The Shopping Diaries: EXPRESS, 2020AVE, Ross

Hey all! I wanted to upload a more happier haul than the previous. An update to the Sheinside purchase, they responded to my email three days later and instead of giving me the return address immediately, they wanted to know which product and why it didn't work out. Yeah I know it's kind of like protocol when you return something, but I was already irked and anxious to return it anyway. So I told them my reasonings and now I'm waiting for them to respond again -_-.

On a brighter note, I made some purchases here and there and I'm really excited about the items that I got from Ross. Ross is usually 80% miss, 20% hit when it comes to finding stuff that I like. I just happened to be in Hawaii Kai for a Costco run and I decided to check it out since I hadn't been to that location before. I thought they had a great selection and an abundance of different styles! I don't know if I just happened to catch them on a good day or what, but I'll definitely visit them more when I have the chance! Before I get into the Ross haul, let me show you my items from Express and 2020AVE:

Wild Horses Tee: I check into Express every now and then. I really wish I could wear more of their stuff but sizing is a major issue unfortunately. I saw this horse tee on a mannequin in their denim section and automatically I knew I had to have it. I've been an avid horse lover for almost all of my life and it's quite interesting to see that horse/unicorn motifs are starting to become more popular for the Fall season!

Night Crawlers: I'm super excited about this online store based in L.A called 2020AVE! I really like their chic street-style and free shipping for purchases of $50+, which also includes Hawaii, is a freaking major plus! These were $37, but they had a code for free shipping on any amount on Friday the 13th. I wanted to take advantage and started perusing. I came across these great gold double strap buckles that have side cutouts to expose the ankle. The style is definitely inspired by Jeffrey Campbell Roscoes but I like this better. It is incredibly comfy since the heel isn't too high. I'm usually a size 6, but they only had a 5.5 and other large sizes, so I really chanced it with this. I'm not that gutsy when it comes to buying shoes without trying them on, but I thought that due to the style of the boot, a 5.5 would probably still work. Luckily, it did and I'm so glad I took a chance! I'm looking forward to many new purchases with 2020AVE!

We Are Dreamers: I immediately thought of Brandy Melville when I saw this top. What draws me into the design is the vintagey American heart. I like that the colors are subdued. Also, I like that the motto is "Young & Free: We Are Dreamers" instead of those "Young, Wild, and Free" ones. I think this one suits me more, especially since I'm not a wild child lol. The length is long enough to cover my bum so that I can just wear black leggings underneath when I don't want to wear denim.

Vintage Cameras: This top screamed Brandy Melville as well. I had been eyeing the vintage camera motif tops that they had at Brandy, but I never was willing to buy it for some reason. I think it was because it came in only a tank or muscle crop version. I wanted more of a t-shirt version and I found it at Ross! There are also some cute sayings in some of the boxes. It has a hi-lo hem, but not long enough to wear with leggings, but that's all right because the material of this shirt (and the previous one too) is super thin and soft that wearing denim is no problemo!

Floral, Lace, n' Ruffles: This top definitely had a Free People feel. I was seriously getting all these feels of higher end brands when I was picking out my piece lol. I love the bohemian vibe of Free People, but it is quite pricey. So when I saw this, I thought it was reminiscent of the brand. I absolutely love the see-through lace detail and the floral/viney stitching down the chest. This was my most expensive piece at $13.99!

Ruffle Short Sleeve Blouse: I got a bit of a feeling of Liz Lisa from this top. I've been slowly shying away from sweet/lolita-esque items since I'm not really into it at the moment, but this top, despite having that sort of image, was a bit more demure and subtle compared to true lolita fashion. I love this minimalistic bib design on the front, which was one of the selling points for me. I'm a denim girl at heart so a pair of black trousers and Night Crawlers will give it that cool juxtaposition of sweet v.s cool.

Burnout Striped Cardigan: The subtle design of the burnout stripes was the selling point for this item. This fabric makes it lightweight and perfect for cool Hawaii nights. Plus, it's a great cover up for any of my tanks or muscles tees, i.e Young & Free. I'm always gravitating toward white, as you can see from my purchases at Ross, but it's such a versatile shade (as is black) that it's hard to put it back on the rack AND it's at a great price ($7.99).

I hope you all enjoyed this post! I felt pretty proud of myself for this round of purchases because of the great deals that I snagged. I still ended up doing a lot of shopping, but on the bright side, I've been scaling back on food bills when I go out to eat! I think I've been doing a great job at that and I'll continue to try to be more conscious about my shopping habits ><.

