Wild Child

Crazy for Plaid by joanneinazoo featuring abercrombie & fitch

Happy Friday!

I've been stalking allwomenstalk (see what I did there?) for the report of the latest fall trends. A lot of my posts--the dress I wore in the NYFW post and the hunger games post-- were all inspired by the different trends of  the upcoming season.

Well, another one of my favorite is the PLAID TREND! I think it could be so girly and preppy but casual and formal at the same time. Soo many adjectives right? As you can see, this outfit is Wild Child inspired. Whenever I think plaid and preppy, my mind automatically wanders to Emma Roberts and the scary UK Boarding school.

ONTO THE SET! I started building the set by looking for the right skirt. The reason the skirt was the item of choice was because the skirt doesn't automatically draw that much attention. Plaid is a hard pattern to match because there's so much colors, and sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming. Of course! There are plaid flannels, but that's a completely different style! So the skirt already has a lot of colors, the top would definitely have to be something simple. The white polo would be the way to go! But my favorite piece MUST be the blazer. It has double stripes on one side of the sleeve. I like the asymmetry and it's elegant at the same time. Did you see the bow? It's soo blair waldorf ♥ Last but not least, it's a UK-inspired outfit, how can I forget oxfords!?

This would be the perfect outfit for school or going out to dinner!

Have a terrific weekend :)

xoxo.

Joanne

What to wear to weddings

I don't know what is it about weddings, people are just obsessed. Three billion people watched THE Royal Wedding back in 2011 (that's half the world's population!), and who knows how many people watched the Kardashian Wedding. But, I guess there's just something special about a little ceremony that celebrates the love of two people who have agreed to be together forever. At least in the Kardashian case, that's what people thought they were watching. But that was down the drain in 72 days. Ok, I'll stop the bashing.

So, I've been following Chriselle for a while now. I really like her style. In honor of her wedding, she's been uploading these "Down the aisle with Chriselle" videos that lets the viewers get the inside scoop on all things her wedding! Today, she uploaded the finale, which is the actual wedding video. And she actually had this special event, which she made this "virtual" wedding very realistic, in which her followers are allowed to upload what we would wear to her wedding. If you go to my facebook page, you can see that she shared my outfit! Teehee! And this is why I was very inspired to write today's post. Also, my friend Cheryl will be attending her cousin's wedding, and she's been asking me for advice on what to wear. Therefore, I'm extra inspired!

These photos are taken by the wonderful Caroline Sykes :)

Here's the look I planned on "wearing" for the virtual wedding. I've actually worn this to a wedding before, too! When I first saw this dress, I was instantly in love. I really like the very chic fabric, but the neckline and the cutting added a bit of elegance to it. I've recently learned this trick of accessorizing navy outfits with red accessories from my friend Jade. I'm really glad I learned this trick because it really brings a new light to the entire outfit! This dress is also very versatile. It can also be worn to other social events. It's rushing season, this could definitely be worn to a rush event. Or, just simply on a date!

Here's what Chriselle wrote:

"Love how ladylike, conservative, yet chic Joanne Zhu looks in her black lace dress with pops of red!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥"

I'm very honored to be mentioned :p

Here are more sets I've created that could be worn to different types of weddings.

Beach Weddings

Beach Weddings by joanneinazoo featuring a silk shawl

Here in California, because we're so close to the water, beach weddings are so common! It's totally romantic. Having the cool breeze bringing the smell of ocean to the ceremony as the couple exchange their vows sounds like a beautiful, not-want-to-be-missed experience. Unfortunately, the messy sands may bring a bit of burden upon the wedding guests.

This outfit is a bit more casual than the usual wedding attire. But it's a beach wedding, everything should be relaxed and chill! I really like this blue dress with the tie-dyed looking white stripes. It rests somewhere between the casual, semi-formal range, but not casual enough to disrespect the about to be betrothed couple. The sand really limits the options for shoes. The wedges matches the outfit well, though! Plus, the heels is a great complement of the weave envelope bag (how cute is that?!) The coastal winds may be a bit chilly, so it's a great excuse to break out the scarf! I like how the contrast of the scarf is able to add that oh-so-important "pop" to the outfit. Lastly, sun protection is important! But that's not the only reason to wear the floppy hat and the aviators!

