In Living Color

Me: Hey boo
Friend: Wow that is a Jamaicany ass outfit!
Me: Sure is!

I always have to stop myself from wearing all the colors and prints all together, unless it works of course. I’ve already talked about how much I love bright color blocks in general but especially for work. Since I started my new job about a month ago, I’ve been breaking out of go-to outfit syndrome and dressing much better. I’m working with marketing/creative folks now and the dress code is much more casual. Give my wardrobe frrrrreeee! Also helps that I finally got my life together and organized my closet! Blazers, collard work shirts, other shirts, pants, dresses, work dresses. Makes it simple to get ready in the morning.

Blazer: Pixie Market | Tank & Pants: H&M | Shoes: Vintage | Bracelets: Orese

A Little Extra

Shoes & Shirt | NastyGal

Pants | Zara

The more style posts I do the more I've come to the realization that most of my cloths are old. One of my co-workers is always telling me that "my closet must be deep!" While I sometimes indulge in the latest style trends, a lot of my go-to pieces are, well OAF (old as f*ck).

This Nasty Gal shirt I cherish. It's comfortable and just revealing enough for my casual weekend activities. The skin is showing, but not bare. I love that. Style in some ways defines who you are, it's revealing in that way. I could have easily put on a t-shirt, but then I would have had to change my jeans, one wrong move and hello butt cheeks.

This year I welcomed these Nasty Gal shoes into my world of tried-and-true wardrobe staples. Just as I said in this post I love having pieces that take away some of the "work" while getting dressed, this shirt and shoes are definitely two pieces that make it easier to do a little bit extra on lazy weekend days.

Photos by Kent Williams

The Sweet Spot: Bohemian Weekend Wear #lastdaysofsummer

Every woman needs a couple of dresses that she can throw on and most of the work is done. She should look put together, feel comfortable and sexy. It is one of my secrets to keeping my style simple.

I love dressing in between: not too dressy but a tad bit over dressed. This is my sweet spot. Not to mention I don't believe in wearing bras on the weekend and this dress is a bra-less dream. Everything I'm wearing is fairly old, I'm trying to save money to finish up a few projects around my condo and support my juicing habit. Not sure why I haven't worn all these things together before, they are a match made in my bohemian dreams.

PHOTOS BY KENT WILLIAMS

Jewelery: Jewel Mint

Bag: www.taridc.com/

Dress: Nasty Gal 

Shawl: LF

Shoes: www.lozamaleombho.com/

Wardrobe Essentials: My Top Three Picks for Summer Sunglasses ft. Warby Parker

I was not always a sunglass person. I'm weird about wearing things on my head and face, more evidence that I am turning into my mother. At some point I stopped wearing crazy big earrings and lots of jewelry and opted for a more toned down look. Honesty, I went natural and my hair became an accessory to my style and I started paying more attention to other details like sunglasses.

These three styles aviator, tortoise and round lenses are versatile and will bring value to your  summer wardrobe. All of the sunnies are from Warby Parker. First, can we talk about how their awesome philanthropic work is creating jobs and helping to provide glasses for people all around the world? They have distributed 1 million pairs of glasses to people in need. When you buy a pair, you give a pair. Pretty freaking cool. The summer collections are classic and colorful. Not to mention the variety is stellar.

Check out all the Warby Parker sunglasses.

Aviator: Classic

I have two pairs of aviators. Shamefully they are not the best quality but I have to have them. They look good on everyone and they are classic. I'm wearing Ranskin in Polished Gold and these babies do not skimp on quality. They are fashioned from Japanese ion–plated titanium. Can you say BOSS?  They are classic frames that will go with literally anything and are perfect for this androgynous look. If you get one pair of glasses, aviator is a great choice.

Tortoise: Style Elevator

I’m wearing the Banks in Sea Smoke. I love me some tortoise frames and the contrast here is killer. There is something glamorous about tortoise for both men and women. The structure on this frame makes them a classy statement and effortlessly stylish. Tortoise is like a blazer; it’s a style elevator. Get into it.

Round Lens: Casual Style

Warby offers many sunnies with rounded lenses in fresh colors. Minnie from the Spectrum Sun is one of my favorites. Spectrum Sun feels minimal but still offers a nice pop of color, which is essential for the summer and they had me at Eucalyptus. I have on Quimby in Absinthe. They are very similar to Minnie just a slightly brighter green perfect for a weekend color block. Round frames come off more casual and these frames are so fun and provide great contrast to a colorful summer outfit. 

What are your favorite shades from the Warby summer collections?

How to Wear a Bow Tie: Matching Denim

Denim is definitely one of my go to wardrobe staples. I keep coming back to this outfit in various ways because I know it works for me time and time again, it's a great casual look but I still feel dressed up. 

I especially love making denim bow ties. When I create a collection I like to make a sample or two first, to see how well it holds the knot and what shapes looks best. This tie is from my newest denim collection that will be out at the end of July. This particular tie is a vibrant blue with a strong pinstripe, which I LOVE. This will be great casual as I am wearing in this photo set but also a bit more dressed up as it does not look like denim until you are close up. More info on the collection coming soon.

Denim Pinstripe Bow Tie

Sunglasses: Warby Parker | Shirt: H&M | Pants: Target | Bag: Urban Outfitters (old) | Shoes: Zara (old)

Uniform: Denim on Denim

Most people have a go to outfit that they put on when they are short on time or just don’t feel like putting something together. For me it is denim on denim. I am constantly reinventing ways to wear my denim uniform and last week as I ran to dinner after work I threw this number together.

I went back to the early 2000s with this hair. I stayed with braids in my hair and this braided bang was my go to. My hair feels "done" with this easy style with almost no effort and well... I have a big ass forehead so a bang is never a bad look for me. #fivehead

These sunglasses are so bad ass. I bought them because they remind me of my grandma, she was fierce y'all. Can't wait to rock them with a big ass fro. Do not even try to fix your lip and tell me ANYTHING when that happens. I will be that bitch yelling "freeze sucka" and you better do what I say. I feel like I have super powers when I have them on.

Anywho, here are few pics I was able to capture before the sun went down. I know I can't be the only one who has a uniform. Do tell!

 

Top | Old Navy, Blazer | Zara, Jeans | Target, Shoes | BCBG, Necklace | Pixie Market, Bag | Vintage, Sun glasses | Pixie Market

Creative Collective

On Sunday I took a break from binge watching Game of Thrones to take part in a graffiti artist collective project hosted by Words Beats & Life, HiArts and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It was a daylong mural jam featuring the work of many artists on a 990-foot wall.

I have always been in owe of graffiti artists and their ability to create pieces on such a large scale while still paying attention to the detail that gives each work of art so much depth. I loved seeing them working and it felt like a community. I will definitely have to come back and take more pics.

The area was vivacious and I felt very awake after a lazy day. Usually social events drain me but this gave me energy, as I knew it would.  I have found the best way to stay inspired is to be around other inspired people, especially those who are creators.  I’ve been making a conscious effort be around more creative folks in all-different art forms. For me it keeps the inspiration flowing. This week I have been fuelled by this energy. As I set out to create more I will definitely take you with me. Stay tuned.

If you are in the DC area and want to check it out it is located between 514-680 Rhode Island Ave NE behind the shopping plaza.

Cocktails with Claire

 H&M jeans and blazer, Thomas Pink Shirt, brownbelle bow tie, vintage lapel pin, Louis Vuitton clutch, BCBG shoes

follow me on instagram @brownbelle