♪ Kids See Ghosts - 4th Dimension ♪

It's been a long time since I last spoke to you. That's partly because the 4th year of Med School came with a whole other level of responsibility, and the summer finals I just finished were particularly difficult. But another big part played the fact that time spent researching fashion was downgraded on my list. 2018 has been so far the year my mindset and priorities shifted dramatically. With everything that's going on in our world right now, I chose to spend my spare time reading history and politics books. 

Still, when I was through with my finals, I obviously craved the summer sales and although I got there 4 days late, I was lucky enough to find some really cool items for my summer holiday (more on that in a future post). One dress really caught my eye- a black flapper dress! I loved it so much, because you might remember about my obsession with F. Scott Fitzgerald's work and the fact that "The Great Gatsby" is always going to be in my top books list. I wanted to buy it so hard, but I really had to prioritize my budget and I already have a lot of black dresses in my closet. 

But when I got home I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I had a thought- are there online stores which sell flapper dresses? I discovered Wardrobe Shop and although I would wear all those flapper dresses to a theme party, one dress really caught my eye and I really had to show it to you as well. You can see it in the collage above or find it here. I literally gasped when I first saw it- first of all- it's white& long, I instantly thought bride material! Secondly, it was like all my fashion knowledge rushed back and I could see the influence of three major designers- the front- Elie Saab, the back- Ricardo Tisci when he was at Givenchy, Miuccia Prada for the twenties vibes she channeled when she designed "The Great Gatsby" costumes. I literally can't explain how much I love it , I'm basically looking for a special occasion so I can have an excuse to buy it- but I still have 2 years of Med School left, so no formal dance for me any time soon haha.

Over the years, we have debated a lot on this blog about weddings: the right dress, where to find a cool bridesmaid dress, the perfect hairstyle and yet I seem to have missed one important thing...can you guess it? I was talking to a friend the other day about the comedies I've watched lately and I couldn't help but wonder if the engagement party is a big deal for most brides, like American movies seem to indicate. This led me, of course, to the question: What does the future bride wear? I started to play around in Polyvore, looking for dresses which would be right for an engagement party , taking in consideration different personalities and then it hit me: the outfit has to make THE RING stand out. 

That's right, we never discussed the ring. Maybe it's because women are not the ones who choose it. I suddenly became really curious if one could order an engagement ring online. It turns out it's a really popular option nowadays and one affordable brand got my heart! You know I love shopping online and discovering new sites. I love to read about their story, go through most of their online stock, search for its presence in the social media etc. Jeulia is the brand I discovered, and its story is so sweet and sincere: the owners were classmates in college and lovers. They both dreamed of opening a jewelry store and when they graduated they promised each other that when their dream would come true, they would finally marry. The husband thought of the name "Jeulia" because his wife is named Jolie (and let's face it, it's also a great reference to jewelry!). I just melted when I read their story, and I fell in love even more with their engagement rings!

The Jeulia rings are stunning, and they come in so many different styles and colors! I have to confess I never saw a black diamond engagement ring before, I honestly think they're so cool, which is why I had to include my favorite in one of the collages I made (for the "Punk Rock bride"). Although they are known for their engagement rings, they have expanded in both in necklaces and bracelets areas (the EKG golden chain is so rad!).

So, let's talk about four different styles of engagement outfits and about their matching rings, of course:

Photo Credit: Cristian Alexandrescu Photography

Although I had one major exam this week and I still have another coming up on Tuesday, I decided to take a break from the exhausting life as a highschool student in her final year. Therefore, I'm in my favourite city in the world (sorry Paris, I love you, but I wouldn't be able to live as a Parisian!): Iași. There is a certain serenity and peace here. Whenever I feel lost, sad or have a writer's block, I feel the urge to visit this beautiful city. The truly exciting part is that if I get admitted into the university I want, I will live here. 

Most of the times, I dream and make plans about moving. But I just came across these beautiful pictures Cristi took of me a couple of weeks ago in my little city and I'm thinking: will I ever be able to do this? I know this is the most natural thing that comes with growing up: moving. But for me this change also means staying away from most of my friends, because they will attend universities in other cities (and even countries!). I'm conflicted: on one hand, as I'm looking through the window right now in Iasi I'm thinking: "Yes! I want to live my whole life here!" , and on the other hand, as I'm looking at these photos I wonder how will I be able to keep in touch with some people who are really important in my life (especially mom & dad, I can't imagine waking up and not finding them in the house). I guess in the end I have to accept these major changes and hope that I will make new friends in this beautiful city while still reconnecting with my highschool mates.

