the striped cashmere sweater & tailored shorts

hello, fall

wow, hard to believe it’s going to be november this week! it’s weird, part of me looks forward to fall, but i’m going to miss the long summer days. don’t get me wrong, i am not a fan of the TX heat, but i do love the longer days and having more light in the evenings (sounding like a grandma rn but proud of it 👵). i am looking forward to cooler temps and of course, all the fall fashion that comes with it!

the bag #gifted. this one caught my eye because of the shape. it’s so interesting! and not to mention mini bags are really the cutest! even though they are not always functional but sometimes you gotta choose fashion over function 😆 i’m pleased to report that the Sézane nano romie bag actually fits your everyday essentials (phone, keys, card case, lip balm) and this one is such a beautiful chocolate brown! i love how it pops on the black and white here.

the top. Quince has been one of my favorite places to shop. if you haven’t shopped Quince you are really missing out on the high-quality items that are ethically priced (and the pricing is transparent too). basically it’s elevated basics at a steal. i own two of these short sleeve cashmere sweaters. it’s a great transitional piece for esp during this time and the style is so versatile & elevated. it goes with all bottoms - here i styled them with some tailored shorts!

side ramblings: with two months left of the year, it’s about that time to do some reflecting! it’s been an interesting year, in the greatest way!! i did so much traveling and have one more trip left on the books this year 🫶 — a bucket list one at that too!!! cannot wait!! when i look at my vision board for 2024 i achieved almost all that i had set my little heart out to do at the beginning of 2024 — and that is pretty dang good i gotta say 👊 more on this in december. i recently went to a content creator meet up. my gosh it has been a LONGGGG time since i’ve gone to one of those. the community of creators just keeps growing and growing! i’m so glad i went because it was humbling to see everyone there chasing what they love doing and it inspires me! which i needed since JDC has been… slow. my focus and time this year was spent on things outside of JDC and i won’t deny that it was a grand time 😆😄 also, who reads this section anyways? yo viet, this one’s for you bud. 😁👋

currently on my playlist: queen of tears soundrack

currently watching: vincenzo

currently reading: hotel nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

fall layers in texas - parisian style!

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top | Quince mongolian cashmere tee in striped (wearing size M, i usually size up in cashmere because i wash it… yes, you’re not supposed to wash cashmere, but i wash everything. i’m a rebel)
sweater | LOFT half-zip (old) — similar
shorts | Artizia effortless shorts in light birch — similar by A&F (i own both of these and the Aritizia is more luxe in terms of material)
bag c/o | Sézane nano romie bag in smooth chocolate — also avail in a regular size
shoes | Sam Edelman gigi sandal in cognac (my OG sandals)
earrings | Mejuri charlotte bold hoops in gold vermeil — similar but a huggie style! // similar by Quince
watch | Michele 29 mm deco diamond watch in gold and silver
rings | gorjana diamond row ring in 14K gold // gorjana diamond stacking ring in 14K gold

until next time!,
JD

photo credit: @janeyunphoto

the sezane pierro shirt

a little workwear inspo.

i’ve talked about the Sézane tomboy vs. max shirt in this blog post and i mention the pierro. well, i finally was able to add the pierro to my closet #gifted! as you can tell, the pierro is known for its printed designs. they come in usually bright and bold colors depending on the season of fashion. i loved this bright blue and the floral print. it went so well with these white wide leg pants for a #workwear look. professional, polished, and fashionable. for a bold look i’d style them with matching blue pants #gobold!

quick wrap up comparison below of all three Sézane button downs:

  • Sézane tomboy shirt — despite what you think the name would mean it’s actually classic & fitted. measurements listed below for a 36 or US 4:

    • measures 19.5” in width from one side seam to the other

    • measures 26.4” from the shoulder to the hem

    • complimentary embroidery available (you’ll see it after you click add to basket)

  • Sézane max shirt — oversized & relaxed. really great for super casual days, coverups at the beach or pool. it’s also longer and wider than the tomboy. measurements listed below for a 36 or US 4:

    • measures 24” in width from one side seam to the other

    • measures 28.9” from the shoulder to the hem

  • Sézane pierro shirt — the material of this shirt is a little more luxe & elevated, making it an easy pick for work. it’s also very classy & feminine with the pearl button details too! it’s soft, very lightweight which means it may wrinkle easily. measurements listed below for a 36 of US 4:

