Declassyfied Photos!!!

Hello everyone! It's been a while since our last post, so expect one more post this Thursday!!! Diana and I officially have one semester left until graduation...AHHH! What's so thrilling about this year is that I'll be wrapping up one chapter and beginning another in my life. It's difficult to wrap my head around that fact that my lifestyle will change once I'm in college. In this spirit of nostalgia, here are two photoshoots from forever ago. The first one is from spring of 2015 and the other is from winter of 2013. Yes, I repeat 2013. In fact, that the first photoshoot I had EVER done with Diana. I must say, my poses were fairly decent for a newbie. Anyways, enjoy the beautiful photography and editing done by DChao!

This outfit features my favorite staples: AE denim jacket, AE black denim pants, Rainbow sandals, Lucky Brand white top, and Seiko watch!

Diana asked me to do a portrait shoot with her when we were sophomores. I remember feeling super excited and nervous because I have always loved being photographed but I had never actually modeled before. One year later we collaborated and created Letrendary!

Diana and I are hoping to create a new series soon, so stay tuned. Also, we have hit over 10,000 views!!! Thank you, we love you all!!!

Finally FALLin' into Season

Congratulations to seniors who have put in their early applications--a definite hoorah moment! Waiting is scarier than writing the essays, but I'm excited for the future and so should you. I'm also excited that the weather is cooling! Fall, is it you?! I love California, but it took way too long to get here. Can you believe it's November? Where did 2015 even go? Well, I won't get into that now. I'll have to compile more thoughts and save them for another post. But to get back to the point, wasn't it supposed to begin to cool in September? Oh, California. 

Today's post is about transitioning from summer to fall. Basically perfect timing because there are supposed to be showers today, and it's supposed to be in the 60s and 70s all week! Fall, tied with winter, is my favorite season for several reasons (they're practically the same thing in CA). Firstly, colors. The immediate fall palette that comes to mind is mustard, teal, pumpkin, and brown. I've tried to incorporate that palette into my 3 outfits. Secondly, fall fashion is essentially a mix-match of summer and winter clothes. If you're wondering about how you can work your summer closet into your fall/winter closet, it truly depends on what your summer closet is made up of. In general, plain clothing can be worked into anytime of the year, which explains why the majority of my clothes are so. 

I know that these outfits aren't representative of what you could wear in most places around the world right now. I apologize! However, I hope there is some inspiration that can be incorporated into your style. Good luck! 

 Peter Pan Collared Top: Abercrombie//Blazer: Nordstrom//Mustard Skirt: Nectar//Shoes: Sperry's

I particularly enjoy color-blocking my outfits, and I gravitate towards clothes that have color-blocking on them. The white, royal blue, and mustard complemented each other nicely. I wear the white blazer all year-round, and it's probably the most shown article of clothing on this blog. If anything, that goes to show how valuable it is to have versatile clothing like a white blazer. It's wearable in any season as long as you pair it with the right type of clothes. As of now, I can remember wearing this white blazer in the Valentine's Day post, the Summer Moda post, and the Back to School post. Wow! But what did the trick for this outfit are the royal blue and mustard because those colors are what gives this outfit its fall flair.

Short Trenchcoat: Forever 21//Pumpkin Top: IDK//Pleated Skirt: Abercrombie

Style is made up of an array of colors. Here, I put navy blue, pumpkin, and white together. The pleats in the skirt top off the fun and happy look.

Top: Nordstrom//Skirt: Anne Klein//Cardigan: Ralph Lauren//Boots: Franco Sarto

Brown + Black work well. This outfit screams fall because of the plaid action and the long boots. The blank tank I'm wearing is my most-worn piece of clothing because I wear it with everything, every month of the year. Easy transition from summer to fall!

Feel free to contact us at letrendary@gmail.com or comment below to tell us what styles you'd like to see on the blog! Thank you to one of our readers who gave us the idea for this post. Also, shoutout to our readers in Ukraine!!! We love you. Make sure to check back next Monday for a very special and cultural post. You won't want to miss it.

A Not-So Fabricated History

Historical Origin of Brocade/Jacquard

Overtime, both brocade and jacquard have become extremely popular, as it is common to find them in forms of dresses, skirts, blouses, etc. Designers like Dolce & Gabanna design pieces that are inspired by brocade and jacquard. Despite the fact that people use the words brocade and jacquard interchangeably, they do have minute differences. To be completely honest, I still do not fully comprehend that exact differences, even after looking at over ten sources. The historical timeline of brocade was much more intriguing and comprehensive than jacquard, so here is a historical focus on brocade!


Brocade: Byzantine Empire
Brocade is a rich fabric that is primarily woven from silk and often embroidered with silver and gold metallic threads-a prime reason why I love brocade. Historically, brocade was woven by the Byzantines, and typically worn by the wealthiest of society. The Byzantine Empire was the central producer of brocade, and traded with China, who envied the Byzantines' secrets of silk making. Brocade became most notably important during the Italian Renaissance and Middle Ages; silk was a primary fabric produced by Italy. Nobles and royalty paid presumptuous amounts to wear the Italian fabric.

     

Dress: Abercrombie // Cardigan: Hollister // Crossbody Bag: Kate Spade

I mainly love this dress because of the gold and silver metallic fabric. It is a traditional floral-patterned brocade/jacquard dress. I personally think it is fun to wear for any semi-formal event or for a night out. I have also worn this dress to a wedding and a MUN Conference, so I have been able to incorporate it into all different types of events. 

