Style with Riva | What I Wore in London

The past month has been crazy good. I turned 30 and went back to Europe. I posted yesterday our travel in London, and mentioned that I'm posting what I wore in London. 

Disclaimer: You won't see any heels or cute sandals here. If you want to see how I style my sneakers and still look good, then I'm your girl. 

Before I start, can I just say that I did bring a cute pair of Madewell sandals on this trip. Only worn them once for 20 minutes before I suffered and said forget it. Ideally for pictures, yes oh my goodness, it would be so nice to actually wear them but I'm not gonna fool you guys. When it comes to traveling, comfort is my priority and style is secondary. 

You already saw from previous post what I wore in the plane. Just a simple Uniqlo long sleeve top and a pair of joggers from Tobi and my Ultra Boosts. I also don't carry a camera bag, cuz it just screams, "I have a camera in here!" So I use my Fjallraven Kanken and I have camera inserts that you can get from Amazon. 

On our second day, it got pretty warm so I wore this cute peach crop tank from Zara and this new pair of jeans that I bought from Primark for 13 euros. They're supposed to be mom jeans but yo, thunder thighs, so they look more like straight jeans. Ha! But I love it! 

I wanted to take these outfit shots in Notting Hill, but you can't really have everything. I'm so glad we took our time in Brick Lane and found this cute street and it just paired with my outfit so well. I love these Ultra Boosts. I wore them 90% of our trip especially in Italy which I'll be blogging soon. I just wish they were white but the gray color blends well too. 

I wanted to bring my Adidas Stan Smiths in this trip. They're not the most comfortable shoes but they definitely go better with any outfits than them Ultra Boosts. Just like I said, I wish my Ultra Boosts were white. Kev suggested to just buy a pair of white sneakers in Europe. Of course that's fine with me. Another reason for shopping! BUT if you tell that to an indecisive person who has a limited time to shop, oooh that's gonna be a challenge.

So my plan on the first day was to buy those white sneakers to wear for the entire trip but that didn't happen. Did I mention that I'm indecisive already? I freakin ABSOLUTELY regretted leaving my Stan Smiths. You know when I bought these white sneakers? Last day of our trip. Told myself, yeah, I'd buy them in Italy, nope didn't happen. So ladies, when you're traveling, if you see something nice, just buy it! My tendencies are to always look for the next store or the next block. The next thing you know, there's no more next! I actually didn't buy anything in Italy. Shocking right? Learn from me. 

So to console myself on our last day, I bought these pair of white Classic Reeboks. They're comfortable and go well with anything. Reeboks are everywhere in UK. Thought it would be a nice souvenir for me from London. 

This is the other way I styled my red scarf. I used it to tie my big bun. And look, it matched with the telephone booths. I wore my polo shirt cropped top from Tobi with my favorite Madewell denims and Transport bag. 

Travel with Riva | London

Dear 30-yr old Riva,

Age is just a number. Still keep dreaming and doing what you love.

Love, 30-yr old Riva

Never did we imagine that we would go back to Europe again this year. I turned 30 about a month ago. This was truly the best birthday present ever. You should know by now that Kevin and I love Europe so much. The art, history, the richness of culture and the old architecture, those are what we look for when we travel. And Europe is that. 

London is a mix of old and new. We all see it in movies. You get that old classic sophistication with a nice touch of modernness to it. 

We were in London for three solid days. I say if you're going to another country apart from London, this is a good amount of time to see London unless you want to go to museums (cuz it's free!) then I suggest staying longer. 

We arrived in the morning of the 16th and basically knocked some of the touristy sights down along the Thames River. Our Airbnb was literally a block away from Shadwell station so taking the tube is the way to go for us. Plus, it's super easy! Get the Oyster Card, download the CityMapper app and you're good to go. It gets pretty crowded in the morning and afternoon but as if that'd stop us from taking public transportation. Ha!

We were lucky we still heard the bell ringing cuz it's now silent for 3-4 years for renovation. 

Straight from the airport, we just dropped off our luggages and went exploring. I thought I could have at least freshen up and change clothes, but no bueno but it's okay. We went to Big Ben, Westminster, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Circus, Carnaby Road, and Tower London and Tower Bridge. To be honest with you, our first day in London was a blur for me. I remember drinking two espressos to stay awake that day. 

