Tag Archives: Dresses

All Posts, Fashion

The Dress with 80’s Fashion Vibe

The off-the-shoulder fashion style was popular in the 80’s, and it has made a come back in the past few years.

I think when it comes to picking a dress for evenings or parties, the off-the-shoulder style is an ideal choice for a fun and sophisticated look. If you pair the dress with the right accessories, you can transform the look with plenty of sexiness.

Shirley in off-shoulder dress

The self-portrait’s Black Sequin Embellished Ruffle Mini Dress (above) is a good example of a off-the-shoulder dress. It is made with black sequins with a asymmetrical top. The dress has fitted bodice with golden zipper on the front and ruffle trim skirt.

Shirley in the off-shoulder dress
(Getting ready for dinner.)

This off-the-shoulder black sequin embellished ruffle mini dress is one of my favorite dresses. The design of the dress is intended to fit to the body perfectly and it flatters the figure. The asymmetrical top shows off just enough shoulder to add some sophistication to the look.

How to Complete the Look?

In general, to complete a 80’s outfit, it’s ideal to wear a pair of statement earrings, intensified/bold makeup, and a red lipstick.

To complete my evening off-shoulder silhouette outfit for dinner, I wore a cocktail flower ring, a pair of the chandelier earrings, and suede heels with crystals around the shoe platform.

For the lips, I wore my favorite YSL lipstick in bright red. And for my eyes, I used both purple and blue eyeshadow.
Accessories for the off-shoulder dressAccessories for the off-shoulder dress
To summarize, I think getting a silhouette with a classic 80’s vibe, like my off-shoulder dress, is a great investment. This kind of dress with timeless fashion style will always be in style.

All Posts, Top Five

5 Things to Try This Month – October 2019

There are a couple of things I wanted to do in Summer and didn’t have the chance to do. One of the things was go to the Victoria, BC. I am glad that we still have some sunny days in the Northwest before the cold raining season kicks in.

Below are the things I am doing in October, which includes the afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria.

Afternoon Tea

I enjoy having afternoon tea and I always wanted to try the afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria, BC. I finally had the chance to experience the afternoon tea when I visit Victoria, BC, in the beginning of this month. I love the atmosphere of the lounge where the afternoon tea was at, and all the desserts that came with the afternoon treats.

Afternoon Tea at Empress Fairmont Hotel

New Beauty Product

As we are getting close to the holiday seasons, many beauty product brands are launching their holiday products. One of my favorite makeup artists, Pat McGrath, just released her holiday eye shadow products – Blitz Astral Quad. The Blitz Astral Quad comes in three palettes. One of the palettes, Nocturnal Nirvana, has all my favorite eye shadow colors – green, blue, and purple. Of course, this item goes on my “5 Things to Try This Month” list!

New Sequin Dress

Recently I am into full-on sequin dresses. As we are getting close to the holiday season, there’s no better time than now to start shopping for the sequin dresses. My recent addition is the Kooples’ Epaulettes and Pink Sequins short dress. I can’t wait to try it on when I receive it in the next few days.

Freaknight Festival

Freaknight is an annual Halloween related event in Seattle. It’s basically a large party for adults where almost anything goes. A friend of mine has asked me to go with her to this year’s Freaknight. My mission now is to find a costume for myself!

Entertainment Obsession

My recent comedy-drama television series obsession is HBO’s Succession. The show is about a dysfunctional family who owns a global media and hospitality empire, and how they fight for control of the business. I’ve heard that the show is very interesting to watch and I finally started to watch from the very first episode.

All Posts, Beauty, Fashion, Top Five

5 Things to Try This Month – August 2018

Summer is a popular wedding season. It’s no surprise that my best friend is choosing August to have her wedding. After a few weeks of searching for the prefect dress to wear to her big day, I finally found mine.

Below are a couple of other things I plan on doing in August.

