Summer Fun: The Clothing Collective Series

Today's post for The Clothing Collective is focused on dressing for my favorite time of the year: Summer! I absolutely love the heat which I credit to growing up in South Texas WITHOUT an air conditioner. Man, oh man was it hot, but I grew to love the heat and I absolutely love being in the sun. Summer is always a great time of year for me because I can bust out my shorts, pretty sundresses and I love all the toe showcasing shoe options!

Let's get down to the chosen theme for this week: Summer Fun!

Since moving to Korea, I have slowly moved away from my tank top ways and because of the culture have adapted my summer style to cover my shoulders. For some reason in Korea you can show all the leg in the world, but as soon as we get into the shoulder zone things get scandalous! 

Never one to get down about fashion I love pairing a pair of light shorts with a more substantial top and fun shoe to get that summer look. Even though Seoul is a huge city there are no shortage of pretty green spaces so I headed over to the nearest pretty park to snap a few photos on a gorgeous summer day! I love being able to find a peaceful place so easily in the middle of the bustling city and the care that Koreans take in landscaping is going to be sorely missed when I leave.

For my look I paired a casual tank top and snap button lightweight denim top with my favorite black shorts and fun espadrille wedges. I chose a textured leather belt to add some interest and to allow me the option of tucking in my shirt if I wanted. I added a pretty patterned purse and grabbed my shades for a look that I felt comfy, but still stylish in for a Seoul summer day.

I love this purse so much because not only is it pretty, but it is water resistant and is made from a sort of sail canvas material. I'm a bit clueless on it since I picked it up years ago in Santa Cruz, but it is water resistant and DURABLE! I love that I can just wipe everything off of it and I don't have to worry about anything happening to it while I'm out adventuring. 

I bought these shoes last year from Modcloth during one of their crazy flash sales and scored them for a measly 18 bucks! I know, amazing, right?! I love how comfy they are and they add some sunshine to whatever outfit I pair them with. I never bother with expensive sunglasses because I am forever losing, scratching, and dropping my sunglasses to EVER bother spending more than 10 bucks on them, but I love these pretty pink framed sunnies so much I hope I manage to hang on to them!

Shoes: $18.00 Modcloth. Find similar, here.

Shorts: $39.50 Roxy, here.

Top: $20.00 Random Boutique. Find similar, here.

Bag: $40.00 Random Boutique. Find similar, here.

Sunglasses: $6.00 Random Street Vendor. Find similar, here.

Belt: $29.50 American Eagle, here.

Don't forget to swing the Katie's blog, The Style Dunce, to see how she approached our theme of summer fun. Here's a little preview to her sweet summer style.

Read Katie's blog post, here.

Do you have a favorite outfit for the summer? Let us know what kind of outfits you want to see us do and keep reading because our next post will be on creating a work out outfit fit for any fashion forward woman. 

PS: I'm off to beautiful BORACAY tomorrow morning and I couldn't be more excited!! I'm being ambitious about uploading some half completed posts  so I hopefully won't be completely absent from the blogging world. In reality I will probably be in a mojito daze and sunbath instead. Whoops! I can't wait to work on my tan, sip a mojito and take in the island beauty. 

This is where I'll be staying....I can't WAIT!

I hope everyone has an amazing week because I know I will!! I'll be back in 10 days! Have fun everyone. :)

Outfit of the Day: Classic Knits

My favorite time of year is fall. There is just something about the lovely leaves turning color, the spiced chai drinks, and cool nights and mornings that I love. However, it is now the time of year that brisk fall nights are turning into chilly winter mornings! I used to hate winter because it required so much covering up and layering, especially when I moved to Kansas from South Texas and suffered through my first snowy season.

BUT! Since leaving the Lone Star state behind almost 5 years ago, I have begun to love winter and all of its glory. I have even developed a love for ultra warm wool knits something that I thought would never happen.

Yesterday morning I woke up needing to be around nature because in Seoul, the amount of nature you see can sometimes be limited to the fake flower pots in the subway.  I took a morning walk and here is my outfit that I slipped into for the day when the temperatures dipped into the winter zone.

I hadn't had the chance to wear my black leather Mizz-Mooz boots because the weather had not called for them in the city. I love the riding style of the boots and I will be looking for another pair very shortly when the snow begins to fall.  I got these boots during my annual trek to Nordstroms during the winter. I love to head there for quality boots at the start of the winter season because all of last season's boots have been drastically marked down and put on clearance. I paid under a $100 for these boots and I love them! If you remember to shop with seasonal sales in mind and you will be able to save a significant amount of money. I have never paid more than a $100 for any boots bought at Nordstroms using this shopping method.

I chose those bright green scarf by Nautica to brighten up my warm outfit. I fell in love with this vibrant scarf while wandering around a Burlington Coat Factory and had to have it. It's a men's scarf, but that didn't stop me from snapping up this lovely buy.

I found my oatmeal colored wool knit sweater on a shopping adventure in Seoul to one of the vintage markets that I frequent. I fell in love with this sturdy nautical inspired sweater because of the neutral color and the durability of the garment when considering the winter temperatures in Seoul. Also, I wanted the sweater to be a foundational piece in my winter wardrobe which I would be able to dress up or down, simply or heavily accessorized.

I am excited for the cool weather and I can't wait to spend the next couple weeks with friends and family. My husband and I are so grateful for the time that we are going to be able to spend away from the city and in the comfort and quiet of the relaxed American countryside. Also, the food is going to be amazing! ;)

Boots:Miz-Mooz: $80.00 Similar style, here.
Sweater: Vintage
Jeggings: American Eagle: $34.99, here.
Belt: American Eagle: $15.00 Similar style, here.
Scarf: Nautica: $10.00 Similar style, here.