Concert Wear: Concert/Graphic T-Shirts

In anticipation of my P!nk concert tomorrow night, I’ve been thinking about what to wear for the show. I love going to concerts, but I always struggle to find a cool and comfortable outfit to wear. I want to wear comfortable shoes because I’d like to assume I’ll be standing for the most part of the show. I also always carry a small cross-body handbag to make sure my hands are free for any food or memorabilia that I’ll buy. But for the many concerts I’ve been to, I always seem to lean to wearing a concert or graphic t-shirt.

Concert and graphic t-shirts are great because they are very easy and comfortable to wear. You can wear these t-shirts with jeans, leather leggings, leather mini skirt, A-line skirts and so much more. You can pair them with sneakers, ballet flats, ankle boots or strappy heels.

I love to pair my shirts with a leather jacket or Chanel-like blazer. Wearing these tops with leather immediately gives your outfit a boost of cool and edge. But pairing the concert or graphic t-shirt with a Chanel-like blazer is a great way mix the classic cut of the jacket with an edgy graphic or rocker t-shirt. See how these fashionistas demonstrate the many cool ways a concert or graphic t-shirt can be worn. More details on the P!nk show laterJ.

All pictures taken from Pinterest.com

Sneaker Head

There’s nothing like a good pair of or tennis shoes. On down days or days where I want to go against the norm, I occasionally wear them.  I recently purchased the red and black Nike Dunks after seeing this photo fellow fashion blogger, Brooklyn Blonde. I also own the black suede pair also.

 

My other go to tennis shoes are a staple in Cali, the ever-popular converses. I have an all-white pair and also a black pair. Since I love studs on just about everything, I studded my black converses.

I love to also mix the look of wearing tennis shoes and carrying a high end bag. On a recent trip to Vegas I wore my white converses with a jean dress and my Louis Vuitton speedy 30. There’s something cool about carrying a bag that most would want to dress up and instead wearing tennis shoes.  Tennis shoes are a great way to have a casual and laid back look. Plus they go with everything! Check out these fashionistas and how they rock their sneakers:

 

 

All pictures taken from Pinterest.com



Coach Handbags - Coming Full Circle Again?

I’ve had a love hate relationship recently with designers and their recent showcase of handbags. One brand that has remained at the top of my hate list has been Coach. The Coach brand has always been a status symbol for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, all of my relatives had or either fawned over getting a Coach bag. When I first moved to Los Angeles in 2007, everybody had a Coach handbag. Whether it be in the signature print, leather or Poppy line, Coach was everywhere in LA. I bought my first Coach bag after my move to L.A. from the Coach outlet store in Camarillo, CA.

 

 

Pictures from Pinterest.com

I was so excited to carry it. I carried it for a year or more. That is, until I realized that brand was losing its luster with their designs. It wasn’t the same anymore. Every bag (especially at the outlets) were in every color and print and people were buying five and six bags at one time.  I was over Coach. So I ended up giving my bag away and never looked back at Coach again. I refused to enter a Coach outlet or boutique store. I instead focused my handbag love to Michael Kors instead. 

That is until, my recent trip to Las Vegas for my birthday. My friend and I stopped by the Coach boutique in the Caesar’s hotel on the Vegas strip. It was like my love for Coach had been restored again. The design of the recent bags went back to that style and leather from the 1980s and early 1990s.  Good, durable leather bags and some in exotic prints and in good quality. I’m glad that they are getting back to what the line used to be, a great quality bag that women would be excited to carry. Dare I say, I do see a couple of Coach handbags in my future. Here are some of my favorite bags currently at Coach:

Coach Legacy Haley Satchel in embossed croc

Picture from Coach.com

Coach Legacy Haley Satchel in smooth and python embossed leather

Picture from Coach.com

Coach Madison Sadie Flap Satchel in saffiano leather



Picture from Coach.com

Coach Madison Phoebe Shoulder Bag in mixed calf-hair

Picture from Coach.com

Get the Look: Jumpsuits

For this week, I wanted to focus on this fashionista’s fabulous jumpsuit.  I pinned this picture on my Pinterest page and it was the highest pinned in my style pin book.  Jumpsuits are all the rage, but with so many options, I wanted to focus on how to get this look without spending alot.

Taken from Pinterest 

The key piece is the jumpsuit.  I found this one by Pure & Simple for $36.75.

Pair it with this high waisted black Michael Kors belt for $48.00. You may need to drop a size down, so the belt can fit well around your waist.

 

Add with your new look, these cute gladiator wedges by Michael Antonio Glennaa for $47.99 on sale!

Add a blazer for work or add a great cropped leather jacket and some glitzy jewelry for a date outfit.  Best thing, the total cost is only 132.74!

