At the time of my teenage years and part of my early adulthood, my style when dressing up was quite unclear and undefined. The years of High School and first years of University were a coming and going of school and extracurricular activities, changes of daily routines and changes of fashion taste and personal needs. I have always considered my personal style as mature taking vintage inspirations; some think that even a little old-lady-like. But, in the end, it is how I feel comfortable and my personal trademark: wearing my lips stained with color, dark hair (I have never dyed it) and clothes that sometimes are taken from other times, mixed with more current elements. It is my personal seal. It's how I am, and what makes me happy when I see myself in the mirror and what makes others recognize me from a distance.

My friends always tell me that I have a very particular style, that only me, as Amanda, could wear, and which is inimitable. That does not mean that #signaturelook means having the exact same outfit, repeating your clothes over and over again, or that it has to be bold and striking. The signature look philosophy means self-knowledge, knowing what fits you well, what characterizes you and what identifies you in comparison to others. As an example, I've been into fluid culotte pants recently, like these that I'm wearing from Shein, and have turned them into the key piece of all my outfits. They are comfortable to go to work, but they are also in style to go to classes or meet with my friends for drinks, so I have them in different colors and I combine them with different top pieces depending on the event. So, I think I can provide a couple of tips on how to achieve your own signature look.

#1 Find inspiration

For this task, I love Pinterest. If I had more time (to cut and paste, to print and create something nice and aesthetically pleasant) and space in my room, I would create mood boards to paste and make collages of colors, shapes, and things that I like, but for this task, the digital panels at the social network of the pushpin work fine.

My advice is for you to create groups of things that you like and try to find a pattern. You do not need to be too specific, and it's usually easy to detect if you're leaning towards softer or stronger colors, if you're into minimalist makeup, or if you like animal print.

#2 Pick some key pieces and play around them

Once you have found that pattern, try finding pieces with which you feel comfortable and identified with. I've realized lately that I always wear black bottom pieces and stronger colors in shirts and upper parts. The firsts are usually made of very clean and defined lines (I love pencil skirts, I love culotte pants with darts at the waist and I also love dark skinny jeans) while the upper parts are usually very bold in color. I always follow that pattern, so, although sometimes I try to get risky about it, when I do not feel too inspired to dress up, I always go for that combination of clothes.

#3 Stock your wardrobe

Do find your wardrobe needs and stock it proportionally. I personally like to choose different versions of the same piece (pants in different colors, tops in regular length and cropped, with the same shape but patterned and plain color...) so I can mix very few pieces in multiple ways. It follows a little bit the capsule wardrobe philosophy, but I feel like #signaturelook goes beyond that. You don't have to stick to a close number of pieces but instead, you have the chance to play, change and tweak the clothes' scheme to infinite possibilities.

I was wearing:

SHEIN culotte pants & blouse (similar here)

Cortefiel jeweled sandals

Vintage hoop earrings

Every time I go on Youtube, it doesn't matter if I'm watching makeup-related videos, clips of my favorite series or films or anything random: I will always get suggested capsule-wardrobe related videos by fellow YouTubers and videobloggers. As many of you would already know, a capsule wardrobe is one where you have -very- limited pieces which are supposed to coordinate between them to achieve tons of looks with minimum clothing garments. This idea is amazing to achieve a clutter-free wardrobe, to stop spending money and effort shopping in clothes that you don't really need and basically, it's supposed to be all the good in the entire World.

But, I must confess that the idea of narrowing my closet to about 30 pieces scares the hell out of me. Although I keep the capsule wardrobe philosophy in mind every time I got on a trip to maximize my suitcase and avoid traveling with way too much stuff, I considered it necessary to tell you in this post why it would be absolutely impossible for me to reduce my daily wardrobe to only 30 pieces. 

I am a strong advocate that having an organized and clean closet, with a wide variety of clothes and with a more or less defined style is essential to be able to dress appropriately depending on the occasion. I must confess, that, like Leandra Medine, better known as TheManRepeller said in an interview on her blog, there are days when I get up and do not know what to wear. There are days when I would also like my closet to have only 15-20 pieces of clothing. But it's not like that.

