Fairytale Reality

Thank you all for your well wishes on my exams, and your wishes must have done something, because my French exam went by wonderfully.  My exam was on Monday, but I didn't blog at all this past week because grad was on Saturday, and grad prep takes time!  Grad is one of those times that most girls look towards as a time to transform themselves into princesses, and to go all out and release their inner girl.  Two girls from my school did end up looking like princesses with pink ballroom gowns and tiaras, and others surprised me with how they rid of their usual casual attire, and donned floor length dresses

However, I didn't end up getting the full dress shopping experience, as I actually borrowed dresses for both the ceremony and banquet.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on grad (university itself is expensive enough), and so all in all, I spent a total of $16 on my entire grad look, which went towards a curling iron.

Even though I had a graduation gown overtop my dress for the majority of the ceremony, I still wanted to look put together underneath the gown.  For my ceremony dress, I went with classic black, but in a sexier way with a strapless, lacy, body-con dress.  Nonetheless, to keep it appropriate for the formality of the occasion, I put on a black cardigan and pulled on some black tights.

Dress: Unknown (Borrowed)

Cardigan: Prada (Gift)

Shoes: Tahari

Necklace: Unknown (Gift)

Crystal Earrings: Fifth Avenue Collection (Gift)
Tights: Unknown

My friends too, of course, took the occasion to dress up:

The grad ceremony, while long and drawn out, was a memorable moment of pride.  It was a culmination of three years of hard work into a precious couple of seconds on stage.  It was a celebration of all 704 graduating students, and it marked the beginning of each and every one of our future endeavors.

Despite the importance of the ceremony, all the girls were truly looking forward to the banquet.  The banquet was our chance to live our very own fairytale.  At the beginning of the year, I knew that I did not want the typical satiny, embellished, jewel-toned grad gown.  I had it clear in my mind that I wanted an angelic or ethereal dress.  My morning outfit was black and body-con, but my evening outfit would have to exude quiet, innocent beauty (somewhat of a reversal, is it not?).  So with that in mind, I went with a silver, delicately sequined dress.  The theme of my outfit was subtle sparkle.

Dress: Unknown (Borrowed)

Shoes: Feet First

Shawl: Tricot de Crayon

Clutch: Aldo (Borrowed)

Necklace and Bracelet: Unknown (Gift)

Earrings: Anne Klein

I wanted it so that you wouldn't quite realize the full potential of my outfit until you saw me moving underneath the light.  And it turns out that the idea worked, as I was complimented twice more on my dress as I danced later in the evening.  This idea extended to my nails as well; I decided to forgo coloured nails for simple, clear polish.  Again, it would only be up close before you realize the polish on my nails.  To pump it up and add a bit of colour, I went with purple accessories.  By the way, these are simply home photos, so the quality isn't at its best, and this was my first time curling my hair, so that's not at its best either.

You'll notice that I wasn't wearing heels, and that's because I couldn't find a good pair of heels I was willing to spend money on.  A lot of my friends were telling me to wear heels, but after I spent the evening dancing in my flats and then could still walk briskly back to my car, I was glad I didn't wear too crazy a pair of heels.  Below is a photo of my friend and chief editor of the school newspaper.  She's read all of my fashion articles this year, and when she saw me in flats, exclaimed that she was disappointed, knowing how I am.  Haha!

And then there was my friend who looked fabulous in a dress made by her mom, inspired by Versace's latest Resort collection:

But all my friends looked fantastic that night, with the majority of them actually in full length dresses!

After an entire year of anticipation, grad finally flew by in a day.  In a way, I wish grad could last and last forever, but no amount of time would be sufficient enough to make the last day of school with my classmates any less emotional.

Summer Shoes

The bulk of my final exams - the most important exams of my high school career - have gone by, with some successes and some frustrating downfalls.  I still have two more coming up, but I thought I'd take advantage of this little break to post my Summer Shoes article (I apologize for the blurry image):

While I wasn't assigned the main fashion story this time (which was Summer Dress Trends), this is my last article for the youth magazine, and I am glad that I was given a chance to write an article about shoes - my blog is, after all, called Red-Soled Fashionista.  Even though I've only written three articles for this magazine, I've learned how the journalism industry works, had my first real (slightly embarrassing) interview, and experienced the thrill that comes from seeing words that I have strung together published on paper.  I highly doubt that the thrill will ever dissipate, no matter how many more articles I write in the future, and you can bet this won't be the last publication I write for.

