Plaid Out

Photography taken by Ron Alan Cruz
     In the past week I have been consumed with family, but I am definitely not complaining. The best of times are created when my family comes together for the holidays. I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Sorry, I haven't had the chance to post a holiday look, but I finally had time! I decided to incorporate red and warmth because that is what comes to my mind when I think of the holidays.
     With this look, I decided to experiment with patterns. Of course to pull off using the same pattern of plaid, I made sure they were contrasting in size. The way rolled up my sleeves was intended to show more of the accent of red. The blazer is by Fink, and they can usually be pricey. For some reason this pattern of blazer didn't sell well at Urban Outfitters 2 years ago, and a handful of them ended up in the sale rack. I wanted to keep the bottom half simple by wearing black skinny jeans without a belt to offset the busyness of patterns. If I were to suggest a brand of jean, Levi's are a must have. They can get pricey, but their quality is the reason. They last long and wash out well in the case of denim. I usually get my pairs for a deal at an outlet. Finally, the shoes I am wearing are vintage cherry brown oxford wingtip.

Attire:
Plaid Blazer- Urban Outfitters Sale Rack
Plaid Flannel- Thrifted
Black Levi's 511- Owned
Vintage Oxford Wingtip Shoe- Thrifted

Retail:
D.S. Dundee Two Button Ticket Blazer- ASOS $590
Plaid Modern Workshirt- Levi's $55
Black Levi's 511- Levi's $44
To Boot New York 'Windsor' Wingtip Oxford- Nordstrom $398

Mistletie

     Merry Christmas Eve! I hope everyone is enjoying their day with their close ones. Here is a bow tie that I found, and I thought it would be appropriate to share because of its festive qualities. I enjoy how the bow tie loosely hangs compared to the common ones we often see. The vintage feel is what really caught my eye, and that is why I chose to add it to my collection of accessories.

Thrift of the Day:
Vintage Bow Tie- Thrifted

Captain Americana

Photography taken by Wrigely Corales
     I was inspired by my two latest "daily find" posts. Since the shoes were from the 1950's, I wanted to approach a look from that era. I reinvented a style that was popular in the 50's, known as the Americana or Greaser. The combination of the shoes with the letterman jacket reminded me of the movie "Grease." I was able portray the sleekness of the main character and the casualness of his posse. Instead of doing the common approach, I wore a black polo underneath. Black polos can be worn as classy/casual, and I guess that was my underlying theme for this look. The light wash denim is held up by a black leather belt, and rolled up to show the cream dress socks.

Attire:
Letterman Jacket- Buffalo Exchange
Black Polo- Thrifted
Light Denim- Thrifted
Belt- Thrifted
Vintage Roblee Dress Shoe- Thrifted

Retail:
American College MJ Baseball Jacket- ASOS $409
River Island Contrast Collar Polo- ASOS $27
Dr Denim Snap Light Destroyed Jean- Nordstrom $65
Volgrass Leather Belt- Nordstrom $60
Prada High Shine Apron Toe Oxford- Nordstrom $650

Classic Come Up

     I am all about vintage finds, and I was pretty amazed to have come across a pair of black Roblee dress shoes. The brand seemed to be popular during the 1940's and 1950's. After trying to find out more about the brand, I had only discovered a few advertisements. I found the pair in good conditioned, nothing a little of shine couldn't fix. These shoes are incredibly comfortable, and have lasted me a whole day without any inconvenience. They are the perfect shape that could be worn with classy or casual attire.

Thrift of the Day:
Vintage Roblee Dress Shoe- Thrifted

Retail:
Prada High Shine Apron Toe Oxford- Nordstrom $650

Adieu Autumn

Photography taken by Wrigely Corales
     The weather has been freezing lately, and I can officially say that winter has arrived. I am stoked for the holiday season, for there is no better time to layer up and bring out the thicker coats. On that note, I decided to put my last fall look as I say, "adieu," to the golden days of autumn.
     I looked and felt like Tom Sawyer as I climbed the tree for the shot. (haha) I guess I can say he took some part in the creative aspect of this look. With my outfit, I wanted to emphasize on the colors of fall. The vintage Christian Dior button up consisted of a variety of those colors, and I was extremely lucky to have discovered the shirt at Buffalo Exchange before anyone else. Continuing with the color scheme, I wore copper trousers that I purchased at Urban Outfitters' sale rack, and topped it off with a brown leather hat. I chose an accent of black, wearing a pea coat and a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo Chukkas. These are the most expensive pairs of dress shoes I own, and might I add they aren't the most that I have spent on ;)

