My Sunday Best: A Pinch of Flowers and a Dash of Rock ‘N' Roll

This article is a continuation of my “Dress for Success ”series.

A few standard pieces of a professional wardrobe are shift dresses, blazers, pencil skirts, dress-shirts/ blouses and flats. Having many variations of each item will make it significantly easier for you to get-up-and-go while still feeling and looking professional. Also, these pieces are very versatile,  your ensemble can be either very dressy or casual depending on how you pair them.

 

 In this segment I chose to pair a floral print shift dress with a blazer, belt, and flats. The dress is very cute, it is cream with a continuous blue floral print that persists throughout the entire garment. Now usually a dress like this would seem too bright for the professional world, which is why I chose to pair it with a darker blazer.  I love this blazer! For the thrifters out there, I got this blazer from a local goodwill. It's great that the color is not solid. And of course let's not forget about the lines! The navy lines on the blazer are so attractive to me. Such defined lines make me feel professional, sexy, and chic.

I chose to show two different belts: one black, wide, and punk and the second thin and lime green. I wore a belt because of the print of the dress, if the print goes uninterrupted it can be a bit overwhelming. I felt that a belt was the best way to really showcase the print. Also, belts are a great way to accentuate your waistline and to give shape to a shift dress. I like the black belt, because it gives a different dimension to the outfit. It takes an ensemble that is quite safe and dainty and gives it edge. I chose the lime green belt because it takes the somber blues to a new level. I knew that the print and the blazer would really stand out with a bright belt. I picked silver flats to wear with the black belt because I felt that silver would not overwhelm the other elements of the outfit, the silver flats blend well with the rest of the outfit.

Do you have pieces in your wardrobe that you consider professional staples?

What do you think about wearing bright clothing or colors in a professional setting?

Please share what you think!

A Momentous Occasion, Graduation 2013

On May 12^th, 2013 I graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science. It was a sunny day in Durham, NC with the temperature in the eighties. As you can imagine, it was a very special day. So naturally, I had to find a special outfit to wear during this momentous occasion. When I saw this dress in the store, I just knew I had to have it and that it was the perfect dress for graduation. It is pretty simple, not too flashy, feminine, and looks really cute on me. The dark blue skirt is stylistically great with the light blue red floral print semi-corset top. The light blue is very light and airy, all the colors are great complements and contrasts. The whole effect with the brown belt and low heels is very pretty and mature. It was the perfect outfit to wear to make the crossover from Duke undergraduate student to Duke Alumnus.

Hair: Being natural, hair was a big concern for me. I searched for a style that was suitable for the traditional cap worn with graduate attire. My go-to style is a curly afro, which would make it difficult to keep the cap on my head, especially with the moderate winds that was experienced that day. I considered straightening my hair, but with the heat and humidity that would have been a wasted effort. Instead I chose to braid my hair in several plaits, which I left up for a few days. When I took them down I put a light moisturizer on my hair to combat the humidity.

Make-up: I went with a little foundation, ebony eyeliner, black mascara, pale pink eye-shadow, and red lipstick.

Accessory: I chose to wear a simple pearl earring set because they are classy and sophisticated.

What do you like to wear for special occasions?

Please join the conversation!

Being Fancy! Metallic Print

I decided to wear this outfit to a reception dinner. I really like this outfit because it is very feminine, young, and fresh. The dress is cream with a silver metallic floral print. The dress actually came with the silver belt, which is awesome because I can take the belt off and pair it with other outfits. I got a new dress and a new accessory, yay!. This dress accentuates my curves well because of its structure and relative stiffness, though it was not form-fitting. The back was a little low-cut, making it kind of sexy and adding to the femininity.  Originally I thought that the sliver metallic print would be over the top, but it gave a classy dress some sass. I give shiny, metallic, and glitter two thumbs up.

Accessories: I chose to wear the blue-green shoes because they added a pop of color and did not clash with the sliver. I wore a silver earring and necklace set, but I think that that the outfit would have been cute with green jewelry as well. I also think that it would be fun to experiment with belt color and flats instead of heels.

What is your take on metallic prints? 

Do you like them or do you think that they are too much?

Let everyone know what you think!