Everlane Silk Wide Leg Pant Review

I haven't done an Everlane review in awhile since I told myself I won't add anything new to my closet in March.  But I ordered this in the tail end of February and yep, it took me that long to get around to reviewing it (I'm still so backlogged on Grana items, it's ridiculous).  But here's a quick review of these Silk Wide Leg pants.

I initially liked these pants because of the cool striped design but also because it's quite opaque (no VPL here).  But long story short, I did return them because these silk pants wrinkle like nothing I've seen before.  I steamed out the wrinkles when I first received it.  Then days later when I went to try them on for the pics below I bent down to put on these shoes and when I stood up again they were all wrinkled!  So I did something I would not advise: I steamed out the wrinkles while I was still wearing them (but very carefully).  These pants are just way to high-maintenance for my taste. 

Also, if I were to keep these pants I would probably hem them since they're a bit long for my 5'4" frame.  

I don't know if it's just me but I'm finding that there's less and less things I'm excited about when it comes to Everlane, except maybe for their shoes.  Since we are in April, I'm letting myself try out Everlane's new modern loafer slides so review of that coming soon-ish!  Anyways you can find all of Everlane's items here and all my Everlane reviews here.

Spring 10x10 Looks 8, 9 & 10

Hi guys, I'm combing the last three looks all in one post since it's been a really busy week and I haven't had much time for blogging!  So without further ado...

Look 8

Wearing: Grana silk crop tank (review coming soon), Elizabeth Suzann Tilda pants (review coming soon), M.Gemi The Docente

Wednesday we delivered an Airstream to a customer so I needed something easy to move around it.  I wore these M.Gemi mules for the look but later changed to sneakers since mules aren't the most practical footwear when getting in and out of pick up trucks.

Look 9

Wearing: Grana silk mini v-neck slip dress (review here), Everlane wide leg crop pants (review here), Everlane modern loafer mules (review coming soon)

Thursday was spent just hanging out at the garage/office and since we didn't have any customers and again no was going to see me in these outfits, I went with something unusual.  I would say combining the Grana dress over Everlane's wide leg pants was a great experimental look but not something I would repeat again.  It's a bit too out there for my taste.  But hey at least I tried it right?

Look 10

Wearing: Grana sleeveless blazer (review here), Grana silk crop tank (review coming soon), Elizabeth Suzann Tilda linen pants (review coming soon), Everlane modern loafter mules (review coming soon), old Balenciaga work bag (similar here)

This is basically look 8 with the sleeveless blazer thrown on top.  I like the look of the blazer with the silk tank but I feel it adds a lot of volume to an already voluminous hip area (due to the linen Tilda pants).  But the sleeveless blazer does hide the butt area, which I'm sorry to say is not flattering in these pants.  Even after the end of this 10x10 I'm not sure I'm keeping these ES pants since I'm just not accustomed to my pants being so wide at the hips.  This is probably going to back on eBay but if someone is interested in purchasing just email me.  These pants are size Medium-short and I'll be listing them for $125 but will sell to a reader for $100 including shipping.

What I Learned

Having looked back at all the various outfits I was able to make with 6 items of clothing I learned that:

1) Not all combos are going to work, but that's okay.  It's fun to just try it out

2) Sometimes you need to wear things multiple times in a challenge like this to finally get the hang of styling some items.  When I first received the Grana silk sleeveless blazer I did a terrible job at styling it.  But now I feel confident in wearing it, and in fact I love it now because it gives me extra pockets when I need them

3) And sometimes you can wear things multiple times in a challenge like this and realize that some items of clothing just don't work for you.  And that's when you have to pass them along to someone else to try out.

Whew I can' wait to go back to wearing regular clothes again!  And I'm going to take it easy on the silks and linens for awhile.  I miss my good 'ole cotton tees and denim jeans!

Spring 10x10 Looks 6 & 7

Look 6

Wearing: Elizabeth Suzann Georgia Tee (review here) and Grana Silk Mini v-neck dress (review here), M.Gemi The Docente mules (review here), and Loewe hammock bag (review coming soon)

Monday was a busy day sending off 2 groups of guests (but I didn't have to do any heavy lifting today) so I decided to go with a simple and easy look.  I love how the ES Georgia Tee looks over the dress, especially since I sometimes find Grana's dress to be a bit too low cut at times (especially in a work setting).  The Georgia Tee is a perfect cover up and keeps the look casual.

Look 7

Wearing: Grana silk sleeveless blazer (review here), Grana silk mini v-neck dress (review here), Elizabeth Suzann linen Tilda pants (review coming soon), M.Gemi the Docente mules (review here), Mansur Gavriel mini lady bag (review here)

Today I'm trying to go with that 'art gallery curator' vibe with the same mini silk dress over the ES Tilda pants.  I'm actually really liking the look of the dress over these particular pants because I sometimes find the Tilda pants to be quite voluminous in the hips so the dress covers that, and I like how the Tilda pants flare just a tiny bit at the ankles.  Though the scarf might be too much for the look, like I said I'm not a huge fan of the low cut so the scarf covers the exposed chest area.  Since there are no customers today and the only people to see me today is my husband (along with the other "bros" that work at auto complex I work in--but they already think I'm weird anyway since I'm the girl that takes pictures in front of the garage doors lol), so I just went with this over the top look.  I guess things get interesting when you do a 6x10!

