LA by Diana - Personal Style blog by Diana Marks: Black and White

Showing posts with label Black and White. Show all posts

July 7, 2017

Back to Classy

As you know my style got more casual chic, and deviated from my classy vibe, and I am very happy with an organic transition. But every once in a while, I love going back to my "classy" looks, especially since classy doesn't have to be expensive thanks to my friends at vipme.com site. All details below:

Affordable Luxury

Elegance is my forte, but somehow people think that to look elegant you need to spend a lot of money on your look. I always love defying that idea when I find high-end-looking pieces at a fraction of a price. This time I am particularly taken with this elegant jumpsuit (that literally gets you compliments from every passing stranger ;)) from Dezzal and the amazing jewelry pieces from the Happiness Boutique. Affordable luxury at its finest! Look details and discounts at the bottom of this post.

Patterns and Expressions with Jonathan Adler Phones

If you follow me long enough, you might know that I am always searching for original artwork or print for my house and my style. I love different patterns in clothing and life, but tend to stick with classic black and white combinations. Luckily, even with these two colors, the amount of patterns is virtually limitless. Starting from home decor to my accessories, books, candles and outfits, I am always searching for the next favorite and original print.

So naturally, once I learned about the new collaboration between Moto X Pure Edition and Jonathan Adler, I immediately got interested. Jonathan Adler’s designs span furnishings to fashion. Now, he brings his penchant for impeccable craftsmanship and irreverent luxury to personal technology in an inspired collaboration with Motorola. He created three limited editions of the Moto X Pure Edition. The designs are unique and eye catching, but most importantly, they are great ways of expressing one's personality. I personally like all three designs, but my favorite is monochromatic just because it's me ;)

By the way, the new Moto X Pure Edition is worth mentioning by itself along with its incredible features:

• Top-rated 21 MP camera

• All day battery

• TurboPower for the world’s fastest charging

• A stunning 5.7” Quad HD display

• Front-facing stereo speakers deliver crisp, clear, and powerful audio

• Advanced water protection so spills, splashes, or rain won’t ruin your day

• It’s unlocked, which means you can use your Moto X on any network, and switch carriers whenever you want - without having to buy a new phone.

Black and White Reflections

Happy New Years, my dear friends! Let's take a moment in our lives and be grateful for the beautiful 2015. This black and white look is a symbolic representation of my year. For me personally it was a very tough year, a lot has changed in my life and sometimes life looked completely black. But there were definitely a few positive moments represented by "white".

It's important to see the good in bad situations, but most importantly, stay humble and grateful. No matter the challenges that this past year has brought on me, I am grateful for every second of it and I am also extremely grateful to be healthy and alive greeting the beautiful 2016! I hope you guys can relate and I wish you more white than black in the New Year. Black is a necessity though, the outfit wouldn't look stylish and refined without it ;)

Back On The Grid...

It's been a few days since I am finally back in LA and I am almost over my jet lag. It's great to get back to a cooler drier climate and enjoy LA's chilly summer nights. I love taking my looks from day to night with a few easy adjustments and this look is not an exception. I wore my cool new shorts from Soul Escape all day and then I threw on my new leather jacket (that I got at half price on sale in Amsterdam!) and changed my shoes for booties for a movie night.

Classy in Black and White and Memorial Day Sale

Memorial day weekend is finally here and I am so excited for sales that are happening everywhere all weekend long! My particular interest is my favorite Lulu's, which is celebrating this weekend by having a HUGE sale with items up to 50% off!!! Check out the amazing selection HERE - I literally want to buy everything now! The sale ends on Monday, May 25th, at 11:59PST. On that Monday (May 25th) Lulu's will be shipping everything for free in celebration of Memorial day! Check out their sale category HERE. The dress I am wearing here is also available - I am so obsessed with it - it's affordable but so gorgeous and well made!

Target Loves Everybody

This post is promoted by Target

When Target asked me to discuss this topic, I immediately jumped on board since it's an ongoing battle for me and, I am sure, many other women. We are talking about confidence during swim season. Target is on a quest to encourage confidence and excitement this summer by celebrating every body type with a variety of swimsuits in styles, sizes and shapes that fit everyone.

