BCBG Black Lace Dress

I love lace dresses, but this is one of my favorite.  The color, cut, and style makes it very versatile.  BCBG fits my body perfectly - even though my top and bottom are two different sizes.  I paired this beautiful dress with a Hmong Silver Necklace and silver NineWest Sandals.  Cinched in the waist with a black obi belt from The Limited.

Same ensemble, but I added a Hmong Leeg Men's Jacket.  Be sure to right-click to enlarge the photo to see the details of the necklace, earrings, and the jacket.  All the pieces are handmade.  

Here, I paired it with a green metallic leather blazer made by one of my all time favorite designer, Dana Buchman.  I really like this blazer because the color, cut, and styling makes it look like a evening jacket - but has the look and fit of a leather jacket.  This could definitely work for a semi-formal event.  I kept the black obi belt on to help define the waistline and add interest.

Here, I wore it with a mint green denim jacket from JCPenny.  I love how denim jackets can make a semi-formal dress like this one look casual enough for dinner out with the ladies... or out on a date.

Here, I wore the lace dress with my Hmong Chinese jacket (shown in an earlier post - breaking down a Hmong outfit).  I am not sure if I like this look, but my husband did.  He actually wanted to take this picture with me.

Calvin Klein Purple Sheath Dress - Sexiness Fully Contained

This is an extremely sexy dress.  And while some people would feel comfortable wearing this to work, it is not in my nature.  I would be very self- conscious.  So, I tamed it by adding a jacket (Jones New York evening purple blazer) and a belt to define my waist.  I wanted to wear a different shoes, but it up the sexy factor, so I decided to go with these born black sandals.

Red Leather Blazer with Black Jeans

Kat's Style Formula

It has taken me a long time to find a style that speaks to me and FOR me. In the last 6 months or so, I believe that I have found a style formula that works for me. 

Work: 3 pieces - 2 formal, 1 casual/edgy piece. Off 

Duty: 3 pieces - 1 formal, 2 casual edgy pieces.

This is a work outfit, so I break the dress down into "top" and "bottom." Since the top is very intricate, more fitting for evening wear... it serves as my edgy piece. The "skirt" portion fits like a pencil skirt, so it's business/formal, etc. If I pair it up with a leather jacket, there's too many edgy pieces and would not be appropriate for work. So, I chose a very basic suit jacket that can be worn in any boardroom. Dress is from JC Penny. The Jacket is Ann Taylor Loft. The shoes is the BORN sandals I wore with the pink leather jacket from yesterday's picture.

Here is a picture of the shoes.

Pink Leather Blazer with Black Dress

I love love love love leather jackets, but they tend to be more rock and roll or biker chic.  I wouldn't mind either one, but I love them so much that I want to be able to wear them to the office.  So begun my journey for color leather jackets.  Here is one in soft baby pink.  This one is from St John by Marie Gray (the brand that makes sweater suits).

Jones New York has been a favorite of mine for work clothes and this dress is no exception.  Beautiful on its own or as a base for showcasing my color entourage of jackets and blazers.  Icing on this cake is this beautiful BORN black leather sandals.  Finally found it in my price range and I grabbed it.

Calvin Klein Red Sheath Dress - Totally Kat's Style

This color green makes me happy... Kat's happy green.

Have I mentioned that I love the color green? lol. Well, I do. Hahahaha

A friend of mine is a screen writer and they were holding auditions, so I went along. I wasn't sure what the dress code was, so I decided on this. I love this outfit. I love how it looks on me, how it makes me feel, and ... it's green! I decided to line both top and bottom lash line green. I used about three different color green. And black liner closer to the lash line to balance it out... and then lots of mascara. I layered two different mascara... and two different lipstick.

I felt absolutely amazing in this outfit. I know, it's a matter of opinion. And you can really see my hair color in the second picture.

Minty Green Denim Jacket with BCBG Lace Dress

I love lace dresses, but they are more formal, so I have to get creative and find ways to dress them down. For this, nothing works better than denim jackets. I love this minty one, bought from JC Penny. The dress is by BCBG. The black tank is from Tahari. The shoes are Ninewest.

With purple smokey eye make up and neutral pink lipstick (two different colors so as not to wash me out).  

Hmong Purses From Ebay Seller

I saw this wonderful seller on ebay.  I bought this purse and another one.  They are both gorgeous.  Will need to find time to take a photo of the other one.  This is a wonderful seller to work with.  Easy communication.

Yes, I did wear this outfit to work with this purse.  The dress is a lace-ish from JC Penny.  The leather jacket is from Catherine Malandrino.  And of course, my trusty BORN black mary jane shoes.

