SEXY: To achieve this look; you could combine a striking red peplum dress with a black strap heel. Then choose an attractive gold earring and bracelet. Finally to complete the look, a rose ruffle tote shoulder handbag.

FLIRTY: To get this look; you could combine a bubble gum pink peplum dress with a stylish lace heel. Hand pick the perfect diamond shaped pink stud earrings and a chain silver and black bracelet. Finally to complete the look, a black lace evening clutch handbag.

CONFIDENT: For this style; you could combine a nice white peplum dress with a confident polka dot heel. Pick an elegant elevating diamond shaped earrings and a bold black spiked bracelet. Then finally to complete the look, choose a Prada leather handbag.

OUTGOING: To get this look; you could combine a color blocked peplum dress with a nude pump heel. Next, choose a black leather stud earrings and a cream/black leather wrap bracelet on natural black. Finally to complete the look, choose a valentine lace and straw handbag.

MYSTERIOUS: Style it up by combining a lace/black peplum dress with a studded silver heel. Choose a silver diamond shaped earring with a black stretch crystal bracelet. Finally to complete the look, an elegant white lace clutch bag.

PARTY GIRL: Be fun with your match-up by combining a bold leopard print peplum top and a nice red pencil skirt with a studded red heel. Add an Indian influenced earring with a ria mixed textured silver bangles. Finally to complete the look, wear a stylish Celine Boston croco nude leather handbag.

Xoxo s.m.o.fashion

It’s Monday – hope you had a great weekend! Today, I thought I would share a few items that I have purchased recently. I do the majority of my shopping online and for the most part, I usually only buy items that are on sale. Right now is a good time to find great deals, since stores are trying to move out their winter merchandise to make room for the new spring and summer collections.

NOTE: The NARS lipstick was not on sale, and usually I buy CoverGirl lipstick (for like $9) but I have seen other bloggers talk about NARS lipstick and how great it is, so I thought I would give it a try. So far, I love the color (Afghan Red); however, it is a little dry and the color builds up, if I re-apply, so I am not sure about this.

Don’t miss out on the sales today…
LOFT – 30% off + free shipping (Code: ENJOY30)
ANN TAYLOR – 30% off select full price (Code: SHOPCHIC) + extra 40% off sale items
GAP – 30% off (Code: GAPBRIGHT)
BANANA REPUBLIC – 30% off (Code: BRSHOP30)
THE LIMITED – 40% off original prices + free shipping (Code: PRES40)

Sooo, I found myself at the MAC counter to purchase ONE item. My dear MAC Associate, Tiffany, was soooo feeling me for some reason and had a field day playing with my face. She did applied makeup that was simple yet dramatic and bold (for me). Tiffany applied a light goldish-brown eye shadow with a bold blue eyeliner and an eyebrow filler duo. I was feeling the look which was totally different for me, specifically the blue liner.

I have a thing about eyebrows. Dramatic eyebrows make me cringe lol. I can admit that I need my eyebrows filled because they are very fine and my hairs are long which makes an interesting combo. I believe in NATURAL looking eyebrows instead of eyebrows that have been painted on…I can’t deal. Overall, I was fairly pleased with the eyebrows and all.

This was my fit for the day!Clearly, I needed a protective style since removing my locs so I got braids…the one time I missed my locs. I did not have to do a thing to my hair…Precious Moments!

People will laugh at your dreams, then hate you when you make them come true.

All LOVE,

Muah!

]]> http://musingspot.com/2013/02/03/monochrome/ Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:54:11 +0000 alina3eb http://musingspot.com/2013/02/03/monochrome/ It’s safe to say that black has the market cornered when it comes to monochromatic looks. It’s safe and easy, since most people have enough black in their closets to come up with more than one look. But it’s good to step out of one’s comfort zone once in a while, be it in fashion or life in general. I did, with this particular look and I’m pretty happy about it.

DETAILS: sweater: Zara (similar here); skirt: Forever 21 (same here); pumps: Louboutin (similar here); bag: Coach (same here); ID bracelet: Anarchy Street (similar here); glasses: River Island (similar here)

Back so soon, you say?! That’s right! And I’m ready to take on the day in a navy and white stripe sweater, gold stripe scarf, warm camel jacket, comfy, deep red pencil skirt and my slouchy camel boots. I’ve got a Nautical Fall theme going on!

Do you have a theme today? Bright and cheery or are you celebrating fall with warm, deep colors? Whatever it might be, walk around with confidence, smile at strangers and have wonderful day.

Happy Tuesday, Friends!

During my stay in ATL to celebrate my friend’s Bday, it was nothing but foolery and laughs. As I exited the car and entered the apartment complex, it was an experience! We had a pool side gathering where we met some men who had mouths to the floor. I must say that these were some of the most attractive (some may even say sexy) homosexual men. All kinds of foolery was taking place at this pool. It was indeed a moment in time just for adults. I wanted to take the children who were in attendance by the hand and escort them to their condos myself. I took so many pictures but they were not Joí Iman appropriate. lol Below is the only pic that was appropriate from that pool side foolery.   Mr. Ebony below was one of the featured acts Oh, check out the other 2 players in the background. The one to the far left is 52!!! What?!

This very night, after leaving the lounge, we passed a gentleman who clearly had a little too much to drink. That poor man was knocked out. My friend had a mini photo shoot featuring him and he didn’t move….OUT COLD! Foolery and laughs = GREAT Times!

Approach the start of each day with something in mind and end the day with one word…DONE.

All LOVE,

Muah!

Top: Club Monaco (it’s really a dress that I tucked in)

Bottom: United Colours of Benetton bought at Goodwill for $6

Shoes: Halogen Size 4 from Nordstrom

The picture below is one of me and Sandy Sanderson, Sr. Vice President of Marketing for Shoppers Drugmart and Murale (& fellow marathon runner), I’ll blog about meeting her next time.

]]> http://2urbanite.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/outfit-5-concrete-jungle/ Wed, 11 Apr 2012 03:44:20 +0000 Myunique-Boutique http://2urbanite.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/outfit-5-concrete-jungle/

This is by far the most traffic-light stopping outfit I have worn. Perhaps, it can be a bit blinding too. The bright red pencil skirt is a new addition this Spring, and I’m glad to have added this bold color to my pretty-neutral/calm wardrobe.  I figured I should just go all out with color-blocking and animal-print in one outfit.  I had always wanted an affordable hooded fur jacket, and  found it at H&M this past winter.  It was $15 well spent because I’m still in love with it.  I think it looks great with any solid colors. Besides, it’s a great transition jacket going from winter to spring here in NYC.  It has been chilly on most days this April, and I have worn it everywhere including to work and a party this past Friday.  So, lesson learned here is to invest in something you really like because you will wear it like your second skin!

Yellow is such a happy color and very popular season as well. I’ve seen countless of pictures of celebs sporting red and/or yellow lately. That just made them so much more tempting to try on myself. I’m also wearing my DIY red earrings. 

Animal Print hooded fur jacket: H&M ($15 , winter sale)

Yellow buttoned down: gifted by my mom

Red silk pencil skirt: Ann Taylor – thrifted

Brown checker pattern Mary-Janes – gifted by my mom

Red earrings: Urbanite Designs

Choker necklace: old

Gray tights: Macy’s – gifted

Glasses: Katayama tortoise-shell frames from Coastal.com

Let me know what you think of this bold look AND do you dress differently when it’s windy outside (i.e 30mph gust winds)?

but there is a new trend to keep an eye on – brightly coloured office pencil skirts.

