Color adds Character

Color can add character to what would have normally been a boring outfit. I love this striped colorblock Top by Derek Lam. It is from the DesignNation line at Khols. The patterns and color combinations are a bridge between imagination and style. Its like being bright without being too loud. Its days like these that I let my clothes do the talking...

Top: Derek Lam 

Skirt: Shopalamode

Shoe: Nine West 

Stylishly Passive

These earrings have easily become one of my favorite pair of accessory. They were a quick buy and I'm loving them. 

Earrings like these are great accessories to accent a casual outfit. To me, it's  a stylishly passive way of expressing different dimensions of who you are.

Summer Saturdays 

Top: H M

Linen Shorts: Banana Republic 

Shoes: from Marshall's 

 

Summer Nights: Dressing up My comfortable wear

For the summer nights I like to add a little spice to my causal wear. This is what i like to call, "dress up my comfy". 

I like to stay cool and stylish but not at the cost of being uncomfortable. So, for a night out on the beach,rendezvousing with friends, I wore  jeans cut-off shorts, with a tangerine colored shirt and wedge Bamboo sandals. 

The shorts were perfect for the hot and breezy temperature and the wedged heels were great for strolling on the boardwalk.  To "dress up my comfy", I added emerald green/ gold earrings and a multicolor sequin clutch.

 

Shirt: charlotte russe $5 Clearance 

Clutch: $3 on clearance 

Shoes: Bamboo 

Earrings: Khols $4 Sale 

Shorts: i made then from an old pair of jeans 

Blessings 

💛Amoi

Weather WEAR

I wore this  Get-Up on a dreary summer day in hopes that the sun would show it's rays. I wanted the sun to come out today! Not tomorrow :-)

So in my attempts to coax a change in the weather, I used my sense of style to change my outlook on the day. 

This afternoon called for florals and sunny colors; I chose orange blue and a floral pattern to compliment the weather I wished for. 

Top: Express 

Earring : Green Tree

Jeans: Mossimo 

Show: Bare Feet Shoes 

Built-in Accessories

I love clothes that are multipurpose! 

What I love about this blouse is that my accessories are already built in. There  is   a cluster of pearls neatly stitches along the neckline. 

 For a causal workday, I wanted to be comfortable and chic. This Steven Madden blouse does just that. It can be easily dressed-Up with the perfect skirt or slacks; however, it looks  great with a pair of jeans!

Top: Steven Madden

Shady Style

What I love about summertime is wearing bright colors,patterns and textures. It's is always fun to play around with seasonal colors as well as unsualy ones. 

Somedays, I'll pick a particular color then accessorize by adding different shades of that color to accent the desired style. 

I'm very fond of blue, so heres my take on shading ...

Dress:Target 

Ring:Jewelry  Boutique 

Bracelets : Charlotte Russe

Printed Jeans

I am in love with these jeans. 
This was a  terrific buy from Target.

I highlighted the shades of gray from the pants by pairing it with a dressy T and  slate color wedge sandals. 

Comfortable yet chic, this was a the perfect get-Up for a causal day in the city. 

Busy Pants

When i first purchased these pants, a friend of mines thought i was crazy for buying such a busy print. And though I respected her personal style, I Love my own ...

The busyness of the print was intriguing and the color was vibrant. As i stood in the store, I fell more and more in love with the print of the material.

These high-waist parachute pants are very, very, very ( did i say very :-) comfortable. The material is lite and breezy and feels great on the body.

For a simple day-wear i paired them with a black sleeveless tank (Gap) and black Michael Kors sandals (Macy's). This is a great way to mix high and low priced piece to get a very chic look !

Skinny from the Weekend to Week

And the phase of the skinny jeans continues…

From my last post, I shared my love for skinny jeans. It seems that I took that love a bit far and it went from a skinny jeans style of weekend to week. 

Have you ever had a time where you found a style you loved, that you rocked it longer than you expected? well, this was mines. 

This style of jeans fits slimming and with the variety of shades and color, you can accomplish a polished look without trying too hard. Yesterday was my bouquet ensemble; that is, a floral print top parried with a (darker) solid color pant descending to the bottom.

Earring -PopUp Shop Party 

Shirt – Target

Black Jeans- Rampage 

Shoes – Steven Madden  

it was a Skinny jeans type of day

For a very low key weekend,   i rekindled my old obsession with my skinny jeans.  

