Houston FotoFest: View From Inside

Chambray shorts: J. Crew Factory (here) // Silk tank: Madewell // Sandals: Target

(photo cred to @rpchow)

This past weekend, I finally made a trip to the main FotoFest exhibits in Houston. FotoFest is a biennial city wide event that have over 80 participating spaces ranging from museums, private galleries, to even restaurants and hospitals. This year's theme was "View From Inside" which features contemporary Arab photography, video and mixed media art. All of the pieces from the main exhibits feature 48 prominent contemporary Arab artists from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Yemen, Qater, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria,  and Kuwait.

From the official FotoFest website they state:

The featured artists in the 2014 Biennial explore a diverse range of ideas and subjects important to contemporary Arab artists including: the emergence of secular art and culture in modern societies; the desert as metaphor; religion and faith in everyday life; a sense of belonging and feelings of estrangement; the complexities of East-West relationships; the rapidity of social, economic and environmental change, particularly in the Gulf region; the position of women in Arab societies; and the recent political changes in the region.

The end result was so powerful and one of my favorite FotoFests in the recent years. I regret not taking photographs of my favorite pieces since photography was prohibited, however I did purchase the commemorative book featuring every artist that participated in the main exhibit.

Below the cut are some pictures of my favorite pieces taken from the book I purchased. Sorry for the poor quality since they are photographs of the book!

Youssef Nabil (Egypt/USA)

Say Goodbye, Self Portrait, Alexandria, 2009

Hand-colored Silver Gelatin Print

Type(over)cast

There is no telling what kind of weather will show up anymore! Even Florida, with its actual lack of a spring and fall season (well, we like to label that we do but we all know better), would have a blistering 95 degree weather one day to a freezing 43 degrees the next day.  To be honest though, I am somewhat enjoying it since I can still wear sweaters, the only thing I ever seem to purchase and own anymore.  Not to mention, the continuity of wearing black is also alright with me. The idea of summer (again, we skip spring here entirely) and its fashion actually stresses me out already. So, let it be cold, drab, and gloomy. I'm sure I'll blend in just fine. Anyhow, here's an outfit fashionable enough to meet those requirements above with matching low-quality photos.

Balenciaga glasses | Old Navy sweater | F21 skirt | Old Navy booties | Coach satchel | MK two-tone watch

In other news, have you guys seen this video?  

Nothing has been as deliciously accurate as that video.  It instantly reminded me of one of my favorite actresses ever, Ms. Anna May Wong. The first Asian-American actress who ever graced Hollywood with her ethereal beauty and badass presence.  She was an incredible performer who had been robbed of many opportunities, such as infamously losing a lead role as a Chinese character to a German actress.   If we deny racism as a reasoning behind that, then I don't know what else it could be.  So, you know what she did?  She upped and left Hollywood for Europe, and there she was deservedly recognized for her work.   It seems as though we are only accessories and supporting roles, not complex enough to go astray from the personality categories delegated to our ethnicity by white Hollywood. What are your thoughts on this?

Image courtesy of: Tumblr

Earthquake Weather

As a kid, I spent a lot of time intricately tying chicken drumsticks to pieces of string attached to crab traps. The San Francisco Municipal Pier at 5am – the bane of my childhood. Some x amount of years later, I’ve since figured out my mom and her brother simply needed my sister and I to be their gateway to illegally harvesting Dungeness crab. Things were more lax then. There was minimal security and the kids at the pier almost always had their own miniature ice chests. If pier patrols were in sight, you can bet we hauled ass to the car, mini ice chest in hand. And if caught, there was that cloyingly sweet believable innocence present. Real clever, mom. To 10 year old me, San Francisco was the city of crabbing, roasted chestnuts, and that damn Palace of Fine Arts and in a way, it still embodies just those things.

Not Your Ordinary Baseball Cap

Hat: J. Crew Factory // Mint Pants: F21 // Shirt: Madewell // Shoes: Target

My friends and I having fun being ~fashion bloggers~

I've always been a big fan of baseball caps on others, but never on myself. I always felt like my head was too big and my hair was too poofy. However, when I saw this chambray polka dotted hat at the J. Crew Factory store, I just couldn't help myself - it was just so me. The original price on it was about $29 but after the sale price and a student discount, I got this for about $14 so not too bad. 

I've seen a lot of girly baseball caps for sell everywhere, and now I'm craving a cutesy, floral one. I compiled a rather large list of links of various baseball caps of all price ranges. 

