2016 Reflections - The Year of Travel and Self Love

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year and Holiday Season!

I just got back from my trip to Jordan, and I had an amazing time! If you wanted to see my travel photos, take a look at my instagram (instagram.com/phd_fashionista). I will hopefully be doing a travel post soon featuring my highlights and also a video of some things :) 

Style Trends: Cheap dresses for a Fall Formal Event

Hello loves!
Happy Friday! I am sooo glad it is basically the weekend! This week seemed to drag by. I finally got back into the groove of things (it only took me a month! oops!) but I guess everyone needs time to relax and destress!
I really can't believe it is September! Fall is basically here (or so it seems, in LA it is still just hot), so I am excited for the new trends that I'm feeling -- I would love for the weather to cool down a bit so I can wear boots and sweaters, but I can still incorporate some pieces into my wardrobe!
In addition, there are lots of events going on in fall, including fall weddings or other formal events to attend, whether it be anniversary dinners, birthday dinners, baby showers, weddings, etc., and here are my picks!
I love maroon/purple/dark blue for fall - perfect shades for the day getting shorter (sigh! I don't like shorter days...), and the impending cold (we wish, in LA!). I really like these flattering darker formal dresses from Promtimes.co.uk, cut right above the knee! Perfect length, and they are all under $50! Super affordable even for a poor grad student on a budget!  I love the different cut necklines, from one shoulder to sweetheart strapless to regular straps, they all seem to be flattering! and can be worn for many different occasions! Accessorized with the perfect statement necklace (I'm feeling silver accent pieces this Fall) and the right heeled pumps (nude or black?), perfect outfit for a night out or wedding/event!

Wedding fashion

So this past weekend I went to a wedding in San Diego. I had originally had been planning on wearing that black dress I bought from Guess a few months ago that I had blogged about (a short black dress). But then I realized black is really boring to wear, especially to a wedding.  The wedding I went to was a fusion of American and Hindu traditions, and it was a lot of fun! Before leaving for San Diego, I ransacked my closet looking for something to wear. I originally was going to wear a blue high low dress but it fit too tight for a wedding and it was too short in the front. I tried a high low skirt with a Motel Rocks body suit. Again, too revealing. I ended up wearing this blue skater dress from Forever21 with mesh top. I paired it with some black heels and I wore my hair in a side pony tail since it was a hot day. I originally was going to wear my hair down and straight, but I have been itching to curl it. My boyfriend was on his way to pick me up and I had only curled half of my hair! I was rushing and I used my PYT straightener to curl the rest of my hair! Took a total of about 20 minutes to curl! After curling my entire head of hair, I pulled it up and to the side, and I intertwined the curls to make it into a single long curl. I think it turned out great!