Tying the Knot

This weekend I was apart of my only brother's wedding in Orange County. It was a gorgeous day and the bride and groom couldn't be happier for the day to finally arrive. Even after the stress of planning the wedding, and the anxious anticipation of the day to arrive, my brother was the happiest I have ever seen.

The tea ceremony was done at the bride's home, followed by a traditional mass at Church, and an intimate reception at the Doubletree Hotel in Santa Ana. Because the wedding was limited to 150 guests, it felt quite intimate and emotional. This being the 5th wedding for my family, there were still a lot of preparation to be done, since this time we were on the groom's side and not the bride's.

My new sister in law shined brightly in her traditional Vietnamese "ao dai" and looked absolutely gorgeous in the wedding gown she purchase in Australia (her home.) All my sisters were very excited to wear their traditional dresses as well, and even picked the fabric out and had one made for me. It has been at least 6 years since I put on a traditional dress, but it felt comfortable and fit for the occasion.

Here are some photos taken by me, so they are not of professional quality. We'll just have to wait for those...

Wedding Bells, and No It's Not Mine

I haven't been able to post this past week because I felt tired and uninspired. With work as the main cause of stress, I simply could not gather my thoughts to complete coherent sentences about fashion related topics. I feel a little more at ease now because the chaotic sale continues without me as I travel to SoCal to attend my only brother's wedding.

With 15 years of age separating us, my big brother is finally tying the knot. I am joyful that he found his "the one" and is embarking on a memorable journey with my new sister-in-law.

Since SoCal is having great weather, and I am in cold weather, I had a difficult time packing for my trip tonight. But every time I head back home, I realize the California girl in me comes out. So with that being said, I am keeping it casual: shorts, tees, jeans, and sandals. But of course I am packing the most important outfit: my attire for the big day. My five sisters and I will be wearing traditional dresses in the morning during the tea ceremony and mass, and then I will change into my dress for the reception.

Hopefully I will be able to share some photos of the wedding in a few days. Until then...

When the Weather Gets Rough, Put on Your Puff!

The weather has been a little nasty across the country these past few weeks and it's about to travel North to my home. Those of you in California have seen a tremendous amount of rain this Fall, whereas those in the East were trapped in what seemed like never ending snow.

As we continue to brave mother nature's gifts, let me interest you in some functional fashion.

The puff coat is this winter's "IT" jacket. To keep you dry, warm, and pneumonia free, every person should own at least one. Believe it or not, I own a Juicy Couture puffer that I love. Yes! You heard right, JUICY COUTURE!! Beauty can be found amongst the atrocious, I assure you. But the most coveted, highly unattainable puff coat is from Moncler. They are the Hermes Birkins of the puff coat world. No one can match their quality, which is the reason why they come with a heavy price tag.

They currently have two retail locations in the U.S. market. One in New York, in which I have visited, and the other in Chicago. They are looking to expand to the West Coast and are looking at brick and morter stores in Seattle and San Francisco. If you can't wait that long or travel that far, www.barneys.com has the most extensive collection for Men, Women, and Kids that I have seen.

They are a hot commodity, so get one before it's sold out in your size. Beware of imitation. Buy directly from a luxury retailer. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is!

4 Days of Fashion on NeimanMarcus.com

Starting Monday @ 9AM PST www.neimanmarcus.com will be showing Spring runway shows from New York, Milan, London and Paris from many designers. After each show, clients will be able to purchase merchandise available from those shows directly on the website. It is your opportunity to buy runway looks right now!

You can visit their website for the schedule of what vendors are participating and at what hour. I cannot wait to watch the shows and see the merchandise. The shows are Monday through Thursday of this week starting from 9AM-6PM PST. Enjoy and happy shopping!

I love Ken Downing NM Fashion Director. He is fabulous and is a native of Washington. I have met him many times, and he continues to inspire me with his enthusiasm, charisma, and chicness.

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/templates/F0.jhtml;jsessionid=BV4XGZIGDYICICQAAKRRABA?itemId=cat37340770&parentId=cat000003&masterId=cat000001&icid=home2

Born To Be Carried

Everyone I know is taking a vacation!

If you are one of the lucky ones traveling or soon to be traveling, have you thought about the perfect handbag to bring with you?

A mini cross-body bag is the smartest choice when traveling. It's no fuss, hands free, and securely stays in place in case you run into frisky fingers. As much as I love a classic black bag, this season's handbag assortment is pretty amazing. There are so many designers out there who are really making a splash with beautiful colors and details. So spice it up a little, get something you might usually pass over because it's not black, I assure you these bags are fun, fashionable, and still practical.

