PENDA SARR

It's a wrap

5:56:00 PM

Happy Monday! The beginning of the week is always the hardest in terms of productivity but I'm really excited about this post so let...

Happy Monday! The beginning of the week is always the hardest in terms of productivity but I'm really excited about this post so let's just dive into it :)!

Do you ever have those pieces of clothing in your closet that you pair together, no matter what? Well I do. I purchased these ankle pants and striped top at Zara on the same day, and the outfit combo has been inseparable ever since.

I've actually wanted a tie-wrap/wrap-top (I really don't know what you call it) for the longest time ever. Luckily, Zara had a few so that's one item crossed off of my wishlist! The shirt is so light and frivolous, it's perfect for the summer; I'm definitely going to buy more.

Now that I look back on it, I definitely think this was my most colorful outfit haha. Baby blue and pink on their own are already pretty soft colors, so just imagine how amazing they are when combined in a look!

To keep the colorful theme going, I paired the outfit with powder pink heeled flats, charm bracelets, and a multi-striped clutch (which is actually quite spacious).

I actually named this post "it's a wrap" because of the top, but also because this was my last photoshoot in Toronto, at least for a while. My blog really grew in this city and it felt bittersweet knowing that I wouldn't be in all of these locations for a while. With that being said, I'm happy this was the last look I took pictures in since it's now one of my favorites.

Thank you for reading.

With love,

Penda

Outfit details:

Top, Pants, Shoes: Zara

Bracelet #1: Juicy Couture

Bracelet #2: Longchamp

Get the look!

Top:

https://www.zara.com/us/en/woman/monday-to-friday/striped-crossover-shirt-c810001p4083107.html

Pants:

https://www.zara.com/us/en/woman/trousers/view-all/drawstring-trousers-c719022p4202039.html

Shoes:

https://www.zara.com/us/en/woman/shoes/view-all/block-heel-shoes-with-metal-detail-c719531p4065590.html

Bracelet #1:

http://www.juicycouture.com/padlock-charm-enamel-bangle-bracelet/d/5539C11461?CategoryId=405&Colors=Blue

Bracelet #2:

http://ca.longchamp.com/en/accessories/le-pliage-heritage-luxe/jewelry-4823868?sku=3012

Connect with me:

Instagram: @pendasarr
Snapchat: @pendouchi

Thank You Toronto

4:49:00 PM

Hello hello! I've officially had my website for a year now so I figured a new post would be the perfect way to celebrate the blog and al...

Hello hello! I've officially had my website for a year now so I figured a new post would be the perfect way to celebrate the blog and all of my support from you guys. It's also the end of the semester so I also have a little bit of free time to write! This will probably be a more personal post because the pieces of my look and the city of Toronto overall are very important to me.

I've been living in Toronto for 4 years now, and boy, has it been a trip. To be very honest with you, Toronto was not part of my post-highschool graduation plans. I was so set on going to university in Montréal or staying somewhere in the United States. However, I decided to take a leap of faith and come here. I really do believe that everything happens for a reason and that God puts you right where you belong. With that being said, I don't regret my decision because I owe a lot of my personal growth to this city.

Highschool was a bubble. It was the same routine everyday, my friends and I all came from similar backgrounds and lived in a small community. Toronto shattered my bubble. I stepped out of my comfort zone, met people who were different and learned to look at things from a new perspective. I feel like college does that to you, it teaches you how to be independent and throws all of these new experiences at you. I had the worst self-esteem in highschool, even though it didn't seem like it. I felt like I didn't fit the typical beauty standard in terms of my face and body, so it was hard to be confident in myself. However, that all changed when I came to Toronto.

My first year in Canada helped let go of everything negative: negative vibes, people, energy and thoughts. Everything. It was a scary thing to do but I took this as a "fresh new beginning", and that's exactly what it was. I practiced self-love and learned to accept the things about myself that I could not change. I stopped the comparisons, the only person I had to compete with was myself.

This is where my love for fashion began. I wasn't always skinny. In fact, I was about 80 pounds larger in my first year of university. I remember those around me and my doctor nicely suggesting to "lose weight" or "eat more healthy". And that's how they said it, they sugarcoated it, and that made me angry. So I told myself that yes, I would adopt a healthier lifestyle, not to please everyone around me, but for myself. I would go to class, come back to my dorm room and then immediately hit the gym. I spent hours on blogs and fitness websites taking notes on what type of food to eat and exercises to perform. I made meal plans, wrote down schedules for my workouts and put up motivating post-its all over my room.As months went by, I was losing weight and beginning to gain confidence in myself. So, I started going to stores and malls more. I became more comfortable going into fitting rooms and looking at myself in the mirror because I was pleased with my body and ultimately, myself. And honestly, that's all that matters. As long as you like yourself and accept your flaws, everyone else's comments or opinions don't matter.

