Fashion Finds: Philadelphia Flea Market

c/o philafleamarkets.org

The Philadelphia Flea Market is a gem I stumbled upon after following a slew of my favorite fashion bloggers and being jealous of their thifty finds.  After doing a quick Google search, I found the Philadelphia Flea Market at http://philafleamarkets.org/.  They have a few different locations, and their flea markets are all summer and fall long!

The particular flea market I attended was on Saturday, September 10th, at 22nd and Fairmount surrouding the Eastern State Penitentiary.  Boy, were there a ton of vendors!  I walked up to 22nd Street basically in awe of the number of vendors that participated.  The local community also joined in and were selling a few of their own pieces in front of their homes.

I stopped by a bunch of cool places and learned a ton of interesting historical facts.  I looked out for a ton of great items like genuine leather handbags and envelope clutches and even some funky jewelry!

After a long, long, long walk around 3 blocks of vendors (and that wasn't even all of them), I decided on these items.


A couple of gorgeous scarves that were only $1 a piece...

Can't wait to do some turbans with these!

And 3 funky pairs of earrings that were also $1 a pair.

The ones on the far left are such a gem, I know no one else will have them!

I also had my eye on a leather crossbody satchel, which I didn't end up getting, and some really cute clip-ons, that I was too tired to walk back for.

After I grabbed a bite at Little Pete's Diner and had a delicious chicken burger (yummmm) with all the fixings!


A cozy dining experience at Little Pete's (c/o Yelp!)

If I were you, I'd definitely plan to make a journey to the Philadelphia Flea when you get a chance.  They have a ton of dates planned and they even have an indoor market for the winter!  Maybe I'll see you there! :)

Alexander McQueen: The Exhibit of Dreams

Sorry I rhythmed...but there was something so eerily elegant and drop-dead gorgeous about the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

When my sister expressed that she'd like to shop in New York for her birthday, I excitedly expressed my interest in Alexander McQueen's exhibit "Savage Beauty".  His name wasn't really ringing any bells for my 17-year-old sister, but all I had to do was utter the word "Gaga", and she knew who he was.

For me, McQueen was a brilliant artist.  His creations spoke volumes about his creative genius.  His collections contained no gimmicks, and instead were full of extremely well calculated moves.  Each runway clip I've seen (ooooh, how I would of loved to see a McQueen runway show...) has a truly captivating, show-stopping, attention-getting, theatrical quality.

I was so sad to find that we could not take pictures of the 120 pieces showcased at the museum since many of them were on loan from other collections, but trust me, it's an experience you won't forget.

On a less seriously enthralled by beauty note...since I couldn't get the goods from the exhibits...here's a couple fun snaps from the day...



In this cute neighborhood near 86th St station
On our way to museum
(I'm on the right)





My three sisters and my youngest sister's friend Sienna waiting to get in the exhibit!





The tres hermanas...Tash, Me, and Sharon

As you can see...we are all estactic after coming from the museum lol

For details, check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibit "Savage Beauty"

Trends 2 Try: Spring Fashion- Pt. 1

I've been working on this blog for like two weeks and decided to share it with you, anyways.  I have been so busy that it isn't quite finished but I would still like to share my input before someone snags it from me!! lol j/k

Part 2 will include the items from my own closet that have inspried me to take part in these trends...enjoy!

Here are some designers and trends that have inspired me for the upcoming season (c/o Elle's March 2011 issue, & the many blogs that have so graciously helped me stay in tune with NY/London/Milan Fashion Week!):

Dior's Tropical Palm Frawn:

Out of a delicious spread that makes me ache for summer by Dior, I saw that beautiful tropical  prints were in again for the Spring season.  The spread reminded me specifically of a tank I had that was cream with olive-colored palm frawns. 

Although the piece isn't high fashion and is very understated, the print is actually spot on and I think I could rock it with some cute khaki skinny cargos and wedge sandals to create a more put-together look.

