Movie Characters Style that Inspires Me

Along with my love of fashion, I love movies! Back in the day fashion and movies had a harmonious  relationship! The clothes were impeccable, timelessly chic and seemingly effortless, you actually believed that the clothes the characters wore were their wardrobe. One of my best friends and I used to stay up late to watch reruns of Hawaii Five O so we could ooh and ahh over the fashion!  As movies evolved so did the role of fashion but not always IMO in the best way! I didn't pick the usual suspects .  Here are several iconic looks from some of my favorite movies of the past. Some of these movies I only watch for the fashion. My favs of the bunch are Charade, To Catch a Thief ,  The Getaway, Klute. Foxy Brown.   I won't list too many because I'm sure I will want to revisit this type of post in the future! .To Catch a Thief , Charade  The Getaway, A movie whose name I forget, The Getaway, One million Years BC, Foxy Brown, Klute( some of the hottest fashion ever) and  Black Mama/White Mama 

Photos of these actresses- Grace Kelly , Audrey Hepburn, Ali McGraw, Marki Bey, Ali McGraw ,  Raquel Welch, Pam Grier, Jane Fonda, and Pam Grier.

Celebration, Jubilation and Exclamation

Some one very near and dear to me graduated from high school with honors  last night. I don't often get a chance to spend time with her but I definitely wanted to be  there to  celebrate her accomplishments. Some time last week I did a post on  the search for the perfect dress,  as you can see from this post my outfit went in a totally different direction.  While  away for the weekend, I meandered  into Zara after spotting the perfect fringe handbag in the store window,  and this gorgeous ombre tank style dress caught my eye.  Then right across from Zara's I saw the perfect shoes to wear with my dress. Yes I know this is just an excuse to buy more shoes  I don't need  but it works!  I wish my memory card was here because these pics  don't do the dress any justice! I'm waiting for pictures from my family members but you know how that is it could be months! Yes I'm wearing the dreaded leggings but the dress is open in the front with a very short see thru cream underpinning and I'm not trying to expose my goodies or my thighs to the general public in that way! 

Outfit, Dress- Zara, Shrug (which has a belt so it's not really a shrug more like a vest)-,  Old Navy, Leggings- Hue, Shoes- Aldo, Headband- Fabric swatch from a store in L.A., Jewelry- my usual as of late, Hermes buckle bracelet and ivory bangles. 

Lazy Days by the Harbor

I love a three day weekend, it gives me an excuse to travel and visit random places that I would normally never go. I went to the new National Harbor in DC on Sunday to see it's offering. It's simply gorgeous and will definitely be a huge tourist trap with all it's restaurants and shops. Being that I was feeling quite lazy after a very late night filled with many drinks and foolishness I decided to keep the outfit very simple and easy. My bubble dress is very cute even though you can't see how it flares out because I'm sitting down. Please excuse how I'm sitting it looks horrible! You will probably see me in some variation of this outfit during the summer sans the shoes, normally the shoes would have some sort of heel. I love tank dresses but I don't love how my arms look in them so I wear a t-shirt underneath or a light cardigan type shrug on top. When it's really hot I expose the arms but it has to be 90 plus temperature wise!

Outfit- Bubble dress- Target, T-shirt- Michael Kors, Hat- Aldo, Jewelry - Hermes buckle bracelet, mother of pearl bangles, found in a jewelry box, heart earrings and necklace - a gift don't know where it's from. Shoes- sparkley flip flops from Macy's , Purse- Old Navy

Miami Rhapsody

I've been meaning to post about my trip to Miami for a couple of weeks but never got around to it. I only have one  picture of my outfits from the trip how that happened I don't know. I had a wonderful time, the weather was glorious , the food was delish and the clubbing was fun. Oh yeah I had some tasty drinks and did a little bit of  sunning and shopping  all in all a delightful trip. Packing was a nightmare because I always want loads of options but I don't want to lug a bunch of suitcases. I had to limit how many shoes which always creates issues for me. I did very well two pairs of heels, my traveling flats and flip-flops for the beach. It was blazing hot so I decide to keep my outfit simple. This is one of my standard summer looks. I know my hair is interesting but remember I said it was blazing hot! 

