A Glimpse of Glam

Hey everyone!

Long time no see! I hope you are all doing well! I’m just chillin here greeting you guys while wearing this men’s dress shirt I borrowed from a friend. No big deal. Nothing out of the ordinary for me. Just kidding, because it is. It’s definitely something different for me. I’ve seen all over Pinterest and Instagram ways to style a men’s shirt for women, whether it be transforming it into a dress, or simply wearing an oversized one for a casual outfit, but I’ve never actually gone and tried it out myself. Today I wanted to give you guys something fun and creative for some style inspiration, and hopefully I succeeded in styling this men’s shirt!




This post was inspired (but not sponsored) by a company called Dia & Co, which is a curated shopping experience that allows you to try out various clothing items before you decide whether it is for you and purchase it! It’s all online, so it’s perfect for all you lazy hermits out there (myself included). Through a Dia & Co subscription, you essentially get a Dia box that has 5 items that are hand-picked just for you. By creating a personal style profile, stylists will be able to figure out the best pieces for you. You get to try them on in the comfort of your own home, return the ones you don’t like and only buy the ones you like.

With that, having a personal stylist through this online shopping experience gives you the opportunity to experiment with things you wouldn’t have thought of before. This allows you to try out things you normally wouldn’t wear. Sometimes it’s good to break that barrier, and toss away the security blanket. You can’t always resort to the things that fit within your comfort zone, or else you will never get the chance to try out new styles that you love but haven’t dared to wear.






They say fake it till you make it. I keep that phrase in my head whenever I hesitate to wear something different from what I normally do. But you don’t need to take a huge leap. Small baby steps work too. Which is pretty much what I did here today. Confidence is key when rocking any and all outfits.

As mentioned before, I always see pictures on Pinterest and Instagram of women incorporating men’s shirts into their own outfits. They would do things like wrap it around in a certain way and tie the sleeves to create a strapless dress, or pull down the collar and button it up only enough for an off-the-shoulder style. Or just simply throwing it on and wearing it as a casual shirt-dress. I come across many of those, and I always wanted to try. But never actually got around to doing it. Today, though. I did. I finally tried that out. And I gotta say, it was really exciting and fun to wear something that makes me just a bit nervous and hesitant.





I borrowed a shirt from my friend that is a color I actually do not own at all. I literally own nothing lavender. And yet, surprisingly, that color worked really well with things I already had. I guess this style challenge almost goes two ways, styling a men’s shirt and trying out a color I never really thought of wearing before. All my clothes are typically brighter and vibrant in color and pattern, or else they are muted and neutral. I don’t think I own anything that’s pastel hued, except for maybe some pajamas or tank tops. I am definitely pleasantly surprised that this worked out so well with items from my existing wardrobe.




In a way, I branched out and tried something fun and out of my comfort zone, while still maintaining a good grasp on my security blanket. I didn’t go and wear something completely crazy and wild. Like I mentioned previously, baby steps. Just different enough to make you question if this actually works, without giving you too much anxiety that you need a paper bag over your head to leave the house.





Here I styled the lavender shirt with a black and white printed skirt I got last year. You might recognize it from one of the posts from my New England cruise travel series I wrote last fall. I had to wear tights because it is still a bit chilly here in Seattle, even though it’s April. It was actually rainy out in the morning, but the sun came out just in time for these photos! I finished off the outfit with these grey ankle boots. The grey brings out the soft pastel lavender from the dress shirt because they are both cool-toned. If it was warmer out so that I hadn’t worn tights, I would have gone with my black lace-up ballerina flats, or some sandals instead. But, with the nearly opaque black tights, the grey shoes broke up the monotony of the black by bringing out the lavender of the top.






That same friend who I borrowed this shirt from happens to be my model for the JORD wood watch post from a while ago! He’s also an art major, and I got him to help me take these photos. You probably can tell the difference between these photos and ones I’ve had before in previous posts. Working with someone who is an artist is so different from working with my sister for photos. I usually get my sister to take my outfit photos, and for the most part I tell her where to stand to shoot from, essentially acting as part director. However, for these photos I acted only as the model, and my friend took prerogative as the photographer. There is such a distinct composition and technique difference when I got my friend to take these photos. I’ve never really worked with anyone else before for my outfit photos, so I am definitely considering getting more of my fellow artist friends to take photos for me to see that would turn out.

What do you think? Lemme know in the comments below your experiences working with photographers, and who usually takes your photos for you!






