Last professional outfit of the semester!

I am currently having one of the laziest vacations ever, and I love it. When all I did was sit on my ass and study for most of the days for the last 5 months, being able to stay in bed and watch Netflix or go hiking everyday is absolutely welcomed. Coming back to blogging, I've realized I had one more professional outfit to share.

 

I've bought a few new items and am bringing back some things to England that have stayed in my closet in the U.S. I hope to improve my style, especially when it comes to accessorizing with jewelry. I just can't bring myself to wear other necklaces or even rings. Maybe earrings... 

I am quite pleased with myself in terms of my make up. I make it an effort to put on some blush, eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara. I still have no clue how foundation is supposed to be applied, so this might be something I'll have to work on.

Is there anything that you'd like to improve on this semester? Do you have any advice for me?

Inspiration

This past term, one of my professors had a thing for scarves, while another one had a thing for blazers. One of the outfits she put together really struck with me, and I'd like to wear something like it in the future. Here are some of the pieces I've found while using her outfit as an inspiration.

I would actually use black heels like the one in the image for the skirt, and the pink blazer really makes for a unique ensemble. Have you found any inspirational pieces? What do you think of these items?

Everyday Wear

Cowlick Sweater (old) || Skirt - Old Navy (similar)|| Black Tights || Boots - TK Maxx

Here is one of the outfits I wear the class on an every day basis. I found that wearing jeans and a t-shirt doesn't really fit with the whole medical student (at least for me). That and the fact that there are so many cute pieces to put on, that it's a shame to be wearing jeans on a daily basis. Wearing scrubs and uniforms in the past year has really made me crave better quality items. I particularly enjoy unique pieces, things that are eye catching, but I understand that working in the medical field means I have to be a little more refined, so I'm trying to find the right balance between the two.

I am finally done with my first term of medical school, which means I'm 1/8th of a doctor! I'm unbelievably happy with how I performed, almost shocked to be honest because I really thought the Biochemistry final was one of the toughest exams I've taken so far.... and surprisingly, it's one of the best of my final scores!

For now I'm glad to be on vacation, although I'm incredibly sad that some of my classmates have gone home while I'm here for a few more days. I'll be able to sight-see for a few days, but once I'm home I'll definitely miss this place over the next month. I do have to say, I can't wait to go shopping for clothes again :)

Hi, I'm a medical student and I'm going to examine you today...

I find that by putting on a dress, the professionalism points go up automatically. Maybe it's the style of dresses I have in my wardrobe that makes me think that, or maybe it's because it's a no-brainer in terms of matching. I don't have to think about if the top matches the bottom or if I need to have the right heel so that the end of my pants don't touch the ground. And it helps to wear a white coat on top! Easy peezy lemon squeezy!

Madewell dress (similar) | Opaque tights | Primark Grey heels | Black skinny belt

Not sure if the grey heels with black tights was the right call here, but I don't know, I kinda like it... What do you guys think, would you let me examine you? Have you found any new dress finds in the professional department?

Purple Skirt Envy

Yesterday, I showed you guys one of the first outfits I put together when I have to interact with standardized patients. Here is what one of my classmates wore. I absolutely adore the color of her skirt, and it fits so well with the top. This is an appropriate outfit since the tights allow for the higher hem and the shirt and folded high on the chest.

Want to recreate this look?
-Try this shirt from H&M
-This skirt is similar, so as this one, or you could try this option which uses the outfit above as inspiration
-Finish up with a simple pair of black tights and comfortable flats


I just got bombarded with material that I have to memorize so I'll be at the library for the weekend trying to get around the anatomy of the legs.  I'd love to hear what kinds of outfits you've put together recently so don't hesitate to comment below!

Thursday's Professional Wear

My school schedules practice physical examination with standardized patients on Thursdays, so I've decided to show you my professional outfits from past weeks. This way I can chronicle my attire and see how it changes over time, and this is the perfect opportunity to get some feedback. Suggestions and ideas are definitely welcomed!

