I am a gift givers worst nightmare.  I never have any idea what I want no matter what the holiday is.  Every Christmas, birthday, pollyanna, doesn't matter what the occasion the answer will always be " I don't know get whatever you want to get me".  Needless to say this Christmas was exactly the same.  My boyfriend asked me what I wanted and I told him to surprise me, and that is exactly what he did.  When I opened up my gift I was completely blown away, like scream out loud and jump up and down kind of blown away.

Photography: Lee Britto

Blazer: Odd Jar; Sweatshirt: She's in the mood; Jacket: This one or This one; Earrings: This one or This one or This one; Jeans: H&M Similar here; Boots; H&M ( on sale here)

In a time when cultural pride and self love have become imperative within the black community, apparel like this means more than just a cute outfit.  "Black Girl Magic" is a phrase that is so commonly used sometimes we don't really think about the reason behind this mantra.  When I think of the black women in my life I am reminded of their strength and  resilience when faced with seemingly insurmountable adversity, and their ability to be the very backbone for their family, making constant sacrifices for the benefit of others.  All the while, remaining completely unbreakable.  How can a person have to fight harder then most to attain the same respect as everyone else and still hold their head high and always seemingly come out on top?  We are magic.  We are infinitely and beautifully magical.  When I wear this shirt it's so much more to me then just being " cute " or "fashionable" .   It is a reminder that I know my worth, and nothing and no one can devalue me.  I am a strong, beautiful, amazing, self aware, black magical woman.  As the great Solange Knowles once said ( and yes I said GREAT) " Don't let nobody steal your magic"

Photography: Lee Britto

Blazer: Odd Jar
Sweatshirt: She's in the mood
Jacket: This one or This one
Earrings: This one or This one or This one
Jeans: H&M Similar here;
Boots; H&M ( on sale here)

Patience is Key

It is very true that as you get older your style begins to evolve.  A few years ago you could not catch me in any faux fur clothing.  Back then I wasn't really into to taking too many fashion risks and tended to lean more towards basics.  Don't get me wrong I still love my basics, they are the entire foundation of many of my outfits, but now I like to live life a little more on the edge and spice things up a bit.  Nowadays I want to try new things and take a few risks with my style. 

Faux fur coats were my first step to reinventing my wardrobe.  I had tried them in the past and they just never really looked that great on me.  I remember being so in love with the general appearance of a shag oat, then putting it on and looking like an entire marshmallow.  This year I kept seeing them everywhere and decided I would give them a try.  One day while taking one of my many failed target trips for one specific item, I wound up in the women's department "window shopping" their A New Day collection.  Then right when I was about to leave I spotted it.  This absolutely gorgeous faux fur leopard coat.  Now of course this wasn't what I came in there for.  I mean this wasn't even something I would typically even be open to the idea of, but I was in love, and I knew I had to have it.

Now one thing you will learn about me as time goes on is I am a habitual sale shopper.  I am a very firm believer that if it ain't on sale it ain't for me.  Seriously!  Shopping in general is great, but looking at the bottom of a receipt and knowing you saved a ton of money is so so much better.   So instead of buying this coat right on the spot I decided to wait until the next day,  cyber Monday, and see if Target would have any sales.  I am probably the most impatient human being on earth, but waiting paid off because the coat ended up being $10 cheaper then the original price.  I guess it is true what they say; Patience is a virtue. 

Photography by: Lee Britto

Jacket: similar here, here, or here

Sweater: H&M

Jeans: Similar here and here

Odd Jar

After shooting some content a few weeks ago with my photographer, he asked me if I wanted to make a run with him to go to a vintage shop named Odd Jar, he would be working with soon.  Seeing that the only thing on my agenda for the day was watching insecure for the second time with a side of wine, I agreed,  Now when he said "vintage" I expected your typical racks and racks of items that would take a few hours to sift through, but thats certainly not what I got.

Photography: Lee Britto Photography; All Clothing from Odd Jar

Odd jar really lives up to its name, but in the most creatively interesting and exciting way.  If an art gallery and a clothing boutique had a baby it would be Odd Jar.   When you first walk in their is art EVERYWHERE.  Even some of the clothing has been made into art.  I was immediately in sensory overload when I walked in, but I got straight to what I do best; SHOPPING.

I'm so used to going into a thrift store and spending HOURS searching through every single rack trying to find at least one thing that I like.  Welp, that certainly wasnt my issue this time!  Much to the dismay of my bank account I found SEVERAL things I immediately fell in love with.  It actually got to a point where I had to have come to Jesus meeting about what I could realistically buy.  It was not an easy decision, I seriously wanted it all.   There were so many, blazers, gowns, rompers, accessories, it was all so overwhelming.  It was the perfect mix of vintage and current brands.  One of the things, I loved most about this store is their ability to customize pieces.  The owner is an artist and is able to add artwork to jackets, bags, furniture, pretty much whatever you can think of.  You can also pick up some very unique art for your home while your there. 


So if you live in the Philadelphia area I highly recommend stopping by.  I promise you will be taking many more trips there after your first visit.  This current look is from a shoot I did with them. Of course I ended up buying it lol.  I mean look at it, absolutely adorable.

Thigh Highs Save Lives

Thigh high boots is a trend I kind of avoided because I just never thought I would be able to pull them off, but there is something about their demure way of being sexy that really blows my mind.  I love a chic sexy look, but at the same time I'm a grandmother at heart.  My entire fall and winter wardrobe consists of multiple turtleneck sweaters and long dresses and skirts.  Don't get me wrong I'll throw on a tight dress here and there, maybe even a low cut top once in a while, but typically I like to keep it grandma chic.

Sweater Dress: H&M; Thigh High Boots: Aldo; Earrings: Similar Style

I recently got a pair of really cute taupe thigh high boots to fulfill my urge but it wasn't enough.  For the past 3 weeks I have been looking everywhere for the perfect pair.  One of the biggest issues that I've had is that I have the teeniest little ankles and a thick thigh.  Now that doesn't bother me one bit as far as my actual build goes, but it drives me absolutely insane in terms of my boots staying up.  The other day as I strutted around work and my boots slid down to my ankles every 5 second, looking so very sad and pathetic, enough was enough.  So after weeks of searching every store in the mall, and scouring tons of online sites I finally found these beauties and I am completely in love with them.

I got this specific pair from Aldo.  They are a black faux suede with a snake imprint on them.  But most importantly they are unbelievably comfortable.  Are you loving thigh high boots this season, and whats your favorite way to wear them.