We really got lucky when the sun came out in time for these photos. It was a gloomy rainy day all morning. At first, I was planning on just going to this covered area for the pictures, but I am so glad we got to take these photos out in the sun by the blooming cherry blossom trees. These cherry blossoms are out later this year than previous years. They typically bloom mid March, but this year it took until late March to appear. As with every year, this is the time when the Quad gets insanely crowded with people because of the cherry blossoms. There were so many people out lounging on the grass, having picnics, bringing out their dogs, and of course taking pictures. It gets almost irritating with so many people there because it’s hard to get by. But yesterday ended up perfect because it wasn’t as crowded as it had been last week.




I love how the flowers and cherry blossoms created the perfect backdrop for these photos. They helped accentuate the spring feel. When there is a slight breeze, some of the petals would fall and flutter in the air, almost creating the effect of snow. Even though it is annoying how these cherry blossoms increase tourism, there is definitely something magical about it nevertheless. Where you guys live, do you get to experience the beauty of these cherry blossoms? 

I don't know if you guys noticed or not, but I actually recently cut my hair quite a bit! I chopped off about 7 inches or so. It feels really different when I'm styling my hair now! But, now that I've cut my hair to a shorter length, I'm tempted to chop it even shorter. Perhaps to a lob. Or even a bob. I probably won't because last time I did, it took awhile for it to grow back. And I always feel more limited in terms of styling my hair when my hair is shorter. Though I do really love having shorter hair too. Comment down below if you know what I mean! Also, lemme know what your biggest hair transformation ever was!

Comment down below what you thought! As a female, how would you style a men’s dress shirt? Do you like shopping in the men’s section? Lemme know down in the comments below what you think! I would love for more ideas on how you guys would style a men’s shirt! 

Thank you all for stopping by and reading! I hope you guys are having a fabulous week, and a wonderful April so far!


Til next time,
~A

Hey everyone!

Spring has finally sprung, and warmer weather is slowly creeping upon us. That is, just barely. Just awhile ago the east coast was hit with a winter storm. So, I guess we are still feeling some of residuals of this long winter we’ve been having. But, soon enough I’ll be able to break out those brighter colors and lighter layers again. I can’t wait to wear wispy skirts and crop tops without fear of shivering like crazy.

Thank you all for your lovely comments from my previous post! I haven't really featured anyone other than myself before here, so that was definitely very different. I just might see if I could get him to reappear on my blog, or my other friends too. Would you like to see more style posts featuring other people?

I hope you all liked that giveaway I had with JORD wood watches. It was really fun and new collaboration because I've admired their watches for a long time now. Getting the chance to work with them for that was definitely a wonderful experience. I love the watch I ended up getting for the style post. It is so beautifully made, and the idea of a nice watch made with wood rather than a precious metal is definitely appealing.

I hope you are all doing well because it’s been a long time. I’ve explained previously that I will keep trying to update whenever I can, as I prefer to post content I feel I have actually put effort into rather than filler posts. It’s been a crazy busy year, and it’s only March. However, I gotta say it’s also been quite a productive, and inspiration filled several months. As I am already rapidly approaching my last year of university because I am nearing the end of my third year (at least that’s what it is so far unless I have to extend a year), there’s a lot to be done to finish up requirements and the sorts. I’ve also decided to double major, which means more classes to take and finish up. Despite these crazy months, I feel like I’m finally creating things I’m proud of.

I’m thinking of creating a post, or a short series, later on in the summer about my university experience. I always talk about it, but never really got around to really explaining more about it. As I know my fellow blogger friends and readers vary in age, this could potentially help you if you will soon start your own college experience, or this could be something you might possibly relate to and can reminisce of.

Please lemme know what you think! Would you be interested in hearing more about my college experience?

Brown Backpack - link HERE

A while ago, I received from Gamiss a GORGEOUS, and I’m talking GORGEOUS brown bag. It’s a small backpack sort of style, but is better for an everyday handbag/purse purpose. The straps attach on separately with hooks, and both could be detached. You can convert the backpack into a longer shoulder bag if you wanted. This bag is literally the bag I’ve been reaching for ever since I got it.

I’ve received so many compliments on my bag because the style and color is absolutely perfect. The shape of it works well as a purse because it is big enough to hold everything you would need, including an umbrella and water bottle. Believe me, I know this because I’ve tried. With the insanely fickle rainy/sunny/cloudy weather going on, I’ve started just carrying around an umbrella just in case.

