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!

It's hard to find a good time to wear leather in summer. Most people say you shouldn't even wear leather in summer -- I beg to differ. When summer hits, no one even bothers looking at the leather pieces in their closest. Let's stop neglecting our beautiful leather!

You can still rock leather in summer without being hot and sticky. Obviously, you shouldn't wear heavy leather when there's a heat wave, it's 90+ degrees out, and the sun is at its highest. Pick a cooler day or a cold summer night. Those are the perfect times to slip on some leather.

You don't have to go too crazy with leather to bring it back to life. It might be chilly but it can still get very hot. If you want to be able to wear this look throughout the day, here's the best way to do it.

Had an awesome event with Dress For The Day and Style Artistry at their store (159 Bleecker St @ The Market NYC) -- featuring Maven Cocktails and Priv.

As the Dress For The Day fashion photography intern, I got to take awesome shots of the event and meet new and aspiring people. Jess, the owner of Style Artistry, was the sweetest and I'm so glad I got to meet her. Style Artistry might be my new go-to store. There is literally every style you can think of. From minimalist grid print to sexy lace, this store is for all fashionistas. Not to mention, Style Artistry carries beautiful jewelry and accessories. And now they carry a new makeup brand called Jingai Skin! The story behind this makeup brand is absolutely adorable (guarantee you it will blow up soon).



Besides all the pictures and networking I did that night, I got to get my makeup and hair "did" by the Priv team. Pretty awesome because I've never gotten it done before. I told the makeup artist (@BeautyByAja) to do whatever she wanted and she did a great job. @AdonicaDyeHard styled my hair exactly how I wanted it. Even though I didn't get to try the wine-infused vodka Maven cocktails, it was just overall a great time.



Note To Self: Buy yourself bubblegum pink lipstick. It looks good on you.

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.

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• That day didn't feel particularly spectacular. I woke up at eleven in the morning, ended up lazing about for an hour, and ate fried rice for breakfast. Oh, and I was graduating. So after devouring the rice, I showered and got dressed. It took an hour for my hair to curl- but five minutes for it to become straight again. And to make the day a little more special, I decided to put on make up. I'm really not used to my face with makeup, but now I know I actually have eyelashes to apply mascara on. It was truly a learning experience. I never really get opportunities to get dolled up, so looking at this ultimate, beautiful goddess in the mirror was unusual. 
• The ceremony was held in the high school gym on a humid, hot day. In the middle school, the gym is beautifully air conditioned, and you'd think it'd be like that in the high school. No, it wasn't. It was a lengthy graduation, with speeches and awards and the year-long presentation of certificates. Nonetheless, it was a great graduation as we relived all of the class' greatest moments and said our thank-yous and goodbyes to the staff and our parents. It was a bittersweet but hopeful send-off. 
• (Shoutout to my sister who played at my graduation, thank you!!!)
• But by the end of the ceremony, I thought, 'Now what?' The end of the year came sooner than I had expected, it also doesn't feel like I graduated. I had taken my last final the day before! I had gotten used to all the work that I feels unusual to have completed everything. And maybe in my mind middle school wasn't that big of a deal. You have the adorable, grand elementary school graduation, and the grand high school graduation. What's middle school in comparison? It's the transition year. But doesn't that fact make it important? I don't know. 
• Even after graduation, it still hasn't sunken in that my middle school career is over; I am no longer returning to the same school after three short months. Admittedly, I don't want to leave. Leaving requires adaptation and change, and while that's all great and normal and healthy, I believe it demands too much energy. In short, I'm exhausted and sad.
• However, I'm grateful for not having a middle school career I am ashamed of. Rather, I'll look forward to looking back. In a mere three years, I have experienced and learned so many things. I've met people whom I wish to cherish and love forever and ever, and received support and love from the greatest people. (I'll work hard to make you guys proud.) Looking back, I realized that a lot happened. That's only middle school. I can't imagine on what scale high school could possibly be on. 
• Middle school was the longest and shortest time of my life, and I assume high school to be as such as well. I look forward to the next four years of my life and my next graduation.
• Oh, and this day became truly special when we had tapsilog for dinner. It was great.