Little Black Romper

ROMPER: Topshop // BLAZER: thrifted Topshop (recommendation) // BOOTIES: Forever 21 // SUNNIES: Quay // WATCH: Daniel Wellington // NECKLACE: flea market find

Just like the little black dress, the little black romper is just as much of a closet staple for me. I actually featured this romper last summer styled a bit differently here. This time around, I paired the romper with a boyfriend blazer and my favorite black booties. I think the deep v cut on the romper contrasts the blazer and makes it a not-so-business casual look. For further contrast, I wore these statement sunnies by Quay. To accessorize, I wore my typical jewels + watch combo while carrying my vanilla latte. If you follow my instagram account, you would know that I have a love affair with really good coffee. Living in Los Angeles, I truly have become a coffee snob and it makes my day to find a good coffee shop in Orange County with quality espresso. So long to the days of sitting at Starbucks, it just doesn't do it for me anymore. 

I hope you are having a fun and adventurous summer - I'm currently working on adding a bit more adventure to mine. Maybe I will share some soon? 

xx Michelle

Follow me?

Instagram - lifeonlotus

Twitter - @itsmemichelleg

Resort

TOP: Zara // SHORTS: Topshop // ESPADRILLES: Target // BAG: Zara // SUNNIES: Toms // WATCH: Daniel Wellington // JEWELS: flea market finds

Red orange is quickly becoming a favorite color of mine. Essie Clam Bake and MAC Lady Danger had already done it for me, but then I found a Zara favorite on sale in a similar hue. I have already featured the white version of this top here and I just love the simple and easy feel of it. Paired with denim shorts and my espadrilles (Chanel vibes via Target) I had an easy look that is perfect for summer resort life, sans the resort. I always love a structured bag and the small size of this one is perfect for street roaming in Europe this coming fall. Have I mentioned that I will be studying abroad in Florence, Italy for fall 2015? I cannot wait to experience something so entirely different and I am excited to see the content I will put out while I am oversees. That is all I have to say for now! Hope you enjoy.

xx Michelle 

Follow me?

Instagram - lifeonlotus

Twitter - @itsmemichelleg

Cool stuff: I have followed JacksGap for some time now and I just felt so inspired watching his One Week In The Philippines film.

Another Grey Sweater

Apparently, I like grey sweaters. Although the weather in LA doesn't necessarily require a turtle neck, I still enjoy sporting this trend. What I particularly like about this sweater is the slit up the sides, which pair oh so nicely with my Topshop "Jamie" jeans. I have had a hard time taking these jeans off me lately; they are so comfortable and the slits on the knee add the perfect amount of "undone" to any outfit. I wore this outfit to class so I paired it with my trusty high tops. As for accessories, I wore my furry bag from Nasty Gal and my new favorite Daniel Wellington watch. 

I wanted to talk to you guys about the term cruisin'. I have recently coined this term as my motto of the new year, it meaning just doing what you love to do without expectations of yourself or others. Well, the idea of cruisin' sounds great to me but I am beginning to question my capabilities of just being able to cruise. It is my natural instinct to over think something that really shouldn't matter so much to me. Maybe I should have attempted this cruise before I even made the commitment. To be honest, as I am typing this I am thinking about how the fact that I am even discussing this defeats the purpose of this whole cruise concept in general. I'll be sure to touch base with you later about how I get along with cruisin' this year. So far, I am not very successful. 

xx Michelle

follow me?

instagram

twitter

tumblr

Songs I am currently into: Promise by Ben Howard. Money Trees by Kendrick Lamar is cool too. There is a slight contrast between these two songs which may signify what kind of mood I have been in lately. 

Fine Shine

I was so fortunate to shoot with my beautiful friend Nicole Busch again. She is immensely talented so definitely go and check out her work here. Anyway, I thought I would post a dressier look which happens to feature a lot of my favorite pieces from my wardrobe currently. The skirt that I am wearing is actually a midi skirt that I purchased around this time last year. For this look, I rolled it up at the top to make it the length that I wanted. I am really loving turtleneck sweaters at the moment and this little black number is from Urban Outfitters. That pink furry bag I am wearing pretty much explains itself. I mean, what is not to love about a fluffy baby pink cross body? Black pointed pumps are such a closet staple and the ones I am wearing here are from Steve Madden. I just got my hair cut again and I am still absolutely loving the shorter length! The vampy lips can be attributed to Rebel by MAC. 

