Lala's Style of the Day

• Striped baby doll tunic top: $10 express
• High waisted shorts of fury once again!
• my "firefighter" jacket: Proenza Schouler for target, $10
• Black tights: $1.50 old navy
• Scarf: gift from friend
• Ribbon from hair: scrap fabric
• THE COOLEST BOOTS IN THE WORLD: $4, local thrift. They're a little squishy for my wide feet, but I will endure the pain just to wear these beauties.

Lala's Style of the Day

• Urban renewal secretary dress: $5, UO outlet
• Beaded vest: $3.99 thank you mart
• Torquoise tights: $1.50 local thrift
• Purple wedged mocassins: $4, Loehmanns

The Girl in Pink: Cocktail Conundrum solved!

I'm glad to report that my cocktail attire was a success. Okay, maybe it wasn't that cool of an outfit for a typical LA nightlife look, but I loved it and me loving is all the matters and all the counts when I determine something to be a success or not. No awkward stares is also a minor element that I usually factor into account as well. As you know, if you read the past "Style of the Day", the pink dress and black tights combination was the winner. I must also say thanks for all your wonderful comments and suggestions!

When I met up with other the other "Belles" (this is what we club members call each other) they complimented my dress and then said something like "Oh you wore color!?". I didn't know if it intended as a question or an excited statement, hence the question mark and the exclamation mark. One of the girls was like, "Whenever I see 'Cocktail attire' I automatically think black!" And then I thought, "Whenever I see 'Cocktail attire' I think I want to puke." Kidding. It wasn't that bad. Another belle joined us and thanked me for wearing color because she was wearing color as well, but hers was a more subdued purple that could never beat my really pink Pepto-Bismol-but-yummier thrifted dress. I was the only girl in pink that night. I like to think that I was a ray of light amongst the sea of black and darks.

We got to the club, Social Hollywood, and it was AMAZING. I did bring my camera, but I didn't take any pictures because I was stupid and busy. But it was more of I was stupid. The place is huge and looked so much better than the tiny pictures I saw on their website. The dining area's deco was beautiful. It looked like a wedding banquet for rich white folks except cooler because it was set in the colors of red and black. I did manage to find some pictures of the place online.


Apparently, this swanky club is rather popular because when I google image searched, celebrities faces popped up. Now I can say I know celebrities indirectly. Yeah. right.

My duty as a 'belle' basically included plastering a big ole fake smile at every guest coming up the stairs, setting up the candles, filling goody bags with bagels and shirts (a rather old gift bag if you ask me), and standing for an hour manning the raffle ticket booth. The guests were funny...I mean FUNNY. Most of the guests were rich white people which makes sense this is a charity event and who better to invite to a charity event than rich white folks? Some wore fur coats which made me want to yell "Animal KILLER" out towards them but then I thought better of it. These ladies had some blinged out glasses as well. Their frames were basically encrusted with crystals that good feed a third-world child for a year. I also played the game with myself called 'WHO HAS HAD PLASTIC SURGERY?' which entailed staring at the ladies botoxed and face-lifted faces. Once again, funnayyy. What was also funny was when the guests were drunk and acted like fools. Don't tell me you wouldn't laugh. Drunk fools will make anyone laugh.

The night was rather cool for us belles as well because we actually got to sat at one of the tables and watched a "Cirque-deSolei" inspired performance where acrobats danced in the air. We only got to sit with the other guests because the Union Bank guests didn't show, so we took their spots. At first I thought were were just going to sit there, but then the waiters started to actually serve us food. Sweet. Except I had just eaten two slices of pizza a few hours ago. But free fancy food will make me want to eat no matter what. I wasn't quite sure if we were suppose to eat because according to the Belles handbook we are not suppose to accept free food. We justified ourselves by saying that a) the guy in charge told us too and b) we don't want to waste food when kids in Africa are starving. I feel better now. I wasn't even feeling that guilty to begin with, I was just enjoying the benefits of volunteering at events like these.

In the end, I did get some free swag. I got a gift bag. I was going to take too, but the president of the club told me I had to put it back. My sneaky skills must have been turned off because I should have stuffed the bags more carefully. Other girls got away with it. I also stole some delicious cookies that make me feel that I need to go on a giant gym overdose which I will do. Tomorrow.

So this is me and my swag:

The ladies did not look like this and did not wear like that and the place did not look like that, but the spirit and the meaning is what counts. I'm not quite sure if you understand what I just said, but if you do, you are awesome because you can understand me and that in itself is the greatest accomplishment in the world.

Lala's Style of the Weekend

SATURDAY MORNING:



Random mish-mash of clothing threw on together in a hurry.

• Bohemian black blouse: $1.50 st. vinnies
• Green shorts: libertine for target, $6.50
• striped tights: 0.50 claires
• bootays: 7.50 local thrift
• tote bag: $25 nordstrom rack

SATURDAY EVENING:

Dress number 1 with black tights was my pick for the cocktail attire evening. One of the buttons fell off five minutes before I had to leave. My quick hands saved my life. Thank you quick hands. You are amazing.

