Volume 1, Issue 82, March 3, 2011: Sexy One Piece Swimsuits

I've put on a little weight in both my butt and thighs and in my breasts and I don't think that I'm bikini ready for this Spring/Summer. I only have two-piece swimsuits right now and I can't exactly fit them as well as I used to. So I'm on the lookout for one piece swimsuits that are slimming, flattering and sexy.

Push-up cutout one piece-$120 from Victoria's Secret

Two Tone One Piece-$44.00 from American Apparel

Red Cutout One Piece-$59 from Venus.com

Scuba Zipper One Piece-$79 from Venus.com

Mermaid Cutout One Piece-$69 from Venus.com

Volume 1, Issue 81, February 7, 2010:What I Wore Project

Day 4

Outfit 4

Chunky Black Sweater-Free from my Uncle

Grey and Black Sweater-Free from my Uncle
Blue Mini skirt-$9.80
Tights-$6.99
Blue and Gold Scarf-$8.99 from a Vendor at the Adams Morgan Day Festival
Red Purse-$7.99 from unique
Socks-$2.80 from Forever 21
Brown Boots-$24.80 from Forever 21

Day 5

Outfit 5 

Grey Sweater-Free from Uncle
Pencil skirt-12.90 from H&M
Grey Winter Tights-$8.90 from H&M
Purple Pumps-$9.99 from Urban Outfitters
Magenta Scarf-$12.90 from H&M
Black and White Earrings-$1.99 from Unique

Day 6

Outfit 6

Dress-$58.00 from Urban Outfitters

Red Patterned Tights-$14.00 from Urban Outfitters

Peep-Toe Black Pumps-$24.80 from Forever 21

Retro Feather Hat-$9.99 from Urban Outfitters

Silver Pyramid Earrings-$1.99 from Unique

Volume 1, Issue 80, January 30, 2010:What I Wore Project

I'm continuing my project slowly but surely. 

Day 3

Outfit 3

Red Long Sleeve Shirt-$8 from Forever 21

Black Skirt-$14.90 at H&M

Grey Winter Tights-$8.90 at H&M

Brown Leather Boots-$24.80 Forever 21

Flower Ring-$5.00 from vendor

Socks-$3.80 Forever 21

Necklace-From my mom or grandmother?

Earrings-$1.99 from Unique

Volume 1, Issue 79, January 27, 2010: What I Wore Project

          I'm in the process of completing a project for one of my fashion courses. The project is called 'What I Wore' and the purpose of the project is to examine the way I dress and what influences my choices. I have to take a picture of 10 outfits over the course of the next couple of days, describe what I'm wearing, where I brought it the clothing items from, and what each item means to me. Here are the first two days of the project:

Day 1

Outfit 1

Sweater-$ 5 from Thrift Store

Jeans-$19.80 from Forever 21
Magenta Flower Scarf-$ 12.90 from H&M
Scarf-Rust Found on subway
Shoes-Free from my mom

Day 2

Outfit Two

Day 2

Outfit 1

Without Coat

Hat-$5 from H&M
Earrings-$2.99 from the thrift store
Scarf-Self-made
Necklace-$9.95 from H&M
Dress-$8.99 from Forever 21
Tunic-$12.80 from Forever 21
Knee high boots-$24.80 from Forever 21

Volume 1, Issue 77, July 22, 2010: The Look I Want For The Fall

Military Rock Glam

Outfit # 1

Outfit # 2

Volume 1, Issue 76, July 14, 2010: What Do I Actually Want To Do When I'm Done Slaving For My Corrupt School

Even though I'm only a Junior, I'm counting down the days until I graduate(667 days bitches). I'm ride or die for 2012. I cannot wait. Once I graduate from school I know that theres no turning back. 


The first thing I want to do is: Get the fuck out of DC before 2013 and kiss all of these capitol hill douches goodbye. I really hate living in DC sometimes. I've been here all my life and I see nothing special or unique about it. I don't understand why DC has so many annoying tourist. Seriously, I'm a DC resident and the Capitol, the Monument, the Air and Space Museum and Pentagon Mall are nothing to get excited over and take annoying group pictures with. 


DC is a great city if you want to go into politics, history, or any type of analytical/logical/thinking sort of career path. DC is not for artistic freaks of nature such as my self. DC is very yuppie, serious and focused on the government. DC has no cool fabric stores, no places were someone can get custom clothes, barely any PR companies, no hot male models running around. Everyone is in the same boring grey/black/dark blue suit. 


It seems everyone around me thinks that I'm strange.Instead of taking the mundane pre-law/pre-med/political science economics track to Georgetown/UMD/UVA/George Mason/GW/VCU like my friends from high school did, I choose to go to Marymount University a small, private, Catholic university in Arlington, VA and major in the unthinkable: FASHION MERCHANDISING. 


I remember when I first told my UVA snob high school friends about my major choice and that I will not be going to UVA with them and they all looked as of I had become a card carrying member of the Westboro Baptist Church. Here were some of my friends actual reactions to my announcement:


"OMG, you're not going to make any money!"
"How are you going to be taken seriously?"
"Are you going to be on Project Runway?"
"Fashion is not important, you need to find something that you can contribute to society."
"I don't understand why anyone would go to school for something so stupid and superficial."


