Zimmermann S/S 16

By far my favorite collection for the S/S 2016 fashion shows thus far. I love the unapologetic romance of the cuts, the necklines, and the details. Nicky and Simone are actually getting me to like choker necklaces with their delicate, lace versions paired with the higher, Victorian-esque necklines. Inspiration for this show comes from an children's book called, Seven Little Australians, published in 1894. Nicky Zimmermann said, "I love the idea of an underlying naughtiness with these classic fabrications," and Vogue's Nick Remsen observes a balance between formal and easy in his review.

Agreed. Can't wait to see how these looks will be worn everyday. There is something easy about the way the dresses are cut, like maybe I could see myself throwing one on with mussed up hair and flats or even Chucks for a day around town.

Images from vogue.com and zimmermann-sydney.tumblr.com

Style is Eternal

In case you've missed it, the Bowes Museum in England has collaborated with Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent to put on an exhibition celebrating YSL's life and works. Having started this past July and continuing until October, Yves Saint Laurent: Style is Eternal will peer into YSL's vision as well as his overall influence on women's fashion. If you're in England, check out the exhibit, which will include fifty of his most iconic pieces, including garments from the Russian Collection, the Mondrian dresses, and the Tuxedo.

To celebrate this new exhibition, Farfetch has invited me to put together an outfit around the iconic Saint Laurent Le Smoking Tuxedo Jacket as a part of their competition, keeping in mind, "Fashion fades, style is eternal." It sounded fun, so I thought I'd scan the Saint Laurent collection on Farfetch to put together a classic but modern outfit that highlights this beautiful jacket.

I started by pulling classic outfits and accessories with a playful and modern twist. Instead of a classic black trouser, leather adds a bit of texture, and the lipstick motifs add a fun twist on the classic YSL lipstick. I finished off the look with a simple black heel and black sunglasses, tying everything together with the Le Smoking Jacket, thrown on and left unbuttoned to add an element of ease to the the final look. Wear with simple make-up, some mussed up hair, and maybe a red pedicure to tie the look together.

Thank you to Farfetch for inviting me to participate in this competition!

Read more about the exhibit: here.

Links to all the pieces here:

• Saint Laurent Le Smoking Tuxedo Jacket
• Saint Laurent Striped Sweater
• Saint Laurent Skinny Lambskin Jeans
• Saint Laurent Lipstick Pendant
• Saint Laurent Monogram Shoulder Bag
• Saint Laurent "Classic 51" Sunglasses
• Saint Laurent "Jane" Sandals

The Packing List

I'm going home, wahoo!! Not for good, but for a short vacation! I'll be going to California for a week before flying to Pennsylvania for another week. And I'm pretty excited to be on good, ole 'Murican soil for a bit before returning for a second year in Korea. At home I'll be finishing up for the launch of There She Goes Again, spending time with my friends and family, cuddling with my dog, and enjoying proper, well circulating air conditioning. Korea, I luh ya, but this heat wave is killing my soul. I leave the house for maybe an hour for errands, and I come back exhausted and ready to pass out. It's hot. 

Because of this desire to minimize my chances of sweating, and to prevent me from bringing too much back from the States, I am bringing as little as possible with me on this vacation. As in I have five, very easy outfits total for this whole trip home with the intent of washing at some point. I have narrowed down my packing to one regular sized suitcase (which will also hold my camera bag), and my purse (as seen above). In fact, the reason I can't use my carry-on sized suitcase is because of all the souvenirs I'm bringing home for friends and family. I'm talking five selfie sticks a lot....

Anyhow, here is the list of my clothes for the trip! You can use the same formula for your own wardrobe.

Airplane: 

Dress + Tank + Sweater + Sandals

Everyday Clothes:

• 2 Dresses
• 2 Skirts
• 2 Shirts or Tanks
• 1 Pair of So-Comfy-You-Could-Do-Yoga-In-Them Pants
• 7 Pairs of Underwear
• 5 Bras

Workout Clothes: 

• 2 Tanks
• 2 Pairs of Shorts
• 2 Sports Bras
• 3 Pairs of Socks

Accessories:

• 1 Bracelet
• 1 Necklace
• 1 Watch

That's it! Even if there isn't a washing system at the places I'm staying, it's very easy to hand wash things and let them dry overnight. You could easily fit this all in a carry on sized suitcase and last quite a while.

