VivaGambita Petite Jeans Review + Giveaway

H&M oxblood cableknit sweater // DL 1961 Toni Cropped Jean in Switch, size 26 (c/o VivaGambita) //

Firmoo round cat eye tortoiseshell glasses (c/o) // Zac & Zoe for Payless penny loafer pumps //

From China black and crystal detachable peter pan collar //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

Today the temperature took a dip into the nippy 50s and a lightweight cableknit sweater from the colder months still left me shivering. Today's outfit was inspired by the hipster librarian - cat eye tortoise shell glasses with a strong cat eye eyeliner, comfy sweater with a little sweet, comfy jeans and "mannish" shoes. I pulled on these fit-me-like-a-glove jeans that are the perfect length for 5'3" petite me and surprisingly stretchy to leave room for my thighs and acrobatics. Getting creative here, I wore my detachable peter pan collar backwards because of the more subtle rounded shape. Popped on some pennyloafer heels and we were good to start off another week of work.

I got lots of compliments on these glasses too and my classmates kept asking if they were new prescription glasses (they're not). Firmoo contacted me again for another collaboration and let me choose 2 pairs (the other one is quite unique - the frames are totally clear) to style and review. As you remember, they offer stylish frames and prescription glasses on the cheap. Whenever I pop on some cat eyes, my whole mood becomes surlier and cattier as the corners of the glasses are tugged past my eyebrows.

VivaGambita is a brand new petite clothing store that I am excited about. From their adorable mint and white logo to their curated inventory, their chief Caroline has it covered. This pair of petite denim came cuffed but when tried rolling it down, I was surprised to see that it was the perfect tailored length. While I can dish out a few bills and get all my pants rehemmed, the fit around the rest of my leg is much harder to manage. This dark wash pair does it all and from the lack of unsightly bunching lines and muffin top, they are finally a true "ready to wear" piece for us petite ladies. We are excited to give away a pair of VivaGambita's legit denim - enter via the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post.

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Plaid and Houndstooth | A Tale of Two Patterns

Ralph Lauren cable knit sweater (gift from Aunt) // H&M chambray shirt (underneath)//

Forever 21 houndstooth print pencil skirt // Forever 21 burgundy tights //

Target Xhilaration brown oxford flats // 

Photography: self, tripod and remote

True free time in med school doesn't exist. It's like the Tooth Fairy or Santa's assembly line of minimum  free wage elves ... you wanted to believe in them so badly as a kid. BUT when you've finished a block and have a precious 4 days to yourself, you're nearly at a loss of what to do! So far there's been lots and lots of movie watching (Mission Impossible I, III, Footloose, The Little Mermaid), eating, sleeping, dancing, and a big dose of retail therapy with the girls (read: trying on a zillion pairs of pants at LOFT and grabbing everything remotely winter-cute at H&M). Looking forward to thrifting, reading for pleasure (Enduring Love), munching on chewy colourful macarons, revisiting the magical world of Disney via the perspectives of Hercules and Cinderella.

The weather outside is frightful, but certainly less horrible than it was earlier in the week (still shaking my fist at Hurricane Sandy). Best hopes for the East Coast and New York to be back to normal soon - I'm saddened by the destruction and losses. When it's so bloody cold out, I just want to curl up with some dark chocolate hot cocoa, a good read, and fuzzy socks. Alas, adventure out there is to be had, so cable knit sweaters and layering with denim and my trusty coat made getting dresses easier. These tights from F21 have been my cold weather staple - they're lined on the inside with a thick soft fuzzy material, keeping me very warm. This was what I wore on Friday (11/2) to a casual meeting.

