Feast your eyes on Philly

Philadelphia was never an option on my mental checklist for American cities to see, but I recently made the trek down south. I have officially hit up the top four northeast cities (New York City, Boston, Philadelphia & D.C.). D.C., Philly & Boston are extremely similar. If anything, Philly has more urban feels akin to NYC. Typically before traveling, I do a little research, but none of that happened for this trip. Essentially, I was traveling to a place that I had zero prior interest or knowledge. Soon into the trip, I realized Philly is a little food capitol. Thus began my glorious adventure into its nooks and crannies. In old city, there is a precious vintage clothing scene. They're the type of shops run by families with inventories specially hand-picked with love. Great food & fashion plus happy hours? I can get down with that.  

Hai Street Kitchen & Co.

The illustrious sushirto has taunted my Tumblr and Pinterest feeds for at least two years. I almost cried when I learned that Hai Street Kitchen existed and that it had just recently opened in Philly (the first existing establishment in America, also). Sometimes, I can be lucky. Listen to some of their ingredients: tataki salmon, Mexcian grilled pork belly, chimichurri sauce, wasabi guacamole, fried shallots & yucca chips. Grade A selection.

My perfume of choice: Chloe.

An example of the excellent vintage finds.

Bag Vintage//Sandals Dolce Vita//Dress UO//Sunglasses Ray Ban

The weather was in the 90s with thick humidity. Any forms of bottoms or tight-fitting clothing were not allowed on this trip.

Federal Donuts

Donuts are currently a foodie's wet dream and dominate all fashion bloggers' Instagram feeds. Federal Donuts offers a short menu that constantly sell out before the end of lunch break. This place also serves up these addicting treats with fried chicken. Honestly, fat people don't get a break these days.

Shorts & Bag Vintage//Jacket H&M//Shirt & Headband Anthropologie

Best friends are ones who won't kill you when you ask them to take your photo every five minutes.

Never Too Spoiled

An adorable eclectic boutique with a wide selection of jewelry, clothing and little trinkets to discover.

The Geisha House

I trust any store that carries For Love & Lemons clothing. Plus this one is run by a mother & daughter duo. 

Barbuzzo

I got to sit at the chef's counter, meaning I had a close-up & personal view of the chefs. I felt like Padma Lakshmi in Top Chef. It's the best seat because you get to see the skills and artistry of these often attractive, tatted-up chefs. Real (foodie) porn.

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Check out Spazzkid's Promise EP. His music is hypnotically intimate and filled with electric energy. He also has a beautiful soul.

My breath might not be, but my outfit sure is!

A-line skirts perfectly emphasize womanly curves - or add womanly curves. Thus, this minty A-line jean skirt from American Apparel makes a great summer statement piece. I paired the skirt with a recently thrifted white blouse from Urban Renewal in Allston. Plain white blouses are closet-must-haves because they 1) match everything and 2) balance louder pieces like this skirt. For accessories, I'm wearing a bejeweled rope necklace from Anthropologie. The necklace has mint-colored jewels and light beige thread so it compliments my skirt and oxfords. Lastly, I completed the outfit with my oversized leather clutch. The bag is great for carrying my laptop, many chargers, and documents. Essentially my office on-the-go.

Shirt Urban Renewal//Skirt American Apparel//Oxfords Paris//Clutch F21//Necklace Anthropologie

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Happy National Donut Day, My Dough-Eyed Donut Lovers!

Free Donut from Dunkin' Donuts

The sound of dreams being fulfilled

I've been on the search for my dream leather jacket since last September when I had to retire my black one after traveling through France. I wore it everyday and I acutely remember the tears that rippled across its body as I pushed it to its limits. I found it in high school so it wasn't real leather, but it really changed all my outfits in the best way by providing this sense of controlled chaos and a grungey feel. Anyways, since then I've been lonely without a leather jacket to immediately run to for all my sartorial problems. I've been wary about the price that I would be willing to pay for a leather jacket, but I know it's a piece I will wear often and I would want one that will last forever. Despite that, I didn't want to spend $500+ on the ones I found on sites like Rag & Bone even though it was the perfect modern fit. Then I experienced a game changer while shopping at the Mango in Spain. First off, prices in Spain are significantly cheaper than in the U.S. A top in the U.S. can run from $80-120 while a top in Spain is 20-50 euros. I felt like I was slapped in the face, but in a good way. I love Mango's clothing. Their style is minimalistic with a focus on striking and modern silhouettes. Their color schemes are simplistic with a use of few colors like their spring collection consisted of three colors: peach, mint, and white. I love when stores work like this because you feel like you could buy anything in the store and all the items would match each other. Long story short, I bought a leather jacket there and it cost $40 cheaper than its American counterpart. Thank you, Mango for making me feel thrifty about an expensive purchase.

Jacket Mango//Shirt Zara//Pants Se7ven//Boots Marshalls

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Boston Calling my name

Boston Calling was a great welcome back to the city with dancing to the musical genius of Warpaint, Death Cab for Cutie, Tegan & Sara, and Modest Mouse. Though Boston Calling isn't your typical summer festival with every girl sporting a lace crochet crop top and Levi denim cut-offs, I am always a fan of dressing a little bit heavier with layering and accessorizing. For both days, I wore my wax-coated denim black jacket. It looks like something between a jean and leather coat. It was perfect for the cooler nights and just light enough to wear under the sun. 