New Beauty Product

I am currently running low on my existing eye cream. I’ve been hearing some nice things about Estee Lauder’s new eye cream, Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recovery. This product contains hyaluronic acid and Estee Lauder’s ChronoluxCB ingredient to help promote skin’s natural repair process. The price for this new eye cream is relatively inexpensive compared to other high-end skin care products I’ve been using; therefore, it’s worth it to me to give it a shot for experimental reasons.
EsteenLauder_EyeCream

(Estee Lauder Eye Cream)

Dress for Friend’s Wedding

My dear friend’s wedding is less than two weeks away. I finally found the perfect dress (Self-portrait Embroidered Mesh Dress) for me to attend her wedding. I just ordered it and can’t wait to receive it, soon I hope!
Self-Portrait Embroidered Mesh Dress

(My New Dress for My Friend’s Wedding)

Gel Nails

After last month’s girly light pink and iris gel nail color, it’s time to go back to my favorite red glitter nail color. Since we are still in the Summer season, my gel nail artist added golden seashells and sea stars to the finish look.
5Things_August2018_GelNails

(picture of the red gel nails)

Baking for Fun

The other day I came across a baking recipe for the Almond-Orange Pound Cake from Williams Sonoma web site. The idea of a dessert with both almond and orange seems very refreshing for the hot season. I plan on trying out the recipe this weekend!
Almond-Orange Pound Cake

Wine and Cheese Party

I got invited to a Wine and Cheese Party for this weekend. The event is hosted by some friends at their home. Although they told me I don’t have to bring anything, but I plan on brining a bottle of my favorite Long Shadows red wine. The question will be which red wine to bring!

5Things_August2018_LongShadowsWine(Long Shadows Red Wine – Feather Cabernet Sauvignon)

All Posts, Fashion, Food, Top Five

5 Things to Try This Month – March 2018

March is the beginning of Spring and it’s time to try new nail colors, new coffee, and a new cuisine. See below for the things I am doing this month.

Enjoy the New Nespresso Double Espresso

I am always looking out for Nespresso’s new coffee flavors. This month they released two new capsules (Double Espresso Chiaro and Double Espresso Scuroin) for the Vertuo system machine. I tried it at home and it’s delicious, especially with some frothed milk.
Nespresso Double Espresso

Switch to Green Nail Color

For this month (St. Patrick’s Day and beginning of Spring), I am switching from my all-time favorite red gel nail color to green. Instead of the dark green color, I got a light green color with glitters and Swarovski crystals. I love my new gel nail color and I think it’s perfect for everyday this month!

Gel Nail for March 2018
Shirley Style Gel Nail for March 2018

Break Into Light Color Shoes

Since we are in the beginning of Spring I can start breaking in the light color shoes I bought for the warm seasons. One of my recent favorites for casual attire is Puma’s Glitter Platform Sneaker in Gray Metallic. Unlike most of the glitter shoes I have, these Puma glitters are sealed under a glossy coat, so you won’t see individual glitters falling off.
Puma Glitter Platform Sneaker

Valentino

Update Work Wardrobes

With the starting of a new job, I plan to update my work wardrobes with more dresses. Among the brands I like, The Kooples, offers many dresses that are perfect for work and I can wear from morning to Happy Hour.
For example, the The Kooples’ Contrast-Collar Lace-Inset Mini Dress I recently got would be perfect for the office, if I wear it with a sweater cardigan and flat ballerina shoes (with short heels). After work, I can skip the cardigan and switch into a pair of stilettos. This is an ideal dress that takes you from day to night!
The Kooples Contrast-Collar Lace-Inset Mini Dress

Experience a New Cuisine

I like to try food that I’ve never tasted before. This month my friends introduced me to the Kabul Afghan Cuisine restaurant in Seattle. We had kababs combination, which includes chicken, lamb, beef, grilled eggplants, Basmati rice, and Afghan Bread. All the food we had at the restaurant was delicious, but I liked the beef and the rice the best! We finished our meal with the dessert, Ferni, a custard pudding flavored with cardamom and rosewater, and topped with ground pistachios.
Kabul Afphan Cuisine Kabab

Kabul Afphan Cuisine Eggplant

Kabul Afphan Cuisine Basmati Rice

Kabul Afphan Cuisine Ferni Dessert
Shirley Style food advantures
All Posts, Fashion

Dior Aviator Style Sunglasses

I was in Las Vegas in July. It was very hot and sunny! I brought a pair of sunglasses with me for the trip, but for some reason I felt I needed a new pair for the hot weather.

