Shifting Season Stripes

With less than 30 days left before its “officially” autumn, I’ve can’t help but dream of the upcoming sweater weather that will keep me from sweating like this summer has. Although I’ve spent the last couple of months inside, I’ve spent this time building out the summer-side of my wardrobe, all of which given how “unnecessary extra” my selections have been has a clear lean towards revenge dressing.

By now I feel like everyone knows about revenge dressing, either from recent fashion articles on the subject or just by simply participating in it,  however, just in case you happen to be unaware, this concept is basically an emotional response with fashion; usually attributed to events like a breakup, think Princess Diana’s dress that she wore after her divorce from Prince Charles.

For many of us who spent the last year and a half in loungewear coming out of quarantine has provided a greater stage for (unapologetically) stepping up our style to make up for lost time. As for me, I love a reason to dress up especially if it’s to mark a special occasion.

Two weeks ago I made a major decision that came with some changes for me, one of them being that I won’t have access to a computer for 2-3 weeks as I wait for a new one to arrive. This may not seem like a long time, but for a workaholic like me this feels like torture. So I’m taking the next two weeks to soak in the last rays of summer, with some style of course, in the form of a well deserved vacation before I move on to this next great venture. (Trust that I will be sharing that news as soon as I can.) And I figured that this dress would be perfect for this occasion, even more so as it has some major Beetlejuice vibes which is fitting as I’m already in a Fall/Halloween mood though it’s still way too warm for it.

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Something Old, Blue Yet New

One thing that I’ve been looking forward to since getting both doses of the vaccine is getting to attend events and reconnect with friends I haven’t seen in person over the last year so you can only imagine how excited I was to see that Sarah Chiwaya of Curvily was hosting a picnic in Central Park. At scoring one of the few tickets available for the intimate event,  I immediately started to do some shopping online to see what I could get together at such short notice.  I mean after a year of wearing mostly bralettes, loungewear, oversized band tees and pajamas, I figured a new statement piece was in order. That is until my mother presented me with a challenge – styling an old piece that I already own instead.

For context, I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to clothing. I think this is due in part to growing up fat during the 90s and early 00s it was borderline in possible to find anything worthwhile in my size (or bigger) so I would keep everything that fit regardless of whether or not I truly cared for it. The idea being that I just because I managed to find something once didn’t mean that I would again so I had to keep and take care of what I had. That being said, there are a few exceptions to this, like this dress. Continue reading

Talk 30 to Me (A Milestone Birthday Re-do)

Last year I turned 29 plus 1 by which I mean that birthday didn’t count since I spent it in quarantine. With the rollout of the vaccine and the number of cases going down each day, I figured it was safe enough to have a mini-staycation in the city with some friends for my birthday weekend. I reached out to my friends to see if this was something they would be up for, wrote up an itinerary with activities, booked a hotel room, and shopped my closet for outfits for the weekend. (And for the first time I actually didn’t over pack for a 3 day trip! I guess with age comes all kinds of wisdom even some for packing, hahaha.)

I had a blast with this “milestone birthday celebration re-do” that I simply had to share the experience with you. Giving myself this “get away” was an amazing way to recharge from being glued to the computer for work and such that I’ve found myself to be less anxious as a result, even today.  I’m hoping that  it inspires you to take some time off from working and disconnect for a staycation, be it solo or with friends/family.

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Spring Fantasy Cottagecore

Of all the trends that came out of quarantine life, there is one that I grew to appreciate : Cottagecore. While this is more of an aesthetic than an actual trend, it really took off over the last year and the appeal is totally understandable given how we’ve spent the last year.

The premise conjures up nostalgic images of tranquil moments of whimsical escape,  complete with frolicking in flower fields, and picnics with tea served on vintage porcelain. As one would expect, even within this aesthetic niches like cottagegoth, and witchcore (to name a few) have sprung up as well. Bringing a more dark and edgy vibe, these lean more towards historical,  romantic and sometimes fantastical elements via color palettes as well as folksy mysticism.  That being said, there are those who have argued that cottagecore is basically a glamorous extension to boho and I totally can see that given the similar color palettes and even prints. Bandanas and bandana prints,  for example, have made a comeback in fashion due to the rise of this trend, some even in very stylish ways as is the case with this dress.I first stumbled across this bandana dress while scrolling through Instagram, I was in awe. It’s a simple idea that is so brilliantly executed that I can’t help but wonder why we haven’t seen these before. Or maybe they’ve been around and I just haven’t noticed. Who knows, the point is that after I spotted it, learned more about the brand and the designer I knew that I must have my own in my two favorite colors.

Being a little extra with a  faux suede fringe handbag, sunglasses and platform creepers.

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A Caged Heart (feat. Black Thorn LA)

I’ve mentioned this before but I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. No, it’s not because I’m one of those “bitter single people,” I just find Christmas to be more romantic. (Maybe Hallmark is partially to blame for this, but who knows.) Although I must admit that being a chocoholic I do look forward to all the V-day chocolate so that’s something at least.

So as you can imagine rather than celebrate this “holiday” in the traditional sense, I tend to use it as an excuse to dress up in theme-inspired outfits, as well as a moment to treat myself. This year I’m combined the two and decided to  get myself something from a brand I’ve been wanting to try since they launched back in 2018 – Black Thorn LA.

Black Thorn LA is an alternative/spooky loungewear and sleepwear brand that carries both straight and plus size options, up to size 3X. It is also very affordable, as most of their products are $50 and under, however, this isn’t even the best part. No the best part is that both the straight and plus size pieces are priced the same! I just had to point that out because this is simply unheard of especially when it comes to plus size alternative fashion.  (And just in case you’re still looking for some alternative Valentine’s day “nightwear” definitely check out their plus size lingerie collection. They have some great pieces available including body suits, robes, bralettes and more.)

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