Day 1:  

Head Scarf & Shirt American Apparel//Fanny Pack & Necklace Vintage//Jacket H&M//Jeans AG

I couldn't wait to break out my fanny pack from Spain with its buttery soft leather and red tribal print. I've dreamt of owning one for a while, but it has been a difficult journey finding one that wasn't tacky. Despite the stigma behind the fanny pack, they are great for concerts because you have all your essentials close to your person and its small compact size allows you to squeeze to the front of the crowd. Anyways, I topped my outfit with my new Fatima pendant from Morocco. I was drawn to the tiger eye stone in the middle and apparently the Fatima hand symbol brings luck so I'm happy about the find. 

 Girl Crush: Warpaint

Day 2:

Dress UO//Shoes Old Navy//Jacket H&M//Sunglasses & Bag Vintage

It was a beautiful day so I wore a dress with my heart-shaped sunglasses and called it a day. And it was a great day.

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My travel outfit

I traveled to Morocco last week with a couple stops in London + Madrid. Traveling as a fully cognizant, working adult starkly contrasts to the days when I was a teenage being dragged across Vietnam and France with my parents. I regret being a late bloomer to appreciating "different cultures", but now I love it and traveling to Europe now stands as my ideal vacation. 

Many people asked me "Why Morocco?" from close friends to random Moroccan strangers. I didn't understand the question and I would instantly respond "WHY NOT?". Morocco has tasty Mediterranean food, beautiful architecture, well-known luxurious spas, diverse open markets, endless mountains, the Sahara desert, camels, AND they speak French. The only hardship I faced was figuring out what to pack. People assumed that since it is a Muslim country that I was expected to wear a head scarf. Of course I didn't have to. I'm not Muslim so Moroccans don't expect me to be religious. I did take precaution in not showing off too much skin. Also, I made this joke with my friends that I was only packing 2 pants and 2 shirts. I actually packed 2 pants, 3 shirts, 2 dresses and 2 skirts for the 10-day excursion. I mostly wore my black harem pants which is ironic because I am a huge fan of barely-there shorts in hot weather. I ensured all my clothing items were loose to accommodate for the near-100 °F weather. Also, I specifically picked black and white options-matching made easy.

Dress H&M//Shirt American Apparel//Hat Anthropologie//Shoes Dolce Vita//Fringed Bag Gifted

My outfit for Majorelle Garden in Marrakech. Yves Saint Laurent owned the garden and had his ashes spread across the land after his death. It's filled with cacti, bamboo forests, ponds filled with koi fish, and dark-blue walkways that culminate into this serene, peaceful moment in the midst of hot, chaotic Marrakech.  

Pants Urban Outfitters//Shoes Dolce Vita//Shirt American Apparel//Hat Anthropologie//Sunglasses Ray Ban

This was my second skin during most of the trip. The pants were loose + light as well as the shirt. This hat marks as my last purchase from my Anthropologie days. The hat was an essential asset to the trip as it was both a fashionable accessory to hide my matted, sweaty hair and protection from the burning sunrays.  

Everything same as above//Top Thrifted//Necklace Target

Skirt Thrifted//Scarf Moroccan Souk//Sneakers Borrowed from Friend//Top Thrifted//Bag Gifted//Necklace Target

These last two outfits were worn in Madrid as they show off a little more skin. Madrid weather was an ideal 70 degrees and I kept the scarf throughout the day for the cooler nights and indoors at museums. When the weather got too hot, I would wear the scarf as a head turban. 

Visiting the markets in Marrakech's Jemaa el Fna souks and Madrid's El Rastro markets was the highlight of my trip (as well as an excursion to Madrid's Mango store, but that will be a later reveal). I became obsessed with the fatima hand in Morocco and the leather goods in Spain. I've been on the search for the perfect fanny pack for at least a few years now and I discovered my dream one at the El Rastro market for 8 euros. I am a firm believer that if you have the exact image of what you want in your head, then you should just wait until you find it and not settle for anything less. I felt that way about oxfords shoes and I ultimately found my dream pair on the streets of Paris and now I found my dream fanny pack. If you never find what you want, then it's better to never own it rather than living with something that doesn't fit all your needs. It cuts down on buying stupid stuff, which is a problem I face daily. 

Also, in the above photo is a jar of Saharan sand. The sand has this beautiful reddish-tinge and it's so soft to the touch. I was afraid the airport security would confiscate it. Lucky me they didn't! I hope I didn't smuggle some unknown insect species into the U.S.

I am considering doing a post later about the many beautiful sights from my trip. 

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transitioning into brighter days

Do you shop at Old Navy? I personally never did because I thought their brand was cheesy and poor quality. I was forced to go one day because my sister was charmed by one of their sale advertisements and I ended up buying 3 dresses, two jackets and a pair of shoes. You've seen me wearing the black Chelsea boots multiple times on this blog. In this post, I'm wearing their jean jacket and floral dress. They're great quality and fit well. I know they're darker-colored items, but they match most items in my wardrobes so I am smitten. I paired the outfit with my oxblood loafers, black bag (my go-to bag when I am carrying my DSLR for the day), and black wayfarers. When the temperature breaks 70 degrees, then you'll see me shedding my darker threads for a lighter outfit palette. Until then ... 

Sunglasses RayBan//Jacket + Dress Old Navy//Loafers Thrifted//Bag UO

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comfort is key

My definition of lazy encapsulated in an outfit: long tunic, jeggings and ankle-boots. I love this shirt because even though it resembles a box and probably does nothing for my figure, the pattern has this cool monochromatic, geometric, eclectic look. Every time I wore it while working at Anthropologie, woman would tell me "Oh I bought that shirt because it looked terrible on me ... but it looks good on you" and it made me think that maybe I love it because it has this awesome ugly vibe. I'm crazy. 

Jacket Thrifted//Necklace Target//Leggings France//Boots Old Navy//Tunic Anthropologie

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