Confession time: I am a bit obsessed with Gucci this year.Can you tell? lol I have done countless posts (well about 4 or 5) inpired by their Spring 2016 line.The collection really speaks to me.It is bold, vibrant, vintage, modern, and some might call it border line granny-chic.The granny-chicness is what I like best about it.
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H&M is always snatching coins every November with their amazing designer collabs. From Balmain, Alexander Wang, and most recently Kenzo.These innovative partnerships give the financially challenged and 'balling on a budget' types like myself a chance to be street style fabulous within our means. I am also thankful that Kim Kardashian doesn't wear Kenzo because I would have never had a chance to snatch a piece from the collection *insert dry laughter here.
There's a new style sheriff in town. It's me. Here to tell you not put away those shorts just yet. The onset on colder weather means pulling out all the heavy artillery, but it's also the time for layering.
It's been a week and I have been itching to post, so yay I'm back.I was working on a special project, which I will discuss later.This season I am all about mixing feminine elements with basics. Something about a light whispy fabric or ruffle detail that really gives 'umph' to a casual look.
Crisp mornings, sweltering afternoons, and cold nights; that is Fall in North Carolina for ya! You literally have to dress for 3 seasons all in one. Being a NC native I am ready to tackle fall , and in the most Caribbean Cowgirl-est way lol.
I'm keeping it under wraps all week with Shop Feline.I am wearing one of their solid color head wraps tied in a bow for the ultimate feminine Old Hollywood glam.Shop them here to see all of their fab pieces.You know how much I love Burgundy , so get used to seeing a lot of it this season.
I have been feeling blue all week--literally feeling the color blue! I think I will really be adding all the hues of blue in heavy rotation this Fall and Winter. From my pastel Blue Embroidered Moto Jacket , to the Navy Floral Embroidered look from Wednesday, and today's Baby blue-hued Jumpsuit I have be showing my appreciation for this color all week. I have been feeling nostalgic about my good ol' college days and doing research papers (is that weird? lol), so I decided to do a little research on the color blue. According to www.colormatters.com blue is the #1 favorite color of all people worldwide. While it doesn't specify the most popular shade, based on the significance of the color I can see why it is reigning color king. Dark blue signifies authority, intelligence, and trust which is why the dark blue suit is such a common occurrence in the business world. Light blue (in reverence to sky blue) holds a more spiritual other realm-ness. It is used to represent traquility, peace, and serenity-- all feelings that are reflected when just sky or cloud watching. Over time the complexities of the color meaning have shifted its meaning from that of serenity and power to feelings of sadness. This can be attributed to the American culture and specifically the musical genre , the 'Blues".Up, down, high or low, regardless of how it makes you feel blue stands on its on as a power tone.Let's get into the look shall we.....
I have been a repeat offender lately. So in the spirit of the repeat I am slaying the shoulder game once again! My black and white bandage off the shoulder top (Shein, $10..old) perfectly complimented my khaki culottes (Romwe, old).I wanted to go with a Safari type theme so I laced up my snakeskin Zara pumps (old) and grabbed my backpack purse from Shein ($20) to add a pop of color. I kept my accessories simple by pairing my statement necklace from Chanel styles ($10) with some old wooden bangles. We all know I love I good ol' statement piece. This is really where my straw pom pom hat (BCBG, $38..old) came into play. Not only does it coordinate color-wise with my top and pants, but it is also such a fun eye-catching piece that really seals this look. Today you are all in for a special treat. I have collaborated with some other fantastic bloggers from around the world and they are also baring shoulders. Take a look below on how they all rock the off the shoulder trend: Ig names from top left to right: @stylebykaka , @kaiye_marie , @thebeningirl
second row: @styles_by_tsc, @styled_into_fashion , @dafsstyles last row: @cam_withlove A few posts ago, I did a Splurge vs. Save that featured bomber jackets; in particular a Gucci Embroidered Duchesse Bomber which retailed for $3,500.As a diva on a dime budget, I ran across a jacket inspired by the Gucci bomber on one of my go-to sites, Choies.com. The visual similarities of the two garments were incredible, when you consider the price difference. Based on what I saw online, I was sold.Choies offered their inspired version for $49.90, but I am a smart shopper and still did not want to pay that much. I checked to see what online coupons they had available and got and additional $15 off! The online retailer is based out of China, so shipping is the only deterrent. Being that I just saved $15 off the original price, I opted for express shipping. I got my this lovely bomber in about a week. I have become an avid online shopper, and have had a few experiences with pieces not looking as the picture described. This was not the case. It was perfection; stitching was great, colors vibrant, and most importantly( an issue with ordering from China) the jacket fit perfectly-- it's clear it was made to fit someone who is not a fifth grader.Now let's get the deets on the rest of my look. Running with my red and green Gucci inspired theme, I paired my bomber with my origami bustier top from Gojane.com ($12-sold out).I wanted to make the look really street style worthy so instead of going with a dressier bottom, I grabbed my revamped Levis (which were thrifted and converted to Step mom jeans).For an extra added 'cool' I stepped into my clear Perspex ankle boots courtesy of Ego.co.uk (Ego Official).Kanye West introduced the totally transparent stunners on February 10, 2016 at his Yeezy season 3 show. I have scoured the net and have not been able price them yet. My Yeezy 'dupes' from Ego.co.uk retail for $57.91.As soon as they dropped, they happen to have a 20% sale so I saved $11.50!! In addition to having the clear they have pink, black, open toe, lace-up and colored mesh Perspex boots as well. Be sure to check them out!! They are UK based , but I have ordered from them twice (both standard and express shipping) and received my boots in a very timely