The Minimal Wardrobe

I have been incredibly interested in the concept of minimalism these past few months, and I've been reading almost everything I can online about it. It started with being aesthetically attracted to the typical images associated with minimalism-- white walls, clean floors, and, well, a minimal amount of stuff. I then stumbled upon Into Mind, a site dedicated to living a minimal life (it's more of an online book than a blog). She then featured Caroline and her blog Un-Fancy, which I'm obsessed with (talk about a cool concept and a very sweet soul). Eventually through Bloglovin', I stumbled across The Private Life of a Girl, and after reading her blog for hours one afternoon, I discovered her take on a minimal wardrobe. Between these three serving as both inspiration and sources of information, I began to formulate my own approach when it comes to my wardrobe.

While moving to a country where the XL is still typically too small for me has made me kind of follow Caroline's capsule wardrobe concept, I have found myself buying a lot on the occasions I make it out to H&M in Gwangju or Jeonju. And that kind of needs to stop. I have decided to try and follow Sophie's lead with her concept of the Minimal Wardrobe. I just took out my spring clothes from my suitcases, and after a bit of a shopping spree the weekend after returning from vacation at H&M and Uniqlo, I have put myself on a restriction. Including the two non-basic items I brought that weekend, I will only be allowed to buy five items a season. Here are her rules adapted to my life:

R U L E S:

1. Every season only buy five items. 
2. My seasons are defined as: March 1st-May 31, June 1-August 31, September 1-November 31, December 1-February 28/29*
3. Underwear, bras, and socks do not count, but should also not suddenly increase in amount.
4. Accessories (sunglasses, necklaces, bracelets, watches, tights) do not count, but should be purchased sparingly and only for high quality items.
5. Coats, shoes, and bags count.
6. Basics, within reason, do not count.
7. Basics are define as basic shirts or pants in black, white, or tan. 
8. Second hand items count. 

What do you think? I'm actually a little excited! I spent my teen years with such an interest in fashion and style, filling my room with a shoe corner, all sorts of unnecessary clothes, and magazine clippings, I want to start living a simpler, higher quality life. My wardrobe is the perfect place to start.

U L T I M A T E  G O A L S:

1. Begin to practice minimalism in my day to day life.
2. Ultimately save money.
3. Learn more about ethical and eco-conscious manufacturing
4. Learn more about what exactly constitutes as "higher quality"
5. Appreciate my clothes more
6. Narrow down and define my personal style
7. Become a more conscious consumer.

Over to you guys! All tips, stories of experience, and links to more resources are more than welcome.

*Yes, this means if I want to buy some things at home, I cannot shop too much during June and July! 

It's Here! Lilly Pulitzer for Target

Collaged from Refinery 29 & Target

Oh, man, do I miss Target. Maybe it's a good thing it's not here, or else I'd be in real trouble. With winter still trying to hold on in these cold mornings, I'm ready for warm weather and flowers and sun more than ever. And what better to get me excited than the reveal of the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection! Yay! A pink background, resort prints, pineapple sandals. Guys, I can feel the rays of some Florida beach right. now.

Now, I know. I'm the chick that loves black and white and solid prints. And you're totally right. Scanning through the collection fills me with summertime happiness, but actually choosing which items I'd want to buy and wear erry day, all day is a different matter entirely. I bought a green and blue striped dress once and almost hyperventilated at the colors on me. What I did find myself drawn to were the navy and white patterns and mixes. If black and white are my winter colors, navy and white are my summer ones. There's something so crisp about the contrast, so classic. I'm pretty pumped that Lilly has it in abundance, and the accessories are gold.

Here's what I'm deciding between in terms of convincing my sister to run out to the nearest Target next month and pick up for me.

Collaged from Refinery 29 & Target

What do you think? What's your favorite piece? I'm so jonesin' for those pineapple sandals!

Watch Obsessed

I love accessories. Once upon a time, shoes were my thing, but these days it's accessories. Specifically, I'm a bit watch obsessed. It started at my first and only retail job, the same one I held through college. I won't tell you which one it is, but it's not that hard to figure out. The thing there was to wear a watch, and slowly I felt this urge to have one. I got my classic gold watch almost three years ago, and I still love it. I have since added a silver addition, and now I'm eyeing some pretty leather ones to add. I won't be buying soon as I told myself I'd be more restrained with my purchases, but these are the three brands are the contenders for my watch obsessed heart. The best is the stories behind the companies!