DiorAviatorStyleSunglasses

For me, buying a pair of sunglasses is not easy. No matter what a pair looks like “on the rack”, you can never tell what they’ll look like when they’re on your face until you actually try them on.

I was staying at the Bellagio Hotel, one of my favorite properties in Las Vegas. One afternoon, after Happy Hour at Olives restaurant (where I had a martini), I walked across the promenade hallway to the Dior boutique.

Now, even though aviator style glasses had never really looked good on me, but I had my eyes on Dior Summer 2016 sunglasses that were called Dior Split Sunglasses, where the top and bottom of the lenses are mirrored (but with UV protection) and the center width was tinted.

The Dior Split sunglasses comes in several color (i.e. rose gold toned frame with pink mirrored lenses, gold toned frame with silver lenses, silver toned frame with blue mirrored lenses).  I tried all of them on and, miraculously, the design fitted my face and looked good!


While I was trying on the sunglasses, I was wearing a See by Chloe Sleeveless Drop Waist Dress in black and Roger Vivier Ballerine Chips Stripes Flats in pink/purple with crystals.  And both the dress and the flats match perfectly with the Dior Split sunglasses in rose gold toned frame with pink mirrored lenses.

See by Chloe Sleeveless Drop Waist Dress


So I bought them, and now they’re one of my favorite pair of sunglasses for the summer season!

Christian Dior Split Aviator Sunglasses, $555 via Nordstrom.com

All Posts, Fashion

Sheer Panel Dresses

It seems like a recent trend is the increasing popularity of dresses that have a sheer panel.

Last season I was shopping for a new dress on the Saks web site.  I noticed an interesting Alice + Olivia’s fit and flare long dress with multiple sheer lace panels.  It came only in maroon.

I really liked it and so I bought it.

(Alice + Olivia Odelia Lace Midi Dress, SaksFifthAvenue.com)

Alice And Olivia Odelia Lace Midi Dress

When I got the dress, to be honest, I wasn’t really sure on what type of occasions I could wear it to.  I was surprised to find that I was able to wear the dress at different events; Sinatra restaurant in Las Vegas and Saison restaurant in San Francisco.

While shopping online recently I noticed that many brands have dresses with sheer panels.  To update your closet wardrobe for Spring, you might want to check out this style!

Below are some of my suggestions.

Self-Portrait Dress, $690, Matchesfashion.com

Self-Portrait Daphne teardrop guipure-lace dress

Jason Wu Dress, $1,395; Nordstrom.com

Jason Wu Fit And Flare Dress

Alice + Olivia Irena Illusion Lace Sheath Dress, $398, Nordstrom.com

Alice And Olivia Irena Illusion Lace Sheath Dress

Alice + Olivia Larue Illusion Strip Fit and Flare Dress, $598, Nordstrom.com

Alice And Olivia LarueI llusion Strip Fit And Flare Dress

All Posts, Fashion, Travel

Manolo Blahnik Chaos Cuff Ankle Sandal in Purple Glitter

Manolo Blahnik has many signature pair of heels. One of them that has often been spotted on many celebrities (i.e. Pop Star, Rhianne) is the Chaos Cuff Ankle Sandal.

Manolo Blahnik’s Chaos Cuff Ankle Sandal comes in various colors (i.e. black, red, and blue) and in various materials (i.e. patent leather, suede, and snakeskin). The design of the stiletto is surprisingly light and comfortable to walk for a short period of time.

