PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTS

You know that feeling when you see a killer garment that you can’t picture yourself wearing? Well thanks to thrift shopping, I slowly overcame that fear and now take way more fashion risks than I would have if I only shopped fast fashion or department stores. When shopping retail chains, I’m always more cautious with my spending and never want to splurge on any over-the-top garments. These tend to be out of my budget and then I get buyer’s remorse once they wind up lying in my closet for most of the year.

The perk of discovering one-of-a-kind items at thrift stores is that they are normally dirt cheap. I found these J. Marco bellbottoms at Goodwill for about $10, and knew that I couldn’t pass them up. I’ve never seen anything like them, and they are great conversation starters for special occasions. The hemline is so wide that I have to wear four-inch heels to keep myself from tripping, but I ain’t even mad. These pants have so much volume from all of the intricate pleating. It literally feels like I’m wearing a slinky with every step that I take.

Don’t be afraid to try new and daring looks. Fuck the rules, fuck the seasons and fuck the trends. Thrift shopping has helped me eliminate all of the "fashion rules." Ever since I started shopping secondhand, I don’t always shop for practical clothes anymore. Sometimes I come across garments, like these, that are so rare, they basically become a collector’s item to me. I think that’s the art of shopping at thrift, consignment and antique stores. There’s always a plethora of interesting finds, so you can discover unique, vintage and designer garments at incredible prices. It won’t hurt your bank account, and you’ll be one of the few, if not the only person, to own such garments.

+ Lipstick | MAC's Black Knight

+ Sunglasses | Forever 21

+ Hoop Earrings | Forever 21

+ Choker | Forever 21

+ Crop Top | Boohoo

+ Trousers | J. Marco (Goodwill)

+ Booties | Forever 21

Photography | Roberto Salmon

xx

Dana

BLACK + TAN

I carry a little piece of my mom with me everywhere I go. There isn’t a day where I’m not wearing at least one of her clothing items. My mom was the one who got me into thrift shopping, and, like me, most of the clothes that she owned was secondhand. Growing up, I would always browse through her closet and borrow her clothes. Once I reached high school, we were practically the same size, so it gave me an even greater excuse to do so. After she passed away, I inherited a lot of her clothes and accessories. The tribal printed vest I’m wearing is one of the many garments that I inherited from her. When I was little, I used to always give my mom shit for wearing too much black and brown. These are ironically two of my favorite colors to wear now, and I hate anything that’s too bold or bright.

This month I also got another tattoo that pays homage to her. I got a dainty tattoo of my mom’s signature on my finger. Whether it’s through art or fashion, I’m constantly finding new ways to keep her memory alive.

+ Lipstick | MAC’s Paramount

+ Necklace | New Look

+ Vest | hand-me-down

+ Dress | Stylenanda (dumpster dived)

+ Shoes | Forever 21 (hand-me-down)

Photography | LB Photography

xx

Dana

FREE CLOTHES // FREE SPIRIT

My favorite part about this outfit is that it was basically free! Everything aside from my accessories was throwaway items that I either found or inherited. Move out season is what I look forward to at the end of the school year. This is the time when people are forced to start cleaning their closets. My friends had so many bags of clothes that I got to rummage through, so I snatched a lot of great finds. The high-low dress and booties I’m wearing are both garments that I inherited from my friend. The slip underneath is a dress that I found in the trash room of my old apartment. People throw away so much good shit at the end of the year; you just need to look for them.

After searching through my friends’ piles of donations, I added over 10 new clothing items to my closet. This further emphasized how shopping for brand new clothes is so unnecessary for my lifestyle. Most people find digging through people’s old clothes disgusting, time-consuming, or just plain awkward. I don’t see what’s the harm in asking though because I always walk away with good labels at absolutely no cost. This saves my wallet so much money, while still updating my wardrobe. Between picking through people’s “trash” and thrift shopping, I’ll have enough clothes to last me a lifetime. 

+ Lipstick | MAC’s Paramount

+ Sunglasses | Buffalo Exchange

+ Necklace | Forever 21

+ Dress | H&M (hand-me-down)

+ Slip | Stylenanda (dumpster dived)

+ Shoes | Forever 21 (hand-me-down)

Photography | LB Photography

xx

Dana

YOUNG, WILD, AND FREE

For Fourth of July weekend I crossed having an East Coast beach day off of my bucket list. My friends and I drove from Philadelphia to New Jersey to spend the day at Wildwood Beach. Let’s be real, the beach was not nearly as nice as West Coast ones, but that didn’t stop us from having fun. We sipped on fruity alcohol and splashed through the waves before strolling down the boardwalk. Everything about the trip felt effortless, and it was relaxing just to escape the city and be lazy beach bums for a day. 

