Fashion Inspired By: Family & Friends Part I

Some time ago I wrote a couple of posts called Fashion Inspired By: My Favorite Literary Characters. You can read Part I here, and Part II here. I also did one inspired by the Hogwarts Houses. Yeah, I'm THAT kind of Harry Potter freak, ha! You can read that one here.

I just want to make something clear, these posts are not an exact replica of how these people or characters dress. They are a lot more of what I pick up from their personal styles by looking at them or spending time with them. They are my own interpretation of their different styles.

Anyway, this time I thought it would be fun to inspire my next two (or more?) posts on real people. And by real people I mean, people I know (and love!) personally. So, here it goes...

Fashion Inspired By: Family & Friends! 

Melissa Parra (baby sis)

From left to right; E.L.F Blush, H&M lace trim top, Revlon Just Bitten Lip stain in Beloved, Topshop Petite Ankle Leggings, Gap Heathered Open Front Cardigan, Repetto Cendrillon Leather Ballerinas, Henri Bendel Debutante Pearl Stud Earrings, Pretaportobello Dragonfly Necklace, L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Extension Mascara.

First up is my adorable little sis; Melissa (note: she's only a year younger than me!). Having a sister who is the same size as you in clothing and shoes, is kind of what dreams are made of! All our lives we've never really shared clothes, each of us has our own entirely different closets. But it is fun to swap clothes every once in a while. Though, I do have to say, our personal styles are extremely different. Sometimes, I'll wear a shirt, skirt or dress that my sister would never wear. Or sometimes I pick out an accessory (*cough, cough* most recently an edgy ear cuff) that my sister admits is cool, although again, she would not wear herself. Or sometimes it's the other way around. However, I've come to admire the way she dresses with every day that goes by. She has this very clean and simple way of putting her outfits together. And I have noticed that her favorite colors are almost always nude tones or pastels. She once told me one of her favorite stores were The Gap and H&M hence the cardigan and the lace trim top; both of them in soft nude tones. My sister has this weird fixation with wearing leggings, she just loves them. Especially in black. So I picked out these pair from Topshop. 

The same "less is more" rule applies to her makeup, I think. She uses the same mascara I do, which I really can't reccomend enough; L'Oreal's Double Extend Lash Extension Mascara. It just makes eyelashes pop. For her lips she always uses the same lip stain (she adores it) by Revlon. Recently, she told me her favorite makeup brand was E.L.F Cosmetics because, drumroll please...it's cheap and it has great quality. And I can't argue with her there, they definitely have some pretty great quality products, and the awesome prices are just a bonus!

For accessories, I decided on a Dragonfly Necklace by Pretaportobello because she actually does have a dragonfly necklace. She loves dragonflies because of what they represent; change and going beyond self created illusions. They do actually remind me of her. And for earrings, simple pearl studs. Because you just can't go wrong with classy pearls, am I right?

Paola Reyes (my not related but equally loved cousin)

From left to right; Miss Selfridge Double Layer Cami Top, Clinique Powder Blush,  Hollister Bettys Overalls,  Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, Keds Taylor Swift Trainers, Bracelets: Baublebar Cape Knot bracelet, Michael Kors Heart Chain bracelet, Juicy Couture Pave Color Crush Genuine Beaded bracelet, Essie nail polish in Peach Daiquiri. 

Next up is my "not-actually-related" cousin, but whom I love just as much as any blood relative; Paola. I've known this girl for a really long time and she is definitely one of my favorite people and one of my best friends. Right now she's studying abroad in New Zealand, and I miss her like crazy because she's been there for almost a year now! She comes back home on July 2nd and I am just counting the hours, seriously. Paola's style (and her personality too, by the way...) is very laid back and she definitely knows how to take fashion risks! I recently saw a picture of her wearing short overalls and I don't think anyone but her could have pulled it off. I loved that she paired them off with a simple white tank top, which just made the whole outfit look very fresh and relaxed. The options I chose were a pair of overalls from Hollister and a cami top from Miss Selfridge. For shoes, I picked out these adorable floral sneakers by Keds which I think are the Taylor Swift edition. These are also a lot like the sneakers she was wearing in the picture. The shoes and the clothes just make the perfect outfit for hiking out Down Under, don't you think?

When it comes to makeup, Paola also likes to keep it pretty fresh and clean. She actually does use this exact same blush from Clinique. For her lashes, I chose Maybelline's Great Lash mascara because as I always say, you can't do better than the classics. And if I'm not mistaken, Paola has said this some time before.

 I don't think I've ever seen Paola out and about without having her nails done. She is always wearing at least one bright and daring color of nail polish and I respect that; plain nails are boring. 

Accessory-wise, it's not very common to see her without her array of stack-on bracelets. I like to think she's that kind of girl who wears bracelets from different special moments in her life. Like for example, one that was a gift from her boyfriend or a woven bracelet which she bought from the natives in New Zealand. 