    • measures 20.5” in width from one side seam to the other

    • measures 26.4” from the shoulder to the hem

of course, it was the windiest day!

side ramblings: it’s been a while so this may be a long one… hope you have a cup of coffee in hand ☕ does anyone ever talk about how hard it is to adjust to life after japan? listen, i know it’s #FWP, but it’s seriously harddd. while i still have so much of the world to see, japan really holds a special place in my heart. in june/july 2024 i went to japan (second time) and korea (first time). two weeks flew by. i realized i never did a recap on my first japan trip in 2023 so i’ll recap them both #comingsoon! korea was such an experience. my sister and i went to every Olive Young in sight. it was a skincare. heaven. — if those exist! i lugged home a suitcase full of korean skincare products and have since converted a good chunk of my routine to k-beauty.

soon after coming back i actually went to vancouver and seattle too — an escape to cooler weather! it was another great trip before my niece and nephew went back to school (hard to believe it’s already time). i was happy to make and take home all those memories with me and i look forward to more family trips together. lately i’ve been thinking about how quickly time passes, situations and people change. that no matter how hard you try to re-create them, it will never be the same. i mean, it’s obvious, people change and grow. we’re never the same but i guess the kid inside me wishes it wasn’t the case sometimes. it’s a good reminder to soak of the current moment no matter how mundane. 💗

since coming back from korea, i’ve been on a k-drama kick too. it’s been… just as i thought. i never watched them because i had a feeling it would be like the old chinese movies i watched when i was in middle school on VHS (showing my age y’all). i remember having to fan the VCR player back in the day because my sister and i watched so much during the summer. fast forward to now… i’m obsessed with k-drama. it’s so different from american television. how do i put it? it’s wholesome and innocent — and let’s face it, i’m a sucker for a cute-make-you-cry-kinda-love story. from the couple that i’ve watched, they do a good job telling the story too. my UF (ultimate favorite) is Crash Landing on You 🫰 it was my first k-drama and still holds the number one spot. i HIGHLY recommend it. all this means i haven’t done much reading this year, but i mean, reading subtitles count, RIGHT?! asking for a friend.

i’ve also fallen in love with korean music all over again, just like the highschool days when i went through a phase of kpop. i also started beading with my friend and beginning to make some bag/phone keychains! it’s fun since i love all things crafty. tbh, i love this era of my life for me.

event-wise, i was invited to the @sundayriley masterclass where Sunday Riley herself went though her skincare routine. it was such an amazing event. i don’t usually get invited to something at this level so it was such a treat. as someone with sensitive skin, i didn’t have any reactions to Sunday Riley products as we tried almost all of them in the masterclass. speaking of skincare, i updated my day and night skincare routine in an easy shoppable format! it’s a lot of products but i rotate them daily. 😁

currently on my playlist: crash landing on you soundtrack

currently watching: what’s wrong with secretary kim

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top c/o | Sézane pierro shirt in gran fortina (wearing size US 4 and could have sized down to a US 2) — similar in the omboy shirt // similar in the max shirt
bottom | Aritzia the effortless pant in birch (wearing size 6) — similar in the A&F sloane tailored pant
bag | etsy woven bag in apricot (old) — similar by Quince // similar by Quince in a woven hobo bag
shoes | Manolo Blahnik BB pump in nude patent — similar by Ann Taylor // similar by Sam Edelman
earrings | Mejuri charlotte bold hoops in gold vermeil — similar but a huggie style! // similar by Quince
watch | Michele 29 mm deco diamond watch in gold and silver
rings | gorjana diamond row ring in 14K gold // gorjana diamond stacking ring in 14K gold

until next time!,
JD

photo credit: @janeyunphoto

the wide leg pant roundup

the pant that’s here to stay!

for the last year or two, wide leg pants have been IN. my own collection of wide leg pants also grew and lately, i find myself reaching for them over jeans or dresses (shocking, i know since i am a total dress girl). jeans are a great bottom option, but there’s not many colors to pick from. with wide leg pants there are endless colors and materials to pick from! and ahem, they are more forgiving than denim jeans - extra handy when the food baby kicks in 😆 the tricky thing about wide leg pants, for me at least, is the length. i’m short at 5’2” and hemming usually needs to happen which deters me from purchasing a lot (guess this is good thing). i rarely do alterations unless it’s something i just can’t live without. the good news is that wide leg pants can be cropped (whoo!) and there are retailers that offer short/petite sizing to help with this!

