Karis the Baybonnet: February 2015

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

That Subtle Way

Details: Lace Top-LF, Bralette-Free People, Necklace-Forever21, Pants-American Apparel, Boots-Freebird from LF, Irish Cream Latte-Cafe Blue Door

WOW! What an amazing time I've been having lately. It's been a while since I've been this incredibly happy about everything that's happening to me and I'm so thankful to be able to share all my joy with you! First of all, I found out on Friday that I got into business school at Berkeley. The way that the business major works here is that you apply the end of your first semester as a sophomore and you find out the next semester if you get into the Junior/Senior program or not. I came to Berkeley because I knew how prestigious the Haas business program was and it was so scary not knowing for the past three semesters if I would even end up majoring in the thing that brought me to this amazing school in the first place. But as of Friday at 5:00 I now know what the next two years hold and I couldn't be more excited!

Additionally, I really love my classes and the things I'm getting involved with this semester. I'm taking a lot of classes that talk about current events, politics, and things that I, as an American citizen and voter, should be aware of. Although I'm not taking anything to get me towards my major, I think that the classes I'm taking are very important and have made me so much more aware of the world I live in. I've also gotten involved with the Fashion and Student Trends club this semester as a blog writer. I've already published my first post (I'll put a link to it at the end of this post) and my second one, which is a video, should be up tomorrow. It's cool to be doing something more related to fashion and I'm meeting a lot of really lovely people with similar interests to me, so that's a bonus.

Finally, I've met someone who has really made an impact in my life. I don't really want to go into personal details of my life here, but I'm sure that you'll be seeing more of him soon. All that you need to know is that things are going really well for me right now and I sincerely hope that you can all experience this happiness too! I know it's probably a stressful time for a lot of you if you're in school (midterms, ugh) but believe me when I say that surrounding yourself with the right kind of people and getting involved in the things that you want to do can play such a big part in helping you live a fulfilling life. Keep your head up, pour yourself a cup of tea, and let the stress escape you for just a moment each day. Please. Do it for me.

I've been listening to a lot of Bombay Bicycle Club lately; I find that during periods of optimism I tend to listen to a lot of "indie" music whereas usually I would listen to more grunge, shoegaze, ect. Anyways, I'm a big fan of theirs and one of my favorites by them is actually off their first album which I guess is sorta old now as far as modern music goes? It's called "Dust on the Ground" and it's gotten me through a lot of stress this week so please enjoy. Also, Jack Steadman is kinda a cutie? Is this just me? Please let me know.

Sorry this post was so long, I just have a lot of stuff to celebrate! Hope you all have a good week!

Karis the Baybonnet

Link to my post on the FAST blog: Click here

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Boredom Makes You Creative

Details: Sweater, Shorts, and Tights-Urban Outfitters, Bra-Free People, Shoes-Doc Martens, Texas Necklace-Kris Nations Designs

Yesterday Caroline (who is now my semi-official photographer?) and I went and shot some pictures on her roof. I really like the view of the bay in the background of these pictures. It reminds me of what a gorgeous place I live in. I am so lucky for that. Today's outfit is relatively simple with neutral colors. I made a conscious effort to show my shorts in these pictures because there were definitely times today that I looked like I flat out wasn't wearing pants. This sweater really stretches a lot just in the span of one day. It was like I woke up definitely looking like I was in shorts in a sweater but by 2:00 I was somehow wearing a dress all of a sudden.

I had a really great week, and the concert I went to on tuesday was amazing. The picture above is the only really good one that I got, but I like it. Bad Suns were really great live and I urge anyone who is looking for a fun concert to buy tickets to their show in your city. Regardless of if you know their music or not, you'll have a fun time and you'll probably want to buy the album afterwards. Their second opener, Coasts, was also really good. I had never heard of them before and while they were playing I was being a little cynical about the Matt Healy wannabe singer, but that was definitely just because I was eager for Bad Suns to come on. When I got home I bought their EP (called Coasts - EP) and I really liked the four songs on it! The song that I've featured today is called "Wallow" and it might just be my favorite out of all of them. "Rush of Blood to the Head" and "Oceans" are also pretty good. I've been jamming hard all week.

Happy Tuesday!

Karis the Baybonnet

Monday, February 2, 2015

For Love of For Love and Lemons

I realize that it's been a long time since I've made a designer appreciation post, so today I'm going to talk about one of my absolute favorite labels: For Love and Lemons. It's extra fitting seeing as it's almost Valentines day and this brand makes some of the prettiest lingerie out there.

For Love and Lemons is an independent label started by two friends in Jackson, WY. Since then the pair have moved their operations to Los Angeles - fitting seeing as it's home of all my favorite independent labels. The company has been around for a few years, but I noticed it in Spring 2014 around the time that they released a collection dominated by bold colors and lace. To this day the Antigua mini and maxi dresses are still the pieces that define the label for me. These dresses caught my eye because they were delicate but also incredibly sexy. The intricate lace patterns only cover the necessary parts of the body while the rest is made of a nude mesh material allowing for minimal body coverage while still being wearable.

Today the brand boasts a collection of beautiful pieces with the same delicate and sexy vibe as the collection that I first fell in love with. However, my favorite part of the brand is their Skivvies lingerie line. Each piece is interesting and innovative and Skivvies can be seen on many influential fashion bloggers. Honestly, I feel a little sad knowing that their bras and underwear are meant to be covered up seeing as it's not exactly socially acceptable to parade around in your "skivvies". However, many of the pieces walk a fine line between crop top and bra or contain elements that can easily be incorporated into an outfit without flat-out refusing to wear a shirt.

Take, for instance, the iconic Bat Your Lashes Bra. Made from the same beautiful lace as the aforementioned Antigua dress, this bra come down to about 2 inches above the belly button, making it a somewhat acceptable crop top, especially for music festivals or days at the beach. The She's a Knock Out bra is another example of one of these crop-top/bra hybrids. Additionally, the label carries some fun bodysuit designs that could be made into sleek and sexy tank tops when paired with jean cut offs or a pair of high waisted skinny jeans. For lovers of that iconic Antigua lace design, there's even a Bat Your Lashes body suit for those who don't like the crop top look.

When it comes to their bras that are far less acceptable crop tops, many designs still incorporate elements that can spice up an outfit without being too risque. The Wanted & Wild Bustier from their new Spring 2015 collection is an example of one such design. While the lace balconnette bra would warrant some stares if worn alone, putting a simple flowy tee shirt on over it would allow for the two front straps coming out of the center of the bra to accessorize your décolletage in a fun and unconventional way. The Skivvies collection allows for women to be adventurous and sexy while still looking cool and casual. Just throw on the jewel-colored Delicate Bondage bra and a thin white tee and you've got a peek-a-boo look that isn't too in-your-face.

Overall, the For Love and Lemons brand is sexy but also feminine and casual. Rich colors and a diverse array of fabrics make every collection interesting and enticing. Their Spring Skivvies collection, called Wanderlust, and Spring 2015 clothing collection, called Pacific Escape, are on their site now. So if you're looking for a Valentines treat for yourself or a loved one go check out their website! The prices are pretty steep, but each piece is beautifully crafted and in limited supply, so if there's a piece that you're swooning after, save yourself the trip to your favorite coffee shop this week and scrape up those savings because that something big that you've been waiting for is here!

Below I've included pictures of all the pieces mentioned in this post and links to where you can purchase them on the site!