STUD SPANGLED LEATHER

Black, studs, and leather; these are just a few of my favorite things. My style may change from day-to-day, but the one thing that remains the same is my love for black. Since this is an all-black look, I wanted to play with as many different textures as possible. This outfit includes all sorts of materials, like mesh, velvet, and leather.

I went all out and decided to wear some of the unusual things that have been buried in my closet. Most people don’t know or understand this side of me, but I’ve always been a sucker for dark and edgy styles. A few fashion icons that really inspire me are Rihanna, Rooney Mara, and Eugenie Grey (Feral Creature). I look up to each of these ladies for different reasons, but one thing they all have in common is that they are total badasses. These women don’t give a flying fuck about what other people think. They wear whatever the hell they want, despite how raunchy the look may be.

Rihanna is known for her eclectic hairstyles and outfits, and she’s one of those rare people who, I’m sure, can make a trash bag look good. For those of you who don’t know Rooney Mara or Eugenie Grey, Mara was the lead in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Grey is a fashion and lifestyle blogger. Both share my habit of hoarding a monochrome wardrobe, but Mara is famous for her red carpet gowns and Grey is known for her lingerie and street style.

I wanted to channel these ladies’ daring sense of style, so I pulled together a goth-inspired look. This shoot was all about going out of my comfort zone and expressing another layer that people never see. This is obviously not an average everyday look that I would leave the house in, but the fearlessness it takes to rock something like this is what I want to remember. My goal is to apply these women’s attitude to my daily routine when getting dressed every morning. It’s easy to talk yourself down and to worry about being too flashy, too overdressed, or too risqué, but everyone has the right to decorate their body as they wish.

+ Lipstick | MAC's Cyber

+ Choker | Forever 21

+ Bra | Haight-Ashbury St

+ Vest | Lilith (Goodwill)

+ Leggings | Walmart

+ Booties | Forever 21

Photography | Roberto Salmon

xx

Dana

LAZY DAY

Now that it’s getting colder, it’s time to layer up. For my trip to New York I did a sweater-on-sweater look, and wore an oversized cardigan over my sweater dress. I usually pair sweater dresses with tights, but since it’s chillier on the East Coast, I opted for jeggings. Sweater weather also calls for soft and cozy textures, so this Abercrombie & Fitch cardigan is one of my fall staple pieces. I wanted to go for an effortless and comfortable look because New York always involves a lot of walking. What I love about this outfit is that it’s casual enough to wear out, but comfortable enough to sleep and lounge in. Every item, aside from the sneakers and beanie, were thrifted. I found the A&F cardigan at Goodwill, for less than $10, and the Urban Outfitters sweater dress at Philly Aids Thrift, for about $5. Now that the winter holidays are coming up, I’m hoping to thrift for more sweaters, especially ugly Christmas ones. 

+ Lipstick | MAC’s Paramount

+ Beanie | Zara Kids

+ Sweater Dress | Silence + Noise (Philly Aids Thrift)

+ Cardigan | Abercrombie & Fitch (Goodwill)

+ Jeggings | DL1961 (Buffalo Exchange)

+ Sneakers | Nike

Photography | Anand Patel + Dana Nguyen

xx

Dana

GOBBLE UP

In preparation for Thanksgiving, we all want to have as much space in our pants to fit the highly anticipated food baby. It’s that time of year where it’s socially acceptable to stuff your belly with whatever and however much food you want. There’s no need to compensate comfort for style, so here are four different looks you can choose from, for a long day of eating and drinking. They’re all so comfy that you can literally wear them in a food coma. 

ONE

One can never go wrong with a chunky knit sweater or sweater dress for Thanksgiving. This is probably the comfiest you could get. Oversized sweaters are usually flowy, so you could eat as much as you want and still have plenty of breathing room. I layered my sweater dress with tights and over-the-knee socks to stay warm and cozy. This is a nice, effortless look for a more casual get-together, like Friendsgiving.

+ Sweater Dress | Free People (Philly Aids Thrift)

+ Tights | Forever 21

+ Socks | Forever 21

+ Booties | Jessica Simpson (Philly Aids Thrift)

TWO

Dresses are always good go-to’s for special occasions. They require such little effort, while making you look more formal. Slipping on a dress takes less than one minute, and it’s also so comfortable to sit in. Dresses with interesting prints, like this tie-dye one, can create an optical illusion, and show no signs of bloating. For an extra touch of fall, I added some dangly leaf earrings to the outfit.