My ultimate goal whenever I go to the beach is to pack light. This is one of the few places where you have an excuse to basically be naked in public. I wanted to take full advantage of that, and I also wanted to be as comfortable as possible for the long car ride. I decided on a lightweight halter dress that was very loose and flowy. This is yet another dumpster find that I snagged, and it’s an Urban Outfitters Kimchi Blue dress. Everything else I’m wearing is also secondhand, aside from my Zinke bikini, which I bought from an online Australian retailer.

+ Sunglasses | Buffalo Exchange

+ Earrings | Laney Flea Market

+ Dress | Urban Outfitters (dumpster dived)

+ Bikini | Zinke

Photography | Dana Nguyen + Alex Yang

xx

Dana

EAT, SLEEP, TRAVEL

Never have I ever had a getaway during Spring Break. Usually, I just use this time to sleep-in and to hangout with friends at local places. Last week all of that changed as I embarked on a five-day journey with my boyfriend and friends. Being a California native, I’ve been to Disneyland, but never visited Disney World or Universal Studios. Since Florida is such a warm and tropical destination, we figured that it’d be the perfect place to spend break. Amusement parks and beaches were the perfect combination, and here’s a recap of our day-to-day itinerary. 

Day One | The Poolside / International Drive

After waking up at 2:30am for an early flight, the first thing we wanted to do upon arrival was relax. Sipping on cheap wine and beer and napping by the pool were great cures for our jet lag. From the pool we could see a large pond full of ducks and small clusters of palm trees. We didn’t want to end the first day without doing anything eventful, so afterwards, we drove down to International Drive to see the Orlando Eye. 

Day Two | Disney World / Disney Springs

For day two I got to experience The Happiest Place on Earth with my favorite person. Although I didn’t beat my goal of going on ten rides, I got to go on the best ones. Standing in that two-hour line for Space Mountain was definitely worth it. After seven rides later my boyfriend and I met up with our friends for dinner at Disney Springs, which is a touristy shopping center. 

Day Three | Universal Studios

After a day of cute, family friendly rides at Disney World I was more than ready for the roller coasters at Universal Studios. Sadly, The Incredible Hulk, which happens to be the best one, was closed. As disappointing as that was, we still had a blast experiencing Hogsmeade and Seuss Landing. After going on a bunch of rides we ended our day exploring CityWalk and getting dinner at a Mexican restaurant, called Antojitos.

Day Four | Cocoa Beach

On our last day we drove an hour outside of Orlando to visit Cocoa Beach. After long waits in line, the first few days, it was nice ending the trip with napping and cruising along the beach. At 77 degrees, this was the hottest day during our stay, so it was perfect for a beach day. Before going to the tourist-filled boardwalk, we spent the morning on the secluded end of the strip. Aside from us, there were only three other groups of people there. It was as if we had the entire beach to ourselves, since all we could hear were seagulls and waves.

After our naptime on the beach, we drove down to the Cocoa Beach Pier, which was the complete opposite of our previous hideaway. Large crowds, loud music and pop-up shops surrounded the beach. Since it was a beach day, we obviously had to have seafood, so we had lunch at The Boardwalk Bar. After our big lunch we had to walk off our food babies, so we walked to the end of the boardwalk for a nice view.

Traveling to a new destination has taken my mind off of stress. It gave me time to catch up on the things I’ve been missing, like nutritional meals and sleep. I’ve come back from Spring Break more relaxed than ever, and am so ready to tackle my last quarter of college. 

Photography | Dana Nguyen

xx

Dana

OCEAN OMBRE

This week I was in heaven and spent Spring Break in Orlando, Florida. I got to be a lazy beach bum for a day, and just threw on a swimsuit, a dress and a cardigan. My beach day was at Cocoa Beach, which is a one-hour drive from Orlando. The weather was warm, the sand was spotless and the sky and ocean was clear blue.

The one-piece and Birkenstock sandals I’m wearing are great steals I got from Poshmark. If you’ve never used Poshmark before, then I highly recommend trying it. This is an easy smartphone app for selling, buying and trading clothes and accessories. It’s basically like an eBay, but specifically for women's fashion. Other secondhand items I’m wearing are my midi dress and iridescent sunglasses, which are both from Buffalo Exchange.

For my beach day outfit, I wanted to stay as comfortable as possible, so I layered on flowy silhouettes. My color palette had neutrals, like creams and blues, to match the environment, and to keep up with the beach vibes I wore tie-dye and fish scale prints.

