"Modestly Modifed Maxi"

This is probably the last summer post I will be doing this year. Temperatures are now in the 60s and the wind has picked up with an occasional all day rain fall. For my last summer post, I decided to take a chance and wear a skirt that I had not worn yet. I bought this skirt years ago but because the style had become way too popular, I never wore it. Nothing much behind my idea. I wanted this look to still remain modest while maintaining the sexiness of the look. I decided to modestly modify the skirt by wearing a pair of biker shorts so my whole thigh and crotch area don’t get exposed. The skirt is from Urban Outfitters and the tank is from H&M. The clutch is from the clearance section of American Apparel and the shoes are Jeffrey Campbell. I only spent 40 bucks on them but they are so fab I would have paid more for them. They boast genuine suede, multiple straps up the leg and a zipper up the back for the ease of putting them on. For accessories I decided on a gold slave bracelet, hoop earrings and a vintage inspired gold toned watch. My headband was one dollar at the beauty supply store. It adds a rockstar touch for some edge to this look. Now that you know about the pieces in this look, let me know what you think! Til Friday for another post cupcakes!! 💋

 

How to Tuesdays: Mix Trends into YOUR Style

With Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner being such style icons to so many these days, it’s hard to see what differentiates style from trends and fashion from style. Let me explain. Kim has obviously made a statement regarding her style. I remember the days that she would dress with much of her wardrobe based from stores such as Bebe and Aldo. Now it seems that she dresses in an array of basics in neutral colors. The basics could include (most spandex) midi and maxi skirts/dresses, tanks, tees, cardigans, high waist pants and minimalist jewelry. It seems that everyone has followed in her fashion footsteps (as it were). Most styles that are appreciated are those that incorporate her style which has now become an all out trend. So the question remains, how does one incorporate a trend into his/her own style without losing individuality? How can you avoid being just like everyone else that is following the “style” of one person?

MY DEFINITION OF STYLE: “YOUR personality expressed in what you wear”.

Wardrobe Foundation Basics:

Everyone needs items in their wardrobe that can easily make the basis for a fabulous outfit. These items would include (but are not limited to) tanks, tees (loose and fitted), graphic tees, camisoles, turtlenecks, jeans, pencil skirts and slacks and a pair of leggings.

What Is Your Favorite Color?

We all have that color that we are slightly obsessed with and that we love so much. How many of those colors d you have? What is that color? Decide what that color is and make sure that it is complimentary to your skin tone and that is “your” color. The color will do the job of making sure that your outfit pops and give it that edge in any type of setting or season. For instance, if you love orange, there are various different shades of orange. Bright orange, neon orange, pale orange, etc. Exactly which color shows up best on YOUR skin? you will have to do some comparing. I recommend going to the paint section of your closest big box retailer home improvement store and getting paint color cards for accurate comparison.

Accent Pieces:

Every outfit needs an accent. It’s like the finishing touch that we all need to sort of “top off” a look. You don’t need a lot but having variety is always the spice of life lol. I recommend an infinity scarf, a statement and an understated necklace, pearls, hoop earrings, stud earrings, statement earrings, a hat that you love and some great leg wear (stockings tights). There are other great things that can be used but it’s totally up to you. You can use variances. These are not the only pieces, of course you would possibly need a handbag but sometimes you may not…its totally up to you how you want to present your self.

Trend Shopping:

So these trends come and go and end up back around again decades (or just a few years) later. Do I think that it is not okay to choose an item that is trendy to wear? No, not at all. You will have to shop your trends. Just as you would go in the store and be very picky about what it is to buy, be just as picky on what items you would like to incorporate in your wardrobe. Don’t pick something that you really don’t like just because it is on trend. Make sure that it flatters your body size, shape and height. Fringe skirts may make someone that is under five feet look frumpy (this is just an example not an actual observation) so if this is the case, skip the fringe trend or maybe get a fringe handbag instead. Get it? Hopefully this all makes sense. Lastly, don’t buy anything that you are not DEFINITE about. Some things we see we think “I kinda like that” or “eh, maybe it will look better at home”. Don’t buy it! Don’t buy it just because you saw it on IG or Youtube. It may not flatter your tone, shape and make make you look stumpy.

Midi skirts are not for everyBODY. Some people should stick with maxi or mini while others should stick to midi length clothing or mini lengths. It all depends upon YOU. This means that you will have to do some research. Spend some real time figuring what works for you and play in your closet. I will give some ideas in Part 2. Really basic, but you get the point!

Till next time…bye cupcakes!

Almost "All Black Everything"

Raise your hand if you love a good sale! Okay well don’t really raise your hand, you might look a little crazy doing it. Lol. I happened upon a sale from Asos.com and let me tell you, that sale was the bees knees! There were so many great items available for below clearance-like prices. I was late to the sale and while much of the things I wanted were already gone, I was able to snag a cute black dress. The price: $14.99!!! Yes! I was so excited. I had another discount (10%) and saved a little more. Of course, since I am uber excited about the fall season, I put my foot down (to myself) and said that I was not going to wait any longer to wear my fall pieces. Hence, the inspiration behind this post. Back to my purchase, I didn’t have to wait long at all for my package (which made me even more excited) and I wish had been able to find more things (in my size) but…no bueno. My advice: if you can, keep an eye out for their sales because the good things go super fast!

My outfit is not really inspired by anything other than this dress that I was determined to wear. I love that it is still warm and wanted to wear Ankara print to compliment my outfit and “celebrate” the last bit of summer hanging around. I chose to wear one of my favorite pair of shoes, Ankara wedges by Aldo. These were apart of the “Julian Louie” collection from a few years back and I am just now wearing them. These were a hit and got TONS of attention. I chose a simple Justfab every day style bag so that the shoes and the dress got the spotlight. I popped on a dark lip “in honor” of fall lol and left the rest of my face pretty nude and glowy. Pretty simple right? Let me know what you think below and please stop by tomorrow for some helpful hints on building a wardrobe and finding your style! New OOTD Wednesday!

 

Almost "All Black Everything"

Raise your hand if you love a good sale! Okay well don’t really raise your hand, you might look a little crazy doing it. Lol. I happened upon a sale from Asos.com and let me tell you, that sale was the bees knees! There were so many great items available for below clearance-like prices. I was late to the sale and while much of the things I wanted were already gone, I was able to snag a cute black dress. The price: $14.99!!! Yes! I was so excited. I had another discount (10%) and saved a little more. Of course, since I am uber excited about the fall season, I put my foot down (to myself) and said that I was not going to wait any longer to wear my fall pieces. Hence, the inspiration behind this post. Back to my purchase, I didn’t have to wait long at all for my package (which made me even more excited) and I wish had been able to find more things (in my size) but…no bueno. My advice: if you can, keep an eye out for their sales because the good things go super fast!

My outfit is not really inspired by anything other than this dress that I was determined to wear. I love that it is still warm and wanted to wear Ankara print to compliment my outfit and “celebrate” the last bit of summer hanging around. I chose to wear one of my favorite pair of shoes, Ankara wedges by Aldo. These were apart of the “Julian Louie” collection from a few years back and I am just now wearing them. These were a hit and got TONS of attention. I chose a simple Justfab every day style bag so that the shoes and the dress got the spotlight. I popped on a dark lip “in honor” of fall lol and left the rest of my face pretty nude and glowy. Pretty simple right? Let me know what you think below and please stop by tomorrow for some helpful hints on building a wardrobe and finding your style! New OOTD Wednesday!

 

1997…

If you are into fashion like I am you know that one of the hottest trends poppin is the 90s trend. This trend like the others that have proceeded it, (the 60s, 70s and 80s trends) seem to most excite those that may not have been old enough to sport these styles when they originally hit the fashion world. I was old enough to wear both the 80s and the 90s style but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to to take the opportunity now to sport some fashions that I had back in the day.

I found this dress in my stash that my mom bought for me back in 1997. This dress is th e same slinky material that you find at online retailer Missguided but has decorative detailing on the bottom. It has a split up the side that (for the sake of modesty) I put some biker shorts underneath to detract a bit of attention. The chest area has a bit of a cowl neck and it fits like a glove. I got this when I was in high school and because of its stretchy material, I can wear it today lol. In the 90s shows like “In the House”, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Martin” were extremely popular and inspired many looks during that time. The button up blouse I am wearing reminds me of those fashions on those shows. I decided to wear the shirt as a long line, oversized blazer for a bit of a cover up. My necklace screams 90s and it’s simple enough to not clutter the outfit.

I’m not by far a trendy girl but I thought it would be fun to kick it old school. Let me know what you think and see you Monday for another post! Have a blast this weekend cupcakes!

90s Shirt: thrifted. Dress: old. Bag: American Apparel. Sunnies: eBay. Shoes & Bangles: Aldo. Necklace: eBay.

 

The Femininity of Plaid

So although summer is still hanging around, fall trends are upon us and we can all love on one of those trends: plaid. However, plaid is often thought of as masculine and some may not find a way to incorporate it into their wardrobe without the feeling like a…well, lumber jack lol. That’s understandable but making plaid feminine is actually possible.

