Hairstyles, etc - Face Framing

I usually wear my hair down.  One of the reason is that I have sensitive scalp and any type of barrettes or rubber band will give me a headache.  The second reason is that as I get older and my face gets rounder, face framing pieces, especially on the sides, helps to slim down my face.

If you look closely at the two pictures on the outside, my face looks rounder because most of the hair are off my face.  The three pictures in the middle have a more slimming look because the hair comes into the sides of my face, especially at the temple.  This helps to slim my face down because the widest part of my face is at my cheekbones.

A friend of mine said that they all look the same to her.  Do you see the differences that I am talking about or do they all look the same to you as well?

Accessories - Hmong Purse (Part 2)

I went into a lot of details on the other purse, so I did not want to clutter it up with more pictures of purses.  Here are some more of my collection.  I have a few more, but don't have pictures of them yet.

The primary colors in this one is pink on a midnight blue background.  I also have a smaller version of this one.  The scarf is actually a Hmong inspired scarf sold at Target.  The hot pink leather jacket is by Nicola Berti.  The skinny jeans are from Sears and the boots are by Fitzwell because I have a large calf.  I ordered the boots from www.6pm.com.  The shirt is from Black House White Market.  It has a very pretty flora embroidery at the neckline.

I wanted a black one to coordinate with my black clothes.  In the pictures, the cross-stitch embroidery looks very golden, but they are actually not as bright.  More neutral looking, almost an oatmeal color.  With the black background, it is a nice compliment to my darker outfits.  My husband wanted to know why I have so many of them, but colors do make a difference when you are trying to create an outfit.  And believe it or not, the wrong color to break an outfit and the right one can take it up several notches.  Same base outfit as from above.  I exchanged the jacket for this beautiful Teri Jon velvet blazer.

Here is another picture of the black and tan purse.  In this outfit, I am wearing my Teri Jon bejeweled sweater.  It is adorned with rhinestones and real semi-precious stones.  It is absolutely gorgeous!!!

This one was made from a Hmong skirt as well.  I love the blues in this one.  At the time that I bought the very first purse of this kind, there was also a blue one, but I could not negotiate it low enough and decided to let it go.  Only to realize the next day that I really really need to have it.  But by the time that I went back, it was sold already.  I bought this one much later.  Is this obsession   Lolz... I hope not, but I have a nagging suspicion that it is.  As for the outfit, I am wearing a DKNY denim moto style jacket, a white V-neck T-shirt, dark blue skinny jeans and purplish brown suede boots.  The scarf is a cashmere/silk blend.  Scarves are another obsession of mine.  But we won't talk about it, at least not yet.

OK, so the 10 Commandment said that Thou shall not covted... but boy did I coveted this purse when I first saw it.  Because these purse are very stiff and boxy, they are expensive to ship, so between shipping and the price of the purse itself, it would have been around $125.  It was more than I wanted to pay, so I kept on watching it and coveted it more and more.  After several months, it went on sale and I negotiated it down to where I paid $80 for the purse and shipping.  I was a happy camper.  The embroidery on this one is from the Hmong living in China, also known as Miao, an ethnic group in China.  This is made from a baby carrier.  There are actually quite a few purses made out of this embroidery but I love this one for how it was put together.  The layout on the outside created the perfect frame for the flowers in the middle.

The outfit is the same base as above.  I exchanged the jacket for this beautiful gold Nicola Berti leather trench coat.  Yes, I am obsessed with leather jackets too.  I could never have enough of these.  I want to buy every single leather jacket that I come across.

Here are some pictures of the baby carriers being used.  Aren't they beautiful?

Accessories - Hmong Purse

I don't know if I believe in love at the first sight, but with these purses, it definitely was love at first sight.  I really like the shape and structure of these.  I will go through and explain each one.  If I could, I would buy one in every color and every design that I can get my hands on.  Unfortunately, I love too many things Hmong and so every once in a while, I have to pass up a few.

This was my very first one.  I saw it at a Hmong soccer tournament and I knew I had to have it.  It is made from a traditional Hmong skirt.  All the embroidery are done by hand, in cross stitch.  It is beautiful beyond words.  In this picture, I am wearing my all-time favorite, go anywhere, wear with anything leather jacket by Dana Buchman.  I love this jacket to pieces.  The shirt is from Black House White Market and the jeans are from Sears.  The boots are made by Fitzwell from www.6pm.com.  I have gigantic calves so it's hard to find knee hi boots that would fit.  These actually have a 16.5 circumference at the top opening.

