I’m taking a break from my Haruki Murakami reading marathon to pick up something quite different: White Noise by Don Delillo. In stark contrast to The Wind Up Bird Chronicle (and other Murakami novels), White Noise is refreshingly crisp in its imagery and dry in its humor. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy Murakami – I do; however, I’d been feeling rather disconnected and I suspected it was his influence, so I chose to pick up something a little less surreal.

What are you reading for summer?

Scallops

Embroidered Tulle

Drawings, Drawings!

Vacance de Monsieur Hulot

My twenty-second birthday is this Monday, and I look forward to celebrating it with my friends, family, and twin sister. I wish I knew what to ask for, but the Stella McCartney bodysuit I’ve been eyeing on Net-A-Porter sold out in my size already.

Last Monday, my Topshop dress arrived! As soon as I tried it on, I called Michael Lalley and told him that we had to go out this week so I could wear it, and apologized for my dorkiness. His response? “Girl, you’re talking to me! My topman package came yesterday and I wanna go out too!!!!” Destined or what?

The dress is incredibly slinky and sheer, so going braless is, for the purpose of decency, impossible. I hate strapless bras (and even having worked in lingerie, have never managed to find the perfect one), so I made a trip to my local Victoria’s Secret in search of a solution, and came across these gel petals. Although a bit pricey at $25, you receive 2 pairs, each one with approximately 15 uses. I also got a free gift card for at least $10, so it justified my spending. For those curious in the quality, I found them extremely comfortable. I’m a solid A-cup, so I don’t require much support, and would guess that anyone up to a C would find these comfortable as well. I highly recommend them if you’re willing to spend the money. They don’t add volume (they’re just nipple pasties), but they do add a smooth shape.

For my shoes, I ganked my sister’s Miu Miu booties, which suited the dress perfectly!

I wore my hair down and wavy last night, but of course woke up looking like hell this morning, so put it in a low bun for pictures. Ignore my morning-after face, please!

日本の概略：春休みを始めてから、昨晩友達と飲みにバーに行った。たくさん２ドラのマーガーリタを飲んだわね。。。新しいトップショップのワンピースを着たし、miumiuの鞄を持ったし、双子のmiumiuの靴を履いた。

ドレスの着てたみに特産ブラを買わなければならないよ。Victoria’s Secretでジェルペースティを買った。ちょっと高いが、＄２０を使ったから、ギフトカードを貰ったね！うれしいです。そして、ペスティは快適わね〜

Scans courtesy of The Fashion Spot, from here and here. Visit both threads to view the entire editorial.

I safety-pinned it closed when I wore it out to avoid subjecting people to the horror of my nude figure.

The arrival of my new Alternative Apparel shirt from Karmaloop was no doubt another small thing that lifted my spirits. While I can’t call myself a “textile nerd” necessarily, I have a penchant for modal (a textile spun from beech trees) due to its incredibly soft texture. It also breathes exceptionally well (much better than polyester), making it a great lounge material as well. The particular shirt I bought was a 90% modal and 10% silk blend, lending to a more sheer and slinky feel than my other modal shirts (which are a modal-cotton blend), and for less than $30, it feels so incredibly luxurious. It’s absolutely comparable to T by Alexander Wang, and far cheaper.

While I do love that its sheer, it’s a bit too sheer for completely practical use. When going out, I’ll definitely have to throw a blazer or sweater over it (which shouldn’t be a problem in our current weather, but eh…) Anyway, everyone should go get this staple tee! It’s truly amazing!

P.S. I curled my hair! What do you think? I’m trying to love the blonde at least a little before I go back to red.

P.P.S. Sorry for the terrible lighting!

Two years ago, I moved to Los Angeles (for a short six-month stint) and landed a job working at Nordstrom in the lingerie department. Prior to holding this job, I cared very little for lingerie, let alone anything that cost more than $60. Within a few weeks, however, I quickly developed a soft-spot for high-quality lace, unlined bras, and oh yeah, Agent Provocateur, after visiting the store on Melrose for the first time.

While its price point is high, Agent Provocateur lingerie is by legions the most comfortable, well-constructed, durable, and gorgeous lingerie I’ve yet to encounter. For the past two years I’ve amassed 5 bras, one bodysuit, and a few other extraneous items and I hardly ever wear anything else. When Agent Provocateur announced its winter sale, I couldn’t resist picking up a few extra pieces.

Sadly, this Aliyah demi-bra is going back! It just didn’t fit properly, which turned out to be a huge disappointment. I love the leopard-print tulle and the black elastic trim. I also just realized that I photographed this one inside-out! Oops!

This snakeskin lace bra is so intricate, and the fit is so snug and comfortable! My boyfriend commented that it looks itchy, but I’ve been wearing it for well over two hours now and can’t feel it at all. The lace is beautiful, intricate, and most importantly, soft.

My favorite piece out of my new loot, however, is the Maschina bodysuit. The entire thing is a dark nude tulle with a thick (it almost feels embroidered) barbed wire pattern. In one word, it’s “hardcore.” I have a penchant for things that juxtapose the macabre and the delicate, and this bodysuit embodies that aesthetic perfectly. I’m heading out to Target tomorrow to buy a long black cardigan (if they have any?) to throw over this so I can wear it out as a top!

I also love the faux leather (pleather?) bow! The perfect touch.

When it comes to lingerie, my largest pet peeve is when I hear girls say they can’t justify buying nice things because they “don’t have a boyfriend” or “have an a-cup.” Ridiculous! I don’t think everyone should go out and buy an Agent Provocateur bra (though I highly recommend it!), but I do believe that gorgeous underwear is ultimately meant to only be enjoyed by one person, and that’s the wearer. In the end, it’s about comfort and a new kind of confidence that comes only from yourself- that under your business suit, or Zelda hoodie and sweatpants (my current ensemble), you’re wearing something simultaneously comfortable and beautiful, and only YOU know it. There are those who can only understand confidence gained from others’ approval, and then those who understand that confidence can also be gained from keeping your own secrets.

And here’s a quick inventory of what I keep in my clutch, minus my Bert’s Bees.

I’m so sad that winter vacation is basically over; I am simply not ready to return to school. I’ve had way too many awesome, late nights playing old video games and I don’t want to trade that for all-nighters doing art projects!

Worn with an American Apparel skirt. I felt like a bit of a flight attendant so I didn’t wear it out. I’m also not a huge fan of black/white contrast, because I find it a bit too easy. Nonetheless, it photographs pretty nicely, I think!

My “tools of the trade”: my iPhone, pocket moleskine (for my clutch), moleskine planner, and a large 13″ sketchbook.