Spring 10x10 Looks 4 & 5

Look 4

Day 4 was just another day at the Airstream garage and sending off another customer.  For days like these it's best that I wear darker pants and that's why I love my Everlane wide leg crop pants.  They're comfortable and casual but also pretty practical.

Look 5

And finally look 5 today (TGIF!).  Today is a pretty chill day: just some errands and some time at the office garage.  But since I don't need to do any heavy lifting, this silk dress and silk vest combo (both from Grana) totally work.  I'm totally starting to warm up to this vest, especially because it gives me pockets on days when I don't wear pants (for my original review, I wasn't a fan of this "sleeveless blazer" as Grana calls it).  So I'm really glad I added this item to my 10x10 challenge!  

Spring 10x10 Looks 2 & 3

Look 2

Wearing Grana Silk V-neck crop tank, Grana silk mini slip dress, and Everlane oxfords

I actually didn't take a picture of this combo yesterday so I pulled these pics from when I reviewed Grana's mini slip dress.  Yesterday I wore the combo sans necklace and different shoes, but since it was an easy day at work showing one customer around an Airstream, I decided why not be a little dressed up.

Look 3

Wearing: Grana silk v-neck crop tank, Everlane wide leg crop pants (review here), Everlane Street Sandals (review here), and Loewe hammock bag (similar here)

Today I'm wearing Grana's silk v-neck crop tank again but with Everlane's wide leg crop pants this time.  I love the versatility of the silk crop tank and also this combo of navy and black (which to be honest is probably one of my favorite color combos though I've been told before that they don't go together, but eh I like it).   I like this look a lot in general and plan to put it on repeat when this challenge is over!

Shopping ban update for March

{Squeezing this update in between my Spring 10x10 challenge here since by the time the challenge is over we'll be deep into April}

So I did it!  I managed to go without anything new for one month.  I guess I kept myself busy with my back-log of reviews that needed to be done and I just told myself, "Ok, you gotta be able to at least go one month."  So no thrift shopping and no purchases on credit from Everlane or Grana.  But April 1st, I was itching to go back to my old ways and I allowed myself to try some new things from Everlane (their dipped tote and their modern loafer slides--still waiting for these to come in and to be honest I'm really just curious about slides but I'm pretty sure they'll be too narrow for my feet).  But in the end I'm glad I waited a month since it really clarified what I wanted from Everlane and Grana when the temporary ban was over (I also repurchased Grana's linen boyfriend shirt since I seem to have lost my first one--I can't find it for the life of me, and now that summer is rolling around I really want a good linen shirt in my life).  I'm also itching to go thrift shopping but I'm waiting until I absolutely feel like I need to go shopping and then I'm going to treat myself.  But I've realized that by at least waiting it really helped me to be more selective when it did come time to try some new things.  I'm going to let myself celebrate this small victory but like any addict, I can't get too relaxed and let myself fall back to old habits.  Also the capsule closet is helping in that whenever I want something fresh in my closet, I 'shop' my storage bins and add something new.  But for the most part nothing new has been added to my capsule either.  Let's hope I can keep this slow and conscious consumption going through April.  In the meantime, here is my current list of things I want to buy if I were not on a ban:

My lust for these hand-made shoes are still going strong: The Sandy from Sevilla Smith

the numero un bag from Polene (a french brand I just discovered); I emailed them to ask them a little more about their manufacturing process and I'm happy to report that they "only make our bags in Spain in the famous town of Ubrique and all the workers in the factories are well paid. This is a town with a high level of social protection for them because most of the peoples are working in this industry."  Coincidentally this is also where Everlane makes their leather foldover crossbody which I loooove (the leather is so yummy).  I really want to try this bag out (would readers be down if I did a one-in-one out policy for my bags so I can experiment with this bag and report back?  Or is that breaking the ban? lol).

And Polene's numero trois bag

Spring 10x10 clothing picks & Look 1

I'm so excited to do the Spring 10x10 after having done the Winter 10x10 (first post of that here) and having learned a lot more about my style and the remixing of outfits. Last time I did it double time but I think I'll try to stick the full 10 days this time since I seriously had blogging and instagramming fatigue by the end of it.  

