It may have been a packed house at RA Sushi's happy hour, but Laura Almalel was a standout. The 45-year-old financial adviser for Fulton Financial likes to stand out from the crowd, when she's on her own time. "At work, I dress pretty conservatively. I wear suits. But I try to push it a little bit by wearing some really stylish shoes. ... Off work, I like to be a little bit more fun." We think the Annapolis resident got it just right.
Gray rayon one-shoulder Blaque Label knit top. Dark wash skinny 7 For All Mankind jeans. Gray leather over-the-knee Sam Edelman boots. Louis Vuitton clutch. Rolex watch. John Hardy gold and silver dangle earrings. White gold, diamond and ruby ring.
She found the top at Paradigm in Annapolis. The jeans were purchased at Nordstrom. Her boots came from Cusp in Georgetown. She found the clutch at the Louis Vuitton store and the earrings at Radcliffe Jewelers, both in Towson Town Center. Her watch and ring came from Italy.
"I think people are too afraid to do something out of the norm. I like to be different. I grew up being different. Being Filipino, and growing up in Prince George's County, I was the only Asian in my school. I got used to it. It's kind of fun, too. ... I don't follow too many trends. ... I'll take old pieces and mix them with new pieces. ... If I'm going to a black-tie function, I'll almost never wear a black dress. I'll wear a print or fuchsia, or some color, so I'm not lost in the sea of black dresses."
"I shop all over. I love Georgetown. I love to travel, so I do buy clothes when I travel. I just hate to have something on that someone else has on. I look for things that are unusual or different. ... I don't shop as much as I used to because I wised up a little bit, but I do believe in retail therapy. You know, if it's gloomy out, I can be persuaded to shop."
"I just love to play dress-up, I guess. My girlfriends tease me and call me 'Princess Laura.' ... I have all these fabulous dresses, and I'm not going to go to a lot of black-tie functions, so I'll still wear them just going out. ... But I'll put a jean jacket over them, or wear boots instead of evening shoes."
"Some people are totally label snobs. But I'm not. I can mix a nice piece from BCBG with something from Forever 21. ... It's funny because most people think I'm covered in designer clothes. It's how you carry yourself. You can make anything look good. Expensive, even."