The first thing that you can do is find feminine colors that compliment your skin color in this print. I personally chose the colors of pink, purple and turquoise. These colors create the most feminine but not too girly of a look if that makes any sense. The turquoise adds a nice balance. Next, decide what item of clothing you will choose in this print. I chose a button up shirt. The shirt itself is pretty masculine and continues to balance the feminine colors of the shirt. I decided on a solid color ankle pant that allows for my shoes to show. The solid color allows the shirt to take the shine and still compliment the entire outfit with another balance of color. Since my pants are ankle length, the nude color sandals that I am wearing (that match my skin tone) are able to show but the nude doesn’t detract from the “structure” of the entire look. I decided against a necklace. Side note: At first, I was going to go with a white chandelier necklace but I am going to save that accent for a future outfit with plaid. The bag is also seemingly masculine but is very appropriate for this look. Overall, the point is that small details can pull together a look. The plaid piece is what made this look more “feminine”. Let me know what you think of this look and stay “tuned” for another look Friday!

shirt & pants: thrifted. sandals: Steve Madden. bag: JustFab

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Simplicity & Sequins

Lately, not only have I been purging but I have also been simplifying my life. In harmomy with that mood, I’ve also been dressing the part which has made my style become more apparent (to myself). Fall is finally here…sort of, and I am excited to wear more clothes and create more looks. Skater skirts and dresses are fabulous on hourglass and pear shapes so I particularly love them as a basis for a great outfit. I paired this slate gray skater dress with tan belt for a contrast and my booties and necklace add more contrast as well as color. For a touch of glamour, I finished the fit with a sequined clutch I got as a gift from Julep. By the way, I’m loving this darker hair color! Let me know what you think of this look and see you back here Wednesday for another look!

{dress: Forever 21. watch: eBay. open toe booties: Urban Og. clutch: Julep. belt: thrifted}


Vintage Spirit….

 I bought a pistons tee back when the season was still going and had been waiting on a chance to sport my tee for a game, but it didn’t happen so I’m wearing it for this OOTD. This is a late summer fit and I can’t wait for the fall, so what better way to go out of summer than repping for the home team? Actually, since football season has started I’m still kinda, sorta repping for my hometown, right? Lol. Anyhoo, this shirt is vintage and when I’m done wearing it I plan to frame it as a part of my decor. The pants are some, that after months of hard work I can finally fit. The shoes are from NastyGal. These shoes, the “On A Level” heels are very popular but are killer on the feet. My feet were screaming for mercy. Good thing I had my flats! My sunnies are from eBay, very inexpensive. I wore a choker (that is very subtle) to support the nostalgia of my tee. I’m carrying one of my favorite bags for this summer, from Justfab. This bag allows for me to be a stylish mom and throw everything the kiddies need right inside. I’ve commented on this bag in previous posts, go through and check out the various looks with this bag.  In the meantime, check out the pics below and let me know what you think! 

Weekend Girl…

Impromptu Post…

We love Monday mornings….SIIIIIKKKKKEEEE! Ha! I love them because that means we are alive and up to live our dreams. Anyhoo, what gets me through some Mondays is reflecting on the fun and/or relaxation of the past weekend. I had an interesting and very difficult one but friends that are family to me helped me through it. Check out my pics from one of my outfits this past weekend. Aye! One time for the weekend! Lol. (sigh) Forget crying over Mondays, summer is almost over so I’m trying to soak up the heat wave we got coming! <insert cheers here>

*cardigan: meijer. dress: old. shoes: Forever 21.*

  

Closet Finds (Thrift Alert)

Lately I haven’t been thrifting because I am in the process of purging. That being said, I have been finding things in my closet that I haven’t worn. In particular, I found a pair of wide leg pants while thrifting last year that I had forgotten about. I centered my entire look around these pants. Not only are they on trend (although I am not a trendy girl) but they are perfect for the heat wave that we have been having in my area, not to mention a great transition piece into the fall season. I so ready for fall. Anyhow, they are cool and comfortable despite the fact that they are a polyester material and having no way to keep them up on my body. I could have used a belt to hold them up but that wasn’t the look that I was going for. They were on sale, I think that I spent about one dollar. I will be adding an elastic band to the waist or taking the waist in more than likely.  I decided on flats because I was considerably tired after a long few weeks (and I am still recuperating). The flats are super comfortable yet still stylish. I purchased these years and years ago from Forever 21. My look is simple but still has plenty of layers to it. Pictures are below, let me know what you think!!

[glasses: eBay. Bag: Justfab. Tank: Target. Necklace: Neon Wild. Pants: thrifted. Shoes & Bracelet: F21]