THE FIFTH WATCHES

Photo from The Fifth Watches Blog

I don't even know how I found The Fifth Watches. It was on Instragram, but I'm not even sure how that happened. It's not even a year old as a company! I love the approach. Basically, there are five styles. They're launched on the fifth of each month for five days only. Additionally there are five surprises a month. The founder was inspired by the "classic design from New York and the contemporary style of Melbourne," and the Fifth comes from NYC's Fifth Avenue.  I just love this guy's vibe. He wants to focus on the art of design for reasonable prices, and  he wants to approach fashion in a "holistic" way. The brand also appears to have a socially conscious mind. I couldn't find much about the actual manufacturing of the watches (like I said, it's maybe three months old!), but its goal is not only to "support enthusiastic designers from all corners of the globe and provide opportunities for those who are passionate about fashion," it reveals its consciousness in its giveaways. The most current giveaway is to win a watch for you, four of your friends, and $500 to a charity of your choice.

tHe HORSE

Photo from The Horse Stockist Page

If you're wondering what the modern day "mom and pop" shop looks like, let me point you to the cutest founding story ever. tHe Horse was founded on shoe making and cobbling, but has expanded to include watches. Essentially, Scott's great grandfather was a boot maker and cobbler who kept three stools in his workshop- one for himself and two for whomever wanted to stop by for a chat. Scott constantly goes overseas to look at leather production and make sure the company utilizes the best possible manufactures in terms of quality of the leather and working conditions. Twice a year they fill those now metaphorical two empty seats with local Sydney artists and designers to collaborate on the next range of products. Um, hello? That sounds amazing. The watches range from the Originals to the Classics, ranging from around $100 USD to a little less than $150 USD.

DANIEL WELLINGTON

Photo Used from the Daniel Wellington Journal

The story behind this company sounds like an adventure. The founder met a man named Daniel Wellington who was "genteel but still relaxed and unpretentious," wearing his watches on old NATO straps. The two became friends and the founder was inspired to create watches based on this man's life stories. The vision is this preppy=a Daniel Wellington watch. Each watch can be placed on a NATO strap or a leather strap. You can buy extra straps as well to always customize it. Suffice to say, Daniel Wellington is quickly becoming, if not already, the new it watch to have.  

Blanc & Eclare

From the Blanc Group Facebook Page

Remember my favorite airport inspiration? Well, in the past few months, Jessica Jung created a luxury brand called Blanc & Eclare. Of course, if you know even a little about Jung or the contemporary Korean culture, you know the brand has been in the shadow of a lot of controversy. However, I'd like to focus less on that and more on the brand itself. Since Jung is obviously my favorite style inspiration when it comes to airports, I'm pretty excited for what she has to offer.

The brand itself describes its aesthetics as "modern classic." The style is whole minimalist, with attention paid to keeping the designs clean and simple. I'm a fan of minimalism, so I'm already sold. It aims to be a lifestyle brand with accessories, clothing, and even a fragrance, so I'm eager to see how it further markets itself both with Jung and independently. I have a feeling travel will play a small role of inspiration, given the sunglasses are named after big cities (which I'm a sucker for). 

Of course, there is an emphasis on luxury, so the $250 price tag on the sunglasses will keep me as an admirer. Hopefully as the brand grows, there will be more reviews and more information on how the products are made. Right now it's too new and too dependent on Jung's celebrity. I want more of a "Who is the Blanc & Eclare woman?" What exactly makes a Blanc & Eclare pair of sunglasses so special? Why should buy them over Prada or Chanel? Same goes for future products, like the scarves and clothes and fragrances. I believe Jung has something with this brand, I just want to know more.

What do you think? And hey, if you have money to burn of sunglasses or scarves, check out the website. 

Winter Style Inspiration

This post is coming to you while I'm somewhere in Southeast Asia soaking in some Vitamin D (via intense SPF, of course) and exploring brand new cultures. Sorry, sorry. I know I've escaped dreary February, and now Valentine's Day is over so it really is a boring month. Don't worry, March is on the horizon, and with it the hope of a warmer April and a May that's definitely up there temperature wise. I can't wait to fold up my winter coats in a suitcase and pull out my pretty dresses! 

Until then, here's some winter style inspiration in case you're starting to get tired of wearing the same clothes over and over again.