So without further ado here are my picks for the challenge:

Elizabeth Suzann Georgia Tee Review Here (pictured in black here but I have the navy one)

Everlane Wide Leg Crop Review Here

Elizabeth Suzann Tilda Linen Pants (review coming soon)

Grana Silk Mini V-neck Slip Dress Review Here

Grana Silk V-neck Cropped Tank (review coming soon)

Grana Silk Sleeveless Blazer Review here

First of all, you might have noticed I have only 6 items here.  Yep I plan to do a 6x10 and nope I'm not doing it to show-off.  First I decided not to add shoes to my list because I'm just an accessory-centric type of gal and need to switch up bags and shoes or else I get bored.  So if I did add shoes it would be a 8x10 really.  Also just like Queen Lee (the Queen of the 10x10 Challenge, lol) I'm not going to include outerwear here.  The temps in California have been so erratic lately that I'm not going to choose just one outerwear for 2 weeks.  So the 6x10 will just really be my core looks sans outerwear and accessories.  Also decided to do a 6x10 since I was able to make 10 outfits with the 6 (I wrote them all down cuz I'm a nerd like that) and I'm a lazy blogger and don't want to push myself to add more items.

Second of all, this time around I'm only using the newest items in my closet for the style challenge.  I really want to see if I can incorporate these items into looks I like and would wear daily even after the challenge.  This is a tad different from the Winter 10x10 where I focused on incorporating old pieces I never wore anymore to see if I still loved them.  I like that I have a different focus this time around.  So we'll see if I can grow to like Grana's sleeveless blazer, which you recall I didn't really like when I first reviewed it.  

Now for the first look:

Look 1

Wearing Elizabeth Suzann top and bottom: The Georgia Tee and the Tilda pants both in linen; Everlane street sandals with the elastic cut off (review here)

For the first look I decided to try out my only two ES items together.  Both were purchased on eBay, back in February when I broke my shopping ban.  But how can you pass up ES linen items that you don't have to wait 2-3 weeks for in your size (and for the pants I even got them $60 off retail)?  Some things are worth breaking bans for.  You know that I love my ES Georgia tee from this review, but as for the Tilda pants the jury is still out (though I'm leaning towards no).  I'll do a full review of these pants when this challenge is over (and really I added them to this challenge so I can know for sure whether or not I like them).  Just for reference I'm wearing the medium short size.

As for this whole look, it's really a great hot summer outfit.  Linen top and bottom, couldn't be cooler (both in temps and looks).  I used to really dislike linen because I'm not a fan of wrinkles (on my face or in my clothes), but haaaate ironing.  Well my handy dandy travel steamer has been the answer!  Now I can wear linen on repeat and just steam out the wrinkles between wears.  I only really wash it if I stain it or excessively sweat (which hasn't happened yet because it's spring, but man wait until summer rolls around, I'm sure I'll be washing it after every wear).  Also I'll be pairing looks off just so I won't have to write a blog post everyday for the next 2 weeks (like I said I'm a lazy blogger lol).  Looks 2 and 3 coming Wednesday!

CELINE Micro Belt Bag Review {Updated June 2018}

So back in February I was super lucky to get this Celine Micro Belt bag (similar ones here from my favorite legit luxury bag reseller, Fashionphile-- and I have a rare coupon code THANKYOU2018 for $50 off any purchase, even last call/discounted items!) as a gift for my birthday and seriously guys I have not put it down ever since.  This bag is my holy grail of bags, even though I didn't know I was even looking for such a bag.  As I said in my instagram post, I'm trying to find balance in using it: I love it so much I want to use it everyday but at the same time I want to make it last.  So for the time being I'm switching between this bag and my Loewe hammock bag.

Anyway onto the review!

One of the first things you might notice in the pics is that I'm not using the strap that came with and that's because to be honest, the thin strap the bag comes with (see pic below) is just not that comfortable.  Also it's not adjustable.  So instead I switched it out with the strap that came with my Saint Laurent Universite bag, which is made of canvas and is adjustable.  

My usual daily items in my bag (wallet, coin purse, sunglasses, and several pouches for essentials)

Other than that, this bag is perfect!  It fits all my daily items easily, and I love that I can carry it either by the top handle or use the shoulder strap (I think I've found that only these types of dual carry type bags work for my lifestyle).  I used to have the Celine belt bag in the mini size but still found that was too big for my needs (so I'm glad it found a good home with a reader!) but the micro size is just the right size (lol I'm the Goldilocks of Celine belt bags).  Actually as much as I love the brand (and I've owned 3 other Celine bags in the past) this is the first one that I truly fits me and the only one I really loved.  

Other benefits of the micro belt bag: you can just zip the top and leave the flap open if you're feeling too lazy to close it (and because the handle is located just right, you don't need to close the flap to use the top handle like in one of my pics above).  But if you don't feel like zipping (or if your bag is a bit too full to zip) you can also secure the flap to the clip and it will effectively close the bag.  

Inside the bag, it's unlined leather and there's 2 flat pockets inside.  There's also a rear zipper pocket on the outside but it's so tiny that there's no real use for it.  The dimensions of the bag are 9 x 8 x 4 inches.  

Anyways if you guys have any questions or want to know more about the bag just drop me a comment below, thanks!

