Fashion

California Casual

I am officially half way through my pregnancy…. 20 weeks!! I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown. Thankfully I have been blessed with an easy pregnancy. I have noticed that as the weeks go by and the larger my belly gets, the more I lean towards outfits that are comfortable. I think you can still be chic while dressing for comfort.

Leggings and an oversized shirt are the perfect pregnancy staple. I love this shirt because of the window pane pattern. Black and white are always my go to colors and you will see them a lot in my looks.

Adding the army green jacket gives my look a little life and color. I love the pocket and waist details of this coat. I think the cinched waist gives you some curves and helps to flatter the female figure.

I kept my jewelry minimal to compliment the casual look.

Jacket: Theory old (Similar here, here and here) // Shirt: Aritzia old (Similar here and here and here) // Leggings: A pea in the Pod Maternity // Espadrilles: The espadrille store in Spain // Necklace: Tiffany & Co

With Love….

Andrea

A day at the mall

In the first trimester of my pregnancy, the last thing I wanted to do was go shopping. For me, this is as rare as snow in Los Angeles. I could spend the entire day browsing through boutiques and seeing what the latest trends are. Most pregnant ladies get cravings or aversions to certain foods……my aversions were to coffee and clothing!! (My two favorite things). Not having coffee daily was a good thing, since too much caffeine is not good during pregnancy. My husband would also say that my aversion to shopping was also a plus…..I would disagree. Thankfully after a few weeks this aversion disappeared and I’m back to my normal self.

Many women loose weight or gain just a couple of pounds during their first trimester. Maternity clothing is not really needed until later in the second trimester. For me by the time I was 7 weeks pregnant I noticed that a lot of my pants already started to not fit me. This was difficult for me as I felt like it was too early for maternity wear and I was starting to look frumpy. (No obvious baby bump yet). I’m assuming the raging hormone changes and the thought of clothing not fitting the way it used to was making me avoid shopping. I’ve slowly gotten over that, but I still have a daily struggle to find what works for my changing body.

Maternity Jeans have been my lifesaver. I think I bought them earlier than most women do. I was tired of trying on all my pants and getting frustrated when they weren’t buttoning up. I was thrilled when I found these Adriano Goldshmit 5 pocket jeans. Buying a pair of nice pregnancy jeans is a must. I still feel like I’m wearing a pair of my old jeans but they are so much more comfortable. They have a perfect stretch and no button so I have a lot of room to grow. Getting dressed in the mornings is much easier once I finally took the plunge on pregnancy jeans.

Jacket: Aritzia // Tank top: Anine Bing // Jeans: A Pea in the Pod (AG Jeans) Non-maternity here // Shoes: Steve Madden // Sunglasses: Karen Walker

Looks that didn’t make the blog!!

It’s difficult for me to find the time for proper blog photos. During the week I am busy practicing Dentistry (my actual job). When I get home my husband and I usually go to the gym and by the time we finish, sunlight is no longer present. Not to mention the last thing I want to do is get dressed up, put on makeup and get myself presentable for photos. After a long day at work I rather sit on the sofa and snuggle with my boys! (My hubby and boston terrier). This means that I have to get my blog photos on the weekends.

During the week I will take photos with my phone of some of my outfits. Since I don’t have my “photographers” with me, I end up taking my #FromWhereIStand photos. I have many of these outfits that did not make the blog so I thought I would compile a post on some of my favorite and missed looks!

Plaid and booties are definitely my go to for the fall!!

Shirt: Zara (Similar here and here) // Cape: Aldofo Dominguez (Similar here and here) // Jeans: A pea in the pod (AG jeans) Non-maternity here // Boots: Fiorentini and Baker Similar here and here

Boyfriend jeans and a black tee are a perfect staple to any wardrobe. Add a statement necklace to give it some spice

Shirt: Jacob (Similar here and here) // Necklace: Bauble Bar // Jeans: J Crew (Similar here and here) // Shoes: Chanel Espadrilles (Similar here and here) // Bag: Louis Vuitton

Leopard is always a great accessory to a simple look

Scarf: Hong Kong Markets (Similar here) // Shirt: Zara // Pants: Comptoir Des Cotonniers (Similar here and here) // Shoes: Pretty Ballerinas (Similar here and here) // Bag: Louis Vuitton

Brightening up a white tee and jeans with some red accents.

Jacket: Aritzia // Tank: BCBG Generation (Similar here) // Jeans: J Crew (Similar here and here) Flats: Proenza Shoulder (Similar here) // Purse: Prada

Nights like these

Shirt: James Perce (Similar here) Jeans: 7 of mankind (Similar here and here) Hat: Bailey for J Crew Sweater: Vintage

Life is always so busy and hectic that we sometimes forget to just sit and breathe. Last weekend my husband and I did just that. We had no specific plans but to enjoy each others company and beautiful mother nature. I rarely get the time to just sit and watch the sun setting, this was one of those nights.

I decided to wear jeans and a cardigan because once the sun sets I get pretty cold. I love wearing simple, comfortable clothing. Maybe this is because California style has grown on me, or maybe because I just don’t feel at ease when I’m trying so hard with my fashion. I think women are at their sexiest when they feel comfortable in their outfits. Some women thrive in fancy and elegant looks, while others look amazing in California cool. One of my inspirations of this is Sincerely Jules. Most of the time she has a laid back look with sneakers and yet I always find her so chic, fashionable and sexy.

It is important to determine what your style is and work with it. There is no point dressing in whatever is trendy at the time if you don’t feel comfortable in it. This has taken me some time to figure out but I think I have finally found my style and groove.

