June 2017 – Page 3 – L'ensemble du jour

June 8, 2017 – Grey[pe?] (OOTD#39)

Published on June 8, 2017June 8, 2017 by lensembledujour19 Comments

Get it, like grape?

But it’s…it’s grey(pe). Because this outfit is has both grey and grape colors in it…

See, this is why I should never be allowed in front of a keyboard. I make terrible puns like this that have to be explained, and then probably aren’t even funny to begin with. Look, it’s hard coming up with even mildly clever blog post titles every day! I try 😅😂

Anyway, today’s outfit was built for comfort. I just started a new job at a local hardware store where I’m on my feet a lot, so I wanted to be my clothes were appropriate. Thankfully, I’m not doing any heavy lifting or hard labor, so I was still able to wear this comfy knit heather grey dress and a simple purple cardigan to keep things feminine, the colors from which, of course, I pulled the silly title for this blog. I remember the days two summers ago when I worked at a grocery store and I had to wear a uniform – I’m definitely not eager to go back to those ill-fitting khakis and that awful neon t-shirt!

Funny story about this little Coach scarf – I got it for my 12th birthday from my best friend from middle school. I have no idea if it’s really or not, though I have a suspicion it’s not, as I remember she went on a trip to New York (where, of course, the famed counterfeit heaven dubbed Chinatown exists) shortly before my party. I mean, what 12 year-old could actually afford a real Coach scarf? It means a lot to me regardless, as it reminds me of our friendship, and I haven’t seen her since I moved about a year after that birthday.

Haha, now that I think of it – this dress was a gift too. I got it from another middle school best friend (who, funnily enough, was actually introduced to me by the friend who gave me the Coach scarf!) when she got back from a trip to France. I guess the only part of my outfit that’s really my own is the sweater!

In the end, though, I’m very relieved to be back to working again. It’s not the most glamorous position in the world, but it’ll help pay my tuition, and that’s what really counts.

Oh, and if you have any clever-er blog title ideas for me, please leave a comment below! I love to hear feedback, especially from people who are funnier than me.

That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

Dress: BKS Girl

Scarf: Coach (maybe?)

Sweater: Ann Taylor LOFT

June 7, 2017 – Taking Pictures in Public Is Kinda Awkward (OOTD #38)

Published on June 7, 2017June 8, 2017 by lensembledujour10 Comments

It’s not easy being a fashion blogger.

First off, you don’t get paid, really, unless you have a huge following. That’s really not a big deal to me, because I love blogging whether I’m paid or not! It’s just a hobby for me that helps me de-stress.

My second complaint, though, is that it’s just really awkward taking pictures of your outfits in public.

Seriously, if you want to be a fashion blogger, be prepared for a lot of judgmental glances when you’re in public. I’m not tall or glamrorous-looking enough to pass for a professional model, and my photographer is usually just a friend or family member with an iPhone, so it must be weird to people when I’m standing at the mall posing like I’m Gigi Hadid.

My advice? Wear sunglasses. If they can’t see your eyes, their judgmental stares can’t hurt you!

For example, today I went to work with my mother, and I decided to do my photos at an old twisty staircase at the side of her office building. This was all fine and good, until someone decided to come down the stairs! It was a nurse from one of the medical offices that was in the building. It was definitely a weird encounter, but I just remind myself that the person will probably forget about the weird narcissistic teenager posing for photos within a few seconds and then go on with their life, and that thought usually makes me feel better.

On to today’s outfit: it was a fairly simple one at heart. A denim chambray shirt, slacks, and plain black booties. The fun here was in the teardrop-shaped rhinestone bedazzlements on my shirt and the emerald green of my pants. Sometimes, outfits don’t have to be complex to be cute.