Did mention that I was accepted to UVA a month or two before them and these jealous assholes didn't believe me? I showed them my letters of acceptance, my award package, and even my fucking housing. These douches didn't even want to congratulate me.I guess that they were shocked that a lowly fashion merchandising major such as myself could ever get into UVA.


This is why I want to leave DC because attitudes like that. DC people have very little knowledge about the fashion industry and it's impact. When I say knowledge I mean: knowing about the fabrics names, fiber contents, the difference between Pret A Porter and Haute Couture, the names of all the people who were apart of Marie Antoinette's glam sqaud, the origins and history of fashion trends and styles. Shit like that. People in DC dress ok, nothing really special just 1980s rewinds and trashy overpriced hipster chic and boring generic faux preppy styles. I'm not impressed. People in DC think just because they dress up to the standards of these three genres of style that they are some sort of expert or scholar in fashion. 99% there people buying new clothes everyday and spending their book money on Urban Outfitters wouldn't know who  Charles Frederick Worth was and his amazing contributions to the world of fashion or Jackie Kennedy's favorite designer. 


I'm not trying to bash DC but I'm telling the honest truth. People here don't stand out fashion wise. We all shop at the same store and have the same stupid hairstyles. DC doesn't have a very prominent fashion industry and we don't have a fashion district. So what's the point of me staying in this one horse town? I'm hitting the road and moving where there is more action and creativity. Here are some places I thought about moving to:

-NYC: It's the center of the universe and it has the biggest and most well know fashion industry.
-Tokyo: NYC's Asian sister who is the most expensive city in the world. Japan aka the land of the rising sun,  is my favorite country in the world. I've always been in love with Japanese culture and fashion. It's really expensive so I'm unsure and plus I can't speak Japanese to save my life.
-Singapore: Its a very wealthy, diverse, and eco-friendly tiny Asian Island. It's a stones throw away from Japan, China, and India. Plus, get this, English is there official language.
-Hong Kong: I'm going next summer for my internships and a a couple of classes.
-Miami: It's consider the cleanest major city and the only subtropical major city in Mainland USA. I'm not sure about Miami because I would have to actually get a car to get around the city. But hey, it has a beach.
-Paris: One of the most beautiful cities in the world with also the one of the best cities for fashion.

As far as career paths I'm still indecisive. Here are some possible career choices:

Fashion PR-a fashion publicist helps both apparel companies and retail stores build a desired image to reach their target audience and then maintain it by a variety of creative promotions. They observe social, economic and political trends and decide what could ultimately have an effect on their client and make recommendations for a variety of media events that will put their client in a favorable light with their target audience.

Fashion Buyer- someone who decides what items will be stocked in a store, based on his or her predictions about what will be popular with shoppers. Retail buyers usually works closely with designers, and attend trade fairs and fashion shows to observe trends. They may work for large department stores, chain stores or smaller boutiques. Decisions about what to stock can greatly affect fashion businesses.


Wardrobe stylist-is the job title of someone who selects the clothing for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models or other public figures. Stylists are often part of a larger creative team assembled by the client, collaborating with the fashion designer, photographer/director,hair stylist and makeup artist to put together a particular look or theme for the specific project. A wardrobe stylist can also be referred to as a fashion stylist, fashion editor, or celebrity stylist.

Fashion journalism-is an umbrella term used to describe all aspects of published fashion media. It includes fashion writers, fashion critics or fashion reporters. The most obvious examples of fashion journalism are the fashion features in magazines and newspapers, but the term also includes books about fashion, fashion related reports on television as well as online fashion magazines, websites and blogs. Since pieces more often than not deal with "tendencies" and "trends", which are subjective by nature, and due to a sometimes tenuous relation with facts, the term "journalism" is used as a moniker, but does not carry the overall procedural and deontological aspects of professional journalism.

Volume 1, Issue 75, June 1, 2010: Vintage African Dress

I really love African fabrics; they are very colorful, vibrant and versatile. I always wanted a nice dress made from Kente or Ankara fabric. So I decided, when I get a little bit of money, I'll construct an dress from a vintage 1950s-early 1960s dress pattern. I really love 1950s silhouette they are very flattering to my hourglass type figure. These are just some random fabrics swatches that I like. I want this dress to be very feminine, flirty and be able to be worn during the daytime and the evening.

Here are some dress patterns that I like:

Volume 1, Issue 73, June 19, 2010: Four Must Haves For The Summer

Summer officially starts on Monday June 21. To kick off the start of the Summer, I'm making a list of all the essentials for the Summer 2010.

MAXI DRESS

They are made in jersey, silk, cotton fabrics, they come in multiple colors and prints, and they are great for all shapes and sizes. They are extremely versatile, sexy and boho; you can wear a maxi at the beach or just on a nice day as a casual dress. Maxi dresses are my favorite type of dress to wear in the Summer. I love wearing long dresses because it protects my legs and lower body from insects and mosquito's and it is very easy to wear because I for one feel very uncomfortable in shorts and and pants. Maxi dresses can be dressed up for a nice evening out on the town. Silk scarves, bold jewelry and statement shoes can be perfectly paired with a Maxi Dress.