As this year is coming to a close, I just want to thank anyone who has ever read or viewed my blog! This site is such a positive outlet for me and it is always so nice to receive nice feedback about it. I really look forward to seeing where Life on Lotus takes me in the new year and I am already so inspired to post a lot of exciting content. This year, I started putting a lot more of myself into these posts and some of my thoughts come directly out of my journal. I have enjoyed sharing more of my opinions and feelings on here and I think this blog has slowly started to become a more accurate depiction of who I am. Here is a final thank you for reading and further inspiring me to do this and I will see you in the new year. Have fun and stay safe. 

xx Michelle

follow me? 

instagram - lifeonlotus

twitter - @itsmemichelleg

A quote to guide you into the new year ~

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." - recently read in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 

All Tied Up

For a couple of days last week Southern California was feeling more like Florida, aka it was really humid. Because it was so hot and sticky, I had to keep my outfit lightweight and airy. I started off with this LBD from Forever 21, which has been a closet staple for me this summer. The thin straps and loose feel make it the most comfortable, versatile dress. I then tied a chambray shirt around my waist, which is a style I hope stays on trend for a while. Because I was doing a lot of walking, I wore my gray Superga sneakers. I use to have a fear of wearing tennis shoes, but I am actually really liking them as of lately. My necklaces are from the flea market and the sunnies are from Nordstrom. Yes, I am still obsessing over the colored flash lenses. 

I ended up wearing this look to the Melrose Trading Post, which is my favorite place to buy inexpensive jewelry. I find it isn't as overwhelming as other flea markets, and I always find cool and unique vendors. After my little shopping trip, I met up with my amazing and talented friend Nicole to shoot this look. If you missed my last post featuring her photos, you can check that out here.

Thanks for reading! xx Michelle

follow me?

twitter @itsmemichelleg

instagram @michellegilbertson

Photography by Nicole Busch.  

You should also listen to the song "All Tied Up" by The Dig. 

Mountain Halls

On a recent family trip to Lake Tahoe, I took advantage of the scenery to showcase yet again, another unflattering pair of boyfriend jeans. Yes, they may make my butt look flat and they give me the stereotypical "mom" look, but I don't care. They are comfortable, chic, and they make me feel cool. This look may not have been the proper attire for climbing through trees, but let's get real, I wouldn't really describe myself as "granola". 

Alright, let's get down to the details. The boyfriend jeans I already discussed are from Topshop and feature a medium colored wash with all the rips I could ever wish to have, just to further perplex the older generation. The sweater has already been worn in this post, from Urban Outfitters but thrifted from a local Buffalo Exchange. It seems like a basic striped sweater, but it features two diagonal seams that shifts the stripes off course. Not so basic now, huh? I then added a black hat from Urban Outfitters and some flats from Steve Madden. My bag is my usual Kate Spade Saturday Mini A Satchel and my jewelry is a mix of my tortoise shell Fossil watch and a flea market stone bracelet. 

Remember, you should always dress for yourself and no one else. Hope you enjoyed!

xx Michelle

follow me?

instagram @michellegilbertson

twitter @itsmemichelleg

Check out this post on Teen Vogue Fashion Click here. 

Boy

Oh, boy. In this look, I was wearing boyfriend jeans while simultaneously wearing my favorite Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in the shade Boy. See what I did there?

My last few posts have really made me realize how basic my style is. When I mean basic, I mean a style made up of extremely wearable pieces. I do love a statement item, but I think you get so much more out of your wardrobe if you invest in items you can wear with so many different looks. Specifically for this outfit, I wore my new Topshop "Boyfriend" Jeans with a Nasty Gal blush tank top. I have always underestimated the importance of a good basic tee, especially in a wearable color like blush. It is so easy to style and instantly adds a casual-cool feel to an outfit. To balance out the not-so-figure-flattering ensemble on top, I paired the look with a more delicate shoe. These Steve Madden sandals with the stacked heel follow one of my favorite trends for the summer. Let's all thank Isabel Marant for introducing us to the "Carol" sandal last summer, which I think has inspired a lot of the shoes I've seen in stores this season. The look was topped with minimal jewelry and minimal make-up, strictly including glowing skin and supple lips. 

Hope you guys enjoyed this one! I especially loved the way these photos turned out. Thanks for reading.

xx Michelle

follow me?

instagram: michellegilbertson

twitter: @itsmemichelleg

Check out this post on Teen Vogue Fashion Click here. 

photos by virginia.