Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials

Tramanh &I were recently asked on AskPhivy what our top 10 wardrobe essential items that we thought every girl should own.  So instead of writing a list & linking each item, we decided to take it one step further & do a VIDEO REPLY.

You guys may have noticed in my past videos, I never talk (TOO MUCH NERVOUS), but we thought it would be fun (yet incredibly nerve-wracking) to actually talk.  So, if you have a few moments, take a look &let us know if you like them!





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The Office

This morning, I had to decide between taking blog photos or getting gas for my car...so Ryan suggested I just take my blog photos FROM MY OFFICE.  So strange, there is a window that people can see through...WHAT IF THEY SEE ME TAKING PHOTOS OF MYSELF?  They don't know I have a blog, they'd be like, "Umm..vain, much?"  And I'd be like, "Oh this is awkward..."

Anyway, lately I've been posting so many work outfits, but I mean, I wear them 5 out of the 7 days, what do I expect?  I don't do wardrobe changes on the weekend (unless you count my sweats as a change of clothes).  Anyway, the lighting in the office is never great (hello florescent lighting!), but I have pretty big windows that let sun in (sometimes a little TOO much sun & I end up sweating mid afternoon).

PMN blouse, cynthia steffe shorts, f21 belt, hue tights, wanted oxfords

And for funsies, here is a quick "tour" of my office:

my bookshelf...that houses NO books. pictures of friends,ezio & ryan. A RICE HAT (from Vietnam!), my customized Xbox360 controller & x-men figurines everywhere.

candles from a blogger swap I did, they don't smell like anything & one has started to melt onto some drawers, lol.

my poor orchids, one is barely hang onto dear life while the other has given up on itself

2 of my favorite things: my real simple magazine subscription & band-aids (for when my work heels hate me)

the view outside my office; i'm on the 20th floor, so i get a nice overlook of beverly hills & century city

 

 

 

 

By the way, my colleague & I are in the middle of a heated SHOE OFF battle and NONE of my friends have voted for me!  What gives, man?   I need your help!  Next time I tweet about a SHOE OFF...VOTE FOR ME!  Or I'll never hear the end of it.

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Rock Mobstah!

An IM conversation between my sister & I on what to name this post:

stephanie: what's a good title for this outfit
christine: mob mentality
christine: because your pinstripes look like mobstah
stephanie: lol k
christine: or ROCK MOBSTAH!
stephanie: LOL!
stephanie: djfkhasfjilksafdlisjfdsa
christine: hahahaha
stephanie: I LOVE THAT ONE
christine: hehehehehehihiihihi
stephanie: OH MAN
stephanie: so good
christine: lol yey

You know I love me my puns AND it's a play off of one of my favorite B52's songs?  Ah, sheer genius.  This is one of my favorite types of work outfits, loose blouse + a high waisted, formfitted skirt.  My kind of outfit, if you ask me.  OH GUESS WHAT?  The dry cleaners lost (or stole) this top!  I'm so sad.  I only got to wear it once. :(

peppermint tank, banana republic skirt, f21 belt & bangle

Last weekend, Rye Bread & I went to Santa Rosa, Petaluma & San Francisco for a long weekend.  It was nice because we've been to all of those cities before, so it was really to see his family & my colleagues in our SF office.  I did NOT do any shopping...well I lie, I got a pair of LAMB heels for $110 at the Off 5th Avenue outlets.  SCORE.

 

 

Sail Away

On Ask Phivy, we recently got a question about what would be a great first day work outfit & I mentioned one of my favorite go-to is black cuffed shorts, tights & pumps.  Actually, that answer is still in the queue waiting to be published, so you'll see it soon, haha.  Since it's summer (and my workplace is a little more casual), I opted out of the tights - plus my shorts aren't BOOTY shorts - so it works out.

Kitson LA was having a huge sale & I scored this silk tank for $30!  I love the little anchors on it.  SO NAUTICAL, MAN.  The zipper in the back is a really nice detail, except it makes it difficult to tuck the shirt into (like into a high-waisted skirt) because the zipper will fold & bend all weird.  It's best to just leave it alone.  I also love that the tank is loose (forgiving) so I added a fitted black jacket pulls the entire outfit together.

This weekend, Rye Bread (isn't it weird that I refer to him as "Rye Bread" on my blog & "Ryan" on Ask Phivy?  HE IS THE SAME PERSON, WHY DIFFERENT NAMES?) & I are going to Santa Rosa!  We'll be visiting his eldest sister & their cousins.  Since we've been there a handful of times (and there's only so much we can do there, let's be honest), I'm interested to see what we'll find ourselves doing.  Any suggestions?  I guess I can always go for some more wine tasting.  NEVER ENOUGH.

