October 2015Faces of Black Fashion: October 2015

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Fall Color Palette: Black and White

Approximately a month ago, I attended  Macy's Fashion Front Row, a Fall Fashion presentation at the Queen's Center Mall.  Fall is one of my favorite seasons for style so I looked forward to taking notes on the season's trends. While at the event,  I learned that pairing Black and White was on trend this season (and I serendipitously wore a black and white dress). I wanted all the outfits the models wore when they showcased this trend, everything looked so...chic! Like the models' outfits, I intend to rock this trend this Fall and Winter, and I will make things interesting by having fun with graphics and texture. 




Here I am at the Macy's event. I paired a black and white dress from Topshop with a long tan vest. 










I love the graphic print on this blouse, it looks great with jeans, but I can also see it pair with a fun A-line  midi skirt.


                     (photo via Pinterest)

Will you be wearing Black and White this Fall? 

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Fall Fashion Inspiration: Burgundy





Inspired by the rich colors of autumn, I enjoy wearing burgundy in the Fall.  As a signature Fall color, burgundy can be paired with almost any other color or you can use pieces to create a rich color palette for the Fall. Play with shades and textures to add burgundy flair to your Fall outfits or check out the photos below for inspiration. 













My Burgundy Picks



Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Personal Reflections on My 31st Birthday




The last year brought about significant life changes and events, resulting in more introspection and self-reflection than I’ve done in a long time. If Zora Neale Hurtson was right then there are indeed, “years that ask questions and years that answer.”  The past year provided answers and insights , I did not know I needed. I close “my year of 30” a wiser and much more thoughtful woman and as always I embrace the future knowing that God’s plans for me are to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. Here’s to 31! The number 31 is personally significant,  because I’ve always admired the description of the Proverbs 31 woman. My goal for this year is to develop more into the Proverbs 31 woman. Below I share events, happenings, thoughts and lessons from my year of 30.
I moved back to New York. A little over a month after my 30th birthday, I moved from L.A. back to my home city, New York. Two years in L.A. and three years in D.C. meant that it had been five years since I had lived in my beloved New York. I spent hours thinking about my decision to move back, unsure about whether or not I was making the right choice. I stepped out on faith and in hindsight, I am so glad I did.  Everyday I wake up  with the reality that I am an Attorney, living in New York City, doing work that I find extremely fulfilling. This is the stuff that my dreams are made of. The journey to today was not easy, I worked hard and overcame a lot of difficulties. Given my journey, I am incredibly grateful[....] Read the rest of the post on my personal blog HERE

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Budget Fashionista Part One: Scoring Fashion Deals on Ebay






Last week , I posted the above photo of me wearing a River Island dress that I scored on Ebay, on my personal Instagram and Facebook pages.  I shared that although I love to shop, I am also frugal. I reconcile the two my scoring deals on Ebay and in Consignment Stores. A dear reader asked me to do a post on being a budget fashionista, so today I'm sharing my top five tips on how to become an Ebay guru while saving your money. Enjoy!


Use the Message Feature.  Ask sellers questions about measurements, shipping, or any other inquiries you may have about a listing. If you’re not sure about an item just message the seller to get clarification. In my experience, sellers tend to answer quickly.

Read seller reviews/ratings. For me it’s important to know whether or not a seller values customer service and business integrity. As  result, before I purchase from a particular seller, I always read their ratings and/or reviews. Since I’m ordering online, I need to trust that the item will arrive as it’s described in the original listing. On that note, pay it forward by leaving reviews when you purchase items (this is something I need to work on!)

Narrow Your Searches. The number one complaint I hear about Ebay is that’s it’s overwhelming. While the site is large and there are TONS of goodies to choose from, narrowing your searches helps to diminish the overwhelming feeling that can come from having two many things to choose from. For example, I usually search by brand, then I narrow the brand search by size and condition (the options are usually new with tags, new without tags and pre-owned). The option to refine your searches appear on the left-side of the listings so you're only looking for what you want/need. 


Be a good steward. As I noted in number two, reputation wins on Ebay. In the same way you can look at a seller’s rating, they can also look at your ratings – yes sellers can rate buyers too. How do you get a good rating? Pay for your items in a timely fashion and only bid on items you’re sure about purchasing. If you’re not sure, you can always place an item on your "watch list" (another awesome Ebay feature) until you make up your mind.

Save Your Favorite Sellers.  This goes hand-in-hand with narrowing your search. Save sellers and Eby stores that you have good experiences with or whose items you like.  I have a list of my favorite sellers and often I will just look at their listings when I want to shop before I do a general Ebay search.  Since these sellers were chosen based on my personal taste, they usually have what I want. 

Happy Ebay Shopping!!!

Cheers,
~Nika