F O R  T  H E  J E T S E T T E R 

Images: 1, 2, 3

None of my style personalities are too keen on winter, but the Jet Setter is perhaps the most open to it. She relies heavily on hats, sunglasses, and huge scarves (made of faux fur or some warm looking material) to keep her stylish. Since she's more prone to bounce around a lot, her skin takes the hardest hit. Sunglasses keep her photo ready, and a good scarf hardly ever doesn't photograph well. She also really hates layering too much, so she wears much warmer materials, and has probably splurged on cashmere something at one point.

F O R  T H E  L A D Y

Images: 1, 2, 3

The Lady hates the cold the absolute most. She's the one who loves floaty dresses, delicate materials, pretty shoes, and shiny baubles. All of which are very hard to pull off in windy snow storms. She's the one to abuse he tights the most, forever searching for the pair that withstands a gust of cold air. She also is the most defiant in wearing a jacket, hating the shape it gives her. She is about layers, though. She keeps it interesting by wearing more statement necklaces. Since they fall on top of her sweaters, the metal doesn't freeze to her skin like earrings or bracelets might, and statement necklaces are more prone to getting neck sweat in the warmer months.

F O R  T H E  A R T I S T

Image 1, 2, 3

The Artist hates the winter mostly because she hates pants and prefers being barefoot. She does like hot tea and cable knit sweaters, though, so that's kind of a balance. She's the most likely to be bundled up and cozy, and she'd take those hefty jackets and make them look cool somehow or another. She also wears the most sensible shoes, not minding snow boots. She will also most likely have her hair longest in the winter mostly to keep her ears warm. If she wears a hat of some sort, she's probably hiding the fact that she's avoiding washing her hair because it takes forever to dry, and wet hair is the worst when the temperature is in the teens (or sub zero in Celsius). 

And some little tips for dressing stylishly in winter:

• Double up on your tights. Leggings underneath tights, two pairs of leggings, leggings underneath yoga pants, you get the deal. If you can find them, get fleece lined leggings. They're a game changer.
• Invest in a really good jacket. I need to do this. Find a jacket with downing on the inside so you can wear a thin shirt underneath and still be perfectly warm. 
• Over all, though, make sure you're wearing thicker materials in general. Want to rock a skirt? Try to find ones made of wool or ponte knit. Cable knit sweaters are much warmer than thin skater ones. 
• Scarves and Gloves. They make such a difference. Buy a thick infinity scarf and let me know how much better life is walking to class or work. 
• Socks over the ankles. I used to only have the heel socks. You know the ones that slip off your heel in almost every shoe but your workout sneaker. Yeah, them. And my ankles got cold. And then my feet were cold. And then I was cold because the top of your head and your feet are where heat escapes the most. Socks over the ankles easily tuck into your pants (or buy black ones and tuck them in when you're wearing tights!) and don't slip down. Happy feet, happy person.
• Find good winter boots. Screw heels and flats in the winter, find a pair of boots that are all sorts of warm and fuzzy on the inside, and rock those sucker until the ground thaws out.

Got any tips or winter style inspiration? In the mean time, here's how to beat the cold! 

Favorites from Seoul Fashion Week S/S 2015

Since I've been doing some major vacation dreaming lately, and I'm over winter (that's always, though), I've been scrolling through the spring shows from Seoul Fashion Week, getting to know Korean designers a bit more, and thinking about my spring wardrobe. My process with looking at Fashion Weeks in general is to go to Style.com, scroll through the runway shows, pin my favorite looks, and then go through my Pinterest board to look at general trends I've favored or designers I unexpectedly loved. I don't really pay attention to who's name is on the design until I've decided twice that I like it on its own. This way I get to know my personal style a little better and indulge in one of my favorite past times- the art of fashion. Anyhow, here are some trends I noticed I was loving from Seoul Fashion Week, and I'm excited to see the street style interpretations and who wears what in the upcoming season!

Model from CARNET DU STYLE S/S 2015

B O L D  C O L O R  B L O C K 

I have this terrible feeling I'm using color block wrong, but you get my drift, right? The sort of bold, graphic prints... I really love the prints mixed with white. And doesn't the LIE piece remind you of a nineties TV show a bit?

A  T O U C H  O F  W H I M S Y

Whimsy, nature... I can pretty much picture a woodland fairy come to life floating around in all these outfits!

A L L  W H I T E

There were a lot of variations on white. I liked it in a looser, more feminine cut, and the pieces that used jewels or embroidery were gorgeous. I can't wait to see who wears that LIE SANGBONG piece at the bottom left corner; it's probably one of my favorites of the season.

