the Cultured Post

cul· tured | ˈkəlCHərd/ | characterized by refined taste and manners and good education your daily cultivation of only the best.

[culturedpost]

Seasonal+: Socks with Sandals

We all have our favorite summer pieces we just don't want to say goodbye to. Come October, I'm reluctantly packing away my shorts, tank tops, and sandals. But wait, we can be problem solvers here.

Introducing... Seasonal+: how to transition pieces in your closet throughout the seasons.

Here's how to make two simple summer staples appropriate for autumn.

Ever since summer vacation, I've slowly been accumulating heeled sandals. I'm a girl who loves her shoes, so I'm definitely stocked up on heels. For this Seasonal+, we'll be pairing heels with socks.

Ankle socks look best on me, I bought a pack from H&M, that pair nicely with my wooden heels. 

The look can be chunky, casual, and slouchy. Experiment with different sock lengths, patterns, and colors! It's definitely a different, riskier fashion statement but where's the fun in wearing clothes if you aren't a little careless? Give it a try, and send us your socks+sandals combo. 

For more sock+sandal ideas, check out our Birks post.

Stay stylish, and happy pairing!

- Shelby

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Wardrobe Profile: The Uniform

Welcome to the Wardrobe Profile series. Here, I feature some of my favorite pieces in my closet (with links, of course). And now, I present to you, The Uniform.

The Uniform is my absolute favorite go-to outfit, as you might have gathered from any of my styling posts. A striped tee, boyfriend jeans, and black sandals are all I really need in an outfit; I will now refer to it as the Uniform. 

As far as striped shirts go, my favorite at the moment is from Brandy Melville. Because all their sizes fit small/medium, this shirt hugs my body and gives off a slimming effect. Fitted shirts are great when pairing with baggy boyfriend jeans.

But as you can see, I have many, many, many more striped shirts. In my opinion, you can never have too much of a good thing..

Boyfriend jeans are also a great investment. Depending on which pieces you pair them with, your look can be appropriate for a wide range of events.

In case you need some inspiration for styling your pair of boyfriend jeans, check out this post from a couple months ago.

My favorite pair is from Cotton On.

The Uniform isn't complete without a pair of kick-ass heels. I do not hold back when it comes to wearing heels to school. My mom saw this adorable pair of black sandals at Cotton On, and I snatched them up immediately. 

And that, friends, is the Uniform.

Simple, versatile, polished, and classic. 

Stay cultured, and happy styling!

- Shelby

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Turning Over a New Leaf: Outfit Profile

Hello, all! I know, I know, I might as well reintroduce myself since it's been so long. I'm Shelby and I write for Cultured Post. That's the blog you're on right now, in case anyone forgot.

Anyways, it is that lovely time of year when the leaves change and Starbucks impresses everyone with their pumpkin spice beverages. 

For me, fall is a chance to amp up my fashion. In the summer, I'm your average t-shirt, shorts, and flip flop gal. Come winter, I'm rocking (or not rocking) the slouchy "I've been studying for finals" look. Leggings, sweatshirts and all, my friends. It's not great.

So autumn is my favorite season fashion wise. I have an ideal look, a go-to outfit for the upcoming months, that I would like to share with you. Click for more...

I AM ALL ABOUT THIS LOOK.

Francine has converted me to Team All Black. Since the summer, I've noticed an increasing amount of black clothing in my closet... Hmm. 

Anyways, this look has my name written all over it. Striped shirts and boyfriend jeans are all the rage, I'm tellin' ya. 

I actually have the watch from American Apparel in the photo above, the band is super chic.

I'm also into leather jackets, lately. I'm going to invest in one soon, and I'll definitely be using some of the tips from a previous post...

Overall, this look is casual but just dressy enough. It's versatile, stylish, and very autumn appropriate.

Thank you for keeping up with us, here at Cultured Post. The three of us have been extremely busy, but we appreciate the loyal fan base.

Maybe this will be the beginning of a fall series. 

Stay tuned..

- Shelby

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Artist Appreciation: Mree

I don't know about you all, but as the seasons start to change, my music style slowly shifts to accompany it. To take a break form thinking about college apps, I started playing my favorite autumn playlist. It's always changing, sometimes I'm more Kodaline than I am Paper Kites, but one artist always remains: Mree.

Mree is, to put this truthfully, an angel. Her lilting, tranquil singing style is mesmerizing. Her music reminds me of crunching leaves, fairy-like tents in the middle of the woods, and lots of lights strung from ceiling to ceiling. 

