I woke up and decided that it was the day: the day for me to wear me.
Definition of me: cheetah print and sequins
A while back, I took a trip to the Outlet mall. When I was back in the car, I tallied up my savings. Yes, homegirl spent $60 on $200 worth of clothing. Thank you, thank you. (*I take a bow and blow kisses to admiring fans*)
I greeted my roommate with prices and brand names. “You’re such a brand-o,” she playfully retorted. What did she call me? A BRAND-O? A BRAND-O? “What’s a brand-o?” (I hadn’t actually caught on to what the word meant.)
Definition of brand-o: Someone who likes name brand clothing.
I will admit I’m a brand-o. This is what happens when you read Teen Vogue and Lucky as a child AND you have a stereotypical shopping-loving-Asian-mother.
So going back to the definition of me…I’ve decided to share some of my favorite items from my closet.
Okay, so this is my face, yes—but it’s also the outfit completer: lipstick. One of my top ten beliefs in life is this: lipstick is magic. It’s better than Harry Potter and Voldemort combined. Why is this? If your hair is messy, but you are wearing lipstick, you can pull off the messy hair look. If your outfit is made of neutrals, lipstick gives it a pop of color and makes life more interesting. Lipstick is a beautiful thing. In this photo I’m wearing Maybelline 695 Divine Wine Matte. It’s divine. Let me tell you. I wear it, and I feel confident about life.
That beautiful Express cheetah print shirt I’m wearing is something I just couldn’t help but blow a few Alexander Hamiltons on. It’s a 100% polyester, lightweight dress shirt that you can dress up or down. The sleeves can be rolled up and buttoned for a 90s-reminiscent-Parent-Trap-Chessy look. You can wear them longer at 3/4 length or button them up higher, putting them right below the elbow. Because of its lightweight feel, you can wear it during any season. Plus, it’s cheetah, and cheetah can be worn year-round. Fierce is always an appropriate look.
On top, I’m wearing an Aritzia knee-length Italian virgin wool and cashmere blend coat. It’s single-buttoned with a hood (that may or may not make me look like a Jedi—depending on who you ask or what your idea of a Jedi is). It’s soft to the touch and makes anyone who wears it look like they’ve stepped out of a cute Asian photoshoot. It’s dry-clean only (obviously) and will never go out of style.
Now, concerning my lower half, let’s just say that I don’t believe that a statement piece ever has to be singular. I’m pretty sure I’m wearing at least three in this outfit.
Something I will never part with: my The Limited black sequin pencil skirt. If we’re being honest, I’ll probably be sporting this thing when I’m well into my sixties. Black never goes out of style and neither do sequins (in my book at least). Often it’s not surprising when a sequins-ed article of clothing loses a sequin or two. This skirt: never lost even one. It’s an elastic waistband that lets you wear it as short or as long as you want. It has just enough stretch in it to make yo’ booty look good, but not so much that you can’t walk.You can wear it with a pattern (because black is a neutral) like a dressy floral, or dress it down with a colorful flannel. Either way, it makes you look good.
Those tights. Yes, more cheetah. Old Navy always knows how to bring me joy. Here’s another thing I believe in: you can wear black with texture/pattern as a neutral. Sure, I have a lot of cheetah happening up top, but the cheetah on my legs is a neutral. I like to take what other people consider “risks.”
Then finally, those beautiful boots on my feet were made by the wonderful Steve Madden. Not only are these beautiful, but they keep your feet nice and warm. They are lined with a soft, furry interior that keeps your toes nice and toasty. The laces and buckle are just for aesthetics because there’s a zipper on the side (but that’s what makes them so cute—it’s like having accessories on your boots). A really classy feature to these boots is the slight ombre of 65% cocoa chocolate brown to a 45% cocoa chocolate brown from the toe of the boot up. It’s a nice touch that allows you to wear these boots with jeans or a dress (whatever floats your boat). I love them.
And that concludes my harping about beautiful brand name clothing. Yes, I admit it. Yes, I own it. I am a brand-o.
More Jesse King 