The Allure of the Abstract

I have a deep attraction for all things abstract— well maybe not all things, but many things abstract: artwork, furniture, you name it. When it comes to clothing, the same holds true. I love weird shapes, abstracts designs, geometric patterned anything! So when I saw this awesome design by Dolce and Gabbana I had to have it— have the photo that is.

My love for abstract can sometimes be irrational. Once I found this gorgeous paisley purplish-blue short at a chic resale shop and fell head over heels in love. I wore it a lot— even for my high school senior pictures. Some years later I realized the shirt was a large— wayyyy to big for me. How did I not notice that it was practically hanging off my body before? Well, I guess love is truly blind. Today, it's tucked away in a tote. I may pull it out again one day....to use as a maternity shirt :-)

Spring and Summer shoe trends

weWith the warm weather approaching we can certainly expect to see more legs and feet. Already flip-flops, strappy sandals, and flats are starting to reappear. Expect to see more in the following months. Here are a few looks I think are fashionable all-around great looks for this season:

Thong sandals
Whether it's a classic white sandal or a bold, fancy embellished one, sandles are the ultimate comfort shoe.






Ballerina flats
Cute, comfortable, and so chic, these are like accessories in and of themselves.




Strappy high-heels
It makes the perfect arch look even better, and when paired with the right bottom can really enhance the look of your legs as well.





Wedge Heels
Now, I'll admit, it took me awhile to come around to wedge heels, but they can look great when worn well. A mid length full skirt is a particularly nice compliment to a pair of wedge heels.

Color Me Beautiful

We've moved away from the icy chills of winter and into the warmth of spring. Some retailers are featured muted earthy tones as spring fashions. Goodness knows I hope that's the exception.

C'mon people! I know the world's not in the best of economic times right now, but it's okay to still be vibrant-- in spirit and attire. Bring back the BRIGHT colors and tones. I want to see more color this season. Florals never get dull either.

Bridal Dresses from Around the World

I've been anticipating the wedding of a dear friend for months now. I've even had Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love" stuck in my head for awhile. In light of my friend's wedding this upcoming Saturday, I've decided to take a look at wedding attire from across the globe. The classic white wedding dress is anything but boring, but I wanted to take a look at those things not so white and traditional for a change.

1) Japan

The girl pictured is a friend of mine. She's modeling Japanese matrimonial attire so, no, she's not actually getting married.



2) Middle East: Saudi Arabia

This gown is called a "Henna Dress" and is reflective of the elaborate Middle Eastern fashions. Could emerald green look any more striking?!



3) Africa

Certainly more subdued that Saudi Arabia's style, but certainly elaborate in it's own right, I certainly remember African bridal attire for the headpieces if nothing else.



4) Hungary

This traditional Hungarian wedding attire is reflective of the early 20th century.


5) India

Elaborate jewelry, facial rings, hands decorated in complicated henna patterns, Indian bridal fashions are lively if not downright flamboyant. Gotta love it!

Hair it is

The Black race is made up of many ethnicities— Black-American, Jamaican, Haitian, African, West-Indies— the list goes on. One trait we share is our hair texture. Black hair is generally kinky. While many find maintenance an inconvenience and a curse, we can pull off certain looks like no other ethnic group. Our hair is one outlet in which we can express ourselves.

One of the most notable ways we showcase our style is through braids: dreds, twists, locks—there are so many ways to be unique. My younger sister is one of those talented people who can do such intricate designs. I also had a friend in high school that was so good she could braid a person’s name into their head. Talk about personal style! Some designs are absolutely amazing.

Here are a few of some unique ways that show style as expressed through hair.

Men's Fashions

People love to give labels. So if you believe in the rise of the metrosexual—which, of course, is just another way to say a (straight) fashion-conscious male— then you might be happy to see some of the trends that have developed in men’s fashion. Here are a few of my favorites.

Men who aren’t afraid to wear pink. If the color fits, I say wear it. Some men pull off the color exceptionally well.



The Ascot. How utterly classy is this? I absolutely love the look, and I’ll even wear it on occasions myself.



The skinny tie. I suppose this is reminiscent of the 1950’s, 60’s maybe? I’m glad to see it’s coming back around. A tie clip makes for the perfect accent.

That's so Vintage

I have a very small archive of digitally scanned images of my loved ones, but a few of the one's I've made are good of showing for fashion purposes. Back in the day it seems people were so effortly fashionable.

Photo 1:
My late grandmother was a very fashionable woman. That's her on the far left. I don't know what color the two-tone dress is, but I love the accent the long single strand of pearls make. My guess is this photo was taken in the 70's or 80's.


Photo 2:
Everyone looks so prim and proper here. If they were going for the librarian look, I think they nailed it. Again, that's my grandmother seated on the far left.



Photo 3:
In this third picture is Ida, my 89 year old friend and family's former landlord. Ida is shown in the center. As you can see the picture's old! My guess is this photograph was taken in the 1930's or so. I love the hats in this picture.

Fashion Through the Ages

I love looking back at historical fashion and seeing just how much it's evolved over time. After attending a fashion show last night that had a theme of "Revolution" and a brief look back in time, I decided to take a look at some of these insirational pieces. Some of which are on the rebound, others are always in style because of their timeless quality, and some hopefully will remain dead and buried.

FASHION IN THE 1920's

Twenties fashion took a while to grow on me, but now I have to say that I appreciate the quaint hats, delicate gloves, and shimmery flapper girl outfits that are so reminiscent of the time.



FASHION IN THE 1930's and 1940's

It's always been that men and women's clothing reflected their social class. The impressive 3 piece men's suits with the chain-linked stopwatch always stick out in my mind as such an example of splendor among the upper class. Despite the Depression, fashion was by no means dead.


FASHION IN THE 1950's

Who can forget the power of Chanel or Marilyn Monroe. The hoop dress and poodle skirt are iconic. I love the elegance of 50's fashion. If I had to pick the decade of best fashions, this would be it.



FASHION IN THE 1960's and 1970's

Short hair (for women), platform shoes, Andy Warhol, bellbottom jeans. How can you run out of great things to say about this revolutionary period? Just groovy baby!




FASHION IN THE 1980's

Definitely what I consider to be the worst fashions of the century, and yes-- horror of horrors-- some of it is trying to make a comeback. Big hair, mullets, leggings with oversized shirts. Only a very small minority can actually pull some of those looks off.




FASHION IN THE 1990's

I can vividly remember 90's fashion all too well: lot's of denim, vests, big clunkly belts, neon colors. Still carrying 80's baggage, we eventually moved to a more contemporary "modern" effortless look. Thank God for change at last!