Red Colorblock

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Hi friends, colorblock skirts create a sleek and slimming silhouette. This red and black pencil skirt has that effect, particularly because the black is on the sides. I wore it with gold tone accessories and a little black wool sweater. We only have a few more weeks of chilly weather in Southern California, so I figured I should wear my sweaters before it gets too warm. I wore peep toe platform pumps to elongate the legs since the pencil skirt falls under the knee. Hope you like the look!

Do you have any colorblock skirts or dresses?

Hugs,

Paola

PS- I also included some fun impromptu shots we took while taking the Outfit of the Day pictures, as well as some pictures from the party we went to afterwards, and how I wore it during the day for work. It was a long day….but fun and productive!

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While we were taking the pictures, our friend Luis Monteagudo, who works at the County of San Diego, happened to be walking by and stopped to say hi. It was past 5:00pm and his office is located just a few blocks away, so he was leaving work for the day.

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Then, Luis took a pic of Lola and me. Lola has been helping me take the Outfit of the Day pictures. She is a wonderful friend!

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After we took the pics, we jumped in the car to head to an Election Night Party. Lola took this picture while we were about to leave the parking lot.

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A picture from the Election Night Party. We had so much fun! Luis was also at the party. The host, Pedro Anaya came over to greet us (pictured next to me).

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During a quick run through jus before we recorded an interview.

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In the studio, with the interview guests right after we recorded.

Sweater: Banana Republic; Skirt: JCPenney (purchased in San Francisco); Shoes: Nine West; Belt: National City Leather Store; Necklace: Macy’s fine jewelry; Bracelets: Forever21

ESPANOL:

Hola amigos,

A mi me encantan las faldas y procuro ponerme estilos que favorecen a mi tipo de cuerpo. La tendencia de moda “colorblock” es una manera de combinar colores en bloques y combinarlos entre sí, logrando un contraste divertido y original. Una falda con estilo colorblock puede crear la ilusión de una silueta mas alargada o acinturada, y como resultado uno se ve mas delgada. Esta falda roja con negro hace ese efecto, particularmente porque tiene negro en ambos lados. La use recientemente para un día de trabajo y saliendo de la oficina fui a una recepción. El atuendo fue apropiado para el trabajo y una salida divertida es noche. Fue practico ya que no fue necesario cambiarme de atuendo.

Combine la falda con accesorios dorados, un suéter ligero negro, y un cinto negro. El cuello en “v” del suéter ayuda a crear la ilusión de un cuello mas alargado, y también ayuda a que uno se vea mas delgada. Solo quedan unas cuantas semanas mas de clima fresco en San Diego, así que aproveche para ponerme un suéter ligero. Me puse zapatillas de tacón alto, con plataforma y estilo de punta abierta que hacen que las piernas se vean mas largas. En este caso es particularmente importante usar este tipo de zapatilla ya que la falda cae debajo de la rodilla. Ojala les guste este atuendo!

Tienes piezas de ropa estilo “colorblock” en tu guardarropa? Que combinaciones de colores son?

Para mas muestras de atuendos y tendencias de moda, los invito a que nos conectemos por medio de LatinaLifeAndStyle.com y en Facebook/Paola Hernandez-Jiao. Si tienen preguntas o quieren ver algún estilo de atuendo en particular, déjenme comentarios en la pagina.

Un abrazo,

Paola

PD- Tambien inclui unas fotos casuales que tomamos durante la sesion de “Atuendo Del Dia” y de la recepcion a la que fuimos…y tambien, de como luci el atuendo durante mi dia de trabajo. Fue un dia largo, pero divertido y productivo!

Classic Champagne

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This champagne blouse has become my go-to blouse. It is a classic style that matches with everything. I love how it feels silky and easily dresses up an outfit. I have worn it with skirts and pants; in the studio to host interviews (it looks good on-camera with my skin tone) and to a first communion celebration. This is a staple item every woman should consider having in her closet – and it never goes out of style! Mine isn’t silk, it is polyester, so it is easy to care for. I have silk clothing, it is delicate and requires dry cleaning. This blouse is practical, I wash it at home and put it in the dryer. It doesn’t even require ironing (as long as I immediately hang it up after removing it from the dryer). The times I wore it, it was tucked in, but it can also be worn untucked – with skinny jeans or a mini skirt. The time I wore it for the first communion, even my brother, who is a super guys-guy type, complimented me on the blouse! He was surprised when I told him how much I paid for it (or should I say, how little) and that it was actually polyester, not silk. It looks so nice that he thought it was an expensive designer silk blouse.

