L.L.D. --> "The Little Lace Dress"

Although a lot of people are already taking down their trees and decor, Christmas isn’t over for me. I have a little less than two-weeks left and within those two-weeks, we finally welcome a brand new year, 2014! I haven’t quite decided what I will wear but I thought I might as well post one or two little ensembles for you to get inspiration. For the first look, I went for a very sassy look. Enjoy! :)

                  L.L.D. from Bubbles Boutique
                  [L.L.D. can also be found at Windsor or Love Culture]
                  Heels from Go Jane
                  Bracelet from H&M
                  Earrings from Forever 21 

 When it comes to New Year’s, I instantly think glitz & glam! Sexy and sophisticated. Classy and sassy! I think this dress did just that. Though it might lack the sparkle, the faux leather material adds the perfect edge to embrace sexiness. I actually bought this dress a few months ago for my birthday but didn’t end up wearing it because it was such a cold night. However, I think this is such a perfect little dress for a New Year’s dinner party!  

Although it’s true that a little black dress NEVER fails to work magic under any circumstance, it’s nice to break out of the fashion norms and go for something a little more edgy and with more detail. At first I was hesitant to buy the dress because I thought it looked a little cheap but once I tried it on, it was a whole different story. I love that this skater dress combined lace and faux leather together. The two compliment each other nicely. 

One of my favorite things about the dress was the low neckline and the padded bust. So don’t worry ladies, you can totally rock this dress without a bra. For a girl like me who doesn’t have a lot of curves and cleavage, this dress was perfect because it made me feel like I did have those things. It gave me that nice “oomph” to feel super sexy without being overly provocative. I also loved  the giant peep-hole open back. I kept the accessories very minimal due to all the lace detailing. I didn’t want to add a necklace to avoid a clash…even if it was a simple dainty piece. I did however added dangling earrings that I failed to expose and a few bracelets to avoid complete bare arms.

To end my first N.Y.E. look, I finished off with these heels that haven’t failed me. They have been my first choice for a lot of outfits and have done justice. These are keepers. So there you have it. Like I said, this little lace dress is perfect for a dinner night. You will embrace both your elegance and sexiness. Don’t forget to grab your favorite black coat and clutch to finish off the look. Happy soon to be New Year! Blessings!! Xo- M

Photo Credit: Edward Barrera

Prep-Style

GOOOOOOOOOD MORRRRRNIIIING!!! :) Woke up in an EXTRA good mood today with beautiful Cali weather. I seriously can’t believe it’s Christmas Eve tomorrow. I’m so excited!! My mom and I will be making traditional Mexican tamales, pozole and champurrado. I can’t wait. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and I love it even more because we attend mass at 12-midnight and let me just say…it’s BEAUTIFUL! The music, the warm environment, the festive lights..it all becomes so perfect to welcome the greatest gift of them all, baby Jesus! Anyway, you’re not here to read about that so let’s just get to the BASIC point.

                      Ralph Lauren V-neck Knitted Sweater
                      Bubbles Boutique “Denim” top                     
                      Forever 21 quilted skirt
                      Converse sneakers

If you follow other fashion blogs, you know you ALWAYS come across the same ol’ terms like: Statement, Staple, Basics, L.B.D., On-Trend, Chic..and the list can go on for days. The meaning is always the same, but of course, the item of choice to represent that meaning varies for us all. Which brings me to my outfit of the day ensemble. I can officially take the liberty of recommending my “Must-Have ‘Basic’ Staple Pieces” for 365 days. Not these particular pieces I have on because we all have different tastes but simply the fabric itself: Faux leather, Knits, Denim “Chambray” and SNEAKERS!

Combined together or apart, you can see that these pieces compliment each other perfectly and throughout my blog, you have seen how consistently I’ve used each one. Again, not always the same piece or style but the fabric itself has become the basic fashion statement. Now, I call them “basic” because even though they’re very eye-catching, they’re so easy and “simple” to wear on a daily basis.

