Rocker Hippie: Still Kicking

tee- DressCodes, leggings-AA, vest-Urban Outfitters, boots-Target

I don't know if you guys are sick of the faux-rocker, bo-ho look just yet, but I'm still with it. This means I can still "shop" in my closet. I've had most of these necklaces for years, but layer ten of them and they look like new! That American Apparel headband was a short-lived episode in trend-wear, but it can be reinvented as an armband! See? Almost as fun as swiping your credit card- without the guilt.

(Please excuse the fish-face – my discomfort in front of a camera displays as toothy grin or marine life expressions.)



The necklaces are a mix of H&M, Urban, River Island, and June Shin. The bracelet and rings are all second-hand.



I think this vest from Urban Outfitters (on the sale rack- woot!)will be a favorite summer layer. It doesn't provide any extra warmth, just hours of pure visual pleasure. A good summer uniform? Basic white tank, cut-offs and hippie vest. Now where is the Hotlanta weather?

LL

Winter Sun

Thanks again to everyone who commented in our give-away contest! Cath and I are attempting to take outfit photos as often as possible- even when our balmy Atlanta weather turns windy and cold (hence the tousled- yeah, we'll say tousled- hair and slight hunch of the shoulders... brrrr).




We're trying to be good recessionistas and "shop" in our closets. I pulled out this strapless Missoni-esque knock-off from F21 and slapped it on top of some American Apparel layers (dress and tank). The scarf in my hand is a vintage piano shawl I got a little while back... I'm obviously not quite ready to relinquish the fringe trend.


Dress/tunic, F21; scarf, vintage; dress and tank, American Apparel; belt, thrifted; boots, asos.com

I love Cath's mix of raspberry and red with the muted sage of her pants. Simple, elegant... and acceptable in the office.


Coat, Nordstorm; scarf, Italy; bag, thrifted; shirt, American Apparel; pants, AE; boots, Naturalizer


LL

Shoe Porn

I fell off the recessionista bandwagon last weekend for Jeffrey Campbell. If you need a break from scrimping, head on over to the Free People site and drooooool.

LL

Fashion Idols for a Week

La Mimi is featuring us as its Weekly Fashion Idol(s)! We're big fans of La Mimi and have discovered a number of fantastic fashion bloggers through the site.

For those of you who have found us through La Mimi, welcome! For our loyal readers, check out our La Mimi interview here and let us know what you think.



Thank you Mimi!

An Audrey Monday

This is my utmost favorite photo of Audrey Hepburn. Shot in 1991 by Stephen Meisel with make-up by Kevin Aucoin (our make-up artist hero), just 2 years before she passed away.

In no way do I think I resemble the gorgeous Audrey, but whenever I wear all black, I think of this photo and it makes me smile. She seems so content and absolutely happy. It's a good reminder when you have a weekend hangover...margh, blargh..... Happy Monday, everyone!

LL

And the Winner is

Ms. Redd!! Congratulations! Ms. Redd, contact us (at asiancajuns@gmail.com) so we can forward on your info to Chickdowntown and you can get your Marc Jacobs vest.

Here was our highly scientific method for picking a winner:





Thank you to everyone who entered the contest and gave us such great feedback! We hear you loud and clear: more outfit posts and more posts featuring our favorite local places. You got it!

Special thanks again to Chickdowntown, a great place for women's designer clothes, for this fabulous Marc Jacobs Vest! Be sure to check out their revamped fashion blog to get the latest news about the designers such as Current Elliott, CC Skye, and Genetic Denim!

Thanks for playing everyone!

Fierce! (Uh huh, we said it)

Thanks to Captivate Me for this fantastic award! The feeling is mutual.
Sorry it took us so long to post this. We love it!

Also, thanks to Fell 4 Fashion (a fellow ATL fashionista) for this sweet award!

Just Like New

I bought this handbag (see photo below) over a year ago at the local thrift and used it everyday for about a month. Then the straps started detaching from the purse (damn it all!). I tried to sew them back on, but even with a mammoth sewing needle, I could barely punch through the layers of leather. So I did the only reasonable thing I could think of - I shoved it in the back of my closet hoping that it would magically repair itself.

About a month ago I started shopping around for a nice black purse when I remembered two things:
1.) I didn't really have money for a nice black purse and
2.) I had a thrifted leather handbag (without attached straps) crumpled in a corner behind my shoes.

I brought the handbag to the local shoe repair place where the owner raised an eyebrow at my pathetic sewing attempts (I turned bright red and pretended like I didn't know what she was pointing at). She ended up replacing the four leather tabs that connect the straps to the purse. It set me back $24, which is a lot better than buying a brand new purse that wouldn't be nearly as nice as my newly refurbished one.

Catherine: one
Conspicuous consumption: zero


Outfit details: H&M hat, cardi and tank, Zara vest, pants from Rockit in Decatur.

