all the bright lights do is bore me

Yesterday, I went to the final event in the SCAD Style week with Jinah and Lillie - a free screening of the "Bill Cunningham, New York." Just as "The September Issue" made us all fall in love with Grace Coddington, this documentary makes Bill so endearing. His earnestness in his work, his ability to see beauty in everything, his positive personality are just a few of the many reasons I loved this film. Find a screening near you and go!

Also, apologies to the girls for making you come out super early because of my psychotic tendencies. Thanks for being good sports!






Afterwards, we went to Ormsby's for dinner with Atlanta's fratastic bunch. Never going there again. It was filled with former frat boys who traded in their popped collars for ill-fitting button downs. Biggest pet peeve in menswear is when men's sleeves start past their shoulder. If your sleeves start there, you either need to buy a new shirt or lose weight.



The Richard, turkey with avocado and sweet potato fries.

Shrimp & grits - bad lighting makes it look unappetizing, but it was pretty decent.

when did you get so LA

When you don't hear from me for long periods of time, I've most likely been consumed by a computer game. For a while it was Farm Frenzy, Angry Birds, Cart Cow, Wedding Dash.... now it's Cooking Dash - Thrills and Spills. I'm slowly making my way through all of the PlayFirst! series. I've also been reading the entire Wicked series... for the second time around, I think? Not sure if where I left off the first time, but now I'm halfway through the Lion story. Success! Now, if only getting those cut out boots by Balenciaga were this easy...





top. Fleamadonna. skirt. Topshop. shoes. Jeffrey Campbell. bag. Miss Selfridge. ring. A-land.

photos by sooji

happy easter 2011

This may be the last Easter. Let's all enjoy it.

P.S. Dyed eggs (real ones, not the plastic ones with candy in them) creep me out.

baby you've got to be more discerning

You've probably noticed a difference in the outfits being shown on this blog, especially if you go back to the way-back archives of what I call "the hot mess era." I don't even want to post links to the entries, but this one particular outfit of a floral maxi dress and cowboy boots comes to mind. What was I thinking?!

Now that I'm 25 - soon to be 26 - I've accepted that I need to be more discerning about the shit I buy. At the beginning of 2011, I swore to myself a number of things.

1. Limiting the pieces I buy from fast fashion brands for reasons that range from their unethical use of cheap labor and materials to the plain and simple fact that most of their items can't last more than 5 washings. There are certain items that make more sense to purchase at F21 - like their $2.50 camisoles, I really can't live without them - but no more trendy purchases. I have more than enough in my closet.
2. More investment pieces. In the end, the cost per wear will outlast the initial sticker shock. I'm now at a place in my life where I can and should be making purchases that will be lifelong, not this season. Plus, I'm tired of purging my closet every year. It's exhausting.
3. SIMPLIFY. As someone who tends to travel and move around more often than I think, I need to keep my closet simple. One season per suitcase has become my new motto. 
4. Give more support to emerging designers. Reading Leila Shams' blog has made me more aware of the struggle new designers endure just to get a single collection out. Without support for new talent, there would be an end to innovation and creativity, which goes against not only my personal beliefs but the nature of fashion itself.

 That said, here are two pieces from two very talented emerging designers. The top is from Leila Shams' SS11 collection that featured a very arresting albino alligator. I've been a little obsessed with albino alligators since I was seven, when my parents took me to see one at a New Orleans aquarium. When I went to San Fran last year, Rahul and I stared at the one at the California Academy of Sciences for at least an hour. We saw him eat lunch.

The skirt is by Paul &Alice, a Korean brand I discovered while in Seoul. Their pieces are very femme, and their SS11 collection has a soft delicacy that is so versatile with edgier pieces. The jackets tend to have a more daring silhouette, experimenting with boxier fits which only works for a certain body type or look, but their dresses (especially this season) are stunning. I especially love ribbon detail dress that has back cut-outs. Exposed backs are so much sexier than exposed fronts.




top. Leila Shams. skirt. Paul & Alice. shoes. Aldo. clutch. Celine.

photos: by sooji

Disclaimer: all my tenets of fashion are decisions that I've made for my own wardrobe. I harbor no judgment for those who disagree with any or all of my beliefs.

stuck on a dream that somewhere is better

Aside from griping about bloggers (see previous post), I'm spending a lot of time prepping for the Old English class I'm taking at summer school (yes, I know it's retroactive to take summer classes after graduation, but post-bac is now almost required).  Can you believe this professor is trying to weave "Lord of the Rings" into a curriculum that's traditionally encompassed King Arthur (personal fave), Beowulf/Grendel (another old fave), and Norse poetry (anything that links to Alexander Skarsgård is a yes)??? Pass.