Sofia Osorio (my actual cousin, ha! also very loved)

From left to right; Oakwood leather jacket, Kate Spade New York small square stud earrings in clear/gold, Mango skinny jeans, Alice + Olivia Amal Boxy Tank, Converse Women's All Star sneakers, M.A.C Viva Glam II lipstick in A33 Matte, Maybelline Falsies Waterproof mascara, M.A.C Mineralize Blush in Love Joy.

Next up is my actual blood related cousin; Sofia. I love this girl. She is kind of my confidant, I tell her everything. Boys, friends, anything really! We can talk for hours and she always has the best advice. She is just so mature for her age! She turns 17 this August and I feel like time is going by so quickly. Since we were kids, we've always gotten along so well, no matter the 4 year age difference! We were always making up creative and entertaining games; we once even pretended we were running our own magazine! It was so great. Moving on, as well as her personality Sofia's style is just so chic and classy. Every time, I approve more and more of the way she dresses. I picked a tank from Alice + Olivia which I thought looked A LOT like one she was wearing a couple weeks ago when we went to the movies. And she was wearing it with a brown leather jacket which also looked a lot like this one from Oakwood. For bottoms I chose these skinny jeans from Mango, which would look incredible on her. And for shoes, white Converse sneakers that she was in fact wearing the day of the movies. The overall look is simple but amazingly classy and trendy! 

Sofia's not much of an accessories girl I think, so I just picked these cute square stud earrings from Kate Spade New York. 

And for makeup, this is the actual lipstick she uses; M.A.C Viva Glam II lipstick in A33 Matte. I think this tone looks amazing on her! The other day she told me that she was currently trying out Maybelline's Falsies Waterproof mascara and that she was in love with it because it really never smudged. Great tip to know for summer! For blush she uses M.A.C Mineralize blush in Love Joy which looks great with her tan skin tone. 

Regina Gonzalez (one of my best friends)

From left to right; Forever 21 Love 21 sparkling lipgloss, Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Lash mascara, Kate Spade New York small square stud earrings in clear/silver, Ralph Lauren Sullivan super skinny dark wash jeans, Dune Kacey leather embellished sandals, H&M sleeveless blouse, NARS Cosmetics Blush in Orgasm. 

And last but most definitely not least, is one of my best friends; Regina. This girl is a beloved friend of mine. She is the kind of girl who is seriously super nice. I really can't think of anyone who doesn't like her. She's mature and well composed while still being silly when we're having fun. She's also the kind of friend with whom you have the greatest time when you're either drinking coffee together or at the club late at night! If I had to describe Regina's style I would say, SOPHISTICATED. She always looks classy and up to date, trend-wise speaking I mean. She definitely knows how to pull of the night-to-day transition look! So, I chose this cute soft pink top from H&M and paired it off with these pair of dark wash skinny jeans from Ralph Lauren. To finish of the look I picked these embellished sandals from Dune. I can SO see her wearing this. 

For accessories, I chose a pair of Kate Spade New York square stud earrings in clear/silver which are actually a lot like a pair of diamond studs I saw her wearing once. As well as Sofia, Regina keeps it pretty simple on the accessories. 

For makeup, I picked this lipgloss I got her from Forever 21 the last time I traveled to the US. I love that because she's blonde and tan, she can pull this adorable light pink color off! I would look so washed out. For her lashes, which by the way are like super long and nice, I chose Benefit's BADgal Lash mascara because I've heard such wonders about it! I definitely have to try it out myself. And for blush, I picked NARS blush in Orgasm which I myself own and can say that it is definitely worth the splurge! It looks great on any skin tone!

So, these girls make up the first part of my Fashion Inspired By: Family & Friends. Like I said, I enjoyed writing this post so much I will get working on the second part ASAP! 

What do you think?

*kisskiss* -Adrienne. 

Fashion Inspired by: Hogwarts Houses (Formal Dinner Party)

It is perfectly clear that I am a die-hard Potterhead.

I simply love anything that has to do with the Harry Potter universe. I also happen to be crazy about fashion so when the two clash, it becomes paradise for me.

Last time I did a post on Outfits Inspired by my favorite (female) characters, and this time I started the first part on a series I like to call Fashion Inspired by: Hogwarts' Houses. The first part is (fanfare, please!) FORMAL DINNER PARTY. So here they are; the outfits which represent every one of the Houses. Choose yours!

SLYTHERIN

I really feel like Slytherin is one of the hardest houses to take inspiration from (the other one being Hufflepuff) because of its colors; green and silver. You have to be really careful when combining the two because you do not want it to look tacky. In Slytherin's case, less is more I think. Anyway, I decided on a striped and simple black/silver dress and beautiful emerald stud earrings. For the shoes I thought the best choice was to pair the dress off with these awesome silver Gianvito Rossi heels.

