#45 INSPIRED BY: Gangnam Style

I don't know about you, but I am absolutely obsessed with PSY, the South Korean rapper and creator of the amazing song and video, "Gangnam Style." A friend of mine showed it to me at work on Friday and I can't get the song, video, and dance out of my head. The word "Gangnam" refers to an area of South Korea's capital, Seoul-- the wealthiest area of all of South Korea.

As I watched the video, besides the hilarious antics and overly dramatic vignettes, I was really blown away by the fashion and inspired by the attention to details in the scenes.

  

Lots of tuxedo jackets with piping, billiard ball peplum shirts, sequin and leather shorts, lots of accessories and necklaces, neon yellow from head to toe, wedge sneakers, sheer flowy fabrics, and equestrian themes throughout. PSY wears several different pairs of amazing sunglasses in the video (my favorite being the tortoise shell ones) and he has two or three button up shirts that have undone bow-ties, but they appear to be sewed or printed on the shirt! I also love the scene when he's on the tour bus, and he's wearing a military style white shirt with gold buttons and these really high fashion looking khaki kilt/skirt/shorts. So much detail clearly went into every aspect of the video, especially the fashion, so it's no wonder why I'm obsessed. 

Gangnam Style by zezaftig

Above, I created a Polyvore spread inspired by the video. My favorite items are the sequin short shorts from Top Shop, the Moschino tuxedo jacket via Net-a-porter, the neon yellow sneakers by Betsey Johnson, the resin necklace from Etsy, the Karen Walker sunglasses, the Miu Miu ruffled peplum top (genius!) and the equestrian print collared dress by Therapy. And I couldn't forget one of my favorite lip colors, Schiap by NARS (available at Sephora). If you click through, Polyvore will show you where to buy all of these lovely albums. So what do you think? Are you feeling "Gangnam Style" and PSY's crazy fashion?

#27 Namaste

I had a truly incredible inexperience this weekend... I got to go to my very first Indian Hindu/Christian wedding. The saris and the outfits: jaw dropping. You would not believe! I need to invest in a smaller camera to hide in my purse for fancier events (my giant Nikon wouldn't fit in a clutch!) so that I can take more photos to show you of the events I get to go to. Everyone from both sides of the family were so colorfully dressed and inclusive of everyone.

I had a blast dancing to Lil John and Indian pop, eating incredible Indian food and funfetti wedding cake, sipping on mango lassis, watching two bea-you-tee-ful ceremonies (Hindu and Christian), watching one of my favorite co-workers in a tradition Indian outfit riding in an Indian horse and carriage, and spending much of the day outside on one of the most beautiful days we've had all year, being a witness to two people uniting together who are very much in love. We definitely made some lifelong memories last night.

Although I wish I'd been able to wear a sari, I am pretty happy with this vintage reproductive dress I wore.

DRESS Alika Pencil Dress, Bettie Page Clothing | SHOES Leather Asymmetrical Wedges, Urban Outfitters | BRACELET Ribbon Crystal Bracelet, The Limited

I stole my hairstyle from a link on Little Chief Honey Bee's blog from the Oh So Pretty Diaries. Mine doesn't look is cute/neat in the picture, but for a 5 minute updo I'm pretty pleased with it. I also LOVE this dress! It comes in a pencil skirt and flared options, up to size 4X, and it also comes in red, black, navy, cream, and patterned. I definitely plan on getting another one, probably in navy or red. Gorgeous! One tip: the sleeves are pretty tight. If you have bigger arms like me, you might want to size up and then get it tailored if the rest of the body is too big.

Finally, I just want to say that a year ago I would have never worn this dress. You can definitely see my round belly in it and the sleeves really accentuate my bigger arms. After getting into plus sized fashion and reading so many beautiful blogs (special shout outs to Nicolette Mason, Gabi Gregg, Tiffany, Gazel, and Jay Miranda), I now have the confidence to wear what I want to wear, to shed self-hatred layer by layer, and I have learned to love myself more than I ever have, even when I was 50 lbs thinner. Thank you so much to all the bloggers out there, and for showing me what it really means to love yourself!

#24 Forget Me Not

Remember me? I'm still here... working my butt off. And I have really exciting news that I can't wait to share with you all in a few short weeks!

Back to fashion: I love florals. There's something about them that make me happy. Maybe it's because they scream spring, or because they remind me of a comfy old grandma couch. Two memories that bring a lot of joy. Either way, I'm really pleased that they're really trending in fashion lately. In fact, a lot of my favorite things have become trendy-- comfortable wedges and flatforms, neon colors, florals, lace, and maxi dresses. Clearly I'm so awesome, I'm ahead of the curve. Right... Now, on to the outfit!

