Jalisa’s Fashion Files

SWEATER: Wilson & Clay (Marshalls) // PANTS: H&M // PURSE: Dooney & Bourke (Marshalls) // BOOTIES: Marshalls 

Hello Girlies,

Today's look is inspired by the urban streets of New York, in which I've grown up, The Bronx. I've mentioned to you before how fellow New Yorkers can generally tell which borough a person's from based on his or her accent. While it's all a New York accent, each borough has a more or less exaggerated version and I believe it's a bit true when it comes to style and vibes. I've created outfits in the past  that have been inspired by the streets of Brooklyn, which tend to feature more earthy tones and an overall vintage vibe, which I now refer to as "Brooklyny," lol! The Bronx borough has more of a sportswear and menswear inspired running theme, demonstrated by the New York Yankee fitteds you'll see all throughout the streets, the latest Jordan's on feets, and if not that...Timberland boots! It's very common to see matching couples walking the streets and riding the trains in this borough. You'll see matching Jordan's and Timberland boots and while I used to do this as teenager, I sometimes felt as though I was loosing my femininity within the style. I'm sure that there are those of you out there that may feel the same and want to dress in an urban manner, whether you're from NY or Detroit, or from anywhere for that matter! The way to pull off an urban look, yet maintain that feminine flow is to accessorize in a way that reads street chic.

Street chic is simply maintaining the inspiration you have from your area, while adding some hints of glamour. These Timberland inspired booties do just that, as do sneaker wedges. They have that menswear inspired vibe with that perfect touch of glam, which I love! Many men inspired shoes for the ladies now come in heel options (such as loafers), not to say that if you wear the flat version you won't look or appear womanly, not true, you've seen me rock the flat versions, too! This is an option for all those lover of heels that want the menswear vibe blended ;) 

Now, if you're loving this look, regardless of where you live, which doesn't matter because style and fashion is present within us as much as around us, then below are options that I've created for your body shape, so you can achieve the same vibe. This outfit would be perfect for school, since the heel is chunky, making it more comfortable and easy to walk in! The pear shape version is the one I'm wearing and I have links to similar pieces above, if you're interested in shopping the post. 

APPLE SHAPE

RECTANGULAR SHAPE

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Hey Loves, 

I was contacted by a stylist from ModCloth and was asked to participate in an autumn layering contest, featuring some layerable pieces from their collections. I thought this would be fun, since I've never entered a contest before; I'm pretty excited to participate! Their social team will feature their favorite sets on an a weekly basis, so hopefully they'll love the look :)

I decided to create this seasonably perfect pairing, which exudes fall in color and as a collective outfit pairing. Layering is synonymous with fall, mainly because the temperatures change throughout the day, especially here in the North East, throughout the season. What's important to me is that when I remove an item, I don't want it to negatively effect the entire rhythm of the outfit. In other words, I don't want it to appear as if something's missing. 

Let's say that we start our day experiencing a rather cool morning, we then choose to add the jacket for some additional warmth. It adds a nice touch of sultry color to the outfit and compliments one of my favorite colors this season, which I recorded a video on how to style (watch here), in a burnt orange tone, rather nicely. As the day progresses, it begins to warm up and there is no longer a need to wear a jacket, no worries, the outfit looks fabulously chic without it! The hints of pattern and additional color peeking through the collar area and underneath the bottom portion of the sweater, add interest and character to the look. Now let's say that it begins to warm up a bit more, around the mid 70's, we can simply remove the sweater and leave the collared shirt paired with the jeans and the look would still look great! This is something you may want to keep in mind while creating your autumn look. Put together an outfit that has pieces that can easily be added and/or removed without effecting the entire look. 

I hope you all enjoyed and felt inspired by the post if you loved the sweater featured, visit ModCloth's website to see more of their fabulous collection! :

 http://www.modcloth.com/shop/sweaters

SHOP THE SET!

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CHAMBRAY SHIRT: Buffalo Jeans by David Bitton (Marshalls)// SKIRT: Necessary Clothing// SHOES: Nine West 

Hey Loves!

I mentioned earlier today on Facebook and Instagram that I have been inspired a lot lately be menswear, which I'm sure you've noticed too, with some of my outfits. I think it may be that there are more pieces that have been inspired by "him" that still capture that feminine element, which makes it appealing. There's the fedora, which has been around forever, blazers, oxfords, brogues, smoking slippers, loafers, and the oh so popular boyfriend button-down and jeans. While I'm not too sold on the boyfriend jeans yet, I love men inspired footwear. They give off a dressy yet casual vibe simultaneously, which I like, since it provides more versatility. 

