inspired to be a minimalist

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Milo Sofa from Anthropologie.com

I’m inspired by clean lines, minimalism, and smooth concrete – here’s my picks for today. I’m really loving the finds from ETSY – so many talented artists (and cool vintage curators too)! Besides my picks from ETSY, you can find sprinkled in some pieces from Anthopologie and a couple of gorgeous interiors I found on Pinterest. (Don’t forget to follow!)

Coffee table of oak, steel, & concrete on Etsy

Pendant Lamp from Etsy

fun vintage clock from Etsy

concrete tea-light candle holders

love this Anthropologie rug – it looks like washed out concrete!

love the chalkboard

Inspirational Ad for Forever 21

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Isn’t this Forever 21 ad fun? I love the pink and blonde hair too….reminds me of me. Ha! I really just loved this short video because it’s so well edited that you can see multiple outfits in such a short amount of time. I think my favorite look she showcased was the black dress with the gold collar necklace – super trendy, yet classy. What about you?

Elegance Will Never Fade

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I have decided to enter into the GUESS One to Watch blogger search contest. Will you please help me create a partnership in blogging with GUESS by voting for my personal style board?

I chose to use the iconic photograph of black and white Claudia Schiffer from one of Guess’s most popular ads. This particular shot was for their 1989 campaign. The photographs stirred up a whole new side of Guess as a brand. This is when they really made the statement that Guess is SEXY. I also chose the leopard print sheer top because she was the one to originally model an original style of this top in the early 90′s. Since Guess is now celebrating 30 years, they have decided to bring back some of the most classic designs, including the sheer leopard print top that was originally donned by the likes of Claudia.

If they are bringing back some of the most iconic pieces from the brand, why not bring back the girl who changed the look of the brand in such early years? That’s right, Maurice Marciano, director of all things Guess, decided to bring back super model Claudia Schiffer for their anniversary ad campaign. What a great idea to bring back such an iconic piece of their branding and giving today’s younger generation (such as myself!) a chance to appreciate all that Claudia has been able to be in her glorious representation of Guess as a brand. Man is she gorgeous, even after 30 years go by! …Life as a supermodel I suppose! Audrey Hepburn was so spot on when she said “Elegance is the only beauty that will never fade”…especially when applied to “The Guess Girl”.

Check out this video on the new ads for the anniversary of 30 years as a brand with Claudia Schiffer bringing the sexy back into the brand all over again!

Also, here’s my favorite anniversary ad: 

Gisele Bundchen’s “Sexy Professional” Look Recreated

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Alex & I at La Lumiere Fashion Show in Redding, CA for Eloquent Woman Magazine

Taking a mini-roadtrip with some of the most beautiful and hard working women I know, recreating Gisele Bundchen’s “sexy professional” look from The Devil Wears Prada, AND being named Fashion Editor of Eloquent Woman Magazine…….can you say Dream Job come true?! Ahhhhhhh I am overjoyed/ high on life/ so happy/ estatic  – no, I am blessed, honored, and grateful.

Truly, this weekend has been one of the most inspiring, uplifting, and exciting to date! Hanging out with Alex, a previous roommate of mine, a great friend, and also our Magazine Designer, was such a blast! We were able to reconnect in a way that only 10 hours in a car ride can do – haha! But really, Alex and I had a lot of fun together and I felt like I was finally getting back to being a more fun self again. To be honest, these last couple of months personally haven’t been the easiest – professionally they’ve been steady and growing…and now they’ve come to a peak of greatness! I’m happy to have this weekend be a point of turnaround for the more personal parts of myself now that professionally I have accomplished a huge goal for myself.

Spending Sunday morning doing a photoshoot for our Fall 2012 issue with Jackie & Malia in a gorgeous park and then attending Bill Johnson’s service at Bethel Church has go to be some of the most happiest moments of the whole trip. Although our stay was short and our drive was long (literally 20 hours round trip!) we accomplished so much on this trip! Not only were we in a perpetual meeting of 48 hours being constantly together in the same car and such, but we were able to creatively decide almost all of the last details of the second issue we are about to publish in June. Being together for such a long time and being able to so easily flip flop between laughing about how ridiculous we all looked when falling asleep in the car and then back to picking out the right photos for the editorial piece was really a great testament to our amount of greatness in our team.

4:30am we leave Los Angeles, we arrive at our hotel in Redding by 3:30pm and have just an hour after getting settled before we have to arrive at the venue. Within one hour our team of vagabond road trippers transformed into gorgeous fashionistas ready to represent Eloquent Woman with all that they are. I realized it only after I had looked in the mirror as I was putting on my glasses before walking out of the hotel room…with the high bun, black dress, fair complexion, and of course the glasses I had created a very Gisele Bundchen look. The Devil Wears Prada is definitely one of my favorite movies – I mean you have fantastically gorgeous Anne Hathaway, playing a hard working girl just like the rest of us, have a fairy tale dream job fall upon her – what more is there to love?!  Check out some of my favorite stills from the movie of Gisele’s look:

Gisele Bundchen in The Devil Wears Prada with Emily Blunt

Seeing my work in our 1st issue laid out on the table coupled with a poster sized Teaser for our Summer issue and postcards of the teaser was just so exciting!

