Photographer: Jessica Meno | flickr.com/photos/jmeno/
Location: Stanford, CA
Photo Shoot Date: March 11, 2018 | Post Release Date: March 21, 2018
SPRING DARLING
Baby Blue Off the Shoulder Floral Blouse |
Migliore in Dongdaemun, Korea
White Knee-Length Skirt | Brand Market in Sinchon, Korea
Black Platform Heels | Hongdae, Korea
Straw Hat with Black Ribbon | Forever 21 t
Silver Crystal Dangly Earrings | Vietnam
THE LOOK
INTRO
I'm back~ Sorry for going M.I.A. on y'all! When I wrote up that long message at the end of my last post, I wasn't expecting to go on hiatus but life got in the way and so I had to take a mini break. Trust me when I say that it felt weird not posting anything new for the past few months and although I was still working on other creative projects (check them out on my Insta!), I was itching to do a photo shoot and write up a post. I don't know when I started feeling like this, but I've come to really enjoy modeling. I used to hate being in front of the camera because I felt so awkward and stiff, but nowadays I feel so in my element when modeling. In a way, modeling has been a way for me to showcase my acting skills (not that I'm a pro but I do enjoy acting here and there) in a more a smaller, subtle scale. It's fun to show different sides of myself through various styles, facial expressions, and poses. I've learned how to flirt with the camera and to just have fun without paying much attention to strangers passing by. Since today marks the first day of spring, I thought it'd be the perfect time to come out of hiatus and show y'all new and better content! I have a really cool collaboration coming out soon and I can't wait for y'all to see. Hehehe. :)
Fun fact: It was actually quite the struggle to find the perfect location that matched my outfit. My photographer and I had to go back and forth between many places (bless her soul for being a wonderful and patient human being) before we settled on this area with these pretty blooming flowers. If you happen to know what these flowers are called, please do tell because I would love to know! (Update: I've been informed that they are called magnolias. Shout out to my friend Alex for his, I quote, "great repository of knowledge that isn't necessary for life!"
Side note: That photo you see up top is probably one of my favorite photos of myself EVER. I don't really know how I came to pose this way but it somehow all came together–the way my hair fell, the placement of my arms, and the doe-eyed expression. Is this what it means to model all the way to the tip of your fingers? If yes, yay to making progress in my venture into modeling!
THE OUTFIT
This would be my go-to picnic outfit. I was honestly searching for a picnic basket and red and white checkered cloth for this photo shoot, but alas that didn't work out (tbh that was probably for the best since it would've been overkill).
Let's start with the top! This cute floral blouse is in a shade of baby blue that screams spring with it's off the shoulder design. I appreciate that there are straps to help with supporting the blouse although it can be annoying sometimes when the top scrunches up and the straps get all weird. I digress.
To highlight the white mini floral embroidery of the blouse, I paired it with this simple white knee-length skirt. Although I worry about getting this skirt dirty every time I wear it because I'm quite a clumsy person and clumsy person + white clothing is usually not a good combo, I couldn't help myself. White is such a versatile color. I admit to not owning any long skirts before coming to Korea because they're usually overpriced in America, so I was so excited when I realized I could get affordable long skirts I can twirl in for days~ I honestly believe that twirling in skirts or dresses is good for the soul.
HAIR
For someone doesn't know how to curl hair, I usually have to resort to doing tricks (read: braiding and whatnot) with my hair and leave it overnight. To achieve this wavy/loose crimp hairstyle, I ended up folding my hair. What does "folding one's hair" look like? What I do is split my hair into 2 sections and then fold it like it's an accordion. I leave about 3 inches between each fold and then secure my folded hair with a hair tie and hope it doesn't come out in the middle of the night.
Fun fact: I trimmed my own bangs a day or two before this shoot because 1) I didn't want to waste money at a hair salon 2) I didn't want to bother my friend who usually trims my bangs for free (shoutout to Lindy!) and 3) I was starting to get annoyed by how my hair was getting in my eyes. I thought it turned out okay so *pats self on the back*
ACCESSORIES
Besides the dangly earrings you can barely see in these photos because of my hair (shoutout to grandma for getting me them a few years back when she visited Vietnam), the main accessory of this outfit would have to be the straw hat. It definitely gives off going-on-a-picnic vibes and the black ribbon goes well with my go-to black platform heels. I'm glad I added this cute addition to this look since I've realized I haven't posed much with hats before. My conclusion: they're fun to play with.
FUN TIP
If you're running out of poses while donning a skirt, may I suggest twirling around? If your skirt is long and flowy, it's so fun to do even if not for the purpose of posing. Both your hair and skirt will create movement that makes for some cool shots, especially if you plan to turn them into a gif like I did below! Just be careful if you're wearing heels and standing on bumpy terrain because there's a high likelihood that you'll trip over yourself. I can speak from firsthand experience. Hahaha.