This bag is probably the highlight of what I got from Gamiss. I highly recommend this bag to you if you are looking for a new bag this spring season.   The only thing I don’t like about it is the front clasp. It has a little turn knob that can be difficult at times to match with the hole, but it isn’t a huge problem. Other than that, it’s seriously the best. The light brown color matches nearly everything. While I haven’t fully started wearing my spring clothes yet, I definitely think that this would work well with bright spring colors. This shade of brown is the kind that is versatile enough to pair nicely with almost everything.

Striped Pants

 Another thing I recently got from Gamiss are these striped pants. They are black with vertical red and white stripes. I’ve been eyeing these pants for a long time now because this style of pants is one I’m very much into. Whenever I’m feeling lazy (which is almost everyday because I am a proudly self-declared lazy hermit), I like throwing on some joggers or loose pants rather than something fitted. These are super comfy! I like the vertical stripes on them, which helps to break up the black. These are high-waisted and pair nicely with any kind of shorter crop top.

Striped Pants - link HERE

Here I styled the pants with a simple cropped knit sweater and a black leather jacket. I threw on some black boots to finish it off. I wore this exact outfit a couple times already because it is insanely comfortable, yet looks nice. I love the slight rocker-chic edge the pants paired with the boots create.

Striped Pants - link HERE

Side note, the sweater is something I got elsewhere along with some other things I will be reviewing. I will be doing a whole other post on that as well later on! So stay tuned for that review.

And same with the outfit featured with that gorgeous brown bag…

It’s been a crazy busy several months, and I have a lot of things to review and post! So many ideas and so little time. Ya feel me?

I’ve gotten stuff from Gamiss before, and I’ve yet to be disappointed! Okay, let’s hope I don’t jinx that. Coincidentally, last time I also ended up getting a bag and scarves.

With the pants and the bag, I also got a couple of scarves.You know me and my love of scarves. I adore scarves because they are the best accessory ever. They aren’t just for looks, but have purposes too. Well, to some extent. Because there are those flimsy puny thin scarves that don’t serve any other purpose than to accessorize. But, that’s beyond my point.

I chose two lighter weight scarves than ones I’ve been getting this past winter. These scarves are perfect to transition from the cold months into the coming spring. They are super soft, and the colors would work well with a spring color theme.

White Scarf - sold out but similar one HERE Striped Scarf - link HERE

The white scarf has black music notes in varying sizes printed on. It is a fun pattern that isn’t too overwhelming or distracting because of the simple black on white. This would look good with a cropped jacket and skirt, or maybe layered with another scarf for a slightly warmer, thicker fit.

The second one is a creamy white with orangey-brown and black stripes. There are other ones as well in other colors. The stripes on this scarf range from thick and thin. This scarf has warmer hues in comparison to the cool white of the other scarf. I adore the classy look of this scarf. The first one is more fun and playful, whereas this one has a more elegant feel.

I wore the white scarf with music notes in the outfit with the striped pants. You can also see a hint of the striped scarf in the photos with that brown bag. I definitely am looking forward to integrating these two pieces into my current collection of scarves!

What are some of your tricks for dealing with fickle weather? I hate having to choose between a raincoat or wearing a cute jacket but needing an umbrella. I do have a nice raincoat, but that doesn’t mean I want to wear it literally every single day because of the possibility of rain! Comment down below how you deal with unpredictable spring weather!

Perhaps it is a bit excessive, but I like to carry an umbrella AND have on my raincoat. I like being protected from the rain. Even though I live in Seattle which is a fairly rainy cloudy place, I still don’t like having to deal with rainy days. Light drizzles I can handle, but when it’s literally pouring I would rather be inside than out and about.

Speaking of pouring rain, this past weekend the weather was so insanely stormy. But, my friends and I made the most of the day. Because guess what? We watched the new live-action version of Beauty and the Beast.

Some of you may already know this because I posted on my Instagram story a silly video of me by the huge Beauty and the Beast display inside the IMAX theaters lobby.

The movie was really funny and entertaining! I like how it was mostly true to the original, with its own unique flairs. However, I do feel slightly disappointed because my favorite moments from it were not included. SPOILER ALERT!! Like how in the Disney version Gaston ate a dozen eggs raw, or the moment when the Beast fed the birds?! What happened to that?! Also, I kept pointing out to my friends how it looked like Belle was wearing a generic version of Toms for shoes. For those of you who have watched the movie already, did you notice that? I couldn’t stop laughing at that for some reason. But otherwise, it was a good movie. Emma Watson did a great job, and I like the backstory they created for Belle.

Have you watched the new Beauty and the Beast yet? Lemme know in the comments below what you thought!