Gisele working the “Sexy Professional” look!

Jackie and I getting excited for the show! “Girls in Pearls”

I think the glasses really do add the perfect amount of accessorizing.

So happy to be working closely with Shannon to build this incredible magazine!

— More photos from the show to come! Check out EloquentWoman.com for more awesome fashion posts and to read our first issue of the magazine —

Believe in Pink with Me

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it’s true…..i’ve dyed it pink!

I’ve always been a blonde – ever since I was a baby. Yea, I was totally one of those so blonde it looks weirdly white kind of babies. I grew into the color and it eventually yellowed up, THANK GOD. I tell you, my hair has not always been so pretty. Even now I have some terrible hair days – for which I thank my trusty fedora for covering and the fact that messy buns are totally trendy now!

It’s funny a girl’s hair is such a soft spot for so many women – myself included! I’ve been so afraid to do anything with it since I started highschool. I think it might stem from a very bad DIY childhood haircut…yes DIY as in do-it-yourself. I did it myself all right! But the funny thing is after seeing my botched up self hair cut my mom decided my little sister wouldn’t look so bad with it either. Seriously though, get a good look at this one: 

Jessie and I call this one our favorite photo because we really do look so cute with our cheeky grins, smiley eyes, and matchy matchy ‘boy haircuts’. If you look closely you can see the shirts we’re wearing are covered in tiny little seashell designs. Mom was very into matchy matchy dressing back then – like she was forcing us to be sisters, twins even! As we grew up our hair went from the freaky white blonde to a dirty ‘dishwater’ blonde. I remember someone called it dishwater blonde and I was so offended, I’m all “no, it’s dirty blonde – but not THAT dirty!” It’s funny because once I was in high school we both started dying our hair…opposite shades. She went darker blonde and eventually through many shades of brunette, auburn, and all the way to jet black white I kept going lighter and lighter and lighter. Now that I’ve seen the lighter sides of blonde I considered reversing and going more brunette…possibly trying out the ombre effect to ease myself into a new color. But no – I went pink instead.

Going pink has been a dream of mine for more than a year now, so I realized I still had the dream and finally had the guts to do it…so, I went for it! With much encouragement from family and friends I literally showed up for my normal appointment to have my roots touched up and said “Frank, are you ready to get crazy?” He was so excited when I pulled out my Pinterest boards of ‘Believe in Pink With Me” & “Hair Color Ideas”. Originally I was set on the dip dye effect just the night before the appointment. But then he suggested we start with just the bottom layers of my longer hair. I waved my hands saying “okay just hurry up and get it started before I change my mind!” Within an hour I transformed into a Blonde & Pink duo. I tried my hardest not to look very much at the process – but of course to snap a couple of Instagrams – first strands being dyed, hanging out under the dryer, wet strands after being washed, and of course the after photos! Check it out:

First bit of pink! It was easier than I had imagined to be honest!

Pure adrenaline at this point – “OMG I can’t believe I’m doing this!?”

“Okay, it’s real……wow I LOVE it!”

“It’s like my hair is on fire from underneath……”

I was suprised at how fast I took to loving the new look. I’m the girl who used to cry after every haircut – yes even just a little trim, I know it’s terrible. That was up until 3 years ago when I realized hair can be professionally cut and colored! I used to dye my hair in my bathroom back at home from a box with my mother and sister. We’d use plastic grocery bags to cover our heads for the 25 minute wait time before washing it out in the sink. One time Mom tied a Stater’s Brother’s grocery bag over my head to keep the bleach in the blonde dye from bleaching anything else and when I took it off to wash half an hour later the ink from the blue and red logo on the bag had settled into my hair!!! Thank God it washed out easily, but still! ohhhhhh! I’ve come a long way since then – I found a great hair dresser – LOVE YOU FRANK!  and realized that no matter what I do it will always grow out. – Well I have to remember to hide the scissors from myself – just kidding. – Long story short, I love my new pink hair and it’s inspired my confidence madly!

Just for laughs, here’s the one and only crappy webcam photo I have of the Stater Brother’s incident with my hair:

unfortunately i wasnt paying attention to the lighting – sorry for the bad quality!

Tangerine’s Seductive Tango

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tantalized yet?

