Monday, November 25, 2013

Catching Fire

Here is my personal wardrobe application for a Catching Fire outfit. Anything involving Alexander McQueen and Rebecca Minkoff has me from hello. Here's to the best movie I have seen in a long time.

Catching Fire



Alexander McQueen platform sandals
alexandermcqueen.com



Diamond jewelry
marissacollections.com


Cuff bracelet
hottopic.com


Happy Styling! & May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor! 

Till Next Time!
Xoxo
-The Retro Girl 





Be a Part of The Love Club

Recently I have been having this mad obsession over Lorde. I heard her hit "Royals" months ago and of course  fell in love, but this weekend I happened to purchase her EP The Love Club, as well her new album, Pure Heroine. Let's just say, she is the inspiration to this weeks style diary and I have no regrets about that. 


This week was filled with so much driving! Although I am on a small island, you'd be amazed the miles I happened to travel this week. Whether it was a run-away morning to the fabric store in Pearl City to get the finishing touches for my latest dress creation (I will blog about that soon!!), an emergency trip to Starbucks, the Midnight premier of the Hunger Games (my life is forever change), and the necessary gelato breaks in Honolulu, I had plenty of time to soak in Lorde's new tunes while on the road.



My inspiration for this outfit came from the song "The Love Club" on her first EP. It says, "Be a part of the love club, everything will glow for you. Go get punched for the love club, for the love club" and I felt like this outfit was the perfect combination of "glow" and "punch" or my interpretation being rough and romantic. 



I chose to start my outfit with my Forever 21 Printed Pencil Skirt and add my Fushia Peplum Blouse from American Eagle Outfitters. I first added a Banana Republic Black Sweater but felt it was a little to professional looking for a Sunday Morning look and decided to add an American Eagle Outfitters Denim Jacket to create more of rough appeal. I added Black Wedges from The Loft and an Ann Taylor Navy and Gold statement necklace. I did a simple side bun and wore my square diamond earrings. 


I felt like this was the perfect Sunday outfit, although I did hate all the layers in this hot weather. It the perfect combination of romantics and roughness. The moment I got my black wedges from Loft, I  have found myself wanting to add them to every outfit and this has to be one of my favorite. (Thanks Mom, you always find the best shoes)


Who knew outfit inspiration could come from my latest album obsession?! But that is the funny thing about fashion, it is not just clothes, it is a lifestyle. The way you dress says what kind of person you are, your mood, your outlook on life, and much more. Putting my daily inspirations into my outfits has become second nature to me and I hope all can master this. Most of us do not even realize how every aspect of our lives affects our personal style. This week try and channel your inspirations into your outfits.


Look for inspiration all around and apply it to this weeks outfits. Change things up, be you, and rock that look you've been dying to try. 

Till Next Time!
Xoxo
-The Retro Girl 

Monday, November 18, 2013

Nomadic Melodies-Artist on the Rise

Chloe Bray- A college freshman who has an impeccable talent for song writing. I had the privilege of meeting Miss Bray a few summers back and she wowed me with her ability to entertain. Although the girl I witnessed on stage was a naive fifteen year old, Chloe has managed to make her dreams happen with her new EP release, Nomadic Melodies. I have followed Chloe via youtube (@CandO103) and have seen her grow and expand her music. I had the opportunity to interview Chloe and let you all get to a little about this up and coming artist.



Q: Tell me a little about yourself
A: "Im 18 years old and currently a student. My friends make fun of me cause I am listening to music almost 24/7. (mostly indie, alternative, singer songwriter, folk, some chill wave, and classics like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday) I am very extroverted at times but also can be very introverted. I love going out with friends, playing pranks, and laughing until our stomachs hurt…but I can also sit with a good book and a cup of herbal tea for hours. I would consider myself a good cook but am a terrible baker. I absolutely love meeting new people and making new friends. I am pretty free spirited but also kind of an old soul at the same time."

Q: When did you first start song writing and performing?
A: "I wrote my first song when I was 11 years old. It was by no means a super impressive song, but it was funny because my mom didn't believe that I had written it. She didn't officially believe that I had completely written a song on my own until I wrote my second song and showed her."