Grey pointed heels: Primark | Navy Pants: The Limited | Scalloped Top: Loft Outlet | Purple Cardigan: Gap Outlet

I am in love with these heels! I never liked pointed toes but these are the right angle, or at least that's what I have told myself... They are probably not the best quality, or at least I can feel it in my bone based on how much I paid for them (£10 = about 15 USD), but I don't think anyone can tell the different between these and a high-end pair of heels. The cardigan may not be the right cover or layer for this outfit, but I exchanged it for my white coat during physical examinations. What would have made a better layered top? I'd love to hear what you guys have in mind. 

Time for me to go act like a doctor!

Meet Another Blogger: Me!

Hi Guys! This summer I've reached out to several bloggers I love and asked them to share their styles with me (and you!). Every week I'll post what my fellow bloggers have been up to with their wardrobes, we'll get to know a little more about them and get a peak inside their favorite items. I thought I'd get the series started with a little about me, so here we go!

What do you do? I'm currently working as an EMT in the Emergency Department at a major level 1 Trauma Center Hospital in the area. This means that I work with the nurses and ED docs to help with the acutely ill patients that come in. I've become a go-to person for starting IVs and Foley catheters... collecting urine is a daily joy of mine. In about a month I will be leaving America and heading to England for my first year of medical school in Newcastle upon Tyne. I'm excited and nervous at the same time so stay tuned for what will be an amazing adventure!

Why did you start blogging? I have been playing with the idea for the last two years and after religiously following a few bloggers, I decided to make the plunge. The reason why I started in March is because I had a pretty significant change happen in my life, and I needed an outlet to move on and a place to be more creative.

How would you describe your style? I used to be such a tomboy when I was little girl and as my style has evolved, I've learned to add bits of femininity to my closet. This year I've increased my dress count exponentially, so it's no surprise that in this heat I grab one and throw it on for an easy but put-together look. There are bits of Europe that still trickles down into my style, so you'll almost never find me in sweats or shorts outside. I like minimalist looks with pops of color. And I love wearing a lot of black. As my friend always says, it's because all Persians always wear black. I am still learning to add accessories to the mix and hopefully I'll get the hang of it this year (oh, here's to hoping!)

THE FOUR OUTFITS
Here is where I ask my fellow bloggers to share an outfit for different occasions. At the end of the summer, we'll be able to observe how each blogger varies in their personal style and get a feel for who they are. Right now, I'll show you a little bit of my oufits...

What would you wear at brunch with your grandmother? I love meeting up with my grandmother for any meal time, and brunch is a favorite of ours. She is very traditional but has an open-mind about modern life and is willing to learn new things, even at her age. I like to dress up a little when I meet up with my grandmother because it makes me feel more like a grownup and gives me a chance to be more feminine.

What would you wear to the grocery store? As Fran likes to put it, I have a uniform for daily activities. It involves jeans, a tunic of some sort, and a scarf. Jeans are my favorite pieces to wear because they just go with everything and my skin is used to the fabric. I don't have to think about putting this outfit together, and scarves go with everything... right?

What would you wear on date night? I think dresses and skirts are always a must for date night... call me old-fashioned. I don't think I've worn pants for date night, but who knows, maybe someday that will change. I try to show off a little skin ;)  Otherwise, my style doesn't change much from any other day.

What special item do you hold in your wardrobe or closet that is of significance to you and why? I received this as a gift for my 18th birthday. I wear it all the time, it almost never comes off. I used to wear it only for special occasions and my mother would save it for safe keeping. It's a necklace of the Zoroastrian symbol, my religion. Zoroastrians are a very small group of people that used to reside in Persia, but were pushed out or forced to convert after the Islamic revolution. But enough about history and religion...

BONUS OUTFIT

What would you wear to a gym session? I like wearing something tight at the bottom to keep things in place, and something a little more loose at the top. I have yoga pants and shorts, which are usually black. Recently I have acquired several capri pants with varying designs, and I wish I had 7 pairs so I can wear them every day of the week. Old Navy has some great fitting compression capris with flattering designs. For tops, I try to keep things colorful and cute, so that I am more willing to go to the gym. There's nothing worse than feeling ugly when I go workout, anyone else feel this way?