• Dress: $3.75 st. vinnies
• Black tights: $1.50 old navy
• Kenneth Cole flats: $10 DSW
• Black purse borrowed from Bacne. Thanks bacne!
• Hair clip from art teacher.

TODAY:

I got lazy and rewore the same top. The same top in two consecutive days? Oh no! No. Oh yes! It saves laundry work.

• Top
• Shorts: $2 UO outlet
• Belt from my mom
• Leopard flats; $10 target
  

Cocktail Conundrum

Yet again I am stuck at another fashion quandry and this time it is formal wear - cocktail attire. I think my last fashion dilemma with business casual went fairly smoothly, I did get into the club and they did not, thankfully, have anything to say about my sunshine outfit. It so happens that this event is for the club that I got into. So yes, a cocktail dress for a charity event held in a club in Hollywood is required tomorrow night. I'm not actually "attending" this even, I'm more of a hostess/set up/ slave to rich white folks person. The charity event is of dinner, a dance, a silent and live auction and a casino night, Sounds exciting and I am excited, but once again finding something to wear poses the problem.

I was never and still not good with so called "dress codes". Things with labels just scare me. "Business casual" nearly gave me a panic attack and now this "cocktail" shindig might just induce my second stroke. Imagine what will happen to me when the words "semi-formal" appear!

Usually, I am confident in whatever wacky concoction I come up with for my "Style of the Day", but when it comes to a dress code I get all tense. I call it dresscodephobia. In order to help myself out a bit, I went on to good ole google and basically found things that did not help. Most sites said for women a dress, usually not floor length hem. Now this simply is not true. There are so many styles and variations of dresses out there that I would never think of as "Cocktail" attire. I eventually found an answer from above (or more like my Internet search engine) when I stumbled upon "California Cocktail" attire.

According to "Wiki Answers" :

California cocktail attire is a bit more relaxed than regular "cocktail attire". Generally cocktail attire would be considered a little black dress. However, California cocktail could be a pretty floral dress or a nice pants out fit. Since our weather is warmer and we spend more time outdoors all year around, we dress a little more casual than most.

For most people, the Little Black dress is the tried and true dress when it comes to any occasion, especially the Cocktail party. Now seeing as I don't have that perfect LBD, that was basically out of the question. I have nothing that formal in my college closet and I was planning on doing some shopping today but I picked sitting on my butt while talking to Bacne much more worth it. I also spent my time doing virtual shopping which is completely useless seeing as how this event is tomorrow.

I found these affordable gems over at Forever 21. $11 for that dress! Man, I should have just hit the nearest mall and got that.

If a little more creative and unique is what you are going for, these are some lovely pieces over at the overpriced hipster haven that is Urban Outfitters.

Browsing through my closet this afternoon as revealed a few things that I already knew.
A. I have a lot of clothing.

B. I have a lot of dresses.

C. But I have no "cocktail-esque" stuff.

I was basically left with three choices after analyzing what I did have. The first contender is a pink dress that I blogged about in a past post from St. Vinnies. Number two is a black bubble hemmed Polyester pilling fuzz ball of dress for way cheap from Kohls. And finally the last contestant is a polka dotted/floral dress I bought in a small boutique that doesn't quite feel very night time.

#1 with black tights

#1 without black tights

#2

#3 plus goofy smile.

I'm probably going to go with #1. Or maybe #2. Or I'll just go naked. I could always say that someone made my a special cocktail dress and if they look at me weird I can say that the person who made it for me also made the Emperors new dress so they must be good.

Man. I better get some free swag.

Lala's Style of the Day

• White mexican blouse: $1 rummage sale
• "Teen club" jumper: $4 local thrift
• White tights: 99 cent store
• Belt: The Limited $1.50
• Scarf: 0.50 st. vinnies
• Cardigan: 0.50 rummage sale
• Leather messenger bag: taken from mom
• Steve Madden wedges: $15 loehmanns
• Hair little buddha style (or at least I tried): inspired by fashaholic :)

My day was going good. I dressed like a Holland girl/ Disneyland Frontier Land employee/ Daughters of the Revolution get up. Some random person even yelled "Harajuku girl" in a non-positive way which I WAS NOT. Douche bag. I got to go see a campus Day of the Dead show. But then I got my psych grade like five minutes ago and basically an atomic bomb just dropped down onto my happiness and desecrated everything in sight.

Wonderful.

Lala's Style of the Day

Happy HALLOWEEN folks!

I thought I could pull off a "Salvador Dali Muse" costume (ie. the lobster, the mustache face and the ants), but I don't think people could get it, so I dressed up as "myself".

• Dress: 0.50 local thrift
• Yellow tights: 1.00 local thrift
• Ants belt: LalaLiu Designs, made by me
• Mustache face necklace: made by me
• Lobster Headband: made by me
• Red flats: $5 downtown LA