When I purchased this skirt, I knew exactly how I wanted to wear it and I must say, I loved how much I was able to modernize the term “preppy”. From attending mass to holiday shopping in the overpopulated malls and spiderweb parking lots, this ensemble allowed me to look on-trend without jeopardizing comfort. Yay!!! Trust me, I ADORE heels because I love feeling sexy and sophisticated…but I’ve been wearing sneakers since I was young. I was the queen of black & white converse. They never failed and they still don’t :)

Well, hopefully this post has been a little inspiration to jot down a few ideas on what to purchase for the upcoming year! Wish you all a very LOVING & HAPPY CHRISTMAS. Remember: Fashion changes everyday and there are new growing rules every minute, it seems like. However, the best thing you can truly wear is your smile through any weather. It expresses who you truly are through the storms and the minute the light shines through those cloudy days. So don’t cry and pout if this Christmas you don’t get your Chanel purse or your Gucci shoes. As long as you’re breathing, life is truly more precious than any replaceable material thing. MERRY CHRISTMAS MIS AMORES! Feliz Navidad! May God bless you all. Xo-M

Photo Credit: Edward Barrera

Black Toe's in Plaid

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you might have seen a “sneak peek” post of an OOTD that I decided to wear on my trip to Disneyland with my boyfriend. After 5 years of being together, we FINALLY made it possible to go to Disneyland for the very first time TOGETHER. So here’s my second Holiday inspired look if you decide you want to be a little more dressed down and casual, without loosing the Christmas spirit!

                 Plaid top from Bubbles Boutique
                 Faux Leather pants from Fashion Street LA
                 Striped “reversible” sweater from a Thrift Store (Goodwill)
                 Jordan 1 “Black Toe” from Nike

I was about to have a super, duper long day with a very cold night at the happiest place on earth and obviously I needed to wear something comfy and warm. That’s why I decide to bring out this plaid flannel. Besides the fact that flannels are generally super warm, I love that it was in the classic red color, which reminds me of Santa Claus. It was the perfect print, color and style to compliment this sweater.

I bought this striped sweater at a local Goodwill in Hollywood. Like a million other Angelinos, I love to thrift shop and I really don’t mind owning used clothing…except shoes and personal stuff like undies & bras! (DUH!) That I am totally iffy about because of hygiene, but that’s just me! Anyway, back to the sweater! I found this sweater for five dollars! FIVE DOLLARS!!!! You guys, I’ve seriously worn this thing like crazy. It’s a perfect throw on with leggings and boots. When I found it, it had a bunch of crazy prints that I liked because it was different and because it looked old school. However, when I got home to wash it, I flipped it inside out and loved it even more because it had this thin striped print. So I decided to make it a reversible sweater :) I’ve received so many compliments for this sweater thus far, which only proves to me that it was $5 well spent. I understand thrift shopping isn’t for everyone but you should at least try it sometime. You know what they say, one man’s trash, is another one’s treasure. You never know what unique and affordable pieces you can find!

I decided to pair my top choices with my infamous “Lady Leatherette” faux leather pants mentioned in my last post. Didn’t I warn you that you would see them featured here again?! It probably won’t be the last. You’ve been warned…again! I just can’t get enough. They are my go-to pants that compliment every outfit I have in mind. To finish off the look and give it the most important casual piece of them all, I had to wear sneakers. What better choice, than Jordans to keep that trendy look alive. Of course, white chucks (Converse) would have been another ideal choice. I just happened to LOVE these.

Before I end this post, let me just say one GREAT thing about this entire outfit ensemble… YOU DON’T HAVE TO WEAR SNEAKERS!!! If you’re a girl that doesn’t really like wearing sneakers or isn’t used to wearing them, don’t worry. Heels are the cure. This outfit looks great with heels and even more feminine. Like I said, just simply ditch the sneakers and throw on your favorite blacks heels. I wore sneakers because I liked the combination and because I was spending my day at Disneyland. Well, there ya’ have it! Stay tune for tomorrow’s Holiday look. It’s a sexy feminine post! Blessings & Besitos!! Xo-M

Photo Credit: Edward Barrera

Black-Nosed Reindeer

Hii my lovies! I’m back with yet another outfit adventure and my FIRST Christmas outfit idea :) It’s mid-December and Los Angeles is starting to prepare for Winter’s 1st day. With just 5 days left on the calendar, the weather is starting to drastically change. I’m a lover of all types of weather and seasons, fall being my favorite season and HOT heat being my favorite weather (if that makes sense). However, these past two weeks have been FRREZING cold. We’ve been in the low 50s during the day and low 40s at night. TRUST ME, that’s cold for us Angelinos…or at least ME! Today however, was a nice change, 79 and tomorrow Monday, 81!! Yiiiipeee!! I’m BEYOND excited to be in warm weather…even if it’s for two days :)))

                          Bubbles Boutique Reindeer Sweater
                          Fashion Street LA Faux Leather pants
                          Forever 21 Floppy Hat
                          Michael Kors heels from Ross
                          Scarf gift from my old boss.