Q U I R K Y  P R I N T S

I think living in Korea has made me much more receptive to quirky prints. They remind me why fashion is fun! The London telephone booth, numbers, hearts, scientific equations (I don't know what they're actually called...), candy-esque prints... Don't tell me you don't see that Jaison Couture piece and immediately think of button candy.

A L L  A B O U T  T H A T  W A I S T

I loveeedddd seeing defined waists everywhere. I don't know if its my love for T.Swift or the abundance of crop tops, but I'm kind of in to the peek-a-boo stomach look. How fun would that KYE look be on the red carpet with a black or nude pump, messy waves, and a smoky eye?

G I R L I S H  T O U C H E S

There's a reason one side of my style personality is feminine/girly. A little ruffle detail, baby doll style dress,  stripes, pastel colors... I love it all. 

OVERALL COLLECTION FAVORITES FROM THE SFW S/S 2015 SHOW:

• CARNET DU STYLE
• LIE SANGBONG
• ARCHE
• Jaison Couture
• Miss Gee Collection
• Jinteok
• J Apostrophe

Have you checked out Seoul Fashion Week? I've meet some expats that have been able to go. Hopefully someday. If you're kinda famous or have a famous blog or know someone with a famous blog, here's the site to apply for Seoul Fashion Week F/W 2015 in March.

Also here's my Seoul Fashion Week Pinterest board if you'd like to see more!

All Images from Korea STYLE.COM & Edited by Me

Vacation Dreaming

I have vacation on the brain! Two more weeks, and I'm going to be soaking up the rays in Thailand and Cambodia. I can't wait! I don't know why I feel like the winter here is worse than at home despite the slightly higher temperatures, but I'm dying for a taste of something warmer. I can't wait to roam the market in Bangkok, go hiking in Chiang Mai, explore temples in Siem Reap, and laze about the beaches of Krabi. Here's a taste of what I'm bringing with me (more extensive packing post will be later)! Who else is ready to shed these trillions of layers? 

No Camera, No Problem

What to do when you've lugged your DSLR all the way from Namwon only to realize you left the SD Card in your laptop at home? Resort to the iPhone life... I wanted to update my various profile pictures, so I figured, no camera, no problem. My friend and I hopped on over to Children's Grand Park (off the olive line) to take some photos while the sun was out. Think of this as practice for when it's warm, and CGP is blooming with spring time life! If you want somewhere a little less touristy, check out Kongdae and Children's Grand Park. Kongdae is like Hongdae without the crazy crowds!

Also, major shout out to Elissa who took these photos and was a good sport about me trying to get her to pose! She also lets me crash at her place whenever I'm in Seoul, and I can't wait to return to the favor when she comes to Namwon in the spring!

My Outfit: Yellow Sweater-H&M (Similar) // Jeans-American Eagle // Ankle Boots-G-market

Inspiration from What I Have

In an effort to consume less in terms of what I'm wearing, I've started a private board on Pinterest to accumulate outfit inspiration for items in my wardrobe that I already have. Above are some of the key items I wear over and over again (I forgot to add that I live in leggings/yoga leggings as well!), so I've been looking for ways to spice them up. They're pretty basic with a few different colors I love (like olive and mustard yellow). My black booties are getting the most wear right now because the cover my ankles, and allow me to wear whatever weird socks I want to!

• Sweater + Chambray Top+Jeans- I'd switch the white sweater for my gray one.
• Sweater+Longer Top+Black Leggings+Ankle Boots- Switch the white sweater for gray one, and use either my white collared top or striped top to peak from the bottom.
• Sweater+Chambray+Leather Leggings+ Leopard Flats-I have all of this! 

I could also switch out the sweaters for the yellow as well and the chambray for white.

• Tan Poncho+Collared Shirt+Black Leggings+Booties- I've never tried a collared shirt poking out of my poncho actually.
• Yellow Sweater+Black Leggings+Booties- Easy.
• Sweater+Top+Jeans- I'd use my yellow or gray sweater and my white or striped top.I'd also use my leopard flats or Chucks instead. Any shoe would work easily.

 Again, a lot of these are outfit elements. You could easily switch out colors for anything you have in your closet.