I like fashion. Very much. If I did not like fashion, talk about it and experience it in the first person, I would not have a blog dedicated to fashion. My closet is something that, despite being still very young, I have been building since I entered teenagehood, and reducing it to a capsule wardrobe is something that would undermine my principles. Throw/donate/sell all my clothes to build from scratch a new cohesive wardrobe where all the clothes combine with each other? It does not make any sense to me. Therefore, I do try to make a small weekly organization in my head in which I form a kind of "weekly capsule wardrobe" in order to reuse some clothes before throwing them in the washing machine, or having no need to keep and remove from the confines of my closet different coats every single day. Because of this, an integral capsule wardrobe is not for me.

It is true that lately (and even more since I am living in Italy) I try to buy less things. In fact, what little I buy is vintage, or from small brands. I'm trying very hard not to go crazy every time there are discounts in some big chains like Zara, Mango or H&M and from there I try only to buy the basics I need every season every time a shirt or pair of pants ends its life cycle due to the massive use I give them (this Winter I have used many sweaters that have made fuzz pills very soon, in addition to several basic shirts that have lost their shape when ironed. What a pity!). That's why, the sustainability issue for me is important, but I could not remedy it either by having a capsule wardrobe. Acquiring few old, vintage or pre-loved pieces is my way of facing sustainable consumption.

Rain in Firenze doesn't mean staying at home moping around due to bad weather. Nonono. There are plenty of things you can do in this marvelous place of Renaissance without getting wet. And one of them is entering to the countless florentine museums which I personally consider world's patrimony jewels and ever as wonderful as if it was the first time I visited them. Although being a bit overpriced (from my point of view, 12,50 euro per ticket/per visit doesn't bring closer culture in any way than just to those who can pay it or to us, architecture and art students, who luckily enter for free in some museums just because we're authorised with our university enrollment form. I find it unfair and against culture democracy in all sorts) there are lots of museums and amazing buildings in Firenze that are worth the splurge (some are for free entrance, too!) so as to learn more about the city culture, history, ancient arts and crafts and many more.

As for that, getting dressed to visit museums in a city rich in museums and cultural attractions is a bit tricky, but don't worry because today I'll give you my personal clues and some tips on staying classy but comfortable while on route. You can also check my post on staying fashionable while traveling Europe tips, so you don't miss anything fashion-related in your next stay! So, let's get started with the tips:

I was wearing:

Shein blouse
Karen Millen sparkly bag
The Monster booties
Wool skirt inspired in D&G by local seamstress
Earrings bought in Mérida

“This blog post was sponsored by Shein”

"You might be a tourist, but you don’t have to look like one"

Valencia-Pisa flight. Check. Cute and spacious student home away from home, with a couple of architecture students to share. Check. Italian lessons online and a slight idea on how to communicate abroad. Check. Seriously guys, I can't believe it's almost time to leave and start pursuing a year full of experiences, a new language in my CV and a life away from home, family and friends. I'm so excited!

One of the things that is really, really worrying me is how the heck I'm going to pack a year of clothes and stuff to live in a country that I barely know, with a weather I'm not familiar with and with a daily routine still unknown. Yes, I'm that kind of girl who likes to have anything under control, and I can't help tossing around this thoughts when it comes to the Erasmus year abroad! I'm leaving in mid september hopefully, so, I'll have to figure out how to pack a whole suitcase and no carry-on (as I can't cope with the fact that we'll be taking a couple of trains and public transport to get to our new home at Firenze. All that, dealing with cobblestone streets while pulling a couple of suitcases, in an unknown place? No thanks) which will be substituted for a huge backpack.

