4 ways to wear 

the everlane 

shirt dress

Style collab with Yuka Ohishi

One of the reasons why I love working at Pinterest is that I am surrounded by so many badass women who are passionate about their hobbies outside of work. Yuka is one of them, and creates beautiful videos on her YouTube channel in both English and Japanese. You can also check out her amazing sense of style on her blog and Instagram. Since we both love to create style content, we decided to get together to do a collaboration for Yuka's channel and for this blog. We designed the collaboration around this dress:

The Linen Shirt Dress 
in Medium Indigo
Everlane
$78 USD

The challenge? Take this simple, somewhat boring-looking dress and each create a dressy and casual outfit out of it.

The result:

The Sunday brunch

Way 1: dress it up
Styled by Yuka

To elevate the simplicity of the denim shirt, Yuka paired it with a gingham midi skirt and tied the look together with a western belt. To balance out the feminine skirt with a bit of edge, she added a pair of leather boots from Marc Fisher.

Shirt Dress (acting just as the shirt here): Everlane | Skirt: Stylekeepers| Belt: Zara| Boots: Marc Fisher

The lazy Saturday

Way 2: dress it down
Styled by Cindy

To give my outfit a nautical and preppy vibe, I layered a striped shirt and white wide-leg jeans underneath the shirt dress. The majority of white in this outfit also helps to bring out the vibrance of the indigo in the shirt dress. 

Shirt Dress: Everlane | T-shirt: Uniqlo | Jeans: Cheap Monday| Loafers: Modcloth

Now... onto some nautical-style shots we took at this "top secret" location.

When asked to describe our different styles, we agreed that it was important to the both of us to have balance in our outfits—whether it's from mixing feminine and masculine pieces together, or from mixing tight and loose tops and bottoms. Not only does this apply to clothing alone, but to makeup as well. If you're going to be wearing a super colorful outfit, you might want to consider keeping your makeup on the neutral side—and vice versa.

The outfit I put together was quite casual and leaned more towards the tomboy side. To bring some feminine energy into it, I put on a classic red lipstick (M·A·C Viva Glam I). I find that the red lipstick really helps the whites and blues in this outfit pop, and adds a Parisian-girl vibe when paired with the navy stripes.

I know I tend to wear red lipstick an awful lot, but the truth is: I do it simply because it helps me look awake. Because my skin can look washed-out sometimes, I tend to look rather tired when I'm not wearing any color on my lips. I find that the pop of red (or any color, really) on my lips helps give some warm undertones to my face and makes me look energized—even if I only had 4 hours of sleep the night before.

To bring balance to her outfit, Yuka countered the feminine midi skirt with some black boots from Marc Fisher. I personally love the midi skirt + ankle boot combo and have seen it all over outfits at fashion weeks across the globe. This can be a bit tricky to pull off for petite girls, but my advice would be to keep a good distance from the bottom of the skirt to the top of the boots so your legs don't get lost. I also did something similar in a previous post, where I paired some simple black sock boots with a not-so-simple midi dress.

Hamptons, anyone?

Are we still in San Francisco?

Actually yes, we are. I'm just never telling you where we shot these.

The 10Am Meeting

Way 3: dress it down
Styled by Yuka

To style this dress for a casual work setting, Yuka wore it as a light "trench coat" above a black and white shirt + trousers. Then, to balance the simplicity of the outfit, she chose a pair of leopard heels to tie everything together and to bring in a pop of color.

Shirt Dress: Everlane | T-shirt: Uniqlo | Pants: Stella McCartney | Heels: SLY (Japanese brand)

The 5PM happy hour

Way 4: dress it up
Styled by Cindy

To give this shirt a more feminine silhouette, I added a skinny belt to cinch the waistline and give the blue dress an unexpected pop of color. I layered a black mesh blouse underneath to add an interesting texture to the outfit, and to elevate the somewhat-casual feel that denim tends to give off.

Shirt Dress: Everlane | Mesh blouse (underneath): Styleaddict | Belt: Modcloth| Heels: Sigerson Morrison

I had a blast doing this style collab with Yuka! It's so fun to discover different people's styles and look into their thought process of constructing an outfit. I'm really hoping that the two of us can collaborate again in the future, and show you more of these collab posts!

If you want to follow Yuka:

YouTube: blossomlink by Yuka
Instagram: @0oyukao0
Blog: blossomlink.me
Pinterest: @0oyukao0
Twitter: @0oyukao0

Also, kudos to me for creating 2 posts in 2 days. I'm going to pass out now, good night.