+ Sunglasses | Buffalo Exchange

+ Hat | Camden Market

+ Cardigan | Forever 21

+ Dress | Vasna Desire (Buffalo Exchange)

+ Swimsuit | Poshmark

+ Sandals | Birkenstock (Poshmark)

Photography | Anand Patel

xx

Dana

DEAD WEEK

Dead week is over, but finals are just around the corner. This calls for more coffee, study sessions and all-nighters. I know that most people tend to let everything go during finals week. I’ve been there before too. The typical dress code for finals is no make-up, updos and sweatpants. The thing is, you can still be comfortable and look presentable. After all, when you look good, you feel good, and this usually results to doing good. Here is an alternative way to get through finals week without the sweatpants.

Tights and leggings are just as comfortable as sweatpants, but are more formfitting. These are my go-to when I have long classes and study sessions to sit through. Warm, soft and fuzzy sweaters are other comfort pieces worth investing in. The loose fit is my secret weapon for hiding the food baby I’ve formed from my terrible finals week diet. The cardigan I‘m wearing is my new favorite sweater, since it’s basically like a fuzzy blanket. The slouchy boots are another one of my staple pieces, and beforehand, I never knew that boots could be this comfortable. I bought these for just $2.50 at Salvation Army, and they have been with me since high school.

Comfort and confidence should go hand-in-hand. You should never have to compromise style for comfort, or vice versa. Even if you feel like shit from eating fast food, staying caffeinated and getting no sleep, you can always disguise it with the way you present yourself. 

+ Cardigan | Abercrombie & Fitch (Goodwill)

+ Turtleneck | Ashley Hill (hand-me-down)

+ Leggings | Forever 21

+ Boots | Merona (Salvation Army)

Photography | Dana Nguyen + Anand Patel

xx

Dana

TRASH | TREASURE

Living on a college campus is great for dumpster diving once the school year ends. I have no shame in snatching up free things that other people don't want. Last year I literally found a paper bag full of trendy clothes from brands, like Nasty Gal, Topshop and Zara. It was just lying in my apartment’s trash room, so I ended up with 10 new clothing items that day. In that bag was the black romper that I’m wearing underneath my skirt. This is a backless romper by the British label, Glamorous. It has a caged back that reminds me of the lingerie and sportswear company, Chromat.

The other “trash” item that I’m wearing is my MRKT heels from DSW. These are a pair of shoes that I found lying in my trashcan. Throughout college I’ve been blessed with roommates who give me the clothes that they don’t want. One of my old roommates tends to do a lot of closet cleaning, so I would occasionally come home and see cute stuff in our trashcan. These are the perfect shoes for any occasion, and my favorite part is how comfortable they are. The neutral color matches with anything, and it works with both casual and formal outfits.

+ Lipstick | MAC’s Hang-Up

+ Cardigan | Forever 21

+ Romper | Glamorous (dumpster dived)

+ Skirt | Wilster (Marshalls)

+ Heels | MRKT (hand-me-down)

+ Choker | Amazon

+ Statement Necklace | Forever 21

Photography | Anand Patel

xx

Dana

I HAVE A PROBLEM

Those who know me know that I’m a devoted MAC customer when it comes to lipstick. I love their bold colors, black packaging and affordable prices. Over the past few years I have collected 7 tubes of lipstick (and counting). I tend to gravitate towards their dark matte colors. Here’s a look of my MAC lipstick collection and how each of them look on.

As you can tell from the stubby tube, this was the first MAC lipstick I’ve ever purchased. I actually wore it so much that the lipstick broke in half. It’s a maroon color, but with a hint of pink. 

This is my new favorite color, and it basically became my everyday lipstick. It’s a warm brown that’s perfect for fall, but I’ve been wearing it all winter. 

The tube looks like a plum color, but against my skin tone it looks magenta. I’m not usually a fan of pink lipstick, so this is the only pink color I own.  

So this purchase was a mistake, and I thought I was ordering MAC and Lorde's collaboration lipstick. Little did I know that Pure Heroine was the actual name of Lorde's lipstick and that it was a limited edition. In contrast to Pure Heroine's dark plum, Heroine is a candy purple.

This is a deep burgundy that’s perfect for the holidays. It’s a romantic and vampy color that's my substitute for a traditional red. 

Before purchasing black lipstick, I wanted to transition to it by trying a shade that was almost as dark. At first glance it looks black, but it's actually an ultra deep violet. 

