Jul 30, 2010 | Fashion
Cotton muslin dress and crochet lace top: mocha
Braided Hair Headband: Shibuya-109-2
Gold feather wrap ring: Forever 21
Beaded Bracelets: handmade by me
Gold watch: vintage
Shoes: Can we not talk about the shoes, please? (FitFlops, if you must know:-)
While I was in Tokyo I visited a small clothing store called mocha, located about a 10-minute walk from Shibuya station.
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Jul 27, 2010 | Fashion, From You
On formspring.me a reader asked what my 3 favorite earrings are. Well here they are! (Sorry I deleted the question by mistake when I went to post it to Blogger.:-(
These are usually the three that I reach for regardless of what outfit I’m wearing.
The oversized rhinestone earrings (from Forever21; no longer sold but a very similar pair here) I wear when I want to go crazy over-the-top glam…and they look surprisingly fun paired with an old t-shirt and jeans. Plus, for a really formal event (not like I have many to go to!) they’re perfect with an LBD for some retro glam.
The large hoops are light as a feather and I love the tiny star detail at the back. They’re for when I want to be a little more dressed up but more classic. (bought in Japan)
The small gold hoops are a recent purchase in Tokyo (LaForet Harjuku though I also found them in another store along Takeshita street there) – I really love secure-post small hoops in gold since I don’t have to take them out in the shower and can sleep with them in, and they still look chic and dressed-up with a number of different outfits. I love the subtle studding on the surface. Alas, I found that they have too much nickel in them for my sensitive ears – and the post is a bit too thick, so I’m still debating what to do. After wearing them for 3 days straight I got a massive infection in my right ear that took more than a week to clear up. *sigh* Sorry, maybe that’s a bit TMI!
I also tend not to wear earrings that much, since while my hair is short I wear it covering my ears a lot, and it seems kind of pointless to put in earrings when they can’t be seen anyway…
What earrings do you gravitate to? Hoops, studs, sparklies?
Thanks for your question!
xoxo
Carly
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Jul 19, 2010 | Fashion
Mixed Chain & Rhinestone Necklace: Forever 21
Watch: vintage
Tulle Skirt: Spiral Girl (Ala Moana Center, Honolulu)
Or so the people I had lunch with told me. I took it as a compliment.;-)
Coincidentally we happened to have lunch at my FIL’s favorite Italian restaurant – which just happens to be owned by the family of a kid I went to school with…20 years ago here in Japan. Weird. But the food was delicious! (Ham and prosciutto…squid ink risotto…homemade mozzarella and tomato caprese…bakes cocoa ganache…yum. I skipped the squid ink, though!)
This Priscilla Super-Easy Midi Bun is my new favorite accessory! You just pull your hair back into a ponytail, and plop this on top, and you’re good to go.
It has a comb inside that you anchor to the front of your ponytail, and a stretchy band on the underside, that you pull tight to cinch the bottom and then tuck in. It’s so much better than the buns offered through US wig sellers since you can wear this messed up or smooth (and the construction’s so much more elaborate!)…the US ones are all for either bridal wear or a bunch of messy curls that don’t look like a real bun no matter how you wear it. I so wish you could buy Priscilla brand hair pieces abroad!
Bun top view. My hair is still too short to fully put up in a high ponytail, so I have to stick a ton of pins in the back.
On my way to the airport soon to come back to Portland! The next time you’ll be hearing from me, I’ll be stateside again!
xoxoxo
Carly
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Jul 18, 2010 | Fashion
I’m sure you’re all just dying to know, right??!;-)
The top twelve trends that I’ve noticed out and about in Tokyo, mostly in the Shibuya and Harajuku areas:
1. Boater Hats
The summer sun is fierce once the rainy season ends in mid-July, and many girls add hats to their ensembles just to ward off its rays. The shape this year? The cute retro-style straw boater, often worn akilter on the head.
2. Scarves as Headgear
Sweet and 70’s-ish, scarves as headgear have made a major comeback. Many scarves are also sold with flexible wire in them so you can stand the ends up like pseudo- rabbit ears, kind of a more ladylike version of that crazy Louis Vuitton-fueled trend that looks unfortunately dubious even on 16-year-olds.
3. Flowered Maxi-Rompers
It almost sounds as if those three words strung together will cause a worldwide cataclysm, but yes, tiny flower prints (think of the good ole days of 90210 the ORIGINAL) paired with flowing, full-length jumpsuit shapes are all over the place. There are also flowered dresses and blouses in similar patterns, and jumpsuits in more subdued hues (I have to admit I finally caved in and picked myself up one in black) to be found all over the place – it’s just these particular reincarnation of that 70’s staple seem to be everywhere.
4. Basket Bags
Going along with the neo-hippie-bohemian-flower-child-vibe is the wicker handbag, in all varieties of shapes, sizes, and sporting all sorts of accoutrements, be it silk flowers, cascading streams of pompons and lace, or chic leather and hardware.
from beauty-box.jp – tons of recent Japanese hairstyles there if you want to check it out!
5. Shoulder-Length Bob with Thick Bangs
This trend has been going strong for about a year, and it definitely lends a childlike innocence to those who wear it. Now that summer’s here apparently the “new NEW” thing to do is create a small side part in the thick bangs.
6. Leather and Suede Gladiator-Style Sandals
But softer and more feminine than last year’s tough chic version, in brown and taupe and gray and black, with understated studding, fringe, or ankle-wraps.
