Photo: Tre Thomas

This past weekend I had the pleasure of testing out Rent the Runway’s Style Studio in SOHO, and it was delightful.  Rent the Runway speaks to my soul as a fashion enthusiast who has neither a Sugar Daddy, nor a rich regular dad, nor a 6 figure salary (yet).  This innovative brand combines luxury fashion with technology to make quality clothing accessible to a larger number of consumers (albeit for a brief rental period).  The process of renting the runway is quite simple:

This week in fashion…

A photo posted by Chanel Iman (@chaneliman) on Nov 15, 2016 at 9:52am PST

Chanel Iman shut it down in this metallic silver gown by Kaufman Franco at the Glamour Magazine Women of the Year Awards. Metallics aren’t only for New Years, baby showers (for some reason) or red carpets. You can always add some sparkle to your look with a metallic skirt or shoes. I personally love metallic gold sneakers.

Photo: Tre Thomas

Let me preface this post by saying a few things. If you are healthy and happy with your weight, then great for you. This is not for you. This post is for those of us who want to drop a few pounds, and need to know what to wear while we are transitioning to healthier version of ourselves. I like being curvy. I do not like being overweight, and that I am according to both my doctor, and my pants. If you at any time feel that I am fat shaming, then send me an email and we can talk about it.

So now that we have that out of the way, I want to know if you’ve heard the good news about what to wear when you’ve gained weight, and haven’t figured out which lifestyle change is best for you. Lean in real close. The secret is this: buy bigger clothes. I don’t mean go all 90’s era rapper. I mean buy clothes that actually fit you. First and foremost you’ll be much more comfortable in clothes that fit as opposed to the ones you’ve squeezed yourself into. I remember seeing photos of myself on social and thinking hmmm I look a little bit like a tufted couch from Z Gallerie.

Photography: Tre Thomas

So, Fall finally showed up. A lot of people find Fall very draining to dress for, because you are dressing for two different temperatures in one day. Most likely it’s freezing in the morning when you leave your house for work, and by the time you head out for lunch, it’s hot. This is why it’s important to step up your layering game. You just add and take away layers as the temperature changes throughout the day (more on this in a later post). An essential layering piece for the season is a leather jacket. You’re welcome to get a faux leather jacket, but for the love of God please don’t choose faux leather that looks like a trash bag. Unless you want to look like Missy Elliot circa 1997. In which case, go right on ahead. You should also choose a leather jacket that is sufficiently lined. We like to dress for both function and fashion over here, so please don’t waste your money on a thin leather jacket that you’ll only be able to wear twice. Real or fake, a good leather jacket should have some weight to it so you don’t freeze when the sun goes down.  I also love to layer a fur vest over my leather jacket.  Fur and leather together is almost always a good idea. Here are some tips for buying a good faux leather jacket if that’s the route you want to take.

A photo posted by Rasheeda (@rasheedadabosschick) on Oct 18, 2016 at 6:50pm PDT

I have been style crushing on Rasheeda Frost (of Love and Hip Hop Atlanta) for a while now. I love anyone who can mix the high end with the low end, and she does so flawlessly. There’s something very alluring about a person who isn’t dressed in one designer from head to toe. I find that very lazy for some reason, especially when that designer has not cosigned you as their muse. For example, it makes perfect sense for Rihanna to wear Dior from head to toe, because she is the face of Dior, and I can only assume they are footing the bill for her looks. I am still annoyed; however, that Young Dro professes his affinity for Ralph Lauren often, yet Ralph will never acknowledge his existence. Rasheeda wears pieces from her own store Pressed, and pairs them with designer pieces. I have not visited her store, so I cannot attest to the quality of her products, but I love her Instagram style posts. I typically find the whole “I’m really into fashion” story line on reality television very played out. Every season of every reality show you can count on someone having a trash ass “clothing line” or opening a poor excuse for a boutique. Can we credit Sheree Whitfield as the pioneer of this now common farce? I can buy into Rasheeda’s plot line though, because the proof is in the post.

I am so obsessed with the simple elegance of Aleksander Siradekian’s footwear aesthetic.  The signature tassels add a touch of glamour and elegance to otherwise very simple silhouettes, but he doesn’t skimp on the sexy.  In fact, the minimalist design means that he gets to go crazy with different colors, textures and embellishments, and I am here for all of them.

The shape of the pumps lend themselves to optimum toe cleavage, which you should know, that I love!  Random style tip: pumps that reveal more of the top of your foot make you appear taller when you wear pants.  If you are as in love as I am then here is the website http://www.siradekian.com

Photo: Instagram

Photo: Instagram

Photo: Instagram

Photo: Instagram

Photo: Instagram