Thank you for stopping by and stay tuned for next week's Meet Another Blogger post!

How I Met... This Dress

I absolutely love the idea of How I Met Your Mother. In case any of you never watched the show, it's the story of how Ted meets his future wife and is telling the viewers every step and every decision and event that got him to his wife. And it makes so much sense. If he had met her when the show started, they would not have liked each other. It took him years to become the man that deserves the Mother, and they fell in love. Hard. (Now let's ignore the part where the directors and writers decided to completely screw up the season finale and leave it at that.)

Near the end of the series, we get to meet the mother, FINALLY. And I absolutely loved her. Best of all, I loved her style. I would get everything from her closet if I could!

That last dress? It's in my closet!! I actually bought that dress a few weeks before that episode aired and as I watched it I had to do a double take! It was MY DRESS! I'm so excited to have a dress that's shown on TV and from a character I loved. I found it on sale at Madewell for $85.99 a few years back.

I wore this outfit out with my family, but I can't wait for the cooler days so I can combine this dress with a denim jacket and leather books. This dress is so versatile, so here are a few similar options if you are looking for a great floral dress to wear year round!

I kinda want that first and second one in my closet too... is it wrong to have too many dresses??

Outlet Outing

On my last day in Florida, my friends and I decided to head to the outlet stores. We hadn't had a specific plan while we scheduled our stay and after seeing 3 or 4 outlet shopping malls during our drive, we thought it'd be a good idea to see if there were any good sales around. We absolutely forgot that it was Memorial Day weekend and therefore were lucky enough to see major sales everywhere. However, with a little weight gain comes the issue of realizing that shopping sucks. I'm not saying at all that I am huge and I hate my body. For a few years, I have had a body that I am quite content with, but in the last few months I have gained a few inches in certain places and that makes me uncomfortable in my skin. I feel like my body should not be like this and I'm currently remedying that with better dietary control and exercising.

Here are the only items I deemed worthy enough of taking pictures in order to remember the pretty and forget the ugly. I had also tried several jeans from Lucky Brand, several shirts that looked nice but didn't fit my personal style, and saw some awesome leather jackets before realizing they were way too expensive for my budget.

This dress here is from Ann Taylor and it has this navy-like attitude. the fabric is a soft and rich jersey texture. If I had more of an hourglass figure I would say this would be a lovely dress for a warm spring or summer wedding. Eventually, I decided against buying this dress because I couldn't justify buying it and I didn't feel quite comfortable in it. The fabric showed every inch of my body. (Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a link of it online which makes me think I'm going mad and I didn't try this at Ann Taylor, but I really thought I did!)

This next one is the denim jacket from J. Crew Factory that I discussed during my May budget review. So excited to finally have one! The jean fabric is pretty stretchy, which I love especially since I have larger upper arms. The dress, from Old Navy, is one of the items I had my eye on for a bit and sales brought it into my life :)

How cute is this floral dress?? I am so happy that I snatched it up and cannot wait to attend a fancy event so I can wear this out! It feels amazing against my skin, and although it does not have any stretch to it whatsoever, I like the structure of it. It fits well around the waist and flares out right above the hips. And it's got pockets! Accessorizing won't be too much of an issue, but I'm having a hard time finding a good shoe to match with this dress. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

I'm posting these two pictures side by side to show the difference between the two dresses and how my body looks in each. Because of the sleeveless shape and V-neck with the dress on the left, my body appears much smaller at the top and provides a nice symmetrical body type. The dress on the right does not provide the best balance between the top half and the bottom half of the body, and the round neckline isn't very flattering. So while I loved both dresses online and on the mannequins when I first saw them, clothes are not always perfect for someone's body type no matter how big or small you are. If you've had a similar experience about clothes, I'd love to hear your experience or see pictures.