{edit: Thanks to Sooji for her question about the clasp!  So yep, the clasp is probably the most cumbersome part of this bag.  I usually just carry the bag zipped and unclasped, but if I do use the clasp I usually clasp the bag over the belt and not actually tucked in the way Celine displays their bag.  So if you do plan to carry it the way Celine intended, it's gonna be a bit of a pain for sure.}

{edit: And thanks to Elaine C. who asked how the Micro Belt compares to Mansur Gavriel's mini lady bag.  Here are some quick phone pics for you guys!  As you can see they're pretty much the same size with the Celine Micro Belt being slightly wider.}

{January 2018 update: I've had this bag for almost a year now and my love for it is still going strong.  I've used this bag a lot and it has held up really well.  The leather is slightly softer but it's still structured and hasn't lost its shape.  This bag is still one of my favorites and probably was the best gift I'ver ever gotten.}

Also I should mention I used to have the Celine Mini Belt Bag and here's a pic of that for comparison:

And finally I also got the Celine Nano Belt Bag so a review of that and a comparison to the Micro here.

And you can find all my other Celine reviews here.

Grana Review Silk Sleeveless Blazer

*This review was sponsored and I received Grana's Silk Sleeveless Blazer for free.

Hi guys and another sponsored post for you today.  But just because it's sponsored doesn't mean I won't be real with you.  And the real deal here is that I don't love this silk piece.  Now don't get me wrong, I still love the quality of Grana's silk items (especially their 22mm silk satin) but I just don't think this sleeveless blazer is my style:

What do you think?  Or did I just style it poorly?  There's probably a little bit too much going on with this outfit, with the striped long sleeve shirt and the gold and black belt (I really love this thrifted vintage Ferragamo belt and I'm trying it with literally everything).  The faded ripped jeans is also probably not a good fit with the silk sleeveless blazer.  The funny thing was that when I was wearing this outfit, I thought 'yea this feels good'.  But when I saw the pictures I was like 'naw, this doesn't work'.

Anyway a bit more about the blazer itself, which is quite well-made.  It's double layered satin silk and some with a silk ribbon to tie at the waist.  I love the pockets and the wide lapels in the front.  I have to admit, the blazer itself isn't bad.  But I'm not sure I'm going to wear it.  Do you guys have any styling tips or ideas on how to wear this?

You can find all my Grana reviews here and if you're a first time customer, get 10% off your Grana order with this referral link (thanks for your support guys!).

{update: So I added these sleeveless blazer to my Spring 10x10 challenge since I really wanted to see if I could style it better.  And you guys were right, it's better styled simple and without the belt.  I'm actually pretty in love with this now since it adds pockets to dresses (sort of like a lab coat).  Check it out here!}

M.Gemi Review The Fortuna

So I have to admit a draft of this review for the M.Gemi Fortuna flats has been sitting in my list of reviews fooooreeeever (as in I have a place holder for it and sometimes some pictures but I haven't been able to write this review).  And it's because even though this the Fortuna fits well, and looks pretty, it's just not something I wear often (or at all really).  I rarely even think of this shoe when I'm creating outfits.  But the weird thing is that it doesn't mean this shoe is bad.  In fact I think the shoe itself is really awesome (I'm pretty sure it's because I don't really like the color of this suede shoe on me).

What do you think?

Anyway the shoe itself is really great!  First the fit finder worked well for me on finding the right shoe size (it's failed me in the past with The Dolcetto and The Stellato).  It recommended the size 38 which fit perfectly (I'm a 38.5 in the Felize and usually a size 8 in Everlane shoes and size 7.5 in TOMS).  I also love that these flats have a pointed toe to help elongate the leg and they're super simple overall.  Plus they're really comfortable to walk in (though not quite as comfy as The Felize, which are still hands down my favorite M.Gemi shoes).  But like the Felize they're really forgiving on wide-ish feet like mine).  And actually like the Felize, they lack a but of arch supports so it's probably better for your feet to add something like these to the shoes for prolonged wears.

In the end I don't wear these shoes that often because I don't really love the color and the suede material (it's so hard to keep clean).  But lucky for you guys it now comes in new colors and even better, made of Italian Nappa leather (I love napa leather, it's the stuff Prada uses a lot).  I really love the gray pair (but eek the hot pink?).  You can find them here.

And if you're interested in getting $50 off, email gardner_maureen@ymail.com for a referral link!

Glossier Boy Brow and Stretch Concealer Review: The Good and the Bad

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At first I was going to do one review for all the different Glossier products I bought but I'm going through them all so slowly since I really take my time when it comes to trying new makeup and skin care (sometimes when I use too many products at once my skin just freaks out and then I'm not sure which product was the one that triggered it all).  So for today I have for you a review of Glossier's Boy Brow and Stretch Concealer.  

First the Boy Brow, which I have to say does live up to the hype.  My brows in general are fairly thin since an unfortunate over-plucking incident early on in my adolescence (a story for another time), but recently I've been using this lash and brow growth serum (and it really works!).  And now that my brows hairs are growing quite long, Glossier's boy brow has been pretty clutch in keeping my brows looking groomed and polished.  The short wand is perfect for combing your brows while simultaneously filling them with their cream-like formula.  At first it looks like there's a lot of product on the wand and that it might make your brows look too dark but looks are deceiving.  As you comb it through, it really does blend it with your natural hairs.  I'm using the brown color and it blends in perfectly.  I should warn you though that once you comb through the formula, you don't want to touch it until it dries otherwise it somehow loses its magic and starts to look like you painted your brows heavily (I made this mistake when I accidentally went overboard with this product and then tried to wipe some off with a tissue--nope don't do it, it totally backfires on you).  I really love this product but I'm not sure I'd repurchase this when I think about it from a sustainability stand point.  Yes the product is awesome, but all the extra plastic just for a brow product (when really my Shu Uemura brow pencil already does a decent job) seems a bit like a waste.

