Gone With The Wind

A windy afternoon running errands in Banana Republic Spring/Summer 2018 pieces.

I wanted to pick an outfit that I can go to meetings, run errands, and meet with friends at an event at the end of the day without having to go home to change.

LA traffic is no joke guys. I am always practical with my daily looks as I know plans are always in the making. I am pretty spontaneous with making plans with my friends because sometimes I get bored or hyped up and hit them up to chill or get drinks.

I styled this look so easy to fit wherever I am going. Playful with my multi-colours pattern dress shirt and keeping it simple with solid colour pants. You can have both, a playful and professional look to match your personality. You never want to be boring with your "business casual".

Get The Look:

Shirt: Banana Republic

Pants: Banana Republic

Sneakers: Converse

Lounge

Excited to announce my partnership with Abercrombie & Fitch showcasing a few of their pieces that you can wear for any occasion.

Summer ahoy, keeping it simple and clean with Abercrombie & Fitch. I have always been a fan of the brand since growing up and loved to see a brand grow as I grow.

The brand transition was such a great move as they brought back old fans and brings in new fans.

One of my favorite piece from the recent collection is this light denim shirt. I can lounge in them at home or out running errands. Never have to worry about changing shirts to go out in public.

Get The Look:

Shirt: Abercombie
Pants: Urban Outfitter
Shoes: GREATS Brand

Dressy

I feel like dress shirts are highly underrated these days. People mostly feel like they are supposed to be worn with suits only. Often case that is the best way to style it, but I do not believe it is the only way you should style it.

I love to wear dress shirts during the summer and fall season as it gets hot in California to do any layers. I usually keep it simple and leave a few buttons unbuttoned with a tank top showing through.

As for the dress up appeal, that is where the right kind of footwear comes in handy. You want to wear a double monk-strap dress shoe to go from casual to chic.

Get The Look

Shirt: Banana Republic
Pants: Topman
Shoes: Aldo
Tank Top: Hanes
Watch: Triwa

Feels

Can't go to the Havana this summer, so I am taking Havana to me. Adding some floral to my wardrobe during the summer.

I know what you are thinking, "Floral for summer? How shocking". Well, how can you not wear floral prints for the summer, it is the only time it is acceptable to do so, so why not?

Play around with the prints and be playful. I love to wear floral prints for my shirts and keeping the lower parts of my outfit like the pants and shoes simple and clean. That way the attention goes straight to my shirt and have a whole cohesive look.

Get The Look

Shirt: Topman
Tank Top: Hanes
Pants: Topman
Shoes: H&M
Watch: Daniel Wellington

Love In Capri

Dolce & Gabbana welcome Summer 2016 by launching its annual limited editions of their famous fragrances Light Blue from 2001 and Light Blue Pour Homme from 2007.

Both fragrances inspired by the summer atmosphere in the Italian island of Capri. Perfect for the summer with its light and fresh aromas. A great melody of citrus fruits and musk wood from white flowers.

Dolce & Gabbana known for putting on a show. They partnered with Condé Nast Traveler to take us to Capri in Los Angeles in The Hills. The event is a theme party where guests show up in Capri inspired outfits.

Keeping my outfit in theme with Capri. I wore linen pants with floral prints shirt and white kicks. You can never go wrong with linen for summer as it is light and breezy. If you know me, you'd know that I am pretty simple at times. I do not like to do overboard in prints. I love to have one big statement piece with simple everything else; like my shirt and pants combination.

Get The Look

Pants: Perry Ellis
Shirt: H&M
Suspenders: Thifted
Shoes: H&M
Watch: Daniel Wellington

Camden

It is the beginning of August and people are already feeling the summer blues as the weather beginning to cool down. Saying goodbye to those summer festivals and nights are hard.

Looking for the perfect shirt to wear every season is tough. Luckily, Banana Republic have that cover for you. Their new shirt collection is the perfect fit for casual and dress up. You can wear them simply with just a nice pair of jeans or tailored slacks. For layering, you can wear it with a solid color suit or pair it with a great jacket of your choice.