Attire:
Leather Hat- Buffalo Exchange
Black Pea Coat- Buffalo Exchange
Vintage Christian Dior Button Up- Buffalo Exchange
Hawkings McGill Copper Trousers- Urban Outfitters Sale Rack
Salvatore Ferragamo Chukka- Ebay

Retail:
Leather Hat- no reference
Diesel 'Wittor' Trim Fit Peacoat- Nordstrom $350
Floral Button Up- no reference
Dockers Alpha Khaki Trouser-Urban Outfitters $59
Salvatore Ferragamo Chukka- Barney's New York $340

Just a Letter Man

     Letterman jackets are trend among men fashion, and I have already blogged about that topic in "Varsity Hues." Not only does the thickness of the jacket keep you warm, but it is the perfect way to be fashionable during the cold season. When I came across this jacket at Buffalo Exchange, I knew I had to add it to my collection. After doing some research, I found out the jacket is worth roughly about $239, and I definitely purchased it for a steal. It is in great condition with perfect vintage wear. The jacket contains a one of a kind color scheme, and the texture combination is awesome. I was thinking about removing the letters, but the material of the "FV" complete the aesthetics of the jacket. Besides, it is just a letter man!

Thrift of the Day:
Letterman Jacket- Buffalo Exchange

Retail:
American College MJ Baseball Jacket- ASOS $409

Streetster

Photography taken by Wrigely Corales

     Dance is a big passion of mine. One of my favorite things to wear when performing is a hat. It gives me a sense of confidence. I recently posted about my Van's snapback, and I wanted to feature it in a look that was influenced by my dance background. I was going for a street look aiming it towards more of an urban feel. I am wearing a vintage jean jacket by Guess. The graphic tee was from buffalo, and I had these pair of red Levi's 511 laying in my closet. I purchased the shoes on sale at Old Navy a while back. The material of the shoes are made of a grey distressed denim, and I bought them for a great price. This look was posted on Lookbook a few days ago, but I haven't had the chance to blog about it. Here it is!

Attire:
Vans OTW-66 Starter Cap- Black Friday Sale $5
Marciano Guess Jacket- Thrifted
Graphic Tee- Buffalo Exchange
Red Levi's 511- Owned
Old Navy Sneakers- Old Navy Sale Section

Retail:
Vans OTW-66 Starter Cap- Vans $30
Slim Fit Trucker Jacket- Levi's $230
Levi's 511-Levi's $58
Graphic Tee- Urban Outfitters $24-38
All Star Stonewashed Canvas-Urban Outfitters $55

Black & Gold

      Finally, Winter Break has arrived! I just endured an all-nighter from school, but I wanted to quickly do a post since it has been a few days. I wanted to share a gnarly hat I purchased for $5! It is Van's OTW-66 Starter Cap. What makes this hat so rad is the attention to detail. I enjoy the combination gold thread on black, and the use of the Van's logo on the ends of the embroidered leaves. The snaps in the back are two toned which is unique. I bought the hat on Black Friday, and it was definitely a great find. I recently shot a look that incorporated this snapback, and I will post it shortly.

Thrift of the Day:
Vans OTW-66 Starter Cap- Black Friday Sale $5

Retail:
Vans OTW-66 Starter Cap- Urban Outfitters $30

Shine On

Photography taken by Wrigely Corales
     It's not hard to believe that in California we are still getting beautiful weather. It feels amazing to have the cool breeze of the wind with the warmth of the sun beaming on me. With this look I wanted to capture that feeling by taking it in a natural environment during sunset. The direction I was aiming for with this attire was simple and sophisticated. But, as I expressed in a previous post, "Excess or Rise," accessories can elevate your look. The vintage Moonfaced Seiko and black bow tie took my outfit from simple to sleek. I rolled up my navy blazer to bring focus to the wrist accessory, and my khaki pants to display my brand new oxford shoes that I purchased on Black Friday. (don't mind the dust from the dirt haha) The look was meant for evening attire, but with a touch of gold, I am still able to shine. I will be attending the Lookbook event tomorrow for the d.RA SPRING 2012 Preview Party. I will definitely blog about the experience, but I hope to see you there :)

Attire:
Navy Blazer- Thrift
Vintage Button Up- Thrifted
Khaki Pants- Buffalo Exchange
Bowtie- Buffalo Exchange
1980's Moonfaced Seiko Watch- Thrifted
Brogue Saddle Oxford- Black Friday Sale $20

Retail:
Navy Blue Blazer- J.Crew $995
Polka Dot Button Up- ASOS $45
Khaki Pants- Neiman Marcus $58
David Donahue Bow Tie- Nordstrom $45
Seiko Watch- Seiko Prices Vary
Brogue Saddle Oxford- Urban Outfitters $68