Anchalee Pagsanjan

Culottes have been invading the fashion scene since last year when they were a hot trend. Until now, you can see these wide-legged capris sported by every fashionista. With popular stores stocking up on this style, these pants a readily available to buy.

Not only are culottes everywhere, they are super versatile. I've seen them worn casually with a knotted white tee and formally like this outfit I'm rocking.



 I love/am so lucky to be interning at a company that has a casual dress code especially in the summer. I don't think I can survive just wearing dress pants and button downs. I love expressing myself through clothes and NYC is the best place to do it.

When this trend first arose last summer, I was a bit skeptical. I lowkey thought they were still ugly - just like my 6th grade gauchos. I also thought I wouldn't be able to rock them. I have a short frame and thick thighs. Thick thighs are the worst when it comes to pants. It's so hard to get pants looking right. So I decided not to jump on this bandwagon.






 Note To Self: You can rock anything you want!

Wanted to start off with a cheesy over-used attention grabber like "I asked why" but, honestly, I should be more creative than that. So I decided to start it off like this.

CollegeFashionista and Don't Ask Why (a collection from American Eagle) had a collab event this past Tuesday. The whole CollegeFashionista crew was there, even Amy Levin! I honestly didn't know about Don't Ask Why until this event. It's basically a festival-inspired collection from AE. Most pieces were cotton crop tops, like the one I bought, or soft loose tees -- perfect for casual or simple outfits. Printed tapered pants and ripped denim seemed to be in every corner of the store. The overall color palette of the collection is neutral with subtle color. The pieces ranged from olive to navy. The best way I can describe the scheme is if the whole U.S. military wore boho-inspired uniforms. The pieces really screamed the classic American Eagle style/look.

If you can picture Free People relocating to the desert, then you can picture the interior design of the store. There's cacti in pots spread around the store. The wall where they showcased the jewelry reminded me of Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory -- the one with the melting watches.

I found it really cool that they had a "vintage" rack in the store. Although $45 is a bit expensive for shorts I can thrift and destroy myself for $5, the idea of it was really cute. It was something I don't see often in stores, which makes me appreciate it even more. These highwaisted ripped denim shorts fit me like a glove! Honestly, for all my girls out there that have bigger hips/thighs than waist, "mom jeans" style bottoms will be your best friend.

This event was a lot of fun, especially because I got to meet other Style Gurus. I really can't wait for the other upcoming events. I definitely can't wait until I wear my new top outside of that fitting room. Thanks CF and DAW!



Note To Self: Fisheye lenses are prefect for event coverage.

Let me tell you, it is hard to have cute outfits, be a blogger, and have NO ONE to take your OOTD! The struggle is real out here for those who want to blog and post everyday. I love quality pictures from my DSLR, but you have to do what you need to get the job done. What did I do?

My day started a little late -- hence Tartan & Tardy. I showed up about 30 minutes late to a video shoot I had to film. Luckily, they are pretty lax over there and no feelings hurt. I grabbed some lunch at Pret A Manger. This was my first time going here and to be honest, it's a pretty bougie name for some "ok" food. Then again, I am in the city. (Note to Self: Definitely should start getting used to all the bougie-ness in the city).

After filming, I tried to figure out a way to get my OOTD picture. I tried my selfie stick -- yes, I have one -- but it was not giving me the angle I wanted. Having a starving desire to go to the largest H&M in the world, I thought to myself "Hey, OOTDs in the fitting rooms of H&M are pretty popular on Instagram." And that's what I did. I walked over to Herald Square, grabbed a crop top that I've been wanting because they had my size, stood in the fitting room line for probably 30 minutes, and took my OOTD via fitting room mirror. I ended up with iPhone 6 quality, VSCOcam edited, mirror pictures. Not complaining. Because some is always better than none.

TARTAN, TARTAN, TARTAN! You might say black watch is more of a fall print, but spring and fall are interchangeable colors so...wear some black watch! It was a super hot day in the city. I wanted to look fashionable without being hot and opting for some basic denim shorts. I love mock turtlenecks, especially the crop top variety. I paired it with my asymmetrical skort that had a leather band trimming. I wanted to go for a clean sleek look, as per usual, so I didn't want to mix and match colors too much. I went ahead and topped it off with a black boyfriend blazer to give it a contemporary vibe. It looked best with the blazer buttoned. It complemented my slick-back ponytail. The whole appearance just screamed "Contemporary Lifestyle Blogger." My favorite part of this outfit is probably my patent leather ankle boots! Had to break these babies in, and it actually gave me some blisters. But it definitely pulled the whole outfit together and finished it off! Those blisters were worth it.

Yes, this was taken with a selfie stick.

The drink tasted better than the sandwich...

Tight, long, midi skirts have been in the past year and are still around this spring/summer season. One of the biggest people around who always wears midis is Kim K. Among other celebs who rock this body-shaping look, she's always seen sporting a midi skirt or dress. Let's make things straight. Don't call this the Kim K look.

What's great about midi skirts is that they can keep you warm. They are long enough so on those cold summer nights (or days) your legs can stay toasty. And they are great for all my hourglass silhouette ladies out there. If you aren't one, don't worry. Wearing this look can create that silhouette. All you need to do is grab a long midi skirt -- make sure it's tight all over and doesn't flare at the bottom -- and a crop top of your choice. This will lengthen your legs and shorten your torso. The gap between your crop top and skirt will define and bring attention to your waist.

Go with some minimalist heels if you are feeling girly or ambitious enough to walk around them all day in the city. I opted for some Converse sneakers. I wanted to stay comfy and add a touch of boyish causal look. I also sported up my look with a baseball cap and a leather jacket. The monochromatic palm tree graphics on my knotted top adds an urban touch. Kept my colors in the grayscale to create a clean look.