Let's talk real. We all have our insecurities when it comes to a beach body. The first time I approached this topic on the blog was two years ago (read here), but not much has changed since then. Except for the fact that I learned that the right fit of swimsuit is the key determinant of your confidence on the beach. I usually spend days looking for a perfect swimsuit and try countless options (whether it's shopping online or in store). My body is pear-shaped (no matter how much I hate it, so I might as well start loving it :) ) and therefore picking the right swimsuit that accentuates my advantages and hides my flaws is extremely important. After trying countless swimsuit options at my local Target, I found this one - it highlights my body's natural curves and, most importantly, hides the widest part of the body with a little mini skirt, making it appear more proportional. I love the retro theme of the swimsuit - it's definitely one of my favorites.

But now that I have invested so much time and money finding the right swimsuit, I don't need to limit myself to the beach any more. There are countless layering options incorporating my swimsuit into a variety of summer looks. I can style it with pants and skirts, and even throw a blazer on top of it for a professional office look. But my favorite look so far is the one below. It is a perfect one for a classy weekend shopping stroll, a nice mid-summer brunch or a romantic July date. The swimsuit therefore is a centerpiece for any occasion ;)

Love your bodies, stay confident and have fun this swim season with Target ;)

City Girl

Classic Monochrome

How to Stay Motivated

It's no secret that a major part in achieving our goals is staying motivated. But with so many obstacles in our way and so many distractions it's easy to lose motivation, get stuck and just become unhappy. I decided to put together a short list of ideas on how I stay motivated and hopefully you will find something useful for yourselves here too.

1) Reasons. This is a big one. It's a fact that if you don't have a big enough reason to accomplish something, you probably won't. Either change the goal or find a good reason to achieve it.

Gold Details and Fur

My favorite combination of colors is black and white, but when you add just a little bit of gold details and some fur, the look becomes super chic. The gold details I chose are my new hand chain from Leuer with a matching necklace. I love the fact that the accessories are thin enough, which adds an extra touch of sophistication.

And obviously fur - another material that is so elegant and classy. You won't believe it, but my faux fur cover-up is not actually a cover-up, it's a scarf! I purchased this scarf about 2 years ago when Anna Karenina collection from Banana Republic just came out. This is how I wore it: I wrapped the faux fur (middle) part around my shoulders and wrapped the remaining long ends of the scarf around my waist which resulted in a thick belt that I fixed with my gold bracelet. Completed the look with my thigh-high boots from Target and mohican clutch from Ted Baker.

Cool Down Street Style

Another look with my new sneakers today. This time it's a completely different style with a long vest and a scarf. The weather is finally cooling down and I couldn't be more excited about it.

Home Away From Home - The Empire Hotel

September is almost over. I honestly believe there is some secret force that makes the months go by so fast that you feel like you fell asleep at the beginning and woke up at the end of the month but you only slept a few hours.. Looking back at September, which is always the busiest month, I feel very happy and grateful for my experiences, the highlight of which was definitely New York Fashion Week. Not only I enjoy the fashion week itself, but going to New York is already exciting enough :)

I always have these mixed feelings towards New York - I love and hate it at the same time. It makes me angry, happy, encouraged and disappointed - kind of an emotional roller coaster. But the only feeling the stays the same is the warm feeling that I get when I arrive at my "home away from home" - The Empire Hotel. Last year I gave you a sneak peak of my hotel room, and this year I am taking you to the rooftop where I snapped a few shots right before it started raining on my last day in NYC. That day was full of meetings so I went for a cool black and white look with my favorite wedge converse that I can't get enough of.

Yeah Right

Mesh Tank and Fringe Booties

It's getting warm outside and I am back to my favorite monochrome combo: this time it's a cooling white mesh tank and high waisted black shorts from Kahlo. And the white fringe booties from Kerol D Milano are a perfection! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Stay tuned for an exciting giveaway on Monday!

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