7. Gel Nails
Now with acrylic nail sculpture a thing of the past, everybody whose anybody is doing gels. And not just CALgels! I got mine done with a state-of-the-art technique that does not use UV light to harden the gel, but instead uses LED light – and it lasts up to 4 weeks! (I chose not to have my nails lengthened by building up the gel layers, which I was originally planning on doing. If the gels extend beyond your natural nails they only have about a 2-3 week staying power.) Right now lame (lah-meh) glitter powder mixed in with the gel and applied to the tips of the nails, in multiple layers, is really popular, and it looks fabulous even as your nails grow out. The shine, glitter, and gloss of my nails is unending!
Everything’s coming up mini here – with many girls opting to wear their shrunken-length, loose-fit tees atop maxi dresses and the aforementioned flowered jumpsuits.
Stripes are so big this year – and dresses in as many ways as you can fathom to make over the striped maxi dress are everywhere.
Bohemian and feminine, these vests I’ve spotted on everyone from teenagers to sophisticated 40-somethings lunching at swanky eateries in the Ebisu district. They’re a soft and lightweight cover-up during the hottest months here.
Many are soft and flexible braids of fake hair with an elastic at the back; some also on top of a rigid headband. Adds a sweet flower child aesthetic to every ensemble.
Following in the steps of L.A. brands Fred Segal and Joyrich, many Japanese brands have also collaborated with the animated icon to print t-shirts. Since we were going to Disneyland, I planned to buy one there…until I was put off by the crowds and the prices and ended up buying one that was even better than those sold at Disneyland for a mere ¥1500 ($16) from UniQLO (above).
Jul 17, 2010 | Fashion, From You
Is there a way to make cheap flats fit someone with two different sized feet? I have a size 7 foot and a size 6 foot and can’t get ballent pumps to fit unless they are elasticated and they are hard to find or are expensive.
Jul 14, 2010 | Fashion, From You
from formspring.me:
How do you get used to wear high heels for long periods of time? I keep buying high heels but never wear them as they make my feet hurt.
Wearing high heels, especially the higher ones, takes lots of practice, and is an acquired skill despite what shoe manufacturers and advertising want you to think. It’s definitely something you have to work up to condition your feet to get used to the wonky position they are forced into. I may not be the best person to ask since I can rarely wear heels as a stay at home mom with no full-time job, but once upon a time I too was wearing heels all day. When I was in school in Japan I remember challenging myself with wearing a pair of 5″ platform boots all day long and not falling down: 20 minutes walking to the train station, 10 minute standing train ride in rush hour, changing trains going up and down long flights of stairs, a 15 minute standing train ride still in rush hour, and 10 minutes walking to the school, going to classes, walking around campus, and then repeating it all to go home 7 hours later. I was really careful and managed it though my feet were ready to kill me by the end of the day!
Probably the best way to go about conditioning your feet is to do lots of walking in general – and if you can, try it in shoes that are comfortable but have a low wedge (like 1/2″). Once you do all your normal walking in this shoe, change them out for a short time during the day to a higher kitten heel that you wear for an hour or so in the beginning. (Still wear your sneaks on Sunday or one day of the week; and after a long day of wearing heels-even low ones-do foot stretches and runners’ stretches so the soles of your feet don’t bunch up [i.e., you don’t get plantar fasciitis, which is really, really painful!] and you don’t get Charley horses.)
Daily increase the hours that you are wearing your kitten heels until you can comfortably walk in them. As you get used to them, your feet will naturally develop calluses wear the shoes rub; these you don’t want to pumice off or else you’ll get blisters instead. (The unfortunate side effect of wearing heels all the time is ugly feet.)
Once you’re wearing the kitten heels on an almost daily basis, then start switching them out for a few hours to a higher pair, and continue to work in this manner until you can wear your highest heels for hours without cramping or falling over. The higher you go, the more often you will have to slip them off periodically to stretch your bare feet – but don’t slip on sneakers or flats to walk around in for any long period of time in-between wearing heels since that will undo all the work you’ve done. If your feet start to hurt chronically or you feel twinges in your legs or back, stop with the heels immediately, and see a podiatrist if you can.
Ankle-strengthening exercises like those found in ballet (the releve position, for instance) or calf-lifts on a stair riser, using 5-10 lb. dumbbells, can help reduce the wobble and uncertainty of your feet and ankles when wearing high stilettos.
Always arm yourself with blister-bandaids and moleskin to stick on the inside of your shoes if they start rubbing, use Dr. Scholl’s ball-of-foot cushions or arch-support inserts to ease the ‘slam, ‘slam’ of the balls of your feet on the pavement, have a pair of lower heels to switch out to, and treat your feet at the end of the day to a rub with warming massage cream or a soak in the tub.
And have an extra pair of flats for driving purposes only, if you plan to drive a car. Wearing your heels at home (if you wear shoes in the house), running around, jumping, and dancing for practice can also help condition your feet and body to navigating the world in higher heels.
You can also check out here and here for more advice on walking in heels, and here is a former runway model’s advice on the subject below:
http://www.modelinia.com/videos/embed/181
See more videos on modelinia.com
Hope that helps and with a little perseverance and practice you’ll be trotting about in the highest heels in no time!
xoxox
Carly
imgs from coolfunpics.com, bizrate.com, badmintoncentral.com, fitsugar.com, paisonflamenca.com, and jakandjil.com