So, I've been already wondering around for a couple of months what should I bring to Firenze, and what my packing list for Italy should be like, and this is what I've concluded:

// Sportswear

• 2 sports bra
• 2 sports leggings (or 1 legging + workout shorts)
• 2-3 pair white socks
• Sneakers (?)
• Cozy jacket
• Wireless earplugs

// Clothing

• 2 casual dresses
• 2 pair boots (rain boots + daily boots)
• 3-5 going out outfit
• 14 underwear
• 1 pair flip flops
• 1 pair home shoes
• Winter wool coat
• 2-3 wool skirts
• 2-3 pair jeans (boyfriend, black, straight)
• 2-3 jackets (black blazer, wool jacket)
• 3-4 basic T-shirts (black, grey, white) long sleeve + short sleeve each
• 3-4 pairs shoes (couple of comfy flats, pair of medium heels)
• 2 pajamas
• 2-3 sweaters
• 1-2 bathing suits

// Accessories

• 2-3 statement necklaces
• 2-3 minimal necklaces
• 10 pair earrings
• School backpack
• LV Noe bag
• Fedora hat
• 2 winter shawls/scarf + 1 light scarf
• 1 pair gloves
• 1 little purse for going out

// Tech

• DSLR camera + lenses + battery charger
• Tablet + charger
• Laptop + charger
• Earplugs
• Cell phone
• Flash Drive
• Wires and USB adapters

// Makeup-bag

• NARS Sheer Glow foundation (lighter) + Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish (darker)
• NARS powder blush
• Makeup brushes
• Lip liners
• 3-4 lipstick bars (nude, pink, red, maroon)
• Liquid eye liner
• 2-3 color eye liners
• Green concealer + Regular concealer
• A couple of eye shadow mini palettes
• Mascara (?)
• Tweezers

// Toiletries

• Hairpins and hairpins
• Hair bands
• Mini deodorant
• Toothbrush and mini toothpaste
• Hairbrush
• Skincare products
• Band-aids
• Eye drops (?)
• Wet wipes

// Others

• Portable umbrella
• Paperwork, IDs and Erasmus stuff
• School supplies (1 notebook + couple pens and pencils + markers) (?)
• Playing cards
• Maps (?)
• Journal (?)

When I entered Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Valencia back in 2012, my vision of architects and designers was pretty limited. Back then, the vision of the architect as a demigod capable of all things was still extended, surrounded by nothing but confusion, ego and sort of a mystical curtain that covered everything related to the job. Today, I can say I've got to discover that architecture and professions between the creative and the technical fields have no greater mystery than any other. At the end of the day, we develop our tasks as any other would do: we draw and sketch, both at the computer or freehand; we build scale models (which usually means getting dirty with huge amounts of glue and sticky cardboard), we have our rush moments when finishing anything (specially when printing) and we can handle both paperwork or on-site work. It's not that complicated, and not as surrounded of mysticism as some still wants us to stick to.

And that, as always on this blog, includes the fashion side of the matter! Whilst on a first sight it looks like we architects and architecture students only wear black and dull outfits, we actually don't! Truth is that we are expected to look neat and classy most of the times (to meet our clients; to attend meetings, conventions and lectures; to get prizes if we're lucky enough to win any *wink*) but no further than what is expected of anyone in a regular work environment. Through the years at the Architecture School I've experienced first hand the architect's basic dress code, and, sorry to disappoint you and break all your expectations but, only the 5% of architecture students wear the so-known head to toe black outfit. Then, there's this humble servant of you who is keen on scandalizing the whole institution wearing colorful floral dresses, leopard print and the boldest of pink shades on a daily basis.

Ok. Jokes aside. What I have realized at the school, and at the architect's events I've had the chance to attend is that we are pretty basic when it comes to clothing. There's no much risk, and people is not likely to overdo it when it comes to their outfit. Most of the time, there is a lack in bright colors, there are not big patterns, and minimal, boxed shapes are in 365 days a year at an architect's closet. As an architectural intern having the chance to work on an studio for the second time (yay!) this Summer season, I'm finally glad to say that looks like things are changing slowly on the way we wear and express ourselves through fashion in the world of architecture. Although I don't have any particular dress code at the office, nor I had the past Summer, there are some guidelines I've taken when applying/working on a creative-technical environment as an architecture office while keeping my own personal style:

#1 Play with volumes and shapes
Specially in Summer, when you are not supposed to wear strappy or very showy tops or blouses to the workplace, but still, you are dying because it's 40ºC outside. Instead, wear loose shirts with light asymmetric skirts, play with draped patterns, loose sleeves and high waists with crop tops. This way you'll differentiate yourself from others at the workplace and also and most important, stay comfortable and professional.

