Studio Nights

Tags

art, photography, pictures, Silverlake, studio

I’m wearing a Zara knit, BCBG Max Azria’s “Plate Waiste” belt, my old cutoffs, ruffle socks, and Vince Camuto “Baileys” booties

Last night my room mates and I decided to head over to a friend’s new photography studio in Silverlake. We sang, we danced, we took pictures, and these are the results.

I’m not trying to imply that I’m the next Leibovitz or Meisel, but look at the quality of the pictures I took of the pictures someone else took… take your time, let it sink in.  Click through the gallery to see them all!

Backpacking

Tags

backpacks, grad school style, Haerfest, school

Photo credit: Haerfest

I am so absolutely obsessed with this backpack by Haerfest. It’s black, leather, and it almost makes me want to go to graduate school. (almost) And better yet, it also comes in creme, you know, in case you need to swap it out for summer school. *le sigh

Photo credit: Haerfest

Re-Vamping

Hi everyone! It’s been a while but I’m officially back in action. The blog’s new name is Sartorial Survival, because I’ve realized in my hectic/dysfunctional/fabulous reality, the only constant I can count on is the world of fashion- which ironically is ever changing. This will be a more direct, pared down version of my life, thoughts, and style. Enjoy! And check back in a week or so for it to be really up and running…until then bear with me. 

Lakers Lovers

Tags

basketball, beer, Derek Fisher, Lakers, NBA, sporting events, sports, tickets

Purple’s not really my color…

So I was feeling athletic last week (it must have been an off day) and I decided to splurge on Lakers tickets for my man friend and I. Call it what you will, but today I’m suddenly feeling sporty as hell and I want a D-Fish jersey on, a hotdog, and an ice cold beer in and around my mouth. It’s my first ever Lakers game, which really is deplorable, but I’m on a mission to make it memorable, because god knows it could be my first and last.

Honorary Best Dressed

Tags

Academy Awards, designer, E! News, fashion, Fashion Police, Giuliana Rancic, juice cleanse, Oscars, Tony Ward

I wanted to congratulate Giuliana Rancic, host of E! News, and Fashion Police for being, in my opinion, the most gorgeous non-actor on the red carpet at the 2012 Academy Awards. Giuliana has been having one hell of a year, and if anyone deserved to look like a goddess it was her. Everything about this Tony Ward dress was spot on. It fit her perfectly from head to toe, the color was beautiful against her skin, her hair  was perfect, her makeup was flawless, and that juice cleanse she did werked it out for her body. I thought she looked incredible. Well done Giuliana!

Oscar Fashion Recap

Tags

Academy Awards, Alexander McQueen, Busy Phillips, designer, Givenchy, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Chastain, Louis Vuitton, Marchesa, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Oscar Fashion, Oscar nip slip, Oscars, red carpet, Rooney Mara, Sandra Bullock, Vera Wang, Viola Davis, Zuhair Murad

The Academy Awards have yet again come and gone, leaving me in a state of whimsy and depression. Gone are the months of fabulous fashions, hits and misses, millions of dollars of jewels loaned out to people who really don’t need them…months of unnecessary self gratification, millionaires handing out gold statues to other millionaires, and hot skinny b*tches eyeing the shit out of each other’s dresses.

That ho is wearing the Marchesa I wanted! 

So alas, we must end the season with one last round of the best and worst fashions on the red carpet at the Oscars.

Top 3:

Viola Davis in Vera Wang

Although Viola was robbed of her Oscar by a woman who probably no longer has room on her mantle for another trophy (we’re looking at you Meryl) she killed the entire awards season this year in every dress she chose. This green Vera was beautiful against her skin, and I’m going to say it- her boobs looked awesome.

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

This dress is another shining example of why McQueen will always stand out on the red carpet. It fits her like a glove, the pattern is divine down to every last stitch, and there was nothing else like it on the carpet.

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton

FINALLY! Michelle has the tendency to wear frumpy, vintage, florals on the red carpet, and this time around it looks like her best friend Busy Phillips finally got the courage to bitch slap some sense into her ass and get her into this gorgeous Louis. It was perfection.