CL

Win a Marc by Marc Jacobs Vest!!!*

We mentioned "contest" and "free clothes" in the previous post... well, here's why:

The lovely people at Chickdowntown.com are providing a Marc by Marc vest to our lucky winner (it could be you!*). Chickdowntown is a really awesome place for women's designer clothing: Balmain, Sass & Bide, Elizabeth and James, L.A.M.B, Black Halo, etc. Check out the impressive list of clothing designers.

To be entered into the contest, just leave a comment and let us know what you would like to see on our blog: your likes, what you would want to see more of, things that keep you coming back, etc. Yup, that's it! It's a way for us to hear what you guys think, and to give you something in return! The winner will be chosen randomly (as in Cath and I will print the names, cut them out, and swirl them around a hat). We'll announce the winner this weekend (good luck!).

Drum roll please......

P.S. Want to stay up-to-date on what's new at chickdowntown.com? Follow them on Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, and Chick Downtown TV.

*Unfortunately Chickdowntown ships within the U.S. only. International bloggers, we'll try to have another contest that includes you too- and we still want to hear your opinion! You guys make up about 40% of our readership!

Fashion Blogs for Your Guy(s)

We know a lot of you fellow fashionistas spend a generous amount of time browsing fashion blogs- we certainly do! Generally when this happens, our boyfriends, husbands, brothers and guyfriends are left in the cold. We understand that most guys won't pour over photos of the latest runway trends, but they like learning how to look even better than they already do (even if they won't admit it).

We have a handful of blogs that we suggest you casually leave up on your computer screens and see if they take the bate. All of them are equal parts fashion, wit and substance. Our fourth choice is obviously not a fashion blog, but it makes your guy look realll good when he cooks you dinner. Peanutbuttermilk is written by one of our favorite guys, and the recipes are inspired and easy to follow.

Just click the titles for your viewing pleasure:


Getting Beat Like You Stole Something




The Sunday Best




Style Salvage




PeanutButterMilk



And if your guy doesn't latch on, at least you have four awesome blogs to add to your daily reading.

p.s. Ladies and Gentlemen, let us know if you have any other men-friendly blogs to add to the list, and we will do so asap!

p.p.s. Stay tuned, lovely blog readers, we have an exciting opportunity for you coming up! It involves the words "contest" and "free clothes." Nice, eh?

LL

Made in India

A few weeks ago I went to Miami for a brief (and very random) few days. One of my finds was this faux-coral studded purse/box from Luna Designs: a store specializing in belly-dancing attire and fashion/accessories from India.

It wasn't just the metal and coral that drew me in, it was the success of a fashion bargain that left me beaming. You see, two hours before stumbling on to Luna Designs, I had dragged my poor bf to Zara. I spent a few minutes drooling over a purple studded purse-box (that looked exactly the same as my Luna bag), but convinced myself that $88 was just too steep. The fashion gods were feeling generous and let me pay only $35 for mine at Luna Designs. Ah sweet, sweet victory (I'm genuflecting right now).

P.S. If coral is not your thing, they also had a purple one (a la Zara) and another with turquoise. They don't have these specific purses on line, but I would just drop Luna Designs an email and give the fashion gods a nod.

Lace It Up

Feed bag: Whole Foods, tank and vest: AA, pants: H&M, boots: Target, body chain: DIY

After a brief dalliance with color last week, I returned to black and white. Wouldn't you be persuaded back to black with laces and grommets? I know these pants are a little 80s in the wrong way (especially if I wear it with an over-sized fringe leather jacket with turquoise decals), but they feel so good: like mini, gentle corsets for your legs. Well, that sounds a little medieval, but think more Spanx than iron cage.

As for the Feed bag, I totally encourage you guys to pick one up at Whole Foods (you can also get them online here). I usually don't shop there. If I'm in a Whole Pay Check, I usually stare wide-eyed at the people who fill entire shopping baskets full of their weekly groceries while I sidle by with my $5 bar of organic/free trade chocolate. But even if you don't buy food at Whole Foods, buy this tote. It's a steep $25, but it pays for 100 (one hundred!) school lunches for kids in Africa. (Specifically it goes to the World Food Programme’s Rwanda School Feeding operation). Whole Foods doesn't profit, just you and 100 kids. A pretty good bargain, huh?



LL

We'd Like to Thank...

Our dear friend Ashley, of Hiking in Stilettos, awarded us with Cute's Blogger Award:


I have no idea what or who Cute is, but we're honored all the same. Thanks, Ash! We're suppose to give the award to 10 other bloggers, but it always seems impossible to just pick a few. So we're opening up this award up to everyone. Let us know if you accept! We are inspired by all of our fellow-bloggers!

Post Update: The lovely Ana B. of On Dressing Up just gave us the wonderfully sweet blog award.

What a great way to end our Valentine's weekend. Thank you Ana!

HAPPY VDAY!*

art by Alexander Girard

Thank you fellow bloggers and loyal readers- we're sending lots of love your way!

XOXO,

The AsianCajuns

*Happy Valentine's Day and Vday (one's all about chocolate and one's all about hope and strength- we love them both!)

