#SSP: Ao Dai is my Cultural Mask.

Oh no, what's with this new format?! Where is the awkward pose where you see a glimpse of my shoes and the left side of my body? Don't fear; the awkward poses are still here! This is a one time deal unless something similar comes up, but I wanted to show you, not one, but 3 outfits! It would have been 4 if only I could fit the other one. Yesterday, the Garage Sale Gods granted me with the luck of finding these ao dai. My mother has extremely keen eyes, and she saw these babies in a plastic bag. An ao dai is a traditional Vietnamese dress that is extremely fitted. The sewing and stitching of a dress are super intricate. What I love and hate about ao dai is how tight it is..it feels like I'm wearing a corset, so I can barely breathe in it. Therefore, don't underestimate girls in ao dai; they are tough stuff.

This one is my absolute favorite...not only is it in purpley-lavender, which is my favorite color, but the bottom part is see through! It's a bit different and modern compared to the traditional ones. I was able to score all of these ao dai at a garage sale, but I originally bought this one first. There was a deal on all of them, but I only wanted this one because it fitted me. When I got home and went all out with my newly bought shoes, my mom was like, "Wow, you look so pretty! And it was only $5? See, this is the beauty of garage sales. Good thing we didn't get one sewn for you. You should have gotten more!" After hearing her praises, I naturally said, "Let's go back and get more!" We certainly did that, so we got the following plus one more for $12!

 

This one is more on the simple side, but in person, the stripes on the bottom part of the dress are so cute. They create this ombre look that I love. This one screams flower power and if you know me, I love love love flowers/floral. It just needs some ironing and it's pretty much good to go!

 

This dress is actually the one I wanted originally. When I tried it on, it was a bit tight. It was such a shame. Luckily, we went back due to my mother's orders. When we went back, I tried this dress on one more time. Again, it was still tight, but my mom thought it was so cute, so we ended up getting it anyways. She told me that this is my goal dress, and I'm totally down to work for it.

The 4th dress that I got is light blue and white with flowers from top to bottom. Unfortunately, I cannot fit the dress for my life because the stitching along the arms is way too tight. A picture of it not on would not do it justice. Luckily, my mom knows how to sew, and she said it's fixable after examining it. I'll take a picture of it on when it's all good and done. :)

As for shoes, I paired it up with two different pairs of Nine West shoes. They are so incredibly comfy! For the first and last dress, I paired it up with black pumps that I got for $0.50! They are now my go to shoes when it comes to heels. For the second dress, I paired it up with a pair of silver and gold sparkly peep toe heels, which I got for ~$3.

My ten cents #14: Expect the unexpected when it comes to garage sales. Be super duper open-minded and patient! This can be applied to thrift stores as well. My mom and I love to flaunt our frugal finds, but it takes a lot of time to find them. Not only do we consistently go out every weekend, but we wake up super early to make sure that we are your first customers. Lastly, not all thrift stores and garage sales are cheap, so be patient and move to the next house/store for hopefully a better deal. Everything takes time and practice including this.

042213: Mighty Monday

This weekend was crazzzzy tiring, but it was definitely fun, so when Monday rolled around, I did not want to put any effort into my outfit. My go-to outfits for lazy days are either my UCD hoodie or band tee with my favorite pair of high waisted shorts. Well, you see, it was about to hit the 90's, so no more sweater weather for me, so instead, I chose the latter. This is, hands down, my favorite band tee everrrrr! Why yes, it's my One Direction shirt, which was a birthday gift from one of my friends. <3

As you keep in mind that I am an adult who wears a One Direction shirt to a quite prestigious university, here's a little story for you: when I got home, my mom yelled out something on the lines of, "Oh, you're trying to look cool or something, huh?" in Vietnamese. Although she really meant what she said, I could not take her seriously. Mom, it's a One Direction shirt; if that's your definition of acting cool, then I guess so. :P My momma is too cute for words, but then again, she was kind of right...I felt like a total bad*** walking around with my One Direction shirt tucked into my high waisted shorts that are bounded by a leather Christian Dior belt as my boots made clunks against the ground. I felt pretty mighty then.