in this post, i round up my favorite wide leg pants that i wear over and over. they are staples in my closet and it’s really hard not to buy all the colors! more after the jump.

side ramblings: #SXSW kicked off last week and it does feel a little strange to not participate this year. there’s always next year! i’ve been watching Golden Girls and i love how the show (aired in 1985) is still hilarious and relevant in 2024. a true classic! and similar to Modern Family, there’s a nugget of wisdom in each episode 😊 also, can we take a moment to discuss daylight savings? what is it about the one-hour time change that can really screw with you?! 🫠

currently on my playlist: good thing going on by Mat Kearney (another solid hit by my all time favorite artist)

currently reading: about to finish hook, line, and sinker by Tessa Bailey and start my book club read the island of sea women by Lisa See

wearing the Aritzia the effortless pant in light birch (runs small, so size up! wearing size 6)

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01. Aritzia the effortless pant

these pants are LUXE and dressy. they are made from a japanese crepe material and they are probably my favorite. i own two pairs and the shorts too 😉 unfortunately, even though these come in a short length, they’re too short imo. so i purchase the regular length and get them tailored (so that tells you how great they are). they are also high-waisted so perfect with crop tops!

sizing: runs small, so size up! i usually purchase a 6 regular.

great for: a night out with a dressy top with low strappy heels or for work with a button down or sweater.

02. Abercrombie & Fitch sloane tailored pant

these pants were all the rage in 2022 and 2023. so much that it still remains a staple today. they were viral on tiktok when they first came out so it was hard to find sizes. i have them in three colors? i love that they’re easy. but i have read that they pill which is sad. i haven’t run into this issue yet. the material of the sloane is not as luxe as the Artizia’s but they are a great alternative when you’re looking for fun colors! i purchase these in a short length and they are perfect! these are also high-waisted.

sizing: runs small, so size up! i usually purchase a 27 short.

great for: cool girl brunch vibes with a casual crop top or tee with white sneakers or flat strappy sandals (add a baseball cap for good measure!)

03. Ann Taylor the kate wide leg crop pant

these are my OG intro into wide leg pants. of course, they are cropped but still, they count! i have these in over 8+ colors. it’s so hard when they come out with new colors every. season. they’re a great casual-cotton-cropped pant and literally go with everything. these are also high-waisted. each year they refine the design a little more and they’ve really perfected it.

sizing: true to size. 2 petite.

great for: casual friday, with a t-shirt for errands when you want to look put together with sneakers.

rock all the wide leg pants!,
JD

the sezane doll blouse & tailored shorts

gimme all the shoulder tie tops.

HOWDY! ‘write blog post’ has been on my to-do list for a while now. since the last post, life was coming back to normal with work but i ended up visiting Japan! recovering from jet lag took longer than expected and finding life’s normal rhythm again took some time but it now finally felt like a good day to sit down and put something together that i’ve been meaning to put out there! and it FEELS SO GOOD. this is my happy place right here.

usually before summer hits, i take a couple of outfit photos to get me through the summer months. thank goodness because summer this year has been BRUTAL 🥵 it’s so hot to even be outside for more than 5 mins! scary what August will feel like. hopefully all the backlogged & Japan content will get me through to fall (my favorite season of fashion) 💯

i am pretty much a sucker for all shoulder tie tops and dresses. why? the bow/tie adds a fun-flirty-feminine detail to the outfit and this particular one, the Sézane doll blouse in cara red was the perfect shade of bold red (also avail in a matching skirt!!). the material (100% silk) made this an elevated top, so i styled it with some tailored shorts. while i love chino and denim shorts, they lean on the casual side and sometimes you need a pair of shorts that are good enough to wear to date night with tops such as this one that pulls the whole outfit together.

taken at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in the Theme Garden which is easily my favorite area. i love the arches, the vines, walkway, greenery. @janeyunphoto did an amazing job!

