Raw Beauty

Dear Diary,
As fabulous as we can look with the help of make-up, hair blowouts and outfit coordination, there are days when we just want to be able to roll out of the bed and go with our PJ’s. Today is definitely one of those days for me.

Lazily sitting on the floor of my walk-in closet in my husband’s old t-shirt, I was unable to motivate myself to put on a Marc Jacobs blouse, Halston dress, or even newly purchased Zara skinny trousers. I was perfectly comfortable in my husband’s worn out tee that has been thinned out by numerous washes. Dare I wear this men’s shirt out to the public? You bet!

F&R thinks there’s nothing sexier than a woman who’s very comfortable with her skin. With my wavy bed hair, ripped flare jeans, a plain man’s tee, and a feminine tweed coat for balance, I found my own confidence in my (not-so-refined) personal style!

Jeans: Rock and Republic

Platform Sandals: Gucci

Bag: Chloe

Blushing Spring

Dear Diary,

After two weeks of rain and cloud-covered skies, I was delighted to finally have a glimpse of the sun today. It might finally be safe to declare: Spring is right around the corner (jinx)!

While I’m looking forward to saying goodbye to the dreary sky, there’s a more selfish reason on why I’ve been looking forward to the brighter season: I can finally wear these blush high-waist trousers I purchased from Taiwan last year. I recall a time when low-rise was the only acceptable height among the “cool kids” but now high-rise seems like a fresh alternative to me -I hope this is not a sign of “aging”!

There’s nothing that says Spring more than pink and blush hues. So this pink silk blouse with my blush trousers puts me spot on with the Spring trend!

Silk Blouse: Banana Republic

Cinched High-Waist Trouser: Taiwan

Lace Up Sandals: Zara

FabSugar

Style.com

Don't forget to participate in F&R's Japan disaster relief effort! (Part 1 and Part 2)

F&R for Japan Continues

Help can also come in different shapes and forms. So F&R is gathering efforts the only way she knows how! Shops at Frills and Ruffles Shop and all proceeds will go to the Japan earthquakes and tsunami relief via Shelterbox! Click on the looks below to start shopping and contributing!

New Navy Ruffle Trim Bomber Jacket

New Lady Tweed Dress with Black Trim

New Black Zipper Detailed Outerwear

F&R for Japan

Japan has always been a very special place for me. So when I found out about the devastating earthquake that happened on March 11th, I knew I had to do something. So Frills and Ruffles is raising money towards Japan disaster relief! Buy items with "Love, Japan" in the title and all proceeds will be donated to Shelterbox via the For Japan with Love project - because every little bit helps. Click below to see the first few items from F&R shop!

New Sleeveless Top with Asymmetric Back

New Beige Dress with Ruffles Details

New Dusty Blue Dress with Necklace

Love, Japan

What happened on March 11 in Japan is truly heartbreaking. I had the opportunity to spend a few weeks in Japan for work a few years back, and I learned to love their culture and admire the people. While I might never comprehend what it is like to lose everything you care about in a matter of seconds, I do know that people in Japan are exceptionally strong and there’s no doubt in my mind that they will come out even stronger.

We can all do something - as I was trying to think of ways to lend my hand, I came up with the idea of selling some of the clothes I’ve purchased for myself but have never worn and donate all proceeds. Even $5 can make a difference for someone out there, so I hope I can contribute in even a small way.

If you would like to help with Japan disaster relief and own a piece of Frills and Ruffles fashion, be sure to check back in the next few days while I figure out the logistics and non-profit organization to work with. If you have suggestions on how I can make this work, please let me know as well!

My heart goes out to Japan.

Priceless memories from my trip to Japan

Say Yes To Your T-Shirt!

Dear Diary,
Not all of us have celebrity-sized wallets or closets. But if you think that’s an excuse for not looking like a celebrity, think again! The matter of the fact is, with the right intention and confidence you can look like a million bucks with your plain t-shirt. See my step-by-step how-to’s for my favorite weekend look!

Step 1: Pick your go-to t-shirt
Step 2: Pick a pair of shoes that stand out instead of blending in
Step 3: Add bold jewelry that fit your personal style
Step 4: Go ahead and turn up the volume with some smart outerwear

And here it is, 100% F&R style on-the-go!

The Final Look

T-shirt: Gap

Multi-Strand Faux Pearls: H&M

Boots: Banana Republic

Sweater Coat: Theory

Shrunken

Dear Diary,
In case you haven’t heard, the big trend for Spring just got longer: hems below the knees, long skirts, and maxi dresses. But before I slip into my new ankle-length skirt, it wouldn’t be like me if I didn’t fight back (just a little...).

How about I shrink things a bit? Shrunken jacket and mini hem shorts are my last hurrah (for now)!

Blast From The Past - Mixed Prints

Dear Diary,

Spring is on its way and there’s no better time to draw some inspiration from the runway. So it seems that Spring is the time to be playful with colors and prints, but just wearing prints is not enough; mixing prints is the ultimate goal.

Inspired by a Prada runway look, I looked into my own closet for stripes or floral. With some minor adjustments, I’ve found a way to wear the latest trend that best fits my style.

Floral Dress (Adams): The Art of Trickery

Stripe Blazer(Taiwan): Strong Shoulder

Lace up Heels (Zara): Feeling Striped

A Blast From The Past

Dear Diary,

Let’s face it! Most of us wake up in the morning and think we don’t have anything to wear. Despite having a closet full of clothes (or two…), we are all victims of this great mystery.

So last weekend when I had to quickly pull something together (without a new inspiration), I came up with the idea to pull key pieces from my past entries and just prayed it would work out!

Gray Faux Leather Jacket (Taiwan) : Dark Ballerina

Military Green Bubble Hem Skirt (Forever 21): Modern Safari

Bow Belt (Giambattista Valli): Work + Bow

Booties (Manolo Blahnik) : Call Me Lacey

Not Just A Dress

Dear Diary,

Whether you recognize it or not, we all play multiple roles in our daily lives: we are working professionals, creative cooks, best friends, sweet daughters, nice sisters, good mothers,…. etc. Would it be a lot to ask your clothes to do the same?

One of my favorite tricks is to wear an A-line dress as a long top over my leggings. It’s the perfect way to make better utilization of your dresses in a more casual setting. To reduce the length of a dress as a suitable top, I enlist the help of my collection of belts – and get an adorable look to run about the town yet dressy enough for a night out.

So here I am, playing my role as a savvy shopper during the day, a great eater with my hubby at noon and a good company at night with my friends!

Lunch at Patisserie Philippe

Matchy-matchy with my hubby

Life is Black and White

Dear Diary,
Life is not so black and white all the time. But when it is, I make sure it’s black and white with lots of spark.=!

Don’t get me wrong, I love colors! But sometimes the simplicity of a black/white combination just seems so… comforting and easy. The best thing is, whether we recognize it or not, we all have a ton of blacks and whites in our closet to work with! So this weekend, go shopping in your closet. Lay out all of your black and white clothes and pile on pieces with different textures and sheens to create your ultimate black and white outfit with lots of attitude.

White Tank: Gap

Sequin Blazer: Saks

Coat: Burberry

Pants: Gap

Boots: Chanel