With Love…..

ANDREA

Bananas for the New Banana Republic

Over the past year of Instagramming, I have observed that most of my Insta Fashionistas LOVE J Crew and Madewell but there is little love for Banana Republic. With all the 30% and 40% off sales why isn’t it more popular? I have always loved the classic mens V-neck sweater and have had this as a staple in my wardrobe for years. Other than that, over the past couple of years I noticed that I as well have not been shopping at Banana Republic much either.

The past few times that I have gone into the store I fell in love with multiple pieces. I was so excited because I realized this is #thenewBR. I knew about the Marissa Webb takeover as creative director, and was excited to see what she was going to do.

Marissa Webb served as J Crew’s head designer for longer than a decade. She decided to start her own line in Spring 2013 and it has been growing ever since. She is still working on her own line and April 28th of this year she started working hard to help transform Banana Republics image. Its only been a few months and I can already see the change.

Sweater: Banana Republic Shorts: Piperlime (Rag & Bone) Boots: Anine Bing Bag: Celine

Note: This sweater was purchased in store last weekend but I can’t find the link online. It should still be at stores near you

Shirt & Tee : Banana Republic Jeans: Express (no longer available) Purse: See by Chloe

Note: The denim shirt and tee were purchased in store last weekend but I can’t find the link online. It should still be at stores near you. I don’t understand why they only put half of their merchandise online, and it seems like all my picks are only available in stores.

I know much of the fall and winter line has still to come out, but here are a few pieces that stood out to me while I was in there this past weekend. I suggest you stop over to your nearest Banana and take a look for yourself!!

With Love….

ANDREA

All about Stripes

Shirt: Banana Republic Shorts: Piperlime (Rag & Bone) Hat: J Crew Boots: Anine Bing Bag: Celine Glasses: Bloomingdales (Chanel)

I’m a firm believer and patron of the simple look. Of course I love a good statement necklace, or extravagant pattern mixing but I must say my go-to look is always simple yet chic. (At least I like to think so!!) Today in LA we were back to summer weather, so I had to keep cool whilst adding some Fall accessories. I opted for the perfect little bootie and hat to add a little autumn into my summer vibe. The ankle boot was a staple last year and will also be this year so if you don’t already own a pair I suggest you give them a try. These Anine Bing boots have been my favorites all last season. They are pricey but were my investment piece last season, and I’m so happy I took the plunge. You can find many affordable ankle boots that look just as stylish as these in every price range.

Distressed denim and stripes are the perfect combo. I feel the boyfriend jean shorts give a little edge to the look, while the stripes add some flare to a simple jersey shirt.

I just bought this Banana Republic shirt and its perfect. Has anyone else noticed the change in Banana? I’m so happy with the addition of Marissa Webb as Creative Director. She has kept their sophisticated business look but has incorporated a younger hip vibe. My next blog post will be about the New Banana Republic so be sure to check it out. I opted for a Large size as I wanted something loose and flowing. The link I posted is for a similar stripped shirt as I don’t see this exact shirt online. It most likely is still in stores as I had just purchased it this past weekend.

With Love…

ANDREA

Fall for Plaid!!

Shirt: Equipment Jeans: 7 For all mankind Boots: Rag & Bone Purse: Celine Glasses: Bloomingdales (Tom Ford)

There are only a couple days left until its officially fall and I can’t wait. As I had mentioned in my previous post Fall is my favorite season. I get excited when its time to wear layers, boots, sweaters, plaid and scarfs. The fashion isn’t the only part of Fall I love. I love the fresh crisp air, the cool breeze, the leaves changing color, the scents of apple and pumpkin looming everywhere, and best of all Thanksgiving. This morning in LA fall was in the air and I was so excited to pull out some of my Fall favorites for this season. Next week we are expecting another heat wave so I had one day to take full advantage.

All items are last season but since they are all classic pieces they have similar items this season. I have linked up a few of the items for you.

Equiptment Fr is my favorite brand for silk shirts. You will notice in future blog posts that I wear them a lot. I have noticed that the older I get the more classic my wardrobe has become. I seem to flock to less trendy pieces and instead look for more timeless numbers. Equipment shirts do have many patterns that are very cool and keep them modern at the same time.

Rag & Bone Newbury boot is a staple of theirs. I had been eyeing this boot for a while but I had already bought new expensive boots last season and couldn’t justify another pair. When they had their end of the season sale and the boots were 50% off I couldn’t resist. (I love a good deal, especially with something I’ve had my eye on.) I will link this seasons colors and they have the canvas in camel from pre fall which is on sale at the moment. The traditional colors of black and dark brown are not colors that go on sale (in case you were wondering). I was told this when I bought mine in the spring.

With Love…

ANDREA

Still Summer in Los Angeles

Shirt: Aritzia Pants: Zara Flats: Jimmy Choo Necklace: Emerald Bling Purse: Target

It’s the middle of September and it feels like we are in full blown summer here in LA. I am such a fan of fall fashion and am so excited to start wearing my layers. Unfortunately this heat wave is just not conducive to that. I decided to dress for the weather and stuck with summer bright colors for todays post.

I think its important to wear colors that match your skin tone and your comfort level. As you will soon see I seem to wear a lot of neutral colors: black, white and grays are my top 3. I have stepped out of my comfort zone today for my colorful color blocking ensemble. I’m so pale and have blue/green eyes so I feel that blue hues and pink/red hues match my complexion best. Today I am wearing cobalt blue and light pink, I think the blue adds such a pop while the pink has a more subtle roll.

With Love…..

ANDREA