The pencil skirt has a high waist and is made of stretchy material, making it comfortable to wear. Also, got a great deal on the skirt! It reminds me of a Versace print.

I bought this outfit for under $50 (blouse & skirt) at Forever21, purchased on separate days.

The jacket is one of my favorite items, I’ve had it for years. Love that it is light, yet warm enough for chilly days. I’ve been looking for a new similar one, but the one’s I have found are double-breasted and have a belt. I want a single breasted one like this one, without a belt, still haven’t found one. I’ll let you know when I do (or, if you know where I can find one, please share the info in the comments).

By the way, the shoes are what I call “dinner or studio” shoes. Not comfortable for extended wear, but they look great on-camera. I wore them to the studio to host an interview, then changed back into my more comfortable heals afterwards. The nude color is very versatile and elongates your legs!

Do you have a classic white or champagne blouse? When & how did you wear it last? Did you wear it for work or a special occasion, or with jeans for the weekend? Do you have nude heals?

Hugs,

Paola

PS – Another outfit post with this blouse & Summer Outfit in Desert Earth Tones

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Blouse: Forever21; Skirt: Forever21 (purchased in Las Vegas); Shoes: Bebe; Belt: Versace; Necklace: Forever 21; Bracelet: Coach

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Here’s how I wore it in the studio – for a fun Azteca interview with Jesse, Buzz Lightyear, and a Toy Story Soldier, from Disneyland Resort.

PS- I took the blog OOTD pictures that evening after work 🙂

Warming Up For Winter

DSCN7472Hi friends, hope you are having a magnificent week! The weather this week has been a bit chillier, so hopefully you are keeping warm. Last night, I was looking through my closet to select a dress for the three shoots I had – an interview and two commercials. I knew commercial would be airing quite a bit, so I wanted to select a nice dress. I saw this pretty bright blue dress, which I have only worn once. So, I decided to add a few things to it to make it appropriate for winter. I added a red jacket, black tights, and black heels (boots would have also been a fun and stylish option). The jacket has gold tone buttons, so I opted for gold tone jewelry. Voila – I had a winter outfit! I wore the jacket throughout the day and removed it for the shoots.

If you have a dress that you want to transform into a winter outfit, simply add a jacket or cardigan, and some tights. Just like that, you’ll have a new way to wear the dress during the season when the weather is colder!

Have you been wearing tights with dresses this winter? Do you have a dress you’d like to wear in the winter season?

Hugs,

Paola

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This outfit took me from the studio, to meetings, to a walk downtown! The heels are comfortable enough to wear all day! DSCN7477 DSCN7479

The dress has a black band around the waistline, so I added black tights and heels.

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The weather was chilly and it was overcast. This outfit kept me warm, even though I was wearing a short dress. DSCN7513

I like the stitching detail on the jacket and the gold tone buttons.

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A tip – I usually do not open the pockets on jackets (unless I need them), this way the jacket stays more tapered around the waistline.

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Here’s a picture from my shoot for the commercial.

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This was taken just as we finished the interview.

Dress: Marshalls; Jacket: Zara; Shoes: Nine West; Necklace & Bracelet: Forever21; Earrings: Macy’s

You may also like how I wore it here:

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Blue Brightness

 

Southern California Winter Outfit

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Hi friends, we live in Southern California and are blessed with warm weather almost year round! There are only a few weeks in the winter season where we actually need to – and get to enjoy – wearing our boots and heavier coats. For the most part, in the winter Continue reading