I also heard that there will be live-action remakes of The Little Mermaid and Mulan as well. I already watched the trailer for The Little Mermaid, which will be closer in story to the original Hans Christian Anderson fairytale than the Disney version. I found that trailer here. Apparently the live-action version of Mulan will be quite different too. I like how they are starting to do remakes of old classics, but that’s also my whole childhood we are dealing with here. On one hand I admire the unique flairs on these classics, and I understand that Disney versions are not very true to the original fairytales. However, I grew up knowing the Disney version better, and I can’t help but be a bit of a critic while watching these new remakes.

Tis all for now! This post got quite lengthy in terms of life updates and other content.

Please lemme know down in the comments below what you thought!! Have you gotten anything from Gamiss recently? Are you the type to prefer larger bags for everyday use, or do you lean more towards smaller purses? What are you most excited about for this upcoming spring? 

Thank you all for stopping by and visiting my corner of the cyberworld. I wish you all a fantastic day!


Til next time,
~A

Hey everyone!

Before I start I wanted to thank you all for your lovely comments on my previous post! It was a difficult post to write because politics is a topic that definitely requires some careful handling. The issue of politics has plagued the US for a long while now, and in the last month it’s really escalated. I felt a huge urge to share my thoughts, despite the fact that it is a sensitive topic to discuss. I tried to stay as objective as I could because I know that I personally do not have the best knowledge of politics, and insulting the side I disagree with doesn’t help push things towards the right path. There’s a difference between insulting and harping on what you don’t like, and venting and persuading others to see your point of view. It’s one thing to understand the other side, and it’s another to be narrow minded and stubborn. As I created this blog as a way to discuss various topics that includes politics and human rights, I definitely felt like it was necessary to address this topic and at the least let you guys know how I’m feeling.

That being said...

So sorry it’s been forever since I’ve last posted! I swear this time of year last year I was also this absent. I feel like winter quarter is the most difficult of all quarters at university. When midterms pop up, I seriously cannot do anything else but study, work on my projects, eat and sleep. Barely sleeping at that. I spent so much time at the studio for my printmaking class that I felt like I had moved in. My friend even joked that I should just set up a bed there.

I hope you are all doing well! I’m trying to make my way around to all your blogs again to update myself on what’s happening in your lives. Gonna try and get back into the groove of things. Blogging is like riding a bicycle: once you have learned, it comes back to you fast. Though, to be honest, I actually haven’t ever really learned how to ride a bike. But that’s besides the point. This post isn’t about my apparent lack of basic skills. That’s a story for another day.

As someone who generally creates a lot of artworks, and is in an art studio quite often, I gravitate towards dark or black clothing to prevent anything from staining. Though, colors can still stain on black, it’s not as painstakingly obvious as a bright blue stain on a crisp white shirt. I also like to change into sweats when I know it will really get messy, just as a definite precaution. Point is, black clothing is something I know I turn to quite often, and i’m sure you do as well. Black is easy to style, and works well for so many occasions.

I recently received some stuff from Zaful that I am quite pleased with. I got a black blanket scarf that I have literally worn at least once or twice a week for the past several weeks. I can most certainly vouch for how cozy and warm this scarf is. It’s helped me out during those cold winter mornings when I’m waiting for the bus. I also got a black off the shoulder top that doesn’t work the best now, but would be perfect when the weather warms up a tad. The last item of clothing to share is this black lace up dress that is definitely hitting the current trend. I like how it has a slight boho feel because of the shape of the sleeves coupled with the lace up front, but with it in black it makes it easy to style as edgy or casual or girly or whatever is up your alley!

Blanket Scarf - link HERE

The black scarf I got probably is my favorite of the three items. I love how I can bundle up in it. Whoever invented blanket scarves is my savior!! I seriously reach for one every single morning because they are an easy accessory and are ridiculously comfortable.

Blanket Scarf

I love throwing it on over a simple top as an easy way to add pattern and variety to my look. Here, I had on this burgundy-hued long sleeve paired with black pants and grey heeled ankle boots. By adding the blanket scarf, it quickly accessorized it into something that looks less lazy and quickly thrown together. Plus, it really helped me keep warm that snowy day.

Obviously this next set of pictures were taken on a different day because the snow is all gone. I had to choose a time when it was slightly warmer to wear the off the shoulder top I got. I can’t show the off the shoulder style very well if I’m bundled up, now can I?

There was one day in January where the weather actually warmed up significantly, for only a few hours in the afternoon. Almost as if it was meant for me to use that time for outfit photos. Then it subsequently got cold again, and I ran back inside to wrap myself up like a burrito.