SPLURGE

J. Crew  // UO // Acne // Asos // J. Crew // Vans

Honorable mention: Arizia Faux-leather hat

Spring City

 

Spring has arrived!....And it's supposed to snow again. Nightmare City, honestly. In a very desperate grasp for warmth, I opted to wear a springtime look of SHORTS this weekend but after standing outside in the 30+ degree weather, boy did I regret it. They say silk retains heat but I guess we should also add, "if you also wear more layers, Vivian." A huge kudos to Hernandez for taking these photos. Spoiler alert: come Thursday, the backdrop of my photos will make another appearance.   

Outfit: Madewell silk top and silk shorts, Sam Edelman "Petty" booties, Uniqlo wool coat, necklace via Renegade Craft Fair.

Shoe Swapping

If I happen to go home in between events, I always find myself swapping shoes. I don't even know why, but I guess I'm always so indecisive about my shoes that it makes me happy I get to wear two pairs in one day. Especially since I wear the same pair to work everyday, its a nice change of pace to be in different footwear. 

Although fall is officially over, it sure doesn't feel like it. The crazy weather fluctuations is driving me crazy, especially since I already packed away my winter sweaters! Not to mention, I'm still filling way too much Tamiflu at work for this time of year.

Happy Day

Hey-o!



Such a long time has passed since the ladies and I have posted here in Within Color.  I can safely say that we collectively opted for a hiatus because... life.  Personally, many things have happened since my last post in June, and I honestly do not remember most of what happened except for the one single event that forced me to hibernate from the blogger world which snowballed into the rest of the year.  Yet, I will save that for another post (dun dun dun!) because I think that this renaissance (unfortunately, I am your first poster) should be kept celebratory and just plain happy.



With that in mind, let me share with you guys one of the happiest days of my life.  If not, the happiest.  On November 8th, 2013, I married my Dylan.

Val's Greatest Hits

Sorry for my long absence.  Now that I'm working 10 to 12 hours a day 7 days a week, I find it really difficult to carve out the time to write anything for the blog.  I'm hoping to find a little more time once the new year kicks off.

I had pictures of a very boring outfit lined up for today's post, but they are nowhere to be found.  Perhaps it's for the best because it got me to dig out some old Instagrams of outfits that never made it to the blog.

Leather Jacket:  Muubaa / T-Shirt: H&M / Pants: Forever 21 / Purse: J. Crew Factory

I wore this outfit back in April and the pants tore in May, so this was their first and last hurrah... at least until I get them to a tailor.  They're incredibly comfortable and perfect for spring weather, so getting them fixed is now a priority once New York City warms up again.

Two more under the cut!

Kickin' it old school

 

Leather jacket: Michael Kors via Nordstrom Rack

Long time no (outfit) post! Now that the days are shorter and I'm in the office and/or sleeping most of the time, it's been difficult to take photos of my outfits. A special shout out to Venice for taking these for me because otherwise they would not have turned out this well! I mean--ya'll know how low-fi my photos are...

 

Necklace: Madewell

 I once read that people who talk about the weather are boring people but these people are haters and obviously don't live in a place with seasons. It was absolutely freezing (ok just really, really cold) just last week but today was in the mid-40s which obviously means leather jacket and NOT heavy-duty winter jacket. For some reason, I get super lazy with outfits if you can't see what's underneath my coat so I'm not complaining about these mid-40s days...even in December (can you believe it's December?!). 

Its finally winter!

Hey guys! I know its been a slow month for us at Within Color - we've all been busy with jobs and life you know how it goes. We're not professional bloggers who makes $$$ from this project, so please forgive us for the lack of posts.

Its finally getting a little cold here down in Texas, so I finally got to pull out my tights, woo hoo!

I've been searching for a perfect midi dress. This one from Forever 21 is a little thin, and I admit, I only felt comfortable after putting on my spanx. But I do love the length and cut of it, and for 15 bucks, I can't complain.

Dress and Necklace: F21 (dress can be found here) // Sweater jacket: J Crew // Boots: Acne

You can't tell, but I'm wearing dotted tights. ~Pattern mixing~ ya'll

Sweater: H&M // Skirt: Zara // Boots: Acne

Check Meow-t

I knew I wanted a (faux) leopard coat immediately after seeing this outfit on Natalie Hughes of Canned Fashion way back in 2011 and since the Topshop one had already sold out by then, I waited very patiently to find an affordable one.  In 2012, I spotted (see what I did there?) this one at Forever 21 and foolishly didn't purchase it right away and they ran out of my size quickly thereafter, tears were shed, etc.  A few months later, they miraculously restocked and I snatched it up.  Then it proceeded to sit in my closet for over a year.

As some of you may have already seen on our Instagram, I chose to debut my coat today.  I haven't had the guts to wear it because even though you guys know that I love my animal print, this is a very obnoxious piece and I feared that I would get a lot of nasty Who Does She Think She Is? Looks.