Favorite Outfit of the Season

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Hi friends! Do you have a favorite outfit this season? Mine is this red jacket from Arden B. I bought it before the winter season began and have worn it many times this holiday season! It is warm, comfortable, and can be worn open or closed. I like it so much that I have worn it for work, casual outings, and on recent trips to San Francisco and Newport Beach (these pics were taken at South Coast Plaza in Newport). It was practical for traveling because it did not get wrinkled in my carry-on bag, always a plus. It can be dressed up with a skirt (or dress) and heels, or worn with jeans and boots – as I wear it here! I also purchased the jacket in a camel color, but have only worn that one twice. We have a few weeks of chilly weather left in Southern California (ok, our version of chilly weather), so I will try to wear this red jacket a few more times….I’ll stretch the season out and continue wearing the jacket as long as I can! I get compliments every time I wear it, which is always nice. Most importantly, I feel great…confident and stylish every time I wear it, you can’t beat that! For all these reasons, this is my favorite outfit of the season!

Which is your favorite outfit of the season?

Hugs,

Paola

PS – I wore my hair up to accentuate the high collar & ruffles the jacket has. I also applied red lipstick, this is my favorite Chanel tone for the season (a gift from my comadre Marissa, comadre = mother of my goddaughter).

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Jacket: Arden B. (ArdenB.com, purchased at Horton Plaza location); Pants: H&M; Tank Top: Banana Republic; Boots: Paolo (Paoloshoes.com, purchased in San Francisco, they are super comfortable, I wear them to work & for travel); Belt: purchased in San Francisco; Long Necklace: Target (Target.com); Lipstick: Chanel, Rouge Coco 36 Lune Rousse (Chanel.com, purchased at Nordstrom, Nordstrom.com); Cross Pendant Necklace: Vatican (purchased at the Vatican in Rome, found this site for the store vaticangift.com); Purse: Louis Vuitton (this is the purse I use daily, so you may see it in various posts, I love this purse.

Casual Stripes

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With stripes – and black and white in fashion right now, I found this dress about three weeks ago. Even though they say horizontal lines can sometimes not be flattering because they make us look wider, I tried it on and liked the way it fit and looked. I am not a huge fan of long dresses, but I liked this one! I figured, I can wear it during the end of summer and into the fall, then again in the spring! The dress is not only cute, it is very comfortable to wear! I can mix and match it with various colored belts, sweaters, jackets, and scarves. I styled it with this hat, pink belt & wedges. I wore it today, Sunday – my hubby and I met our friends Mary and Dante for lunch at Il Fornaio in Coronado.  They live in Florida and are in town on vacation. It was nice to see them, they are two of the nicest people we know! We had a wonderful time with them!

Hugs,

Paola

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 Dress: Poof; Belt: Gap; Shoes: Marc Jacobs; Jacket: Ann Taylor; Sunglasses: Prada; Bracelets: Coach (Black/Gold tone) & Forever 21 (color bangles); Necklace: Macy’s Fine Jewelry; Earrings: Chanel

Flight: Part 3 of 3

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Here’s the last part of the “flight” photo shoot we took at the hangar. Hope you like it!

Hugs,

Paola

Les comparto la ultima parte de la sesión fotografica titulada “Vuelo” que tomamos en el hangar. Ojala les guste!

Un abrazo,

Paola

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Top/Blusa: Banana Republic: Pants/Pantalones: Forever 21; Shoes/Zapatos: Coach; Belt/Cinto: Ann Taylor; Purse/Bolsa: Louise Vuitton; Necklaces/Collares: Tiffany & Co. and Ann Taylor; Bracelets/Pulseras: Coach and Tiffany & Co.; Earrings/Aretes: Tiffany & Co.; Sunglasses/Lentes de Sol: Prada

Flight: Part 2 of 3

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It is nice to be able to share more aspects of my life with you through my blog! Hope you are enjoying it as much as I am! Thank you for your support and for following the blog!

I am having fun with the photo shoots we do! Thanks to my hubby for his support and coming up with the idea to do a photo shoot at the hangar! Here’s part 2 of the “Flight” photo shoot!

Hugs,

Paola

Español: Me da gusto poder compartir mas aspectos de mi vida con ustedes por medio de mi blog! Ojala lo esten disfrutando, tanto como yo lo disfruto! Les agradezco su apoyo y que sigan mi blog, mil gracias!