I’ve been waiting for MAC to come out with another black lipstick for years. Every time I try to purchase it, it sells out, but this year I finally got it. What I love about this black is that it has a hint of gold speckles in it. 

Of course, my MAC collection doesn’t end there. Now I’m on the lookout for a bright red and nude lipstick. Please feel free to comment below with your MAC favorites! I'm always open to trying new colors.

Photography | Dana Nguyen + Anand Patel

xx 

Dana

PEELING AWAY THE LAYERS

Flashback to sophomore year of college, and here I am all decked out in Zara for Valentine’s Day. 

Disclaimer: I used to work at Zara, so having an employee discount plus knowing when the sales were, equals a closet full of Zara. Now that I don’t work there anymore, I never shop at Zara, since getting overcharged for fast fashion ain’t my thing.

During my underclassmen years I would frequently shop online at fast fashion retail stores, but after my fashion courses exposed me to the world of cheap labor and toxic landfills, I unsubscribed from all of those companies. I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I don’t own any fast fashion. 90% of this outfit is just that, but I made a vow to myself to slowly stop shopping fast fashion altogether. First, I’m cutting off the big guys, like Forever 21 and H&M.

This doesn’t mean that I would never wear these brands again. Instead, I will just continue my method of purchasing them secondhand. Thrift shopping is the cheapest way to shop ethically. It allows me to recycle thrown away clothes and reduce landfills.

+ Lipstick | MAC’s Party Line 

+ Beanie | Zara Kids 

+ Coat | Forever 21 

+ Vest | Hand-me-down 

+ Top | Zara 

+ Jeggings | DL1961 (Buffalo Exchange)

+ Boots | Merona (Salvation Army) 

+ Messenger Bag | Zara 

+ Necklace | Forever 21 

+ Fan Earrings | Zara 

+ Stud Earrings | Brandy Melville 

Photography | Anand Patel

xx

Dana

SILVER LINING

Before | After

Last week I stumbled across i-D magazine’s video on the tattoo artist, Grace Neutral. Neutral has a series of body modifications, including purple eyes, elf ears and a forked tongue. Although I would never go as far as getting plastic surgery or being decked out in tattoos from head-to-toe, Neutral made a point that really resonated with me:

“Just imagine, if everyone was themselves, how different everyone would be, and how refreshing it would be to walk out the door everyday, and the people that you would meet, no one would be scared…When you’re 100% yourself, I think you’re as beautiful as you can be.” 

After watching this video, I immediately got a “fuck the world” mentality. I knew that I had to start checking off everything I’ve been putting off just because of what other people would think. One of those things was this haircut. I’ve been waiting to get the Skrillex cut for years, but always had second-guesses on whether the style would compliment my face. 

My orange hair has also been bothering me, so I thought this was a great opportunity to dye it a pastel color. Silver was on my list of colors to try, since I love the idea of having a gradient from black to grey.

I ended up getting my hair done in Chinatown, since the prices are so much cheaper there. I went to Kevin’s Beauty Salon, which my boyfriend recommended. 6 cups of bleach and 4.5 hours later, my hair was finally done. Even though the result clearly wasn’t perfect, this was the happiest I’ve ever been with a new color. My hair isn’t fried or falling out, and aside from the blond lining, the rest of the color is really even. I couldn't have thought of a better way to start off Chinese New Year!

+ Lipstick | MAC's Black Night

+ Necklace | Forever 21

+ Threader Earrings | Forever 21

+ Hoop Earrings | Asian jewelry shop

+ Stud Earrings | Brandy Melville

Photography | Anand Patel

xx

Dana

CORAL REEF

Last week we experienced our first snowstorm of the year in Philly. With 2.5 feet of snow, the city was like a ghost town, but that didn’t stop us from venturing outside to see the beautiful view. Because of this blizzard I really had to bundle up, and to stay dry I wore a new trench coach I bought over winter break. This Martin + Osa coat was in mint condition, and I got it for $13.99 at a Goodwill from my hometown in California. Some other thrift finds I’m wearing are a pair of DL1961 jeggings from Buffalo Exchange and Dr. Marten combat boots from Wasteland. Each was just $18. Although I’m not in thrifted finds from head-to-toe, everything else I’m wearing was still a bargain at a discounted price.

+ Lipstick | MAC’s Paramount

+ Beanie | Banana Republic Factory

+ Turtleneck | Zara

+ Trench Coat | Martin + Osa (Goodwill)

+ Gloves | Isotoner

+ Jeggings | DL1961 (Buffalo Exchange)

+ Combats Boots | Dr. Martens (Wasteland)

Photography | Anand Patel

xx

Dana