 
My ever-beloved black crossbody! A black crossbody is a staple that can be worn with nearly everything. I love this bag because it is just small enough to carry around without hassle, but just big enough to fit in all my essentials-keys, phone, money, chapstick, etc.

HISTORICAL ORIGIN of TWEED and CORDUROY 

Tweed: Scotland// Corduroy (fustian): Egypt

Tweed is often referred to as an icon of traditional British clothing because of the moisture-resistant and durable fabric. However, tweed first originated from Scotland in the 18th century. Initially, tweed was primarily worn as outwear for outdoor activities, such as shooting and hunting. The material was rough, dull-colored, and hand-woven. Tweed has been worn by the entire social ladder, from nobles to farmers, which makes the fabric a rustic heritage. Corduroy, on the other hand, goes an even greater number of centuries back. Corduroy evolves from the cotton weave known as 'fustian.' Used in 200 AD in Egypt, fustian became more popular in the cotton trade by the 12th century. Fustian was a velvety textile that was sought after by royal Europeans. By the 18th century, fustian became especially popular among schoolmasters, and became adopted into ladies' dresses. It was then that fustian became known as 'corduroy' in England. In French translation, corduroy means the 'cloth of a King' (corde du roi). Even kids began wearing corduroy in the 20th century. Since then, corduroy has gone in and out of style. Luckily, it is in right now! (i love my corduroy pants too)

I actually took this photoshoot directly after my MUN conference on Saturday, so I thought I'd just stay in my clothes and show what I wore. It is definitely western-business attire, so you could possibly find it interesting to wear if you participate in Speech and Debate, Mock Trial, MUN, etc. Tweed and corduroy are great fabrics for business-styles. However, I also own normal corduroy pants and normal tweed jackets, so I have these same fabrics for casual clothing.

    

Bow Flats: Halogen (Nordstrom)

I LOVE pointed-toe flats. So classy. The leather base of this flat is what makes it so unique, and I love them. I've had them for several years, and I intend on wearing them for years to come!

                       

Saturday's Story:

 

  

I'll end it off with a little story about what went down when Diana and I were taking these pictures. We first went to the colleges to shoot the first outfit. After, we went to the parking lot near the Packing House, and it took over 15 minutes to find a parking spot-there were absolutely no parking spots. We ate at the Junction, a Korean-Mexican Fusion food restaurant, for dinner. I won't thoroughly explain what we ate, but to keep it simple. it was palatable. The waiter handed us the beer and wine menu, and you can guess the rest. Their food is decently priced, but our check turned out a little over $40...Why? Let me just say...broke students should skip appetizers- I'll leave it at that and keep that in mind next time. *chuckles*

P.S. But... but... the truffle fries were so good. T.T I say it was worth it.  -Diana

Thanks for reading!

Springin' into Style

Happy Spring all you awesome, stellar, talented readers! We've only got 8 days before we're hopping right into April; Easter is right around the corner! Before I go any further, a big hug and high-five to Diana and Eve for all their contributions and hard work on the past two posts. New faces are especially important in order to follow suit with the purpose of Letrendary: to educate the readers and myself of how fashion, culture, nature, and literature impact our society and the world beyond. I can only follow through with this goal by featuring individuals of various backgrounds, ethnicities, styles, and knowledge. The beauty of style is like the beauty of a person-every being has a distinctive personality, mind, and identity. In the same way, a fashion is custom to the individual. In celebration of the new season, here are a few fads that I'm loving. Maybe this will inspire you to try a different style this season-or even better, give you ideas of new outfits with what you already have-enjoy!

ESPADRILLE: spring's shoe of the season

                      Espadrilles: Soludos http://www.soludos.com/

The espadrille has become especially popular within the past years. However, what you may not know is that the shoe originated from the Pyranees! In fact, the shoe is so historical that the first ever espadrille is estimated to have been handmade 4 THOUSAND years ago! The production of the espadrille, however, became widespread in the 13th century. The sole of the shoe is made of braided jute rope, which is the very thing that makes this type of shoe so unique and iconic. The shoe is wonderful because it allows for your feet to breathe, and they mold to the shape of your feet. I bought this pair last summer, and I love them because they are exactly how the original espadrilles were-jute rope soles with ribbons around the ankles.

THE MIDI DRESS

  

A new style that I'm loving is the midi dress. It goes past the knees, but it's nice because it is not as long as a maxi dress, which can be more of a hassle. It's the a way to be classy and fashion-forward. It stands out because not as many people wear midi-dresses. The midi dress is like an effortless girl-next-door look. The floral pattern on this dress is perfect for the spring. I'd strongly encourage investing in a midi dress if you ever have the chance! I paired it with red Converse to dress the look down and to accentuate the red flowers on the dress, but sandals would look fine also. 

 

                                   

CHAMBRAY AND LACE

Chambray Tank: Abercrombie // Lace Skirt: Abercrombie // Statement Necklace: Nordstrom BP // Stone Chain Bracelet: Francesca's

Besides the fact that I have horrendous spring allergies, I love the temperature and symbolic meaning behind spring. Spring is a time to refresh! New goals aren't exclusive to January 1st or the dawn of a new school year. Spring is the season of new beginnings; it's all about working toward the greater things that have yet to come.

 

SPRING TOPS

                                                                             Swan Top: Nectar Clothing// Handkerchief Top: Abercrombie

Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a happy week!