan to be specific and I would love to know about the do's and don'ts there!

dead end

These past few days, past few weeks I've been feeling super uninspired. I don't know if it's been the cold, winter weather that's been affecting my fashion inspiration but it's been making me feel some type of way. Whenever I look at the weather, I see 30 degrees, 40 degrees and I always just end up throwing on a pair of leggings, a knit sweater and go to school, which is such a boring outfit compared to what I know I'm capable of styling. I guess you could say I've made a turn right into a dead end.

With warmer weather slowly making its way to New York City, I'm hoping my inspiration will come back alive and stop hiding.  I want to create more content for my blog as well as Instagram and I've been feeling like I've been doing a much better job than I have been at updating my blog.  I told myself that I would put out content every Sunday and Wednesday, which gives me a push to style outfits that are post-worthy. Talking to my blogger friend, and now supervisor, @forevervanny, I've learned that it's important to write posts with actual meaning and not just a post talking about your ootd. With that being said, I want to be able to create more insightful content that could inspire other people in times of need (also what I am going through.)  Jotting down blog ideas will definitely be part of my plan from now on. 

What do you guys do when you're feeling uninspired? Let a sista know! Hope you're all having a wonderful week and Happy Easter :)

black layers

I love having pieces that I can incorporate into different outfits in different ways. Dresses make for great layering pieces because you can wear them every season; paired with tights in the winter, over a shirt in the fall, with a denim jacket in the spring and on its own in the summer.  In this outfit, I threw on a fuzzy sweater over a chiffon shift dress, which is also the same dress in my previous xoxo gossip girl post. 

Black, like almost everyone else, is my favorite color to wear and to buy. When I have a monochromatic outfit, I like to mix different textures so it creates more personality to my overall look. I mixed a furry-type texture with chiffon along with leather making each piece stand out while being the same color.

Today is actually the first day of spring, so happy spring everyone! To those in NYC, what a wonderful spring welcoming we have received.. cold crisp air with chances of snow tonight. Global warming at its finest. 

xoxo

Hey Upper East Siders. Gossip Girl here and I have the biggest news ever. One of my many sources, kay-ng, sends us this: "Spotted at Grand Central with a trench coat, cheetah print scarf, and Stuart Weitzman boots: Kara Ng." 

Do we have any Gossip Girl fans here?! I knew I had to include that Gossip Girl reference in this blog post when I decided to snap some photos in Grand Central. Being in Grand Central makes me want to just hop on a train and head to an unknown destination, just so I can have some real thinking time on the journey there. Does anyone else ever feel that way? Having the urge to just pack a bag and go on an adventure. If I could, I definitely would. If I could, I would travel all around the world. The top few places I want to visit are: Bali, Greece, Morocco, France, Rome and London. But 1. I can't afford it since I'm just a little college student with a part time paying internship 2. I still have school 3. I hate planes and 4. I can't afford it. If my life was the way Serena or Blair's lives were, I'd be flying to different countries every week in my private plane, but unfortunately that only happens in my dreams.

xoxo,

Gossip Girl