I'm so in love with these jeans. I wore them everyday for a week. Is that gross? Yes, probably. Best $39.90 I've ever spent. I'm tempted to go back and buy more pairs. I have this habit where if I like something, I buy it in bulk. When I was a freshman in college, I was obsessed with these bootcut jeans from Express. I had four pairs of them and only lived in them for about a year. This is what happens when you're suddenly allowed to choose your daily wardrobe. (Catholic school.)





top. Retro Ballerina Chic (Korean store). pants. Zara. bag. Celine.

fashion blogger pet peeves

When you were growing up, did you think that your mom/dad/grandma complained WAY too much? I'm coming to understand that a side effect of getting old is not being able to put up with shit you think is dumb, useless, slow, irritating, etc. And this is hitting me like a train on a track, coming towards [me], stuck still no turning back. (Oh god, I hate this song so much, why are people still singing it, quoting it, playing it??? PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS BALENCIAGA STOP) I've been compiling this list in my head for months now, and I've just gotta write it down somewhere. (Sorry if you've gotten preview through my Twitter - 140 characters just wasn't enough for this anymore.)

Scary lady hates these blogs.

List of Things Fashion Bloggers Should Be Banned From Doing/Saying/Writing

1. Referring to their boyfriend-photographers as "the boy" or "boyf."
   Let's begin by stating the obvious. "Boyf" is not a word. If your photographer is too shy to have his name revealed on the big, scary, predatory internet, then don't mention him at all. Or be like Stop It Right Now, and give him a witty nickname. Although some people may disagree, I swear this isn't coming from bitter singleness. It's really annoying. For real.
2. Using the word "infamous" in the wrong context.
   I'm aware that fashion bloggers aren't intellectuals. There are some who brag about not "having the time to read" (trans. I'm lazy or I never learned to read). But it becomes more obvious when the word "infamous" is used when you actually mean famous or unforgettable. Let's take a brief review of the definition of the word "infamous":
   

   adj. having a reputation of the worst kind; causing or bringing infamy (which means disgraceful).

   Do we all understand? Ok, good.
3. Talking about getting dressed as an "organic process."
   What the fuck is this supposed to mean? Can we stop trying to turn the process of putting on clothes in the morning (or afternoon, depending on when you roll out of bed) as something more legit than the fact that if we walked out naked, we'd get arrested for indecent exposure? This is almost as annoying as Vanessa Traina talking about her closet.
4. Veneration of sack of shit, lazy ass "it" girls. This list includes - but is by no means, comprehensive - the following: Cory Kennedy, Jen Brill, Vanessa Traina, and any other disheveled, entitled, individual who roams around the fashion shows reeking of desperation. I'm still confused by America's fascination with people who don't work for a living and spend their family's money gallivanting around the world. Slightly unrelated, can someone tell me how Rachel Bilson and Kate Bosworth earn money because they haven't been in a decent film in like years.
5. "Inspiration" blogs.
   There are three things that are irritating about these blogs. First, there is no original content. I enjoy looking at photos of screen caps from "Romeo + Juliet" as much as the next Gen Y, Leo fan, but there's only so much minimal design room photos, old photos of Courtney Love, and pink hair that I can stomach. Second, there's no reason to see the same editorial of Abbey Lee on fifteen different blogs. The first time on fashiongonerogue.com was enough. Third, a lot of the blogs don't credit the original sources, which can be really irritating for people who take the time to be creative. Call it talent, if you will.
6. Bloggers who wear head to toe designer wear, all available at your local Barneys or Saks or wherever.
   There's no innovation in seeing someone wearing a single label. I consider this type of blog to be on the same level as the "everyday wear" blog - what's the point? I don't want to see your all Rick Owens or all Lanvin outfit because I can see that mess on the brand lookbook. I suppose this could also apply to any brand - high street included. The all Zara or all H&M ensemble creates as much as interest as a dog peeing on a fire hydrant.

My dog is bored by these blogs.

pushed on by the fingertips of dreams

The last photos from Seoul, seen through the cheap lens of a T50. I used to be really obsessed with film cameras, but I feel like I'm coming to see the value of a digital lens. Maybe it was spending that extra $400 to fix my Leica, but the Digilux has really become a metal extension of myself lately.

I used to be drawn to film because of its "magical" quality. It still has some sort of magic, but I would be lying if I said that I didn't use Photoshop to manipulate some of the images. It might just be this particular camera, but some of the photos came out too grainy for my satisfaction.

Sunny, who's been featured on this blog a number of times, is one of my favorite people because she's so multi-talented. You wouldn't believe some of the skills this girl has - one of them being a great shopping enabler. "Get it. It looks good on you." A phrase that I heard one too many times, and my suitcase barely survived to tell the tale.