That’s all for today! I’d like to give a huge thanks to the 125ish of you who have followed this blog in the last month; it really means a lot to me! ❤️

Shirt: Ann Taylor LOFT

Pants: Banana Republic

June 6, 2017 – Wearing a Sundress Under a Heavy Jacket Makes This Outfit Seasonally Appropriate, Right? (OOTD #37)

Published on June 6, 2017June 6, 2017 by lensembledujour9 Comments

I’ve said this before, but the weather is really not the most important factor when I’m considering what to wear. FullSizeRender 54.jpg

So what it’s 80 degrees out and humid in Kentucky today? I live in an air conditioned building! We as humans have evolved beyond bowing to the will of Mother Nature!

FullSizeRender 52.jpg *Cue image of a hurricane blowing away a building*

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So the truth is, I picked out this outfit about two months ago, when I was still in school, and for one reason or another, I never actually got around to wearing it. Thus, it sat in my closet, lonely and unworn, until school ended and summer began and it was no longer seasonally appropriate. It’s not that warm, actually, like I mention in the title, I am wearing a thin sundress underneath. Then again, I did layer a knit hoodie and a thick black blazer over top, so it also wasn’t the most comfortable standing outside in the sun doing this shoot for today either.

FullSizeRender 53.jpg

In short, once I was done taking these photos, I stripped down to just the sundress.

What do you think? Do you ever wear outfits for the sake of fashion, even if they’re not the most appropriate for the season? I’ve definitely worn my fair share of sweaters in the summer and shorts in the winter, and to me, the discomfort is worth it. I definitely get it if you don’t agree though!

Jacket: Banana Republic

Sweater: Altar’d State

Dress: American Eagle FullSizeRender 51.jpg FullSizeRender 55.jpg FullSizeRender 48.jpg

June 5, 2017 – Bardstown in Black (OOTD #36)

Published on June 5, 2017June 5, 2017 by lensembledujour14 Comments

Kentucky’s a pretty cool state.

I do still find it hard to consider myself a true Kentuckian, though I’ve spent almost all of my life here – all 18 years of it, actually, excluding the 8 months that I spent as a baby in China. My father’s a true New Jersey guy and my mother’s from Chicago, so none of us have ever truly fit in to the southern lifestyle. Still, while Kentucky’s a little on the boring side, it has its merits. It’s always been my dream to move to a big city like New York, but I do rather like the small town feel that Kentucky’s got.

While I live in one of Kentucky’s biggest cities (though I usually think of it as more of a really large college town rather than the small city it touts itself as), it is pretty cool to go in to visit one of small country towns. Today, my family and I headed into Bardstown, KY, at the request of my visiting uncle and cousin from New Jersey. They’re both super into vintage stuff, so we figured this was a pretty nice place to get lunch and do some antique shopping.

And it really was. We had lunch at this really cute burger place, and spend the rest of the afternoon wandering in and out of the little boutiques and consignment shops that lined Bardstown’s downtown Main St. area. I didn’t find anything I really wanted (except for a cute little Burberry sweater in a second-hand shop for $100; sadly, it had a tear that wasn’t going to be easy to fix), but I think my uncle and cousin enjoyed themselves.

Today’s outfit was actually inspired by my uncle’s style, funnily enough. I wish I had some pictures of him – he’s a really interesting dude. He’s into hot rods, skeletons, local bands, and likes to wear workers’ shirts with random people’s names on it. Though I don’t have any shirts that label me as a Jerry or an Andres, I do have these fun hair clips that look like skeleton hands. I paired them with a black sweater with detailing on the neckline, maroon pants with detailing down the legs, and, for extra detail, I added a black velvet choker.

(Look, writing is hard sometimes, especially trying to avoid sounding repetitive)

And apparently, my uncle liked it because he said I looked cool, in particular the skeleton hair clips.

Sweater: Francesca’s

Pants: Ann Taylor LOFT

Shoes: Converse

That’s it for today! Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

June 2, 2017 – Not Quite Pastel Grunge (OOTD #35)

Published on June 2, 2017June 3, 2017 by lensembledujour15 Comments

I’ve always liked the concept of pastel grunge.

