Inspirational Blast from the Past
A few days ago I was going through a backup drive and I found some images from my old computer. I thought I’d lost these images and I vaguely remember rounding them up from various sources a couple years ago. They were going to be printed and they were to be added to my “mood board”. Well, the mood board never happened and the images, until now, have been mostly forgotten. However, I wanted to share because I think it’s interesting to look back at what inspired me at that time (and just a quick note, please don’t laugh at my faux-Photoshopping skills. Thx):
These adverts and images are at least a couple of years old or more, but I can still find inspiration from some of them and I remember why I saved them. I will say this, I must have been in a romantic reverie, because these images come off as incredibly romantic and idyllic in my mind. Soon, I hope to update this and show what imagery currently inspires me.
Spring is in the air
Spring is in the air and I’m starting to get excited.   Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery and open-toed shoes.  In the colder months, I won’t even let myself slip into a peep toe. So right now,I’m going a little crazy with all of the selections I have to choose from. Here are some of my favorite picks–and eventually, I will buy one of these pairs. Also, please note that I’m not even going to go there with expensive shoes. It’s just not even in my realm of possibility right now, so it would would just be cruel to do so.
These Corso Cormo sandals are not exactly gladiator, which is a continuing trend this season, but they are well within the spirit.  I’m thinking these would be perfect for shopping and/or brunch with a friend/significant other. Selling for $129 on Piperlime, they are a bit steep, but I’ve found Corso Como to be of good quality, so plan on these being a keeper for a few seasons.
These braided sandals by Wanted are adorable and the braiding displays intricate detail. For $50 at Piperlime, they are a steal.
Generally, I don’t like wooden platforms and no, they are not showing any toe. However, these Seychelles platforms have caught my attention. They are adorable and come in black and purple. For $100 on Piperlime, someone might think I’m sporting a pair of Chloe wedges instead.
Leave it to J. Crew to to provide comfy and stylish flats for multiple occasions. Wear it on a casual day to work or dress them up with a cute dress. A little boring? Maybe. If I wanted to revert to my usual safe route, I’d snatch them up in a minute.
I once said that if Dolce Vita was the last moderately-priced maker of shoes, then I’d be content for the rest of my life.  Loving these black platforms and I could see wearing these shoes whenever I get ready to make a statement. Not too bad for $162.
And I found these Dolce Vita shoes on the Urban Outfitters website. Cheaper than the aforementioned Dolce Vita shoes for $128, but I’m still a bit unsure. Maybe it’s the 5″ heel.  Still, I can envision so many outfits that these shoes would be perfectly paired with.
Overall, I haven’t done much shopping for Spring clothes, let alone shoes. I did relent and bought two pairs of comfortable and moderately chic everyday shoes from Payless. Yup, you got it, Payless. They are the shoes that I wear everyday to work and since my $195 Tory Burch Reva flats need to be replaced for the 2nd time, I refuse to another pricey pair right now. Feast your eyes on these:
Both pairs were $11.99 each. Not bad at all. And no, I am not showing any toe yet.
Sample Sales in…Chicago.
Chicago has been on the fashion map for a lot of things: Michelle Obama’s favored designer Maria Pinto and her boutique of choice, Ikram are located here. We have some very fashion-forward boutiques such as Blake, a boutique very strong on Belgian designers; and Hejfina, a shop that stocks Alexander Wang, Comme de Garcons, Vanessa Bruno and Maison Martin Margiela to name a few. There are mini-shopping districts throughout the city. Our luxury shopping mecca, the Gold Coast, is home to Yves Saint Laurent, Hermes, Jil Sander, and Barneys. So what’s the problem?
Where are the sample sales?
If you live in New York or if you read about fashion in New York, then you hear about tons of fabulous sample sales for just about any designer you can think of. People score items way less than the original retail price.  Cashmere for $100 and runway platforms for $175. Where do you find those deals in Chicago.
We are in some tough economic times and the Chicago sales tax is pretty high, so while the great boutiques I mentioned above stock great designers and collections, it’s always nice to try and score some good designer buys for less. Where to go?
I saw the sign in the picture above while walking back to my office from my lunch break. The name of the shop is Thread Lounge and it is located in Lincoln Park. It is a permanent sample sale location, so you are getting a bargain 24/7.  The clothing and accessories are marked for a fraction of the retail price and features up and coming designers that are most likely featured in a magazine like Lucky.  While passively browsing, I found a very nice leather handbag for $150 and cashmere throws for about $75.
Beta Boutique is another sample sale location. Sales used to be held on a specific date and time, but they have opened a permanent store in Wicker Park that can be visited four days a week.  Prices can start as low as $10 and the boutique carrys all brands such as Three Dots, James Perse, Cynthia Rowley, and Ella Moss.
High Gloss is not a permanent location, but they do have sample sale events four times a year. Supported by Clever Alice boutqiue, the sale stocks designers such as Chaiken, Prarie Underground, and Frenzii at up to 80% off.
So while Chicago isn’t the premier location for sample sales, we are coming around.  While there are no super high-end designer sample sales that I’ve found so far, the market is beginning to thrive. Hopefully, it will continue to do so.
Natural Inspiration
Sometimes we all need a little inspiration. Whether it’s writing, fashion or photography, imagery or examples are necessary for helping us trudge through  For me, I am always looking for hair inspirations. Yes, for my hair. When I became natural during my Sophomore year of college, I was happy that I was done with my harsh relaxer and I was determined to embark on a new adventure. I was going to stop depending on salons and I was going to see what my natural hair texture was really like. Well, let’s just say that those first few months were a bit awkward. Here I was, liberated from my relaxer, but now what? I had no points of reference for being natural and didn’t really understand all of the work that went into maintaining natural hair. Most of the pictures of celebrities and models (looking at you, Naomi), I saw were of models with stick-straight hair or contrived Afro-wigs that never looked quite real.
In the past four and a half years, I’ve sought out many inspiring images or celebs that portray natural hair. I have also found blogs like Mane and Chic, Honey Brown Sugar and Afrobella. I’ve also perused communities like NaturallyCurly.com. These sites have helped me immensely in feeling uplifted when I decide to wear my hair natural with their tips and stories.
Also, here are some fabulous natural celebs (models and singers) that I’ve found. This by no means covers all of the fabulous and natural public figures.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Janelle Monae
Erykah Badu
Wakeema Hollis
Bre
Jordan Richardson
Amel Larrieux
Jill Scott
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