the maxi cutout dress

September 7, 2023

cutouts. but classy.

cutouts can be tricky sometimes! anyone else agree? while i love cutouts, most clothing pieces have too many cutouts or the cutouts are in places that would require too much thought in terms of what kind of undergarments to wear — ain’t nobody time got time for that! i was looking for an elegant yet tasteful piece and …enter this maxi dress! the colors captured my eye, bold & bright, reminds me of a piece of watercolor art. thankfully it falls right at my ankles so perfect on my 5’2” short self. no hemming needed, the back is actually attached!!! && the best part is you can wear normal undergarments + regular bra with it! whoo #thisis38

side ramblings: this past weekend was a blast! we celebrated my dad’s 70th birthday and it was so great to see family i haven’t seen since the pandemic!! it made my little heart so happy. we used to get together all the time. family gatherings were always a big thing in my life — asians love to make excuses to get together and eat! confession: i’ve been on a little shopping spree lately. for a awhile i was soo good about not buying anything but as we start to enter fall (my fave season of fashion), it’s pretty much all downhill 🫠

currently on my playlist: nobody knows by The Tony Rich Project (taking it back to the old school jams! the best IMO).

currently reading: the people we meet on vacation by Emily Henry

dress | petal + pup laquin long sleeve maxi dress in pink (wearing size S) — similar in a mini version // love this white one with eyelet details // similar with short sleeves
bag | MANGO straw bag (old) — similar on Amazon
shoes | shein cut out sandals in cognac (old) — similar on Amazon // similar by Steve Madden
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 // Quince pave slim signet ring in 14K gold

until next time,
JD

photo credit: @janeyunphoto

the best petite maxi dresses

July 8, 2019

hellooo july!

well, i totally skipped may… and june… on JDC… i was reminded by a few people about how my last post was in april, whoops.. so here we go! getting back in the swing of things and talking about one of my favorite places to buy maxi dresses for #shortgirlproblems. go to the tailor? ain’t nobody got time for that. enter @bananarepublic! they are my go-to for maxi dresses because they offer a great selection of petite maxi dresses! i picked this one due to the faux wrap and the ruffles (of course, you know ya girl is ruffle obsessed). it also a features a flattering high-low hem which i am totally a fan of. kinda gives some leg action, more movement in the dress, and by golly how about some ventilation in this TX heat? oh nelly. it’s gonna be a long hot summer and ya girl is not looking forward to it!! #grumypants

side happenings: REAL TALK after the jump but let’s see… here is what most people would be interested in — Vegas was a whirlwind. let’s just leave it at that. ;) i met with the team at @phlur and was amazed by the company and the people. i can’t wait to show you what we’ve collaborated on! i’ve sampled all their fragrances and my fave is Ameline, it is DIVINE! PS — they’re ATX-based so they are automatically get extra points on brand-coolness. @thecandlebar.co opened at the @domainnorthside and they invited me in to experience their candle pouring class. y’all, i was a kid in a candy store. haha, i can’t wait to gift this experience to my gals! @kendrascott sent me way too many goodies from their summer 2019 collection but these are my fave. saving the best for last — but @tatcha sent me the biggest PR package i’ve received in a long time. it reminded me of what a true partnership should feel like and how lucky i am go get to work with a company that realizes my value. #grateful

currently on my playlist: ME! by Taylor Swift ft. Brandon Urie

gotta love that @pearlsnap_photography direction :D

LIFE UPDATE: i’ve been absent for so many reasons. but mainly because i was beginning to feel that the time i was pouring into IG trying to grow my business was not going anywhere. instead of getting ahead i was actually falling more and more behind. don’t get me wrong, i love supporting all my boss babes… but something about spending hours and hours everyday scrolling, liking, commenting was adding up to almost two hours a day based on my IG insights. that’s about 14 hours a week… UM… that was eye opening. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I CAN DO WITH 14 HOURS?!! oh, let me tell you: watch re-runs of my favorite old show (The Office) & laughed hysterically; watch a ton of movies; i saw Always be my Maybe haha, soooo cheesy; watch Ellen Degeneres & Ali Wong’s stand up comedies (thanks bro for the Netflix haha); read a book (The Untethered Soul: the journey beyond yourself by Michael A. Singer) a must read; re-arrange my office; crossed some things off the never-ending-home-to-do-list aka: daddy-can-you-help-me list haha jk; cleaned & conditioned my hardwood floors (ps my dad literally told me, “sometimes you just gotta get on your knees and put some elbow grease into it haha, gotta love the man); went to Vegas; worked a ton; quality time with friends & fam; oh, and how can i forget… SLEEP (which was really the most important thing i needed). it was all glorious but it feels good to write this post and be back & find my own rhythm again. plus, i have a backlog of old photos at this point (yikes) and i have a few brands i can’t wait to work with again.