Ever since I was 12, setting up my first Tumblr and Pinterest accounts and getting into the world of Internet fashion, I found that the concept of pastel grunge was glamorous. It was such a fascinating concept – blending the soft, feminine look of pastels with the hard, dark look of grunge. Though I like not to associate myself with any particular style (it’s no fun being only a “preppy” style blog, or just a “hipster” blog; why put those limitations on yourself?), pastel grunge is probably up there with my favorites.

So today’s outfit is inspired with my middle school obsession with pastel grunge, which, by the way, I never got to fully embrace, as middle school for me was spent wearing exclusively Abercrombie and Aeropostale – no other brands were socially acceptable. I called it “not so” pastel grunge, though, as I figured it wasn’t quite a Tumblr-level quality of the aesthetic, as I lack the Doc Martens or flower crown that is necessary for the look.

But what I lacked in flower crowns and Doc Martens I made up for in floral skirts and layered chokers! Today’s outfit was all about the accessories, as without the high-neck black lace bralette peaking under the pink sweater, the layered choker worthy of a Hot Topic employee, and the black booties, it would be a pretty vanilla outfit. But that’s what pastel grunge is all about – making a soft look more edgy.

Today’s outfit was also rather focused on comfort, as I spent my day resting at home recovering from the accident and waiting for a refrigerator repairman to show up. My neck is still sore, but in all honesty, I was expecting much worse for the second day. People always say the days after a car wreck are the worst in terms of soreness. All I feel is some achy bones and a minor headache, as if I got a really terrible night of sleep on the floor.

That’s it for today – it was a pretty uneventful day, with very little to report. I hope you enjoyed the outfit, and I’ll see you in the next one!

Sweater: Altar’d State

Chokers: Hot Topic (I wasn’t kidding about them being worthy of a Hot Topic employee!)

Skirt: Aeropostale

Bralette: Aerie

June 1, 2017 – What to Wear When Your Crash Your Father’s Car (OOTD #34)

Published on June 1, 2017June 1, 2017 by lensembledujour10 Comments

I don’t mean that title ironically, folks.

Though I wish I did. Yeah…so I had an interesting phone call or two to make today. Long story short, I was involved in a car crash this morning while I was headed into Louisville for Lexington. It was a scary experience, but thankfully, I’m alright.

The car’s definitely not though 😅. I can’t really go into any details here, of course, but let’s just say I’ve had better days. Though, in truth, as car crashes go, it was about one of the best car crashes to have. I got out of the car with nothing but a minor burn on my hand and some whiplash, which is, as I understand with car crashes, something to be very thankful for.

So instead of heading into Louisville, as I had planned (and as I had dressed up for), I ended up spending about half of my day sitting in the Emergency Room, as the doctors wanted to make sure I was alright and hadn’t suffered anything more serious, talking with the insurance company, and the second half sitting in bed watching YouTube videos and doing some work on the computer. In particular, I watched Shrek 2, which is a much cleverer movie than I remembered.

Anyway, outfit – sadly, this ensemble didn’t get much visibility today, unless you count EMTs, cops, firefighters, and a few kind people who stopped on the road to help. Which is really too bad, because it’s a pretty cute outfit. This faux suede skirt from Abercrombie is probably one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe, as it instantly makes any outfit more trendy and more classy. I paired it with this fun mesh top with a twisted pattern along the chest, mixing both sheer and opaque fabrics for a look that’s just a touch sexy (oh, and btw, that’s a nude bra underneath to keep things modest). To finish it all off, I matched some camel-colored suede booties to my skirt and felt like I was ready for a very stylish day.

Whoops.

But okay, who am I kidding? I can’t complain about my cute outfit being seen; I’m alive, and that concept’s actually quite exciting to me at the moment.

Welp, thanks for reading! Sorry if today’s post sounded a bit like a downer, I’ll try to be a bit more chipper in the next one. In fact, there’s a lot to be chipper about in terms of this blog – I’ve seen a huge increase in page views the last few week, and of course, it’s due to all of you wonderful readers. See you in the next one!

Shirt: Unknown. It’s got no tag, sadly

Skirt: Abercrombie

And don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com