I started my day off feeling incredibly confident, but was often overwhelmed with anxious thoughts -- stuff along the lines of "Ugh, you look like a cartoon villain.  What made you think you could pull this off?" -- and it was a struggle to push them out.  I'll be wearing it again, though.  And again.  And again.  Until this coat feels as natural to wear as the dark grey one that I rock on the daily.

I was running late this morning and didn't have time to set up my tripod, so my husband was kind enough to take a few quick phone snapshots (thanks, toots, u da best). I apologize for the quality.  Thanks for the outfit inspiration, Natalie Hughes.  You're still my Coat Hero.

Coat, Jeans, Heels: Forever 21 / Shirt: H&M

Do you have any items that you love but don't wear enough?

Office Wear

I began working at a new job a little over a month ago, and instead of doing ABA therapy with children, I now basically sit at a cubicle all day. If you can believe it though, I am so much happier. It has really been a long time coming and I had a lot of reservations about leaving a profession in which I helped (and would continue to) so many children and their families, but I did it for SIX years and so I think that I've done enough good for my own individual lifetime.

In any case, I wasn't able to wear much of my "nicer" clothing because I didn't want to get it ruined by playdoh, vomit, or whathaveyou. Or I didn't want it to get ripped or torn by any accidental grabbing from my clients. Or I needed to be able to get up at a moment's notice to grab my client from running off or I needed to be comfortable. So I kept it to basic tees, jeans, and sometimes the occasional yoga pants. 

Now that I'm in an office environment, I can really wear all the things I've wanted to wear. My office is a lot more lax though (jeans and tees and sneakers), but my usual style has always been more than a tee and jeans and gravitate towards blouses, cardigans, blazers, and dressier denim, or trousers.

Here are some of my favorite staples for the office:

American Eagle skinny trousers // JBrand black denim skinnies

You really can't go wrong with the perfect trousers or denim and black is versatile for any and every outfit you could put together. I know not everyone likes skinnies or a more slimmer cut, but I think it looks "neater" and cleaner put. Though if I don't feel like it, I'll sometimes wear my one pair that's more of a slimmer bootcut.

October

top: wafy // bottoms: cynthia rowley x tjmaxx // flats: steve madden x nordstrom rack

For me, shopping now only consists of two questions , "Is this work appropriate?" and "Will I care if this gets ruined by grease and salsa stains?" It makes for a pretty bland wardrobe, but it's nice when I find things that easily integrate into my daily style and work style. These ankle length (regular length on me) pants are from TJ Maxx and it seems like there's always a constant rotation of different styles and colors instore. I wish they were more tapered in the knee area, but for $25 bucks, I'll take it. If you need affordable work clothing and live near a TJ's, check it regularly! I've been noticing a lot of brands like James Perse, Lucky Brand, Cloth & Stone, etc recently too!

Cat Lady

First off, just in case anybody missed it, Linh completed her 30 For 30 Challenge and I just wanted to commend her on following through!  Make sure you go check out her very last post!  (And here is my very last post of the Challenge, just in case.)

Anyway, now that it's October and occasionally chilly in New York, I've been rocking my sweet new trenchcoat, which I actually had tailored a few weeks ago.  Tailored.  Like an adult.  (Let's chuckle over the fact that I only had it tailored because I bought it on clearance almost two sizes too large and had no other choice but to have it tailored BUT SO WHAT WHO CARES because that ultimately means I made the time to take it alllllllll the way to a tailor, stood very still for 20 minutes while they pinned it, and then I went alllllllll the way back just to pick it up.  Crying Responsible, Grown-Up Tears right now.)

Trenchcoat: Zara / Scarf: H&M / Sweater & Jeans: Forever 21 / Wedges: Target

As someone who really loves holidays, I'm genuinely surprised that I don't own more fun seasonal attire (see: Art Teacher Style).  I bought this sweater last August and completely overlooked its potential Octoberiness.  It will take its rightful place in my sweater drawer next to my hilariously tacky applique-covered Christmas cardigan.

Also, I figured a leopard scarf with a cat sweater wouldn't be total overkill since the cat sweater is really simple and understated.  I'm using "understated" loosely, as it is a giant white cat.  It also kind of feels like Xzibit should pop in to say "YO DAWG, I HEARD YOU LIKE CATS, SO I PUT A CAT THEMED ACCESSORY ON YOUR CAT SWEATER SO YOU CAN DIE ALONE."

Tell me about your festive seasonal/holiday clothes!  Unless I'm the only weirdo who has any, in which case, lie to me and say you do so I feel less bad.

30 for 30 Challenge: Linh's Last Days and Final Round Up

I am SO SO SO happy to be done with this challenge.  I only have three outfits left to post, so I'm sorry for the weak ending. For a quick refresher, here are my previous posts.