In a few weeks, I will be heading to Paris to take in all its grandeur. Skipping from bakery to bakery to enjoy delicious Parisian macarons, croissants, eclairs, and baguettes to walking the Seine river, jumping in front of the Eiffel Tower, visiting the Louvre, and shopping on Champs Elysees, I will need a cross-body bag to accompany me ( and my friend Michelle T. of course). Not that I plan on getting a new handbag at the moment, but a girl can still dream and window shop.

Which bag is your favorite? Mine is the Valentino nude studded bag. Trendy for the season, yet functional and the perfect size for me.

From left to right:

Chanel teal patent leather bag: $1500 available @ selected Neiman Marcus stores.

Chanel brick red patent leather bag: $1574 available @ selected Neiman Marcus stores.

Givenchy mini "Pandora": $1685 available in other colors and textures @ www.barneys.com

Lanvin "Mini Pop": $1390 available @ www.barneys.com

Valentino studded bag: $1895 available @ www.neimanmarcus.com

Pumps For the Everyday Working Girl

Every working girl( and I don't mean hookers) deserves to buy a beautiful pair of designer pumps to complete her outfit. It drives me crazy to witness well-dressed business women sporting terrible shoes. Don't they know that it ruins their whole outfit? Someone once told me that you can tell a lot about people by their shoes, and I really do believe that. If you took the time and effort to put together a great outfit, why didn't you do it from head to toe?!

What's even worse is when I hear women walk down the street in shoes that make terrible clonking sounds with every step because the bottom of their shoes are so worn out that the metal is sticking out, or they are so uncomfortable that they are stomping instead of walking gracefully.

My go to work shoes have always been Chanel pumps. They NEVER go out of style, they are truly comfortable, and brings a taste of sophistication to any outfit. When seeking the right pair of pumps for yourself, you must consider: your budget, heel height of comfort, classic or fashion, and color. If you are starting out and this is your first designer pump purchase, I would stick with a classic round toe silhouette in a black or brown leather. But if you are not a novice, you can definitely afford to be a little more playful like the studded patent Valentino pump above which happens to be a personal favorite of mine.

In any case, no woman should go without a pair of well made Italian shoes fit to last for years. Time and time again, we tend to buy frivolous things that only add up in quantity not quality, and a good pair of work pumps are an essential investment worth making.

From left to right:

Chanel tweed pumps: from my own closet from last Fall season.

Valentino studded patent pumps: $895 @ www.neimanmarcus.com

Christian Louboutin nude peep toe pumps: $895 @ www.neimanmarcus.com

Chanel cork and patent pump: price unknown from www.chanel.com

Bringing back denim trousers

Did you know that denim was first created and sold by Levi Strauss to miners in the 1850's? Back then you could get a pair of denim for $1.50. Nowadays, there isn't much you can get for a $1.50 anymore, let alone a good pair of jeans.

I purchased my first pair of designer jeans from Nordstrom in 2001. They were the original Seven For All Mankind NYD bootcut. Back then, SEVEN was the only premium denim line available, and it was definitely considered a commodity to be wearing "designer" denim. In the last ten years since my first pair of SEVENs, I must have gone through at least 100 pairs of jeans. For a good part of my college life, I spent most of my money on the newly coveted denim. Maria D. (my roomate at the time) and I would scour department stores and small boutiques alike in the Sacramento area for the newest denim craze. I remember some of my friends from college would look at me funny when I was sporting my distressed jeans, because to them it looked like an old used pair of jeans.

Fast forward to this coming Spring season, denim trousers will be everywhere! Skinny leg jeans will now be a staple, and wide leg jeans will be the novelty style. There are so many choices now: leggings, jeggings, cargos, ponte it's no wonder that trousers are making a major comeback. A good pair of denim is supposed to hug you in all the right places, accentuate your curves, hide your not so lovely flaws, and make you look taller. This sounds like a miracle maker, but yes, that's what a good pair of jeans is supposed to do. That's why it comes with a price tag of upwards of $300.

For the Spring Hudson jeans has won me over with their denim trousers. They truly fit me like a glove. Go out there and find your denim trouser today! Here are some of my favorite fitting trousers out there:

From top left to right:

Hudson "Ferris" $165 @ www.revolveclothing.com

Hudson " Woodstock" $179 @ www.shopbop.com

Seven "Ginger" $155 @ www.shopbop.com

JBrand "Lovestory" $179 @www.shopbop.com