#2 Avoid enclosing your feet in tight shoes
Avoid high heels and flip flops if possible too. Our feet tend to get bigger in Summer, so wearing tight shoes will cause you not only a feet slaughter once you get home (believe me: I'm the #1 specialist at that), but also, may even cause you walk weirdly as a result of discomfort. Instead, try wedges, strappy sandals or trainers made out of light fabrics, as Chucks, Vans or Victoria's just to name a few!

#3 Lighter makeup or no-makeup when possible
It's no secret that I like to wear makeup. Like, a LOT. It makes me feel more confident, and putting red lipstick at the beginning of my workday is like an energy boost worth ten coffee cups. But make up gets cakey at the end of the day, especially in humid, Summer Spanish days. As I don't like to step out of home without any makeup at all covering my blemishes and acne marks, when for workdays, I like to put on some face primer before everything else, and cut down the quantity of makeup foundation to the lowest possible. Using waterproof eyeliners and mascara (I just use the first) may help too.

#4 Under no circumstance follow my example on this outfit post
Don't wear your clothes wrinkled! This skirt is super comfortable, light, flowy and amazing but it's made of a fabric which no matter how hard you iron it, tends to get wrinkled at the blink of an eye. It looks the worst!

Even for the tiniest family event, I always feel like I have to dress the part. We shot this pictures in late March, on a very sunny morning going to my grandparents' for family lunch. Just my parents, grandma and great aunt on the table. Some might think it's a bit overdone, but for me, playing dressup is an everyday indulge. Every event and daily situation requires its own approach when it comes to fashion, always staying true to ourselves and following our own sense of style.

One of the questions I hear the most is, "why the heck you come so dressed up to university, even if you are just going to deal with a pair of presentations and you'll be seated the greatest part of the day working in your desk?". Well, is the way I choose to say out loud who I am without shouting. For me, wearing a pair of kitten heels to class is how I boost self-confidence to approach every situation the daily routine may keep. My lips covered in red lipstick help me articulate words when I'm in front of my classmates trying to explain why I choose to use concrete instead of wood, or why being involved as a student representative is such an important role. I might even feel more comfortable wearing a sleek suit than my sportswear (well. Not my white fencing equipment. That is something I wouldn't change, EVER).

Fashion is the language I choose to track inspiration. I do not pretend to impose my sense of style to anyone, nor do I pretend it is imposed to me. Fashion helps us gain inspiration from our surroundings, embrace our culture and the marvelous elements it has to offer us and also, inspire and give ideas to relatives and friends when in need of advice. There's nothing more touching than a friend who asks for my fashion advice for her prom day. It makes me feel that my opinion into the matter counts, and that they really trust me for the task.

So, whenever you're having a super casual family event, dress the part with your truest self as I did here. Embrace your favorite pieces and rock them in the streets. Here I wore a pair of earrings which are typical from Extremadura (I bought them in Mérida. Remember my adventures around there?) and an asymmetric black dress which my grandma wasn't very fond of, as she hates it when I'm not wearing bright colors as she did on her twenties. 

I must confess I suffer from a massive Diogenes syndrome when it comes to fashion. I keep everything. I was taught since I was a little child to take care of everything I got my hands on, so it's not rare to still find on my closet pieces from my teenagehood that have been kept on almost their original condition, fairly new.

So, when it comes to organisation everything is a bit tricky. Not only I've been accumulating tons and tons of clothes during years, but also since I renewed 100% my room furnishing 2 years ago I've become more conscious not only on how much clothes I own, but also how many of those pieces I really wear on a daily basis, and most important: how I store them. Doing a closet rehab may be the best way to get into the budget fashionista path. That's why on this post, I want to show you some tips on how to start organizing your closet (bigger or smaller, walk-in or cupboard), finding space on places where it seems impossible to, and also some personal advice on how I keep my clothes stored.

Having a perfect, neat style doesn't mean spending your whole monthly salary on clothes. I already talked to you about the "10 pieces worth the investment", and while I still say there are some pieces on your closet that are really worth spending those extra savings, you might be ruining your whole outfit with the following mistakes. Be careful, and stay alert because some of these style mistakes them are really easy to fix!