The best thing like about skinny jeans are  how comfortable they can be, and the sleek physique they give you. For me, they are perfect for weekend errands and game nights with friends. 

With my other obsession of buying on a budget, each outfit cost under $25. 

Tip: Laying a fitted tank top under your shirts, will give a slimmer  appearance to your torso. I've done this for years !

                                                                                       

Shirt: Target                                                                                                    

Jeans: Marshall's                                                                                                  
Shoes: Lucky Brand  (via Marshall's)

because Giving Back can Be Totally Gorgeous

One of my favorite things about the change in seasons is being able to make a change with your wardrobe.

I typically like to do a spring cleaning  of my closet at least 2 times a year; really quarterly, if time permits. This weekend was my second for this year. 

As I rummaged through my shoes, dresses, pants and skirts, I used the time to sift through my entire closet and select some neat things to donate .  The Salvation Army, Career Wardrobe, New Life and Plato’s Closet are just some of the places I like to recycle my fashion.

My rules are … if I haven’t worn it in 5 years, place it in the “it can go” pile . 

If you are like me, you might have way too many clothes and not enough time to wear them all. So don’t feel guilty relieving your closet of a few items, you will either replace it at some point in time or out grow the “want” for it anyways. All the same, those donated items will be a blessing to another person. There is never a downside to donating, because giving back can be totally gorgeous.

Things to consider when donating

•          items should be clean and or gently used
•      no holes, tears or stains 
•            Also (try to) bag the items according to pieces (tops/bottoms/shoes) * This will helps with itemizing what you plan to give away, as well as keeping the items organized for the donation site.

 Best items to donate (in the spring)

• Jeans
• Dress Pants and Shirts (Business attire)
• Dresses
• Sport Coats /Jackets
• Sneakers
• Shoes (all styles)

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill

My 1950s wear…

It’s always fun to get dolled up for a themed party. Birthdays, bachelorette parties, girl’s night out…etc,etc...they all can be fun!

I had the chance to attend one over the weekend.  Many of the guests were dressed in their interpretation of styles ranging from the 1920’s to the ‘60s. Bright colors, feathers, hats, glitz and sparkle; visually the outing was worth it.

I’m a huge fan of the 1950s decade of style and fashion, so genuinely that was my choice of era to sport. In the mid 1950’s women were displaying a sense of style and sophistication that has become timeless.  There was a look of strength and persuasiveness; yet conservative in its approach to women’s clothing.  Though most of the fashion forward dresses & skirts were form fitting, nothing was very revealing.

So for this occasion, I wore a knee length black & white print skirt, and mixed patterns by adding an off- the- shoulder stripped cotton shirt.   Then I added my comfy black pumps and square leather purse.

To add to the styling’s of this time period, I did a simple hair style by rolling my braids into circular French roll; a classic up do for the decade. Lastly, I add a string of black pearls and earrings, painted my red lips... "I 'm no square, but a Cool Cat, Ya dig?”

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: Nine West 

Bag: Vintage store 

The Convertible Skirt…

This dress is comfortable, breathable, and moderate in its fit. I adore this throw on and go summer dress because it’s the perfect style to pair with flats... For is for the days you anticipate are going to be hectic, but still would like to be trendy and comfortable.

The best thing about this dress is its convertibility. The designer created adjustable, yet unnoticeable, ties underneath the skirt that allows you to adjust its layers.  So, with a slight adjustment you could alter the dress, or in my words, “jazz it up a bit”.  

To accommodate the summer sunshine, I paired it with a yellow cardigan and emerald green ballet flats. 

This getup was inspired by my bargain-buy from Khols Vera Wang earrings.  

Tough as Leather

My most unexpected finds, sometimes are the best. I stumbled across this leather bag on one of my consignment stroll, in the Bryn Mawr section of Philadelphia. It was in this cute little consignment boutique, where I found this cross-body hang bag for a steal. It was, let’s say hmmm say under $20 bucks. It was in excellent condition and the material was authentic; I had to purchase it!

 

It's 3 years later and I incorporate this bag in my casual wear.  It’s black, genuine Italian leather, weaved into a series of squares to form a sturdy pattern for the bag. Outlining the bag is a braiding pattern of the leather, and even the strap is designed in an unusual pattern.  This bag design was was complicated yet simple... tough as leather.

Words to live by .... some of my Fav style quotes

Create your own visual style....let it be unique to yourself and yet identifiable for others

- Orson Welles

Fashion Fade, style is eternal

- Yves Saint Laurent

Fashion is about dressing according to what's fashionable. Style is more about being yourself

-Oscar de la Renta

Wear Fashion & Style is YOU.

