How I Found My Personal Style

For as long as I can remember, I've always loved clothes and fashion, and I've always had a very strong vision of what I like to wear. However, that's not to say that my style has stayed the same, in fact it has changed quite a bit especially in the past year. I think that is mainly down to the fact that I 1. have started to feel more like an adult than I ever have before and 2. because I have started to consume more and more fashion content. I thought today I'd share a few tips on what I found most helpful to hone my style.

Do a Thorough Wardrobe Clear-Out ~ When I really got an itch to revamp my wardrobe I started out by clearing out everything in my closet, and by everything I mean everything. When I had everything laid out I realized how much stuff I had in my closet that hadn't been worn in years. I had shirts that I had not worn since high school and so many other things that just would not fit my aesthetic at all now. I would recommend taking everything physically out of your wardrobe/closet/drawers just so that you can see everything and consider every piece to either keep or get rid of. It has also helped me to do pretty consistent clear-outs on a smaller scale if I don't find myself wearing certain pieces or if I want to replace something that already exists in my closet with a newer or better version.

Take Inspiration from Everywhere ~ I think taking inspiration from everywhere has really helped me hone in my personal style, because at the end of the day I think that what you wear is a direct reflection of your personality and interests. I personally take a lot of my inspiration from the music I listen to and my parents. I am a big fan of rock music, especially 60s and 70s rock like The Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan, The Doors, The Ramones, and the list just goes on and on. I love the toughness of rock music and emulating that in my style and combining it with slightly more feminine pieces has made me really be able to express what I like beyond just fashion. My parents also are big influences on my fashion. A few months ago I found an amazing picture of my dad in the late 70s wearing the most amazing white Levi 501s. I've loved Levis for as long as I've been wearing jeans but that picture really made me love 501s that much more, especially since 70s fashion is back in style. My mom's philosophy of buying classic tailored pieces(oh and not to mention her intense love of black boots) has also been a massive influence on my style. I don't buy much trend-driven clothing, but rather interesting and well-made basics that are versatile and can be dressed up or down.

Devour Fashion Content ~ As I mentioned before, I've been consuming even more fashion content than I did before. I've taken more interest in it and found it so much more entertaining than I ever have in the past. I watched a video with Camille Rowe and British Vogue where she goes through her closet and explains her fashion philosophy, which is very much in-line with mine, where she prioritizes comfort over everything and likes to elevate the most basic outfit like jeans and a t-shirt, with fun vintage tees and amazing-fitting jeans. I also love Lizzy Hadfield, for really interesting takes on rather minimalistic outfits. Lizzy's instagram is absolutely incredible, her blog is incredibly well-written, and her YouTube videos on testing fashion basics are amazing and so well-thought out. Anna fromThe Anna Edit also has great taste and really focuses on basic, classic pieces that look really smart and minimalist. I've found that consuming a lot of fashion content has re-inspired me to be experimental with my wardrobe, while allowing me to really pick out styles I do like and styles that I don't think would be best suited on me.

Play Dress-Up ~ After I did my full wardrobe clear-out and found new ideas for outfits, I took it upon myself to try on as many outfit combinations as possible. I also made a concerted effort to use the inspiration I had found on the fashion bloggers and accounts that I had seen to put together pieces that I had never put together before and see if they worked. I found this really helpful for cutting down on feeling the urge to fill holes in my wardrobe because sometimes pairing a piece with a piece you wouldn't normally pair it with is enough to see the piece in a totally different light. For me, this was the most crucial part in honing in my style because it allowed me to use the clothes I already own and experiment with them so I'm not getting stuck in a fashion rut.

11 Highlights From My 21st Year

This past Wednesday I turned 22 and I feel like I am well and truly in my 20s, which has made me have mixed feelings. On the one hand your twenties are some of the most exciting and fun years, but its also the decade full of very extreme change and tough future-oriented decisions. 21 definitely gave me a taste of a lot of the negative and positive aspects of being a 20-something and while it was not always the easiest year, it was one of the most rewarding on a personal, academic, and professional level. 

