Stylenspire: ankara + mesh swing skirt

I love to twirl whenever I wear this skirt. It's a fresh & fun twist to ankara. 

Here's another tee shirt look that simply works. 

 

The right accessories always make the difference. Not just with your style, but with your attitude too. Adorn yourself with the garment of praise & behold how everything lights up differently with your thankful heart. 

the slight glitter fabric that you can see best here is the mesh overlay I used for the skirt 

Outfit deets: Cynthia Rowley tee + Jessica Simpson crystal & tri-color bracelets + Necklace + Lauren Ralph Lauren lime Newbury Mini + Levi's denim jacket + Kors Michael Kors ostrich platforms are all maxxinista TJ Maxx fab finds // DIY Ankara swing skirt with mesh overlay (bespoke tailoring by me) // Movado Bold Series watch

Stylenspiration: Find fab fun fashion pieces that mean something to you to style the you that the world sees. The ANKARA FABRIC is indigenous to my native fashion & it is to me one of the best fabrics that can be used to represent me in style. 
Y.S 

Photo credit: joyfully by V. Dodge

Stylenspire: dress possibilities

This dress screams "have fun & enjoy wearing me". The summer brights makes me think I should be on my way out to some fun place where I can bask in the sunshine & smell the flowers. This summer pretty dress also transitions into a fall/winter joy; the key to that is layering. 

My pretty neon cardi is one of my favourites. I like to scrunch up the sleeves whenever I wear it. But not all fabrics (especially certain knits) can withstand many wash & wear without crumbling. Since the ribbed hem of the sleeves no longer bounce back after wash, my answer to that is a neat fold of the sleeve. I even like the styled look. Sometimes you do something out of necessity, but you get a 'stylish do' as a result.

Having much is always a blessing, but when prudence takes precedence, you make the the gift of creativity work for you. Possibilities are endless when you open your mind to style art. I hope these pictures stylenspire you to spruce your staples in various ways. 


Enjoy!

1. Play

2. Work option 

3. Layer up for fall

Outfit deets: LEIFSDOTTI DRESS can be found here or here or here, but similar here 

OPTION 1.  NY&co Cardi // Joie wrap around skinny belt (off a dress I don't have anymore) // Lauren Ralph Lauren lime Newbury Mini (similar here) + Coach 'C' Sandals + Silver on Tan Leather Michael Kors Darrington bracelet + Ralph Lauren Sunnies + Rings all TJ Maxx maxxinista fab finds + Movado Bold Series watch

OPTION 2. Machael Kors belt + Gold on Gold Leather Michael Kors Darrington leather bracelet + BCBG MaxAzria ponte knit skirt + BCBG suede trim pumps all TJ Maxx maxxinista fab finds + Movado watch  

Option 3. Michael Kors short sleeve turtle-neck + Silver on Tan Leather Michael Kors Darrington + Rings are from TJ Maxx // Movado Bold Series watch // Frye Melissa Button Boots (a birthday gift I chose in Cognac - has other colors)

Stylenspiration: "Summer blooms can also be fall brights. Less or more can make it work."
*Summer is still in full bloom, yet there are fall whispers in all things fashion. As you fashionably style on through the summer, take mental notes for yourself on pieces that you can incorporate into your fall/winter styles. Before you go hunting for fall pieces, first shop your closet. *

Y.S

Stylenspire: tomboy à la chic

Truth be told: "I am a tomboy grown up to become a style artist." LOL! Whoever said tomboys cannot grow into their inner lady. Much as I love feminine chic, I love that I can still rock boy styles without hesitation. Although boy styles in women's fashion are fads that come & go, there is a lure on every woman to them. 

With this outfit, my choice of pants are 'harem pants' turned 'm.c. hammer pants' (almost parachute pants) turned 'stylish & attractive at the whim of each designer'. The pants are simply loose fitting trousers tapered slim at the ankles, with baggy billowing crotch that sags (sometimes) to the knees. This silk pair called to my inner tomboy, & I had to add some flair to take it off the ordinary. As with any outfit, the right accessories can transform a look into a stylenspiration, hence my choices. 

Enjoy!

Outfit deets: Embelished-sleeveless top + Silk Harem pants + Camouflage Prada bag + Juicy Couture watch + Necklace + Bracelet + Swarovski Crystals rings are all MAXXINISTA fab finds from TJ Maxx // Gucci belt from S5A // Casadei gold & wood wedge were from Amazon  

Stylenspiration: "Style Art does not fit in a box. Explore & use pieces that range from haute femininity to chic mens style. & whatever your choice, accessories make the difference."

Y.S 

Photo credit: joyfully by V. Dodge

Stylenspire: teal on coral

A little birdie once told me "a lightweight jacket helps put a stylish spin on your summer wardrobe". I say "add color to the spin, & it all styles beautifully". Hence, my teal+white+coral do.

If I may ask, when does that super vibrant sea-ish shade of bluish-green get to be aqua/teal/turquise/cyan or even bluegreen? & when does the reddish shade of pink & orange get to be coral/peach/apricot/melon or salmon? Does one have to measure the scale of vibrancy to determine which color is what? Chuckles* I say pick a color & stick to it (like I did - 'teal & coral'). But if you know another answer, please share it with us in the comments below.

Today's getup was spun from my necklace. Yes, I wanted to wear this gorg' turq+gold necklace so I let the colors inspire me. A soft-snug-fit high waist colored skinnies, a white cotton tank, topped with the trapeze-draped jacket & I was good to go. I have been enjoying these platform sandals through the summer & it gave my whole look the spot on finish.

Enjoy ❌⭕❌⭕❗

Outfit deets: East Lake Necklace by Amrita Singh // Jacket+Tank+Joe's Jeans colored skinnies+Kors Michael Kors ostrich platforms+Jessica Simpson crystal tri-color bracelets all maxxinista fab finds from TJ Maxx   

Stylenspiration: "Infuse your style with color, it can be the difference you need."
Y.S

Stylenspire: hello sunny

The make up of today's outfit is fresh, simple chic, & uplifting. I love each piece that completes this outfit as they are my favorite go to fashion pieces. The white tee is a constant piece that effortlessly transitions from casual to dressed up. The skirt is bespoke tailored by yours truly, made up of tri-layered cotton, satin, & chiffon fabrics. The hem was finished with white Guipure lace (also known as Venise lace). Working with a mix of all these fabric was quite a delight. & oh, my shoes! These are my oldest pair owned. It is a BCBG Max Azria that I have enjoyed for almost a decade now. Yes! Ten years!!! I have thoughts of taking it in to my shoe cobbler to have it checked & treated because I plan to hold on to this pair for another decade if possible. 

Enjoy! 

Outfit deets: Cynthia Rowley white tee + Jessica Simpson bracelets + Necklace are all my maxxinista fab finds from TJ Maxx // DIY Yellow with white laced skirt (bespoke tailoring by me) with guipure lace trim from Lace Mart // BCBG Max Azria shoes // Multicolored spike ring + Sunglasses were gifts // Movado bold series watch

Stylenspiration: Tee shirts work! Keep it simple by wearing it alone, or infuse flair by adding layers, colors, & jewelry. It's your plain canvas to work your art of style.

Y.S

Photo credit: joyfully by V. Dodge

Stylenspire: see art, see style I

Today's earlier "week ender" post featured a necklace that is a statement piece with an interesting origin. In time, I will continue to share certain statement pieces of interesting origin with you. 

This necklace once adorned the neckline of a black Aidan Mattox dress that I found at TJ Maxx. The dress was on clearance down to what the store manager called "the last selling price". First off, the dress was far from my size & it was reaped in a few places. It looked to have been in the store for a while & must have been mishandled from numerous try-ons. I was not interested in the dress outside of the piece that adorned the neckline. There are times when I have considered clothing that are much bigger in size for the fact that I can get it altered. But the more I looked at this dress, the less I considered paying the $20.00

it was marked down to. Once I looked at how the piece was attached, I knew I could carefully take it apart & work on it from there. After this, no more consideration, I had to have this dress.

*two hooks&eyes were used, one on each end*

tools used: hook&eye + needle&thread + scissors (using a sew-on snap button could have been an option too)

*I mentioned the store manager saying the dress was on clearance at the last price because I asked to speak with the manager to see if I could get further discount on the dress. "IT NEVER HURTS TO ASK, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ASK NICELY." 

*TJ Maxx price $179.99 // to get the neck piece I paid $20.00 for the dress. I was not considering trying to salvage the dress so the sum was the cost of the necklace (including the minutes it took me to separate it from the dress & stitch on the hook & eye).

*If you are going to buy a piece with the intention of taking an adornment off, first consider 'that you can take it off without doing damage' to the piece you need.

*When considering buying a piece that will need altering, always consider the price you are paying plus the potential cost of alteration. Will the sum total be worth it?

Stylenspiration: "See style differently - take another look & see art." 

Any fashion piece that grabs your eye did so for a reason; it appealed to your style. Pause & take a second look, take a third look if need be, considering all of its potential beyond a 'one time wear'. No matter the attraction, 'one time wears' are not worth it except it is your wedding dress. Any haute piece of fashion will have the potential to be incorporated in your daily expression of style over & over again.

Y.S 

Stylenspire: week ender

There was something about this morning as I walked from the parking lot to my office that just surrounded me with calm. I feel relaxed & at peace. I'm not thinking about the day ahead, the challenges that may come, or the promises of God that I am waiting on. & in this calm, somehow, I feel beautiful! Yes, beautiful! The beauty of the peace of this early part of the day is not in my looks, nor about what I am wearing. Fact is, the weekend's here & my style choice is a casual spin. 

My thoughts led me to the question about how & when people feel beautiful. The beauty of ourselves & our lives should always transcend how you feel, how you look, what you are wearing, & even what you may be going through. Outside of all that, the beauty of you is in you. I'm even enlightened in the story that my outfit tells with its dots on circles. 

I totally know that it is His perfect love that envelopes me this morning with the serenity that allows me to feed on inner beauty on the outside. Christ is the perfect circle & we are the dots that fill it up. & with the nature of a sphere, His love surrounds us all sides in continuous harmony. 

I hope that as you enjoy stylenspiration from the pictures below, you will look within yourself & reflect on the beauty of Whose you are. 

Outfit deets: DIY Swiss Voile Lace Skirt (bespoke tailoring by me) + Polka dot+lace top + Bag by Cromia + Vera Wang Lavender Label black flats + Prada Sunglasses + rings + bracelets are all maxxinista fab finds from TJ Maxx // Sleeveless demin jacket from Levi Jeans // Watch Armani Exchange // DIY Necklce (by yours truly)

Stylenspiration: "Sometimes, the beauty of your style is not in what you are wearing, it is in how you feel about yourself & the world around you. You are fearfully, beautifully, & wonderfully made in the image of God & for a purpose too."

Y.S

Photo credit: joyfully by V. Dodge

*moment of truth: "In retrospect, I really needed to feel God's Presence overcome me with His peace. It is not because I am ever without Him, but that the frail nature of my human self needs to feel His revealed presence every now & then. & I am ever so grateful for today's kiss from His throne of grace."

I pray that whoever you are, wherever you may be, God sends you an intimate show of  love from His throne of grace.