The Camden-Fit shirt is my favorite for the summer. As the shirt is made to fit you perfectly like it is tailored perfectly for you. The fabric is soft and breathable that you can wear it separately or layer with a blazer. Amazing fit and color that goes well with jeans and dress pants.

*Disclaimer

Post Sponsored by Banana Republic

Forthwith

Mother nature can be a trip! Nowadays, you cannot even trust your weather app to tell you the temperature anymore. It may looks nice and beautiful outside, but once you step out there it's a whole different story.

Dressing appropriate for the weather can be tough as you never know what day might hold. Spring is a very interesting season can it can be cold, cool, warm, or hot. You just never know how it is going to be. One thing I love about my Uniqlo lightweight vest is the fact that it is lightweight, and it keeps me warm when it gets a bit chilly.

A trend during the summer that always come back is khaki. It is the comeback trend that everyone loves because earth tones are easy to wear and style. My khaki pants goes with every color of shirts I own. Styling is simple and I love that I do not have to overthink what goes with it.

Get The Look:

Vest: Uniqlo

Shirt: Bar III

Jeans: Levi's

Boots: Jack Erwin

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Business Casual 101

With warmer weather approaching us wearing layers is not ideal especially with a suit. I've team up with Banana Republic to help you dress accordingly to the hot summer.

I am not a fan when someone say to dress "business casual" to me that sound very vague. What exactly is business casual anyway? How can you be casual when you dress professional. Luckily for you, I've found out exactly what it means.

In my years of research business casual simply means dressing without a jacket. It is as simple as that.

Styling a summer shirt from Banana Republic to help me get ready for errands run during the week. Dressing casual is simple, but with a fitted shirt with great pattern I know that I will make a statement around town. Pairing the shirt with a fitted and clean black slack is the best way to go. In keeping theme with the casual I just finish it with a crisp black low top sneakers. A great outfit that I can wear for lunch to a business meeting or to dinner with friends to discuss weekend plans.

Get The Look:

Shirt: Banana Republic

Pants: Perry Ellis

Belt: Upton Belts

Shoes: Old Navy

Watch: Great George

Esemplastic

Everyone know the saying of "work hard, play harder", right? Well, I do believe that you do deserve to have fun and let loose once in a while. Working hard for your future is great and all. But if you not take the time to actually enjoy what you've been working hard for then you will end up losing yourself. That used to be my life when I was living in New York City. I was busy working and not living. Took me awhile to realize that your happiness is worth more than you think.

Today's blog post is your guide to rocking all black look, but don't get too crazy to the point you look goth (which in case if that is what you are going for then rock on!). I teamed up with Perry Ellis and Creative Recreation to show you how to can style your all black outfit effortless.

Step 1:

Make sure all of your black pieces are the same tone and shade of black. Let's get one thing straight. Just because the color is black, it doesn't necessary mean is going to be the same shade or tone. So double check.

Step 2:

Play with the fabric and texture of the pieces. When wearing one color head to toe, you have to play up the fabric to create some contrast in the look. That is when the smallest detail matters.

Step 3:

Footwear is very important here. You don't want match the color of the footwear completely to your outfit. Play it up by wearing a pair shoe with a white sole. For example, the shoes that I am wearing in this post is all black with white sole. Or a pair of white shoes would work fine too.

Get The Look:

Black Suit: Perry Ellis

Mesh Polo: Perry Ellis

Belt: Upton Belt

Shoes: Creative Recreation

Watch: Shore Projects

Settled

I've recently decided to take a unexpected turn in my life and moved across the states to California. I've been living back and forth between New York City and Michigan for while and it has been exhausted yet comfortable as I was used to the routines that I was doing. I've grew bored of the cities as everything is the same. I lost the passion and excitement I had for New York City. I needed a change of everything and just moved to California with an unclear future...I didn't have a job or anything line up in California. But I wanted to get back to who I was when I first moved to New York City. A young kid who was hungry for success and determined to make a name for myself.

