Photographer: Anthony Nguyen | instagram.com/photonies
Location: Stanford, CA
Photo Shoot Date: October 28, 2017 | Post Release Date: November 23, 2017
RUNAWAY
REBEL
Black Short Sleeve Crop Top | Myeongdong, Korea
Black Skirt | Forever 21
Black Combat Boots | Doc Martens
Army Trench Jacket | Myeongdong, Korea
Tropical Patterned Earrings | Ewha University, Korea
THE LOOK
INTRO
I must admit that I stepped out of my comfort zone in many ways during this photoshoot. While I would describe my fashion style to be edgy at times, this look isn't something I wear on the daily. Rocking this look, instilled in me the "I don't give a f*** about anyone else" kind of confidence and it was refreshing to honestly give no f***s during this photoshoot. I really did feel like a rebel as I stood in the middle of the road and claimed a randomly placed chair as my throne. I think channeling the badass attitude was key to pulling off this look. Shoutout to Anthony for going above and beyond as a photographer (aka lying down in the middle of the road) and my friend Cali for being my makeup artist!
THE OUTFIT
Every time I wear a crop top, I must wear high waisted bottoms (I have this thing about not wanting to expose my belly button). In this case, I matched the black short sleeve crop top with a black high waisted skirt. I like the length of the skirt that isn't too short but is the perfect flirty length. I also really like the gold buttons on the fake pocket flaps on the skirt. Although they seem to be covered up by my jacket in these photos, this little detail contributes to the overall rustic feel of the look.
For outerwear, I went with an army trench jacket. This was one of my favorite purchases from Korea. I love the billowy silhouette, the lettering/font and how it was thin enough that I could throw it on if I feel a breeze but don't want to wear something heavy. This choice gives off more #urbanchicvibes.
Fun story about this jacket, this was the first item I bargained for in Korean. I was shopping with my mom in the underground shopping mall in Myeongdong and was drawn to this jacket as my mom was buying souvenirs. The shop owner was so surprised that I spoke Korean so well (I think she was being nice) so I ended up saving about ~$10-15 USD. Score!
HAIR
I would have to say that I stepped out of my comfort zone the most with this space buns hairstyle. I usually just have my hair down and when it's up, it's usually just a ponytail or a quick, messy bun. I used to rock these Chun Li buns when I was younger (I would ask my grandma to tie my hair like this but as I got older, I thought that maybe this hairstyle was a bit too much. Well eff the thought of outgrowing hairstyles. I think this hairstyle really brought out the "give no f***s" vibe of this look and I can't wait to rock this hairstyle more often although it's always a bit difficult getting the buns to be even and hold up for more than 10 minutes.
ACCESSORIES
Since I ran out of space in my outfit section, I'll talk about my combat boots in this section. Once again, I feel so powerful whenever I put these boots on. It's like they have confidence boosting superpowers when equipped. Imagine a superhero who helps other gain more confidence, now that's a superhero I'd want to be.
For jewelry, I decided to wear these pair of triangle shaped earrings that has a tropical forest design that looks painted on. The tropical leaves in different shades if green compliments the army jacket. These were the most expensive pair of earrings I got while in Korean ~$8 USD but they were totally worth it.
FUN TIP
As I do these photoshoots and experiment with different styles, I am really learning to being comfortable in my own skin. Part of the trick is when I'm posing, I try to think "Hey you're just doing you and that's super cool." or "Do it for your fashion lookbook." or "Yo, it's not like you're ever going to be seeing these people again anyways." Honestly it's these little self reminders that help me get over self consciousness and learn to be comfortable with standing out. Embrace your uniqueness and you'll naturally exude confidence!