Any one of her YouTube videos will blow you away, honestly. She started posting her covers around 2008, when she was a fairly young teenager, and as the years progress you can see her clearly grow into her artistic style.

One of the most impressive covers is her upload of Walking on a Dream. Her airy vocals completely take control of the song, and the voice overs are incredible. Every music video she's ever recorded was produced or filmed by her, and she played each instrument included in her tracks.

Mree's music is both soothing and thought-provoking. Her lyrics, "so I learned to swim against the current, to live my life and now I'm free" randomly find their way back into my head throughout the year. 

Click any of the photos or underlined text for your new favorite indie-acoustic. sleepy time, journal writing songs.

— Shelby

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The Chic Collective: The Other Half of the Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started High School

This is the second and final part in my Things I Wish I Knew Before High School series. You can read part one here if you haven't already. They should start at number 10, but Tumblr jacked up my numbering. These are in no particular order and I wrote them down to help anyone who feels a little lost, or wants some insider secrets, so to speak...

Invest in a good quality backpack or bag that will last and go with everything. Honestly, it doesn't need to look great. You're going to stop caring about trivial things like that halfway through junior year. Find something that will fit all your junk, be comfortable, and last you at least two years. I have one from Targus that fits my laptop and has lots of pockets. I love it to pieces.

Keep your social media profiles appropriate. No matter what your drunk-all-the-time friends say, colleges and jobs do in fact look at your social media presence. Don't post anything of or about you getting hammered, high, stoned, inappropriate, mean, or vulgar. Don't swear on social media. Don't bad mouth your teachers, parents, or the education system (which might be just as hard as it sounds).

Drink more water. Carry water with you everywhere. With all of the stress that's inflicted upon you during high school, you can get easily dehydrated. Cold water will wake you up, keep you healthy, and can clear up your skin a bit. Invest in a heavy duty and environmentally friendly water bottle or insulated canteen. Get a container that's preferably glass or metal. 

Always have snacks with you. I cannot stress this one enough. You're not always going to want breakfast or lunch at the scheduled time, so keep some small, passing period-friendly food in your bag to eat. Keep a few healthy snacks plus one kind of unhealthy snack in your backpack at all times. I like Belvita breakfast biscuits, KIND bars, mixed nuts, dried fruit, and air-popped salt-free popcorn for my healthy snacks. Then for my unhealthy snack, I like Chex Mix, sugary fruit snacks, or chocolate chip cookies.

You’re going to change and grow. High school is a time to start to figure out who you are and who you want to be. You will go through phases, lose friends, can friends, change interests, etc. Just let it happen as it does and be comfortable with yourself.

Embrace your free time. Find time to do what you love and spend time with your friends outside of school, even if it's only for a little bit. It will kind of bring you back to Earth when school gets a bit insane (which will be 70% of the time).

Sell your AP/SAT/ACT/IB study/review books, flashcards, and any other study materials once you’re finished with them. Sell them for about half of what you bought them for. People will buy them if they’re in good condition, have good notes, or if they’re cheap.

You're going to look and feel like crap some days. Buy five or ten good quality crew necks or sweatshirts to wear on those days. You're not always going to want to actually get dressed for school after you've pulled an all-nighter, so comfy clothing is going to be your best friend.

And finally, 

Be present. High school is going to take a lot out of you. It's going to be stressful. It's going to be fun. It's going to go by super quickly. It's going to give you a wake-up call (or twenty). Take a break from social media and from schoolwork to just be. Think about your life and how lucky you are to be receiving an education. Read the news. Know what's going on outside of your little bubble. Stay close with your family and remember that they're getting older like you are. Cry when you need to. Don't the whirlwind of high school sweep you up in it's path. Gain some perspective. Learn to be present in your own life.

I hope you guys gained something from this. I got pretty emotional writing all of these for some reason. It's nice to reflect and look back sometimes. Take time to do it yourself.

Comments are always welcome below or here.

–– Francine

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Artist Appreciation: Yuna

One of the greatest things you can share with someone is a really good music suggestion.

If you haven’t heard of Yuna, this post is a gift to you. Rather, Yuna’s music is a gift to all of us.

Her feel-good, Malaysian pop style gained recognition with her 2013 album, Nocturnal. 

Click the photos for song suggestions!

While you’ve probably heard “Rescue” in your local smoothie shop, Yuna’s previous releases,

are just as enjoyable. Escape (EP) and her self titled album Yuna are extremely underrated. 

"Excuses are overrated… When you want someone to lie to, I won’t be there," sings Yuna.