• Striped Top+Olive Parka+Leather Leggings+Leopard Flats- Easy outfit, Could even throw a scarf on to keep a bit warmer or switch the flats for boots for colder days.
• Striped Top+Chambray Top+Black Leggings- This is what sparked my board! I was pleasantly surprised how well this combination turned out.
• Striped Top+Sweater+Jeans-You know, instead of a black sweater, you could open up the chambray top or olive top and put that over instead. 

• Olive Parka +White Shirt+Jeans-Easy. I have a white top, but you could easily replace this with the white collared top. Also leopard flats instead of the white ones she's wearing.
• Olive Parka+Sweater+Jeans- Gray sweater instead of the white and black booties instead of tan.
• White Top+Olive Pants+Flats- Easy! Leopard flats would look fun with this outfit as well. 

What do you think? If I ever feel up to it, maybe I'll start posting some outfit pictures! It is on my list ;)

All images, except the first, are collected from Pinterest and edited together with PicMonkey. If you would prefer removal of any of these outfits or wish specific credit, please let me know! 

So, this ASOS Sale

ASOS is having a giant sale on ton of stuff right now, and I've been eyeing a few things. Here are some of my favorites, and I may or may not have put in an order already. I mean, it's free shipping pretty much everywhere, and I've been wanting those tan booties for a while. Plus, you know my obsession with hats. Happy Weekend Shopping! ;)

Playhouse EDM Festival

So this past weekend I made another trek to Seoul to attend the 2014 Playhouse EDM Festival. Basically, one of the teachers here in Namwon has a friend from home who now works in Singapore as an event organizer, and this was her event. The festival was Friday night and Saturday night at the Kintex 2 Exhibition Center in Goyang, which is within the Seoul metro. 

Let me put this out there, I wasn't even aware that "EDM" was an acronym until I heard it on the FungBro's videos, and this was my first time ever attending anything like this. I had an absolute blast, and the DJs were awesome. Let's just put it this way. My arms and legs were incredibly sore on my bus ride back to Namwon on Sunday. I didn't get to the venue until about midnight on Friday, and eleven on Saturday, so I missed the earlier acts, but the ones I did see were incredible. Some of them would even come out into the crowd for a bit to dance, like Luney Tunez (who I'm so bummed I missed!). 

Bonus: Our friend's friend, the organizer, hooked us up with VIP the second night which was super nice. The other tables even became friendly as the night went on.

W H E R E  T O  S T A Y: 

I stayed at Hotel Violet, right near Exit 3 of Daehwa Station (Line 3), and I thought it was lovely. I split a room with another teacher, and I think it came out to maybe 40,000 won a night. We took a taxi to the venue (it was only around 3,000 won) and the subway to the Hotel was a straight (albeit long) shot from the Express Bus Terminal. Let me just say, our bathroom had a waterfall shower head. And it was heaven. 

Besides that it had a double bed, a couch, a flat screen TV, a full sized mirror, and plenty of amenities that apparently all Korean hotels have (everything from a hair straightener to toothpaste). I did find it funny that we had curtains up against a blank wall, and I will say my one issue is that the walls are thin. I could hear all sorts of noises during the night. The kind where you wake-up thinking the TV is on, but it's someone in another room talking.

With DJ Thomas Newson. You can get an idea of my dress
the second night. I only brought one evening-ish dress to Korea...

W H A T  T O  W E A R:

Well, this is tricky because Koreans kind of do their own thing when it comes to dressing for anything, ever. You got everything from a flower headband to a sweater vest, so there's that. It was warm in the venue, but not suffocatingly hot. I wore a dress both nights and some Chucks, and I was actually pretty comfortable for the most part. But hey, if you wanna roll up in a turtle neck, jeans, and heels, you won't look out of place. Heck, the guy having the most fun in VIP had on a sweater my brother would wear to church!

H O W  T O  G E T  T H E R E:

Just taxi from wherever you're staying. It's so much easier. Hotel Violet had a taxi stand right outside its doors, and it cost maybe 3,000 won. They will charge you around 10,000 won on the way back though because it's 4 a.m., and they know you can't get home otherwise.

Holiday Gift Guide: Every Girl

Oh boy, if you're referring to gift guides now, you're almost waiting until last minute! Shame on you! However if my last three guides don't seem to fit the individual you're buying for, and you're absolutely tearing your hair out trying to figure out what to get her, here are five things you'd be hard-pressed to find any girl not liking. Remember I don't condone getting people gifts you think they'd generically like, but you can always customize these five things to be something she does like. 

