Golden Hour in Monterey Park
On a warm October afternoon, I met up with my photographer friend Fanny to take some pictures in Monterey Park. Though it’s a seemingly sleepy neighborhood, there’s something incredibly charming about the area. I grew up visiting my grandmother nearby and I have fond memories picking her up with my family to go to dim sum.
Fanny suggested we shoot here because of the unexpected and underrated beauty of the homes. Fused with Asian influence, many of the homes feature perfectly manicured trees, Chinese motifs, and minimalist gardens. With these elements in mind, one of the outfits I decided to wear is my mom’s old cheongsam. Made out of silk from Hong Kong, cheongsams are typically reserved for formal or traditional events. Since I’m very Americanized, I rarely find myself faced with a proper occasion to wear one; nevertheless, I find cheongsams to be one of the most beautiful symbols of my culture.
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I swear even though I’m allergic, cats love me. This little neighborhood kitty decided she needed some attention during the shoot.
Another great thrift find is this handmade set. I found both the pants and button-up top at Crossroads in Santa Monica. I stayed up late the night before attempting to bring in the pants. Since the fabric is so fickle, it took a lot longer to tailor them on my own but it was worth it. Read more about this thrifted set here.
This dress was such an exciting find. Made by designer Ronny Kobo, this 80’s inspired dress is nostalgically glamourous. I found this dress at Uptown Cheapskate in Torrance for $15 since it was part of their half off promotion that weekend. Read more about this thrift find here.
Thank you so much for reading! If you noticed, most of my outfits are thrifted. Throughout these past few years, I’ve been finding thrifting to be very therapeutic and a great way to explore new styles or designers that maybe wouldn’t have discovered on my own. Now that sweater season is in full swing, how does the season affect your mood? What kinds of clothes bring you joy in the fall?
Many thanks to Fanny for all these beautiful shots. Photos was captured both digitally and on film.
xx
Kiana