Today's blog post is about keeping your outfit simple by playing with texture. Recently purchased this rigged texture sweater from H&M as part of the Selected By Beckham collection. I don't think I need to say much about this sweater as it speaks for itself. A simple design but bold piece to wear. The perfect bottom to wear with this sweater is just a simple back slacks and white sneakers.

Blending two different pattern pieces can be hard, but it can work when the two pattern compliments each other by having similar color tone. Playing up the patterns can bring your outfit from okay to phenomenal.

Get The Look:

Jacket: Forever 21 Men

Shirt: Bar III

Sweater: H&M

Pants: Perry Ellis

Shoes: Adidas

Redefine

We could be and do anything we want. That's what I have been telling a lot of my friends. I know that It sound really cliché, but we really have to seize the moment. So...that's why I've decided to move to Los Angeles, CA. I am scare to start over again, but I am excited for what to come here. I don't know what is going to happen or if I will do well. I just know that I want this. Sometimes fear is a good thing. It pushes me to succeed.

Today's blog post is about mixing the new and old pieces in your closet to create a new look. Mixing two of my favorite suits from Darkoh and Perry Ellis to create a bold suit.

I am not the kind of person to wear an outfit once. I always recycle my looks by changing up a few things about it. If you remember from my previous blog post, this red double breast suit was a made for my birthday. I have worn it a few times by styling it with different shirts and shoes with it. This time I decided to just wear the blazer only.

I decided to pair the blazer with a simple pair of black dress pants that is part of my Perry Ellis suit. I love the color combination of red and black. It is just a bold and powerful look that you can wear to an event that you want to stand out in.

Get The Look:

Blazer: Darkoh

Pants: Perry Ellis

Coat: Tiger of Sweden

Shoes: Tiger of Sweden

Throwback

I think we can all agree that you can never wear too much black or have enough black pieces in your wardrobe. I lost count of how many black shoes I have in my closet. It's always my first color option when buying new footwear.

One of my most recent footwear that I got is my "Duke" boots from Thursday Boots. I have been wearing them nonstop. They are so comfortable to wear. I can walk hours in them and not feel like my feet are numb from the pain. 

These boots can speaks for itself when paired with any of your looks. They are so stylish that you don't need to worry about it clashing with your outfit.

Today's blog post I am styling the boots with a very simple look.

Going for a rugged look, I am pairing the boots with a pair of nice black fitted jean. By wearing a fitted jean you keep the look clean and able to pair it with a loose shirt like the print shirt I am wearing. Finish the top layer with a simple jacket. An option piece is an oversize winter coat.

Get The Look:

Overcoat: H&M

Jacket: Topman

Shirt: Forever 21 men

Jean: American Eagle Outfitters

Boots: Thursday Boots

Luster

My daily essentials is not complete without a great sweater to add to my closet. I am a sucker for wearing sweaters as it is such an easy way to upgrade your wardrobe. 

Living in a state that have 2 season; winter and construction (Michigan joke for those Michiganders out there reading my blog). Layering is my daily life and it's easy to do with the right sweater.

Today's blog post feature a vibrate yellow sweater from H&M Modern Essential collection which is Selected By David Beckham. With a sweater so bold is it easy to style as you already know that is is going to be the key piece in your outfit. The only way to work it is by dressing around the sweater.

In keeping the sweater as the key piece of my look, I just wear darker clothing such as this grey texture jacket and dark grey wool pants. Finish it with a simple all black slip on.

Get The Look:

Jacket: Uniqlo

Sweater: H&M

Pants: H&M

Shoes: Tiger of Sweden

Modern Trail

Put on your Timberland shoes and head on an adventure. Create your the Modern Trail. The Modern Trail is your journey. At Timberland, their boots, shoes, jackets and sandals are made with your work, play and travel adventures in mind.

The Modern Trail is about everyday adventures, connecting with fellow explorers and sharing what's discovered. I am discovering my campus at Michigan State University during winter, a real life winter wonderland.

Keeping my look very simple and casual with a black shirt and black jeans as the attention will go to my yellow boots. In theme with my winter outdoor look, I pair it with a forest green bomber that is a favorite of mine.