Outfit- Dress- Halogen, T-shirt- AA, Head scarf- some random brand, Shoes- Steve Madden and Glow- Miami Sun

Traveling in Style or Going for Comfort.

The perfect travel outfit  is something that always plagues me, what to wear ? I want to look stylish but I also want to be comfortable in case I have to  dash thru the airport or squish in a seat on the train. I don't want to be too comfortable ie mallrat/sloppy with sweatsuits from juicy with cropped pants, sparkly sunglasses atop my head  and Uggs nor do I want to wear some elaborate outfit and feel uncomfortable. One of my best friends always travels in heels even if she's wearing jeans or "sweatsuits" her outfits are more like 70's lounge outfits, I might have to see if I can find a picture, granted this the same woman who wore gold platform pumps to drop off packages at Fedex wearing her morning outfit, a some yoga style pants with a sheer white v-neck shirt, But that has always been her style and it totally works for her. She owns a very successful vintage store in L.A. so she does know her stuff.  Back to me and traveling ever since I wore lizard skin cowboys boots home from Mardi Gras (  LONG time ago)  and my feet were killing me I am definitely more careful with my shoe choices. I'm so bored with wearing ballet flats but that's always an easy answer. Because rain has been eminent all week I wore my trusty frye boots, my favorite jeans and my new chapeau.  Sorry for the crappy pic , still waiting on the new memory card. 

Outfit- tank top-Abercrombie & Fitch - from some discount store, Sweater, jeans - Old Navy, Boots- Frye, Hat- Aldo Accessories, Sunglasses- Fendi  and Jewelry - the usual suspects! 

The search for the perfect dress

Next week I have to go to a family member's graduation from High School. So I need something to wear to the graduation and the dinner afterwards.It would seem that a woman my age would have the perfect dress/es at her disposable. Something to throw on that is chic, and appropriate for family gatherings. Nah I sure don't, my wardrobe fits in to two possibly three categories. My disposable wardrobe that I wear to work. For the past few years I've been working with kids, so my clothes need to be comfortable and cheap. Paint, ink and dirty hands on your 300 dollar jeans or 600 dollar pair of shoes will make you homicidal.

Before that I worked in the Television and Film Industry , and was a freelance stylist, which translates to artistic type which means you can wear pretty much what ever you want. Next are my going out clothes , which are fun, sexy, flirty even a bit out there depending on my mood so not always appropriate for family gathering especially with kids. The last category is my hodge-podge of items which I had to have , love or need but don't necessarily fit into the other category. Like my black funeral pants and skirt. I go to an ungodly amount of funerals so I have to have clothes designated for that too, I recently added a new dress to that grouping. On a lighter note I'm torn between three dress , two outside my budget because I swore I wasn't buying anything new besides my bi-annual shopping trip to the Woodbury outlets before my trip to Las Vegas.

Plus I'm in the process of trimming down another one of my doctor orders. So expensive clothing noticed I didn't mention shoes are not in the cards right now. The third dress is a cute black dress from Norma Kamali which she designed for Spiegel, which is on sale right now. While I adore black I really want to wear a splash of color, that's where the other two dresses come into to play, one is orange and the other is pink. Perfect for a spring evening. Tentatively I've solved my dilemma I will get the Norma Kamali dress in Red. Which dress is your favorite?

Photo credits, Spiegel, Nordstroms, and Net-a-Porter

Latest Acquisitions

I stopped by the half yearly sale at Nordstroms to pre-sale the lizard Burberry platforms that I've been coveting all season and an impractical wallet which I had to have because I'm obsessed with leopard print. Well I could have pre-saled the shoes over the phone with my sales guy (who has been keeping watch over them for me) but I wanted to see what else was on sale. I'm shoe whore, love them all, heels, wedges, platforms , flats, espadrilles , boots, sneakers, etc, etc. I also don't care if they're super expensive or insanely cheap if I like them then I gotta have them.

I bought another pair of shoes and a dress but I can't find pics of either on the web. I lost my memory card for my camera so I can't take pics right now but I ordered one so it should be here soon. I have for the first time in my life put cap on how much I will pay for a pair of shoes. Boots, no cap  they're different entity. Right now I'm debating on whether or not to buy another pair of shoes I've been coveting or wait to see if they make it to the summer sales. Decisions, decisions what's a girl to do???

