Minimalism

Derby denim jacket (c/o Threadsence or get a similar one here) | Alternative Apparel tank top (like this one) | Forever 21 pants (nicer version) | See by Chloé sandals | Elizabeth & James Lafayette sunglasses

This Week, I Was Inspired By...

I browse through countless personal style blog entries, shopping websites, magazine pages and Pinterest accounts daily. The ones that catch my eye and hold my attention are worth sharing with you guys.

I actually have a packed weekend and decided to sit down and scour my favorite blogs for some good looks to wear to the range of events I am attending. Jessie from Style and Pepper struck me with her ladylike take on beachwear -- rooftop pool party, anyone? This Forever 21 look is a great transition into spring, but is still dressy enough for late-night happy hour. Becs' awesome take on minimal-chic has me ready to go from lunch date to museum, while Crystal has me thinking I can pull off PJs regardless of destination. Jules does minimal chic perfectly and makes me want to live in loose sweaters and Converse.

What are your favorite places for inspiration?

Facebook | Twitter

Lulus.com Date Night

Forever 21 blazer (similar version) | H&M tank (a 'foxy' version here) | Brooklyn Industries skirt (c/o, you can find a similar one here) | MTNG Fullu booties (c/o Lulus.com) | Zara bag

Spring & Summer Must-Haves

Karen Walker Perfect Day sunglasses | Alternative Weekender bag | ASOS midi dress | Forever 21 Drawstring Cargo jacket | Topshop Mesh Bib Collar necklace | Dolce Vita Olly Suede espadrilles

One of my favorite things is updating my closet at the change of seasons. Everything feels fresh and I'm more excited than ever to change out of [whatever I've been wearing nonstop for three months] and into [brand new threads]. The winter-to-summer transition is especially titillating because of all the fun things that come with summer: outdoor concerts, pool parties, road trips, picnics, beach days, lazy afternoon naps, patio dinners, rooftop cocktails... need I go on?
Here, I've chosen a handful of my must-haves for this season. I can't wait to shed the layers and let my skin naturally absorb some much-needed Vitamin D.

The Karen Walker sunglasses serve a dual purpose: protecting your eyes and kicking your summer style up a notch.
The weekender bag is the ideal size to grab and go to your next short trip (mine is obviously Vegas. Times five.).
I'm not gonna lie: I already bought the ASOS dress; I couldn't resist its kick-ass back detail.
The drawstring cargo jacket is the best topper for lightweight dresses and two-piece bathing suits. It easily transitions you from sunbathing to bonfiring (psh, it's a word now!).
The obsession continues. I'd wear this collar necklace with breezy tank tops all day, every day.
Espadrilles are a summer staple because they work with sundresses, short-shorts, jeans and bathing suits. No reason to not invest in a good pair.

Facebook | Twitter

G-Star Raw: Autumn/Winter 2012 Preview

Runway images via G-Star; all others my own

A couple of weeks ago, I got a peek at G-Star Raw's Autumn/Winter 2012 collections. The brand has quite a few enticing things coming up, including overalls, chunky knits (always a cold-weather staple), architecturally sculpted trench coats and eye-catching details. And this year, they're adding a new component to their tried-and-trues: colored denim. Click on through to see the rest of the line. It may make you wish for cold weather again, though...

(Almost) Summertime

H&M top (similar) | Brandy Melville silk shorts (another cool option)| See by Chloé sandals | Elizabeth & James sunglasses

Sponsored Video: River Island Vogue-Off

I had always seen some of my favorite international bloggers wearing styles from River Island. Whether it was a faux leather jacket or a dainty spring dress, the styles caught my eye time and time again. I never knew they delivered to the US, thought. So, of course, when contacted about their new app (The Vogue Off, which I’ll get to in just a second), the first thing I did was familiarize myself with their online store. Was I in for a treat! They have staple pieces, trendy pieces, pieces you didn’t even know you needed. And everything is priced so reasonably, too! You can bet your butt that I have a River Island wish list now. Care to see my top three picks? Great! (It wasn't as easy as it looks.)

Remember my obsession with high tops? No? Refresh your memory. This pair hits just the right spot. And at roughly $50, they might just call my home theirs very soon.

Best of Coachella: Electronic Line Up

Ever since I came clean a couple of weeks ago about my soft spot for electronic music, I can't help but want to share more of it here on LiveLoveLA. I know most of it will fall on deaf ears, but I'm sure there a couple of individuals who will appreciate it. I'll keep this post short and sweet and let the music do the talking. Here is a list of must-know tracks if you're heading out to Coachella this weekend. And if you're not, maybe it's just a reason to tune into something slightly different.

Swedish House Mafia - Save the World
Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso - Calling
Afrojack - Polkadots 2010 (Oliver Twizt Remix)
Madeon - Icarus
Kaskade - Turn It Down
Avicii - Penguin
Dada Life - Happy Violence
Zedd - Shave It
Morgan Page - In The Air

Did any of you go to Coachella? What were the highlights for you?

Facebook | Twitter

Diesel & Nylon Mag Dinner Party Recap

With my new friend Chloe and Guia from Diesel.

Floral Pants

H&M sweater (similar) and pants (similar) | Sole Society shoes (c/o) | Elizabeth & James sunglasses

Ready for Summer

All sorts of into these See by Chloe sandals.

What are your warm-weather must-haves?

Facebook | Twitter

Spring is For Colorblocking

Lush button-down (similar options at Piperlime, at ASOS and FarFetch | Forever 21 cardigan | AG jeans (similar) | Sole Society shoes (c/o, similar | Zara bag (similar)

I borrowed this Lush top from Roberta at The Ro and I kinda don't wannna give it back. Shh, don't tell her! I'm pretty sure that spring means busting out the bright colors and pairing them with your most muted hues. Top that off with some killer shoes and you're set to go from day to night; from lunch to after-hours.