General Outdoor Weddings

Outdoor Wedding Guest by joanneinazoo featuring turquoise jewelry

No matter how much people say it's okay, I'm very against guests wearing white to weddings. It's so disrespectful to the bride. It's her special day, let her be the only one wearing white! Remember that Friends episode where Monica asks if it's inappropriate to wear something white and lacy to a wedding because she wanted to get back her cousin for not inviting her, and everyone's like totally inappropriate! and Phoebe's like "I've got go do some shopping." Well, they're right! (Sorry, I sometimes subconsciously make Friends references.)

So what I like about this set is that the vibrant pastel colors are great for an outdoor wedding. The heart-shaped neckline dress are just very plain and simple, and the accessories can just add the cherry on top to both of the outfits. As you can see the accessories, bracelets/cuffs especially, contrasts the dress. I borrowed the philosophy from the red on navy, and applied it to these outfits. Again, I think they give the outfits that extra "pop."

Traditional Weddings

Traditional Wedding Guest by joanneinazoo featuring cotton dresses

As you know I'm in a teal/tribal phase right now. When I came across the dress on the left, with the peacock feather-like patterns, I thought I'd add it to the set because the conservativeness and the material makes it wedding appropriate. Black and gold goes well.

I've also developed a new obsession with coral-colored clothes. Of the two, I definitely like the one on the right more. The original white embellishment decorates the dress well. To match with the belt, I added white accessories, but the gold details of the white accessories are very nice, too!

Hope these outfits helped, and that's my take on what to wear to different wedding scenarios.

Have a great weekend!

Joanne

May the odds be ever in your favor...

Combat Girls by joanneinazoo featuring a quilted jacket

Hunger Games DVD's come out today! (Well, technically, midnight tomorrow morning.) I will probably wait till Black Friday to get it, but it's still an exciting moment in history! A movie that took millions' breaths away is going to be out on DVD and BluRay with BONUS FEATURES! Yeah, I sound like the Target narrator guy, I blame the commercials. Well, after reading the trilogy, I can't say I'm the biggest fan of the books. Despiste, I've got to admit, as I was reading, I didn't want to put them down even though it turned out to be a huge disappointment when I finished. But, I did enjoy the movie! I was constantly on the edge of my seat as I was watching the movie--even though I knew exactly what was going to happen! So, props need to be given to the amazing cast, including Jennifer Lawrence. Based on the interviews I watched, she is a terrific person, she's genuinely funny. And of course, I can't forget the fellow Trojan, Alex Ludwig, who played Cato. And cute little Rue. Bottom line is, LOVED THE MOVIE, and can't wait for Catching Fire--FINNICK ODAIR (more like OH DEAR!) Melody, if you're reading this, I know you're rolling your eyes at me. So yeah! The reason I'm even mentioning the Hunger Games DVD is because everywhere I go, it's HUNGER GAMES DVD OUT MIDNIGHT 4/18...literally everywhere--TV, youtube, other internet sites. But it was one of the hottest blockbusters! People loved the movies. I mean what's not to like about it? Aside from all the reasons I've already mentioned, the fashion's pretty great! Since this is a fashion blog, I can't forget fashion! Cinna IS a revolutionary designer (pun intended). I, personally, wouldn't wear the burning costume, but it was a really cool concept! I can't wait to see all the beautiful gowns in Catching Fire. Aside from the fictional fashion, the actual costumes designs were nice, too! The costumes of the Capitol freaks would definitely be runway-worthy. Probably not street, but definitely runway.

