BACK IN THE BEST COAST

wearing: light denim H&M vest, b&w striped tee {Taiwan}, dark denim Gap skirt {Crossroads}, black suede flatforms {Free People}, black Levis belt, vintage Coach satchel {thrifted}, T400 Austrian  Crystal Necklace {c/o AliExpress powered by Alibaba}

After a whirlwind of an August, I'm back! If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I've been up and down the west coast, which-after spending some time in Seattle, Portland and LA {photo diaries coming soon!}-is truly the best coast. While classes are once again in session, I am feeling way out of the loop already; my brain is still on vacation while my body is being forced to spend time inside those teeny tiny desks. What's a gal to do? All I can say is that my daydreaming is getting way out of control.

Dressing for class has always been a tricky business. If you get too done up, people will stare. If you wear sweats, people will stare. Having been the one being stared at and the one giving the stares, I can see the reasoning behind both sides. Even so, finding the right balance between looking decent and not trying too hard is something I struggle with to this day. 

I'm starting to find comfort in dressing up basic pieces, like this denim circle skirt from Gap I snagged at the Crossroads up in Seattle. Paired with my favorite striped tee, so obviously my favorite as the seams of my right sleeve has split but I can't seem to replace it just yet, makes for a perfect outfit to sit through lectures, discussions and two jobs {it's been a looong day}. I was never a big fan of flatforms, and I bought these on a total whim, but I'm ridiculously glad I did. Not only do they elongate my short legs but they're comfy! Being flatfooted, heels hurt more than usual {I have the blisters and scars to prove} and these are the perfect substitutions, especially if I'm going to be dragging myself up and down the hills of Cal. Still not done layering denim on denim, my trusty vest added another shade of denim that contrasts the darkness of the skirt fantastically. And no outfit is complete without a little bit of bling! A subtle detail that probably only I noticed, I love how the braided detail of the necklace matches the braided belt. Denim on denim and braid on braid, that's just how I roll.

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THIS OR THAT THURSDAY {#2}

Madden Girl Jacobz     ---     Dolce Vita Oxfords in Leopard

Leopard, from my experience, is an acquired taste. Much like the taste of vodka, few like it at first, but after repeated interactions with it, some will grow to love it. While I still am not a fan of vodka, I am a HUGE advocate of leopard; I like it paired with just about everything.

Menswear is the trend on everyones' lips this fall and I am the blabbermouth spreading it all over town. I love menswear, the boyfriend jeans, slouchy tees, boy blazers, pumped up kicks and button ups, I love it so much I may as well just be a boy. While that isn't happening anytime soon, I do plan on stocking up what I can for this upcoming fall, starting with brogues.

I do love my high heels, I love the swagger they give me, I always feel like such a P-I-M-P in them. Even so, there are days where "nothing but a t-shirt on" can do the trick and, for those days, flats are just enough. Being the complete sucker I am for brogues and leopard, it's natural for me to want to combine the two but it always comes down the the question, "is this just a passing trend or should I invest a little more?"

Two pairs have been tantalizing me, one from DV and one from Madden Girls. Alike conceptually but different in how they operationalized the design (my statistics lingo is starting to creep out...), I am swooning over both. The DV features smaller spots which is great to mix match with other prints as it won't overwhelm the other. The Madden Girl pair is a bit busier and louder, but it is almost half the price. Which do YOU think will be more bang for the buck?

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