A Higher Fashion

Greetings on the first day of July, everyone! Today I have some -super- exciting news: in about a week from now...I am going to JAPAN!!! Ahhhhh!! =DDD It will be my first time out of the country and I will be in Japan for a whole month. I am -extremely- excited, and believe me when I say that is an understatement. ^.~

I will actually be posting a link to my new blog that will be focusing on happenings during my stay in Japan. Be sure to look out for it! I am even hoping to do some super exciting posts on this blog as well- ones that focus primarily on Japanese fashion, of course. ^.^ So be on the lookout for 1) new blog link, and 2) posts on here straight from Japan! <3

Well even though it's been a while since my last post, I am going to dive right in with one of my latest Asian inspired outfits!

~Outfit #9!~

 

This outfit is a bit of "high fashion" inspired mostly by the Korean group 2NE1 because it is both shiny and powerful-- the photo really doesn't do this outfit justice.

I was very pleased to have found so many parts of this outfit for much cheaper than they would have normally been. I had the chance to travel a bit and went to a Guess outlet. Now normally I am not a person that really cares about brand names...but I very admittedly love Guess. Anything of theirs that has metal is soooo shiny and it looks nicer than metals found at Forever 21 and similar stores. The types of metal that I am referring to are on shoes, belts, or jewelry. It's just so beautiful! *.* 

Now in this first photo, I am rocking a classy, daytime look. I dressed up the jeans with a nice blazer and flip-flops that, while appropriate for the summer weather, make a classier statement than Old Navy flip-flops because of the black color and the (shiny) Guess letters across the straps. In addition, I painted my toenails a professional black, which again, adds a bit more class to the outfit. Remember: details are noted. They can be worth your time to make your outfit say precisely what you want it to. =) 

 So how do you take this outfit up a notch? Add some sunglasses! 

 

These sunglasses are prescription and are Ralph Lauren brand. I got them on sale for $60.00 right before summer stared and I am SO thankful that I did. I have wanted prescription sunglasses my whole glasses-wearing life, hahaha. I really enjoy wearing these in the car-- not only are they useful, but they also give me a nice self-confidence boost. They make me feel cool, stylish, and a little B.A. ;D 

But wait! There's more! To add even MORE flair, I sported my awesomely cute and sparkly Hello Kitty purse! =^.^= Eeeheeheehee. <3

~So shinnnnnyyyy...~

Closeup of Guess Necklace

I love this outfit because not only do I feel professional, I feel comfortably my age and wonderfully different from the standard crowd. It's classy with personality, which I absolutely adore. 

The Breakdown:

Sunglasses: Lenscrafters, prescription, $60.00 on sale

Regular glasses: Lenscrafers, prescription

Necklace: Guess outlet, $15.00

Blazer: Guess outlet, $50.00

Shirt: Unknown

Jeans: Lucky Brand

Flip-flops: Guess outlet, $15.00

If you would like to see additional photos, please visit my Flickr page! -^.^- 

My friends, I hope you have enjoyed this addition of Asian Style, American Life. =) I wish you all the best and hope that when life gets you down, you try your best to smile and give a smile to someone else~

<3 Alyssa

Sewing, Herons, Cats, and Bloodletting

Hello Asian inspired friends! ^.^ I hope you all are doing well. It has been a bit stressful for me with so many finals, but I am keeping in good spirits and hope that you are all doing your best to do the same. =) *hugs*!

So a lot has happened this week. Firstly, I want to start out with a really silly and amusing story about some of my sewing adventures this week. I am currently working on a Serah Farron cosplay from Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Serah Farron in Final Fantasy XIII-2

And I've been noticing that while I'm sewing I tend to listen to the most hilariously epic music. If you click the youtube link here to the FFXIII-2 song "Heart of Chaos," and then look at the picture of my work space, you will hopefully be able to see why I found this so utterly hilarious.The most intense, choral music for bloodletting is playing while I am trying to sew black strips onto my gloves, with a little CAT staring at me with the cutest wide open nya~ mouth EVER. The best part is? I secretly felt so hardcore. And so Asian. xD

 

 My Sewing Space with "Heart of Chaos" Playing in the Background

I suppose that I should also mention that I beat Final Fantasy XIII-2 this week-- twice actually. ^_^;; I am going to be gathering all 160 fragments, so I've still got a long while before I am done with the game as a whole, though! Plus...I really love the FFXIII series so...meow. <3  

My other event of this week is that I had an opportunity to capture two really great pictures of a heron. =) He was standing on a small dam at a park and I managed to snag some shots of him in all his glory.

 

 

The water was rippling so magnificently that day. It was still enough for you to see reflections in, but moving in a way that alluded to the life hidden beneath the surface. It was a lovely day for a walk and this made it even more worth it. I am so thankful to have had a camera with me! I find this heron to be quite handsome, especially with the surroundings. <3 

To complement the decent weather we've been having lately, I wore a very nice outfit inspired by Korean fashion specifically.

~Outfit #8!~

I rarely wear shorts, but I found these really nice ones at Body Central. They are fingertip length, which I am very appreciative of. I don't like to rock booty shorts. >.< These actually remind me of some shorts I have seen female K-pop stars wear in videos, and some I've seen in online shops, only these are less 70s inspired. I like them because they hug the top of me snugly, but not too tightly, either.  

In addition to the outfit being worn due to the nice weather, this whole outfit was really based on the fact that I really wanted to wear those earrings. *-* I love them so much, but I only wear them occasionally since they are so bold.

 

The Breakdown:

Shorts: Body Central, about $20.00

Shirt: Forever 21

Shoes: Payless

Earrings: I don't remember =(

Pearl bracelets: Forever 21

Glasses: Vogue brand, bought at Lenscrafters

Well I hope the rest of your April and the rest of your semesters go as well as possible! Always remember that inspiration is everywhere-- you just need to go out and find it. =) 

If you would like to see additional photos, please visit my Flickr page.

<3 Alyssa