Oh well, I still have three full months left until that turning point, so let's talk about fashion ( cause this is what the blog's about, right?). I may haven't had time to post outfit photos this winter, but I will tell you what I wore mostly: SWEATER DRESSES. So comfy while still tight, they always keep you warm, they go great with boots: what not to love? My favourite one is from Zara ( you may have seen it on my Instagram) and as spring arrived I was sad I couldn't wear it anymore. My mom surprised me and got me another sweater dress , the one I am wearing in this post, only the fabric is lighter and it has these cool epaulettes. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to shoot it properly because of the texture of the fabric: you know when people wear small stripes on TV? That's how awful my dress looked in photos taken from distance. Therefore, I leave you with a few portraits so you can at least see the details:

One of the things I love about blogging is the fact that after I post something me and my friends create a whole chat offline about it. Therefore, after my recent post about bridesmaid dresses, we started talking about how much should this kind of dress cost, as you're paying for it. We came to the conclusion it's worth to opt for cheap bridesmaids dresses, especially since there's a big selection on the Internet. One thing led to another and we ended up talking about how much should the bride spend on her dress. 

Being a fan of "Say yes to the dress" show back when I was younger, I noticed how brides who had a 2000$ budget could barely find their dream dress, so I got the idea that you should have some money put aside for your big day. One of my best friends think you should have even the double, because it's an unique day and you want to cherish its memory forever. Others think you can use the money in a better way and spend it on your honeymoon, so both you and your soulmate can benefit (or buy some Louboutin shoes you can wear also after the wedding, the options are endless).

In the end, we all agreed there should be a cutback on the wedding dress budget, but how big? I started searching out of curiosity online and I found some incredibly cheap wedding dresses  at DressDressy that I included in the sets in this post: I just can't believe they're under 300$ (hello, you can't even buy a designer bag at this price!). Where have I been living in this past few years, thinking that you should have at least 3K put aside for your dream wedding dress? That's the great thing about internet, you never know what marvel you may come across!

How do you feel about wedding dresses: would you recycle your mom's dress, buy one on sale or go completely over the top and choose an expensive designer one?

♪ Gotye- Heart's a mess ♪

I've blogged about weddings and the perfect dress to wear on your special day many times before. But what I've forgot to question is bridesmaid duty! It crossed my mind recently, since I'm finishing highschool and all of my best friends will attend university in different cities.Will we be able to keep in touch? Will we still feel the same connection, that strong that when the time comes we would ask each other to be a bridesmaid? Obviously, this issue has been illustrated with humour in a douzen of famous comedies, like Bridesmaids, Bachelorette or my favourite, 27 dresses (this made me particularly emotional).

I get all nervous only when I think about how me and my friends are going to look in 10 years, let alone the idea of one of us getting married. Still, there is still one bright aspect about it: the outfit. Most bridesmaids dread it, then there is also the issue of color: should the maid of honour pull a Pippa Middleton and wear white at the ceremony? What about the lenght? While searching online, I have found an amazing selection of  2014 bridesmaid dresses at MillyBridalShop. They have all sorts of designs, which come in all sorts of colours. My favourites are the one shown in the first set, which I would describe 'urban ballerina' style and the one with a single shoulder strap- so chic and elegant!

Now- how to accessorize a bridesmaids outfit?

Light Accents- You can see it in the first set: light tones, nude shoes, a pink nail polish perhaps. It will complement your look while keeping it low profile.

Bold Colors- Whether we're talking about statement shoes of colorful clutches, it's nice to wear a chic accent that will make your look light and fun! See my take on this alternative in the second set.

Okay, so I have been on a social hiatus for the last couple of months! I made this decision based on the fact that I have the most important exam of my life in July, so I now it's the time for me to study more than ever. I have missed blogging dearly and free time in general: I only allowed myself to watch my favourite TV shows (gotta keep my sanity in order somehow) and indulged in some occasional reading.

It's the first fashion season that I did not show interest to the trend report...until last night. I came home late after a very sweet evening out with my friends ( we had three major exams this week so we allowed ourselves a celebration) and I was sleepless. I saw an email in my inbox from the Net-a-Porter newsletter and I thought I should check the new collections they have online. I INSTANTLY FELL IN LOVE! With everything: I was craving baby blue high heels (both Gianvito Rossi and Fendi offer a great selection),  a Balmain light denim skirt (it was a huge surprise for me, as Balmain is knows for darker tones) and pretty much everything else, when it hit me: "I have to share my discoveries with someone, this fashion season is insanely genius!" . And who else is a better choice than you, dear reader?

So, here we go, the highlights of the season I have noticed in a brief visit on Net-a-porter: