Leopard Print for Date Night

June 28, 2019

Friday calls for date night! Summer is heating up and it is one of my favorite seasons for this. Days are long and nights are balmy, it’s the perfect time to spend that extra time with your boo. But what to wear on such a hot occasion? In today’s post, I’ve got a fun number for ya. Sultry, trendy yet super comfy, I’ve got the perfect summer date night look! Leopard print, strappy sandals, a bold red lip and some pearly accessories, this outfit cannot go wrong! Continue reading to see the complete look along with direct links to shop each item.

This leopard print matching set is the fountain of sexiness. The bodycon skirt and crop cami top is extremely flattering for many body types, as the material is stretchy. This screamed date night look to me, but as much as I styled it for a night on the town, you can easily wear this during the day as well with a pair of sneakers. I love two-piece outfits such as this one because you can mix and match for other looks. I’d wear that crop top with a nice black power suit or the skirt with a simple white tee - there’s a lot of different outfits that can be styled from this set.

Because it’s so hot out, I love to wear my hair back. Especially on those extra humid days in the city where anyone’s hair is a lost cause, it’s the perfect excuse to whip out those hair accessories! I wore this beautiful pearl hair clip by Atelier des Femmes with black drugstore hair clips to give my hairstyle a bit of variation. What do you guys think of the combination? When I think of leopard print for date night, this must include more black accessories and a bold lip.

These black strappy sandals I’m wearing in today’s post are pretty ancient. They are the first pair of heels I wore to a wedding, where it was also the first time a boyfriend had invited me to one. The experience was not so great, but these sandals lasted way longer than the boyfriend! Ha ha! They’re no longer in stock and NO I’m not going to tell you how long ago this was so you can start guestimating my age LOL - but I’ve linked similar pairs for you to choose from. Taking notes from '90s styles, this sandal is distinguished by skinny, elegant straps and a dainty squared kitten heel.

Even though it’s hot outside, it can get chilly inside. Which is why I stole this jacket from the hubby. A sleek tuxedo jacket by Calvin Klein goes well with the heels. To go with the bold lip (used a combination of lippies from Colourpop & LimeCrime) I went with a similar-colored red bag from Furla. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed with leopard-y look. Wishing you all a great weekend. x

LOVE & XX’S,

SHOP THE LOOK

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

5 Ways to Style A White Shirt Dress

June 24, 2019

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY STYLEWE AND THESIS CRISIS BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Happy Monday, everyone! How was your weekend? Over a month ago I had styled an indigo shirt dress to which many of you went crazy over the dress. The blue color is a shade I wouldn’t wear everyday, but white I definitely can! So, today on the blog, I’m sharing 5 different ways to style a white shirt dress for the summer season. I’ve switched it up from casual to more dressy, but these looks can definitely be carried throughout the rest of the season. There is also a video I’ve posted on my Instagram channel showcasing the five looks. Check it out here. Continue reading to see full visual story and also to find direct links to each piece from every individual look.

WEARING: WHITE SHIRT DRESS | MELON BAG | BEIGE PEARL HEELS

The first way is to wear the white shirt dress by itself. No belts, no jackets, nada. Just solo. This type of dress would also work great as a beach cover-up aside from wearing it in the city during a hot summer day. Since wearing white alone keeps the look pretty plain, I thought it would be best to style the dress with bold, luxury statement pieces to bring the outfit to life. I paired it with my new favorite bag from Thesis Crisis and these luxurious slingbacks from YUUL YIE. I also wore a pair of resin hoop earrings, to balance with the accessories.

WEARING: WHITE SHIRT DRESS | RED BAG | WHITE LACE-UP SANDALS | BERMUDA SHORTS JEANS | PEARL HAIR CLIP

The second way I styled the white shirt dress is a variated criss-cross top. It’s a little sassy and a little business-y, which makes it a perfect look for an afternoon filled with meetings even through the evening should you have other events to attend to. I like that I feel like a boss even though it’s a more casual vibe. The bermuda short jean is super trendy this summer. If you want a more serious type of look, you can style this shirt dress and jeans with a sleek black blazer. Other accessories in this look are my favorite red Furla bag, white tie-up sandals from Linzi and pearl hair clips from Atelier des Femmes.

WEARING: MUSTARD YELLOW BLAZER | WHITE SHIRT DRESS | YELLOW BAG | WIDE LEG JEANS | RUBY PATENT SLINGBACKS

The third look is all about my favorite summer color at the moment: Yellow! Inspiration from this look? Lakers girl! I’m a die-hard fan and also kept my California roots to this outfit. Casual, slightly boho, chic and fun. Very L.A. kind of gal. The yellow blazer is from Akira and the bag is from Forzieri, the brand: Le Parmentier Paris. You can get your Peyote bag from Forzieri. Use the code name: SUZANNE15 for 15% OFF on Le Parmentier bags collection at forzieri.com valid until July 4th. The white shirt dress is styled in a very similar way like look 2 except instead of the tie being criss-crossed to the back, I took it to the front and did a simple tie around. I also unbuttoned a few more buttons located in the back which opened the dress a bit more to show off the wide leg jeans. Other accessories include bold statement hoop earrings and vintage Calvin Klein ruby patent slingbacks.

Another great way to style a white shirt dress is by making it into a cardigan/kimono/beach wrap. In look #4, I went with an all-white look. Perfect for a beach day, picnic, or an all-white party (just hold the marinara sauce away from me LOL) this casual look is a recent fave and will definitely be a repeat offender this summer. The trick to an all-white look is wearing different shades of white. This will help to not have you look washed-up and creates more dimension to a simple look. That and play on textures and materials, such as this headband scarf from Atelier des Femmes and these chunky sole buckle detail sandals in white from Ego Shoes.

WEARING: WHITE SHIRT DRESS | POLKA DOT HAIR SCRUNCHIE SCARF | BLACK MERMAID SKIRT | BLACK MARY JANES | GOLD STATEMENT EARRINGS

Last but not least is the most dressy of looks. I got the inspiration from sonatas in classical music as they are one of my favorites in this genre. Chopin, specifically. So I wanted to style the white shirt dress in a more refined, polished up look. First thoughts that came to mind was black and white, gold accents, and a bold vampy lip. I chose to tuck in the front of the dress shirt - you’ll need a skirt that has breathing room like this black mermaid one I’m wearing that’s perfect for date night. The back of the shirt dress has a simple but chic bow tie that I feel works wonderfully with the polka dot hair scrunchie scarf and gold statement earrings. The black mary janes seal the look with its gold accents and sleek fit. Another favorite look. What were some of your favorite outfits from this post? I’d love to hear from you - leave your thoughts in the comment section down below!

LOVE & XX’S,

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Posh Safari Chic | Date Night

May 23, 2019

WEARING: KHAKI GREEN DOUBLE-BREASTED JACKET | LIGHT BEIGE PAPER-BAG SHORTS | BLACK POINTED PEEP-TOE MULES | IVORY CROC-EFFECT LEATHER BAG | TORTOISE RESIN HAIR CLIP

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY H&M AND LOVELESS PARIS BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

I don’t know know about you but it’s been one heck of a week for me! Who else is ready for Friday? I’m never one to count the days to the weekend, but sometimes we all can use a breather. In which case, my husband and I always make an effort to go out to dinner. At least once or twice a month, we like to try something new and maintain something old, as in tradition, we always have dates at the place where we first met and also had our wedding party. It was previously a French brasserie (coincidence the hubby is Parisian, I think not (!), that or the universe has a funny sense of humor at times) but it’s now a simple Irish pub, where the food is just as good and filled with many happy memories. Even MaQ joins us out on the terrace for brunch on the weekends, when the weather permits it. Now that summer is creeping in, I was inspired to do a color-schemed safari palette into a date night look! Continue reading to see what I chose and where to directly shop.