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PMN: Emerald Dress

First of all, thanks to everyone for all of the support, comments & questions on Ask Phivy!!  Second of all, that literally has taken over our lives.  BUT WE LOVE IT.  So keep asking us questions & giving us feedback.  We love the idea of having Ryan & Tu as contributors, so we'll let everyone know when that's up.

In the meantime, back to the FASHUNS at hand!  Actually, someone recently asked me if I get a discount on PMN since I'm irl friends with Tramanh & Issa.  And while I do, it only incentivizes me to BUY MOAR STUFF.  This dress is one of my favorite purchases.  I love the color, fit & style of it.  Hands down, I'll be wearing this a lot more.  The only sucky part is that it's silk, which means, any spills is like, fatal.

PMN dress, F21 belt, Steve Madden heels, Hermes scarf & bracelet

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Ask Phivy!

Totes excites news you guys!!  Every so often, I get questions on my formspring...a lot more often, Phi-Style will.  We realized that, you know what?  We have some pretty interesting takes on some pretty interesting questions.  So we decided, you know what would be AWESOME?  If we worked together!  Tramanh & I have JOINED FORCES to start...ASK PHIVY! 

This is meant to be a forum where you guys can ask one or both of us any questions about anything.  It's also meant to be a time-waster if you just feel like reading.  We've conveniently tagged everything so you can search through any past questions we've answered.  We promise to answer honestly (and HUMOROUSLY, because umm...we're just that funny) & everything is anonymous (unless you want to add your name).  We'll be answering all of our formspring questions on Ask Phivy, so please check out our answers there!

We hope you guys are just as excited as we are about this & don't forget to bookmark this shiz! lol.

In case you were wonder where "PHIVY" came from:

Phi-Style + Hoisin Ivy = PHIVY!

Thanks for your support guys!  You da you da best!

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Fly Girl

Unexpectedly, I decided to go out to ElevateLA for an event called House vs. Hip Hop - I knew it would be clubby (so much DANCE), but a little more casual than a typical Hollywood club.  I rarely wear typical "club" clothes, you know what I'm talking about...when F21 & SPANDEX collide, it's just not my steez.  I'll usually end up wearing shorts & a loose top (ahem, what I'm wearing below) or jeans.  I find it incredibly difficult to DROP IT DOWN LOW when my skirt is riding up my a-hole, lol.  Also this shirt made me feel like a flying squirrel.

That night, I was walking to my car when a homeless man commented on my outfit (specifically, my shoes), he said "Damn, this girl didn't even BOTHER with wearing heels, she straight up wore flats." I'm pretty sure I should start wearing heels a little more often.

trouve top, american eagle shorts, f21 hat, toms

One of my favorite lipsticks to wear when going out is Revlon Blackcherry.  Phi-Style & I are one of the few girls who have no problem wearing BOTH a smokey eye & red (or dark) lipstick...fashion faux pas? WE EMBRACE IT.  MOAR MAKE UP PLEASE.

Few pics from that night.

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More Than Mint: CCT Style Dress

Like my GUHLS over at PMN, Erica (of CloudsofTulle) also had some great finds for sale at MoreThanMint & of course because I'm too impatient to go shopping regularly (and who doesn't love a great deal), I spotted this dress & immediately bought it.

Except....it sat in my closet for MONTHS before I decided to wear it.  I tried wearing it to my family's Christmas party but it wasn't "white enough" for my mom, so it went back in the closet.  But then it's TOO white for a wedding, and I haven't gone to any fancy dinners lately, so...it just sat & sat.  I would pull it out, then put it back in, only because I didn't think the places I was going was fancy enough to be wearing the dress.

Until I gave up & just wore it to work.  I needed to break it in.  And you know what?  Just like getting your first scratch on your car or on your new phone's screen, once you do it, you're suddenly much more comfortable with it.

cct style dress from morethanmint, michael antonio heels, f21 belt

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It's Just an Hermes Outbreak

A short few years ago, I really had no appreciation for high-end brands (YSL, Chanel, LV, etc.) mainly because they were so far beyond my means, why would I even bother going into their stores?  My mother, on the other hand, understood the value, quality & prestige these brands held. Slowly, as I (and my income) matured, I've been able to splurge OCCASIONALLY on fancy shmancy items.  I also am very brand-loyal: I purchased my first LAMB purse in 2006...and haven't bought a non-LAMB purse since (I may have a problem).  Last year, Rye Bread surprised me with my first Hermes scarf & it still remains in the tissue within the box for safe-keeping.

Don't get me wrong - these splurges are just that (I am so far from rich, it's ridiculous) - I keep my checkbook in balance with clothes from H&M, F21,thrift stores, and the sale racks at local department stores.  Blending the affordable with the occasional extravagant is sometimes the perfect recipe.

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