Tag: summer wardrobe

Yellow Flares

Written by Shakira on . Posted in Personal Style, Style. Leave a Comment

It’s been two whole weeks and your girl is still feeling some kinda way about the Game of Thrones series finale. I have so many questions for the writers of the show. What was the point of the crop circles from the Army if the Dead? Were there no scenes with both Cersei and Daenerys in the same frame? Y’all really gone play my girl Brienne like that? Bran the Broken though, REALLY?? Let me switch topics before the anger returns. Can we get into these comfy yellow flares?

You may recall seeing these pants before in a rust color here in a previous post. Stretch lycra fabric makes them super soft on your skin. The ribbed detail not only adds dimension, but also gives the illusion of length. To top it all off they are high waisted making them crop top friendly. This is right up my alley right now because my summer body is on layaway.

To compliment the ribbing on these yellow flares I chose a striped top. The chevron pattern and ruffled hem add some more movement to the look. The top is slightly cropped and goes perfectly with the high waistline. These pants are the perfect bottoms for me as I work off this belly weight gain and scar tissue from my surgery last fall. Pesky buttons and itchy zippers are no longer an option.

Being petite at a cool 5’3 I never waste an opportunity to appear taller, so I opted for a platform wedge heel. These white slingbacks are nearly 115 years old. All leather with a cork sole from Aldo shoes. If you’ve followed me for a while you know I LOVE their shoes. A simple white envelope bag and gold jewelry complete the look. These round sunnies were a last minute purchase from CVS because the sun was practically blinding during my shoot.

Hope you all have a dope weekend. Summer is here so let’s get out, off our phones, and enjoy ourselves!

Top//Marshall’s , Pants//Boohoo , Shoes/Purse//Aldo , Jewelry//Kmart , Glasses//CVS

Silk Separates + Platforms

Written by Shakira on . Posted in Personal Style, Style. 2 Comments

Although I know we still have seven weeks, I’ve always mentally associated Labor Day as the unofficial last day of summer. Before you chime in lamenting over summers end, let me tell you, I am #TeamFall one hundred percent. Being sweaty is not my cup of tea and these Philly heatwaves have me consistently trimming the curls I’m trying to grow out. Nevertheless, I’m going to enjoy the remaining days of summer; and now that I’ve finally unpacked all of my summer clothes, prepare to see some brights on the blog this month!

Follow me long enough and you’ll know I have a soft spot for thrift stores and resale shops. A recent trip to my local Buffalo Exchange in the mere twenty extra minutes I had before work proved to be the work of the Lord. You see, I’ve basically always worn these green silk pants with the same fuchsia top. I bought them both about five years ago from Zara solely because my wardrobe lacked any bright solid summer clothing, not to mention they were styled together on the mannequin.

From that point on, the green silk pants were always worn with the same fuchsia silk top… as a set. It has literally never occurred to me to wear the pieces as separates. That is until I stumbled upon the blouse I’m wearing in this post. I found this silk top for just $7 about a month ago. On the look out for the ever so popular chain link detail we’ve all grown to love from 80’s and 90’s fashion, this was a steal! I hesitated for a second, but the shoulder pads sealed the deal.

I decided to keep things comfy by adding the flat platform sandals I’d purchased to take on my honeymoon. I finished the look with gold jewelry, mirrored sunnies, and my current go to summer purse. Here’s to clothes that last and switching up your style routine by wearing pieces as separates more often… Happy Friday!! XO

Blouse//Thrifted , Trousers//Zara , Shoes//Zara , Purse//H&M , Sunglasses//Forever21

Ankara Skirt + Head Wrap

Written by Shakira on . Posted in Personal Style, Style. Leave a Comment

Recently I decided to take a stroll through Penn Center Suburban Station here in Philly and browse through the shops. There I discovered the CeCe Boutique. To be honest, I’m sure I’ve passed by many times before in my way to work but had never been inside.

However, this time the most beautiful skirts and wraps were visible from the window and I just had to stop. Today’s look features one of the two sets I purchased that day. Ankara designs are made using an Indonesian dye technique called batik on which cotton is waxed in such a way that the colors don’t spread across the entire fabric.

This creates the beautiful designs we see. This process, although developed in Indonesia and used by the Dutch, was made wildly popular in West Africa where the style eventually became exclusively associated with that region.

While many have begun wearing Ankara and other African inspired clothing as trendy, I pause before wearing anything of serious cultural importance unless I have a clear understanding of the ceremonial garb. These designs however,  are made to be globally shared.

I must say I’ve fallen in love with this style of dress. I especially like that the headwrap doubles as a bandeau top, which is perfect for our summer heat waves and trips to the beach. So how about you, have you worn Ankara fabric? If so, how are you styling yours?

Join the village