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Now for the bad: their stretch concealer.  I need concealer most to hide my zits and general redness on my face.  The concealer itself is a bit greasy but does have decent coverage.  But the big no-no for me is their pore-clogging formula (even though they say it's not).  How do I know this?  First I tried it out and then where ever I used it, I started getting a couple of small whiteheads. So then I cross checked the full ingredient list of this concealer to this list of comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredients from a well respected acne spa treatment center in San Francisco (I went there a couple times and I actually use a lot of their products regularly).  And lo and behold the number one ingredient of this concealer is a pore-clogging ingredient (Octyldodecanol).  Talk about false advertisement.  So if you're planning to use this on pimples, don't.  But if you have fairly tough skin and are going to use this for under-eye darkness then it might be worth looking into.

Anyway I'll try to get the second half of this review out which will include Glossier's milk jelly cleanser, Generation G matt lipstick, and their Super Pure serum.

Grana Review Silk Long Sleeve Pyjama Shirt

*This is a sponsored post and I received this Grana PJ for free

Hi guys!  Catching up on all my Grana reviews here.  I was sent these Grana silk PJ's back in December and it has been sitting in my "to review" pile for ages (I know such a bad blogger and I'm super lucky that Grana still wants to to work with me >.<).  I guess it took me so long because I really don't use silk PJs in my real life.  My usual PJ ensemble is an Everlane or Grana tee (that I usually just wear the next morning with some jeans for work), and Uniqlo loungewear (purchased before my fair fashion days, but to be honest they make great loungewear.  I think the key to not doing any more harm at this point would be to just keep them and use the stuffing out of them).

But when I got these Everlane wide leg pants, I thought why not just try them out together.  And I have to say I really like the look.  Also the vintage Ferragamo belt I thrifted helps to give the outfit a more polished look.

I got this top in a small and as you can tell it's a bit of an oversized fit (as PJs probably should be).  I really love the sleeve and collar white piping detail as well as their mother of pearl buttons (I'm not sure if its genuine or faux--I mean do they even make faux mother of pearl?) .  Also this top is made from their shinier and more luxe 22mm Georgette Satin (my favorite).  As we head into the warmer months I probably won't be wearing a long sleeve silk top but as fall rolls back around, I look forward to trying this top again with different outfits (even if the PJ trend is over).

I took so long to write this review that they no longer have this top in black, but they do have a pretty cute pink color now.  And for first time buyers, get 10% off with this referral link to Grana (and thanks for your support!).

My first capsule, part two: Still in Progress

So this is what my capsule wardrobe (aka my Airstream closet) looks like at the moment.  At first I was a bit stressed out trying to make it 'perfect' but then a cold front hit and I had to go digging back into the bins to pull out a couple sweaters.  And that's when I decided, well it's my capsule wardrobe and I'm going to do it the way I want.   That means I'm not going to stress out about having the perfect number or selection of clothes and instead let my capsule have more of a 'flow' to it.  That means if I need something then I will let myself go back to storage and pull out what I need.  Then that item will have a place in my capsule closet, thus the space for a couple more hanging items and the nearly empty shelf for dresses.  I'll fill it as I need.  Also whatever I don't pull to use in my capsule for the warm season will be up on the chopping block.  I kind of see it as a 2 closet system and whatever doesn't get moved to the primary closet will be sold or donated.  And for the most part, my going out clothes (ie blogger clothes) will stay at the garage and not be included in my Airstream capsule closet since I pretty much live at our workplace and I usually leave to go to events/dinners from there and not the Airstream (logistically it makes sense since the garage is closer to the city than the RV park we live in).  So this may not be a fully enclosed capsule collection but that's okay with me.  Whatever works and makes me happy right?

P.S. And since I'm a total newbie at this capsuling thing, here's a link to an expert capsuler so you can get some real tips on how to do this: 

P.P.S. I'm happy to report that thus far my renewed shopping ban for March has been going very well.  No new things in!  In April I will go back to my original rules of allowing myself to thrift shop as well as try out Everlane and Grana items purchased on credit (thanks to everyone who has supported me on this!)

My first capsule wardrobe, part one: The Current State of my Closets

Ok ok I'm finally going to get on the capsule bandwagon.  I'm not sure why I was/am so resistant to the idea (actually I think it's because of that feeling of restriction and limitation), but let's face the facts: 1) I need this in my life, especially due to my shopping addiction (and thanks to Lia and Rebecca B. who really encouraged me to give this a try as a solution) and 2) uhh my life was actually meant for capsule wardrobes, I mean c'mon I live in an Airstream.  I guess in a sense I was kind of living with a capsule wardrobe (as in my everyday work clothes were at the Airstream), except I was also living out of bins that are stored at the Airstream garage (and that's where most of my "blogger clothes" live).  What am I talking about?

