fashion

Chaz Taylor Mini Shoot- Monarch Rooftop Lounge

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Chaz Taylor- New York City

It was a blustery February evening when I did 3 mini shoots for NYC Bloggers. The first up was Chaz Taylor, a model, content creator, and real estate agent in New York City. He wore a gorgeous red and black animal print suit from Zara, and a black turtle neck from Rag and Bone. He attracted quite a lot of attention from the ladies with his outfit and his cheekbones. Chaz had such good energy, and I absolutely adore him and the vibe he brought to the shoot!!

If you’re interested in booking a fashion or portrait session please click here! I look forward to hearing from you.

How to Create the Perfect Billowy Blouse Look

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One of my favorite go-to's this summer is wearing an over-sized blouse with fitted pants. It's effortless, sophisticated, and (when styled right) can be incredibly sexy!

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The Blouse

First things first, creating a billowy look is surprisingly easy. You just need a loose fitting top. I like to size up for an over-sized look. I'm a bit "bigger" on my bottom (Thank you for that Francis Ass) so I compensate by getting a shirt that is at least a medium or bigger. The blue striped shirt pictured above is actually an XL, which I didn't figure out until I purchased it and took home from TJ Maxx.  

Go figure.

From there I simply roll my sleeves up, and I don't really care about getting both of them super symmetrical, as it's meant to look a little "lived in" and casual. This shirt also came with a couple of cuff bands that I can't quite get myself to cut off just yet, although they're more of a nuisance than anything else at this point.  Like I said, It is suuuuuper easy going, but if I wanted something a bit more polished then I would definitely take the time to measure and iron out a J-Crew type cuff.

Obviously, I couldn't find an exact shirt from the look I shot, because lol TJ Maxx. However, I did collect some of similar styled tops that would give the same billowy oversized affect that I adore so much. I also tried to keep it under $50 (with the exception of 1) to make it affordable!!

The Amazon links are affiliate links, full disclosure, but you do not pay extra from buying through me!

The Bottoms

Half the battle is over, and all you need to finish your look is a pair of bottoms! Since I do like to go way over sized then I choose bottoms that have a thicker fabric. I abhor whenever I can see the shirt fabric bunched up around my butt. It's beyond tacky and it kinda ruins the look.  The pants from this shoot was from the OG American Apparel (RIP  to one was... you may have had your issues concerning your management, but you put out some dope closet staples). Boohoo has an excellent dupe, and I have it in navy. The fabric is a tad thinner, but it's not really noticeable. Pair with bottoms that are high-waisted to create a more leggy figure (My personal favorite since I'm on the shorter side), or with low rise flare pants for a vintage 70s vibe.  You can use trousers and dress pants for a more sophisticated and polished look, or you can dress them down, and make your look funky in some killer statement jeans. All jeans are less than $40, with the exception of the Revice Denim. The Revice Denim ones are less than $100 each, orrrrr you can do 4 payments of a lesser cost that is interest free via After Pay. 

Isn't that A W E S O M E???

The Style Edit

And now to put it all together! When it comes to accessories I can admit that I am learning to add more to really pull together a look. I have my Fitbit Blaze, and a ring I got from Ebay. Those two are my staples, but I am adding more to my collection little by little.

Okay, so to style this I wanted to have some dangly chains to really emphasize the deep V of the collar of my shirt, so I grabbed this multi-row chain from Target, and just tossed it on. It's a single necklace, but it has 3 tiers of chains of different lengths that give it that coveted layered style without having to pick out 3 different necklaces.

If you're more daring, then you can unbutton your shirt a little bit more to give a peek-a-boo of some cute lingerie you've been secreting from the world. The bra that I'm wearing in the edit is from H&M. Short story: I found the underwear in a sale bin, and I was agonizing over finding the bra-mate to create the set (and it wasn't online). I must have went into my H&M store every day on my lunch break for 2 whole weeks looking for it... and finally I found it. The Fashion Gods were with me that day.  The necklaces are all under $25 and the Bras are all under $35!!