This is a Hmong skirt being displayed on a fence.  Make sure that you right click on this picture and open it into a new tab.  The details are mind blowing.

This is what it looks like when it is worn.

Here is a skirt deconstructed and ready to be made into other things such as my purse above.  Please do right click and open this in a new tab as well.  The design on the cloth is made by drawing the pattern in using wax on a white cloth.  And then the whole thing is dipped into indigo ink.  The pink and yellow ribbons are strips of cloth cut to length and then it is laid on the pre-drawn in lines.  The edges are folded underneath before it is sown.  On this particular piece the ribbons are sown on using a sewing machine.  In some, especially in the olden days, these ribbons are sown on using invisible stitches.  The embroidery is done in cross stitch.

Here are a few more pictures for a closer look at the ribbon design.  If you open this into a new tab and look carefully at the yellow and green triangles, you can see the invisible stitches that I was talking about.  There are cut out little triangles of cloth.  The edges are folded down and then sown on using tiny invisible stitches.

I was fortunate enough to be taught to basics so I understand how they are made.  However, I did not have the patience to stick with it so it is pretty much a lost art for me.  I know just enough to appreciate it's beauty and worth.

Olive Leather Jacket

This is one of my favorite leather jacket.  I like the color and the styling as well as the fit.  It is perfect.  This is something that I put together for a social function.

1.  Marc by Marc Anthony Olive Leather Jacket
2.  BCBG Black Lace Dress
3.  Hannah Black Skinny Jeans
4.  Born Black Oxford
5.  Purple Multi Silk/ Cashmere Scarf
6.  Nicola Berti Brown Leather purse
7.  Ninewest Newsboy Cap

Here is a close up look at the jacket.  The color in the jacket is beautiful.

Here is another olive green leather jacket.  This one is by Teri Jon.  I love the fit of this one as well.  It is in the style of a shorten trench. 

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Here are some more ideas on how to create an outfit with the olive leather jacket.  Enjoy!

Here is Heidi Klum in an olive jacket and skinny jeans.

Chic Camouflage for Work

Although these pants are very casual, I think that with the right design and right blazer, it could work for a casual workplace.  In a casual work environment, such as technology, media, and entertainment, it would be perfectly acceptable to wear your earbuds all the time.  Since there are no established rules, you will have to figure out what is appropriate and what is not.  You don't want to seem square or be ridicule for being formal, but at the same time, this is your career, and you want to be taken seriously.  You can wear casual, creative, and offbeat items.  A full suit or anything formal looking that would make it look like you're trying too hard.

Another type of office environment that this might work in is impersonal, such as manufacturing, hospitality, and call centers.  In these types of work place, it may seem like everyone who works here is just passing through.  While you may enjoy the cordial working relationship with your boss, it's possible you've had little face-to-face contact.  You might even feel more like a number than a person.  You feel invisible - so it is virtually impossible to care about how you look.  You can wear pretty much anything you want, but people might look twice - and not in a good way if you were to put on anything too showy.

Cool and Casual Camouflage

I love the cool casualness that camouflage gives to an outfit.  Here is Kim wearing a pair of olive pants with a cream leather jacket.  There is just something about leather jacket that is so enticing.

Here is Kim wearing a pair of olive pants with a cream leather jacket.  There is just something about leather jacket that is so enticing.

Here is another look with a navy blue blazer.

I really like the silk/ satiny look of these olive pants.  It is the perfect combination of masculine and feminine.  Although I love dressing like a woman, I can't do all girly girl, so I like a touch of manliness in my ensembles. 

I love this woman's style.  So cool and chic, yet still so stylish and professional looking.

Here is my take on this look.  I love the pretty color of hot pink with olive skinny pants.

1.  Nicola Berti Hot Pink Leather Jacket.  I love love love this jacket and this designer.  He was a soccer player, turned designer.

2.  Olive pants from TJ Maxx.

3.  Stripe shirt from Sears.

4.  BORN pink heel sandals.

5.  Pink Multi Silk and Cashmere Scarf.

Here is the closeup on the jacket and scarf.

This one is such a fun look.  Love the shoes and the hat.