GRYFFINDOR

Next up Gryffindor! Scarlet and gold are its colors and I absolutely LOVED this scarlet dress. It is so classy and yet fiery, which I think are definitely the best two traits of the Gryffindor House. I landed on this very delicate pearl necklace with a gold chain. And for the shoes I picked these breathtaking Manolo Blahnik heels. What is is with me and metallic shoes?! I loved this one. 

RAVENCLAW

Ravenclaw, its colors are blue and bronze which for me were quite easy to put together because I've noticed that one of my favorite colors for clothing is blue. I almost ALWAYS dress in it. I decided on an amazing skater type dress in a very satisfying blue hue. I chose a couple of sparkling bronze earrings and for the shoes, cobalt suede Manolo Blahniks!

HUFFLEPUFF

And last but not least, Hufflepuff. Black and yellow are the House's colors and like I said before it was a bit complicated to work with the color yellow. Some people may think that the tone is canary yellow, but it actually is a bit more mustard-ish. I found this beautiful mustard colored dress which I think is quite nice. I paired it off with a very elegant sparkling black and gold necklace and wrapped up the outfit with a couple of simple black Louboutins, because who doesn't love a pair am I right?!


So that's the four of the Houses, and since I am somewhere in between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw I can't quite choose one. I call myself a "RAVENPUFF". Which one would you wear?


*kisskiss* - Adrienne. 

Outfits Inspired By My Favorite Literary Characters (Part II)

I considered changing the name of this post series, because to me as much as it is outfits that are inspired by my favorite characters, when I'm coming up with these outfits I actually picture the characters wearing the clothes. In my mind, these are more or less the outfits that I imagine them in.

Last time I did Violet and Sunny Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events. This time, I'm writing about my top three female characters from the Harry Potter saga. These particular ladies, are my favorites because I relate a lot to them. Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood and of course Hermione Granger.

I see a LOT of myself in Ginny. People who haven't read the books and have only seen the movies, don't always grasp this concept of her. But Ginny is a really funny girl. She's upbeat and she has a very uncanny way of imitating others. She has a sharp sense of humor and knows how to stand up for herself and others, in other words, she doesn't take crap from anyone. She's also very strong and feels comfortable with the guys (as friends) because of her growing up with her brothers. And last but not least, SHE LOVES CATS! I myself posses all these qualities (wow, that sounded stuck up!), so naturally she's high on my list!

Ginny Weasley

Ginny is described as being laid-back, down-to-Earth and like I said before, she's upbeat. So, I chose a simple white Oxford style shirt which I layered beneath a very cute polka dotted, navy sweater from American Eagle. I added a pair of corduroy pants in a nice burgundy color for contrast. Navy + burgundy = perfection! A pair of Converse tennis shoes because you know, she's the tiniest bit of a tomboy sometimes! I thought that I would also add these kitten-shape earrings because they represent her love for cats and they were too darn adorable to ignore! Oh, and the broomstick is a Firebolt, I don't know if Ginny ever owned a Firebolt but I do know Quidditch was a HUGE part of Ginny's life. She ended up playing professionally for the Holyhead Harpies, you know!

Luna Lovegood is an unusual girl. She's dreamy, always says weird stuff which not everyone around her understands, and happens to love anything that is different or a minority. She also seems to be right most of the time, by the way (again, I sounded stuck up)! This is a HUGE resemblance in personality which I share with Luna. To the point to which people in high school would call me "Luna" because I reminded them of her. I never took it as an insult. I like being a little crazy, within reason of course! Luna has always been the "odd one" in the group, but this never seems to bother her. I like that about her and can completely relate.

Luna Lovegood

Luna has a uniqueness that just makes you love her. She's sweet but she also has that side to her which shows she's wise. I think that she would definitely translate that into the way she dresses. So I picked out a pair of gold, sequined shorts which I consider no one else but someone like her would wear to school. A nice, soft pink sweater with a bunny picture on it, because Luna's Patronus is a hare. White creamy tights to keep herself warm and a pair of pink Hunter's rain boots for walking in the puddles around the Forbidden Forest. I added a gold, sleek bracelet with a moon-shaped charm. It's a moon because Luna means Moon in Spanish (my native language, ha!). I HAD to tag along a copy of The Quibbler, and OF COURSE, her spectrespecs!

Hermione Granger is perhaps the one of the three girls which most people relate to. But, I do think I resemble her in many ways. Hermione is an extremely clever girl. She's highly logical and when she puts her mind to it, can solve ANYTHING. She's a hard worker too. I do consider myself smart, but the one thing I love about Hermione and see mostly in myself is that she is a very loyal and true friend. She also has a big heart; many times Hermione loves too much. Which is why I think she winds up crying in so many chapters through the books. She is sensitive and expresses her feelings while being strong for her loved ones. Not only is she intelligent, she has a rather tender heart, and that is one of best things a person can have.