+ Earrings | Claire’s

+ Necklace | Forever 21

+ Ring Set | Old Navy

+ Ring Band | Laney Flea Market

+ Midi Dress | Rabbit (Philly Aids Thrift)

+ Flats | GAP Outlet

THREE

If you decide to wear pants for Thanksgiving, then I suggest anything stretchy, like leggings. The thought of wearing jeans just sounds so painful and uncomfortable. I for one, get extremely bloated after a big meal, so any bottom buttons usually come undone, anyways. For this outfit I wore all black underneath, since it’s such a slimming color. I gave it a more fall vibe by wearing a leaf-printed scarf. This is also another good option for a casual Thanksgiving dinner.

+ Hoop Earrings | Claire’s

+ Statement Ring | Forever 21

+ Ring Band | Laney Flea Market

+ Scarf | hand-me-down

+ Tank | American Rag (Macy’s)

+ Leggings | Forever 21

+ Cardigan | Forever 21

+ Booties | Jessica Simpson (Philly Aids Thrift)

FOUR

If you’re like me, and normally hate wearing color, you can still wear all black errytang and make it “fall-friendly.” For this look I’m wearing a floral printed midi-dress. Even though floral is typically associated with spring, I feel like muted florals and leaf prints are perfect for fall. This is the most formal look out of them all, so it could be a good option if you’re having Thanksgiving at your significant other’s house. 

+ Lipstick | MAC’s Paramount

+ Statement Ring | Old Navy

+ Ring Set | Old Navy

+ Ring Band | Laney Flea Market

+ Hoop Earrings | Claire’s

+ Midi Dress | Harold’s (Goodwill)

+ Flats | GAP Outlet

Please let me know which look was your favorite in the comment box below! I expect you all to eat your asses off this Thursday, and I truly hope you skip those skinny jeans. Believe me, your stomach will thank you. 

Photography | Roberto Salmon

xx

Dana

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

PLEATS, PLEASE

Within the four years I lived in Philly, Buffalo Exchange and Philly Aids Thrift were the only two stores that I would thrift shop at. It’s sad how in a bustling city, the only true thrift store I knew of was Philly Aids. Other than that, I would occasionally thrift shop at Phila Flea Markets. Every other option was a consignment store, that preselected and overpriced top name brands and trends. For this look, the sheer cover-up is one of the many items that I bought from Philly Aids. What I love about this store is not only its cheap prices and frequent sales, but also the fact that my money is going toward a good cause. A portion of its proceeds is donated to local organizations that help fight against HIV/AIDS. Because it takes in every donation, shopping there takes more digging and sorting to go through, but, for me, that process is always my favorite part.

+ Necklace | hand-crafted

+ Glasses | Borough Market

+ Dress | Stylenanda (dumpster dived)

+ Cover-Up | Urban Outfitters (Philly Aids Thrift)

+ Skirt | Goodwill

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

Photography | LB Photograhy

xx

Dana

BACK TO BASICS

Everyone’s got to love a basic white tee. Sometimes you’re feeling lazy, but you still want to look decent, so that’s what they’re there for. I truly think that thrift stores are the best places to shop for basics, like tank tops and t-shirts. There’s no point in spending over $5 for something so simple. My favorite is when I find a basic with unique details, like this Very J t-shirt that I got from Buffalo Exchange. The neckline and seams are lined with black leather, which gives it an edgy touch.

Other summer basics that I have been relying on are my reflective sunglasses, black high-wasted shorts and Birkenstocks. What I love about each of these items is how comfortable they are and how they easily match with anything. Basically everything I’m wearing was thrifted, aside from my necklace. With thrift shopping, you’ll never know what you’ll find, but basics are the number one things that any thrift store will have. Purchasing basics secondhand and investing more money on special, brand new pieces will definitely be worth your while.

+ Lipstick | MAC’s Rebel

+ Sunglasses | Buffalo Exchange

+ Necklace | Forever 21

+ T-shirt | Very J (Buffalo Exchange)

+ Shorts | Ci Sono (Goodwill)

+ Sandals | Birkenstock (Poshmark)

+ Satchel | Laney Flea Market

Photography | LB Photography

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

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