The Ann Taylor dress

A few posts back I linked this beautiful dress onto the blog as an item I wanted in my closet. I finally managed to head up Ann Taylor and figure out what size was right for me so I could order it online with a few promo codes.

First, let's talk about the importance of playing with your size. Here I am wearing a 4P, thinking that since I usually have short people problems, this was an easy fit. I also brought a 6P in the dressing room just in case I needed to size up. Unfortunately, it didn't quite fit - it's way to short. I felt like I was dressing up for a high school date night and felt incredibly underage. I had really quickly decided to give up on this dress, and then realized "Oh look! They have normal sizes too!!" So I tried a 4 normal. What a difference that makes! I felt like a grown up. You can tell from the first two photos above that the dress is too short - cuts me a good 2 to 3 inches above my knees - and the waist does not sit at my natural waistline. 

Comparing the first two photos to the ones below, you can tell the fit is much better.

 

 Necklace: one of the 3 H&M necklaces | Dress: Ann Taylor Dress | Sandals: Kenneth Cole Reaction

 

In the end I chose not to get the dress. I don't feel like it's a fit for my body shape, if I had a larger chest maybe? Or a smaller waist or larger hips? I don't know, it just doesn't give me a flattering figure, and that's my personal preference when it comes to dresses. Otherwise, the fabric is very tough and I wouldn't be afraid about see through stuff, the seams are done well - no lose threads. It's light enough for spring and summer, but warm enough for 60 degree weather. I would definitely wear this with a jean jacket and wedges or sneakers. 

I so wanted to love this dress, but this dress didn't scream "Pick me!" Check out how the dress looks on Fran, and let me know if you'd tried it on and what you think!

A little business, a little casual

This week has been pretty rough at work. It's part of the reason why I love working in the Emergency Department. You never know what will happen or what you will get to see! Friday's shift was pretty fun until about 5 pm when half of the state decided they needed to be seen all at once... Oy! It's quite frustrating having patients yell at you because they've been waiting for two hours to be seen. But why is it on us that you waited three days to get any medical attention and now it's an absolute emergency even though your symptoms haven't gotten worse? Some people's definition of emergency should be reevaluated. I really wish some people did a little bit of research or there was some way for them to understand how the system works and what constitutes an ACTUAL emergency... I guess that's one of the things that our country is currently struggling with and if we were to solve this problem, a lot of other headaches could be avoided. *Sigh*

 On a more positive note, I had an interview recently and was told that the dress code was as I saw fit. I tried on a few different outfits before I decided on the one I actually wore (for some reason I don't have a picture of that one...) My interviewer ended up wearing jeans and flip flops, so it's safe to say business casual was the way to go. Would have been so awkward if I had worn a suit... yikes!

 

 Top: H&M V-neck blouse | Necklace: H&M 3 piece | Skirt: bottom half of suit | Shoes: Payless heels

 

 Top: Chambray shirt (similar)  | Bottom: J. Crew Outlet skirt (similar)

Necklace: gift from mom (similar) | Bracelet: gift from mom (similar) | Shoes: Payless Heels

So here were the contenders! What do you guys think? I feel like I can never get the accessorizing down so if you have any suggestions, please let me know!

PS. Because Anne is doing a Chambray look linkup with friends, I'm doing it here!

Nervous

Oh my goodness! 

I don't think I have ever been so nervous taking a picture! This was the first time that I am doing a full shot. My lovely roommate was the photographer and we decided to go outside because of the wonderful weather. I felt quite awkward standing in front of her and finding poses to showcase the clothes and didn't embarrass myself in the process. How do you ladies do it?? 