This trend has actually be around for a good half a year now – and these photos are a good 6 months old now too so if anything it’s my fault for taking so long to blog about them.

i first noticed this trend on Yoon Eun Hye in her drama Lie to Me:

sorry for the slightly vague photo but it’s the best still i can find – absolutely love this outfit – totally snazzy chic and completely casual at the same time – but unfortunately if i wore this outfit to office I’d probably be chopped to pieces before fired.

so i singapore for a similar skirt and finally found one at a bargain – $8 at bugis street market.

and threw together a few outfits for work:

outfit deets: blue satin skirt from forevernew | red skirt from bugis | studded heels from online shop

first outfit was trying out block colours – red VS blue and different fabrics – satin VS cotton and paired with studded heels for a more biker/chic look. and you can tell how old this photo is considering i still had a fringe back then LOL..

outfit deets: white double-breasted military shirt from Valerie for $20 | red pencil skirts from bugis $8 | orange belt complimentary with another pair of shorts

this outfit was more plain and simple with the white shirt  for a normal office look and i threw in an pop orange belt just for a bit of fun

outfit deets: cropped military blazer from Far East Plaza for $25 | black singlet from Forever21 $8 | red pencil skirt from bugis $8 | shoes from Charles and Keith

this outfit was more of a chic look with black and red thrown together (a combo i always love) and as i love military designs so this blazer added a bit of edge to the outfit and the pop orange belt also added a bit more definition to the outfit.

so those are a few very normal office outfits for the red pencil skirt – there are a lot of other ways of wearing it including wearing it out for casual wear but I’m not really a skirt person when it comes to casual day-to-day dressing so I haven’t really put any outfits together for casual but you can always wear cartoon tees/printed graphic tees..etc.. with the skirt for a more dressed down look.

please send in any photos of yourself in brightly coloured pencil/bandage skirts to share with us

also it’s important to note that bandage and pencil skirts are not suitable for all body types – to be honest my body type is probably bordering on not appropriate because I’m not a skinny person.  skinny/lanky girls with loong loong never ending legs would look best in these type of skirts.  but with control underwear girls bordering on curvy like me would be able to slip into such skirts as well and maybe try slightly darker colours like electric blue.. forest green..etc..  ;)

so have some fun flirting with various colours and different tops to match with these pencil skirts.

Enjoy girlies!

peace yo!

This ensemble is perfect for day-to-night.  I’ll admit the pearly oyster patent pumps might be a bit much for daytime depending on where you work… I’m currently in the market for an awesome pair of “just” nude patent pumps… I have a non-patent pair that are kind of distressed with a wooden stiletto, and they’re just too casj sometimes… you know??  Seriously, the problems we women have!  Anyone out there have a great pair they got recently?

I digress.  Back to the outfit.  A killer red pencil skirt with a bit of stretch to hug those curves (yet still allow you to walk normally!), a simple fitted black tee, and neutral pumps.  Voila.  There you have it, kids.  Like I mentioned in Friday’s post, I kept the makeup (and hair) on the subtle side and let the skirt take all the attention.  It is seriously one of my new favorite pieces and I can’t wait to see what else I can pair it with.  (Notice, also, I chose to skip accessories.  Not a must, by any means, but anyone who knows me knows I am a minimalist when it comes to accessorizing… earrings, I can deal with, but I hate bracelets – most get in my way.  Necklaces make me feel claustrophobic.  Rings… well, anything more than my wedding rings feels uncomfortable, particularly because I work with my hands.  I’m a huge fan of the minimalist trends sweeping the fashion scene these days.)

Anyway, here you have it:

Red pencil skirt, H&M; Black tee, Target: Oyster Patent Pumps, Steve Madden, Nordstrom. Easy.

Now that we’ve got the important stuff out of the way… I’d like to share with you what really happens on WIW Wednesday morning.  Above, you see the first photo I take (which usually ends up being the one I use).  Below, you see the fourth, maybe fifth one, when I’m getting annoyed at whether I’ve got the right angle, if the lighting is okay (let’s be honest, I don’t have the best lighting regardless), if I look too slouchy or squatty, etc.  I just start snapping.

In my head: "Just take the damn picture and be done with it, Erin."

And then, after I’ve taken a dozen or so, chopping off my head or feet or whole sides of my body, I think to myself, “Wait, gotta make sure I get the shoes in this one,” because the last seven didn’t show my shoes.  Seriously?