Here is the link to the ebay seller.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/141340308122?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

This auction is still going as of August 5, 2014.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/164330168/hmong-classic-handbag?ref=listing-shop-header-4

https://www.etsy.com/listing/188870520/handmade-vintage-ethnic-hmong-tote?ref=shop_home_active_10

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131082576924?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Total Cost = $125 plus $15 Shipping and Handling.

Vintage Hmong Jackets - Kat's Style

Here is one of my vintage Hmong jacket.  I love these and have several of them.  I wore this one to the beach with my husband and my kids.  The material of these jackets allows lots of circulations so they are ideal for summer weather.  While people reserve these for special occasions, I love them so much, I wear them everywhere -with just about everything.  Anything from causal to fancy events.  The dress here is actually a semi-formal dress, but the fabric and cut was so summery, I could not resist wearing it.  BCBG Lace dress with pink lining - cinched in with black leather belt from The Limited.

Here is the full look, but it was getting dark and the lighting was not as good.

20th Century Hmong Fashion

Hmong is really a people of the arts.  Furthermore, we change and adapt quickly, while remaining true to our roots - at least we are trying.

Singer, designer, entreprenuer Mai Neng Thao's designs.  I love these.  I can't wait to visit her store and buy these.  For more designs and styles, check out her Facebook store.  Physical store is in St. Paul, MN.

Mai Neng Thao modeling one of her own design.  Absolutely gorgeous!  I love the artistry in this piece... and to wear it with denim and boots... fabulous!

I love this one too.  So beautiful and playful.  I could live in this dress/shirt.  The beautiful and talented Mai Neng Thao modeling one of her designs.

Husband and wife team.  Simply gorgeous.

A closer look at the Mr's outfit.

More men's style.

I hear summer calling.  I would not mind wearing something this cool and breezy around town... but I would need to cover my arms... and perhaps wear a longer skirt.  Breathtaking!

Love the balance in this outfit.  Add the jacket like the picture below and it's to die for!

Although she is covered up, this outfit is actually very cool and ventilating because of the natural fiber and weave of the material.

This is so cool.  Love it!

These are simply too adorable!  

Love the attitudes that are portrayed here... 

Oh my goodness!  This little one is out of this world!

Finding Your Roots

As I look around at my peers, I noticed that some are firmly grounded in their roots and some are not.  Although I was only 6 years old when we came to the United States, I know a lot about my culture, the traditional religion, the custom, the way of life, and so much more.  Now I don't incorporate all of them into my own life, but I would say that I have incorporated many of the good ones.  I have chosen to live my life as a Hmong American instead of an American with a Hmong ancestry.  I love the Hmong culture and everything about it.  Yes, there are some things that needs to change, but that is true of every culture.

As my children grew older and started learning more about the world around them, they were fascinated with the Japanese and Korean cultures.  There is nothing wrong with that, except that they show very little interest in the Hmong culture.  I tried to get them interested by telling them stories and sharing the beauty of Hmong, but they still thought that the other cultures had more to offer.  I tried hard to remember what my own mother did and tried to figure out what she taught us.  I could not come up with anything that I was not already doing.

When we moved to Erie, PA, I became involved in Asian Pacific American Forum through work and started working with the youth.  We were very active in the cultural events in town, which included the children's museum, culture night at the university, and World Refugee Day.  They kids had to help me plan, create, and represent the Hmong, answer questions about who we are, where we came from, and why are we here.

They saw the Hmong culture through the eyes of important people in the community, people who cared, who wanted to know more.  A light went off in their hearts and a love for their own roots was born.  Now if any Hmong person claims to be anything else other than Hmong, they get very upset.  And if their friends mistakenly call them by another ethnicity, they get very offended.  They will say, "Look, I am HMONG.  H-M-O-N-G.  Hmong.  I am not Chinese, I am not Japanese.  I am Hmong."

This bright little dancer is wearing a Hmong outfit that came from the Hmong living in Thailand.  This is the song that we danced to.  Sung by Cha Mee Xiong.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH53zazJfUY

Representing Hmong during Gannon University's annual Culture Night.

On stage, featuring Hmong fashions from around the world.

(Asian Youth of Erie) AYoE Monthly Event 

Red Lace Dress

This was the first dress of this style that I fell in love with.  Ebay had it for $150 and I tried to negotiate it down to $125, but was not successful.  We were about to go on a trip to California, so I passed it up, hoping to catch it on the next round.  I waited over two years and this dress was no where to be found.  I finally saw one in a slightly smaller size but I was not going to take any chances so I bought it.  I love everything about this dress.  The fit of the bodice, the fit of the hips, the length on me - right at the knees, the colors, the sleeve... it's LACE!  it's BCBG!  I am ecstatic!!!

You need to "right-click" "open link in new tab" to see the details and beauty of this dress.