This:

Literally my secret hoard

There you have it.  My secret's out: I'm a slob with hoarding tendencies (I used to joke I'm one catastrophe away from full hoarder status, but I probably shouldn't joke about things like that).  But let me tell you, the key to hoarding well is storage and stacking.  Anyway I also have another closet at the garage:

I'm part of the lean(ing) closet movement, lol.  Anyway that's an old Ikea closet storage I built by myself (and subsequently built wrong).  I definitely had some bars and screws left but didn't want to start all over so I just left it like that.  Who knew it would be the miraculously leaning closet?  Currently it's holding most of my outerwear and half of my husband's clothes. (I'll take a better pic of the lean once an Airstream moves out of the garage).

 And just so you can get the full picture, here's my Airstream closet:

So that's my baseline.  I'll be moving into a different Airstream (for our business) so we're going from 28' to 27', which is a slightly different layout.  That means I'll be getting a very slightly larger closet, but it also means that this is the perfect time to plan out my capsule wardrobe for the warmer seasons.

Part Two will be about how I fare in the process and what I end up choosing!

Elizabeth Suzann Review Georgia Tee {Updated May 2018}

So back in February when I said I cheated on my shopping ban, it all started with this one top from Elizabeth Suzann.  This is the Georgia Tee in linen.  I had been wanting this specific top in this specific color since December and when I saw it pop up on eBay I let myself buy it under the guise that it could technically qualify as a trade (just like I would trade clothes at Crossroads, which I did allow in my ban rules), meaning I sold some stuff on eBay that would more than cover the cost of this purchase (plus that money was just sitting in my paypal account so....).  Anyway I bought it and I don't regret it one bit, even if it meant I broke my ban.

{Wearing: Elizabeth Suzann Georgia Tee, Grana silk ankle pants (review here), rag & bone booties, Mansur Gavriel mini lady bag (review here)}

The Georgia Tee has proven to be everything I dreamed it would be.  I know that's quite a statement about a linen top.  But maybe that's the quality you get when you purchase something that is made thoughtfully by a skilled artisan.  The Georgia tee comes in OS-, OS, and OS+ and here I'm wearing it in OS.  It's such a universally flattering shape that I'm pretty sure almost everyone can pull it off.  On me, the Georgia tee is the perfect cropped length, and it has a wide neckline so I feel it makes my neck look longer without cutting deep in the front.  And my favorite thing about this top is the sleeves: I love how they perk up at the ends.  It really minimizes the chicken wing (tricep) area.  

{Wearing: Elizabeth Suzann Georgia Tee, Grana silk ankle pants (review here), Everlane modern point shoes (review here), Valentino glamlock bag}

And the washing and care for this is super easy.  Just wash cold and I steam out the wrinkles with my handy dandy travel steamer (which I love so much that I think I might do a separate review devoted to this indispensable tool).  As you can see, so far I've only paired this with my Grana silk ankle pants (because they go so well together), but stay tuned for more outfits incorporating this top!  

{May 2018 Update: After consulting my resident Elizabeth Suzann expert Lydia (Liz's friend and first hire), she has identified this item was a signature piece from the SS14 signature collection.  So Gen 2.  Also have had this for a year and I still love it and wear it often!}

Supergoop! Review of Barre to Bar Beauty Set

Just a quick beauty review for you today.  I had mentioned that I'm in the search for a good sunscreen that won't melt off my face in the summer, won't break me out and also gives me some coverage to even out skin tone.  This search has been harder than I anticipated due to my super sensitive skin (if I don't break out, sometimes I get a rash, but most of the time I just break out).  So when I saw this Supergoop! Barre to Bar set I though I would give it a shot (I kept seeing the brand in magazines and such so I finally caved into the marketing).  I love trying little sampler sets like these since it allows me to try it without committing to the full size.  So here's a quick rundown of each product:

The Daily Correct CC Cream in Light/Medium: in short, a dud.  It was greasy and gave my skin a pinkish tint (obviously not a match for my asian skin tone).

The City Sunscreen Serum: I loooooove this!  This is probably the only thing I would rebuy out of this whole kit (and probably the only thing I will use up).  This is a super lightweight sunscreen with zero sunscreen smell and no greasiness.  Also doesn't break me out.  This could become my everyday go-to sunscreen for under foundation (if I don't find a good tinted sunscreen).

Perk up lip and cheek treat: I didn't really like this for my lips and I never used it for my cheeks.  The taste/smell is subtle but slightly of sunscreen (it's SPF 50).  I prefer to use my RMS lip shine in sacred even though it doesn't have SPF.  We'll see, I might keep giving this a chance.