I admire Yuna because she promotes positivity and modesty. Her signature headwrap, which definitely inspired me to start wearing my own, is just a bonus to her character.

Yuna’s music encourages her listeners to respect themselves, a message that is often absent from popular music today.

Yuna’s music is upbeat, quirky, and leave you humming all day. She’s got a positive message to spread, who doesn’t respect that?

Click the links throughout the article, give her songs a listen, and tell us what you think!

Peace, and happy listening!

— Shelby

[culturedpost]

Mod Mélange: Finding Hope in Barnes & Noble

Last Friday evening, I was with my parents at our local Barnes & Noble. There was a large crowd packed tightly around a projector screen over the notebook section; each small child was either clutching a Frozen doll or dressed up as one of the characters. The parents looked worn down and frazzled, but all the while beamed down at their children.

I felt truly appreciative of everything happening around me. Families had commuted to this bookstore on a Friday night to take their kids to a Frozen screening. I saw girls running around the store, wearing Elsa and Anna costumes. I saw young boys mouthing along to Olaf's lines, mothers chatting quietly amongst each other, fathers laughing amusingly from a distance.

It got me thinking. There was no Disney movie as popular as Frozen when I was growing up. Sure, Mulan came out a year after I was born, and having another character of color was a big step in the right direction. But movies just weren't hyped up like they were in the late 90s/early 2000s. 

These kids now had a movie like Frozen, to stress the importance of accepting yourself and doing right by your family. Sure, these themes are cheesy, but they're rarely stressed.

I spent the past week complaining and groaning about the incoming freshmen. Being a high and mighty senior, it's only natural for me to lament how our school's class of 2018 is a lost generation, a mere of example of how awful and ignorant our youth has become.

But admiring the love, affection, and enthusiasm in Barnes & Noble gave me hope. Here were some fifty kids, running around a bookstore, singing along to "Let It Go." While they may not understand it now, sometime in their junior year of high school they might find the lyrics flooding back to them, and realize the morals infused in their favorite child time movie. 

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that when I looked around Barnes & Noble last Friday, I didn't see the selfie obsessed, disrespectful, unintelligent kids we associate with the 21st century born babies. I saw joy, love, the importance of family, and most of all, hope.

— Shelby

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Hey sorry to bother you but I would love if you guys did a post on improving your photography or just some helpful tips like that... Also i love this blog!

Yes, that sounds good! We will consider that as a write up for the near future. Thank you for your input.

[culturedpost]

Cultured Post Promotes Very Sloppy Shirts

As you guys read (link), Francine and I visited the in-home studio of Very Sloppy Shirts! We watched Tyra & Anthony go through their shirt making process last weekend, and managed to get a few photos of our own shirts in.

Francine is wearing a white shirt with the Very Sloppy cap decal.  I'm wearing a tie dye shirt with the Very Sloppy dollar sign on the front, and a "Sloppy Recordz" design on the back.

Click "read more" for exclusive photos from our Very Sloppy promotion!

If you live in the San Diego area and are interested in ordering your own shirt, visit @veryverysloppy on Instagram to browse designs and place your order.

Photos were taken by me and Francine.

- Shelby and Francine

[culturedpost]

Internet Highlight: Come Full Circle with Yireh Hawaii

The minute I saw a Yireh Hawaii post on my Instagram feed, I fell in love with their merchandise. The shorts are so special, the patterns stand out, and they're hand crafted straight out of Hawaii.

"Yireh" simply means to provide; the company promotes freedom, self awareness, and inspiration. 

Each pair of shorts in the Pantai Short Collection is special, unique, and the designs change frequently.

Yireh Hawaii's creator, Emily, hopes to empower those around her, fueling the full circle movement.

I love Yireh Hawaii and what it stands for, and hopefully you will too!

Peace, and happy browsing!

— Shelby

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Very Sloppy Shirts

Hello, all! Cultured Post would like to introduce a local company to you. 

Two of our friends, Anthony and Tyra, run a shirt business called Very Sloppy right out of their garages. We couldn't wait to get our hands on their merch, and decided to feature them while we were at it. 

Anthony and Tyra began Very Sloppy with just a few mindless doodles; the drawings quickly evolved into potential t-shirt designs. After investing in screens and paint, the two used their screen printers to create several different trademark shirts on white, tie dyed, and baseball shirts.

The shirts' designs range from Tech Deck skateboards to their signature Sloppy Joe burger decal. Their drawings have already caught the attention of both students and teachers around school. Very Sloppy is growing popular our little Southern Californian community; merchandise may be available for shipping in the near future.