Anyways, so the other day, I stumbled upon this "18 Terrific Fall Trends 2012" post from allwomenstalk. I couldn't help but drawing the connection from trend #17, "Modern Military" to Katniss's hunting look. There's also some element of trend #15, "Boyish," as well. And before all this, ever since I saw Emily from Pretty Little Liars wearing that military like jacket that Hanna found from the church charity drive (I can't find a picture anywhere), I've been looking for the right jacket myself to prep for fall. With all the anticipation for the Military trend, plus the hype about Katniss's hunting outfit (there's Halloween costumes, where I found the mockingjay pin), I was totally inspired to create a set!

I started out looking for the right jacket. Since I'm trying to honor the Hunger Games, I feel like a cognac leather jacket would be more suitable for this situation that a military jacket would. Next up, I felt like a nice loose fitting white Tee would draw attention to the jacket more. The USA-themed tee was perfect and very appropriate for the military theme. I felt like white pants would go more with the jacket because I wanted the combat boots to match with the jacket, and the boots wouldn't be as effective if paired with dark colored pants. Last but not least, accessories! The dog-tag fitted with the theme, yet it's so girly and cute. I really like the bracelets because of its rockstar edge. To top it all off, Aviators! But the true cherry on top is the mockingjay pin.

As Effie Trinket would say, "may the odds be ever in your favor!" I guess the odds were in my favor as I was able to draw from the DVD release and the fall trend to create a set that I would really like to try out one day.

XOXO.

Joanne

Tribal Love

 

Tribal Love by joanneinazoo featuring heart jewelry

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Blake Lively wearing the tribal Marchesa that took everyone's breaths awayWhile I was scrolling through the style section of People, I came across Ashley Tisdale and Elizabeth Banks rocking out some tribal outfits. They were really cute! It reminded me of this Marchesa that Blake Lively wore to "Fashion's Night Out," which I spotted from watching this episode of Style Star. I couldn't help but make a set of my own! I've never made sets on Polyvore--I usually use it for inspiration--so some of the editing is a bit rough. So I tried searching through different retailers looking for anything tribal, and I really like this Brandy Melville tank. I think it goes well with the AE shorts. At first, I was afraid it might have been too much, but based on the set, it seems okay! And the accessories are SO CUTE. The suede bracelets and the fringe bag really complements the tribal vibe of the entire outfit. And THE SHOES! I might get myself a pair of the tribal oxfords. I think I want to try a tribal look of my own.

So the Style Star episode I mentioned earlier, I watched it on the plane ride back to the states. It featured the famous Sarah Jessica Parker and the iconic Blake Lively, two of my favorite actresses.

Both these starlets have played characters that were New York it girls, and I love learning about the city style! But, in real life, they're constantly being compared to their fictional counterparts, but I don't see that as a bad thing! I mean SJP and Carrie Bradshaw has the style that's more mature. But she never seizes to amaze me, I've always been "Carried Away."

But I think Blake Lively, or Gossip Girl's very own Serena van der Woodsen (SVDW), is relatively more inspiring. I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like this golden goddess has a California vibe to her--she is originally from here! Yet, when I see her on the screen as SVDW (try saying that 10x's fast), I love her looks and I would totally believe that she's a born and bred New Yorker. Some of S's looks would definitely be ones I would try to replicate myself (even if I much prefer the style of Blair). Anyways, what really impressed me was that Blake doesn't even have a stylist! All her looks are styled by herself. I mean it's normal for a girl to style herself, but Blake's looks are great! It's no wonder she was named in "Time's 100 Most Inspirational People" list. Most of her looks are breath-taking, and they're actually really simple! For example, if she's wearing a Maxi, she wouldn't go all-out with crazy accessories, she would just put her hair up in a sleek pony tail, and out the door she goes! It's that simplicity that adds that real POP! Of course, her killer confidence might have something to do with it. She is an inspiration! So, in the documentary, one of my favorite looks is the Yellow Tribal Marchesa (showed above), and all the fashion commentators agreed with me. Now I'm even more motivated to try out that tribal outfit :)

Until next week, HAGW (Have a great weekend).
XO.