TOP Floral Peplum Shirt, H&M | JEANS Classic Skinnies, Eloquii | SHOES All Caps Wedges, Jeffrey Campbell | WALLET/CLUTCH Mint Zip Wallet, UO

Sorry the photo quality isn't perfect. My amazing friend Ellie took them on her iPhone. I'm still amazed at the quality regardless. Oh, and lip color is Schiap by NARS. The lovely Nicolette Mason wears it a lot on her blog, too!

I love the peplum thing. This top is from H&M and they had so many tops like this... I also got it in solid kelly green and a navy top with red polka dots. That's how I roll: find one thing you like and get it in every color. I think it makes me look a little too busty but hell, I'm wearing what I wanna wear! I'm becoming quite a fan of Eloquii, too. I'm pretty pleased with the jeans I got. They're a little bit big and a little bit short on me (I'm about 5'7") but they're still great and really comfortable. I definitely plan to get them in more sizes and colors (and size down and get a bigger inseam). I only wish they had them in bright tropical colors and pastels! I'm drooling just thinking about it!

Another interesting development: I stumbled upon myself on Pinterest. There have been a lot of picture sharing of my outfits, especially this one in particular! It's pretty cool actually. It really built up my confidence to see that people liked my style. If you pinned me, thank you so much and thank you for giving me credit! Happy Spring, all!

#20 Dream Weaver

Long time, no outfit post! :) That's back-to-school life for me. And now that I'm no longer staying with my boyfriend, I rarely have an excellent photographer around. Thankfully, last weekend my friend Ellie and I shopped 'till we dropped, and luckily I was able to convince her to take a few shots of my outfit on top of the parking garage. Pardon the squinting... it was such a beautiful sunny day!

JACKET Rouched Sleeved Jacket, H&M | TOP Black Snakeskin Ballerina Tunic, Urban Outfitters | JEANS Black Skinny Jeans, Old Navy | SHOES Black Strappy Wedges, Target | NECKLACE Dream Catcher Necklace, Vintage | EARRINGS 7/16" Jade Plugs, Body Art Forms | PURSE Studded Metallic Clutch, Marc Jacobs

I love this necklace. It's such a huge statement piece and I think it really makes the outfit. I bought it at a vintage/thrift shop in New York City a few years ago. I rarely wear it, but ever since I've decided to try to wear more of what I own and buy less, it came back into my regular rotation. However, I always feel conflicted about "ethnic" pieces like these: is wearing them a celebration of a beautiful and rich culture, or simply exploiting an oppressed racial group? What do you think?

The wedges from Target are amazing, too. They are a blatant rip-off of Dolce Vita's wedges (which most likely are runway rip-offs), but they are so comfortable and only cost about $30. Sadly, as the weather seems to be getting cooler and cooler, this will probably be my last outfit post featuring open-toed shoes! On the other hand, I can't wait for fall fashion...

Finally, I really want to thank everyone who voted for me in the Talbots contest. Sadly, I didn't win, but I really appreciate everyone who took a few minutes out of their day to vote! Thank you so much!

#9 Brushstrokes

"The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity." -John F. Kennedy, Jr.

JFK was so eloquent. I love this quote because it puts such a positive spin on the negative-- very typical of JFK and one of the many reasons why so many people loved him-- and it has a little bit to do with my outfit today! I wore this dress covered in brushstrokes around Manhattan to study at the library, walk around Rockefeller Center, and eat some delicious Nonna Maria pizza at Bleeker Street Pizza! AMAZING!

DRESS Brushstroke Blouson Dress, ECI via Nordstroms | WEDGES Red Gladiator Platform Wedges, H&M | GLASSES Green Prescription Glasses, Vintage | BAG Zebra Print Hobo Bag, H&M

I absolutely LOVE this dress. If you like it too, they have some left in a size 12 and it's a bit large, especially in the bust, so it might fit a 14-16 (I'm wearing a 16). I salivated over it for weeks, but sadly, it was $150. Thanks to Nordstrom's amazing end of season sale, I picked it up eventually for only $88! I was so excited! I love the silk, the stretchy waist, the convenient but subtle front pockets, and the gorgeous colors. It looks great in the photo, but even better in person. I got a lot of approving nods and looks from some of NYC's stylish hipsters on the streets.

These are also my favorite wedges because they are so unique and bright. The red suede and the front zipper puts an awesome spin on the bandaged/gladiator wedge style. I picked them up at H&M last year and I seriously regret not getting them in black as well, as they are insanely comfortable and light. I walked around them all day, even carrying my heavy H&M zebra bag (pictured sitting on the bench) full of books, a laptop, and a large Nikon camera.

Praise the fashion gods for wedges, am I right!? They are so fashionable, yet comfortable. They give you the height to elongate your legs and sexify your outfit without the pain of stilettos or pumps. I love high-heeled shoes but I HATE to wear them. I can never walk in them and they make me feel uncomfortable, and being uncomfortable just sucks the confidence right out me. How about you? Are you able to walk in heels comfortably? And if so, will you teach me how!? :)