Bottom 3:

Sandra Bullock in Marchesa

Sandra, after your Oscar win and that beautiful dress, this is what it has come to?! Fire, your, stylist. This dress makes you look like the left tackle for the Steelers.

Rooney Mara in Givenchy

I love Rooney Mara, and normally I’m a fan of her red carpet choices, but this dress washes her out and makes her boobs look like someone took a bite out of the bottom of them.

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad

I honestly think Jennifer looks gorgeous, she always does- that skin, that body, her face is perfection and still doesn’t look botoxy (how does she do it?!) But she’s trying way too hard. It’s tight, it’s see through white, and there’s a nip slip waiting to happen. You’re 42 with a hot body, but it’s time to stop acting 22.

Underground Rebel Bingo

Tags

clubs, dancing, drinking, face paint, Los Angeles, party, The Underground Rebel Bingo Club

When I say bingo, I’m sure the first thing that pops into your head is the hottest hush hush party to hit the LA scene right? No, it’s most likely decrepit old people with arthritis and rectal problems. Whatever the case, you’ve never experienced bingo until you’ve done it with hundreds of face painted, drunk, sweaty people dancing around you.

The Underground Rebel Bingo Club only comes around town every once in a while, and part of their schtick is keeping the whole thing on the down low. Being touted by the LA Times as “the new game in town” this party started in the basement of a church in London. And after experiencing this one time, I can tell you whoever started this in a church basement is going to hell. (thanks for taking one for the team, mate.)

First of all, you get in line with the instructions to tell anyone passing by that you’re headed in to a motivational seminar- which sounds legit enough if it weren’t for the fact that half the people in line already looked three quarters of the way to blacked out, and the other half were wearing neon short shorts. When you get inside you’re handed a bingo card and let loose on the venue. Drinks ensued, I ended up getting painted on by a random person’s marker, thought I won bingo a few times, even knew someone who did- and it all went uphill from there.

The funny thing is, the bingo is one of the best parts of the night. Everyone is so off their rocker, you end up rooting each other on because you forgot to mark your own bingo card. And the guy running the whole event is one foul mouthed (yet gorgeous, I must say) Brit, with a penchant for telling people they haven’t won bingo and getting them booed off stage. Once the second round of bingo is done, you’re welcome to stay and enjoy yourself until whenever you choose to leave.

By the time I left I was covered in marker (there’s no denying it this time) and getting in trouble with the bar tender for stealing those delicious little green olives. (I was hungry). If you’re looking for something new and different to do in Los Angeles, make sure you get on the mailing list for this and go next time. You won’t regret it.

V-Day Hair

Tags

bun, hair styles, naya rivera, valentines day

Okay, maybe not quite as dramatic as Naya Rivera's

I whip my bun back and forth, I whip my bun back and forth…

Okay, so maybe now that Willow Smith has shaved her head, that song has lost a little of it’s glamour. But anywho, that doesn’t mean you fine haired ladies can’t all rock a big ol’ Hollywood bun tonight for Valentines day. My girlfriend recently did this to her hair and I loved it, and then I saw it in Cosmo and I knew, I was meant for this bun.

First start off with a sleek ponytail. I like to add a little volume at the crown of my head so my hair doesn’t look so slicked back and tight. Tease your hair and smooth over the top of it. Then pull it into a ponytail resting slightly bellow the top of the back of your head, or right on the edge if you want an even more dramatic look. Then you can either go buy a Conair Bun Maker for only $4 or use my friends idea, which I think is crafty and genius. Take a high sock (recently washed preferably, ya nasty’s) and cut the leg part, giving yourself about 3 inches of fabric. Then take that little ring of sock and pull the ponytail through it. Wrap the strands of your hair around it and tuck all the edges in and voila! A perfect bun! Pin the edges in underneath if you need to, my friend said hers was tight enough that it wasn’t even necessary to pin her hair. If you want the bun to look a little more undone, take a clean face powder brush and swirl it over the bun gently to lift up a few wispy strands. Spray to hold and you’re done. A perfect bun for a date with your lover, or drinks with the girls tonight.

