Denim for Days

I am starting to notice so many old school trends come back to life recently, and it's only making me realize once again that fashion inevitably repeats itself. It is a cycle that is constantly evolving and progressing and I am just so fascinated by it all. How awesome is it that you can expect something that is considered atrocious now in the fashion industry could make a comeback years from now? For example, the whole New Balance/ Adidas shoes trend is back and it is fire. Everyone has gotten their hands on some Adidas Superstar shoes and it is so interesting because I remember having them in middle school/ high school and throwing them away because they became out of style. Now I wish I still had them because that vintage, retro trend is really in right now. In fact, I just ordered myself a new pair on Urban Outfitters, so check these out if you are also looking for some cool sneakers/ tennis shoes. Super stoked for these to come in the mail because I have so many ideas in my head on how I will be styling them.

Another trend that's been coming back stronger than ever is dungarees, aka a fancier term for overalls. Over the summer, I came across a pair of dope overalls at the thrift store when I was shopping in downtown Santa Barbara, CA. They were actually pants when I bought them, but I decided to cut them into shorts so I could wear them for the summer. I would recommend going to thrift stores for overalls rather than paying $80+ at a retail store because it's not worth it. It's a trend, a fad, a style that is temporarily trendy and will eventually go out of style. For timeless and classic pieces, I will pay more money to invest in something that will last me a long time. However, for trend pieces that I know I won't be wearing a few months from now, I choose to go for a cheaper alternative.

On another note, I am actually a style guru on CollegeFashionista now and will be posting many of my looks on there so make sure to check out my page! Here is a little preview of my denim dungarees look for my style guru bio post:

(Read full article here)

Follow me on Instagram @believeinyourselfies for more outfit details! Hopefully I can get back on that blogging grind and post on here regularly again.

Love Always,

Eric

In a nutshell

Better late than never right?! I've been neglecting this blog and tbh it is kind of weird to be back, BUT I'M BACK! I miss just vomiting out random thoughts and writing out my feelings that don't make sense. Really trying to divert this blog from purely style to more of a personal diary, and document my growth as an individual. So much, and I mean so much, has happened since I last posted on here.

Here are some of the big moments that happened in the meantime:

1. Joined a fraternity.

2. Celebrated my birthday, Christmas, and New Years with my best friend and family in Taiwan.

3. Went to Philly for the first time and had a philly cheese steak while I was there.

4. Saw Kygo in concert.

5. Saw Chance the Rapper perform.

6. Saw Lana in concert.

7. Started my first official internship, two actually, IN NYC!

8. Went to the Sesame Street set for the first time and met Elmo and Cookie Monster in person.

9. Went to my first Mermaid Parade in Coney Island.

10. Met someone that I really really like hehe.

There you go! Some updates in my life and so far, life is good! I am living in New York City for the summer for two internships that I am doing, and it is everything I've dreamed of. I have been dreaming about living in the big apple since I was little, and now I am finally here. It's kind of depressing actually living in the city because at the end of the night, you are alone in your apartment eating shitty Chinese takeout watching some romantic chick flick (literally sipping wine watching The Good Guy atm). But you know what, I feel accomplished, alive, and a grownup. Waking up every morning and going to work makes me feel like I am doing something with my life and that I am working toward my goals. There are so many things I want to do with my life and so many places I want to go. Hopefully I can document all of that with this blog and keep asking myself the question: "When was the last time you did something for the first time?" I think it is extremely important to ask questions like this constantly because you can only further yourself by trying new things.

UC Santa Barbara

Pismo Beach, CA

West Village, Downtown Manhattan

Coney Island, Brooklyn

Sesame Street Internship

Love Always,

Eric

Monochromatic

Even though I am guilty of wearing loud and bold prints in a lot of my outfits, I've actually been trying to adopt a more monochromatic style lately. I've realized that less is more and I can surely make a statement with an outfit without obnoxiously showcasing colors or patterns.

Photographed by Michael Isenburg

I love the simple ease that this outfit conveys with the succinct lines and binary color palette. The asymmetry of the hem is very interesting to me and I think adds a lot more character to a simple tshirt.

Outfit Details

Top: UO

Jeans: AllSaints

Hat: Brandy Melville

Love Always,

Eric

Back to Basics

I never really thought of LA as a city I could see myself living in in the long run. However, after spending the past month in this city, I've really grown to love everything it stands for and cultivates. There's so much history and culture that this city bombards you with that it is difficult to take in all at once. I definitely was not able to explore all the spots I wanted to in LA this time around, but I will be back for sure. It was nice to spend my last couple of days in California in Melrose and Beverly Hills before I head back to New York for school.

I've really been gravitating towards basics lately. A monochromatic palette just seems more fitting to my style and aesthetic now. I've been finding pieces that are basic, yet intricate with its fit and cut at the same time. I just love how timelessly chic the stripes trend is and how it will never go out of style. The easiness and effortless vibe that LA exudes has definitely inspired me to develop a more succinct taste in fashion.

//Outfit Details//

Top: American Apparel

Jeans: AllSaints

Stay updated and follow me on instagram @believeinyourselfies and Lookbook!

Love always,

Eric

White Out

There is an annual white themed rave in Taiwan that has been going on for 8 years now, and I was fortunate enough to attend this year. DJ's that performed this year include Vicetone, Tom Staar, and Heatbeat.

The rave scene in Taiwan is definitely growing rapidly as EDM gains its popularity in Asia. To be honest, I was not a huge fan of EDM initially, but after attending Ultra and the White party, I've actually grown to really enjoy it. As for my outfit, it was explicitly stated that in order to get in the party, you must dress in ALL WHITE. They almost didn't let me in because I wasn't dressed in 80% white clothing. I went with extremely minimalistic pieces with a black and white simple palette to highlight the white. I actually found this top a few hours before the rave because I was not happy with what I had on initially.

Outfit Details

Top// Ximending

Trousers// Zara

Shoes// Doc Martens

Love always,

Eric

ROAD TO ULTRA TAIWAN 2014

For those of you who aren't familiar with Ultra, it is an EDM music festival that tours all around the world. After a 5 hour bus ride from Taipei to Kaohsiung, I finally arrived at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center where Ultra was being held. I was fortunate enough to be at the first row in the center, where I was able to get an amazing view of everything. The music festival lasted from 4PM to 2AM, but since I was in the front where the music was blasting the loudest, I was not able to stay the whole 10 hours. I stayed for 6 hours and I was on the verge of fainting because it was so humid and crowded. The experience was amazing and I have to say my favorite DJ was definitely Justin Oh. I was not able to see Above & Beyond because they performed last, but I'm sure they were amazing as well.

Outfit Details

Shirt: Topman

Shorts: F21

Shoes: Doc Martens

I feel like because it was the first year that Ultra came to Taiwan, the quality was not up to par with the other ones. The venue was indoors, people were not dressed in rave-esque clothing, and the DJs were not as great as the other Ultra tours. However, I believe that Ultra Taiwan will only get better every year from here on out, and I can't wait to come back for round 2! So proud to be Taiwanese! EDM is definitely redefining the music industry by uniting people from all over the world with their passion for music.

Photos by Lorenzo Pierucci

Love Always,

Eric