Defense Refresh Setting Mist: I originally loved this product thinking I could just wear my regular foundation and then use this as a setting mist to provide extra SPF coverage.  However after using it for a week, I'm not a huge fan.  First, you can definitely tell there's alcohol in their formula (especially if you don't shake it as well as you're supposed to) and that alcohol can definitely cause a sting near your eyes even if you have them closed.  Also the mist doesn't really give you all that much SPF coverage since it's really just tiny droplets of SPF (you'd really have to spray it on good for actual SPF coverage I think).  And lastly I sprayed these on my arms in an attempt to use up the product and got it all over my car's black leather interior.  That stuff is hard to get off, lol.

So final verdict?  Don't buy this set but do check out that serum if you're looking for a good everyday base sunscreen.  Thus the search for a sunscreen with coverage continues, though I am now a huge fan of that serum (I use it under my usual SPF 15 lotion for extra coverage).  In the meantime I'm trying out several products form Bella Cuore and will let you know what I find!

Everlane Review Wide Leg Crop Pant {Updated October 2017}

When Everlane came out with these wide leg pants I was super excited since I was just beginning to warm up to the Jesse Kamm pants look.  Now I totally understand the value of Jesse Kamm's clothing but I just can't drop that kind of dough on a look I'm not sure I would like on myself (though I love it on bloggers like Lee).  So I was thrilled when Everlane made a look-a-like pants (though if I was Jesse Kamm I would be more than a bit miffed at the copycat).  And well, at this rate, high-waisted wide-leg pants might be my thing.  I've been wearing these cropped pants consistently (since I got them hemmed) and I'm in love.  In which case the real deal Kamm pants may be in my future.

In these pictures (both top and bottom pics) the pants are unhemmed (and for reference I'm 5'4" but with short legs).  And in both pictures I'm wearing Grana's silk V-neck cropped tank (review coming soon).  I ordered the bone color up top in size 4 and the black ones below in size 6.  I usually say I'm a size 4-6 in Everlane pants, but lately the 4's have been bit too tight for me (damn that full year of no exercise) and the white pants in the size 4 was no exception.  The size 6 only felt a smidge bigger when I originally tried them on (ie it was still fairly tight at the waist).  But after consistent wear, the waist does stretch out and now the size 6 feels a bit large at the waist (so much so that a now belt helps keep the pants in place), which makes me think I probably could have gone with the 4 and let it stretch out.  Then again, it was pretty tight when I first tried it on.  I guess if you're between sizes like me, size up for comfort (but size down if you want your butt to be more pronounced in your pants and you don't mind the initial constriction).  Oh and the white pants are fully opaque so no VPL here (I think I was even wearing my Thinx in these pictures and you know how thick those are).

Since these pants were not cropped on me, I decided to go get them hemmed so that it would be as how Everlane intended, cropped.  I arbitrarily went with 2 inches (since that is how many inches I hemmed my Grana silk culottes) but now I'm thinking I should have gone one more inch shorter.  Pictures below of the hemmed pants (and Grana silk PJ top, review coming soon).

A little bit more about the pants: the material is a cotton twill material with a bit of elastane for stretch.  The twill has tiny grooves that if you spill something on it, it's pretty hard to get out without a thorough washing.  Also the wide legs are a bit pesky when using the bathroom (you gotta be extra careful they don't touch the ground-it's all about rolling them up as you take them off.  TMI?  sorry, lol).  The waist is super high and contrary to the quote on Everlane's page, these pants will feel really constricting after a big lunch (so much so I had to un-button the pants for awhile right after eating).  But despite these minor things, I loooove these pants.  I love how free and unconstricted my legs feel.  And I love how I feel instantly chic for wearing a silhouette that not everyone is wearing yet.  As I said in the past I'm so over skinny jeans and pants and I'm so ready for wide leg pants in take over my life.  So now the real question is, should I let myself rebuy the white version?**  Ahhh so tempting!

Anyway here are Grechen's review of these pants (and her second take here), Andrea's review, and Lee's review.  You can find these pants here (referral link, thanks for your support guys!), and you can find all my other Everlane reviews here.

** Ok this is when my "slow my roll" rule has to kick in (as in I said no more additions to the closet in March) so I'll have to pass on the second wide leg crop pants.  I will put them on my current wish list (thanks again for the idea Liz!)

{October 2017 update: So from March to September I hardly wore these pants because for some reason the proportions didn't feel right.  So then I thought it might be because it didn't feel tight enough in the waist and that if it was a bit more fitted, it might be more flattering.  So I purchased a second pair in a size down (so a size 4) and have found that the fit is better and so is the proportions.  Also the new batch of wide leg crops seem to be a bit less stretchy and doesn't get baggy after extended wear.  You can see me wear the new pair of wide leg crops in navy here.}

For the love of clothes (and accessories)

