NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY (LOOK TWO)

As promised here is LOOK TWO of my mini lookbook series! This outfit is for those in colder areas and aren't looking to rage in the new year (although, hey, I ain't stopping ya). I love the teddy bear fabric (also is it just me or is that fact that it's called teddy bear kind of creepy) on this coat because it adds such subtle and unique personality to the overall look. I decided to keep it more neutral and wore a nude long sleeve underneath the coat. To keep party vibes going I slipped on my new heels and accessorized with a classic fedora, geometric choker, and Casio watch. I added a pop of color on my lips and babam! NYE LOOK TWO complete!

Be sure to check out LOOK ONE as well :)

LOOK TWO:

Nude Long Sleeve - Korea (similar here)

Black Fedora - Primark (similar here)

Teddy Bear Coat - WWW x Target (similar here)

Pants - Korea (similar here)

Watch - Casio (similar here)

Heels - Madewell

Lips - 3CE

Which look do you prefer? What are your plans for New Year's Eve? For me...I'd be surprised if I lasted past 11:30PM (aka catch me knocked out in bed because I'm a granny). 

Have a safe & cheerful celebration, 

Photos By: Peter Lim, My Tran

Edited By: Yours Truly

FTC - This post includes a piece gifted to me by Who What Wear x Target collection (thank you!). This is NOT a sponsored post. I just really like the pieces :)

OUTTAKES: TOPSHOP x CF

This month I was given a wonderful opportunity to participate in my internship CollegeFashionista's collaboration with Topshop for their holiday capsule collection. From fancy parties to hometown reunion's, each outfit was curated and styled by a handful of Style Guru's/Editors to give readers some inspiration for their own party look. 

I had lots of photos left that weren't published with the article so I decided to post a few on my blog! Be sure to click HERE to read the full piece (and check out all the other cool outfits). 

GET MY LOOK:

Flat Hoop Earrings

Devore Plunge Swing Top

Denim Skirt

KYLIE Backless Buckle Loafer

Special thanks to Ash for helping me execute this shoot!

LACOSTE X THERACHELSTORY

Every season, Pantone--a leading technology for accurate communication of color--releases a fashion color report. Researchers at Pantone go through an in-depth analysis to forecast which colors are the "it" shades a.k.a. the colors you'll end up seeing on the runway. PALE DOGWOOD, a light shade of pink, is the must-have hue Pantone has predicted will be poppin' in Spring 2017. Pink is definitely making a comeback. 

Many clothing brands are already in the design lab to produce various clothing items dyed in this color. Lacoste is no exception. I was lucky enough to receive one of their latest additions to the sneaker family: the Straightset Chukka in the color, you guessed it, pale dogwood. These shoes are true to size and they are incredibly comfortable, which is not surprising for such a well-established brand. I wanted to style these shoes with a more feminine outfit so I decided to pair a white long-sleeve shirt with my A-line denim skirt. I kept the look simple by adding few accessories and wore my beige beret to complement the color of the shoes. 

I am now super excited for the next season to roll over (well technically I'd have to wait two seasons) so that I can play around with these shoes more! I could dress this up with a more feminine look like I am in as this outfit or I could contrast it with some black jeans and a gray sweater for a more tomboy-ish look. 

What do you think of Pantone's Spring fashion color report? Would you wear pale dogwood in your outfit? Let me know in the comments below!

Keep it classy, 

Rachel

P.S.-HUGE thank you to the folks over at Lacoste for your generosity! I'll be sure to give these kicks lots of love <3

DEAREST DREAMER

One dress, two looks

<<LOOK ONE>>

<<LOOK TWO>>

I'm here with another collab with Mint Julep! (If you haven't seen my previous blog post with them click HERE). This time around, I had the opportunity to style one of their many dresses found on the website. The Day to Dream Dress is an incredibly versatile and form-flattering lace dress that has just the right amount of detailing to give it extra personality. I really enjoyed the lace-up details on the side and especially liked the timeless lace on the bottom. The dress stops at the perfect length for me (I'm 5'7 and I received a size medium) and the thin shoulder straps allow for layering with pretty bralettes or even a long-sleeve if it's still cold where you're at. 

I wanted to give two examples of how you can style this dress. Each gives off a totally different vibe so depending on your personal style, feel free to use these looks as inspiration!

LOOK ONE:

I wanted this outfit to reflect the season so I wore my denim jacket I purchased at a flea market while studying abroad and layered a dainty long gold necklace (c/o my roomie) for simple accessories. Because I wanted this look to be light, I wore a pair of sandals and wore my favorite reflective nude-colored sunnies to complete the look. 

LOOK TWO:

This outfit is something I'd wear to a girl's night out. I wore a black structured jacket and paired it with my trusty Dr. Marten's to keep the look tough. I then added a choker with a small Saturn charm for a punk-inspired twist. I definitely would've worn a darker, vampier lip with this too!

Both looks are very different from each other, but still use one simple, yet effortless dress to pull it all off. I feel like this dress can work in combination with a myriad of different styles, especially since it's white, and can also be layered depending on what the climate is like where you're from. 

*Be sure to check out the awesome website HERE*

**If you wanted to check out the dress I'm wearing click HERE for details**

Dream On, 

Rachel
Matthew 21:22

ULTIMATE OOTD'S LOOKBOOK

A unique take on what I'd wear on the daily

My style is always changing. I get inspired by certain trends, style bloggers, celebrities, friends...you get the point. But I always manage to make it my own thing or at least try to come up with a way in which I can style an outfit differently. Sometimes, I'll wear a look based on my mood and more importantly, the weather. I decided to create a unique lookbook (using my noob-ish Photoshop skills) to present to you a few of my ultimate ootd's*. 