Rainy Day Blues

After a fun filled weekend with glorious weather, Mother Nature is back to her old tricks. As the torrents of rain splash against my window I knew I had to rethink my previously planned outfit of capris and a breezy shirt.  I settled on a tried and true outfit that has  gotten me through many blah weather days. This outfit allows me to introduce two of my favorite staples in my current wardrobe rotation, my flirt,  flare fit jeans from Old Navy and my brown harness Frye boots. 

The search for the perfect jeans is an arduous one no matter  your size; now add to the mix, thighs, a big butt and a few extra pounds around the waist, it becomes a daunting task. I stumbled upon my new favorite quite accidently,  my weekly trips to Old Navy ( for my disposable wardrobe more about that in a later post) and was instantly enamored with the color and it was true love once I realized the fit was perfect. I think I have four pairs presently.   

Next up are my well worn and loved  Frye harness boots. I bought these boots a few years ago when by doctors orders I was told no heels for several months after I strained my back. Aghast the horror I felt because most of my shoes are heels if you exclude sneakers and flip-flops ( I lived in SoCal for many years) so I needed a boot that would go with everything.  I needed it to be durable yet chic and these boots were the perfect match. I've worn them more often than I would like to admit and I see them as a long term staple in my wardrobe. I'm even eyeing them in black. I still like to think of them as one of my best purchases EVA! Thanks Doc 

Outfit- tank top some random brand the tag is gone, Shirt- sheer white henley , Jeans, Hoodie from Old Navy. Boots -Frye, Hat- Hollister , jewelry- an assortment of places. My ghetto fabulous  bamboo hearts, a  local jewelry store, wooden cuffs - found in old jewelry box, Necklace - vintage it belonged to my mother. 

Costume Institute Gala

I was seriously considering not reporting on the huge fashion event of the season. I was extremely underwhelmed with the overall outfits and lack of attention to the theme. This post will be brief. Here are the highlights for me,

How come I can't find any images of girls like me

Part of the reason I started this blog was the lack of information and images of plus size woman especially ones of color on fashion related sites. My sister was reading my blog last night; my post on summer inspirations, and asked why all the girls were so skinny and where the girls that looked like me. No my sis isn't young nor is she naive but she has a valid point. Try as I might, save Lane Bryant catalogs ( whose clothes aren't exactly my style ) please click on the link to see the denim offerings. My next post will be about a rainy day outfit and how I found my new favorite jeans. I rarely if ever see plus size woman of color in print. Once in a while Essence will have some , but it isn't a monthly thing. So I will go on a search to see if I can find some images for my next inspiration post! Ashley Stewart just started the online shopping site so here's a pic . for my sis

Summer Inspirations

Easy, breezy summer looks!















I want to be cool and relaxed for summer, these images are speaking to me. I wish Louboutin actually produced this shoe for his stores, I would be the first in line to buy them. I love the short white Isabel Marant dress so much that I ordered it. I want to wear my hair exactly like the girl in the pic with all the headbands and twists in the back. Such a cute but chic way to wear your hair in extreme heat!

Steamy Nights in B-More!

An impromptu trip out of town had me throwing an outfit in a bag and hitting the road. Dinner, drinks and merriment were the theme of the evening. I don't think you can go wrong with black & white outfit. The shirt has a few jewels on the neckline adding a bit of sparkle. I did forget an important part of the outfit, my foundation, more about that in a later post.I had a denim jacket/blazer that I wore over the outfit , which isn't pictured.
I'm not really all that happy with how the pictures came out, but what kind of blog would this be if I only showed flattering pictures of my trials and tribulations. I included two pics of the outfit so you can see the pants, one picture is post a surprise rainstorm so excuse my hair. Additional pic of my shoes, which despite the height are some of the most comfortable pair of heels I've worn in a while. I was able to run across a major street in the rain without any discomfort. Amazing really!

Outfit,Shirt- Vera Wang for Kohls, Pants- Context, and Shoes Michael for Michael Kors. Headband -Eyelet fabric from some fabric store in L.A. not pictured Denim jacket from Old Navy.