• You think sweatshirts are strictly sport wear. And they're not! Although I'm still a bit reluctant about wearing them with skirts or more dressy outfits, I can finally say my sweatshirts stepped out of the sports wardrobe to conquer my regular, every-day routine outfits. There are currently tons of embellished and printed sweatshirts, made of non-sporty materials as chiffon or faux leather, which will do really well with your skinny pants or statement necklaces.

• Wrinkled clothing. You can't even imagine how scruffy and messy looks a wrinkled shirt, or a poorly pressed pair of pants. If you want to dress to impress, iron your clothes and don't leave any wrinkle on them! You can also take some of your most conflictive shirts and pants to the dry cleaner's twice a month!

Almost 5 years of fashion blogging, and I still manage to feel amazed everyday. I was a total rookie on fashion when I started this adventure, and as a lot of things in life, you start learning and accumulating experience little by little as events go by. On this 5 years of posting my own outfits and some previous years of watching others mixing and matching their clothes, I've learned (or secured the ones which were already there) some concepts and fashion tips I know I'll use and make the most of them the rest of my life. Some of them are my own experience, others have been discovered by intuition or seeing others' outfits.

Want to know what are the 7 style tips I've learned as a fashion blogger?

I was really sceptic about this trend of mixing navy or dark blue with black, but after watching the Yves Saint Laurent biopic and discovering he was a pioneer mixing this hues, I started believing it couldn't be that bad. Actually I haven't tried it on public, but now wearing a black suit with a navy blue accessory or blouse doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.

Like everything in life, we also make mistakes related to fashion. Sometimes it’s due to ignorance, hurries or limited time to think about... Or just because bad taste. We’ve got used to see ‘’fashion-arghs’’ and ‘’fashion-don’ts’’ almost everywhere, on catwalks and their streetstyle, and because nobody is perfect, sometimes without realizing it, we make them too. I’m not special nor I have the ‘’fashion gift’’ to dress (and I think nobody has) and because of that, today I want to show you 7 typical mistakes that I always fall in when I get dressed in the morning... And I always repeat time after having committed them.

I hope you learn from my tips, just to not make them too… Or just to realize what was wrong and you couldn’t notice. Enjoy!

I've totally ruined several pieces because of this fact (foundation and mascara are the worst enemies). Watch out for the light-colored items and if possible, do your makeup routine before you get dressed.

Inexpensive fashion on the go. One of my goals when I created this blog was to spread the word that being stylish is not expensive, and it is also really simple. Many people have asked me many times how I get to have a timeless, simple but very effective look whenever I go anywhere, no matter if it's an event, a night out with friends or even dressing for College.

So this post if for all of you folks who want to dress well but without spending all your savings on it. It's not necessary to have a 1,000$ pair of shoes, but just know what are the basic clothing pieces on the right colors. Those are the key to a successful outfit, and I personally don't mind on spending a little bit more than usual on them (basically because a good material and quality makes the difference on the time they will last on your wardrobe) and as a piece I'm sure you'll use a lot... Well, it simply worths it. So, let's get started!

1. Leather bag. Browns, grey and black are the most versatile colors. Find one that fits you with its shape and size. There are a lot of models, and you'll easily find any great choice from almost any brand, so you won't have to spend about a fortune on a Cèline or Luis Vuitton one. Leather is extremely durable, and depending on the type usually easy to clean and maintain.

2. Leather jacket. As well as on handbags, having a basic leather jacket is clue. Biker, field jacket, classic... There're lots of models you'll want to try on. They are more expensive than a ''regular'' knitted jacket or one made of wool, but if you take care of it you'll keep it rest of your life, for sure!

(Image from lifethenfinance.com)

Sales period started yesterday in Spain. I don't know if it's a worldwide phenomenon or if it's something  that only happens here, but people usually goes nuts the first day. Then, during the following weeks they seem to forget about discounts. On first day all I see are huge queues on specifical stores and brands, crowds in the main streets (although lately I've seen very few of these) and totally razed stores.

Why?! I don't think they've looked for any SUCCESFUL-SHOPPING IN SALES guide. Want to take home the best bargains without ending like the girl from ''Confessions of a Shopaholic''? I wrote some time ago a post about fashion on a budget, but today I want to share with you some tips about how to beat the sales period.