For my recent New Year’s Eve trip to Las Vegas I bought a pair of the Manolo Blahnik’s Chaos Cuff Ankle Sandal in purple glitter.  I wore it with an Alice + Olivia’s McKee Sequined Jersey Dress on the New Year’s Eve.  A neutral black sandal normally would work well with an embellished and sparkling dress, but I think the glittering purple Manolo Blahnik Chaos Cuff Sandal works the best for such special occasion!

Manolo Blahnik Chaos Ankle Strap Pump

If you haven’t tried Manolo Blahnik’s Chaos Cuff Sandal, you might want to consider getting it for the upcoming Spring season!

(Below Picture: taken at the Aria Las Vegas Hotel North Entrance Lobby)

All Posts, Fashion

Christian Louboutin Private Patent Leather Peep-Toe Slingback Pumps

Red is one of my all-time favorite colors, especially for clothing and shoes.  When I saw the Private Patent Leather Peep-toe Slingback Pumps by Christian Louboutin in red, I knew I had to get it.

A simple way to wear red shoes is to pair them with black dresses.  Alice + Olivia has a cute Inara Embellished Dress in black with golden beads and sequins.  The gold embellishment goes well with the red stiletto! Alice + Olivia Inara Embellished Dress

Buy Alice + Olivia has a cute Inara Embellished Dress

All Posts, Fashion

The Yumi Crepe Dropped-Waist Dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs

Have you ever tried to explain a dress to a guy, and he just didn’t really understand? Some dresses are just hard to explain. The Yumi Crepe Dropped-Waist Dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs is one of these.

DroppedWasitDressModel

I first saw the Yumi dress about three months ago, and it immediately caught my attention. Finally, I couldn’t resist it anymore, and so I bought it. The first thing that I noticed was that the model wore the dress with a plaid shirt. I think the shirt looks great on the model, but for me, I prefer wearing the dress without a shirt or layer underneath. I like wearing the Yumi dress with a long-waisted cashmere sweater.

DroppedWaistDressShirleyCropped

The dress is pleated, which gives it a distinctive look. The pleats remind me in some way of the school uniform dresses I wore when I was young. The overall effect of the dress is a bit girly, but sophisticated.

A friend asked me about where I’d wear this dress and where I wouldn’t. I answered that, in my opinion, the dress is perfectly suited for work in a business casual environment (like where I work now) or maybe a Happy Hour after work. I don’t think I’d wear this dress to a weekend event, but I can see other people doing so.

Appropriate shoes are an interesting question too. Today, as I write this post, I’m wearing almond-shaped-toe black flats with kitten heels. The model in these pictures is wearing booties with straps, which I think is another good match. I wouldn’t wear this dress with sandals or tall boots, but again, those options might look good on you.

The neckline is V-cut which makes it perfect for a short chain and pendant, if you’re not wearing a shirt. There are many V-neck black dress designs, but the Yumi Crepe Dropped-Waist Dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs is one you should check out!

All Posts, Fashion

Alice + Olivia “Love is in the Air” Shift Dress

The Alice + Olivia brand is one of my favorites when I’m looking for a holiday or special event dress. Alice + Olivia was created in 2002 and is based in New York. The head designer is Stacey Bendet.

My impression of the Alice + Olivia line is somewhat mixed — their designs are stylish and contemporary, but also feature items that I’d describe as cute and girly.

Recently, I came across the A + O “Love is in the Air” shift dress. My initial reaction was that the dress is very cute and happy, and that it’d be perfect for a sunny day. When I first came across the dress at the Nordstorm Web site, I really wanted to buy it because I was just getting ready to take a trip to California to visit family. But I thought the Love-is-in-the-Air shift dress was just a bit too expensive ($550.00) for a piece of clothing I’d probably only wear once.

Alice + Olivia Love Is In The Air Shift Dress

But, I still really like that dress! After initially passing on buying the dress, I’m thinking I’ll wait and hope the dress goes on sale — I am planning to take a trip to Europe (Spain and southern France in particular) and this dress would be absolutely perfect!

So, the “Love is in the Air” shift dress by Alice + Olivia isn’t right for everyone (of course, no dress is!) but I think it’s a great dress that makes a “happy” statement. Check it out!