manner. Just a heads up on these boots-- if wearing sans sock, remember not to lotion feet as it will cloud the clear boots. They run true to size ( I wear a 7 1/2 US and got the US or 6 UK).Your feet will get sweaty, but not enough to be noticeable. Remember, they also have the open toe option as well! As my for accessories, I kept them nice and simple for the most part. My tassel earrings matched so well with the jacket and the signature Gucci color palette ;adding such a fun flair. Surprisingly I got these tasseled cuties for $1 at my local beauty supply. Wrist candy was kept minimal with a quartz bead bracelet (Jewelry Designs by Tim Ellis) and cubic zirconia tennis bracelet. At first glance of my eyewear, you may think my mirrored sunnies are Dior's 'So Real' stunners, but I am wearing the so fake, so affordable version. I got these designer 'duds' for $4 on aliexpress.com, which is another online Chinese retailer I frequent for accessories. It literally took a month to get them when I ordered last year, but I remembered the saying patience is a virtue and diligently checked my mail for weeks on end. My purse is a vintage structured granny bag that was a thrift find for $3.By adding fuzzy pom poms (Aliexpress.com $1 each), in theme of course, I took this bag from drab to fab! You don't have to drip in designer labels to turn heads and make a statement. I hope this post serves as an inspiration to that! There is no shame in inspired looks, but I would be careful not to cross that tacky-gauche line. I always have people asking me where I find such bargains so as an added bonus , I am listing my go-to sites as well on online shopping tips below Where I online shop:
*Chinese online retailers-These are my most trustworthy sources for street style inspired items. Expect to wait upwards of 2-4(4-weeks Aliexpress.com) weeks for items. Online shopping 101: -Know your measurements-go to your local dollar store and get a measuring tape. Measure your bust , waist, and hips. -When determining your size, refer to the site's measurement guideline. One website's size small may fit different than another's (especially Chinese brands-clothes and shoes).If the size measurements are shown in metric units just Google a conversion chart and size accordingly. -When possible read other buyer's reviews of the items. This can definitely help not only with sizing, but product quality. -Stock photo Alert-Small online boutiques and Chinese retailers are big on selling copied designs for a fraction of the original's price. So much so, they even have stock photo's from the original designer's site or even pictures from Pinterest Tumblr, or Instagram. In many cases of stock photo misuse, the picture is cropped at the mouth (the full face is missing).This can be a red flag the item you are ordering will most likely not look like the picture. In this case, maybe wait a week or two to see if you see some reviews pop up and go from there. -Coupon Codes-even if it's on sale, get as much off as you can! One of the reasons I shop at Shein, Choies, and Romwe is the incredible deals on top of deals. Many times I just Google "Romwe coupon codes 2016' and see what pulls up. Shein and Choies have a rewards point system also which means saving more on future purchases! -Free shipping- I am an avid believer in free shipping. Signing up for the newsletter can give you alerts when free shipping is available.Shein.com always has free shipping-no minimum. -Customer Service-I'm huge on customer service and I like to know that my purchases are appreciated. As much as I used to love Forever21, their customer service is shotty. Not the people in particular, the policies and procedures .One time they sent me the wrong shoes I had to pay return shipping wait to be reimbursed and was never told my original shoes were sold out. I just happen to call and check my order status. I was so disgusted. On the other hand, with Shein.com., I have been sent the wrong clearance item instead of making me pay to ship it back I was able to keep the item and was given a refund or choice of discount towards my next purchase. Response time was always with 24 hrs as well. I know this post is long, but I wanted to share some my tips for being street style fierce on a shoestring budget.Stay fabulous!! Soooo.... I am excited to announce I have teamed up with a fabulous boutique to bring you today's post! Haus of Fash is an online boutique who specializes in affordable pieces that are not only trendy but extremely versatile. The boutique owner, Arvion prides herself selling garments that are sexy, but classy at the same time. She strives to bring the "new classy" and "new chic" to all the lovely ladies who aspire to be fashionable, fly, and fierce. The pieces I am wearing from Haus of Fash are the nude body suit ($35) and nude midi skirt($29).For my first look , I decided to go with a more monochromatic look and pair the two. My gold plated belt added just a bit of dimension and accentuated my waist. As I am not a curvy girl,the belt helps add to the illusion that I have a few. The top is totally amazing! With Spring around the corner and sheer being so in style as well as bodysuits, this piece is a virtual must-have of the season! In addition to pairing the top with the skirt, I also tried a more casual approach by matching it with my 'step-mom' jeans and my pom pom pumps. This looks can go from day to night with right accessories and the top will definitely be an eye-grabber. The skirt, which is also versatile is different from the average midi as this one comes lined. So you can say goodbye to panty lines and unsightly bulges. The skirt pulled double -duty as I also styled it as a tube dress for a more fun street style look perfect for going to a concert...including Beyoncé and Rihanna. ******************************GIVE AWAYYYYYYYYYY******************************************** I have also teamed up with Haus of Fash to do a $50* giveaway!!! One lucky lady will receive $50 worth of goodies from Haus of Fash. Below are the contest rules: 1.Contestants must be following both me and Haus of Fash on instagram @hausoffash and @caribbean_cowgirl 2.The contestant's instagram page must be unlocked for the duration of the contest 3.Head over www.hausoffash.com pick out a look or item and comment under either @hausoffash or @caribbean_cowgirl IG contest post on how you would style the look or item if you were to win! It's just that easy!!! So if you like fashion forward looks and free clothes.....ENTER NOW!!! *does not include applicable taxes or shipping |
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