Me estoy divirtiendo con las sesiones fotográficas! Gracias a mi esposito por su apoyo y por su creatividad en pensar en la idea de tomar una sesión de fotografías en el hangar! Aqui les comparto Parte 2 de la sesión fotográfica “Vuelo”!

Un abrazo,

Paola

DSC_3981 DSC_3984 DSC_3988 DSC_3992 DSC_3993 DSC_3996 DSC_4001Top/Blusa: Banana Republic: Pants/Pantalones: Forever 21; Shoes/Zapatos: Coach; Belt/Cinto: Ann Taylor; Purse/Bolsa: Louise Vuitton; Necklaces/Collares: Tiffany & Co. and Ann Taylor; Bracelets/Pulseras: Coach and Tiffany & Co.; Earrings/Aretes: Tiffany & Co.; Sunglasses/Lentes de Sol: Prada

Kaleidoscope

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This dress reminds me of a kaleidoscope because of the beautiful variety of colors it has & the pattern! The skirt has flow to it, making it fun to wear, and of course, sticking with dresses that flatter my body type, it is v-neck and fitted at the waist 😉 I wore it to work with a business jacket and in the evening to attend the Opening Night of the Latin Food Fest in San Diego! I matched it with some nude color shoes, a light brown necklace, and simple silver tone bracelet because the dress has a busy pattern with multiple colors. I like this dress because it is fun to wear, has neutral colors with a touch of blue & acqua, and is easy to care for  – I can wash it at home & lay it flat to dry, can’t beat that! Do you have any dresses that remind you of a kaleidoscope?

Hugs,

Paola

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 Dress: Forever 21; Shoes: Levity; Necklace & Earings: Lola’s Design’s, stones with silver; Bracelet: Macy’s

Flight – Part 1 of 3

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I want to get more creative with the Outfit of the Day pictures, so my hubby suggested we take pictures at the hangar. Here’s “Part One” of this Outfit of the Day photo session. I titled it “Flight” because this is really the type of outfit I wear for flights….and why we decided to take the pictures at the hangar. I usually add a cardigan sweater and jacket/coat, depending on the destination, and a pashmina that doubles as a scarf. I wear these heals for flights because they are comfortable for long wear – even to walk long distances and I can wear them out to dinner during our trip. I always take carry-on luggage, even for long trips, and travel experts say to wear the shoes that are bulkiest for the flight (if they are comfortable), in order to save space in your carry-on bag. I also take either sandals (flip-flops) or ballerina flats and take them in my purse. This way, if it is a long flight and my feet get swollen I can simply change into flats when we arrive. I try to be super practical when I pack for trips in order to only take a carry-on bag. I had a bag lost during a flight years ago and every since decided to only use a carry-on bag, even for over seas trips. Trust me, it is doable!

I’ll post the second and third parts of the photo shoot later this week. Hope you like this “Flight” photo shoot! One of my hubby’s hobbies years ago was photography, so he knows how to take pictures and direct a photo shoot. It was nice to work with him on this shoot! What do you think? Do you like this “more creative” photo shoot?

Hugs,

Paola

Español: Quiero ser mas creativa con las fotos de Atuendo del Dia, así que mi marido sugirió que fuéramos al hangar a tomar fotos. Aquí esta Parte 1 de 3 de  esta sesión fotográfica. La titule “Vuelo” porque este es el estilo de atuendo que utilizo cuando viajo…y porque tomamos las fotos en el hangar. Por lo regular me pongo un suéter ligero y chamarra o saco dependiendo del destino, y una pashmina que tambien utilizo como bufanda. Estos tacones verdaderamente los utilizo para viajar ya que son cómodos, aun si tengo que caminar largas distancias. Por lo regular también llevo unas sandalias o zapatos de piso estilo balerina en mi bolsa, particularmente en viajes largos, por si necesito cambiarme de zapatos si se me hinchan los pies. Siempre utilizo una maleta chica, del tamaño que puedes subir al vuelo, aun para viajes largos. Los expertos de viaje sugieren que te pongas los zapatos mas bultosos para el vuelo, así no ocupan tanto lugar en la maleta. Y, estos tacones los utilizo para salir a cenar durante nuestro viaje. Trato de ser super practica cuando empaco mi maleta para viajes para poder llevar una maleta chica. Hace varios anos durante un vuelo la aerolínea perdió mi maleta y desde entonces solo uso maletas que puedo subir al avión conmigo, hasta para viajes a otros continentes. Créanme, si es posible!