Mom jeans are the epitome of comfy jeans in my opinion. Sure, they may not be considered flattering for some folks but I personally LOVE a good pair of pants that look like you scavenged it from your mother's closet. The pair I own was actually thrifted, but it's original from Levi's. In my ultimate ootd the look would include a pastel colored top with minimal accessories. I'd add in a bit of black by wearing either my favorite fedora or my small Frada (faux-Prada, lol) backpack. 

Here is a look that includes all my...well, essentials. A denim jacket (preferably oversized) is a staple in my closet. It literally looks good with any outfit and it's really a timeless piece that can be handed down for many fashionable generations to come. I think I own like five, most of which were either hand-me-downs or thrifted. Another important item is a striped shirt. I also own more than one of these and that's only because I wear them SO often. A good striped tee looks good on everyone and it can be layered in a hundred different looks. Lastly, a pair of nice quality black shoes/boots is a must. I've worn the crap out of my Dr. Marten's (omg, were they ever so difficult to break into though) and I'm currently in the market for a pair of comfy oxfords. If you've got any recommendations, let a sistah know. 

Every man and every woman should have a perfectly fitted white blouse or button-up in his/her closet. A white shirt with buttons works casually and professionally. I'd put emphasis on the latter only because there have been many times where I needed to dress well either for an interview or school event and I lacked the appropriate tops to wear. In my ultimate ootd, I'd pair the shirt with a flattering pair of high-waisted jeans and wear a simple, dainty necklace. I may wear a cute little black lace bralette if I'm feeling it~

The reason why I titled this collage "all day every day" is because I would wear an outfit with the items above all day every day if I could. I mean technically I could, but it wouldn't be socially acceptable + kind of dirty let's be real. I recently bought a pair of black Teva's last summer and can I just say it is the most functional yet stylish pair of sandals I've ever owned!!! My mom just gifted me with another pair and now I'm thinking I should probably blog (or make a video) on how to style these...Anyway, another item I'd wear all the time is a windbreaker. I found a couple of my dad's old windbreakers that have the cool 80's/90's appeal to them and I've been getting compliments every time I wear them (go dad!). If I could also get away with keeping my hair tied like that every day, I'D DO IT. 

OH, and I totally forgot to mention but my Casio watch gives.me.life. Or at least it gives me an answer to what time of the day it is. A watch on my wrist is definitely always part of any ultimate ootd for me! 

For this blog post, I was inspired by Social Print Studio to show you my take on what I wear on the daily through an unconventional lookbook. With their collection of digital photo books, the site helps as a great way to bring your digital favorites to life. Take a gander at the site, you may very well end up ordering lots of prints to decorate with or keep just for memories' sake. (Hint, hint: a good idea for Mother's Day coming up!)

Catch ya later, 

Rachel 

*ootd's: Outfit Of The Day, or simply pronounced oo-tuh-duh

OPINION: POLETTE

"An idea, a concept, a revolution"...

Hello all! I've partnered up with Polette to bring you a blog post on how I've been wearing one of the many eyeglasses on the website! What I absolutely love about this company is not only the large collection of various fashion glasses and sunglasses to choose from, but also the affordable price tag that goes along each one. I seriously have been wearing the pair I own every day since I received it in the mail!

Polette is a leader on the French market (and you know the French are on point with their fashion game) and the site offers products that are easily customizable so you are always going to be satisfied. Something I thought was cool was the "e-polette" glasses that protect your eyes against the harsh light from computer screens--a perfect option for those always behind their laptops!

If you're looking for statement eyewear that is both comfortable and affordable, make sure you visit Polette and read up on their CONCEPT and HISTORY while you're at it.

OUTFIT:
Jacket-Free People
Dress-H&M
Shoes-Nike
Bag-Thrifted
Sunglasses-Polette

---GIVEAWAY TIME---
---RULES---
-must be following me on instagram @therachelstory
-re-gram this instagram picture

-tag @therachelstory + @poletteeyewear
-That's it!

*Contest ends July 13!*
**Winner will be DM'd on their instagram account + get to choose their own pair of eyeglasses!**

Good luck,

Rachel

OPINION: SWEET LEMON

What's your ideal backpack?

Who said backpacks were only meant for school?

I don't know about you, but I sure am glad that the fashion world has embraced the school bag and transformed it into a wardrobe staple. Featured in this post is Sweet Lemon's Bucket Backpack--quite possibly a new summer go-to this year! With 3 simple, yet strategically placed zippers, this piece is a character of its own. As shown above, it has a small space for your essentials: phone, keys, etc. Then you have two options to view inside and I must say that the back zipper is useful when you're in a rush and don't want to take the entire backpack off to reach for something. I also love how spacious it is! I fit my DSLR with a 24-70mm lens (which is really big and heavy) and the backpack held up without any discomfort. This item also has two options: you can wear it as a backpack or as a purse!

Another thing that's great about this backpack is how easily it can be styled. I chose to wear it with a simple striped dress and a faux leather vest for a more street-style vibe. I threw on my good ol' Docs and popped on a bright lipstick to add color.

How would you style this backpack?

OUTFIT:
Striped Dress-Cotton On
Vest-Forever 21
Boots-Dr. Marten's
Backpack-Sweet Lemon

Follow Sweet Lemon:
Twitter: HERE
Instagram: HERE
Facebook: HERE

Have a happy day,

Rachel