Tantalized, titillated, taken; yes I too am madly seduced by tangerine’s fierce hues as Pantone has announced ‘Tango Tangerine” as the Color of 2012. I personally was one to believe that orange was confined strictly to prison jumpsuits, sports teams, and beach towels…but after this season’s runways were unveiled I started to clear a space in my heart for the many shades of orange.  It was impossible to keep my heart closed to such vibrant and truly powerful hues when they were gracefully swaying down the catwalk as my jaw dropped ever so slightly with each new design. I was inspired – inspired to squeeze fresh orange juice, to bask in the warmth of sunlight, to run through fields of Californian poppies…. to let orange take up a permanent residence in my heart. I have seen the light – or rather the lighter side of orange. Deep hues of scarlet have never been a sore spot, but alas have never found their way into my closet. Like I said, I’ve been blinded of the potential this vibrant color has held…that is until now! Enjoy my favorite pieces of tangerine inspirations!

Runway shots of Spring 2012 shows

The Olsen twins looking fab! :)

absolutely stunning! so full of sunshine! :)

gorgeous combo of tangerine & turquoise! color blocking in it's prime!

With a Peter Pan collar too! :D love this Ruche look!

incredible pumps by Sole Society!

if only i had the courage to dye my hair red! :) haha maybe one day!

stripes are my favorite for spring and summer! in all colors - but dang this is cute!

i could totally make this headband! get these flowers for like $3 a pop at Joann's and glue it to a headband - easy peasy!

just amazing! wish i could throw in a couple of models in here! :D

I find so much inspirations in fashion illustrations!

yummy! :)

fresh and lovely!

amazing Marc Jacob's clutch!

check out Merrick's Art awesome pants! :) even better- check out the sweater she altered! :)

what a fun little expression of orange hues!

Playing Dress Up in Downtown LA

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Wearing: Body Rock Sport vest, Victoria Secret top, Bakers Shoes bangles, Guess jeans, & Luichiny shoes

Most recently it was my extreme pleasure to have my first rooftop photoshoot in downtown Los Angeles with my dear friend Heather Petrey of LaFashionSnob.com! I’m so excited to share my experience with you all! A rooftop shoot has been on my bucket-list for a while now, so I’m just filled with joy that we finally made it happen! :)

We spent the better part of our day pulling gorgeous pieces from Chic Little Devil Style House (http://cldstylehouse.com/) - an amazing PR firm in DTLA. Their showroom was filled with racks upon racks of gorgeous garments, glittering accessories, and full walls of shoes! Not to mention all the stylish ladies working hard in heels….on Macs! I loved it, seeing all the ladies with their individual style, yet uniform in the glowing apples on their desks. – Apple products of all shapes and sizes are a common passion Heather and I share!! – Remember ‘The Devil Wears Prada’? And when Andy – Anne Hathaway – has her style makeover? Remember how excited you were when you saw rows and rows of gorgeous garments, walls of shoes, and drawers upon drawers of incredible accessories? Take all that excitement and turn it into a real life experience and you will understand how we felt walking into CLD! A huge thank you to CLD for allowing us to have a fun afternoon in your showroom and shoot on your balcony – you guys ROCK! :)

CLD is known as LA’s largest Style House with “over 50,000 designer garments, accessories, and shoes from over 200 top designers (from couture to contemporary to vintage).” Now tell me that isn’t every girl’s dream closet!? Needless to say, we played dress up! We spent a little over half an hour going through just a tiny section of their showroom showing much love to the Gypsy Junkies rack! (http://www.facebook.com/GypsyJunkies) It was all Heather’s style today, so we pulled a lot of vintage inspired, Coachella festival, bohemian styles – perfect for the warm Spring weather!

I really loved getting to spend some time with these garments – seriously almost not a thing I wouldn’t wear on the Gypsy Junkies rack! Heather obviously felt the same way: we created 15 looks from them and a couple  other designers: Love Marks, Luichiny, & BodyRock.  Check out some of the looks:

Heather wearing: Gypsy Junkie dress/ Luichiny heels

Heather wearing: Luichiny shoes & Gypsy Junkies

what a gorgeous gown! :) rooftop wedding couture? YES PLEASE!

Loves Mark dress

Luichiny shoes & Gypsy Junkies skirt

Gypsy Junkies dress & blazer

Meet the Girl: Kate of Wear in LA

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Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market wearing Forever21, Target, & vintage scarf & sunglasses with my steal: $7 vintage suitcase!

It’s pretty typical of me to be on a flight sitting next to a stranger, end up having a full conversation with them, and then never introducing myself properly. I feel I have done so again! HA… Well, hello, I’m Kate – the girl behind the dream of being a ‘real’ fashion blogger. I want to thank you all for following me and supporting my dream! Here’s a little more about me, more than just my clothes…

1. What inspired or motivated you to start your blog? I enjoy freelancing as a photographer doing family portraits and events but wanted to share my creativity in a more universal sense – so I started photographing fashion. I realized I had more to say than just a simple caption when it came to style – so I just let myself go with it!