Our second day includes Buckingham Palace, Green Park, Notting Hill, Bond Street, Brick Lane and Financial District. We also rode the double decker bus to Notting Hill which I highly recommend!

 

 

Notting Hill is everything you'd expect on a beautiful quaint town is. The houses and the shops are too adorable. They have nice antique stores that are a must to go to. I even saw a vintage camera store that I regrettably didn't take a photo of. 

On our last day, Kevin and I met up with his cousin, Angela, and her friend Je and explored more of this wonderful city. We went to Covent Garden, Somerset House, Saint James Park, Royal Mews and went back to Tower of London. 

The phone booths are so iconic, I cannot not take a photo. They're everywhere too! And boy oh boy, look closely, and you see some unnecessary adverts. If you see it, good job, you actually read this! *I purposely left that untouched*

Our Top 5 Memorable Experiences in London (That You Probably Should Also Try)

1. We saw a fox running in London Eye. I kid you not. We thought it was a dog but no, it was a fox. What I was gonna say is, be mindful of your surroundings. Crossing the street could be trippy if you don't look down to check where to look. LEFT is right. 

2. Fish n Chips, English Breakfast, and tea, y'all should try it. Believe the hype, it's good. Once is enough though haha. 

3. Shopping at Primark. Yo, they're not joking about this store. We went to the big one on Bond Street and it was crazy packed. They have a lot of good stuff that are really affordable. I highly recommend bringing your patience and endurance. LOL. I bought a pair of jeans for 13 euros. DUDE.

4. Of course, we tried copying their British accents. Just believe in yourself, go with it even if you suck. Can I have some wotah pleaase?

5. I already mentioned this but ride the double decker bus. If you're going to a place that has the option for you to ride the bus, go for it. Saves you money, you see the city, it has some nice views = win! Since we're talking about transportation, ride the Metro too. When Kevin and I travel, we like using their train system to get around the city. You see, learn and observe so many interesting and fascinating stuff when you're around locals. You can read their newspaper for FREE. Just take one and read it. 

If we're going back in London, I definitely would love to see Hyde Park, Harrods, The Shard, and have some tea time party. 

Can you tell based on Kev's last photo that we got hella dark? And he wore the same shirt too, ha!

Anyway, up next is what I wore in London. I'll keep you posted.

Have you been to London? What's your favorite part?

Talk soon!

Style with Riva | Black & White

Happy Monday, friends!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I sure had a well rested one. Gearing up for our vacation next week. But Monday, here we go again! Are you like me who likes to dress up on the weekend and when Monday comes, I just throw in whatever. Sometimes I feel stuck. If you're stuck in your wardrobe option, if all else fails, you can always depend on a good black & white combo. I rock this 70% of the time. One of closet staples I highly suggest having is stripes. Whatever stripe combo it may be, stock on them. For me I like the even black & white lines. I also find the more black than white pattern slimming. 

I find that getting striped tank tops is also a good addition. Super useful on hot days when you want to throw in something easy and still look chic. I have this Zara striped tank that I got for 7 bucks. I could have paired this with a pair of black jeans or trousers but it was warm that day so I used my light washed distressed Gap jeans instead.  

A cardigan or jacket is a must in San Francisco. You should know that by now. Karl can be notorious sometimes. Our summer here is usually the foggiest so I brought my super soft black cardigan from Make it Good with me. 

This top has an asymmetrical cut at the bottom. I'd definitely go for a bit more form fitting for a stripe pattern like this the next time I get one. If it's not tucked in, it creates an illusion that you have bigger tummy. I think it's just the lighting though. Ha! Definitely had to belt this and I wore my oxfords also from Zara. Not the comfiest shoes I own but a few hours in the Mission for a burrito won't hurt me. I'd most likely wear my regular Stan Smiths if I'd ever wear this for work. 

Here are some basic cheap striped tees I scoured through the internet.

H&M bruh, V similar to the one I'm wearing, linen one, Madewell and this one wins with a built in bra!

Talk soon!