Get The Look:

Jacket: 21 Men

Shirt: H&M

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Boots: Timberland

March

Oftentimes I like to march to the beats of my own drum. Which can be many things, and one of them is the suits I wear.

One of the best thing about wearing such a bold suit is the you do not have to do much styling to it. This is the case of letting the suit speaks for itself. When a suit is so bold you do not want to heavily accessorize it. Keeping it simple with just a fitted white shirt, a classic tie, and a timeless watch.

Sometimes finding the right footwear to wear with a suit can be tough. But you got to remember the rules to finding the right pairs.

1. Compliments the suit

2. Simplicity so it doesn't clash with the suit

3. Color matters. So make sure the shoes color contrast well with the suit.

Get The Look:

Suit: Darkoh

Shirt: H&M

Shoes: Jack Erwin

Watch: Daniel Welllington

Piece By Piece

Today's blog post is about staple pieces. Buying pieces for your wardrobe that you can pair it with many outfits and year-long.

These staple pieces can be wore by itself or layer up together.

Let's start with the first layer; a simple white shirt. I love a fitted white shirt as it can go with under any sweater like this "Inside Outside" sweater from H&M. This is one of the piece #SelectedByBeckham. I love the neutral color of this sweater as I can wear it with grey pants or jeans for a more casual look. A perfect selection from H&M: Modern Essentials.

This spring you will see a lot of white jackets, more importantly, white leather jackets. They are becoming a hot issue in fashion as they add an alternative to the classic ones. The perfect jacket to help layer with your sweater. You can wear it over the shoulder or just wear it normally, either way, it is the perfect spring jacket.

One of my favorite winter jackets that get compliments often on the street. I love color and texture of this jacket as it pair perfectly with all of my outfits during this winter.

Get The Look:

Winter Jacket: Forever 21Men

Leather Jacket: Forever 21Men

Sweater: H&M

Shirt: Forever 21Men

Pants: Uniqlo

Sneakers: Nike Roshe

Bracelet: Enteresant

New Classic

Bringing back the classic look in a new way.

Thanks to Sprezzabox for their monthly supply of menswear goods, I was able to style my Darkoh suit with influences from Wall Street.

This blog post is inspired by the men of Wall Street. You can easily spot who works in Wall Street by the way they dress. They are known for strong contrast of colors, bold colors, expensive accessories, and of course, suspenders to make sure their wallet won't pull their pants down.

Although, I am not a fan of the typical shirts with thick lines, or a solid color with the contrast collars and cuffs. I decided to just keep my shirt a solid color. By keeping a solid color shirt, I can pair it with a funky polka dots suspender.

To complete the look of the Wall Street you got to make sure you have your accessories in order. You tie have to be in contrast with your suit. You suspenders got to be over the top. And your shoes, they are the thing that puts the whole looks together. Stick with a wingtip or brogues, but no square-toed shoes. They are tacky.

Get The Look:

Suit: Darkoh

Shirt: H&M

Suspenders: Weekend Casual

Tie: Jack Sartori

Shoes: Aldo

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Phone Case: Stil Mind

The accessories in this look came from SprezzaBox. Sign up for their monthly supply of menswear. Effortless style for just $25 a month.

Challenge

Happy New Years everyone!!

This year, I want to start challenging myself, I want to push my creativity and comfort zone in what I can do and cannot do. 2015 was a great year for me as I left behind a 9am-5pm job to focus on doing what I love and to be "free". I have never regrets any of decisions I made as I know that it will help me learn and succeed.

2016 will be a game changer for me as I want to inspire others more and give back. I want to have a voice and share my experiences, struggles, and overcomes. I am lucky to have a platform like this blog and my social media channel to do so.

As part of my new year goal I have teamed up with Bulova newest campaign #BeBulova to showcase their Military Collection (shown above). The idea behind #BeBulova is that as visual storytellers, we want to tell the stories of innovators and creators who embody the DNA of the Bulova brand. They want people to showcase lifestyle to accompany their content that speaks directly to their brand.