This outfit has some subtle touches of menswear. The most obvious may be the shoes, which have a loafer feel to them. The other would be the chambray shirt and part of the way I styled it. I paired a white cami underneath, which gives off that same vibe as a white beater shirt underneath. However, I knotted the front, which creates more of a softer and feminine twist. 

Aside from the style of the look, I love the color combination of the three pieces; they have a very fall feel to them. They blend rather nicely and offer character and a bit of intensity, which I like. 

So, don't be shy to experiment with some menswear inspired pieces. If you're bae is getting ready to toss one of his work shirts out, try to work it into your wardrobe, by pairing it with a fedora and fitted jeans, to keep that feminine feel. The key to pulling off the look, is to blend both menswear and womenswear together, while featuring more female  silhouettes/structures, colors, or fabrics ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Come back tomorrow :)

XO,

Jalisa

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DOLMAN TOP: Marshalls//LEGGINGS: Daily Look// CHARM NECKLACE: ALDO// FRINGE BRACELET & RING: Kendra Scott//BOOTS: Christian Siriano for Payless//PURSE: Errelleventidue (TjMaxx) 

Hello Loves, 

Last night, Eddie and I dined at a restaurant with a bit of a casual feel; I knew before hand because we dined there for the first time in the beginning of September. That time, I dressed a bit more dressier, but nothing too over the top. This time around, I kept things a bit simple, yet there was a bit of a dressy feel, due mainly to the texture and style of the dolman top. I love dolman tops because they're versatile; they can easily transition from day to night or from a casual setting to a more business causal one. This one in particular has such a soft and feminine texture; extremely cozy and perfect for a fall night out. Fortunately it wasn't too cold, so I was able to get away with not wearing a jacket on top, which I was happy about because I think a jacket would've spoiled the look a bit. 

Speaking of the complete look, I decided to create a pairing that mixed a couple of shades of grey with navy. Grey blends so nicely with blue, especially navy because grey has a cool undertone and so does blue. Colors that share either the same hue or undertones, are guaranteed to work well together. Something I touched on briefly in this week's video on another fall color I love, orange.

Navy and grey are a combination that looks stellar on those who have cool undertones, most commonly those with very fair or very dark skin. They bring out those cool undertones and as a result, provide a nice healthy glow to the skin. This is not to say that those who have warmer undertones cannot wear them or don't look good in them either. Some colors just tend to flatter certain or specific skin-tones more than others and that's okay! 

I also wanted to briefly discuss the top I'm wearing. It's dolman top, which has a very flowy style, which I personally find cozy. It's also a piece that can be worn during the day or night, since it shares both a dressy and casual tendency. It's also super flattering on most body shapes. For us pear and rectangular shapes, they provide a bit of volume to help fill out our smaller upper bodies. In the case of the apple shape, depending on the length of the top, it can help conceal and flatter a larger bust and midsection. The reason I mention the length is because if it ends before the widest part of the hips, it'll make the upper body appear larger. If it stops where the hips are, it'll have the opposite effect, creating a longer and leaner upper body. So these may want to consider these suggestions when shopping for this particular style of blouse.

I hope this outfit inspires you to recreate it on yourself or one with a similar look the next time you're out with your ladies or bae :)

GET THE LOOK HERE:

Thanks so much for stopping by and please do return tomorrow!

XO, 

Jalisa

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CARDIGAN: Marshalls// T-SHIRT: Cynthia Rowley (Marshalls)// JEANS: New York & Company (HERE)//EARRINGS: Target//SUNGLASSES: Ferragamo// BOOTS: Just Fab c/o Heels at Home (HERE)

Hello Beauties,

My favorite season of all, is definitely fall. When summer says good-bye, it truly is bittersweet because as much as I love the warm weather and trips to the beach (although I didn't visit the beach that much this year), like the next girl, I know she'll be back and the start of my most favorite time of year has arrived. There's so much to love and enjoy during the fall, such as the leaves changing, which is truly one of the most beautiful transitions to see take place in New York, as well as the cozy cardigans and cute boots, plus the arrival of the seasonal Pumpkin Spice Late at Starbucks ;) 

For today's look, I wore a lightweight cardigan that adds the perfect amount of warmth, which is perfect for fall days because it's often cooler in the mornings and warmer as the day progresses. My favorite part of this look, however, are these boots! I absolutely love them and I couldn't wait to wear them. I believe I only wore them a couple of times last year, but I do plan on wearing them more this season because they're everything! I loved the way they worked together with the cardigan, giving off somewhat of a Mayan vibe, which has been super popular this past summer into fall. We've seen quite a bit of aztec print and  inspired clothing for the past few years, now I'm beginning to see more Mayan inspired pieces in prints, colors, and patterns and I'm really loving it. What do you think? Is it a trend you'd be willing to try?

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