Chi-chi Stripes

For the last few days Atlanta has been blessed with absolutely gorgeous weather: 70 degrees, sunny, low humidity (a rarity in Hotlanta), a gentle breeze. Spring has not yet sprung. We'll still dip down below freezing and curse the cold a while longer, but this respite is dreamy.

I figured this was as good a time as any to fold up my mostly-black winter attire and put on some color. So...hellooo bright red skirt and blue and white stripes... and most importantly, the basket! I've always wanted to use a basket as a purse ever since I first laid eyes on Dorothy and Toto, but I never found the right one. This is from a lovely thrift store in Athens, GA called Dynamite- though originally I believe it was made for American tourists in Mexico (the rafia spells out Pueblo Nuevo around the sides). I've always been a fan of kitsch.



This entire outfit actually reminds me of a present-day Dorothy. All I'm missing is Toto and my ruby slippers.

Earrings: Heliotrope, Shirt: H&M, Skirt: AA, Basket: Dynamite, Shoes: Rainbow

LL

Cath in Kahki, White and Black

Whenever we're shopping, Cath always laments that she is drawn to slightly more conservative clothes because that's what she has to wear to work. Sure she would like to buy the liquid leggings, but they look loud and inappropriate under office fluorescents and out of place around a conference table. My job is a little more arty, so I can wear gold lame if I want to. But the upside for those in more conservative office settings is that Cath looks tres chic and I can look...well...experimental.

Cath has always been a little bit more conscious of fit and cut than I have, and I think this outfit is a perfect example. She reminds me of a cross between dapper Katherine Hepburn and elegant Audrey: menswear with a feminine cut and stilettos.


Jacket: Banana Republic, Necklace: Vivid Boutique, Shirt: H&M, Belt: Tarjay, Pants: Banana, Shoes: BCBG (TJ Max), Bag: Longchamp (a $3 find at Salvation Army!).

LL

The Lou Zeldis Ring

Yup, that is a ring. My new favorite. Yet another delightfully unique find at Evolve Boutique the other week (Cath and I did some damage there).

I can definitely understand why this ring wouldn't be for everyone (I promise the prominent body parts don't look nearly as prominent without a macro zoom through my camera lens), but I love the delicate silhouette against the heavy, organic clump of metal. And it's one-of-a-kind. I usually don't splurge on jewelry because I can't tell a piece of cut glass from a diamond (not an exaggeration), but with pieces like this I could fill up my non-existent jewelry box fast.

Is anyone else familiar with Lou's work? Apparently he is a former actor from New York who now resides in Bali and creates these really gorgeous pieces of jewelry. He doesn't have an online site, but apart from visiting Evolve, I found a few places online that carry his stuff, here and here. And here is a little more info on the elusive Lou.



LL

Lux Knows Hair

The lovely ladies at Caren West sent us to Lux: The Salon in Grant Park to get our hair pampered. And did it ever!

Mimi worked magic on Cath's hair, giving it a choppy, swingy new cut with bangs. Cath also tried their deep conditioning mask that is like lip gloss for the hair. I can now say that Cath definitely has the shiniest hair of anyone I know outside of a Pantene commercial.

Lauren (great name, non?) gave me the most natural, gorgeous deep high/low light combo. My hair had been getting a bit brassy with so much high-lighting that I thought getting back to my AsianCajuns roots (pun intended) would be a good call.

Check out the before and after pics below (we've always been fans of exaggerated before/after shots):

BEFORE

AFTER

Thank you, Mimi and Lauren- you guys are awesome! Lux most definitely has the AsianCajun stamp of approval.
And thank you Kate and Caren- the sweetest, most fashionable PR ladies we know!

LL

Evolve Outfits

Lauren didn't want me to post these images because they're pretty grainy, but I wanted to show you two items that we bought at Evolve Boutique:

Lauren's tunic and my gray/black shirt.

Outfit details: on Lauren tunic from Evolve, necklace secondhand and shoes from Asos. On me: shirt from Evolve, Target cardi, AA skirt, Payless shoes.

On a side note, check out Lauren's hair. Gorgeous! I'm her twin sister and roommate and I have no idea how she gets her hair to look so good. Magic, perhaps? These photos are proof that good hair is not hereditary - just look at my cowlick!

CL

Shop Local: Evolve

Evolve Boutique in Emory Village (northeast Atlanta) is near and dear to my heart since it's the first boutique we ever featured on our blog. That was over a year and a half ago, so we figured it wouldn't seem redundant to do another post on such a great store.



Here are 3 reasons why we love Evolve:

1.) All the items in the store are by indie designers, local, earth-friendly, organic and/or re-purposed.
2.) Joyce, the owner (pictured above left), is the nicest person you'll ever meet.
3.) Joyce's dog (also pictured above left) is so sweet and greets every customer that walks in the door. Eat your heart out, Walmart.



We both left with some great purchases including an amazing ring Lauren picked up - we'll blog about that in an upcoming post.

CL