april 2018
seoul style
A travel-inspired OOTD post featuring our spunky friend, Pooja! We showcase our different travel styles and outfits from our first day in Seoul, Korea during our first international trip together.
Yes, we went on our first international adventure together!! And yes, we decided on Korea as our ultimate destination after pretty much no contest. So I guess, Korea, you're lucky to have us. Ha! In all seriousness though, I was really excited to go to Korea. After having watched too many K-dramas since my prepubescent days and having listened to the most heartfelt Korean ballads for hours on end, I was really curious to see what Korea was actually like. Middle-school me was also secretly hoping I would meet my first celebrity crush. (Hint: He starred in my very first drama I ever watched... Full House).
More recently though, my newfound love affair with Korean skincare was tempting the shopaholic in me to go and shop and buy to my heart's content. And boy, is Seoul the place to shop 'til you drop, at least in regards to beauty and skincare. Except... dun dun dun, I couldn't actually go and shop 'til I dropped, because literally all we brought with us during our entire 2-week stay in Korea (and Japan) were our backpacks and nothing else. Nope, no suitcases. No carry-on luggage. Just our backpacks. We basically went backpacking in Korea. Lol. And I essentially brought back not even close to half of what I wanted to. So, RUGRATS. Whatever though, Korea was fun.
Now, as you can imagine, packing 2 weeks worth of outfits into a backpack can be quite daunting and is admittedly silly. I mean, it's a BACKPACK! But, we were successful and all of us survived. (Our shoulders may feel differently about this though). With that, we wanted to share a little snippet of what we were able to fit into our backpacks by modeling the awesome outfits we wore at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on our first full day in Seoul.
pooja
Okay, I'll start off by saying that Pooja is a working professional, which explains why she always looks more put-together than I do. For those of you who don't know Pooja, she's super chill, down-to-earth, and what we like to call spunky. There are no gimmicks when it comes to Pooja; she likes to keep things real, clear, and simple, and I think these qualities are reflected in her style. I like to call this look, "Boy, I Ain't Playin'". Let's start with her top. Don't let the frill sleeves and semi-sheer fabric fool you. They may be playful and soft, but the high neck and dark forest green say, "now wait a sec, I'm polished and professional". She dressed down the top with a trusty pair of skinny jeans cuffed slightly above the ankle to show off her sleek black leather Chelsea boots. The star of this outfit though is really the reflective sunglasses, which scream spunky, and consequently, are totally Pooja-approved.
catherine
When it comes to trips like these, versatility is absolutely key. For me, that means including staple items from my closet that are neutral in color and simple enough to wear paired together or interchangeably. They also need to be wearable, i.e., fit well and feel right on my body. Of course, fit and feel are always important, but when it comes to basics, they are SO important. I love a good pair of high-waisted mom jeans, particularly ones in a lighter wash. They are comfortable, secure, and you don't have to worry about your pants sliding down every ten seconds. I like to wear them with form-fitting tops (but not tight!) tucked in to accentuate the waist. What saved my outfits were the accessories. I sported classic white FILA tennis shoes for an old-school vibe and wore a mustard (read: on trend) crossbody bag for a bright pop of color. I finished off my look with gold earrings for some added polish and pizzazz!
irene
We aren't kidding when we say athleisure isn't going anywhere. This fashion trend is all about comfort and breathability, and what better time to wear light and comfortable clothing than when you're traveling. Irene owned the athleisure look throughout our trip. From her athletic bomber, to her Nike trainers, to her Adidas fanny pack, she was the definition of sporty casual. She also kept things simple by sticking to one color palette. Tip: If you're ever stuck on what to wear, black is always a safe option. It's also a smart option when you're on the go. Black is a universally flattering color, it's foolproof when mixing and matching, and it's effortlessly chic. These black skinnies streamline her look without sacrificing comfort due to their stretch fabric. Last but not least, Irene drew inspiration from men's fashion while in Asia by wearing her belt bag over the shoulder. Belt bags are so in now, as are big bold logos, and they definitely make a statement!
And there you have it! We hope you enjoyed this candid look into our unique styles and a little piece of our trip to Korea. Even though I didn't get to meet my first celebrity crush, I was lucky enough to travel with two of my closest friends. It was a once-in-a lifetime adventure filled with wonderful memories and so much good food: kimbap, fried chicken and beer, patbingsoo, more kimbap, samgyeopsal, samgyetang, more patbingsoo... We definitely had our favorites.
Thanks for stopping by this time around, and kudos to Pooja for being such a natural at modeling. Korea, you were Seoul-weet, and a 10/10 in my book.
See you next time.