Holiday Gift Guide: The Feminine Girl

Here's my philosophy about gift-giving: You should always get someone something they want but may never actually buy for themselves. Sensible gifts are stupid. Anything we think we need we'll buy ourselves. Gifts should be fun, and they should show you thought about the other person. Like you were listening when they were talking about wanting a better bag for travel or wanting to spice up their accessories. Don't get someone something that you generically think they'll like. I'd rather get a Visa Gift Card than something I've never really wanted. 

The Feminine Girl, also know as the Girly Girl. She has embraced femininity in the purest of senses. She loves soft shades, beautiful silhouettes, and all things delicate. If there's one type of individual who's going to put a bow detail into her outfit, it's the FG. She's less likely to travel than the other two, and she might even be a bit of a homebody. She loves lace, glitter, softer shades of pink, and all things cute. Don't mistake her for a Lolita, though. Rather than be full girlish, she opts for girlish details in an otherwise elegant aesthetic. 

Holiday Gift Guide: The Artist

Here's my philosophy about gift-giving: You should always get someone something they want but may never actually buy for themselves. Sensible gifts are stupid. Anything we think we need we'll buy ourselves. Gifts should be fun, and they should show you thought about the other person. Like you were listening when they were talking about wanting a better bag for travel or wanting to spice up their accessories. Don't get someone something that you generically think they'll like. I'd rather get a Visa Gift Card than something I've never really wanted. 

Up next is the Artist. The artist embodies adjectives like earthy, laid-back, and easy. She's not one for bright colors or sharp contrasts. Most of her wardrobe is in shades of browns, navy, and maroon. She hardly wears white because she knows she'll spill something on it, and while black has a place in her wardrobe, it's hardly ever a part of the main pieces. She's more introspective, thoughtful. She prefers a bit of a slower pace, one that is more conscious and leaves room for exploration. She probably turns in early and is more likely to travel solo. She may be vegan or vegetarian, she may be the type of person who deleted her social media accounts a long time ago, and she probably has a small garden growing in the window of her apartment. She's pretty easy going in terms of gifts, and she doesn't particularly want anything. So here are some things that might bring a smile to her very relaxed face.

Down by the Old Train Station

Ah this is a bit old. It's from my first weekend here! One of the girls, Roslyn, has a really nice camera, and she wanted to take advantage of the last few days of warm weather to do a photo shoot by the old train station. You know how I am with photo shoots, nice cameras, and good weather. Four us rode our bikes to the train station (along with Karina's dog, Buster), and amused the Koreans hanging out while we took photos. It was also pretty cool because the way we all prepared for the photo shoot with our clothes or concepts pretty much represented our personalities!

 

Holiday Gift Guide: The Jetsetter

Here's my philosophy about gift-giving: You should always get someone something they want but may never actually buy for themselves. Sensible gifts are stupid. Anything we think we need we'll buy ourselves. Gifts should be fun, and they should show you thought about the other person. Like you were listening when they were talking about wanting a better bag for travel or wanting to spice up their accessories. Don't get someone something that you generically think they'll like. I'd rather get a Visa Gift Card than something I've never really wanted. 

My first guide is for the Jet Setter. She loves travel in the luxurious sense- nice hotels, fancy nights out, looking chic coming off the airplane. Don't mistake her for the adventurous backpacker (that's more the Artist's domain). She loves the idea of high heels even if she'll kick them off the minute it's socially acceptable, and her hair somehow always looks good. She doesn't need a whole lot, and she prefers to own less but higher quality items from her handbag to her clothes to her accessories. She loves trends that evoke old school glamour- think Jackie O, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn. For the most part, she's quite picky about her wardrobe, her make-up, and her shoes, so don't get her any of that unless you known something she specifically wants. You're safer sticking to current trends (like a floppy hat or a round pair of sunglasses) or classics (a good book or red polish). Here's a run down of what a Jet Setter will be quite happy getting in her stocking.

[Style Files] Work Uniform

My work week uniform is pretty much a more dressed up version of my weekend uniform. It's too cold for dresses and skirts right now, so a nice, comfortable pair of dress pants (Old Navy has the best ones!), a collared shirt, some nicer shoes (though I'm in slippers most of the day since we take our shoes off...), and some jewelry so it's not too boring. I usually thrown on a sweater or I'm sometimes more casual, but in a pinch this outfit is a great for throw-on-and-go. What's yours?