Get the Look: Boyfriend Jeans

For my first get the look article, I wanted to feature the boyfriend jean trend. Boyfriend jeans are a trend that has maintained throughout recent years. They are an easy go to look to add a casual appeal to your wardrobe. Boyfriend jeans can be styled in various ways and can be worn during anytime of the year. The styling of boyfriend jeans changes depending on the shoes you choose to wear. For a casual look, style the jeans with ballet flats or flat sandals.  For a dressier look, style your jeans with heels, boots or wedges.

This fashionista styled the trend with a white blazer, white t-shirt, sparkly gold ballet flats and a great tote handbag. This is a great look for the office or going out! Here’s how you can get the look for a great price!

Picture taken from Pinterest.com

H& M white blazer $39.95

 

 





  Forever 21 white t-shirt $3.80

 

 Ann Taylor Loft boyfriend jeans $54.88

 Target gold ballet flats $19.99

Zara black tote $49.99

 

Total Cost - $168.61

Complete the look by adding your favorite pair of sunnies!!

My Night With Rachel Zoe

I love living in a big city. With the infiltration of celebrities here in Los Angeles, it’s very easy to have a celebrity sighting while shopping or while getting coffee at Starbucks and for a celebrity to have an event nearby. One weekend while shopping at Westfield Century City mall, I was in Bloomingdales and saw a promotional sign posted for a fall/winter 2013 runway showing of Rachel Zoe’s clothing line hosted by the designer/celebrity stylist herself.  

I could hardly wait to attend the event. It would be my first time attending an official fashion show. My friends and I got there a little bit early and sat right next to the stage. I wanted to be able to take great pictures, so I wanted to sit close. I also wanted to prominently display my Rachel Zoe Morrison tote and hopefully get a shout out from someone from Rachel Zoe’s team, if I could.

In attendance from the Zoe camp were the designer/stylist herself, Rachel Zoe Inc. president (and husband), Rodger Berman, Rachel Zoe Inc. vice president and general counsel, Mandana Daynai, and some of the Zoe camp team featured on her reality TV show. Rachel and Rodger hosted the show. As she sat down, she immediately saw my bag and said “I already see a Rachel Zoe Morrison bag. I love it on you!” I yelled back like excited schoolgirl, “I love it too.” Mission accomplished! Rachel and Rodger are truly as they are on TV. They look much better in person also. Their back and forth banter was cute. Now on to the show review…

Rachel said this line is very equestrian inspired. You can definitely tell from each look that was shown. Equestrian style is inspired by horseback riders and also incorporates the colors of the horses, the atmosphere and nature. There were a lot of green, tan, off-white colors featured in the show. Almost every look had a leather feature to it, except for the evening looks. Some of those included a camel-colored leather short-sleeved top;: a camel-colored leather shift dress, a cape/trench inspired coat with black leather sleeves, a black suit jacket with black leather accents on the cuffs, and camel-colored pleated leather slacks. Leather is a constant texture that is worn during the fall and winter seasons. So it was great that it was featured in more than the typical leather pants or skirt way.

What I loved about this collection is that each of Rachel’s runway pieces can be worn in various ways in an everyday woman’s life. The leather shift dress can be worn with pumps to the office or to an event, but also can be worn with flats for a cute shopping look. The black blazer with leather cuff accents can be worn to the office with black slacks, but also can be worn with boyfriend jeans styled with pumps, flat oxfords or Converses. There were also some great shoes designed by Rachel that were styled with each look. There were tons of buckle accents shown on various pairs of the boots that gave each of the looks an extra edge. True to Rachel’s style, each look featured chunky Rachel Zoe jewelry including necklaces, bracelets and rings. Even though Rachel is a new designer, it does not show in this collection. Her work as a stylist has given her a launch pad into designing clothes that any woman, no matter her lifestyle, can incorporate into her closet.    

After the show, I ran backstage to introduce myself to Mandana. She is truly an inspiration to me because of her background. She told me she started out after school as a lawyer working in a talent agency. She always had a love of fashion, but never knew how to make the transition. Through networking, she was introduced to Rachel. She wore an amazing Rachel Zoe trench with black leather sleeves. She said it was from Rachel’s last collection. She was extremely nice and gave me great advice. Before leaving, I also got a chance to get a picture with Rachel. This night was truly amazing and one that I will always remember!

 

 

 

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to Fashion Instead of Dinner!  My blog is all about my favorite topic – fashion! Fashion Instead of Dinner is a one-stop shop blog that will feature a mix of posts about my personal style, celebrity style inspirations and celebrity style get the look posts. It will also feature fashion news and during fashion week, it will include posts about my favorite shows from NYC to Milan.  

I titled my blog Fashion Instead of Dinner from one of the episodes of the TV show “Sex and the City.” It relates to Carrie Bradshaw’s quote when she said “"When I first moved to NY and I was totally broke, sometimes I would buy Vogue instead of dinner. I just felt it fed me more." I feel this way about fashion.  When I’m having a tough day or need to get away from my day to day life, I look to fashion (magazines, blogs, websites, etc.) for inspiration and an escape.  Hope you enjoy my blog!