The Perfect Black Pump

Not too long ago, I posted this on my FB status





If you see my last comment, I had settled with the lens as oppose to the shoes. Well, to be honest, I do still need a pair of black pump and been thinking to pick one up without spending $600+. To me, finding the perfect pumps is very tricky. The fit on your toes and heels, the right height for your lifestyle, the arch, the insoles and materials - the list goes on. And I can't really determine what's the right one for me because I rarely tries them on whenever I go shoe shopping.

For some reason whenever I'm in the store I'm always drawn to the colorful heels, sandals, wedges, anything but (boring) black pumps. So it is a challenge for me. I want to have a good quality decent black pump that works for work and play, and doesn't look cheap and tacky. I found several that I like online, but concerned about the comfort level. My next best thing is googling the review on each of them which sometimes are 50/50 average which makes it even tougher.

Alright, without extending more about my research process on this, I finally narrowed it down to 3 black pumps that I purchased in plan of returning the 2 and keeping only 1 pair that I truly like. The first 2 were purchased from Urban Outfitters. They are relatively budget priced (less than $100) and perhaps more for play than work due to the shape and materials. The third one is from Cole Haan which is on the higher price point. Obviously, they are better made shoes and I love the classic shape.



1. Deena & Ozzy Angled Split Pump





2. UO Suede Pump

3. Cole Haan Violet Air Pump 90





After examining those 3 pumps, I can't deny that it's a no-brainer to keep the Cole Haan one for several reasons:

1. Comfort level is a 9 out of 10 due to the Nike Air soles. (Cole Haan is owned by Nike Air so the majority of their shoes are made with Nike Air soles. It's a merge between style and comfort.) I gave a 9 because it is leather so there will be a "breaking in" phase.
2. The almond shape toe and straight heels made the shoes look classic and the 3.5" heel with 1/2" hidden platform is also perfect. It's high enough for play and comfortable enough for work. It feels like wearing a 3" heel really.
3. The black patent leather looks very nice and not plastic-y like other pumps I've seen before.
4. Insoles are so soft and have a lot of support even around the edges.The other two had rough edges that eats in to my skin when I wear it.

The Cole Haan Violet Air Pump 90 goes for $248 retail price but I got mine with the 30% off friends and family event when I was in NY this past weekend, which brings it down to rougly about $175. Way cheaper compared to the Christian Louboutin I was eyeing for $625.

What is your perfect black pump?

Cam Photo Diary Cam

TGIF!

Here's some pictures taken from the past two weeks from my DSLR. I have been getting way too lazy bringing my DSLR anywhere ever since I got my new iPhone 4S. I mean, with the Instagram and all the other photo editing apps made it a no-brainer to stick with the phone as a go-to camera. However, I came back to my senses to the reason why I got a DSLR on the first place. :) Glad to be back.

Also, go check out Liz's photo shoot that Hansen photographed. They are awesome!!

My mom is here this weekend so I'm going up to NYC today to see her and of course baby Reggie! Exciting! Hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Xoxo

Striping Good

As you may know I had a shout out last week about the J.Crew 30% off promo on their sale items online. I picked up several basics cotton tees, as well as two light cotton sweaters. I also recently purchased a new lens, so I thought I'd give it a shot inside my new room along with my J.Crew purchases that came in the mail yesterday. 

I'm showing you the two light sweaters that I got in yellow and blue. I love the striped pattern on both sweaters. I think these are such great transitional pieces to wear in the Spring where the weather is colder in the morning and nights.
My new bedroom is significantly smaller than the old apartment, so I'm still figuring out the best lighting and position to take outfit pictures. Also, note the remote in my hand :)

Spindrift Sweatshirt in Stripe


 
Cotton V-Neck Sweater in Neon Stripe


Jeans: Paige Denim, Watch: Michael Kors, Bangles: Lord and Taylor (old), Necklace: Gorjana & Target, Shoes: Alexander Wang, Nail Polish: Essie Turks and Caicos