The articles of clothing
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

And with these three outfits, you have 30 outfits made with 28 items of clothing! I started with 27 items, added 2, then ended up not using my striped cardigan.


STILL SHORTS WEATHER: I love me a good pair of crisp shorts. I feel so much more polished compared to jorts and they're just as comfy.

Shorts: J Crew // Sandals: Asos // Tank: Mango

Two more outfits and my personal favs under the cut!

LBD's and Short Stories

dress: aritzia + babaton // flats: dolce vita 

Introducing my favorite LBD, the Babaton, "Bennett" dress - 100% silky goodness. When I lived in Vancouver, every 20 something year old girl I passed on the street seemed to be adorned in Aritzia - TNA leggings, that perfect olive jacket we all know so well, and Rachel Comey ankle boots. If I could afford it, it'd be my goto place for drapey basics and silk items too, but I'll mostly be window shopping here for like, ever.

On another note, I received Junot Diaz's "Drown" short stories yesterday for my birthday - so perfect! The short stories focus on his early life as a Dominican Republic immigrant in the suburbs of New Jersey and explore issues related to identity, community, and race. Titles include, "How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie" and "Edison, New Jersey", where I lived for a year!! Ok technically it was Highland Park/New Brunswick, but whatever. Yay for central Jersey. If any of you are interested, Diaz has a bunch of appearances coming up soon (mostly East Coast - some in the PNW), more info can be found here. Contributor Carla will also be focusing on more book reviews in her future posts so be sure to check in with us for those!

30 for 30 Challenge: Linh's Fourth Week

All I can say is: I'm glad I am almost done. I am struggling and I don't know what to do with myself anymore. Although, I am very proud I did not wear my button up chambray nor my striped shirt this week.

I WILL NEVER GROW TIRED OF THIS MIDI SKIRT: Yes, I've worn this almost every week, but I knew that I would. I'm glad I put this top in this challenge too. I love it and it never got much wear before this!

Skirt: Asos // Top: H&M // Shoes: F21

Flannel for Days

I love dressing for the fall but I absolutely HATE taking photographs of my fall outfits. In the mirror and irl and in my head, my layers drape perfectly and I look great. Then I take photographs and it's like THIS IS NOT HOW I LOOKED! There was no point to that story except to say it took me about half an hour to take these photos and I am still not satisfied. I am satisfied, however, with the fact that I can now wear flannel again. Thank you colder weather: you are welcome wholeheartedly into my life. 

Do you have any cooler weather essentials that you can't wait to bust out this season? Let us know!

 

Outfit details: Penfield "Kasson" parka, Uniqlo flannel shirtdress, Target tights, Ralph Lauren (via DSW) riding boots, cutpath cat bunting necklace. 

30 for 30 Challenge: Linh's Third Week

The one thing I didn't do in the challenge was enforce shopping ban. Therefore, I am really itching to wear my new clothes so this week was rough for me. After looking at last week, I was determined to throw in a few necklaces this week. I ONLY buy cheap jewelry, so I feel like I might as well as bring you to Forever 21 to show you all my necklaces.

All gold, all Forever 21. 

LINEN PANTS: I love love love these pants so much! Sometimes I feel like I don't know how to dress myself since I rely on this striped shirt so much. 

Pants: Mango // Shirt: Zara // Shoes and Necklace: F21

Guest Post: Rachel and the Perfect Black Jeans

I have found the perfect pair of black jeans.

Prior to this my denim collection consisted of two staples - a pair of blue Cheap Monday skinnies, which did the job until a gross rip on the inner thigh around 2 months into daily wear - not even touching on Cheap Monday's unforgivable fly problem - and a sweet pair of dark wash Dejour jeans. Which were great, but also so tight and non-stretch that it is an ordeal to do any activity in them other than stand around and collect numbers. I made the mistake of taking them when I went travelling for a month. My thighs had imprints all along the sides from walking around in them for up to 8 hours each day, lingering up until a month after I returned.

Related: If you live in Melbourne, you'll probably know of Dejour as well your local dingy tavern (the Albion is mine). For over 20 years Nam Huynh has been running a tiny shop on Sydney Rd churning out custom fit jeans like a denim beast. A pair of jeans tailored perfectly to the contours of your hot bod for a clean 50 bucks every time. Lest they start losing shape with wear you can take them back any time after the purchase and he will tighten them back up right to your liking. It is an institution I support and take advantage of whenever possible. Just don't take it as far as I have (above).

Anyway: The black jeans I've found are the Arlene model by Dr Denim. Mid-rise, perfect fit, and with enough stretch so I don't ride my bike like a duck in a diaper. Here they are in a couple of different looks.

Just Jeans $5 tee, vintage belt, Dr Denim jeans

Kookai button-down, vintage belt, Dr Denim jeans