-Amoi 

Your Closet...Your Store

I've convinced myself that there must have been some sort of benefit to my random bargain shopping   :-)

With my upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic, i was a little worried that i didn't have anything to pack.  

But after some rummaging through my closet, i found several pieces that i must have purchased some time ago, on my random whims and clearance moments. They are perfect for my trip! To my surprise, I already had several sundress, shorts, skirts, and even bathing suites. With this recent discovery, I felt a bit more excited about my trip, and even more relieve that i did all my shopping in my own store...My closet :-)

Mixing Seasons

Winter has come and gone; thank goodness that Spring is here!  I am excited for the change in the season, but this usually means time to change over your wardrobe. 

With the random spikes and falls in the weather lately,  it's made things unpredictable and little more challenging to find something to wear. This Spring looks to will be a bit finicky . 

Over time I've found that there are many ways to incorporate my winter gear into my spring wear. 

Here's one way i like to mix my seasons ...

MixMatch Seasons

Zebra Cardigan: TJ Max 

 Maxi Dress : Target

Black Pearl Stud Earrings:  Macys

Leather bag: Consignment Boutique    

DNA..whats in your Jeans?.

Your Denim Needs Attitude... There are so many types and styles of jeans available and out there.  So, when choosing the best jeans think about two things; complimentary and comfort. Select the best fit for your body type as well as whats comfortable for your lifestyle.  Figuratively and literary,  know your DNA; the make-up and its inflection. 

Your jeans can be a great transition piece. From causal to chic,  you can mix and match your shirt, shoes, and accessories to accent your DNA.    In a sense, jeans are coded with the same fabric, and with the variety in style, texture, length, fit and color; this shapes the sentiment that we are all a diverse sense of One. 

Try not to limited yourself to just one style, instead find at least 2 styles that compliments your personality or what i like to call at PerStylity. 

Your denim need attitude, love your Jeans. 

whats your favorite fit? 

She’s so Polished….

I have always been a fan of OPI nail polish since I was a little girl. Cliché? maybe.... But honest;  Yes.  Like most catholic high school girls, i faithful did my nails every two weeks, and I would consistently chose OPI nail polish more times than I can count.

Yes, I have strayed over the years, dabbling in other brands of nail polish, but I've never felt the same satisfaction as my OPI painted days. The colors are vibrant, clean, durable, and labeled with such whimsical names…how could you not love them.

From my former acrylic days to my now neatly naturally manicure hands, my nail polish of choice remains OPI.

Check out the OPI color combinations below 

 (nail polish colleague) clockwise 

Pic Above 

1. Need Sunglasses 

  Birthday Babe & Into the night 

 Date to Knight

 Calling all Goddess & I vant to be Loved

2.                                        3.

 Shy Neon & Teal Palace                                            Haven't you 'ear of Van Gough

Lucky Lucky Lavender                                              DS Radiance & Hologram Diamond

& Color to Watch                                                    Pretty Poison & Slow up Already 

 DS Radiance & Lunceretainly           

               

                                                               

Bamboo Earrings

Bombarded with the images of plastics, nips, tucks, glitz and glam; even the most popular person desires a day of anonymity. Our young females should know that beauty is not depicted by the things you adorn yourself with, instead it’s in the beauty of the soul.  You can’t dress- up Your soul nor can you make-up Your character. Never feel the pressure to mask who you are, find comfort in every fiber of Your being.

 One of the most venerable comments would be referred to as the girl next door. Most people may think that being described as the girl next door is a frumpy connotation and reflection. Ironically even the most humble of girls exudes strength beyond her control ...it lies within their Her. The strong attitude, independence, coolness, urban versatility and empowerment by higher education, makes her more beautiful than any manufactured attempt at perfection.

Beauty is community minded and confident about her destiny. Charm, fearlessness, and aptitude are indicative to her personal style. The girl next door enjoys the art of Life and every moment in ITS beauty. She is no slave to her labels, but a diva who knows that carrying a target shopping bag is just as fabulous as her Tiffany’s.

 

Lady Love Cool James poetically rapped about his wish to be loved by the girl next door in his song “around the way girl”.  And though that song may be dated, the message remains the same.  The Beauty of confidence is more attractive than the woman draped in jewels.

“…I love my bamboo earrings; at least two pair”