Turning 21 ~ My 21st birthday was definitely a night that I will remember forever. Where I go to college there is a tradition to do a bar crawl on your 21st birthday, and while I would never ever want to do the bar crawl again (no one needs to consume that much alcohol on two separate occasions lol) it was easily one of funnest and most quintessentially "college" nights with my friends. 

Spending More Time with Friends ~ Over the summer my life went through a pretty massive shift, which I have discussed before but it made me realize how amazing and important my friends are to me and my happiness. For the first time in awhile I made a concerted effort to see my friends consistently and go out and truly be a 21 year old. I learned this summer that even though I don't have a giant friend group, the friends I have are my rock and if shit hits the fan they will always be there. 

Outside Lands 2016 ~ In August I went to my third Outside Lands, and much to my surprise, one of my friends was able to get us media passes, which meant that we could go backstage and even be onstage for several performances. It was easily one of the most incredible experiences and while going to three-day-long festivals are never a completely smooth experience, it was the most fun I had had in awhile. I have never danced or laughed harder than I did at OSL 2016.

Starting My Last Year of College ~ September marked the beginning of my final year in college. It's definitely been a bitter-sweet experience and I'm sure I will be bawling during my graduation. If anything, knowing this is my final year has made me take advantage of everything my college town has to offer because I won't be staying here after I graduate. It's made me spend a lot more time with my friends at school too because chances are we will all be going in different directions after college and these are the last moments for us to all be together.

Practicing Self-Care ~ Whether it's lighting my favorite candle, watching an old movie, or doing a face mask, this year has taught me to just take a pause and treat myself every once and awhile when things get stressful.

Returning to Photography ~ I've been really into photography since I was a teenager and I took two photography classes when I was in high school. However, because my schedule was so crazy for a good five months in the middle of the year, going out and taking pictures got put on the back burner. As a challenge to myself, I've been trying to post one Instagram per week and to shoot one roll of film per month. So far it's going pretty well and I will definitely be sharing my film photos in an upcoming content series!

Doing Yoga ~ Following along the whole self-care theme of this year, I have gotten really into doing yoga. I have spoken about doing yoga before on this blog but I really came to appreciate it this year especially since I have never been busier or more stressed than I was at certain points this year. I just love yoga because it allows me to be calm and centered while getting a good workout in.

Finishing Senior Thesis ~ Part of the reason why I've been so absentee from this blog is because I was in the process of finishing up my senior thesis in order to graduate from undergrad. I finished my thesis in March and I have never worked harder or been more dedicated to a project in my life. While it was one of the most demanding projects I have ever worked on, it is something that I will forever be proud of and it felt amazing to have a project that I can point to as the culmination of my academic career as an undergraduate. 

Traveling ~ I also got to travel a lot more as a 21 year old and it's something that I become more and more comfortable with and excited about as time goes on. I've always loved traveling but its nice to be able to do it as an adult with my friends and boyfriend. This past March I went to New York and Chicago and while they were both cities I had been to before, it was a whole new experience since I was with different people and I was able to do and see so much more. 

Spending Time with Family ~ With all of the massive changes that have happened this year, I have learned to appreciate my time with family that much more. I love my family and am very close to them and I think I had a real turnaround moment this year when I realized that once I graduate I probably won't have as much time to see them as I have in the past. Some of the best memories over the past year have been with my family and I think as you reach adulthood, you begin to see your family in a whole new light and appreciate them for different reasons. 

Truly Being Challenged ~ Between thesis, starting my last year of college, planning for the future, and all of the changes in my personal life I really have been challenged this year both in terms of what I want out of life and who I want to surround myself with. It sounds really cheesy but I think I have found a good balance of pushing myself out of my comfort zone and surrounding myself with people who make me want to leave my comfort zone, without being pushed to my limits. If there's anything I've learned this year, it's that balance is key and not being challenged at all whether its at school or in a relationship, is never good. Being challenged is the only thing that keeps you moving forward. 

