Aloha Ohana: Ways to Dress Kawaii

I'm very pumped for this post because....it's a culture post. Yay!!! It also features a few of my closest friends. Double yay!!! School is in full-swing, and summer feels like months ago. In light of it being senior year, Diana and I are committed to going to every dance this year. The first one, the Back to School Dance, was this past Saturday, so I took advantage of the fact that it was Hawaiian-themed. I mean, who doesn't love Hawaii+Culture+Fashion?! 

The Culture and Clothing of Hawai'i

1930's: Aloha Shirts

The Aloha Shirt was popularized in the 30's by tourists. It became an American fad especially after Hollywood stars like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra wore them in movies. The shirt is usually made of silk, rayon, or cotton and inspired by the Japanese kimono!

Aloha shirts are the obvious go-to when it comes to dressing Hawaiian-themed. I don't own one so the one I'm wearing in this photo is actually one of my dad's Tommy Bahamas aloha shirts. LOL. I have fun playing around with clothes, even if that means going into my dad's closet...although this was my first time ever doing that.

1940's: Light-weight Hawaiian Dress

The tropical, casual Hawaiian dress became a staple for women all around America in the 40's. However, the cultural dress of Hawaii, the muumuu, dates back to the 1800s when missionaries brought the style to Hawaii. The missionaries enforced muumuus because they were shocked by literally how naked Hawaiian women were. Back then, the women seriously went around topless and only wore grass hula skirts--no joke. 

Pa'u Skirt

It would be cool if I owned a legitimate pa'u skirt, but my pink skirt does just fine. The traditional pa'u skirt is made up of nine yards of fabric, covering the legs and flowing on the ground. Although I wore a very modernized and short version of a pa'u skirt, it still worked with the theme. The necklace I wore, which I received as a gift, was actually handmade of shells in Hawaii, which I thought was a nice touch to the rest of the outfit.

 Awww how cute are Sayne and Hanul?! Rocking the Aloha shirt!

 Rachel went all out with the skirt, hair, and necklace. Queeeeen! And of course #doroana

I have such cute, cute friends. They also happen to be loving, awesome, fun, and fabulous. 

Mahalo for reading!

The Back to School lookBook

New school year, new look?

I can't believe how fast this summer went by. It was the most productive summer I've ever had, but I definitely missed spending time with most of my close friends. Now that I have 2 days left of summer, I'm realizing how I never got to watch much Sherlock (boooo). I've only seen two episodes since the end of June (boooo). On the other hand, I'm so ready to start my last year of high-school! I'll pretty much be hustling, crying, and stressing for the next four months, but once winter break hits...you'll see me throwing papers and waving my hands in the air (i can't wait to do a post with those pictures lol). Obviously I'm not absolutely free once December hits, but I'll at least be done with tennis, Mock Trial, and college apps--the bulk of my extra-curriculars. I can't wait for the second-half of my senior year!

I really can't imagine where I'll be in one year. East coast, west coast? Private, public? Although I'm constantly anxious, I'm also repeatedly reminding myself that I'll end up where I need to be. I know not everyone believes in fate, but I do in the sense that a path will be wherever I end up. I've also been thinking hard about rejection. I hope when I'm rejected by whichever schools (because everyone is), I won't tell myself  that "I'm good enough for that school" or "I deserved to be accepted in that school," but rather "I can fit better somewhere else" and "I trust the admission officer's decision." Of course we all have dream schools that we hope to can call home one day, but life is a happy and sad adventure. I know things will not end up the way I think it will now, so I say it's best to stay open-minded. I wish nothing but the best for all of us seniors--we got this! It's going to be one-hell of a year, but hey, every little thing will be alright *cues Bob Marley*.

I thought it would be fun to create a back-to-school lookbook of five completely different styles. I've only bought one dress and one pair of shoes this summer, so I styled all of these outfits from what I already had in my closet. If you want to see a certain type of style in one of our posts, please comment or e-mail us! We will try our best to do it as soon as possible. We love recommendations!

#1: the minimalist

 

Top: Nordstrom Rack// Shorts: American Eagle// Necklace: Nectar Clothing & Forever 21

#2: the prepster

I love this colorblock pleated skirt! It's one of the few things I've ever thrifted.

Collared Pocket Tank: Abercrombie// Blazer: Nordstrom// Pleated Skirt: Thrifted!// Oxfords: Marshalls

#3: the girl-next-door

Diana and I are extremely involved at school...but we still haven't been to a football game...OOPS

Coral-Spotted Mint Dress: Lush (Nordstrom)// Denim Jacket: American Eagle

#4: the boho-lover

I wish I was boho at heart because it's honestly so free and beautiful. I don't think I pull it off the best though haha.

Dress: Nectar Clothing// Necklace: Forever 21// Shoes: Minnetonka

P.S. The beautiful art in the background is by the extremely talented Christine Horng

#5: the laid-back hipster

Don't worry, you won't see me sitting there again...LOL

Denim Vest: American Eagle// Black Tank: Nordstrom// Floral Joggers: Korea

there's a first time for everything

#CityofTrees&PHD's 

Have a stellar 2015-2016 school year, everyone. Make it count!

China Chic

早上好，everyone! In my last post chronicling my travels in China, I mentioned that I will do a post on the clothes I bought in China this week. And, voilà:

I bought all of these in a mall in Guangzhou, but some of these brands ship overseas, so if you're interested in buying something from them and don't mind the international shipping fee, go for it!

First is a butterfly dress from C1wyse. I love how natural it looks. Any dress I buy usually has a pattern very special to me; anything nature-themed is always a welcomed addition.

I also bought a Korean-inspired (Dorothy's spirit must've been with me) dress from Bear House, which unfortunately I don't think has a website. I might've bought it in part because it's so easy to put on... Who has time to fiddle with buttons and zippers when sleep exists?

It has a stitched lace top with a chambray skirt. In China these days (and really, all across Asia), it's becoming really popular to wear long and loose shirts and tug them into pants or skirts, then tug them out so they puff out around your waist. This dress does that whole tugging ordeal for me just by its design, which is great when you're as impatient as I am. 

Also from C1wyse is this wonderfully crafted petals dress. It's very loose, but the pattern is beautiful and tangible. 

Finally, I bought two tops to complement all the jeans I own. The first one is an adorable cat print with marble eyes attached onto the shirt by invisible strings from Next to Candice (which I also can't find a website for). 

Messy hair and pink striped socks to match the casual look of the shirt

Of course Dorothy took the occasion to fold my hair into hearts...

The last top is a white blouse, which I've always wanted, but I bought it more specifically from Bear House because of how its design is different on the left from the right. There's something so wonderfully delicate about the floral stitches of the right, while the crosshatched left emanates a more detailed, serious tone. But of course my favorite part is the pockets. Who doesn't love pockets? :D

Thank you Dorothy for the pictures! See you all with a back-to-school post soon, and don't forget to enjoy the last rays of summer!

Butterfly Dress: C1wyse

White/Chambray Dress: Bear House

Blue Petals Dress: C1wyse

Cat Shirt: Next to Candice

Patterned Blouse: Bear House