Wait, got a good one of the shoes? Okay, got it.

Before you go thinking I have way too much time on my hands, I’ll have you know the entire toilet photo-shoot escapade lasts a mere two to three minutes, and with my trusty iPhone, I have the select few that make the cut cropped and uploaded in under a minute.  In fact, looking at the clock, I’m way ahead of schedule today already.  So there.  (One of these days, I will share with you my calendar, and how I am so OCD these days that I practically schedule time to pee… which, come to think of it, I should plan to do after the Wednesday morning photo-shoot since I’m already in the bathroom.  KIDDING.  Jerks.)

In honor of WIW Wednesday, I invite you all to take a moment, hop up onto your toilets, and check yourself out.

You’re hot.

Starting a new job and marriage at the same time are two daunting tasks.  It’s kept me busy and I have not blogged as much as I’d like.  I am going to try and write shorter posts and hopefully that lets me post more often.

Today’s outfit features my all time favorite Goodwill piece, the classic red pencil skirt paired with cobalt blue Zara top I bought in Paris.  This is my second silk long sleeve top from Zara. Every year I treat myself to one of their  silk tops.  Last year’s treat was a long sleeve silk leopard top that I still adore.

Necklace: Club Monaco

Top: Zara

Bottom: Goodwill Red Pencil Skirt for $6

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman Size 4  from Norstrom

If you’re not able to find your own Red Pencil Skirt at the local Goodwill, there’s a few other retailers that do make them.  Valentino has a skirt to die for as well as Moschino below.

Price: $274 Pounds and can be bought here

Looking for style inspiration? "What I wore" has it in spades.

Hey costume-hunters, it’s Emme! If you’re looking for inspiration this Halloween, look at Jessica Quirk, author of the wildly popular daily outfit blog: What I Wore, and the fantastic sub-project “Homemade Halloween: Do It Yourself Costume Ideas.”

Jessica’s proven that all you need is a few bucks, a keen eye, and little creative thinking to whip up a fabulous costume mixing your own wardrobe with easily thriftable items. Her costume posts range from super simple and quick to make to more elaborate and time consuming creations.

Up after the break are three costume ideas that you can put together in a snap:

This Carmen San Diego image was borrowed from the fantastic site "What I Wore" - http://whatiwore.tumblr.com

Take a look at her suggestion for Carmen San Diego: get a red trench and an oversized hat (doesn’t have to be red, but a bright, bold color helps) that you can trim with scrap ribbon. Grab an atlas (or rolled up maps), look furtively from side to side as you enter the room, and you’re all set!

And after the party’s over? Wear the fashionably hued trench all the way through Fall! And the hat? Perfect for keeping your head warm in the cooling temps!

This flight attendant image was borrowed from "What I Wore" - http://whatiwore.tumblr.com - and features Jessica Quick as photographed by Adam Quirk.

And speaking of wearing things again, her “PanAm”-inspired flight stewardess costume‘s main focus is a red pencil skirt. Hmm, where have I seen that before?? Add a white blouse, some essential pumps and a jaunty necktie. A retro hairdo and cute DIY flight wings are the finishing touches… Now you’re ready to fly away!

This Rosie the Riveter image was borrowed from "What I Wore" - http://whatiwore.tumblr.com - again featuring the ever-creative Jessica Quick as photographed by Adam Quirk.

This year I’m going to be swiping her costume idea for Rosie the Riveter. I already have the look in my own closet, all thanks to Goodwill: A chambray shirt and a (preferably high-wasted) pair of jeans. I just need to add a red bandana and flex my bicep… See? I CAN do it!

What Goodwill-sourced Halloween costume(s) will you be deck out in? Tell us all about it in the comments and don’t forget to share your pictures on Facebook and Twitter!

I got mine from Goodwill and it required some minor alterations. The first was made to my body.
You see my waist always expand a little during the christmas holiday. So I had to wait a good month before my waist was small enough to wear it. The second alteration was made to the length of the skirt. I wore this skirt the whole winter and can not wait to pair it with some funky colours this summer.