Brunch at Original Pancake Story, buying masks at the local pharmacy because of the yellow dust, wandering around Hannam-dong and seeing celebrity vans (연예인 차), picking out our future houses in the UN Village, going to Passion 5 (also chronicled here).
My last day in Seoul had me running to the hairdresser last minute, so I was in Garosugil where we grabbed a really late lunch at Abiko Curry and stopped for some of the best coffee in Seoul at Cork & Turtle.

We found these masks hilarious. We looked like birds.

Penthouse style apartments in Hannam-dong.

Colorful houses in Hannam-dong.

Entrance to 2nd level at Passion 5.

At Abiko Curry.

At Abiko Curry.

Tables at Cork & Turtle.

View from balcony at Cork & Turtle / sipping Americano.

People To People on Garosugil.

what's in your bag?

I was going to write this whole paragraph on the importance of a bag in the sartorial process, but I'm going to spare you the monotony. Instead, I'm going to tell you the story of how my mom found these free condoms I picked up in NYC (they had the subway symbols on them!) in my bag, and I blamed them on my gay friend Rahul. Whoops, end of story.

• Chanel sunglasses
• hand sanitizer (germs are everywhere)
• Avocado lotion, Lumix P&S
• Ricola throat drops (soooo soothing)
• Dior lipstick
• Honesty chocolate mints
• grapefruit scented oil sheets (love)
• keys
• possessed Motorola Cliq (it types on its own)
• Jetoy planner (I hate cats, but this was a gift)
• iTouch
• green envelope pen holder
• Kindle (my #1 survival tool)

Are there any must-have items that you carry around? Any daily beauty tips are welcomed.

drive out with the sun in your eyes

Being back in Atlanta feels so surreal. Seoul seems like a dream, but mostly Atlanta feels like a warped reality. Life got really real when I saw my first homeless crackhead. I miss all my Seoul PICs, but mostly I miss my cushy life. Now it's time to get back to the grinding stone.

Went to Miller Union for the first time with Lillie over the weekend. I've been begging friends to go here with me for months, but the plans never came to fruition until now. Started with the feta plate and ordered the seasonal vegetable platter as a main, finishing with half a homemade ice cream sandwich (chocolate chip & peanut butter). Their farm to table method really fits well with my new psychotic, germaphobe lifestyle. Their kitchen is kinda open (you can peek on your way to the bathrooms), allowing you to witness the preparations for the food.

It was a nice way to begin a busy Saturday that had us hitting up the new CB2, scouring Zara for the April lookbook (not out yet, btw), and ending the day with a last minute caffeine run at Starbucks. The cake pops are delicious.














top. Cres E. Dim. skirt. Spicy Color. shoes .Jeffrey Campbell Tribal Ticks. bag. Celine Luggage.

i had a weakness for etiquette

Hannam-dong (한남동) is quickly becoming the new hotspot for bourgeois taste buds in Seoul. On my last weekend in Seoul, Sunny and I nursed her hangover at The Original Pancake Story (which was disappointing, or so she says), walked around the UN Village and picked out our future houses, and devoured pastries at Passion 5.

I wish I'd discovered Passion 5 earlier. One long floor of pastries, breads, and confectioneries, this place is a sweet lover's dream. They're also the originators of the Baum pudding sold in Hyundai Dept. stores, which was one of my treasured foods while I was on the liquid/soft chew diet.

I love their innovative menu, interior decor (which I had enough sense to photograph but a mini fiasco resulted in all the film being ruined ... or nonexistent), and extensive drink menu. Be sure to stop there for brunch, because their BLT sandwich is supposedly amazing.

Yongsan-gu Hannam-Dong 72-74

Telephone: 02-2071-9505

7:30-21:00

Nearest tube station: Hangang-jin, line 6, across from Leeum Museum

주소 : 서울시 용산구 한남동 729-74 1F
전화번호 : 02-2071-9505
오픈시간 : 오전 7시30분~오후 9시
찾아가는 길 : 한강진역 근처, 리움 건너편

sidewalks are unassuming fields

These are the remaining photos from last Friday. After going to the Paul + Alice sample sale and eating oven brick pizza, Sunny and I wandered around Bukchon (복촌) to take photos of houses. I bet the people who live in the area hate living there because of all the tourists. It's one of the last areas in Seoul where traditional Korean style houses (한욱) still exist. A lot of the older areas in Seoul are being torn down and rebuilt in the name of modernity, and it's sad that these relics of history are slowly being removed from Seoul's architecture. At the same time, they're a total bitch to heat in the winter, so I can understand why you'd want an upgrade from spending $500 on heating.




My eyes look kinda closed in this photo. I swear my eyes aren't small.