One Direction band tee--Birthday Gift: FREE

Christian Dior brown leather belt--Garage Sale: $0.50

High-waisted denim shorts--Ecothrift:$1

Aerosoles brown boots--Garage Sale: $1.50

Dooney & Bourke crossbody--Garage Sale: $30

Total: $33, Price Per Wear (PPW): ~$5

   

My ten cents #13:  WEAR WHATEVEA YOU WANT, but please keep it appropriate, esp since it's about to hit the 90's! Don't fear of what others may think of your outfits; it's your body and your expression. It feels pretty liberating when you gain the courage to wear something that may not be in the realm of "normal." Then again, what is "normal" nowadays...

041613: Morose Monday

If you haven't noticed yet, I have finally hit the 1000-visits mark, and I am so grateful for those who have taken the time to read the little bits and pieces that I've written; I hope they are inspiring. I'm just another little girl with big thoughts, and using this blog as my outlet has been amazing. The things that I write here were once hidden internal thoughts and it's so refreshing to finally put them into words...so, thank you so much! <3

So back to the program...here's a little story that I would like to share with y'all. Do you remember the post about my "goal dress?" Yup, that's right-the floral dress with an open back. Uhh, does this dress match the same description? Why yes, it does, but it's totally different! This is where story time comes in: I believe the day after I published the "goal dress" post was when I went to the outlets with my favorite girls! After visiting Forever 21 for like the 3rd (?) time, we popped the tags on this cute spring dress. It first started with, "Oh, let's all try this on for funsies" and next thing you know, it turned into: "Omg, it's so cute. Let's get it. Omg, let's all get it!!!" Since this dress looks similar to my "goal dress," I can call this one the "sister dress" and surprisingly, it's somewhat different compared to the other one. This one is definitely more casual with the cotton material, making it super stretchy and comfortable.

Say hi to my favorite pair of shoes at the moment. If you didn't know already, I am a brand junky who is obsessed with Steve Madden. Steve Madden shoes know how to complement your feet; they are definitely worth the investment, but luckily, I found both of my Madden shoes for super cheap! *happy dance*
Please also say hi to my new-old favorite overcoat for the season! The parka coat was recently a huge trend and during winter break, my friend and I were on the hunt to find one, but it was relatively expensive. I finally came across this one, although it's not thick with a hoodie like most, I am digging it for the spring season. I actually bought this used from another student through Facebook. Yes, I know, it sounds sketchy, but I think it's quite smart. Students need money and hey, they have clothes that they don't wear just lying around. Why not make a few bucks and have another person make use of the garment? It makes sense to me. I haven't sold any of my clothes yet on these groups because I'm so attach to everything I buy, but I've sold books to other students, so I know how it feels to be on each end of the transaction. It's a win-win transaction, but by all means, be safe about it.

Tan overcoat--Facebook: $10

Forever 21 floral dress--Forever 21: $10

Steve Madden black velvet loafters--Garage Sale: $2

Jessica McClintock black clutch--TJ Maxx: ~$9

Total: ~$31, Price Per Wear (PPW): ~$8
    

My ten cents #12: This tip is more targeted to the idea of "online" purchases as in meeting the person for a garment through Facebook, Craigslist, and etc. First of all, be safe. If you sense something off about the person who's selling you the item, then ditch it. It's not worth it to risk your safety. This happened to me when I kept asking this girl about a garment and she just stopped replying back to my questions all of a sudden; it felt so sketch. Next, before meeting up, ask all of your main questions so you won't waste your or their time. Ask things like size, condition, color, dimension, and etc. I also ask for better pictures sometime since color can get distorted from lighting. Remember to always ask if you can try it on before purchase. You are giving them a fair warning that you may say no. Another tip is, during the process, see if you can bargain with the person, but please be reasonable. People might have a bid system going on, so understand what you are going into. Also, try bundling things if you like multiple items. Trust me, sellers love that stuff because they get to kill two birds with one stone. Happy shopping!