lastly, my grandpa has been ill for quite some time now and was recently hospitalized for an infection. he’s suffers from dementia and it always breaks my heart to see him. can you imagine a life where you don’t even remember who you are or who anyone else is? i think he’s taking a turn for the worse and it’s so sad to see. speaking of health issues (less severe), i also went through some major abdominal pain. think, sharp, stabbing-like pain (luckily i haven’t actually been stabbed before but you get me). yea, it sucks. but could be worse. trust me, a CT scan isn’t really high on my to-do list but that’s life right?! on the flip side, perhaps my body isn’t digesting #punintended stress well as it used to so it’s coming out in the form of knife stabbing-like pain?! IDK. oh well, still trying to figure out the cause but one thing is for certain — i gotta take it easy.

so here’s to all the ebbs & flows and finding more balance in this crazy life.

and… if you’ve read this far you should give yourself a pat on the back or treat yourself to a scoop of ice cream for being a caring person to read the endless ramblings of my life. :D

the best petite maxi dresses -- jannadoan.com

behind every good photo shoot is a kid running around with his mom chasing after him :D

dress | Banana Republic floral ruffle wrap maxi dress in navy blue (also available in soft blue & of course the petite is sold out at this point) — love this pleated red one & colorblocked
bag | J.Crew Factory rattan clutch in natural pale gold (really old) — similar at J.Crew
shoes | Sam Edelman gigi sandal in saddle leather — similar from Target for $16
earrings | Kendra Scott sky earrings in white pearl (old) — larger version // similar
sunglasses | Celine marta sunglasses in havana (my fave sunnies!) — newer design // love these for $99
necklace | Anthropologie monogram pendant necklace
rings | Gorjana amara ring set // Amanda Deer c/o CZ solitaire ring // Amanda Deer c/o CZ accents midi ring
watch | Michael Kors darci watch in gold

thanks for stopping by!,
JD

photo credit: Steven Gunter

the pom pom maxi

July 23, 2018

summertime pom pom fun in Maggy London!

thanks to @MaggyLondon i was able to add this first square neck line pom pom maxi to my closet! (try saying that 5x fast). first, i don't own many maxi dresses because when you're 5'2" maxi dresses that don't require alterations are hard to come by. thank goodness @MaggyLondon offers petite sizing! i picked this maxi dress because i don't own anything like it AND because it's not your average summer dress. although striped, it's a black and cream stripe with fun gray pom poms vs. your typical summery bright colors/prints. in addition, the straps fit perfectly and no alterations were needed (wearing a size 2 petite for reference). #styletip: now the SASH really brings it together. if you're short you want to pick maxi dresses that have a cinched waist so that you don't look like you're wearing a paperbag. (i can't rock that look at least). it's not a complete maxi length on me which i really like so you can still see your shoes/sandals of choice. lastly, this is a great, lightweight maxi for any summery occasion whether it be a baby/bridal shower, a brunch outing, or you know.. just to take pictures in a 7AM and forget to bring the mosquito repellent spray... #me! haha. plus, Austin is such a casual city this dress is gonna get so much wear with any woven bag & flat sandals for comfort!

side ramblings: last week was BUSY but full of good food & friends. i can't imagine how i would balance everything out if i had kids!! finally, Austin gets another bubble tea shop @shareteaaustin! my girl @kathyphantastic painted the mural on their wall, so basically i know a celebrity!! also i attended the #ATXBloggerMixer at @erincondren which made me pause to think, man, i wish i was a pro at bullet journal-ing... or something..! #nerd

currently on my playlist: breathe by Jax Jones ft. Ina Wroldsen