Snapshot from the Chanel store in Ala Moana, Honolulu

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about my consumption habits, especially due to my shopping ban resolution this year (and my failure of keeping said ban).  To be honest I haven't always been so fashion/style-minded (remember that story about wearing the same jeans and sweaters all throughout grad school).  But my consumption habits have really sky-rocketed since starting this blog.  At first I felt like I had to consume to have something to blog about.  If I wasn't writing about something useful, some kind of new information, why would people even stop by to visit?  But last year, it really morphed into its own beast.  I was getting boxes almost on the daily.  And here I am trying to espouse conscious consumption, minimalism, and intentional buying.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Instead I was buying all these new items "for the blog" but not really using them.  And even if I am purchasing the bulk of my items from companies that care about their workers and the quality of their items, there's just no way one person could effectively wear every single item I was purchasing.  And on top of that I had my "uniform" so I wasn't even wearing over half of my "blogger clothes".  All of this is starting to feel more disingenuous to who I am and what I believe in (which really is buy less, buy quality, and use well).  I don't know what the solution here is, except to slow my roll (which is what I keep repeating, I know).  The ban has helped on that some.  On the bright side, I feel like I'm getting to know my style better so I really hope that after distilling my current style this year, I'll only be adding things periodically to keep it evolving.  But sometimes I wonder if I'll ever break out of this crazy consumption cycle?

P.S. Thank you to everyone who commented with encouragement and with super helpful tips on my "Failure in Feb" post.  I feel more determined than ever to make this shopping ban work.  Also thanks to you guys I'm going to be committing to doing a capsule wardrobe (which is what I should have been doing ever since I moved into an Airstream) so stay tuned for that!

Grana Silk Mini V-neck Slip Dress Review

*I should mention that this post was sponsored (yay for my second free shipment from Grana), but I originally had purchased a black version of this myself already.  But it was very nice of them to let me try the blue version for free.

Hi guys, it's been awhile since my last Grana review but if you've been following my Instagram you know that's pretty much all I've been wearing everyday (mostly those silk ankle pants).  It's a bit early to be wearing this dress (the temps here have been in the 50s and 60s) but I just can't wait for spring and I really love the color of this dress (so spring like!).

So for those who've read my other Grana silk reviews, you know I love love love Grana's items made from their 22mm Georgette satin (over their 14mm crepe de chine).  And so of course I love this dress as well.  As usual with their 22mm satin the material is super smooth, thick, and feels durable.  

I'm a huge fan of Grana's regular v-neck slip dress (review here)  but I always thought that midi length was just a bit too long for my short-ish frame.  So I was really excited when they came out with this mini version.  And boy, I was not let down.

Just like their regular version, this mini version is made from double layers of their georgette satin so no VPL here.  But I should note that for me anyway, the double layer ends right before the start of the side slit on the leg so the inner silk layer ends right at my butt (which isn't a bad thing, but sometimes you can see where that inner layer ends.  Also I have to be careful when bending over).  And for a mini dress the slit doesn't go up too high, which I prefer.

As for sizing, I'm usually between a small and a medium in Grana, but went with the small here since from past experience the chest area of the silk slip dresses tended to run large.  It fit fine except was a tiny bit snug in the butt area (but that's my fault not the dresses, lol).

Anyways since it's a bit too cold still to wear the dress as is, I tried some outfit variations below.  What do you think of the light blue and rust orange?  I kind of like the combo!

Anyway if you're interested in the dress you can find it here and if you're a first time buyer, you can get 10% off your first purchase with this link.  And you can find all my other Grana reviews here.

Shopping ban progress report: Failure in February

The bag that I desperately whined and weaseled my way to (I used everything in my persuasion arsenal for this one and then felt dirty after, lol)

I literally acted like an addict all February.  I wheedled my way to my drug (stuff, more specifically bags), and really bent some rules along the way (ok ok 'broke' is probably the more accurate word here).  Also I justified buying swimsuits because now I'm trying to swim on a regular basis, but I didn't need to go and buy 8 items from Patagonia (darn that sale).  I'm going to be honest here and say I most definitely failed.  And now I'm really starting to think I have a problem.  I think I might be addicted to shopping (friends who know me well will probably say 'no duh' at this point).  I know I love shopping but always told myself I can stop anytime I want (and isn't this what all addicts say).  And lo and behold I don't last more than 6 weeks.  And when I was trying to reduce my spending on my closet, I found that I ended up spending a lot more on makeup and skin care (but hey on the bright side I did find Bella Cuore).  It's like I need to buy something every once in awhile even though I have waaay too much of everything.  Well a shopping addiction probably isn't the worse thing in the world (#firstworldproblems), but an addiction to anything can be bad news.  At this point I feel like I need to do this just to prove to myself that I can.  So back on the shopping ban wagon I go and no more trying to get others to do the dirty work for me (ie buy me gifts, lol)... though March is my birthday month.  Ah well, at least no more buying things off of eBay just because I have money in my paypal account.  And definitely less spending on skin care and makeup products (but I'm on a hunt for a good tinted sunscreen with coverage or foundation with sunscreen that won't melt off my face come summer...so that quest is still gonna happen).  Also no more stuff from Everlane and Grana for the time being because I'm still behind on my reviews.  I'm not going to get any more stuff until I'm all caught up and have literally run out of things to write about on this blog (I still have to do my review of the Everlane wide leg pants and a bunch of silk items from Grana as well as their active wear).