It’s just another manic Monday, well, sort of. I was a little nervous waking up today. I was invited to have dinner with one of my professors at university and the president of a TV network company that I would like to work for in the future. I’d been thinking about it non-stop all day and I’d given myself a few hours to get ready. I knew that I would have to somehow cover up my nervousness and wear an outfit that would give me confidence and distract from my shaky nerves. I searched through my closet and quickly realized that the best way to impress a future employer is by exuding professionalism. I needed my clothes to fit me lightly and not rub against my skin, making me more uncomfortable and nervous. I pulled out my long, black pants, a gray silk blouse with light diamond patterns, and my Ralph Lauren heels to accent my pants. I love wearing silk. It gives me an airy confidence that makes me feel more knowledgeable.

As I was getting ready, I received an email reminder from my professor about our scheduled dinner. I quickly skimmed it, and realized that I’d gotten the time wrong and I was supposed to be there an hour earlier than I had planned! I completely panicked. I wouldn’t have time to stand in front of the mirror and contemplate any changes I needed to make. I had to go; my professor lived at least 45 minutes away. To make matters even worse, traffic was awful! Completely, bumper-to-bumper. It amazes me how there are more cars than people in this town. Although I was annoyed, I decided to use my time wisely and finish my hair and make-up. At one point, the guy next to me in traffic gave me a thumbs-up. I took it as a compliment and gave him two in return.

I’m still not sure how this happened, but I was the first one there. I quickly took a trip to the restroom to survey myself in the mirror and check out my hair and make-up. In such a limited space as my Honda, I did a great job and impressed myself. As I walked out of the restroom, I saw my professor and the TV executive walk into the restaurant. My heart, all of a sudden, started pounding. I was so nervous; I could barely stop shaking. All I could think about was how happy I was that I wore silk!

My pounding heart and anxiety quickly vanished when the TV mogul introduced herself to me. She had such a warm smile that I couldn’t help but smile back. Dinner went by so smoothly. I felt silly for ever feeling nervous to meet her. To my surprise, there were no awkward pauses and we easily discussed all of the latest trends within the entertainment industry and how we think the future of the business will be like. At one point of the conversation, she even complimented my silk blouse. Coming from her, this blouse is a keeper!

Love always,
Mia

What a glorious day to be a model in the LA area! Today was a day that I’d been looking forward to all week. I’d been picked for a photo shoot in Manhattan Beach! It was the first time I’d been cast for a photo shoot alone. I wouldn’t be able to rely on another model, something I was trying not focus on. The overall theme of the photo shoot was vintage romance, and there were five different dresses for me to model. Even better, I got to choose the looks. I’d been given a certain budget to purchase the dresses that I felt best represented vintage romance. A shopping spree that every girl dreams of!

The beach was beautiful! It was my first time in Manhattan Beach, and I was amazed at how pretty everything and everyone looked. I saw girls in their bikinis playing volleyball, people jogging on the pathways with their dogs and couples holding hands, taking a stroll on the beach. It was as if I was watching a scene from “California Dreamin’!”

My favorite look was a red, knee-length, flowing sundress that had a flower pattern at the bottom and a black upper half. We were trying to play with fabric and make it flow in the wind, so the red dress was perfect for this type of shoot. Since we were on the beach, I was told not to wear shoes and model with bare feet; something that I’ve never done before. My weekly pedicures were definitely not a waste of money.

Simplicity was important in this photo shoot, so I wore no jewelry other than a pair of small hoop earrings to accentuate my face. During the shoot, I felt the wind flowing through each dress giving me a sense of freedom and comfort. Hearing the waves crash around me made me feel like I was swimming with nature, making my photo shoot much easier than I anticipated.

Surprisingly, my confidence grew as onlookers continually complimented me and even asked to take my picture! I overheard one couple raving about the red dress. Several guys stood watching, whistling and proclaiming my beauty to anyone who’d listen. Instead of making me more nervous, my confidence grew and I felt like a pro. I can’t wait to pose on the beaches of Jamaica and the Caribbean. I could totally get used to days like this.

The best part of the shoot was at dusk. Sunsets are breathtaking, and the lighting was perfect. That was when all of my energy was bursting out, and I kept experimenting with poses. As a model, there isn’t a better feeling than having snapshot after snapshot taken of you when you know that you look your best. A big part of modeling is improvising and feeling confident, and I knew that for once I was doing everything right. I believe the red dress contributed a lot to my wonderful day at the beach; I was able to use the flowing fabric as a prop and improvise a lot of poses. I always view photo shoots as an opportunity where I get to become a different character and step out of my own skin. I can experiment with looks that don’t always reflect who I am and I get to play around with re-inventing myself. Days like today are what make modeling so special.

Love always,
Mia

My day started out like every other lazy Saturday; rolling out of bed, bumming around the apartment and watching some meaningless television in the afternoon. I felt like a couch potato. All it took was one phone call to change everything. My friend from New York called; she was in LA and thought she’d surprise me. We made plans to go bar hopping downtown, starting at The Standard Hotel. It’s my favorite hangout spot. I texted a few other friends about later and finally left my comfy couch and dashed to my closet to figure out what to wear that would impress my friends.

I didn’t want to be overly fancy and wear a cocktail dress because I knew there would be plenty of those types walking around downtown. I was aiming for a look that would make me feel comfortable, yet chic, like a tight-at-the-waist dress and a flowy bottom. I finally settled on my black and purple sleeveless dress from Betsey Johnson that I bought with a friend a couple years ago. It felt good that I still fit it. I wanted to enhance my petite size with heels, and to make me look leaner, so I grabbed my black lacey shoes, also by Betsey Johnson, and laid everything out on my bed. I tend to do my makeup first and then change into my outfit, that way I don’t get powder all over everything.

It was wonderful seeing my friend again and hangout as a group like we used to. Both of our lives have been so hectic with work, school and meetings and now that we’re coasts apart we haven’t been able to sip Cosmopolitans and catch up on life, like we used to do. Sitting on the rooftop overlooking downtown Los Angeles at The Standard was the perfect way to reconnect. I knew I chose the right outfit when one of my girlfriends couldn’t stop admiring my lacey shoes. They were such a perfect compliment to the dress and everyone couldn’t help but notice my style. She even wanted to try them on! I was kind of glad when one of the girls suggested that we stay at The Standard instead of bar hopping around town, because I didn’t want my nice Betsey Johnson shoes to get damaged…

Despite my best efforts I still managed to get a drink spilled on my dress. Luckily, it wasn’t a large amount, but it did stain at the bottom. Even though I wasn’t happy about it, I wasn’t going to let it ruin my evening. Ironically, the drink spilled on me when my friends and I were talking about where I got the dress. I guess someone in the crowd really didn’t like Betsey Johnson! Whatever. I still felt chic and sexy. While an outfit influences a lot about my mood, being surrounded by my friends is what made the evening so perfect.

Love always,
Mia

Everyone has a daily routine, right? One of the things I look forward to when I wake up in the morning is looking out of the window and checking the weather for the day. Living in Southern California, you always have to be prepared for a sudden heat wave or an unexpected shower. Not only does the weather affect my mood, but it also determines my outfit for the day. In three days I’ll be flying home to Germany, and I knew that today was going to be busy. I needed to run errands and get my life organized before I left. I was super excited!

Usually, when I need to run around the city my upmost priority is comfort. Although I have no problem running around in heels and a cute sundress, I would much rather be wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Besides, this gave me an excuse to wear my favorite, comfy sneakers. I grabbed my black DKNY jeans that not only make my petite legs look somehow longer than they are (I’m only 5’5), but they also sit nicely on my waist and I don’t have to wear a belt.

Usually I wouldn’t wear dark-on-dark, but I had no choice but to put on my last black T-shirt, since I’ve been so lazy lately with at least a month of laundry piled up. It’s a habit of mine to wear at least one piece of jewelry every day, so for added spice I decided to put on my jewelry from last Halloween: a large, gold, dangly necklace that I always got compliments on. I never leave the house without earrings, and I decided on small, gold hoops. Before I left the apartment, I did my usual stand-in-front-of-the-mirror routine, smiled to myself, and dashed out the door.

Throughout the day, I couldn’t have been happier. You know that feeling you get when you know you’re about to go on vacation and NOTHING can bring you down? Well, that was how I felt all day. Being in my favorite jeans and T-shirt relaxed me, and I wasn’t worried about impressing anyone and I truly felt like I had the day to myself. I’m glad I wore my Converse sneakers because I’m always in heels or sandals and they really made me feel relaxed. Every now and then a girl has to wear socks! My gold accessories really boosted my casual wear, and it’s amazing how much jewelry can change your look! I realized that wearing eye-catching accessories on top of dark colors really transforms a look.

As a girl, it’s important to spend at least one full day on your own, just to catch up on life and do what you want without a care in the world. Thanks to my comfortable outfit, I had a really productive day and managed to strike everything off my “To Do” list, including my laundry!

Love always,
Mia

When I woke up this morning I had only one thing on my mind: the chance of a lifetime. In just a few hours I would be interviewing for my dream summer internship! I had a big day ahead of me, and I knew I had to look my professional best. As I opened the door to my closet, I went straight for the chic business suit that has been waiting for this day to come. I have only worn it once, when I first tried it on, so taking it out of my closet and off the hanger instantly made me look forward to my day.

I usually don’t have much of an opportunity to wear business attire, and I was excited to finally strut my stuff. While finding the right shoes was a piece of cake, matching the right jewelry was a challenge. I’m really picky with my bling and I need my accessories to enhance my outfit, not overpower it, especially, today. After a battle with my jewelry box, I finally settled on pearls. When I was in Hawaii last month, I found these beautiful freshwater pearl earrings and I had several varying strands of pearl necklaces to complete my look. I view pearls as a way to portray casual elegance, which is exactly the look I was trying to achieve. One ritual I do every day is check myself out in front of my large antique mirror before I leave the apartment. Today, as I stood there, I was certain I looked good enough to impress my interviewer before I even say a word.

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Today was a day for me; a full day where I was able to relax and feel stress-free! Whatever I was going to do, I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I am surrounded by culture and history, so I decided to be adventurous and explore. Well, not so much explore, but rather do some research on museums or attractions close to the area and go. My parents had plans together and left early in the morning, so I was kind of looking forward to me-time. I found out that my town is famous for old castles that had been passed on from generation to generation, some of which are still available for public viewing. Castles are something that I don’t see everyday in LA, other than the Magic Castle in Hollywood, so I decided to spend the day back in time.

An adventurous day out and only having an overall destination in mind meant excitement! I wore a light blue jean skirt and a grey shirt with small sleeves. I knew I would be doing a lot of walking, mostly around the castle, so I decided to wear flats. I also didn’t want the constant clicking of my heels whenever I took a step on the wooden floors. I pulled my hair up in a ponytail, let the top down on the car, and zoomed whichever direction the navigation system took me. Okay, I’m not ashamed to admit it, I don’t exactly have the best sense of direction. But in my defense, anyone would get lost when driving through the fields in the middle of nowhere!

This may not have been the Magic Castle, but it sure did look magical! It dates back to 1450, and the family that owns the castle still lives there. Can you imagine? What I found most interesting were the paintings and a collection of the various wardrobes and dresses that were worn during that time, starting with the oldest and gradually becoming more modern. I noticed that dresses that date back to the 16th Century were puffier than those that were worn later – as well as paler skin and bigger wigs. It must have been so hard to even move in those wired dresses! As I stood there in my jean skirt and T-shirt, I began imagining what people back in the day would think of our modern outfits. I’m sure they needed at least two people to help them put their clothes on, and much more than 10 seconds to wear a dress.

There was elegance in every room. The largest room of the castle was the ballroom, where the walls were decorated with portraits of people in the family and their ancestors. As I listened to the history of this room, I imagined a crowd of people in their finest outfits, dancing and celebrating the night away. While this room is still being used today, I’m sure it doesn’t involve women in puffy dresses and big wigs. Hmm, it would have been interesting to experience such a time era, but I think I’ll stick to my jean skirt and T-shirt.

Love always,
Mia

Have you ever met someone who grew up with two very different cultures and currently lives in a country that is not her own? Well, now you have! My name is Mia Schiano, and I’m a Japanese-German graduate student currently living in Los Angeles.

I was raised speaking both languages simultaneously and only picked up English when I was 8, so I’m not too sure what my native language is. I have lived in over four different countries, Belgium being for the longest, but I have to say that I love being here in California. Nothing beats the weather and the palm trees. *wink*

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