In fact, that's exactly what I did on Saturday. My friend Veronica was in town, so we... hung out, to say the least. But trust me when I say that this outfit took me from The Grove to Venice beach dinner and rooftop drinks, and then all the way back home. It feels so good to have such solid friends!

Facebook | Twitter

Mint Teal Love

TJ Maxx sweater (like this men's one) | J.Crew top (similar) | H&M skirt (similar| Ecote flatforms (similar by the same brand) | Zara bag (similar at ASOS)

Stripes and Platforms

Forever 21 tank top (similar and cheap version here) and skirt (here | Thrifted sweater (similar ones at Nordstrom and J.Crew) | Ecote flatforms (similar ones by Elizabeth & James and Lucky Brand) | Zara purse (like this one)

On this day, I was cranky because I was hungry. My boyfriend -- the sweetheart that he is -- made the perfect food suggestion: All About the Bread. He clearly knows that my soft spot involves an over-dosage of carbs. After we ate, I was happy as Larry! Although, you wouldn't guess it by the look of these pictures... yeah, sorry about that :P

Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway: Morris Terry Gym Bag & Gift Card

Vintage top | Morris Terry shorts (c/o)

My idea of feel-good clothes? Something that's comfortable, flattering and goes from the bed to the store in seconds. Morris Terry checks all those boxes and then some. Ever since I worked with Marisa in 2010 (helping with some economic research), I've believed in the brand. What's not to love? Marisa and Terry support living a healthy lifestyle, donate to HELPS (a foster care agency in California) and use sustainable materials to make your sexy-meets-luxurious lifestyle gear. And they've been generous enough to offer Live Love LA readers an exclusive giveaway!

I have, in my little hands, their signature MTX gym bag along with a $50 gift certificate for their online store! Just visit the Morris Terry website, choose your favorite piece from the webstore and link it in a comment in this post.

For additional entries (one each), you can do the following:
- Sign up for the Morris Terry mailing list.
- Like Morris & Terry Athletic on Facebook.
- Like Live Love LA on Facebook.
- Follow Morris Terry on Twitter.
- Follow Live Love LA on Twitter.

Note: Open to US residents only.

The giveaway will be open from Wednesday, April 11th until 8pm PST on Wednesday, April 25th. Good luck!

Facebook | Twitter

Forever 21 mint sweater | Patterson J. Kincaid blouse | Jason Wu for Target button-down | H&M button-down (similar) | Forever 21 tank dress | Forever 21 bikini (similar top and bottom)

Summer just makes me embrace bright colors. And I know I'm not alone here... Neons in all sorts of textures and fits. Just ideal to throw on under a chunky sweater or over a skimpy bikini. Perfect for the beach, for work, for friend outings, for road trips. For just about anything your heart desires.

Facebook | Twitter

Beach Day

Quiksilver Women Coastal Crochet Dress (c/o) | Forever 21 bikini (similar top and bottom) | Ecote platforms (similar)

The Week in Music

Some of you may already know how much of an EDM lover I am. As an Eastern European, I'm convinced I was born this way, but the obsession didn't cultivate until a few years ago when I began hitting the club circuit. Since then, my ears have perked up to uptempo tracks with anticipation-creating build-ups and satisfying drops. These days, it's almost exclusively what I listen to and I'm not ashamed to say it. Dance music has a community built around it much like the Coachella/festival scene, which is an added layer of bonus. Anyway, now that that little ramble is out of the way, I hope you join me in enjoying my top tracks this week.

Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl ft. Gregori Kay - In My Mind (Axwell Mix)

Arty, Matisse & Sado - Trio

Ralvero - Rage (Hardwell On Air Rip)

Bingo Players - Rattle

Chuckie - Who Is Ready To Jump (Dada Life Remix)

Facebook | Twitter

den.m bar

live love la at den.m bar from Nikoleta Panteva on Vimeo.

I got the opportunity to receive a pair of custom-tailored jeans from den.m bar and obviously jumped right on it! I got to choose every part of my jeans, from the fabric to the zipper, button, pocket lining (I went with the red polka dot pattern), the cut... everything you can imagine and even aspects you probably didn't know existed. The entire process took about three weeks and jeans retail for $230, but I would do it again in a heartbeat! The jeans are tailored to your curves, not once, but twice. And if you feel like something needs to be altered even after they're completed, that's an option too!

den.m bar has girls' and guys' denim, so there's something for everyone. Downtown LA residents get a 15% discount too!

Facebook | Twitter

Feeling (Minty) Fresh

 

Forever 21 sweater | H&M jeans (similar) | Sole Society shoes (c/o) | Zara purse (similar | Elizabeth & James sunglasses

Style-a-Thon Babes

All clothes from 365Hangers, all accessories our own

A shot with Ari and Chanelle from last Saturday's Style-a-Thon, hosted by 365Hangers. Ari got to style 3 looks using 365's wardrobe. The three of us got to strut our stuff down the runway in the middle of Hollywood! Such an amazing afternoon. Many, many thanks to all the fabulous girls involved, especially Sasha for putting it all together :)

Facebook | Twitter

Bryan and Mae x Live Love LA - Part 2

Photos courtesy of Bryan and Mae

Thrifted dress and sweater

Hot Pink Blazer

Forever 21 blazer (similar) and jeans (similar)| H&M top (similar) | Sole Society shoes (c/o) | Elizabeth & James sunglasses