Monkeying Around the Lunar New Year

Happy Lunar New Year everyone! If you're confused about why there is Chinese New Year, Korean New Year, and so on, just know that they are all pretty much the same thing. To be more general, it's called Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year is one the most important celebrations of the year in East Asian culture. It is celebrated by many East Asian countries besides China and Korea. To creatively as well as culturally ring in the year of the monkey, we decided to cover a few of the most important symbols of East Asian culture.

This first picture is a cross-cultural representation of China and Korea. The lantern is the heart of the Chinese New Year celebration as it symbolizes the wish for a bright future. It is quite literally a light for hope. Both China and Korea specifically celebrate their own Lantern Festivals at different times of the year. People release lanterns into the sky as a representation of letting go of their old selves and hoping for good fortune. Just picture that lantern scene from Tangled--it's beautiful.

Besides the lantern, I am also wearing a hanbok, which is worn for Lunar New Year celebrations in Korea. If you haven't read our hanbok post from last year, then click this link right below!!!

http://www.letrendary.com/2014/12/welcome-2015.html

I don't know about you, but I am a flower fanatic. Cherry Blossoms are easily one of my favorites. I didn't realize, but certain kinds of Cherry Blossoms produce actual cherries! Cherry Blossoms are the national flower of Japan. It is fundamentally a symbol of love, joy, and the fragility of life. Japan's samurai culture admired cherry blossoms due to their short lives, and used them as a representation of blood drops. The blooming period of cherry blossoms are very short, so they serve as a visual reminder of how precious and precarious life is. Just as the life of a flower, life is short and should thus be lived to the fullest. A National Cherry Blossoms Festival has been annually celebrated for 80 years in Washington D.C. to commemorate the gift of Japanese cherry trees in 1912 in an effort to enhance the growing friendship between the US and Japan. Although...several trees were chopped down after Pearl Harbor for obvious reasons. Today, there are Cherry Blossom Festivals all over the country. There are a few in SoCal, so check them out if you can!

The final object we wanted to focus on was a sword. A sword represents not only power but also honor and wisdom. Buddhists recognize the sword as a metaphor of cutting through ignorance to reach the truth of all things.

This picture honestly reminds of Mulan. Diana and I share our love for Mulan because she defies the archetype of a warrior always having to be a male. I've read feminist articles arguing that Mulan is not a feminist because she has to dress as a boy for selfhood, but I think they're completely missing the bigger picture. Mulan goes to war because she wants to save her father's life and wants to bring her family honor. She wants to find her purpose in life, and she wants to do something meaningful. Mulan is physically as well as mentally strong throughout the entire movie, and I admire that.


Thanks for reading and Happy Happy New Year!!!

febYOURary's Must-Have Staples

Happy February everyone! Sorry we didn't have a post last Thursday like I said we would (sad face). Hopefully the content from this post makes up for it. I thought it might be helpful to give a suggestion about what you might want to think about wearing this month and/or what you might want to buy if you have some cash to spend. It's supposed to be very rainy and cold this month, so here are 3 must-have staples for the California cold! 

1. Plain Wool Cardigan

This cardigan is very warm because it's real wool. I don't own very many cardigans or jackets, but the ones I have are good quality...and that's all that matters! Black is always a smart choice in the winter because it nearly matches everything, and I personally enjoy wearing darker colors when it's cold.

Tip: Have a summer collared tank top that's sitting in your closet? Button up your cardigan all the way and...voila, it's a collared top!!! See how it looks like a peter pan collared top on the bottom right? It's so easy, simple, and clean. 

Black Cardigan: Polo Ralph Lauren

2. Textured Long Cardigan

I love this cardigan because it's very fuzzy and warm. It has a hipster, relaxed look, which I really like about it. It's also a beige-tan color, which makes it very easy to match.

Tip: Wear a long cardigan with a pair of boyfriend jeans and your outfit will look effortlessly put together!

How cute are the button and pockets?!? I bought this cardigan on sale and I've used it very well. It goes really well with a pair of brown booties I own.

Cardigan: Abercrombie // Patterned Blouse: Nordstrom

 3. Wool Coat

(Photo creds: Abby Lozares & Kaleb Oh)

I bought this coat on sale from Zara and it was still pricy but well worth-it! I love the subtle pink more than anything. I had only owned one coat until I got this a few weeks ago, so it's an exciting addition to my winter closet. If you feel like it's too late in the game to buy a coat, don't feel so hesitant. Better to buy now than never!

Tip: A coat speaks for itself. It's what makes dressing up for the winter more simple in certain ways. A scarf like the one above is more than sufficient.

 Light Pink Coat: Zara 

I was up in Big Bear two weeks ago, and there was so much snow! Most of these pictures were taken in 20-30 degrees weather, so I was literally freezing. There should be a lot more rain and snow on its way because El Nino is just warming up. Brrrr! If there's anything specific you'd like to see, shoot us an email or leave us a comment on Instagram or Tumblr @Letrendary! 

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!!!

Weather or Not to Dress Well

DRESSING WARM FOR THE COLD

Woohoo, first post of the year!!! I am pretty excited that it'll be raining the majority of this week; we need the water so bad! Colder weather is the perfect opportunity to get lazy and throw on a pair of sweats, sweatshirt, and sneakers. However, the sweats won't cut it if you actually have to look half decent for a night-out, event, etc. Living in Southern California, it has been a real struggle figuring out how I can put together a cozy and stylish outfit. Especially because I don't own a lot of gear for the cold in the first place, I often times find myself sacrificing warmth for style. I regret it every time; I hate freezing in the cold air and rain! Rachel and Tabitha helped me out this week, and we each put together the kind of outfit we'd wear to look cute and stay warm during the cold weather. I hope the tips help you out a bit if you have somewhere to be this week. Enjoy!

(My ideal way of spending a rainy day=books + tea/coffee + Netflix + journaling + chatting with friends)

TIP #1: Layer up! FLANNEL + SWEATER

TIP #2: Spice it up! Put on dainty, light jewelry

If you don't want to put on a casual scarf for a fancier look, then I'd recommend simple jewelry for the cold. Rachel chose a longer-length necklace for her sweater, while Tabitha chose one close to the neckline. Watches and bracelets are equally great for the cold weather.

TIP #3: BOOTS are necessary. (Wedges are great for dressing up!)

Each of us wore different types of boots. Rachel went with brown booties, Tabitha with black wedges, and I with UGGs. Regardless, they all kept our feet warm! I didn't realize until recently how important it is to keep your feet warm; it makes a HUGE difference! 

TIP #4: Wear a coat on top of all your layers!

I only own 2 actual coats because they're expensive and I only use it for a few months out of the entire year. I don't think it's necessary to have very many coats because if you have one that's thick and versatile, you can wear it with practically anything. Isn't Tabitha's Calvin Klein coat adorable? Perfect example of a coat worth investing in! 

TIP #5: If wearing a skirt of dress, wear THICK tights, not a thin one!

This is very, very important if you want to wear a skirt or dress in cold weather. If you don't wear thick tights, your legs are going to FREEZE.

In our case, we (as in Diana, Rachel, Tabitha, and myself) went for a girls-night out and ate at a Japanese restaurant on a very chilly day! It was both Rachel and Tabitha's first time trying sushi (I still don't understand how they lived 17 years without trying sushi). We had a fun time, and we didn't have to worry about freezing because we were well-dressed and well-prepared! Gosh, I'm craving the tempura matcha ice cream we had. It was my first time and oh so worth it!

Have a wonderful week and stay safe everyone!!!