The Glossier Cloud Paints | A Review

It's definitely no secret at this point that I am a big Glossier fan. In fact, at this point I think I can easily say that Glossier has become one of my favorite and most used brands. I find myself using at least two or three of their products on an everyday basis. So when I found out about a month ago that Glossier was adding blushes to their range, I got very excited. There isn't a day that I wear makeup that I don't wear blush. I personally feel that because I am so pale, blush gives me a dose of some much-needed color and dimension. I held off on writing this post till I had thoroughly put all of the Cloud Paints to the test.

I decided to get all four shades because after watching them demoed on the Glossier website, I realized that they all can work on my paler skin. One thing that I love about Glossier is that they try to be as inclusive as possible when coming up with color products and they take a wide array of skintones in consideration. All of the shades are demoed on very pale to very deep skin on the website and I think they look beautiful on all the models. The first shade is Puff, which is a pale baby pink. I was a bit wary about this shade at first just because it is such a pale pink, but it gives a beautiful flush that doesn't read as powdery or ashy. The next lightest shade is Beam, which is a a true peach that doesn't read as orange on the skin (which I am prone to). Dusk is a brownish rose, which I thought would only look good on darker skintones but looks good on paler skin as a kind of blush/contour hybrid. And then there's Haze, the darkest and most pigmented of the shades. I absolutely love Haze for a very healthy berry flush that looks most similar to the way my cheeks naturally flush when I'm out in the cold.

Now onto formula, which is where I think the Cloud Paints really stand apart from most other blush formulations. The best way to describe the formula is a thicker liquid that almost resembles the texture of a lightweight liquid foundation. The blush definitely dries down but more as a stain than as a powder. I personally love the formula because I think it looks incredibly natural and the shades lend themselves to looking as though it is just your natural flush. If you don't have perfect skin you might want to use these blushes before you use any concealer because they do have a tendency to shift whatever base you have underneath. I don't find this to be a deal-breaker for me because I tend to wear little to no foundation, but it can be more of a problem if you were to wear a very full coverage foundation. Longevity-wise, the Cloud Paints really do amazingly because of that stain-like dry down that they have. However, because of that I would say that you need to use a very minimal amount of product because they are pretty pigmented and you need to be pretty quick to blend them in because once they set they don't really budge.

Orange Eyeshadows for Spring

The transition from winter to spring is often a welcome one for me. The longer days and the less rainy weather is always a nice change. I also find myself eager to get out of my autumn/winter rut by wearing warmer weather clothes and lighter makeup. However, because it isn't quite summer I don't feel like going totally minimal and summery with my makeup. Over the past year I've adopted a very minimal approach to eyeshadow in general. On most days I either wear no eyeshadow at all or a wash of one color all over the lids.

For the spring time I've been loving the whole orange eyeshadow trend. Normally I'm not one for trends but I love the way orangey-tone eyeshadows look against my blue eyes. These kinds of eyeshadows also maintain a kind of grungey look (which I love) without looking out of place for the warmer months. I have a fair few orange eyeshadows in my collection, the most wearable of them being Soba by MAC. Soba is the least orange and lightest of the shades and its a good starting point if you're a bit weary of full on orange eyeshadows. I also love the consistency of Soba, in that it isn't completely matte but it also doesn't have very noticeable shimmer, it sits in that nice sweet spot between the two finishes. If you're on the hunt for a more full-on orange I'd say go for Saddle by MAC. It definitely is not bright orange but it is a very orange-toned brown that looks incredible as an all over wash on the lids and smudged underneath. I find myself wearing this color almost every single day and I don't see that stopping any time soon. Last but not least is the palette I would recommend for orange-toned eyeshadows. There are definitely brighter and more daring eyeshadow palettes on the market, but I think the Becca Ombre Rouge is the best option if you want more orange toned shades but still want something that is both wearable and versatile. The second darkest caramel shade is very similar to Saddle and it looks amazing either used in the crease with some of the lighter shades in the palette or used all over the lids with the dark burgundy in the crease. While this palette screamed Fall/Winter to me at first, I think I will be getting a ton of use out of it in the springtime for darker, going-out looks.