 Coat: Old Navy | Scarf: gift from Mom | Top: Sweater on sale from H&M | Jeans: Old Navy

 Shoes: Boots from Payless (way old)

 Top: Shirt from Old Navy | Dress: Forever 21 | Belt: Macy's | Shoes: flats from Target

I guess I decided to look at the clothes too and not show my face just yet haha. I will get the courage to look up soon, I'm just a little shy ;)

For the love of dresses

 I would like to give a big thank you to Fran for my current love of dresses. I began following her blog two years ago because I loved following her adventure through medical school. She manages to balance the hectic life of lectures, studying, and everyday life very well, even though it's not easy! Her style is very similar to mine, and I oftentimes use her outfit posts as inspiration. She truly has a way with putting an outfit together! Fran is among a group of bloggers that have influenced my fashion taste, and as a result I began gaining a small collection of dresses... I've been trying really hard to refrain myself from buying every dress I like, buuuuut I recently bought two dresses from Old Navy...

Coat: Old Navy - bought on sale this past winter (similar)

I love this dress because it's very versatile and has a vibrant shade of cobalt! I wore this outfit to pick up a friend from the airport. I'm a sucker for road trips to the airports because I love planes and airports so much! The foot traffic at the airport is insane and there is always an energy around. People are running off to do important things and there are always smiles and hugs at the gates. My favorite thing to do when I have to pick up someone from their travels is to get to the airport early, sit at a bar and people watch. Am I the only one that does this?

 Scarf: Gift from friend - xmas (similar)

 Dress: Old Navy - bought last fall (similar)

Cardigan: Costco (last seen here)

 Tights: Target 

Boots: old (similar)

The New Year's Shoes

Remember when I didn't know what shoes to wear with this outfit? Well, after going around a few stores including DSW, Target, Old Navy, Forever 21, TJ Maxx, and a few others, I finally visited Payless in the hopes of getting some wedge shoes. Instead, I found these lovelies on sale for 15 bucks. These heels were the most comfortable ones I could find in my budget, and they are sexxxxxy!

Casual wear

I wore this a few days ago when the temperature was actually decent. This is one of my go-to outfits for running errands and general going around town. I'm not wearing shoes here... because... well... I forgot. But I believe I walked out of the house with my converse shoes (seen in the last outfit). I usually combine this scarf with this shirt because the colors match, but taking a picture and seeing it here makes me feel like it might not. What do you guys think?

Skinny jeans: Pacsun (several years ago)

Top: blouse from TJ Maxx (3 years old)

Scarf: gift from Mom

In case you were wondering, the Captain America Valentine's day card is from a friend's son and I thought it was the sweetest card ever. Well... not the card itself, but the way I received it. I have been a long time fan of this kid, he and his dad have the greatest sense of humor! I met them through the local rescue squad I volunteer at as a paramedic. The kid comes around every once in a while and has lunch with the crew. One evening, I was at the rescue squad and my friend hands me this card and says, "so my son was making cards for his classmates and told me that this one is for you and that I HAD to give it to you... so yea, here you go!" It felt pretty awesome to make an impact on a kid's life, so much so that they remember to give you a card on Valentine's day :)

 This next outfit was worn out to lunch with friends. Can you tell I'm a big fan of scarves? Most people have a large collection of shoes, I have scarves. Many of them have been gifts from family and friends over the years, and recently I have received a few as souvenirs when my sister goes traveling. This one was a gift from my ex, and while I got rid of all his other stuff, clothes are keepers in my book.

 Top: American Eagle outlet shirt (1 year old)

Cardigan: Gap outlet  (1 year old)

Bottoms: Old Navy Diva Boot-cut Jeans

Shoes: Boots from Payless (3 years old)

Scarf: Gift

Oh man, so I definitely forgot that a) my laptop was on my bed while I was taking these pictures... as in I focused more on making sure the clothes were well presented than on the laptop seen in the mirror, and b) you can totally see what I'm watching!! Wow, so that's my bad guys... still learning how to take good pictures! This time I'm using my camera as opposed to my phone. My hope is that I'll have a new iPhone in the next couple of weeks so the pictures will be better quality.

Jeans: Old Navy Diva Jeans

Sweater: TJ Maxx (1 year old)

Scarf: Circle scarf from Old Navy (4 months old)

Shoes: Converse shoes from Target (4 years old)

 This is me trying to show you the pocket on my sweater... it's a little odd, but I like it!

Roxi

<3