Q: What was your inspiration behind your recent EP Nomadic Melodies?
A: "(Don't read this mom and dad), no just kidding. Its actually a funny story. I had gotten in trouble or gotten in some argument with my parents and they had grounded me for the weekend. Thats when I wrote Nomadic Melodies. A lot of my songs have a small bit of truth or story behind them, I just greatly exaggerate events or emotions that happen in the songs to create a story. I took the emotion that I was feeling at that time, enhanced it, and ran with it to create the idea of someone that finds happiness in freedom. My parents always mess around with me like 'See! It was good that we grounded you because you wrote that song!' "

Q: If you could perform a duet with any artist, who would it be and why?
A: "Ah man, this is such a hard question to answer. Probably Matt Corby. He is such an amazing and timeless musician. The combination of his voice, lyrics, and melodies are so impressive to me. I also am a huge Sufjan Stevens fan. It would be so fun to collab with him and see what kind of stuff we could come up with. He is a prime example of someone who stays true to who they are as an artist."

Q: What is your favorite current fall trend?
A: "I love love dark maroon or plum lipsticks. It is such a fun way to make any outfit that much more dynamic."

Q: What advice would you give to young artists looking to succeed in the entertainment industry?
  A: "A lot of people think success means molding yourself to what the buyer wants, or what the label wants. If you truly stick to your style and music, people will listen. I believe that all people appreciate good music, some people just don't know how to find it. Don't think that you have to change to be successful! stay true to who you are as an artist. People will respond positively."

Q: What lead you to the success you are now receiving with your recent EP release?
A: "It is seriously so humbling to see the response that I have had, because I really didn't know what to expect with the release of my first EP. I have to first and foremost contribute a majority of the success to all of my YouTube channel viewers. They are seriously so awesome and have been following since day 1 when I was a little awkward 13 year old. Also, Instagram has been a great way to get the word out that I released it. ( @chloe_bray_ ). I think that people like songs that they can relate to. A lot of my songs have room for interpretation, so people can find a little bit of themselves in each song."


Q: When did your career really start to take off and lead you to the release of this EP? What moment changed everything?
A: "Coming to college, everyone starts figuring out what they want to do for a career and starts working toward that. I had put off actively working on a career in music because I felt that I wouldn't be taken as seriously as a songwriter if I was a young teenager. Also, it has been a process really finding who I am, and what my style is as an artist. It has definitely changed over the years as I have gotten older.  I feel like I have reached that point where I have found my identity as an artist and am ready to pursue it! As I see everyone around me beginning to work towards a career I have really felt that fueling desire to start getting things going with my music and trying to expand my experience as a songwriter."




It has been such a pleasure to know Chloe and I hope you all can check out her new EP release on iTunes, Nomadic Melodies.

Till Next Time!
Xoxo
-The Retro Girl 

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Vibrant Rains

After a long week of essay writings and analytical thoughts, I was much looking forward to a classy weekend in Downtown Honolulu. A few weekends ago, we spotted a cute little theater in the Capital District of the city where the palm trees were covered in lights and starbucks were common. (Much better than the desolate North Shore views I am used to). We spent the afternoon shopping and walking around in the "delightful" rainstorm that had been upon us the majority of the day. But we had our Pumpkin steamers in hand to keep us warm and the hottest retail to soothe our souls. 


When planning my outfit I wanted to go with something that was a little warmer due all of the rain, yet fun and flirty. I wanted sophisticated while keeping my adolescent charm. I chose to go with my drop waist Gap dress that is a mid-tone pink with floral detail. I love this dress! You can dress it up or play it down for any occasion. I chose to add a brown statement belt and a printed American Eagle Outfitters infinity scarf. I added my Nine West floral satchel and my BareTrap gladiator sandals from Macy's.





I felt as though this was the perfect outfit for the "Upper East Side" of Honolulu. Hawaii's style is very relaxed and I feel as though this outfit lets me show my fashionista side while keeping the calm Hawaiian vibes present.


These rains might have intended to bring down all around but I decided to put on some bright colors and appreciate nature's lovin'. 

Till Next Time
Xoxo
-The Retro Girl