 

 

There you have it, how to create and style your own billowy blouse look that is perfect for creating a beautiful, yet effortless look. You can make it as sexy or as conservative as you want. Did you like the dupes? How would you style this look? Let me know in the comments below!!

Hot Tictail Stores You Need to Recognize- July Round Up

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If you know me in real life (or social media) then you'll probably know that I love clothes. My personal style is currently evolving, and I'm making the closet transition from fast fashion to pieces of clothing that are more ethically sourced.  That means recycled/upcycled clothing from thrift stores and clothing from small brands! I discovered TicTail through Instagram, and was instantly thrilled with the whole concept of the online marketplace.

Tictail is an Ecommerce site that houses up-and-coming brands and small business from all over the world. They house products ranging from clothing pieces, to accessories, to home goods, to artwork. If you want a better rundown of Tictail and why it's so damn amazing check out my post here. Otherwise, just take my word for it (or don't) and I can just jump into my favorite stores of July

 

Christina Ledang

This brand is like heaven on a stick to me: Streetwear mixed with minimalism that's way out of my price range, but it doesn't stop me from fantisizing about their amazing coats. Christina Ledang is a Norgwegian high fashion label with clean designs. They include staples that every person should have in their closet: tank dresses, long sleeve tops, and chunky knit sweaters. Christina Ledang also has some incredible statement pieces like the Drown Me Scarf, a beautiful and incredibly long and thick wool scarf that reminds me of this iconic Lenny Kravitz moment:

 

Photo by Esquire

Photo by Esquire

So while it doesn't have that fringe bottom, nor is it as long, The Drown Me Scarf is definitely something you should check out if you want to give some fall/winter realness and flair.

Photo by Christina Ledang on Tictail

Photo by Christina Ledang on Tictail

Probably their most well known piece is their Bubble Long coat. It's a double layered puffer coat that has the length of a duster, over-sized pockets, and it comes in millennial pink. So basically it's everything I live for. The Bubble Long was worn by Gigi Hadid, who also wore a cropped pink sweater by Christina Ledang as well.  All this warmth and funky color can be yours to the tune of $1,103... Which is actually not too bad considering that it's thicc af and waterproof, both are qualities you'll need to get through a NYC winter.

Most of their products range from $30-$100, and don't let their shipping fee scare you: they created a blanket shipping price and will refund you the leftovers if it comes out to be cheaper than that.

Photo by N.Ignatovich/ BACKGRID

Photo by N.Ignatovich/ BACKGRID

Photo by Christina Ledang on TICTAIL

Photo by Christina Ledang on TICTAIL

 
 

Other Theory

**Fun Fact: I actually am putting aside money just so I can go on a shopping spree here.**

Other Theory describes itself as a progressive European brand that offers original and high-end womenswear.  They definitely offer that. it's a unique blend of femininity and architecture-like ridgedness. Other Theory has a knack of creating seperates that are statement pieces, but are wearable enough so that you can get some pretty incredible looks from them. This label pushes limits in creating clothes with unexpected cutouts, playing with shapes, and draping. 

 

Yard & Blue

Okay so please forgive me if I get this wrong (their bio was in Portuguese, and google butchers all translations), but Yard & Blue is a line formed by two women, and I'm quite sure if it's thrifted/upcycled clothing or their own work. Either way this Tictail store is filled with bright and easy pieces that would make every influencer cry with envy. Seriously, if you want an instragrammable outfit then you should head to this store. They only sell limited qualities of each piece, which sucks because I would definitely sell my first born for a couple of their already sold out clothing items. However, there's still plenty of amazingness to go around, especially dresses and dusters. They have a knack for finding/creating sack dresses that don't look frumpy, but are instead chic and relaxed. If you insist on having a waistline then these dresses can be easily belted to create more of a shape. Honestly, oversized looks never looked so easy, or beautiful.

 

MaxJenny!