Don’t blame me though if you bring your date home and you have some serious explaining to do regarding a sock and your hair…

Your bun should turn out like the left if you want it sleek, and the right if you're going for a messier look

Valentine’s Date

Tags

happy hour, Mirabelle, Sunset, valentines day

cozy

I’ve told you all the joys of happy hour on a regular night but what about happy hour in Los Angeles on Valentines Day? If you’re one of many singletons out in this big bustling city, the last thing you want to do is sit and home, stuff your face with bon bons, and cry over the fact that Jimmy didn’t call you back after you gave him your number at your local sports bar on Super Bowl Sunday.

But he was The One!

I’ve spent many a Valentines day alone (by choice I swear!) and my favorite thing to do is go out with my other single girlfriends and have a good time. I recently went with friends to Mirabelle on Sunset. If you haven’t dropped by this gem yet, I strongly suggest you do it tonight! When I say happy hour, I’m not positive that Mirabelle has one, BUT their drinks are cheap (a $9 Grey Goose and soda is incredible for L.A.) hence, happy hour-esque. The restaurant has great food- I tried the tuna tartar and my friends had oysters, and a blue cheese hamburger with sweet potato fries. It was all delicious and for the location and atmosphere, pretty inexpensive as well. The people are gorgeous, the service is quick, and the atmosphere makes you want to curl up with your glass of red wine and never leave.   It’s not the biggest restaurant so I’d suggest you call asap for reso’s if you want to be there tonight.

I feel pretty, oh so pretty...

It’s the perfect place for a little Valentines rendezvous with your girls. A) Cheap= more drinking, B) More drinking = more laughing, C) The location allows for quick and painless cab rides to Hollywood (to party, naturally), and D) You’re not sitting at home wallowing in your singleness.

Now get out there and have a fabulous night! Your friends love you, and at the end of the day that’s what Valentines is really about. Happy drinking!

Grammy Hits & Misses

Tags

Armani, Carrie Underwood, designer, fashion, Gomez-Gracia, Grammys, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, red carpet, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Versace, Zuhair Murad

This year’s Grammys brought their fair share of hits and misses. I always enjoy tuning into the Grammys because for some reason musicians seem to think they can get away with dressing in tacky over the top outfits for the biggest award show in all of music. From last year’s egg fiasco (I still don’t get it Gaga) to this year’s exorcism, there’s always someone pushing the envelope…and I love it! So much entertainment over such a short distance of red carpet. Here’s how I felt about this year’s fashion Yays and Nays:

Top 3:

Carrie Underwood in Gomez-Gracia

-Carrie is country perfection. Not only is this long sleeved gown sleek and elegant, but every inch of her is flawless. This is how you make a name for yourself (I’m looking at you Nicki)

Rihanna in Armani

– Rihanna co-designed this dream of a dress with Armani and it is perfection. She’s almost about to pop out of the top and a let the world see her cave of wonders, but yet, she somehow looks classy. Bravo!

Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad

– I didn’t love this dress from the front but the back is exquisite! Taylor finally strayed from her A-line and I am so pleased with the results!

Bottom 3: 

Katy Perry, in every outfit.

– I didn’t bother looking up the designers for any of these looks because they should stand trial for making a newly divorced woman look like this. From the grandma blue frock, to the second look with bozo the clown blue hair and face makeup lighter than that god awful spray tan, to finally resting on a latex gold suit that is just seconds from creating a camel toe moment that could rock the nation, everything Katy did on Grammy night was a miss. This is not how you make your skeezy ex husband regret his decision to divorce you K-Per!

And then there was this:

Donatella, I will not accept that you created this fashion monstrosity

Nicki Minaj, this was just a hot mess of trying way too hard. Madonna already did the religious shock and awe shtick. Damn it Nicki you’re better than that…

What did you all think about the show’s fashion this year?