PS: The UPS guy is my favorite person this week and next week. I'm anxiously waiting for more packages from my recent purchase in Shopbop, Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters. ^^ V

iPhone Pics as of Late

 1. Make-up haul from Nordstrom & Sephora2.  NYSE Trip3. Karaoke @ Yakitori Boy4. Outfit of the Day - Tory Burch flats, F21 cardigan, H&M top5. Outfit of the Day - Madewell Bootie, Zara Sweater, H&M Scarf6. Outfit of the Day - Cole Haan flats, Uniqlo Military Jacket, H&M Scarf7. Lunch @ Kun Jip, Korean Town NYC8. Happy Hour @ Borders9. Philly & Dragon Roll for Dinner in NJ10. Cream de Banana @ Toscana11. Baby Reggie 2 weeks old12. Risotto & Scallops @ Toscana


Have a great weekend everyone!

Jeans your Body

I've been thinking about writing up a post that is somewhat informative based on my personal experience. So, I thought I should write my experiences on finding the perfect jeans.

Not until the recent years, I had a real grip of my body shape and structure. I come to a good understanding that you need to know your body in order to dress properly enhancing the shape and size rather than covering up the negatives.

I had gone through trial and error to finally find what works. I have a long torso, longer than the normal person in comparison to the length of my legs. I'm 5'5 and given the length of my torso, my legs should have been longer.. so in an ideal world, I should have been taller than 5'5. Also, I have a curvy thicker hip/thighs and the problems with this type of shape is it's very hard to find a pair of jeans that "fits". Most cases, I have to go a size up only to get a comfortable fit on the hip and thigh, but there's always a big gap in the waist line (obviously because it's 1 size larger than my real size). A quick fix to this is by wearing a wider belt to compromise the waist gap to stay close to the body. Not too flattering.

So to sum things up my body have a long torso, shorter legs, and curvy hip and thighs. LOL! It's God's gifts so I have to just work it.

I find the jeans that most complements my body shape are straight and boot cut style. Skinny jeans dont work as well as they do not balance out my hip at all, however, I do have a few which I typically pair them with a loose oversize flowy top. Here's some of my favorites that fits me well.

 Straight Jeans

                                     Lucky Brand Sweet N Straight Jeans                                                  Paige Denim Skyline Straight                        

Boot Cut Jeans

GAP Perfect Boot Cut Jeans

For skinny jeans, I don't really have a favorite as of now.. but what I'm currently wearing is the H&M skinnies. If fits great but my complain is it looses its stretch-i-ness within one wear, but what do you expect for $24.99? LOL! I also got this GAP recently in "Rose" planning to wear it over the Spring/Summer. I like this jeans because it's relatively lighter material perfect for the warmer weather.

Skinny Jeans

 GAP 1969 Lightweight Always Skinny Skimmer Jeans


If you see all of the jeans I listed, you can see that all of them have mid-rise cut except the GAP skinny jeans. Mid-rise is generally better because it will give the illusion of longer legs since your waist is cut on a higher part of the body rather than a low-rise. It also helps tremendously to hide those love handles.

Also, a good hem alteration is a must due to the shorter legs. Any regular size jeans typically runs long for me even pairing it with sky high heels. So, this $10 -$15 investment on hemming is definitely a necessity and completely worth it. Make sure you brought/wear the shoes that you want to be paired with the jeans so that the tailor can measure the length accordingly against the shoe sole. If you don't want to spend the additional $$ for alteration, you might be lucky if the jeans you like carries the "Short" version. Most times this will work as well.

Lastly, an important item to complete the look is a pair of heels. It doesn't have to be those 5 inch killer heels but any sort of extra height will boast the overall look. I have very few flats (boots, sandals, ballet flats) among my shoe collection for this very reason. Heels only can elongate the legs more.

I hope this post  is somewhat helpful to anyone who has the same problems with me. I honestly feel that I can skip the agony of finding that perfect pair of jeans only if I have known this sooner. Knowing your body shape well and knowing what works make shopping way easier and more enjoyable. Good luck!

New Place

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day (despite of the high pollen allergy strike). I haven't touched my camera for a while, so I thought I would shot some pics outside my new place. Enjoy!