Tweed Pants

Top: Banana Republic (PXS)

Pants: Victoria's Secret

Shoes: BCBGirls

Purse: Chanel

Necklace: Monet; Ring: Forever 21

Nothing screams fall like tweed. Although it's just starting to heat up in Southern California, I look forward to cooler weather just so I can legitimately pull out my tweeds. Note that I despise cold weather...but I love dressing for it!

This lace top is one of my recent purchases and I love it. When bf first saw it, he said I have too many similar items already! I had to convince him that I don't lol.

Boyfriend and I are traveling to New York later this fall...and let me tell ya, I can't wait to see some real autumn leaves! If you're from the NY area or around there, please recommend any sightseeing activities and yummy eateries, bf and I thank ya much! ;)

A "Tall" Petite

Blazer: BCBG (more than half of my BCBG stuff are from eBay)

Top: Ann Taylor; Skirt: LOFT

Shoes: Christian Louboutin Prorata

Purse: Chanel Jumbo

Watch: Omega; Rings: H&M

Prior to finding the petite community, I've always felt like I'm the shortest/scrawniest person in this world. I was so self-conscious of my stature that I even "lied" about my weight on my driver license...putting me at 5 lbs. heavier than I really was. Most of it didn't come within as I'm a pretty confident person; but hearing those comments from extended family members, peers, co-workers etc... do get to me after a while. I guess I was really skinny which makes for an easy target. At one point during my undergrad years, I weighed 78 lbs. standing at 5 feet 2 inches tall. I couldn't gain weight no matter how much I eat and eat and eat... (I wish I could say the same now lol.)

Since then, I have gained a few (a lot actually haha) so the skinny part isn't so much an issue anymore. Moreover...I now realize that at 5'2, my height actually ranks me as one of the medium-taller petites. I feel so fortunate that my pencil skirts always hit above the knees and I rarely have to hem pants (money saved). Some inseams are actually short on me; for example, the infamous petite Gap legging jeans (made popular by the lovely Jean of Extra Petite). I had to go with regular sizing because P00 barely hit my ankles! Now only if companies would stop offering such ginormous pieces as their smallest sizings, because overall fit is still an issue. I definitely feel for you ladies that are smaller than I am. Shopping must be so difficult (but I hope it's at least fun).

I'm so thankful I've found a community that understands what I've gone through as a "small" person. I'm sure many of us have it worse. Now I can truly say that I embrace my petite-ness, flaws and all! Kinda proud of it, actually. ;)

Petite Custom Suitings

A little background about me...

I started working in a corporate environment since 16 so I was exposed to suits and heels at an early age. Back then, my go-to brands for work clothes were Express and Victoria's Secret (clothes, not lingerie lol). Mi gosh, they were so incredibly big--at least two sizes too big but I couldn't find anything better. (I was a very skinny kid, 5'2 and under 90 lbs.) After college, I started to put on a few more lbs but still not enough to fill out the smallest size from those two brands. This skirt was one of my purchases then...it was huge on me before but the fit is actually decent now.

Top: really old, don't remember brand

Skirt: Express, XS

Lace Pumps: Ann Taylor

Ring: Amrita Singh + H&M; Watch: Omega

Handbag: Louis Vuitton

When I got my first "real" job upon graduation, I decided that I looked ridiculous in store-bought clothing so I started looking into getting them custom-made. I headed down to Orange County, bought tons of fabric and took them to a recommended tailor. I remember blowing $1200 in that one visit alone. (I used to be a big spender but I'm much more frugal now lol.) Plus, it takes up to 4 visits to have the suits completed (2 for drop off/pick up, 1 or 2 for fittings) and I'm not that close to OC so I wanted to make several suits at once. Below are some of my custom-made blazers...

I have matching pants for each blazer above but it was over 90 degrees here today so I couldn't stand to put them on. I rarely wear a full suit to work so my pants are much more loved than their counterparts. I think I should start wearing the blazers separately so they don't feel neglected.

And here's a close up of the gorgeous lace pumps. I got them on super sale so I was beyond excited. I've heard that Ann Taylor perfect pumps run big so I never bothered to try them...but I took a chance with these and they paid off. They run true to size so I only had to put in a couple of inserts and they fit perfectly!

A well-fitted blazer...

Ladies, I know several of you have experience with alterations...but have you had anything custom-made before?