{My bangs need some TLC}

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Oxford Prep

Pitaya navy boyfriend tuxedo blazer // College Crests of Cambridge tshirt (old) //

H&M tweed plaid high waisted shorts // Sheer black thigh high tights (old) //

Forever 21 lace up oxford booties //

Poshlocket gold and silver striped Celeste bracelet (c/o) // CLAWS Jewelry cobra black stone gold necklace (c/o)

Photography: self, camera and remote

ONE OF THE BOYS. Tomorrow I am heading to Norcal to visit JJ and friends until the 11th. Yay! I'm really excited for potential blogger meetups in the area too (Whit and Mal, for instance). This outfit I wore yesterday pulled together elements of tomboyness and preppy, which makes me think of boys prep schools and A Separate Peace. I also reused some ancient pieces that I found in boxes back home. This tshirt is from junior high - most of my stuff still fits from back then because I haven't grown much since then (crazy, right?). It was a gift from my Dad when he went to England and it used to be part of my everyday nerd wardrobe (no, not the cute nerd-trend type) and these ever-popular sheer thigh high tights are from years of playing in orchestra (totally beats having to wear full blown pantyhose when you're already wearing a floor length dress). My knees never held onto these things the proper way anyway and the black strip always rolls downwards.

My bangs severely need a trimming and I can't believe it's JUNE. Where has the year gone? And I will give you a thousand virtual cookies if you'll take a gander at my blog sale and maybe get something :)

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Animal Farm

Forever 21 sheep jumper/sweatshirt (S) // Pitaya bunny print peter pan collar top (S) //

H&M pastel pink bird print pencil skirt (Euro 2) // Forever 21 burgundy tights //

Xhilaration wingtip oxford flats in Cognac (5.5) //

Photography: JJ

SHEEP + BUNNIES + DOVES. You guys don't know how long I've been waiting to wear this outfit! (1/30) A few things barring me from just throwing on a massive animal pandemonium: this is a size 2 H&M skirt, meaning it's like a 00. My intake of half chicken tenders/half fries (we call them half and halves here) and other heart-stopping meals makes fitting into that a sick joke. Second, it was "oh ... there's my butt, I suppose it just froze off"-cold. But last week, St. Louis was really dishing out the beautiful weather - 60s to 70s and sunny. What!? in a very, very good way! Alas now it's back to mediocre attempts at snowing and being unjustifiably cold.

I'm not a fan of the way this skirt looks on me - my thighs push up the pencil-skirt-like part on my thighs and there's a poofy balloon thing going on in the front. Either way, at the time a $25 bird print skirt was irresistable for my Miu Miu dupe-hunting craze. The navy shorts with the same print looked way cuter on Jen (herwaisechoice) but never caught them in stores here last spring.

This semester has been utterly fantastic - hanging out with a different group of friends everyday, almost always spontaneously. Classy wine in plastic cups, making a scene in the library cafe at night, laughing and more laughing. Viva esta vida loca. Second semester senior also translates to "more time to ogle architecture on campus" - after all, this is one of the deciding factors for choosing my specific university. Side note: it's already February and I'm still writing my dates like 2.8.11. It's 2012 and my brain is a little slow on the gear-turning process for this factoid. Cray.

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H2O

Styleta for Charity: Water v-neck tshirt (S) // Forever 21 navy collegiate preppy cardigan (S) // 

H&M plaid tweed boyfriend shorts (Euro 4) // Merona blue sweater tights // 

Zoe&Zac/ Payless penny loafer pumps (5) // Taiwan brand red frame glasses //

Photography: JJ

PREP-ARATION. Outfit for yesterday (12/11), quick throw-together for some late brunching at a nearby pho noodle venue. My new favourite way to eat it: gather a little sliced beef and noodle in the soup spoon, dab a bit of hoison sauce and 2 drops of sriracha hot sauce, submerge in the broth, slurp! My mouth waters at the delicious memory :D As much as this outfit is great for a day in the library, it was worn for rabidly-hungry college senior face-stuffing and bumming around the house writing papers all night.

It feels so nice to be re-motivated to blog. Recently, videogaming has been preoccupying my life and obsessive mindspace, and today I finally reached the point where I'm reluctant to proceed because that means the end of the game and possibilities D: Many a videogame has been left 95% finished for that reason, but hopefully I'll man up and finish Zelda: Skyward Sword before Winter Break. Meanwhile ... my penultimate finals week is here, which ironically means more blogging to relieve stress like a good pair of bike shocks.

This comfy loose-fit tshirt was from Saturday's Styleta Fashion Night Out (post coming up after editing hell). Even though it's an American Apparel size S, it's quite big - perfect for a lazy Sunday lounge feel. These tomboyish plaid tweed shorts from earlier in the fall have been recycled through many outfits not shown here, and as you all know by now, I can't live without pockets. Lastly, throw on some bright warm tights that, if I might add narcissistically, make my legs look nice. Penny loafer pumps and collegiate cardi and systems are a-preppy-go.

[This post was all ready to go yesterday, then Flickr crashed for Google accounts. Why is Flickr owned by Yahoo anyway? These photos were uploaded on Picasa instead Fixed 10:50 AM]

Readers - what's your favourite charity?

Preppy Eggplant

Old Navy v-neck taupe sweater (S) // Forever 21 chambray shirt (S) // 

Ann Taylor LOFT purple flare jeans (2) (from aunt) // Xhilaration yellow strappy wedges (5.5) //
H&M striped socks //

Photography: JJ

AUBERGINE IS A FUNNY WORD. School outfit for last Thursday, when it began to feel like fall (9/8). Checking the weather is really useless when STL is PMS'ing - it went from 57 degrees to 80 in an hour. Had a berry-palette outfit all laid out, then realized that shorts weren't going to fly. Instead, I threw on a collared shirt and sweater and the LOFT purple flare jeans that my fashionable aunt passed down to me. I love them! Great fit, loose and mature, side zip, and ZIP POCKETS. Dream come true: Parkour without fear of things falling out of my pockets. Yeah right. With a pair of wedges, my stubby legs are saved from drowning in excess fabric. This pair makes me nostalgic for a pair of HOT PINK flare jeans I had in 4th grade - I wore them so much the zipper snapped off xD Ahhh ... those were the days when I would get up in front of the whole class and sing Britney Spears in those jeans.

Meanwhile, immunology is like a high-maintenance pet. You let it slip your mind for a day and the work piles up, you'll be cleaning up the mess all night, it wants constant attention. At least it fits my detail-oriented mind and it's honestly interesting despite being a pain already. In other news, I slept for 12 hours the other day and woke up more tired than ever. Then yesterday I slept for 2 and was fully functional. Superhuman mutation? Senior year is still nice, despite each day packed to the brim. Comment on hair - tried to curl with a 1/2" curling iron, what a hot mess. I like my tresses messy though.

Chickee (short for Chiquita) is the new name for our baby pet chick! She is very noisy now and loves broccoli. Tim figured out that she's a Leghorn. JJ and I are spoiling her rotten and spending all our time taking care of her. Beware: Cute fluffy furballs are not conducive to studying. Notes: Yes I realize that's bird poop all over the bench but I still like the little area behind our Biology building - like a mini urban forest. JJ is wearing more bright colours lately - these are the electric blue slim fit jeans he got from H&M Pants Collection *is very proud*

Hints of fall. 90 these past two days is not one of them.

Readers - what is your favourite style of jeans?

Enter my Highglossfashion jewelry giveaway

A la Alexa

H&M striped navy sweater (XS) // Pitaya/Ezra peter pan collar bunny print top (S) //

Threadsence/Lush mint green scallop hem shorts (S) // Forever 21 oxford lace-up booties (6) //
Urban Outfitters double face watch //

Photography: JJ

NERDY SLEEK. After yesterday's crazy deluge and howling-wind-fest, I kept my hair tied up and for the most part, slept on it. Come morning, I awake to a nice curly mess in the back, but perfect for a relaxed Sunday morning look. Headed off to my boss's place for a Breakfast at Tiffany's-inspired brunch in an LBD and pearls, changed back into this outfit for afternoon writing and studying. BY THE WAY, it was totally 70 degrees today. Holy cow it feels SO nice to be able to breathe and not sweat like a pig (and smell other people's summer stank). It's beginning to look a lot like autumn! *sings*

I feel very Alexa Chung with the tousled hair and peter pan collar/sweater combo. Been wanting to wear this in my mind for a while but it's been too hot. In other news, my friend and co-worker just started a food blog! He always brings amazing made-from-scratch lunches that entice everyone else within a 10 foot radius. You should definitely check it out for the pretty foodpron and recipes!

Hurray for fall-transitioning! Bodyguards and Assassins is a sad movie.

P.S. Check out this awesome video JJ found of the past 100 years of fashion in 100 seconds:

Readers - how are you transitioning into fall?