Follow their Instagram to keep up with new Very Sloppy designs.

Check out Very Sloppy and comment your favorite designs!

- Shelby and Francine

*photos taken by Shelby - sketches contributed by Very Sloppy Shirts

[culturedpost]

Culture Shock: Graphic Design & Tattoos

Culture Shock is going to be a new thing around here, so get ready and get pumped. I want to introduce you all to some unusual or very artsy things, like art or design, through Culture Shock. The series will most likely pertain to blogs or cool Instagrams. The first on the list is one of my favorite blogs: Graphic Design & Tattoos (aka the best combination ever). Click through and I will discuss...

First of all, I love graphic (and web) design. I love it enough to want to major in it in about a year. Show me a nice font, logotype, or publication and I'm in. I'm in love and I'm in too deep. Secondly, tattoos are pretty freaking rad. They're cool to look at in the context of a person and artistic craft. So when I came across GD&T, I nearly keeled over.

The design of the blog is pretty great, to begin with. It was love at first click. Minimal. Black and white. Large typeface. Basically everything I cherish in life. Then you begin to scroll and it just gets better. You become surprised at how similar graphic design and tattoos are, and how they flow together when placed side-by-side on a webpage. It's lovely.

Another cool thing about GD&T is that you can sort the two subjects if you would like. If you just want to see tattoos, you click 'only tattoos' in the navigation bar. If you need your graphic design fix, you can click 'only graphic design.' It almost makes the blog customizable to your interests and tailored to what you're into at the moment.

Every image on the site is sleek, polished, and unique. Although a ton of the pictures are in simple black and white or grayscale scheme, the pops of color every once in a while keep you on your toes. There's no way you can't find something to swoon over. It's a win/win all the time.

Plus, the man behind the brilliant blog, Marc Östlund, has a super diverse portfolio you can browse through if you're feeling extra nerdy.

Let me know how you feel about Culture Shock and about GD&T. Are you into being introduced to new, cool things? Do you dig GD or T? Talk to me in the comments below!

––Francine

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The Mod Mélange: Respect for Ms. Azalea

While I'm sure the majority of you are familiar with Iggy Azalea, her music, and her public image, I would like to dedicate this post to her and why I admire her.

After months of listening to "Fancy" on the radio, I finally settled on an opinion regarding Ms. Azalea. I came to the conclusion that I appreciate her music style and persona.

This interview gave me an insight as to how Iggy crafted her stage presence, her lyrics, and how she hopes to change the world of hip-hop and rap.

Please watch all of it, it's definitely a different kind of interview. It's an extremely personal interview, and I'm sure you'll find it as interesting as I did. After watching it, I found myself placing Ms. Azalea on my list of inspiring women in the media. She's articulate, intelligent, and curious.

Click the photo, or the link provided here, and happy watching!

— Shelby

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Internet Highlight: Emma Aurelie

Hey guys! (I know, it's not my day, I'm Wednesdays and Sundays but I just couldn't resist keeping this post in my drafts.) I have something to tell you all.

Instagram has an abundance of talent, but of all the users I follow, Emma is truly my favorite. 

(Isn't she just adorable? ^)

I admire Emma not only as a friend, but as a photographer. She continues to crank out creative ideas. Each photo she shares was processed with care and patience, and it would be a terrible loss....

I've been friends with Emma for a little over a year, and her talent never fails to inspire me. From incredible photoshop edits, to breathtaking portraits, Emma's photography skills will amaze you. I promise.

I've provided only a few of my favorites from Emma's photo collection. I love her composition and locations.

 All photos are credited to Emma.

Check out Emma's tumblr, Instagram, and Flickr.

Peace, and happy browsing.

— Shelby

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The Chic Collective: Half of the Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started High School

This is part one in a two-part series that lists the tips and such that I wish I knew before I started high school, or wish I had learned earlier (in no particular order). Some of these tips may be applicable if you're currently in high school or even if you've graduated. Part two will probably be posted in about a week or two, so read this one for now and soak it all in...

Community service is more important than you think. I used to think of the community service requirement as a hassle, but once I started tutoring, doing beach cleanups, and learning about all the ways I could help, I realized that it had more value. So start your community service early, find something you care about to volunteer for, and be consistent.

You don’t necessarily have to be “well-rounded.” Some colleges prefer that you do a little bit of everything while you’re in high school. That means playing a sport, joining club, getting a high GPA, do community service, take AP classes, etc. Other colleges, though, like when you find something you’re passionate about and dedicate yourself to it, while doing some other things on the side. You just have to find the college and activities that are right for you.