The other day I was going through my IG outfits of the day and I came across this one HERE. I bought this sweater last year and OF COURSE, I wanted to re-wear it in a different way for you guys. The first time I styled it, I did so in a much cozier and casual fit. This time, I wanted to go for a cozy and feminine look. I’m really happy with the result.

I will never regret buying this sweater. It’s so perfect for Christmas. It’s cute, warm, comfy and versatile. I love that I can wear it and pair it with so many different things to make it look edgy, feminine, casual and/or cute! I added the scarf to keep EXTRA warm since the sweater has a small low neck line where skin is exposed, depending on how I wear it. The hat was another accessory I threw on because since it’s been pretty windy here and there, it really, REALLY helps me stay warm. The floppy hat blocks the wind perfectly. Although I’m not too happy with how the hat looks in photographs, in person it’s a whole other deal. I ADORE IT!

Now let’s talk bottoms. These faux leather pants have been worn and re-worn hundreds of times since their arrival. I can’t brag about them enough. They’ve been my go-to staple piece. I’M OBSESSED. You will definitely see them in the next outfit post. By the way, you can find them HERE. As for my shoe bottoms…I actually scored these puppies at Ross last year. It’s really hard for me to find heels in a size 5 that are sexy and cute at an affordable price. So when I found these, they had to come home. I actually ended up taking a size 4.5 because the 5 was a tad loose and even now, the 4.5 is loose because I broke them in. I should have known better and taken the 4 for a more comfortable fit.

Clearly these shoes are every element a woman needs to feel. Sexy, feminine, edgy and BAD! The patent leather has that sexy touch. The classic design of the shoe with a pointed toe is perfect to make a woman look and feel sophisticated. The studs adds toughness and last but not least, the zipper detail is that extra edge to look and feel like a BADASS (excuse the word).

Hope you enjoyed my first Christmas/December inspired look for the Holidays. I have one more look to show you before Christmas comes around. Stay tune my lovies! Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stay connected with me on Instagram. You can follow me @xoxoMariaLA  !!!! Blessings mis amores! Xo-M

Photo Credit: Edward Barrera

The Brown Coat

If you didn’t already know, I am a huge fan of fashion styles that women wore back in the day, dating up until now. Primarily focusing on the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. I grew love for these fashion years because the style was, although very conservative, very feminine. It embraced any woman’s attributes with such class and elegance that until this day, I simply ADORE! Which in turn, inspires this Sunday’s mass outfit of the day.

The last time I wore this dress coat was exactly a year ago. In fact, I wore it exactly like this. Except I had a bun and no bracelets. However, I wasn’t really into blogging and photographing my outfits in detail at the time so, VOILA! I will so so now. Besides, I LOOOOOOVE this sleeveless dress coat. I’ve been looking forward to more chilly weather to wear it out and I finally can. Anyway, when I use to work at a retail clothing store in Downtown L.A., I remember when my coworkers told me that they had just received a coat that was calling out my name. The minute I saw it and tried it on, there was no question…I HAD to have it!

This woven dress coat is a must-have layering piece that will take you all through fall days and winter nights. Although it’s sleeveless, you’d be surprised how warm your body feels while wearing it. Of course, I recommend wearing it more during the day when the sun is out…BUT if worn at night, definitely a thicker long sleeve sweater is a great solution. Don’t worry, I will definitely do a different look wearing this during the Winter.

I love this coat for four reasons:

1. Statement Piece: It’s an AMAZING statement layering piece. You almost never come across coats like this one. [Then again I’m from Los Angeles and we almost never have a chance to wear thick coats.] Point is, the coat is enough to make a fashion mark.


2. The Leather Accent: The leather adds such elegant edge and it compliments the woven fabric nicely. It really helps bring out a modern, upper-class look.


3. The Classic Fit: The fit is tailored and sophisticated. The leather belt adjusts to flatter a woman’s body nicely without loosing femininity. Very Jackie Kennedy in my opinion. 


4. The Military: Last but not least, I fell in love with the military inspired look this coat resembles. Although it looks military, it kept it’s lady-like figure with the flared bottom and knitted material.

To end the post, I clearly wanted the coat to be the main focus, which is why I wore black pants and a turtle neck top from Forever 21. I threw on my favorite lace up booties to keep that military look going on and simply added a few gold bracelets to finish off the look. I must say, this outfit reminds me so much of one of my favorite movies growing up, The Little Princess, played by Shirley Temple.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my post today! I apologize if the pictures are very similar but I just wanted to give you as much as I could so you could see the detailing. Hope you ladies don’t mind :) Have a BLESSED day lovies!!! <333 Xo-M

Photo Credit: Edward Barrera