Hermione Granger

For Hermione, I decided I would take the classy/preppy route when it comes to style. I personally love this look for her. A cashmere, white sweater with a peplum accent for the top. And a pair of mint-green skinny jeans for the bottom part. For her shoes, I chose a pair of tan colored oxfords, which give the rest of the outfit a library-esque feel. As Hermione infamously spends much of her time in the library. Pearl stud earrings (CLASSY!) and I thought it'd be nice that she'd be sporting her Time Turner around her neck! Hermione is nothing without her books, AND her first real ginger sweetheart (cough, cough not Ron!) CROOKSHANKS!

I personally had so much fun writing this post, maybe because I'm fond of both the characters/series AND fashion! Did you like the outfits I came up with? Which Harry Potter character is your favorite? What other characters would you like to see in these posts?

*kisskiss* - Adrienne.

Outfits Inspired by my favorite literary characters. (Part I)

Firstly, I need to be honest and say that I got the idea of "Outfits Inspired By..." from collegefashion.net. They do such great fashion inspirations that I thought I would try it out. I am a complete book worm. I can get totally lost in the story of a book that the hours just fly by. I just love it. I have a lot of favorite literary characters, and most of them are fictional. Anyhow, I thought I would start off with two of my favorite ones from the Lemony Snicket books. A Series Of Unfortunate Events. For those of you who've never read the books, I HIGHLY recommend them. The series follows the three Baudelaire orphans, who after losing their parents and home in a mysterious fire, have to be sent to live with various strange guardians. There was a movie based on the books, which came out in 2004. I saw the movie, fell in love with it and on my next trip to the bookstore, bought the continuing books. I bought the books 4, 5 and 6 (because the movie is based on the books 1, 2 and 3). And continued reading as I purchased the next books from the series. Two of my favorite characters from the books are pretty obvious; Violet Baudelaire and her baby sister Sunny Baudelaire. As well as in Harry Potter, I have A LOT of favorite characters in this series of books. I just think these two lovable characters make it so appealing to take fashion inspiration from.

First is Violet Baudelaire. She's the eldest of the Baudelaire children and is described as an incredibly talented inventor. She always has a solution for any tough situation she and her siblings find themselves in. She's fourteen at the beginning of the books and when she's coming up with a new invention, ties her hair up with a ribbon (to keep it out of her eyes). 

I think Violet's personality is very mature for her age, she has openly stated that she hates the color pink and she's also very protective of her brother and sister. As her other two siblings, she's polite and educated and has a very quick mind.

Violet Baudelaire Inspiration

I think this Valentino dress fits Violet's personality perfectly. It's black, but not to the point that it looks goth. I actually looks elegant and sophisticated, without breaking the theme of the books. It has an embroidered collar, with matching cuffs. For the tights, I chose simple lace ones because (again) they're elegant and look chic. Also, they go hand in hand with the theme of the series. A pair of suede Chloe flats in plum (which kind of look like a little more of a red wine color to me...) and finally, the finishing touch; a silk ribbon in her hair. When I picture Violet in my mind, this is really and example of how she would be dressed. Simple, timeless and completely elegant. Here's Violet in the books' illustrations (left) and in the movie (right).

  

                                                                                           

Sunny Baudelaire, is the youngest of the three Baudelaire children. She's an infant at the time the books take place, and expresses herself with her own made up words that only her siblings can understand. She is said to have a liking to bite things (probably because of her baby teeth) and later in the series develops a talent for cooking meals. Sunny has a little more brighter personality than her sister Violet, I assume this is because she's still very young. But as her brother and sister, is educated and polite, too. 

Sunny Baudelaire Inspiration

Because Sunny is practically a baby, I think this light blue dress from Dorothy Perkins fits her well. I chose a Peter Pan style collar because in the books, Sunny's dresses always have one around her neck. Creamy white tights and a pair of simple ballerina flats in a beige tone. I finished the look off with a ribbon for her hair, as in the books, she is also always shown to wear one. This look is simple, and not as elegant as Violet's outfit, although in it's simplicity it shows that Sunny is still very young and has that innocence one has as a baby. It's feminine without being ridiculous or having pinkish tones, and brings to the table exactly what Sunny brings to the series; a light and easy feel in contrast to all the gloominess. 

Here is Sunny in the books (left) and in the movie (right). Adorable baby girl. 

                                                      

For now, this are the two looks I have come up with. I enjoy doing "outfit inspirations" and think I will do a lot more of them. What do you think about the way I displayed Violet and Sunny's personalities through clothing? Did I get it right, or would you change something? 

*kisskiss* - Adrienne.