Find a solid support system. It could be one person, it could be 20 people. The people you rely on should be people who are willing and happy to help you with anything you need. They should be able to tell you the (sometimes painful) truth and talk you off of a metaphorical bridge when you're stressed out of your mind. They should be people you love and care about equally as much as they love and care about you. They should have a positive impact on your everyday life.

Studying is a must. Contrary to what a bunch of my friends think, you need to study for tests, quizzes, oral presentations, AP/IB exams, SAT, ACT, the works. I know it sucks and there’s so many other things you could be doing, or watching on Netflix. But you must study. Even if you carve out just a little time every day, it will make a difference if you’re effective. Find a way to study that works for you and use it.

There are a bunch of ways to use technology to work in your favor. Technology can help or hurt you in high school but it can do more of the former if you use it correctly. Crash Course has a ton of subjects available and John/Hank are super funny. There are also cool SAT apps to help you study. Google+ Hangouts can be a load of help if you want to group study or have a club officers meeting quickly. Google Drive is your best friend for group projects because you can see what people are working on, or more likely not working on.

Your sleeping schedule is going to get reallllllly jacked up sometimes. Sleep as much as you can, when you can, and where you can. Fun little story for you guys: During AP and IB exam month, my friend and I walked into our fifth period and saw another friend asleep on a lab station using his backpack and a roll of paper towels as a pillow. With that being said, if it works for you, do it. Oh and don’t wake your sleeping friend up, especially during exam month.

Office supply stores sell weird-sized paper nowadays. Proper-sized college ruled filler paper is 8.5 by 11 inches. Don’t buy that awful 8 by 10.5 inch business.

Most upperclassmen are more friendly than they look. If you need help on the first day (or month), ask people who look older than you and look like they know where they’re going. Just be polite and most people will reciprocate.

There will be drama. Learn to speak up when something matters to you and when you have something to say or do that will inspire positive change. All drama will pass and nothing will be more than you can handle. I promise.

Alright, part one is done. I hope you all gained something from some of these. Leave a comment below if you have your own list or found any of the things on my list particularly helpful.

–– Francine

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IKEA: Their New Side Tables Are Great, but Their Quotes Are Better

The 2015 IKEA catalog was delivered about a week ago and I finally got around to perusing through it. I was immediately drawn in by their new products, of course, but I was pleasantly surprised by their quotable material. On page 2 of the catalog, they explain how their focus was on products for the bedroom and where you get ready for “the everyday.” Above the short little blurbs, the quote pictured above is printed in bold white letters. I thought it was a really inspiring way to advertise and put their products into context. After all, the everyday makes up our lives.

Let me know what you think about this quote by commenting below.

––Francine

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Something for Everyone: Printed Pants

I started noticing a revival of printed, wide leg, thin fabric pants around April. You know what I'm talking about, and if you don't, this trend will hit your school by the end of the summer. 

These pants look terrific on everyone (yes, everyone. A boy at school wearing a pair, you can click here for some manspiration). 

As usual, click the photos below and underlined text for links.

Here are some tips for buying and styling your new favorite piece of clothing:

When shopping for your printed pants, think about what kind of style you want. What sort of pants do you actually see yourself wearing, and wearing the heck out of, for the next coming months?

My favorites are the wide leg pants; they're airy, super comfortable, and oh-so flattering on everyone. The photo below, from abentpieceofwire.com, features a cute pair from this store.

Or if you're interested in a semi-cropped look, there's a neat pair at Urban Outfitters. 

Of course there are plenty other options besides wide leg and cropped, but these are two of the most accessible finds in any of your local stores.

Now here's how to style these pieces:

Ideally, you'll want to have some sort of plain, solid top if your pants are crazily patterned. (Although if you know how to rock your mixed prints, go for it!) For those of you who want to create an easy look, here's a sample tank you could wear with essentially any pair of pants. I picked up this shirt from Hollister today, and it's the perfect length for wide leg pants because most of them sit lower on the waist.

Printed pants also go well with camis and oversized denim/semi-sheer shirts. You can wear Vans, sandals, wedges, or running shoes for all anyone cares. You could throw a sweater over them once the weather cools down. You could wear your bikini top with them to the beach. 

What I love about these pants is how versatile they are, and as I stressed before, they're made for everyone. They will flatter you, I don't want any excuses. 

Now go out and find yourself a pair of printed pants!

— Shelby

*none of these images belong to me, or Cultured Post.