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

OOTW: May 13-19

Monday, Tuesday

(left) Hoodie: Brandy Melville
Denim: H&M

(right) T-Shirt: Lucky Brand
Shorts: Cotton-On
Necklace: Express
Ring: H&M
Cuff: Adore (local store in Hawaii at Kahala Mall)

Wednesday, Thursday

(left) Skull top: H&M
Lace Shorts: H&M
Necklace: axes femme (Japanese brand)

(right) Tank: Ecote (UO)
Shorts: Aeropostale
Necklace: Express
Ring: H&M
Cuff: Cotton-On
Skull Bracelets: Brandy Melville

Friday OOTD and OOTN

(left) Top: Pineapple County
Skater Skirt: Topshop
Necklace: Charlotte Russe

(right) Crop Tank: Topshop
Gold Ring: H&M

Saturday, Sunday

(left) Muscle Tee: Truly Madly Deeply (UO)
Pants: Pacsun
Necklace: Vanity Fair (Japanese brand)
Cuff: Cotton-On

(right) Long Sleeve: Free People
Shorts: Aeropostale
Ring: H&M
Necklace: JAYRO (Japanese brand)

Thanks for reading!

-LAUREN

The Shopping Diaries: EXPRESS Ala Moana

What's up peeps! Here is the EXPRESS purchases

I really wanted to get something kind of out of my comfort zone. Although a lot of you may think that it's not much of a step forward; for me, colors out of my comfort zone is major. I wanted to incorporate more pinks into my wardrobe because I tend to shy away from this color the most. This baby soft pink is perfect for summer and just a nice white tank underneath and a big statement jewelry piece, perhaps a sweet-styled necklace, would be perfect.

 

This t-shirt was probably the biggest jump in difference in my usual style. I really wanted in on the gradient trend, so I decided to go along with exploring the pink color and trying this on. I thought it was super fun and very summery as usual. Also, my first thought was that it reminded me of shave ice :9

 

I don't know why but I always feel like I need to get a plain white top wherever I go, whether it be in t-shirt, shirt, or tank top form. I kinda reasoned myself into getting this one because of the textile and...um...the string that goes across in the back? Lol, I really did get it because of the textile AND because of my next purchase....

 

It was pretty much love at first sight. I loved the different shades of blue and I really am into this Native American/Western style of jewelry, kinda like Lucky Brand. Although I was very let down when I first wore this and while I was straightening my necklace, one of the strands totally broke apart. I was super devastated. Luckily, I found all the beads that fell off and now my boyfriend will attempt to fix it. I hope he does it soon because I miss this necklace dearly!

All right folks! One more installment of this shopping spree and I'll be able to go on to my next segment.

Thank you for reading!

-LAUREN

The Shopping Diaries: EXPRESS, Spiral Girl Ala Moana

This bout of shopping was done the weekend after taking my last final as an undergraduate. I was relieved to have taken my last final but it felt bittersweet at the same time. You know how you've concentrated and worked really hard on something for so long that when it's over and done with you're left with this kind of sick, nauseous feeling? That's probably a more accurate representation of how I felt rather than relief lol. But I got over it the next day and had a bit of fun with the shopping :P

EXPRESS was having a pretty good sale that weekend. I believe it was buy one, get one 50% off. I just ended up getting this t-shirt because I loved the sequined heart. Even though the sequins look like a brown gradiation color, it's actually more of a gun metal gray. Nevertheless, I really liked this top and I had a couple coupons that I could use and I got $10 off.

This top came from Spiral Girl. I had seen this earlier like last month and I immediately felt the pull to buy it, but I waited. No sale came out of this waiting period, but I felt that rewarding myself would make me feel better :). I really liked the Western vibe from this top because of the the metal collar detail at the ends. With my hair shorter, those cute details can now be seen! Plus, gotta love the tiny studs going down the middle.

I had bought a black hi-lo skirt from Brandy Melville not too long ago, but of course the length is ridiculous. So when I saw this at Spiral Girl, I knew I had to try it on. Because it's a Japanese brand, it caters to the Japanese size, which is perfect for me. I found myself wishing the length was just a tad bit longer, but I couldn't complain much. Also, it came with a slip underneath so that was a major plus as well. This skirt is quite different from the Brandy Melville one (I think I may make a Brandy Melville post too later on) because this is much more girly and romantic in a sense.

After deciding on these two pieces, Jason (my boyfriend) and I go up to the cash register to pay and he surprises me by gifting these to me for graduating. I was really surprised because I hadn't been expecting it. It kinda made me blush and I felt my heart flutter a bit. I'm usually not the type to feel all sentimental and stuff because I'm quite a cynical person, but to feel that was nice :)

Thank you for reading!

-LAUREN