When I think of what colors to include in a safari chic-like palette, they are khaki green, beige, ivory, tan, black and others. The first piece to catch my eye that inspired this look was the khaki green double-breasted jacket. I went one size up since I love the look of an oversized jacket and/or blazer. Initially I was going to style it with a great pair of jeans, which I could always do for everyday business casual, but I wanted to elevate the look into something a tad more. That’s when I came across these particular pair of shorts I knew how I wanted to style everything together.

I LOVE these light beige paper-bag shorts. These shorts come in thick cotton jersey. They are high waist, with a paper-bag waistband, pleats in the front, and zip fly with concealed hook-and-eye fastener. There is a removable tie belt as well and I cannot stress how comfy these shorts are! So perfect for summer and I think they also tie really well with the khaki green jacket. I went with some black to bring it all together without having the outfit look too bland for date night. So these sexy black pointed peep-toe mules are such a hit for the occasion. They’re also not a nightmare to walk in, which is a MUST for me.

Hair accessories are a major hot trend for spring and summer this season with hair clips being all the rage. Pearls, resin, metallics, you name it. I discovered a French hair brand that you can get personalized pieces from, that will polish up any look with its chicness. I had one made in the name of my brand, MaQ + Suz, and I absolutely adore it. I styled it in a half-up hairstyle on Instagram here but I think this clip looks great from day to night. Go to www.lovelessparis.com to customize your barrette! You can create from 3 to 8 characters, and it’s so easy!

Last but not least, I went with an ivory croc-effect leather bag without any straps. I think it creates a more evening vibe that is perfect for date night. I hope you enjoyed my posh safari chic date night look! Feel free to drop me a message down in the comment section below. How would you style a safari-chic look? And for date night? Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you a great rest of the week. x

LOVE & XX’S,

SHOP THE LOOK

Stars and Stripes

February 21, 2019

WEARING: STRIPED MAXI SWEATER DRESS | TRIANGLE CLUTCH | BLACK SOCK BOOTS | STARS HAIR CLIP

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY GEEGEEBAE BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Happy Thursday, everyone! I’ve been back from London a couple of days ago, and it’s been nonstop work straight off the plane again, with a little sickness (respiratory infection of sorts w/ a ‘fun’ raspy voice) and complete exhaustion. But still trudging through and getting it done because that’s the way it is around here! Today’s post is dedicated to the teasing springlike weather, and as many of you I’m sure, just like myself, are itching to take those heavy winter coats off! But with transitional weather right now, it’s still not quite time for that, so our wardrobe needs something in between. How about a gorgeous striped maxi sweater dress? Continue reading to learn more about how I styled this particular piece, where to shop and more of what’s to come on M + S!

Who says you can’t wear your stars and stripes before the Fourth of July? And it doesn’t have to be in red, white and blue either. I love mixing prints, in which case, this is more about mixing materials and textures, but still falls in the category lines of it. I’ve been growing my bangs out since I grew tired of the maintenance it took with them. So with the latest hair trend, everything clips, barrettes, etc; I took the liberty in styling my hair with a single hair piece, amongst them the stars. I wore the stars hair clip the opposite way to have the dangling star on my upper face, to give it a ‘Rainbow Brite’ kind of vibe with the candy-colored striped maxi sweater dress.

The striped maxi sweater dress features an off-the-shoulder long bishop sleeves with ribbed cuffs, ribbed fold-over neckline, and double patch pockets. It’s the perfect dress for pre-spring. On warmer days you can wear it by itself (with perhaps some thermo wear underneath) and on those chillier days, top it with a trench or warmer oversized coat and you’ll look stylish both ways! I think it would pair nice with a powder blue or a khaki color, what kind of coat would you wear with this dress?

To elongate my height with the long maxi dress, I opted for black sock boots with a high heel. Other accessories with this look is the green triangle clutch and pink lippie. I’m not much of a pink girl, but it’s the most frequent color I’ve been wearing on my lips the past six months! I’ve been using Lime Crime’s lip liners and they’re absolutely the best I’ve ever tried in the business. They’re even smudge-proof, which is always a plus for someone like me who’s running around town and doesn’t like to touch up my makeup that much during the day. Because with good makeup, you won’t need to do much touch-ups!