2. How did you decide on the format and style of your blog (i.e. Styling outfits and posing for the camera)? Ahhh to be honest, I’m still trying to figure out what I like best! Mostly I do my own photography with either my iPhone or my Canon 30D on a tripod….which I tell you isn’t that easy! As for posing…I just try to be as natural as possible – don’t notice the camera but let it notice me?

I need to make her skirt! (photo by lafashionsnob.com)

3. Where do you currently reside? Where would you ideally like to reside? I currently live just outside of Downtown LA in the Pasadena area – it has a more cultivated indie fashion scene. Although I’ve never been, I believe I’d do well in any costal European country – France and Italy are certainly places I can dream myself into!

4. What is your must-have article of clothing or accessory right now? I’m swooning over mermaid-esque accordion pleat flowing skirts – I saw a girl in Phoenix wearing one…and once I got back to LA I saw the same fabric at Michael Levine’s and started planning my own design!

Fedora @ Target: $12

5. If you were stranded on an island and had only one fashion item to your liking, what would it be? I think a fedora would suit me well – it’s practical and cute!

6. What are your favorite fashion and style blogs right now? One of my best friends, Heather Petrey blogs at http://LAFashionSnob.com - so I’m always checking out her site and we like to trade photography services ha! I always love watching Native Fox to see what new trends she’s following or starting! http://thenativefox.blogspot.com/

Native Fox

Native Fox

   

7. What do you like to do when not blogging about fashion? Eating lots of chinese food, catching up on my Netflix & Hulu queues, and sewing!

8. All that blogging must take up a lot of energy. What is your favorite food to munch on in order to provide you with your Super Blogging Powers? Ah man, now I’m thinking of Chinese food after that last one. HAHA! But my favorite blogging snack food would have to be Cheez It’s!

9. Favorite Designer: I have two- and they are SO different from each other! Chanel will always be my first love: I’m classy and sophisticated. But I love Betsey Johnson for her out of the box thinking and colorful combinations because she allows me to stick to the classic cuts yet venture out into patterns and colors!

Cheez-it's are the ultimate snack for blogging and sewing! :) just like my grandma carol that way!

spending time with my boyfriend is my favorite: this is him with me at an event for Versace in Beverly Hills!

here's a recent sewing project I completed: black and white "Love City" Alexander Henry print as pillow cases with hot pink silk on the back.

 

Phoenix Fashion Roadtrip – Part 1

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Heather & I @ Steak n' Cakes (I'm wearing h&m boyfriend fit buttonup & target fedora with chanel earrings)

The first weekend in March, Heather Petrey of LaFashionSnob.com and I woke up super early, jumped in our car, and drove 6 hours to see Caroline Monick, a French women’s wear designer, launch and show her first collection at Phoenix Fashion Week. We didn’t really plan too much of the trip, other than going to the show at MIM (Music Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ). So we were excited to just enjoy the adventure!

On our way out to Phoenix, we stopped in a little town just short of the California/Arizona border for some lunch. Heather had read about this little ma & pa diner called “Steak & Cakes”. To me, right away I’m like ‘heck yea let’s go there…..steak annnnndcakes? okay!’ Once we got there I realized my appetite was sorely overestimated. I ended up order just a grilled cheese and fries. 

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Nonetheless I enjoyed my little snack of a meal very much. The thing that stood out most to me about this joint was the service. I go to ma and pop places hoping to get away from crowds, to support real people instead of just a corporation, and in hopes of great service from people who know what it is to work hard and make a name for themselves. I was very happy to be greeted by a waitress who seemed genuinely interested in every customer she served. At one point I even saw her sit down with an older gentleman, who after hearing their conversation, I presume is a ‘regular’. I love that! I look forward to visiting again when we go out in the fall for the full Phoenix Fashion Week.

Pretty Little Inspirations

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Feeling inspired while checking out my Pintrest boards…thought I’d share some ‘pretty little things’ with you from some of my favorite Pinners! Don’t forget to check out my boards and FOLLOW! :)

My inspiration today is: Simple, Cream-colored, & Floral.

the ever beautiful Lauren Remington Platt

love this chic modern approach to interior decorating

beautiful abstract photography - just pretty

I have got to pick up some cute fabrics like these! :D

gorgeous and so soft!

Lately, I've been super inspired by simple art...fashion illustrations mostly!

So European - fresh, sweet, and spring-like. I can just smell the flowers looking at this!

What a beautiful wedding idea....country weddings always get me excited! Something simple, elegant, and quaint will do just fine.

Addicted to kittens......one of these days I'm going to adopt a little guy like this and love him forever <3

What kind of inspiration are you gathering for Spring 2012?

xo Kate

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