5 Tips For Buying Vintage Levis

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year or two, you are probably well aware that vintage Levis, particularly 501s, have re-emerged as a bonafide wardrobe staple. From a young age, I loved the look of 501s, especially because 1. I am from San Francisco (the city where Levis was founded) where Levis are practically a religion and 2. my dad who is my best bud and the ultimate cool guy used to wear them all the time during his teen years in the 70s and early 80s. To me, they are the classic jean and I do not think that I will ever be without them in my wardrobe. Levis' still makes 501s both for men and women, and while they retain the classic shape of the style and the heavy denim feel, I think that vintage 501s reign supreme. Despite vintage Levis being ubiquitous in the fashion discourse nowadays, they are not always the easiest items to get ahold of, so I thought that I'd give you some of my top tips on how to find the perfect vintage Levis.

Decide Whether or Not You Like the Feel of Heavy Denim ~ I think it's safe to assume that the majority of use have become accustomed to pretty stretchy and comfy jeans. However, stretchy and comfy vintage Levis are not. Because they are 100% cotton and have absolutely no elastane in them, vintage Levis have a very structured and rigid feel, which can take some getting used to if you don't wear heavy denim already. I personally do not mind at all the feeling of vintage Levis and am willing to make some concessions on comfort (not to say that they aren't comfortable at all, they just aren't as comfortable as some of my stretchier skinny jeans) for the look of that very structured denim. Before you invest in a pair, make sure you will be ok with that more rigid feel and be comfortable enough to wear them.

Know Your Budget ~ The good thing about vintage Levis is that they really can be bought at any price point. The cheapest I have found are around $45-50, but they can run up to as much as $350 a pair. The main difference in price point isn't so much based around quality (because at the end of the day they are all the same kind of jean made by the same manufacturer) as it is based on accessibility and rarity. It is very easy to get ahold of a pair of vintage Levis on Shop Re/Done, which retail for around $250 and are reworked for a more modern fit. However, if your price range is lower than that you will have to do more hunting around in vintage shops to find a pair that suits your needs. It definitely is not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of vintage Levis but if you want ease of access and an older, rarer pair you will most likely have to spend more.

Look for Vintage Stores That Specialize in Vintage Denim ~ While vintage stores will often have vintage jeans, it is even better to go to a vintage store that specializes in vintage denim and particularly vintage Levis because they know their stuff in terms of style and fit (which can be tricky and counterintuitive). My go-to store whenever I want a pair of vintage Levis is Slash Denim in Berkeley because they are practically a Levis-only vintage store and they have a higher quantity of vintage jeans than I have ever seen in any other vintage store (not to mention the fact that their staff is absolutely incredible and its a 35 year-old business).

Give It Time ~ I remember when I started my hunt for the perfect vintage Levi 501s it took me a long time to find the perfect pair and often it was a very frustrating process. If you are trying to do the same, give yourself time to find the perfect pair. It can be difficult to find vintage Levis, because they are just that: vintage, and therefore one-of-a-kind.  Not all 501s are cut the exact same (because they have been around for decades and the style has been altered throughout the years) so it can take some time to find a pair that fit your stylistic criteria. Sizing can also be an issue when it comes to vintage Levis because they do not follow the same sizing that jeans do now. For example I am usually a 27" waist and a 32" leg, however in vintage Levis I am often a 29" waist and a 30" leg. So give it time to find your perfect pair, I promise the wait will be worth it.

Don't Be Afraid to Go to the Tailor ~ Going off the topic of fit and sizing, once you find a pair of vintage Levis do not be afraid to take them to a good tailor if you need to make some adjustments to make them fit exactly the way you want. The first pair of vintage Levis I bought were a pair of 505s that I absolutely loved the fit of but they were a couple inches too long, so I took them to my tailor and had them hemmed to the exact length I needed to make them fit the way I wanted. If you do hem your jeans though make sure to tell your tailor to keep the original hem! Its almost impossible to find a pair of vintage jeans that fit the exact way you want or need them to so don't be afraid to get them hemmed, tapered, or taken in where needed, just make sure you go to a good tailor who is experienced at tailoring denim.

Happy denim shopping!