I hope you guys enjoyed this outfit today! Still to come on the blog later this week, my recap of NYFW shows, LFW shows and LFW outfits. Not the mention my February beauty favorites which there are a ton this month (alas, the life behind a beauty product junkie ha ha!) We are also stirring the pot for more interesting content for this year, but these will take a lot of time so please be patient! I will announce more news as it comes sooner into the limelight. If you’re an avid reader of M + S, we’d love to hear from you! What would you like to see more of this year? Anything we’re not covering that you think we should? Drop those suggestions/comments down in the section below! See you guys soon. :)

LOVE & XX’S,

SHOP THE LOOK

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Hot Cheetah in the City

January 24, 2019

WEARING: LEOPARD PRINT KNITTED PULLOVER | CLASSIC BLUE JEANS | OTK BOOTS | EDGY CROSS BODY BAG

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY ZEFINKA, MARC FISHER & EVVE MILANO, BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Happy almost Friday! In today’s post I’m sharing a few essential pieces that’ll bring an edge to any look. They are staple pieces any girl can have in her closet: Budget-friendly, chic and actually all comfortable to wear. I’m sharing a pullover, jeans, boots and a cross body bag that I know any girl will appreciate - regardless of your personal style. And one of the most trending prints of the season: Leopard - is definitely featured in today’s post! The rocker chic vibe from this look is casual, but you can definitely bring it up a notch with different pieces from your closet. Continue reading to shop the direct links while learning more about each piece that you too should have in your wardrobe palette very soon, if not already!

Introducing a timeless, beautiful collection by a master American shoemaker for a modern woman of purpose. Effortless. Luxe. Forever. Chic. These Marc Fisher black suede boots are a dream! They literally go with everything! I would love to style these pair of boots with a mid-length dress or midi skirt. Even with pleats - it would be so good! But in today’s fierce, edgy look, I paired them with my favorite Levi’s Jeans. These are the only Levi’s I own and they’re the 711 skinny jeans. They’re the perfect cut and length for someone petite like myself. But back to the boots - the heel height is high, nearing at 3 and a quarter inches, but walking in them are actually super comfortable! They retail at $289 - but worth the investment as classic suede boots as such can be worn with nearly every outfit, and they’ll last a lot longer than buying a less expensive pair of boots.

Now if you know me and my personal style by now, you know I love a good leopard print. And ever since I discovered Zefinka - a fast-fashion online brand that’s been around since 2014, I’ve been a big fan of theirs! They carry a lot of great quality items that on mostly trending pieces, but the prices are even hotter! I love their tops, such as this leopard print pullover. It’s a mix of mohair and cotton, but overall the material is soft and cozy. The sweater would look amazing with leather pants, a black skirt, even wide leg - the possibilities are endless. I love a good piece as such - because it’s essential to my style and can be worn in a variety of ways. Plus, tell me you don’t love a good warm fuzzy sweater during the winter?! ;) Zefinka also did a lovely feature on me and my brand - check it out here now!

I also want to share with you another brand I discovered that’s really great - from Italy. EVVE Milano is a vegan handbag line that’s all about rocker chic, a mixture of Italian and New York style: Expressions of freedom. Each bag has an emblem of a snake, derived from the Adam & Eve story, embedded into it, symbolizing the woman’s inner ‘EVVE’. The BONN Crossbody has a semi-rigid but spacious shape to carry everything you need. Lasered details enriched with metal eyelets on the flap and shoulder strap embellish even the simplest look.

To keep with the edgy vibe, I wore certain kinds of makeup such as a bold red lip and cat eye. I’ve been doing more of a winged eyeliner lately - it makes my eyes look bigger (especially when one is TIRED lol) and gives a more dramatic look - what do you guys think? Also, seriously contemplating on whether or not I should grow out my bangs. I love my bangs but I also love no bangs as well. I used some hair clips (definitely in search of statement hair pieces right now) as this can give a more polished feel - but still edgy and rock and roll. Think it ties up the whole outfit together pretty well. Hope you guys enjoyed today’s fashion post! Leave your comments down below. Catch up with y’all again soon!