♥ Cindy

Do you remember the line in The Devil Wears Prada that Miranda Priestly says when she sarcastically replies to the fashion editor who suggested doing an editorial on florals for spring? "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking." Miranda's snarky comment was what came to mind when I was composing this post. Okay, so it might not be the most novel idea to do a post on florals for spring (especially while posing against a floral backdrop), but whatevs, Miranda. Florals and spring are a timeless match, and we're all thinking it.

Because I've been so obsessed with minimal fashion these days, I've resorted to this simple mom jeans and white blouse combo multiple times when I have a creative outage and can't figure out what to wear. Another way to elevate a minimal outfit is by adding statement jewelry. I added these rose gold dangling hoop earrings to give the outfit a more feminine vibe. I've been in love with minimal and geometric jewelry lately, specifically ones of this nature. I feel that they add a super chic element to the outfit without being overly-gaudy or attention-seeking.

I am such a big fan of biker jackets because of how versatile they are and how they seem to work for every occasion. Throw one over a casual jeans + T-shirt outfit to elevate it, or put it over a feminine dress to make it edgier. I love mixing different style elements together—masculine with feminine, classy with street—and a biker jacket really helps out with that. In this outfit, I layered a rather outlandish and flashy embroidered biker jacket on top of a minimal white button-up and mom jeans to give a modern spin to this classic combo.

Embroidery has become super popular thanks to Gucci in the past year. I'm usually not a big fan of bold patterns or prints, but seeing them show up on more masculine items like loafers, jackets, and jeans has really gotten me obsessed with this trend. Yes, florals might be trite when it comes to putting them on feminine dresses and blouses. But when you put them on a pair of ripped jeans or sneakers, they suddenly turn into something very badass and unique.

In spite of how versatile biker jackets are, this one in particular was a bit tricky to style. I decided to go super minimal and basic underneath and tried to balance out the masculine and feminine elements of the outfit as much as I could. The sheer blouse and the hoop earrings can be considered feminine, while the pair of baggy jeans and black leather loafers can be considered masculine. (Now that I think about it, the sheer white blouse could actually work as either masculine or feminine... It's very hard to tell with such a classic piece like this!)

Makeup: Lips (M·A·C Viva Glam I) | Brows (Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown + Glossier Boy Brow in Brown) | Eyeliner (Clio Kill Black Waterproof Pen Liner) | Under-eye Concealer (Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard)

I want to mention that proceeds from every purchase from M·A·C's Viva Glam line is donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund. All the more reason to buy this lipstick... plus it's the perfect classic red lipstick that even Jeanne Damas recommended.

Location: These photos were taken in front of a mural in a secluded alley in downtown Los Gatos. Contrary to San Francisco, Los Gatos is a very residential and quiet neighborhood, it was difficult to find grungy and artistic backgrounds to shoot at. Luckily, we found this colorful blue wall a few blocks past Main st., which also happened to be super close to a bakery that sold the most delicious maple pound cake (which was the best part of the photoshoot, hands down).

Apparel: Embroidered Biker Jacket (Found at Buffalo Exchange) | Sheer White Button-Up (H&M) | Mom Jeans (Topshop "Petite Mom Jeans" in 24/28) | Black Penny Loafers (ASOS MOVEMENT Leather Loafers) 

Don't you think the addition of florals on more masculine pieces and the trend of making embroidery look more edgy kind of alludes to how women are feeling these days? Like, let's throw all of the traditional perceptions we have about women out the window, just like how fashion is throwing out all the traditional perceptions we have about flowers. 

If you liked reading this post, keep up with me on Instagram, and see what inspires me on Pinterest!

♥ Cindy

I was super stoked when one of my favorite YouTubers and Style influencers, Jenn Im, launched her own line of clothing called Eggie last year. It's so exciting to see an Asian woman like myself become a style icon on YouTube, especially considering Asians are still a rare sight to see in media (we are showing up more and more these days though!). I was also ecstatic to be able to purchase items of clothing on the Eggie website knowing exactly how they'll look on me since they weren't photographed on a 5'10" model. 

This dress in particular is from Eggie's 2017 Holiday collection. There were so many dresses in this collection that I fell in love with but I felt that this one was the most stunning. It's named the "Miss Honey" dress after the super sweet and nurturing teacher from Matilda. 

Apparel: Checkered Dress (Eggie, "Miss Honey Dress") | Sheer black top (Styleaddict, "Sabrina Top") | Black suede Mary Jane Pumps (Sigerson Morrison, "Kairos Heel") | Black backpack (Everlane, "The Modern Zip Backpack - Large") 

After walking around the Mission District for a while, Evelyn and I saw a man trimming flowers from his tree. He offered us a few branches of the yellow flowers—Acasia flowers I think they were called—which worked to brighten up a monochromatic outfit filled with grays and blacks.