This store is basically print heaven.

MaxJenny! is a store in Denmark that has a keen eye for creating wild and wonderful prints that captivate the eye, and works harmoniously with the silhouette its on. They're bold, bright, and some are just plain weird (in the best way possible). If you want head-turning wardrobe then this store is perfect for you. Their eye for color and creating textiles is wacky, fun, and fabulous. Their clothes run from $300-$800, but it's well worth the price for a piece of art in your wardrobe.

I flipping love this online venture, and am definitely well on my way to becoming obsessed. What about you?  See anything you like? Have a favorite brand at Tictail?? Should I do a monthly product round up of my favorite things> Let me know in the comments below!!

 

Tictail is a Fucking Treasure. Here's Why.

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I'm not exactly sure how I stumbled upon Tictail (Instagram most likely), an e-commerce store, but I'm glad I did. It's filled with incredible brands from all over the world, and puts you in the way of some incredible designers. Tictail is pretty easy to navigate, each store inside the side has a lot of autonomy, and they have an amazing philosophy.

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Tictail History

As a fairly recent venture, Tictail was founded in 2012 by a group in Stockholm, Sweden (bless these people). The team was headed by CEO, Carl W. Rivera who wanted to create an online space that would help to business owners to launch global brands.  It's a hub for small creators that want to make a global impact, and I for one am eternally grateful.

Their mission is rooted in the fact that it is so easy to start your own shop. It's free to sign up, there's no hidden fees or charges, and the shop gets to keep 96.5% of whatever you sell. It sounds insane whenever you compare it to other e-commerce websites.

 

Shopping Experience

SALES

With the gloriousness of having shop autonomy. You, as a shopper, are blessed with the opportunities to shop sales. You choose the between 15%, 30%, or 50% off or more. You can narrow down the price range, look within categories, and also change the settings so items can be sorted into "Lowest price." Shops are also allowed to give out coupons and special deals, so if you follow a store and sign up for the Tictail emails you'll be getting a notification whenever a store decides to have a percentage off sale. 

Follow/Like Feature

When you create a Tictail profile you have the option of following stores and other users. It keeps everything pretty streamlined, and you get a notification on the bell towards the top of your screen whenever a store you've followed has added a product.

 

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It's a great way to stay up to date on the latest goodies you can splurge on.

If you click on your profile name, and then click on the "New for You," then you're taken to a page where you can view all the newest arrivals from the brands that you follow.

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One thing that could possibly be improved is how you find the complete list of how you can find the brands and products that you have liked and followed. So far it seems like the only way Tictail allows you to do this is by clicking on "My Profile" and going from there. It's an itty-bitty pitfall, but worth noting.

 

Phone App

I can only comment on this as a a droid user (I know... roast me), but the main reason I love Tictail is because of the ability to shop on the go. The app is nowhere near the ease of going on a desktop, but it's serviceable enough so that I can browse with *relative* ease and discover new items.  

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It functions fairly similarly to the desktop site: has the likes feature, you can visit your profile to look at a list of the brands/shoppers you follow, and can buy from it was well. However, you lose the ability to look at specific reviews on a brand, which is often crucial when wanting to buy something from a relatively unknown entity. 

Ease of Transactions

Buying Tictail is super easy, and therefore makes it incredibly dangerous. I buy through my Paypal account, although they do accept major credit cards, apple pay, and assortment of other options. 

Future shoppers be aware! Since each shop has such autonomy, they have their own return policies, and shipping costs. Before you purchase make sure that you read and understand their policies before taking the plunge and checking out.  If you're buying from multiple stores then you'll have to check out multiple times as well.

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Tictail is an overall wonderful venture into e-commerce. They house incredible brands that range from artwork to home goods, and men and women's fashion. It brings together small brands so that they can have a global reach.

Did I tempt you to check it out? If I did then you can check out my profile here. Definitely take a look around you can find some gems. Let me know some of your favorite stores in the comments below!