Style Post: Blue Cut-Out Dress.

"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences." -Audre Lorde

I've found myself in a bit of an Afrocentric vibe lately, and my style has definitely reflected that. In this look, I took this short dress with cutouts (which I found at the thrift store) and added bold accessories to make the look better fit my style. The big elephant necklace and turban headband each add elements to this look that are more Afrocentric in nature.

Style Post: Peter Pilotto x Target Look 3.

Beanie: Forever 21 / Top: Peter Pilotto x Target /  Jeans: old / Shoes: Go Jane

“So soon as a fashion is Universal, it is out of date.” -Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach

If you aren't paying attention to what's going on in the fashion world, then you can find yourself completely out of the loop in like 2 months. I'm talking, you're wearing shit that absolutely no one is checking for. Fashion never stands still. It's a constant race to see who can be most cutting edge and fashion forward. And season after season, we get something new to swoon over and talk about. But there are only a few that are willing to be the guinea pigs and go out and sport these new looks. And then the people that were paying attention follow suit. And then it gets to a point where everyone's caught on. And by that time, designers and fashionistas have been on-to-the-next for months. It's weird like that, huh?

Anyway, this is one of my favorite looks that I put together from my Peter Pilotto x Target items. :)

Vintage Inspired Jewelry from J Crew x LuLu Frost.

With pieces ranging from $98 to $440, this is certainly not a value-priced collection...but it is gorgeous stuff to say the least.  A very vintage inspired collection from LuLu Frost for J Crew. If interested in seeing more, head to jcrew.com.

Melody Ehsani Lookbook.

So I was just on Melody Ehsani's website, which I frequent from time to time because she's awesome, and I saw she put out a lookbook for Holiday 2012. I clearly missed the memo, but take a look at it, and get familiar. She designs awesome accessories and has cool collabs like her snakeskin sneaker with Reebok and her adorable nail wraps with NCLA. I personally want everything.

Her jewelry is a wee bit on the pricey side, but still affordable for a working woman. She has lots of cool lazer cut jewelry, but recently she's had a gold fixation, creating bold statement ID necklaces, "diamond" rings, and a huge adorable championship ring.

Check out the lookbook below and visit her site for even more adorable pieces.

Outfit of the Day: Multicolor Sweater

New H&M Digs: Maison Martin Margiela x H&M Dress, Quilted Oxblood Top, and more.

One of the best stores to shop at for trendy clothes at a decent price is H&M.
Now if only you could order online...then it would be serious trouble for everyone's wallet.
I picked these up around the New Year, and they're some of my favorite new things.

1. Large statement necklace with a black, green, and yellow color combination.
This necklace warms my heart. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it, and apparently I wasn't the only one. I don't know if the sales associate was trying to spread some holiday cheer or what not, but she certainly gave me her employee discount for no reason...other than the fact she was really excited I was buying this necklace. #schwing. It was $35, which was a tad more than I'd normally pay for a necklace, but I mean, look at it.

2. Quilted oxblood top. 
Oxblood was a choice color this F/W. It's a rich, unusual, and a little harsh, but I love it. I really appreciated quilted things this season as well, so this top was the perfect mixture.

3. Maison Martin Margiela trompe l'oeil evening dress from S/S '96.
[Trompe l'oeil is the art of using realistic imagery to create a 3D illusion.] Anybody that follows this blog knows how I felt about the Maison Martin Margiela H&M collab: Hella excited. Finally got my hands on a piece of the collection (this is actually my second piece, but the first that I decided to keep. I got the bodysuit first) and I'm really happy about this choice. It's a floor length evening dress with the image of a grey sequins dress printed on it. And it's cool because you are indeed quite casual, but it looks hella fancy.  I like it because it's perfect for all weather and is versatile.

4. (Mens) Love + Regret color block tee 
While I was shopping it up, I grabbed a simple color-block tee for my boy. He keeps it quite fashionable too. So for the winter, this will most likely be paired with a zip up hoodie, maybe maroon or navy.

New Digs: YSL-esque Rings, Glaze Heel-less Booties, and more.

I adore these rings. I bought a red ring like the ones above and fell in love with it immediately. It's just so bold, so I had to find more colors. When you're wearing them, you don't need any other jewelry on your hand..or you wrist really. It's modeled after the Yves Saint Laurent arty gold-plated glass ring.

The Glaze heel-less booties are one of my favorite purchases. They're hella tall and I can walk in them without looking disabled, which sounds like winning to me. I like winning, it's fun.

The Hello Geeks iPhone case is just for fun. I like the slightly annoyed expression he's wearing. Reminds me of myself at times.

And the hospital that I work at has jewelry sales twice a year where a buyer comes out and brings all his stuff. Everything goes for $5. It's where the majority of my statement necklaces come from now because everything is unique and it's a hell of a deal. The two necklaces below are from there.

Glaze

Hello Geeks

Statement Necklaces.

1. Shourouk Gilda Silver Plated Swarovski Crystal Necklace 2. J. Crew Three Station Crystal and Bead Necklace 3. Marni Crystal and Paillette Confetti Necklace 4. Lulu Frost Demeter Collage Resin and Glass Necklace 5. Oscar de la Renta 24-karat Gold-Plated Leaf Necklace 6. Eddie Borgo Gold-Plated Triange Necklace

This is one trend you don't want to miss out on. I want to see every one of you fabulous people in beautiful bold necklaces this season! How fun is this? I mean, foreal?

Whether you're wearing a nice blazer, a tee, or a sweatshirt, it will accent anything you have on. Giving it a very decent bit of interest. However huge, sparkly, and/or spikey, get your necklace groove on.

While all the necklaces in the first set are dope, they're hella pricey. Refer to "The Bold Look for Less" for a more realistic view. I tried to keep it under $100, but Betsey Johnson made me go against my word. :)

1. Betsey Johnson Morocco Adventure Necklace 2. Melody Ehsani Hologram Necklace 3. ASOS Lion Head Necklace 4. Forever 21 Geo Spikes Necklace 5. Kirna Zabete for Target Blue Diamond Dust Ball Necklace 6. Rocks Paper Metal Crystal Tear-Drop Bib Necklace 7. Go Jane Tribal Bead Necklace