Gucci's Bold Saturated Jewel Tones:

On the cover of Elle magazine (March 2011), Katy Perry is rocking a gloriously colorful look c/o Gucci, and I can't help but salivate at how the bold colors dance so sophisticatedly together in her cover photo, as well as, in the Gucci ad in Elle. 

  

The items I have in mind may not have the same inpact by themselves, but I think I could have a lot more fun mixing these deep-hued and bold colored selections with equally impactful pieces in my daily wardrobe.

Vera Wang's Asian-Insprired Florals:

I love all kinds of Asian offerings: clean lines, deep reds, sophisticated black, hand-carved mahogany,  cherry blossoms, and sushi...lots and lots of sushi; but I digress.  One of the hot trends that Vera Wang is showcasing this season is Asian-inspired prints in gorgeous drapey silohuettes. Elle artfully calls it, "Chow, Baby". lol.

I have a gorgeous maxi dress that has beautiful flowers and sharp, clean lines. Although the floral design is not inherently Asian, the white flowers speak to the prints that I've so admired.  I definitely plan on getting some more deliciously silky, Asian-printed pieces in my wardrobe...STAT!

Spring Florals:

Nothing says spring and summer just right like floral print, and I happen to be an avid supporter of this trend! I definitely intend on scooping up a few new items, but what I have so far is a cute, white, floral top and some cute flower pins that spruce up an otherwise boring piece.

Needless to say, I can't wait for spring!

Fashion Finds: Forever 21+



Me, after receiving this package in the mail

Even though I've been dieting I hate that word for a while now, I'm still a hot, curvy girl (and with pounds and pounds of weight loss...that is one thing that will not change).

Last year, a friend and my fashionista sister both put me D with Forever 21+. The clothes update almost daily, and I finally got the gift card I was hoping for for Christmas to try it out.

Well after many days of peeping the fashions, I decided to pick some things out to try...

And I LOVE them! Their sizing is very accurate...in inches. DO NOT pay attention to their numeric sizing! I purchased 2 tops and a pair of leggings in a 1X, which is listed as a 13-14, and all my seletions fit perfectly. I'm usually about a 16-18 in most clothing. I took a minute to compare their sizing with brands I usually shop at, and their sizing information in inches was on par with my normal size. (So don't think YOU can't shop there...if my math and research was done correctly, they go up to about a size 22!)

Here's what I got:

Sequin Butterfly Poncho:

Front

Back

So I decided if I was going to try this amazingly trendy franchise, I would try something that was extremely fabulous and wonderful for a fancy night out.  The minute I saw this little number, I knew I had to have it said the girl who is addicted to all that glitters...lol!  The fit was nice and not too long, and I thought this top would lend itself beautifully to a cute pair of colored leggings (which I also grabbed in purple from Forever 21+ for $5.80!), or my cute satin pencil skirt for a hot night out. And at $19.80, this number was definitely in my budget.

Sheer Studded Button-Up:

Full frontal shot

 

The sheerness of the fabric.


This deliciously taupey number was picked out after much going back and forth with my boyfriend. I originally picked out a hot, silky leopard tank but he said it was better suited for the bedroom...it's ok, I'm flexible.  I'm glad we could agree on this because I love it! It is very sheer, and when I tried it on, you can see my pink bra showing through the fabric in the pic above (fun...but no, lol).  I thought this is a great little neutral top to mix with other neutrals, and it will look great in the spring with some white shorts and some really cute sandals.  For the winter, it lends itself to a 3/4 sleeve top and a warm fur vest (which I wish I owned...lol). For now, it hangs in all its glory, waiting for a winter warm-up. At $24.80, another great find!

Although styles are updated daily, snag up the ones you think are hot because the styles at Forever 21+ don't last long.  All you lovely, plus-sized ladies are snatching up the hotness with a vengeance so stop reading this and get 'chu some!

Visit Forever21.com and click on the link for Forever 21+. Like I said the styles go really fast and my items are no longer available, so find yourself something you like and grab it quick!

This is an unpaid review and I received no compensation for presenting the aforementioned information.