side ramblings: i’ve been back from Japan for a little over a month and every week i find myself missing it! if i could put Japan in one word, i’d say orderly. people actually follow the rules there, it’s so clean, people are nice/respectful. i LOVED Japan and plan on going back sometime in my future. dedicated Japan posts coming soon! on another note, i saw Past Lives and it had been forever since i went to a movie theatre — the movie itself was very good and thought provoking. the more spiritual/woo-woo side of me does believe in past lives and an afterlife in the sense that sometimes we meet people that we feel we’ve known forever, some sort of connection you can’t quite put your finger on/identify. it also made me think about people who have also touched my life for a season and didn’t really stay around for other reasons — maybe i’ll see them in a different life with different lessons. either way, it’s all comforting to me at the end of the day.

currently on my playlist: monster by Shawn Mendes & Justin Bieber

currently reading: 8 rules of love: how to find it, keep it, and let it go by Jay Shetty sometimes i spend time scrolling, before bed… and i’ve come across a lot of Jay Shetty clips. he always says things that resonate, that make me grab a pen and write it down. so i ended up picking up his latest book to read. it’s very interesting with exercises to practice on. much to unpack here and i’m only halfway through! it’s a great book for everyone at any stage — single, in a relationship, or married. it makes you ponder past experiences, how you could’ve approached it better and the future in terms of what you plan to do differently by working on yourself. it’s always about learning & improving, amirite?! 💗

#artisticPOV = fave

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top c/o | Sézane doll blouse in red cara (wearing size 4 USA) — the red cara print is also avail in a matching skirt too (regrets not getting it!!)
bottoms | Aritzia Wilfred the effortless short 5” in light birch (wearing size 6) — similar from A&F // similar in linen
hat | GIGI PIP faye boater hat (old) — newer version // similar
earrings | Mejuri charlotte bold hoops in gold vermeil — similar for $49 by Quince // also available as huggies!!
bag c/o| Sézane mini farrow bucket bag in natural raffia
shoes | Sam Edelman gigi sandals in cognac (old) — newer version
watch | Michele 29 mm deco diamond watch in gold and silver
rings | gorjana diamond row ring in 14K gold // gorjana diamond stacking ring in 14K gold

until next time,
JD

photo credit: @janeyunphoto

how-to style brown wide leg pants

the wide leg pant obsession.

wide leg pants have always been in my rotation, but mainly cropped ones. i didn’t really have any regular length wide leg pants …until recently. and somehow managed to accumulate… many pairs in the last couple months. regular wide leg pants can be tricky to style IMO. esp if there are pleated details in the front. while the pleats look good, sometimes it can pull a little masculine so you want to be sure you’re styling these types of pants with a feminine top — even showing a little skin in a tasteful way helps! here i’ve styled these brown wide leg pants two ways. look 1 features a crop top to wear more casually during the day. look 2 features a little shoulder action for date night.

#styletips: other tops i’d style these brown pants with include a cream lace cami or satin cowl neck cami, an off the shoulder bodysuit, a sweetheart neckline tank or long sleeve sweater. in terms of color, i’d pair this with cream colors or heathered oatmeal, black or white would even look nice too if you’re going for contrast. i also would even play on the brown hue and go with a tan/light brown shade too. add a belt for good measure or even drape a half zip sweater over the shoulders.

side ramblings: i randomly stumbled upon the 28-day ab challenge by @lazygirlfitness and thought to myself… yea i could do that. without realizing there are 100 crunches at the end of this thing. #sendhelp. the 2nd annual lunar new year festival was so much fun & it was also a special holiday since it fell on my mom’s birthday as well. 2023 is year of the rabbit which symbolizes peace, longevity, and prosperity. you can read more about year of the rabbit here and see which chinese zodiac sign you are! in asia it’s a celebration that goes on for two full weeks! so it’s serious business. some things we do for lunar new year: honor our ancestors, clean our house before LNY, wear red for good luck, & smile/be happy because it sets the tone for the entire year ahead!

currently on my playlist: easy lover by Ellie Goulding

LOOK 1: styled with a sleeveless cropped sweater. for shoes i’d go with flat sandals, or even white sneaks depending on casual you want to wear this/the vibe you’re going for!

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LOOK 2: styled with a long sleeve off the shoulder sweater. for shoes, a pointed toe pump goes perfectly, but also so does a strappy sandal with a kitten heel.