Durante la semana pondre las partes dos y tres de esta sesión fotográfica. Ojalá les gusten las fotos de la sesión “Vuelo“! Uno de los pasatiempos (hobby) de mi marido hace anos era la fotografía, así que sabe como tomar buenas fotos y dirigir una sesión fotográfica. Me encanto trabajar con el en esta sesión fotográfica! Que te parece? Te gusta esta sesión fotográfica “mas creativa”?

Un abrazo,

Paola

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I have been wearing black skinny jeans quite a bit lately, they are easy to mix and match, plus comfortable. The green top is a recent purchase from Banana Republic, it fits me a bit loose around the waist and  doesn’t look very flattering from a peripheral, but hakuna matata, it is comfortable and I like the color. This top is good for warm weather because it is light and sleeveless, and I can easily add a cardigan or light jacket.

Ultimamente, he estado usando pantalones pegados negros seguido, son comodos y faciles de combinar. La blusa verde la compre recientemente en Banana Republic, me queda un poco suelta en la cintura y no favorece tanto de perfil, pero hakuna matata, esta comoda y me gusta el color. Esta blusa es practica para uso en clima calido ya que esta ligera y sin mangas, y facilmente me puedo poner un sueter o chamara ligera.

Top/Blusa: Banana Republic: Pants/Pantalones: Forever 21; Shoes/Zapatos: Coach; Belt/Cinto: Ann Taylor; Purse/Bolsa: Louise Vuitton; Necklaces/Collares: Tiffany & Co. and Ann Taylor; Bracelets/Pulseras: Coach and Tiffany & Co.; Earrings/Aretes: Tiffany & Co.; Sunglasses/Lentes de Sol: Prada

Flowing Bronze

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This dress makes me want to sit in front of the beach sipping a fruity drink! The material flows easily, with a front criss-cross and high-low skirt. The bronze color makes my skin look tan, which is wonderful during summertime! Due to the color of the dress, I changed up my make-up to use bronze, gold, and earth tones. It must have been noticeable because I received compliments at work, which is always appreciated and makes us feel good! I bought it recently and have worn it twice – to a birthday party and this week to the Francis Ford Coppola Winery Dinner. Since the dinner was on a weeknight, I wore the dress to work with a fitted suit jacket and bone color wedge shoes. I like that it has stretchy material under the skirt in the same color (similar to a slip), this made it more comfortable to wear for work, particularly when I sat down due to the criss-cross skirt. It doesn’t come with a belt, for the Dinner I added a bronze color belt and for the birthday party I wore a dark brown leather belt (with a large red and dark brown necklace). For the Dinner, I changed into strappy heals and exchanged my jacket for a pashmina (which I didn’t wear after all). I will definitely be wearing the dress again! I can match it with white, brown, red, or gold shoes….and wear it into the fall with a cardigan sweater or leather jacket.

Do you have any bronze colored dresses? What do you think about these high-low skirts that are in style right now?

Hugs,

Paola

Tip: I have many belts that I use for pants that fall lower on the waist/hip and also use them with skirts and dresses, so I wrap the belt and use small clear hair bands to hold the belt in place. It works like a charm. Since the hair bands are very small, thin and clear, they aren’t really visible….but, in this pic you can see a bit of the hair band, so you get the idea. I usually add two bands, one close to the end of the belt and one in the middle between the buckle and the back of the belt. These head bands are easy to find at Target, Wal-Mart, or CVS. These bands last me through multiple wears – of a belt – and don’t damage it.

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At the Francis Ford Coppola Winery Dinner.

Dress: Forever21; Shoes: Audrey Brooke, Nordstrom; Belt: Gift from my sister (it used to be hers, so it is a hand-me down ;)); Necklace: Lolita’s Creations (hand-made, natural stones, it was a gift from my bff Lola, her hobby is jewelry making); Bracelet: Forever21