With this black off the shoulder top, I chose to wear it with black and white patterned pants and a brown jacket. The pattern on the pants is attention grabbing, but balanced and quiet enough to complement the black top without stealing the show. This top does have skinny straps with it, which is nice because it helps it sit comfortably.

Black off-the-shoulder top - link HERE

I wore a brown jacket to break up the monochrome look. I’m sure you’ve all seen this jacket plenty of times before already in previous posts. Plus, the high collar of the jacket is really what appealed most to me. The contrast between that higher collar and the low off-the shoulder top works well because the top under the jacket looks mostly like it has a straight across neckline.

Black Off-The-Shoulder Blouse

I definitely won’t be able to wear this outfit until March because it’s been freezing cold here. It’s more of a spring outfit, so in looking ahead for the spring, this black blouse would definitely be a good choice! By paring with this outfit some brown booties, this definitely added to the whole spring look vibe.

Black Lace Up Knit Dress - link HERE

The last thing I wanted to share with you all is this gorgeous lace-up black dress that is on trend right now. The whole lace-up front is something that I’ve seen pop up from many retailers and designers, and it’s typically on sweaters. I like how this one is on a black dress. It has the same casual feel of a lace-up sweater, but as a dress it’s more versatile to incorporate into various different looks. Like I mentioned before, you can dress it up or down to give off an alternate feel.

Black lace-up dress

Here, I chose to wear it simply as is with a pair of black boots. I have a thing for ankle boots, which I’m sure you can all tell by now. I have a petite frame, and wearing ankle boots flatters my legs more. I love higher boots like knee-high or even over-the-knee boots, but they can shrink the length of my legs and make me look shorter and stumpier. But, it also depends on the style of boots too. I just personally really like the way ankle boots look.

Lately, I’ve been leaning towards simpler looks. Letting clothes speak for themselves through subtle textural contrasts or color themes. Perhaps you can add on a belt to accentuate your frame, or maybe layer on some bracelets for that extra bling. But I like the loose flow of this dress, and the swingy sleeves are speaking to me as well.



I didn’t wear tights here because I also took these photos when it was a bit warm out. BUT, I definitely will have to wear tights if I wear this dress in the next couple weeks because it’s been freeeeezing. Have I mentioned enough times how cold it’s been? Hahaha repetitive, I know. But seriously. This winter has been crazy.

We finally got snow a couple days ago!! So much snow in fact, classes were canceled! That hasn’t happened since high school. It started snowing on Sunday night, and we all thought it wouldn’t stick. We’ve had a few false alarms earlier in the year with light snow that melted within a couple hours. However, it kept snowing harder and harder and by the next morning, I got a notification that classes were canceled. Some of my neighbors who are in elementary school also had a snow day as well. Pretty much everyone did because we got SO much snow!!

I built an adorable snowman with my sister and named him Pablo. When we went for a walk, it was so incredible difficult to not sink in and slip and fall. All you out there who live in snowy wintery places probably think I sound like I’ve just experienced snow for the first time. But, seriously, it was such a magical incredible moment. We haven’t had a blanket of snow like that in many years! Definitely a great little surprise! If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen Pablo chilling on my front lawn. He’s leaned over quite a bit now that the snow is melting. But he’s still intact!

Definitely head on over to Zaful to find these awesome articles of clothing I got! If you don't like wearing just black, they have a selection of blanket scarves to choose from that vary in color and pattern as well. For their prices, their quality is really good and I am definitely satisfied with what I got. I am so psyched that I got the dress because I can really see myself incorporating it into many more outfits when the weather warms up. I love wearing loose flowy dresses with shorter, structured jackets. Head over to Zaful and lemme know what you think!

I know I’ve been quite MIA lately. I definitely will be trying my best to update more often. It can be a challenge sometimes. I’ve noticed that I’ve been less inspired lately because I’ve been so stressed out with school. I’ve had these blogposts planned out for awhile now. I just haven’t gotten to writing it because I felt stuck staring at my laptop screen. It’s difficult to get your creative juices flowing again if you’re wiped out and mentally exhausted. I really like putting in effort into my posts to convey my authentic self as best I can. Though I can just write some short posts that are mostly filled with pictures, or a quick inspiration post, that’s not really showcasing my own voice. To me, it’s not about upping the amount of blogposts I can crank out. It’s about making creative content that reflects me. Anyways, thank you for being patient with me!

Are you for or against the whole lace-up trend? How have you been staying warm this winter? What are you most looking forward to this coming spring? Please lemme know in the comments down below!! I would love to hear your thoughts!!

Thank you all so much for stopping by and reading! I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far!


Til next time,
~A