The end of my 2nd year wasn't as good as my first one in terms of my personal life, but that's ok because it's normal to go through ups and downs. So, on my flight home to New York for the summer holidays, I decided to have a "summer of me" and created the blog. I brainstormed themes, layouts, outfit ideas, you name it. I told myself that this was going to be a summer where I would practice self-love and the blog contributed immensely to that. Fast forward and here we are to my 4th year. The blog has become my baby and I've become heavily interested in all things fashion. Honestly, I don't think that all of this would have happened if I had stayed in a familiar setting like Montréal or the United States.

Alright, now let's talk style :). This look was special to me because I combined pieces that each have a cool story to them. First, the wool hat I am wearing in the pictures below was one of the first things I bought when I became comfortable going shopping and experimenting with different outfits. I think I wore it pretty much all throughout my 2nd year, figured it needed a comeback haha.

The common thing between the sweater, pants and shoes is the fact that they all come from Zara. There's a Zara close to my condo so naturally, I find myself in there a lot(it's embarrassing honestly). Pants and sweaters, paired with some killer heeled booties became my "go-to" outfit during the cold winter months in Toronto and these items usually always came from Zara.

Out of the three things, the boots are my favorite. The shoe is so unique thanks to the gradient heel, can help a look stand out so much.

As for the coat, I'm super attached to it because it's one of the items I first bought when I received money from my internship with a fashion website. I was so happy when I got the job because I was like "omg I don't even know that much but fashion" but it was a really nice experience.

I'm really happy I moved to Toronto. It contributed to my nascent interests in fashion and has allowed me to focus on my schoolwork as well as my passions. With that being said, I am almost done with my final exams so I will definitely be taking a break. It's time to go back home to New York and begin my summer! Toronto, I'll be back soon.

Thank you for reading! I apologize for the length of the post but this was really something I wanted to share with you guys.

See you next time!

With love,

Penda

Outfit details:

Sweater, Pants, Shoes: Zara

Coat: ASOS

Bag: Prada

Hat: H&M

Get the look!

Sweater:

https://www.zara.com/ca/en/woman/knitwear/cashmere/cashmere-sweater-c796022p4179573.html

Pants:

https://www.zara.com/ca/en/woman/trousers/view-all/stretch-waist-skinny-trousers-c719022p4264557.html

Shoes:

https://www.zara.com/ca/en/woman/shoes/boots-and-ankle-boots/contrast-high-heel-ankle-boots-c893503p4108509.html

Coat:

http://www.asos.com/asos/asos-belted-duster-coat-with-split-sleeve/prd/7226472?iid=7226472&clr=Black&SearchQuery=black%20duster%20coat&pgesize=19&pge=0&totalstyles=19&gridsize=3&gridrow=1&gridcolumn=3

Bag:

http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306622829&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524447043294&R=8052040139174&P_name=Prada&N=4294912360+306622829&bmUID=lJhUFsc
Hat:

http://www.hm.com/us/product/66023?article=66023-A&cm_vc=SEARCH

Connect with me:

Instagram: @pendasarr
Snapchat: @pendouchi

Simplicity

12:36:00 PM

Hello hello! Happy Wednesday and more importantly, Happy International Women's Day! I hope you're all doing well and surviving thr...

Hello hello! Happy Wednesday and more importantly, Happy International Women's Day!

I hope you're all doing well and surviving through this surprisingly bipolar weather. I mean, I'm not complaining because temperature changes have allowed me to play around with some potential outfits for the spring. As the winter is slowly coming to an end, I find it necessary to "re-adjust" my style. That means I have to ditch the heavy jackets and boots, and opt for lighter coats, blouses or even flats.

For me, warmer and less windy weather signifies simplicity. Admittedly, it's hard to no longer layer when you've been doing it for the past 4 months but on the bright side, your face is no longer dry and icy.
The key to achieving a simple yet stylish ensemble is combining key pieces which will help you stand out whether it be for a daytime or evening look. Because I'm usually on the chic/preppy side, this is something I'm always trying to improve. Other bloggers and youtubers have taught me that adding colors and accessories help elevate an outfit, all whilst keeping it cool and casual.
Taking their advice into account, I wore a black and white combo, paired with glossy red heeled flats. Of course, the shoes elevate the look ; however, the white top is also key as it has a particular style: it's tied in the center, which almost gives an opening near my abdomen :

These shoes are seriously one of the most comfortable pair I own! They make me feel like I'm some type of #girlboss on my way to a meeting(but really I'm just going to class haha).

Another way to keep your look simple yet polished and vivid is of course, by adding colorful accessories and bags. To keep everything coordinated, I wore two leather bracelets from Longchamp: a blue and red one to match the tones of my multi-color clutch. The bag is actually quite spacious; this is great because it complements my outfit and I can store all my cute girly products in it(should we do a "what's in my bag" blogpost next haha?).

Of course, there are multiple other ways to update an outfit. These can include a hat, scarves, or pieces such as tassel earrings and ornate rings. Like I always say, just figure out what you think goes best with your style and try it out :).