west coast wears: crazy pants

When you've been wanting to try out a trend and you find a piece representing said trend for $11...you buy those crazy pants that kindof look + feel like pajamas and you love every second you wear them. Basically. Just maybe put on some lipstick and booties with 'em so everybody knows its on purpose.

Really though, I'm obsessed with these. Anybody else use Forever 21 to try out new trends without breaking that bank? I'm pretty sure that's the definition of ballin' on a budget.

west coast wears

Sunset Cliffs, at sunset, may be my new favorite place in San Diego. And this floral piece from Forever 21 may be my new favorite piece of clothing, even if my boyfriend thought it was a robe at first and I dragged the entire right sleeve through a plate of sushi after taking these photos. My love is unconditional. 

I'm feeling

Lately, I'm feeling...

simple, thin, geometric gold jewelry

high neck-lines

dark grey, navy blue, black, & coral

light, light nails

slouchy pieces 

...and, apparently, tres serieux faces! just for effect. what trends are you tending towards lately?

real life (?)

Since I'm not working yet, I've spent most of my days in SoCal so far on the beach, watching movies with my sister, and generally exploring the area...suffice to say, I haven't cared much about dressing stylishly (not to mention half of my wardrobe is still in the back of my car). Here's an example of California casual, wet hair and all. These are my favorite summer sneaks, and it makes me so happy that I get to keep wearing them...as a Washington girl born & raised, I'm still trippin' over the fact that it's 80 degrees in the MIDDLE OF OCTOBER. Every morning waking up to sunshine is a miracle to me...maybe I'll miss the Seattle grey someday, but not yet. Even now, it's barely 10am and I have every window and door open--is this real life?

west coast wears: urban easy

One of the reasons the last year was difficult for me in terms of blogging is that I was unsure of my own style. I felt pressure (only put on from myself, of course) to wear "blogger" pieces (high-waisted midi skirts, moccasins, printed leggings, all-vintage-everything, you know what I mean) and while I do love those looks on others, they aren't my go-to pieces. And when I finally stopped trying to have a blogger look, my style got a bit lost. Slowly, I'm finding it again now. 

I've found that I love simpler, basic pieces (like this black blouse and these sage jeans) that can be worn with some flair (like gold jewelry or wedges) to make a complete look. This comes so much more naturally to me than trying to piece together a look with several pieces, i.e. skirt, shirt, vest, belt, tights, and on and on. An outfit like this is so simple, but so easy. Which I'm finding I love more & more! 

Wearing things because I feel great in them and not because they happen to be trending is just another part of me being wholly myself, whoever that turns out to be. Such a simple concept, with such complex implications. I'm excited to explore my style with more west coast wears features!

blouse, jeans & jewelry: forever 21 / wedges: Old Navy