Image Source: Youthink

It's not Playboy, It's Easter

As a teenager, Easter doesn't mean that much to me anymore.  When I was little, my dad would hide chocolate (sometimes it was candy) around the house, but even then, it was never really that exciting.  Some of my friends have been overjoyed lately at the prospect of Cadbury Creme Eggs, and so I've decided to give in and celebrate Easter this year, but I'm going to do it my own way - a more fashionable way, if you will.  If you've been following fashion for a while now, you'll probably remember a period when bunny ears were all the rage (most likely initiated Louis Vuitton's Fall/Winter 2009 RTW show).  So, to celebrate Easter, here's a look at some of my favourite bunny ear moments in fashion:

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2009

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2009

Tim Burton Elle Editorial

 

guardian.co.uk



Marc Jacobs

Tatler May 2011

So whether you celebrate your Easter by hunting for chocolate eggs, donning a pair of stylish bunny ears, or simply just spending time with your family, I hope you all have a sweet one.  Happy Easter everyone!

Sister and Brother

I'm not usually overly excited about celebrity labels, and The Row by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen is no exception.  However, a dress from their younger line, Elizabeth and James, has caught my eye:

I saw this silk dress in Holt Renfrew, and it features laser cut holes, which were what drew me towards the dress in the first place.  The detailing comes not from embellishment or prints, but from tiny holes.  By literally removing pieces of the dress, you end up getting more out of it.

With a wide collar, kimono sleeves, a delicate strap framing the cowl back, and a button closure at the waist that subtly gathers the fabric, this is one easy breezy summer dress that goes heavy on the style quotient.

Image Source: Shopbop

Solange Wilvert

At the request of Fashion Cappuccino, Solange Wilvert is up next on this blog's model feature!

Solange is a Brazilian model who was discovered during a casting session at her public school.  She is known for her long legs (she is 6 feet!), and has been referred to as the "tall Kate Moss".  Since her discovery, she has walked for and worked with big designers.

Off-duty, Solange dresses nothing like what you would expect a model who has worked with so many designers to dress.  She is well-accustomed to hoodies and she reminds me of your everyday girl next door.  Basically, she has down-to-earth style.

Her most recent appearance was at two shows during Spring/Summer 2011 RTW.

Halston

Marchesa

If there are any models you want to see featured, just give me a shout if you haven't done so already!

Image Source: Photo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Style.com

Big, Bold and Beautiful

Finally, after much waiting, the second issue of my school newspaper has come out.  Seeing as this is the March 2011 issue (it was supposed to come out in March), naturally I would write about spring trends.  Again, I surely don't expect or want you to read the entire thing, but what you can see is that I choose a look from Jil Sander to represent the trends of spring.  If you saw the article I wrote for the youth magazine, you will remember that I said it was all about being bold this spring, and I think Jil Sander got that message across loud and clear.

There have been a couple of improvements to my school newspaper this issue, such as colour photos, a more professional layout, and public viewing access.  However, as you can maybe see, they have decided to not include the writers' full names.  They merely put a first initial with a full last name.  Unfortunately, this probably has to be done in order to protect privacy now that our newspaper is open to public viewing.

Chloé: A story of lust

Lately, it seems as if Holt Renfrew has not been skimping when it comes to making its customers feel welcomed!  Everytime I shop there, I have been greeted by complimentary drinks from Starbucks and chocolate.  This time, I was greeted with glasses of white and red wine (which, of course, I did not try), and a piece of absolutely delicious cake in the form of a baby blue Marc by Marc Jacobs bag to celebrate the label's 10th anniversary.

With the spring stock finally calling Holt Renfrew its home, there were fantastic new pieces on the racks, some taken straight off the runway.  In the shoe department, there was one shoe in particular that had me sweeping it up, and unwilling to put it back down.  And that shoe was a pair of Chloé braided strap flats in nude:

The glimmer of the braided, silver chain ankle strap makes this more than just your average pair of flats.  I love how the simplicity of the flat is paired with the elegance and glamour of the ankle strap.  But that does not mean the rest of the flat is not beautiful in itself.  The leather vamp of the shoe is smooth and polished, and the round toe is shaped to perfection.

This flat also comes in metallic black leather, but I find the nude matches better with the ankle strap, and it's more feminine.  However, I do recall the leather looking slightly darker - more towards a brown - in real life, but maybe I am mistaken.

If there's any way to subtly draw attention to your shoes, this is one of them.  Chloé has given me yet another thing to lust after.

Image Source: Lyst, Net-a-Porter