I am giving away a brand new watch from the Military Collection on my instagram. All you need to do is share your #BeBulova with an instagram post tagging me (@datswhatupp) and (@bulavo) in that post. Also, make sure you are following both of us on Instagram to be consider in the contest. The contest will ends a week from now. See below for the guidelines;

Guidelines:

1: Follow @Bulova and myself (@datswhatupp) on Instagram.
2. Make a post on your IG sharing your #BeBulova story and tagging both @Bulova and myself (@datswhatupp) to be consider in the contest. Also, tag some friends you think would be interested in entering.
3. Winner will be announced a week later.

Today's style post is how to style the Bulova watch for a sporty chic look. The Bulova watch from the Military Collection have a very sport feel to it with the nato strap. It allows you to dress casual or dressy depending on the occasion.

I decided to style this watch with a double-breated blazer from one of my suits. I am a huge fan of mixing and matching suits as you get more looks from it. I paired the blazer with a blue and white checkered print pants. For accessories, you can always trust SprezzaBox to help you add some boldness to your looks like the tie and handkerchief. Finish the look up with your favorite pairs of white sneakers.

Photographed by Kim G.

Get The Look:

Blazer: Darkoh

Pants: H&M

Tie and Handkerchief: Sprezzabox

Watch: Bulova

Sneakers: American Eagle Outfitters

Peanuts x Lacoste collection

In honor of the 3D wide animation “The Peanuts Movie” out this year, Lacoste partnered up with Peanut once again after the success of their 2010 collection.

The 2015 collaboration showcase a seasonal set of the brand's signature polo shirts in grey, white, and navy, as well as a navy sweatshirt. 

The tops feature whimsical scaled-down graphics of your favorite Peanuts characters, including Snoopy and Charlie Brown, interacting with the iconic Lacoste crocodile. Pieces from the collaborative project will be offered in both adult and children sizes, available now online and in-stores.

Thanks to Lacoste and Peanuts I get to relive my childhood and played dress up with my favorite character from the show; Snoopy!

Cruising through the streets of the Upper West Side on a nice Fall day we were able to shoot with beautiful houses and colors in the background.

Today's post, I am styling one of the the most timeless and iconic piece you need to have in your closet. This staple piece will help you create a classic outfit.

I am talking about the classic Lacoste polos. They have became such an iconic piece throughout the years. Remember, they are definitely investment pieces, so don't be afraid to splurge on certain ones if the time is right.

The Lacoste polos are so easy to wear and style. All you need is a nice pairs of fitted jeans or pants. The perfect footwear to style it with is some clean white sneakers for a sport chic look; or a nice pair of loafers for a more sophisticated style.

Remember to share your best lacoste polo with the hashtag #MyLacostePolo on social media to be feature on their site.

Shot by Kim G.

Get The Look:

Polo: Lacoste

Pants: H&M

Sneakers: American Eagle Outfitters

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Summer Fling

Winter may be approaching us, but that does not mean the rest of the world will be in a winter wonderland.

Reminiscing about one of my favorite summer trends this summer; bold prints jackets. A great staple piece for spring and summer.

Styling for a bold piece can be difficult as it can clash with your other pieces such as your pants, footwear, or even accessories. I recommend when wearing such a bold piece you want to dress around it and keep everything simple.

In this look, I am just wearing a fitted white shirt and a blue pant with subtle plaid prints on it. To keep this look sexy and summery I decided to keep some of my top buttons unbutton. A nice pair of white sneakers to keep it casual. During the night you can change up the look by button up the buttons and switching out the sneakers for a nice pair of brown wingtips.

A watch can say a lot about you. Make sure the style of watch you choose go with your look. Also, people like it when you are punctual. It is a great quality to have and can help you a lot in the long run.

Shot By Lam Matt Nguyen

Get The Look:

Jacket: H&M

Pants: Tiger of Sweden

Shirt: Tahaanga

Watch: Filippo Loreti

Sneakers: Nike