Several dresses from Eggie's holiday collection caught my eye, but I decided to purchase the Miss Honey dress mostly for its versatility. This dress is completely work appropriate yet has the potential for a night out or special event, depending on how you style it. If you want to show a little leg, you can undo some buttons on the side of the dress. If you're looking for a little more warmth, this is a great dress to layer on top of a tight turtleneck.

Underneath the dress, I opted for a sheer black top with a simple pattern to play up the texture of the outfit—dressing it up but still keeping warm (I'm kidding about the warm part, to be honest). Also, can we give this dress extra brownie points simply for its pockets? For a girl who's always reaching for her phone, pockets are a great practical addition to any article of clothing.

Makeup: Lips (Pony Effect Blossom Lipstick in #02 - Spring Romance) | Brows (Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown) | Eyeliner (Clio Kill Black Waterproof Pen Liner) | Under-eye Concealer (Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard)

Accessories: Rings (Forever 21)  | Black backpack (Everlane, "The Modern Zip Backpack - Large") 

A big thank you to Pinterest for the lovely backpack, as well as the colorful alley a few blocks away from Valencia Street in the Mission for acting as a beautiful backdrop for this photoshoot. Oh, and the nice man who gave us the flowers :)

Don't hesitate to hit that Pin button if you liked the outfit :-) Feel free to follow this board for my style-related posts, or if you're feeling more adventurous, you can just follow me entirely on Pinterest.

Photos: Evelyn Obamos

♥ Cindy

Born in 93, I can't say that I'm an expert on 90s culture or fashion because for most of the decade I was too young recognize or comprehend the trends that were thriving around me. I can say though, that this 90s revival in the 2010s has introduced a lot of colorful turtlenecks and mom jeans into my closet, and a variety of brown and burgundy lipsticks into my makeup drawer. So for this post I dug up a few items that I think represented the 90s the best and attempted to recreate a look that a high school student in the 90s may have rocked walking back from school.

I definitely did not dress like this in high school. Neither was I creative enough to even consider assembling an outfit like this one (or confident enough to actually wear it). I guess it all comes down to the fact that now, I stare at Pinterest way too much at work... -sigh-

Apparel: Velvet Mock Neck Tee in Burnished Rust (Madewell) | Petite Double Breasted Checkered Blazer (ASOS, similar one here) | Button-up Denim Skirt (Topshop) | Knee-high socks (H&M) | White Jelly Heels (American Apparel)

Makeup: Lips (Labiotte Wine Lip Tint in Shiraz Red) | Brows (Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown) | Eyeliner (Son & Park True Black Pen Liner) | Under-eye Concealer (Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard) 

Location: Jeff and I explored a quiet street in San Francisco's North Beach area, just far away enough from the Coit Tower to avoid the tourists. Before sunset, we managed to get some shots of cool shadows peeking through trees scattered across the victorian-style homes which dominated this area. 

Photos: Jeffery Wang

♥ Cindy

With the weather in San Francisco settling back into the "habitable" range, I was finally able to ditch my long coats and sweaters for a midi dress and a leather jacket. The dress and jacket are from Topshop's and ASOS's Petite lines, respectively, and worked wonders for my 5'3'' frame. When it comes to styling midi/maxi dresses and leather jackets for shorter girls, it can be a little tricky when dress's long length and the jacket's wide shoulders easily overwhelm a petite frame.

What I love about this dress in particular is that it's not your standard midi made with the same material from head to toe. I'm in love with the cutouts embellished with lace that allow me to show a little tummy and leg without being too revealing. In fact, I think this is a great piece to wear to a holiday party and would be unique enough to stand out amongst everyone else's. 

Apparel: Petite Print Velvet Midi Dress (Topshop) | Petite Leather Biker Jacket (ASOS) | Sock Boots (H&M)

A huge shout out to British brands like Topshop and ASOS for making clothes for girls lacking in the height department.

Accessories: Rings (Forever 21) | Earrings (Yessstyle)

Makeup: Lips (Pony Effect Blossom Lipstick in #02 - Spring Romance) | Brows (Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown) | Eyeliner (Clio Kill Black Waterproof Pen Liner) | Under-eye Concealer (Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard)

Location: Evelyn and I chose an alleyway in the Mission filled with pretty pastel-colored houses for the photoshoot. Away from the chaos that is Valencia street, this alley provided a residential vibe but still gave us the victorian "San Francisco" city style we were looking for. We were amazed at how gentrified the Mission District had become, and how it is slowly becoming similar to Hayes Valley (with its overpriced clothing and snacks). We didn't have much to complain about though, after we got our Boba Guys.

This is also the first fashion-related post I put up on this blog. Please look forward to more posts in the future! If you liked the outfit, please don't hesitate to hit that Pin button ;)

Photos: Evelyn Obamos

♥ Cindy