SEXY SWIMSUITS

Last Summer was my first time in years wearing a two piece. I used to think that I was so fat and dumpy but it's the complete opposite now. I'm in love with my body now and I feel very comfortable stripping down barely there bikinis on the beach. I have brought 3-4 swimsuits in the last couple of months; three came from Target and one came from Aeropostale. The best places to buy swimwear are Target, Aeropostale, VS Pink/Victoria's Secret and H&M has a swimsuits as well(H&M's swimsuits are fucking small. It's like the itty bitty titty committee at that store).

SEXY SANDALS

Sandals are some of the oldest shoes in the World. Everyone has worn them from the Greeks, Romans, Japanese, and SoCal surfers. They come in a variety of different styles and types. I prefer gladiator sandals such as the ones pictured above and flip-flops.

SUNGLASSES

Sunglasses protect your eyes against harmful UV rays, bags under you eyes, and they also make you look badass when you wear certain pairs. I'm not much of a sunglasses person. I don't really like any type of glasses but right now I'm looking for a pair but I'm not sure what type of frame and shape is right for my face. I have some pairs at home but i rarely wear them because I feel like they look funny on me and they make my face look big : /.

Volume 1, Issues 67, June 3, 2010: Where Did All The Supermodels Go?

I've been meaning to write about this issue that has been infecting the fashion industry for at least a decade. When I look at the covers and the contents of fashion industry magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Lucky, Teen Vogue, and Elle Girl, I feel nothing but disappointment. They have some ads from the top designers, very little coverages of special events, fashion shows, trunks shows, lackluster editorials, and the most disheartening thing of it all is, they always have a actress, a singer, or any celebrity. Why? What happened to all the supermodels?

Once upon of time, in a magical kingdom called the 1990s, fashion magazines actually featured models on their cover, such as Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, etc. You learned about their backgrounds, upbringings, their projects, etc. When I look at the magazines today, its full of singers, actresses trying to model. Most of these actresses have enough press and media coverage already as it is. It's a rare opportunity to see supermodels on the cover of Vogue, Elle, or any other high profile fashion magazine. If they ever do they feature a model on the cover it's always Giselle Budenchen, who is past her prime, overrated and boring. I think its very unfair to the majority of models trying to break it in the industry.

  

Models face fierce competition, body image issues, racism, and low pay. Now they have to compete with these outsiders for photo shoots, ad campaigns, and covers. What happened to singers just being singers? Actresses just being actresses, and models just being models? Seriously, why do celebrities think they can do anything just because they have some fame? Most of the actresses/singers who have appeared in the magazines aren't even fresh either, it's like you see the same person on the magazine all the time. Some examples of this: Keira Knightly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Gardner, Sienna Miller(What is her appeal?), Nicole Kidman, Rihanna and her forehead, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus(why God? why?), Kristen Stewart, any other overrated actress/pop star who wants to model.

It's bad enough that we have to see these women on TV and movies all the time. Now I have to read about them in fashion magazines. Some of them can't dress for their life(Beyonce with her ugly mermaid pageant dresses and Kristen Stewart with her coke whore chic). I miss the days when I could name models by just looking at them on paper. This is why there are very few opportunities for models of color also, actresses/pop stars are snatching all of their jobs. These are models who deserve to be on the cover for once, Jordann Dunn, Chanel Iman, Emanuela de Paule, Sessilee Lopez, Du Juan, Crystal Renn, Ling Tan, Ai Tominaga, Juliana Imai, Coco Rocha, etc.

Volume 1, Issue 62, April 24, 2010: Portfolio In Motion "All Doll'd Up" 2010

My university's fashion department puts on an annual fashion show ran by the students called Portfolio in Motion. I was a backstage volunteer and a dresser. Even though I didn't get to actually see the fashion show live I was backstage to see all the wonderful garments that my fellow classmates made.During the planning of the fashion show, students pick a designer as special guest and as the designer of the year to be honored at our fashion show.

 
This year it was Isabel Toledo, the famous Cuban-American designer who created Michelle Obama's lime green Ingauration dress. Also with Isabel, she brought her wonderful illustrator husband Ruben Toledo. He has drawn many designs and sketches for Vogue and also for Isabel. They had came backstage on the first night of the show to see the models and designs, but as usual everyone crowded the door and I wasn't able to sneak a picture with them.

But the next day before the second show, I got my second chance to actually see them. Isabel and Ruben had a special presentation for Fashion, Art, and Graphic designs students in the auditorium, it was basically a timeline of their work and history in the industry. I enjoyed the presentation very much and it inspired me to never give up on my ideas, dreams, or my desires. Also, it made me really happy for Isabel and Ruben that they found each other, they have the most beautiful relationship and I hope to find a wonderful guy like Ruben who can be supportive of me, my career and to be my partner in crime.