Sheer Elegance

Happy 2019 loves! I hope that this new year brings to you more light, growth and success in your personal life journey. And in those times,   when life curve balls  make your journey seem  a little bumpy or challenging ,  I pray that you remember to be kind to your self, take time to rest and reset  and have faith in your inner resilient strength to courageously push you  forward . After a bit of  introspection, my 2019 intentions include ; practising more gratitude, having faith in my life path, trusting the process  and focusing on doing things that brings me genuine joy. On that basis, I am truly grateful for this little creative space that allows me to happily engage in my  passion project of writing and  sharing my personal style.

For my first outfit post for the new year,  I wore an  ensemble which I felt echoed a touch of whimsical  elegance. The fanciful feel of the outfit can perhaps be attributed to the dainty sheer blouse I donned. Its trumpet sleeves, ruffles and bow makes it an ultra feminine statement piece. And I especially  love how its  billowy silhouette and delicate material is guaranteed to  add a semblance of romance  and panache to any outfit.  It is therefore, the perfect eye- catching blouse to be included in every fashionista’s wardrobe.

In terms to how I styled my sheer statement blouse,  I decidedly paired it with an on trend, mustard colored, wide leg trousers. In fact,  this popular style of the 70s is presently enjoying a major fashion come back.  Undoubtedly, the resurgence and increased popularity of wide leg trousers can be credited to  its classic aesthetic   and  guaranteed comfort.  Therefore, wearing this article of clothing  is a surefire way to achieving an effortlessly chic look. I also love that these trousers are an investment piece because  it is a style that transcends the seasons hence making it transitional and functional. 

In  respect to my ensemble, I  felt that the roomy silhouette of the wide leg trousers complemented the exquisiteness of the statement blouse consequently  giving rise to an in vouge outfit. To complete my look, I accessorized with a   cobalt blue box purse. This purse sought to further enhance the overall  look of the outfit,  by adding a pop of bold color and  an  element of fun  which can be attributed  to its square box shape.  

This therefore concludes my first blog post of 2019.   I really do hope you all enjoyed this outfit post and thank you for reading.

Lots of love, 

Salisha

Plaid is the New Neutral

Hello my dear ones! Can you believe that we are already in the month of November?! This means that the festive and joyous  seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas are soon upon us. It is also at this time our fashion choices tend to reflect the lively mood and  cheerful feeling of the seasons by incorporating  more glitz and glamour to our outfits. However, without taking away from the tried and true customary seasonal dressing, there is one fashion trend that is gaining popularity and  will definitely be part of every fashionistas  fall/winter holiday outfits. And that fashion trend is, plaid. 

Plaid has always been in vogue but thanks to the iconic 90’s movie, Clueless,  its status as a fashion wardrobe prerequisite has been forever solidified.   Whenever  I see plaid,  the adjectives that usually comes to mind are polished and  classic sophistication.  However, in recent times this timeless trend has been given a modern revival to be more inclusive, by providing bold colours and various silhouettes therefore making plaid a fun and versatile styling piece. 

I also love that plaid serves as the perfect transitional piece.  For instance , with just a switch to more jazzy accessories like a pair of statement earrings or an ornate clutch purse you can take your plaid outfit  from a day at the office to a night out in town. Indeed,  with  the growing popularity of this fashion staple and the numerous ways it can be styled,  it may be fair to consider plaid as a  fashion neutral .

Feeling inspired by  fashionistas  bold and creative  street styles showcased during the various Fashion Week  I decided to express my personal style by pairing a sheer polka dots blouse with my plaid pants. I love how the contrasting prints and textures complemented each other to create a rather modish and chic ensemble.

Additionally ,  I also appreciate the fact that since  the blouse and the pants are separates,  these individual pieces  can be re worn and styled in a variety of ways.  For example, the high waisted and wide leg silhouette of the pants,  which gives off major vintage and retro vibes,  can  be styled either with a crop top or a body suit. Whilst the sheer polka dots blouse will add that sweet feminine touch to any outfit. Since the mixing of the contrasting prints created a statement outfit, I decided to keep my accessories at a minimum. So I completed my look by layering two necklaces which added a hint of elegance.

This concludes my blog post on this outfit, I really hope you all enjoyed reading it.

Lots of love,

Salisha 

Embracing Creativity

Hello my dearest friends! 

Recently, I visited the enthralling Smither Park in Houston, Texas, and I  must say,  that the moment I saw this park I was  completely mesmerized  and blown away by its aesthetic . Smither Park is a public, artistic space featuring several  spectacular mosaic structures. And while I appreciated the beauty of the individual pieces in its entirety , I was more so captivated and drawn to the  exquisite details and components embodied within the  structures and walkways.  These artists expressed their creative ingenuity by utilizing everyday materials such as pieces of glass, ceramic, tiles and wood to create such unique wonders of art and an extraordinary area that looks like a magical wonderland.

 It is always exhilarating seeing that there are places like Smither Park  dedicated to showcasing and encouraging artistic creativity.  Because when there is an appreciation and an avenue for  creative freedom and self expression; beauty is created and uniqueness  is celebrated. In fact, we all have a creative spark within us which we express  in numerous ways, whether be it via poetry, painting, crafting etc.  As for me, blogging about my personal style is my creative outlet and opportunity to be a story teller about the outfits I wear. 

For my visit to Smither Park, I went for a polished yet effortlessly chic look. To achieve this,  I  wore  a vibrant pink,   paper bag waist trousers which I paired with a black blouse that has exaggerated sleeves.   Paper bag waist trousers are currently  my new favorite fashion trend  because its cinched high waisted silhouette  makes it both a statement and versatile  piece. I adore the fact that this  all encompassing  fashion staple  can be worn in every season  and  can be styled for any occasion. For instance,  for those  casual days  I can style the pants  with  a t shirt and ballet flats while for a night or evening out on the town the pants can be jazzed up with heels and a ladylike blouse.

With respect to how I styled my paper bag waist trousers, I decided to complement my trousers by wearing a statement blouse. The  popularity  of statement blouses  is still going strong  and its continued appeal can perhaps  be attributed to its power to enhance and elevate any outfit. The one  I wore featured bold layered sleeves that formed a rosette pattern, which I felt added a bit of edge and an artistic flair to my outfit. Additionally, as  an ode to my creative surroundings  and to complete my look I accessorized with pieces that looked whimsical and arty- crafty. For instance, the  bold statement earrings I wore was made of various materials such as leather and resin.  This combination of different materials reminded me  a bit of the mosaic structures  whilst my  intricately embroidered denim clutch coordinated with the fun and exquisite background.

In conclusion, I want to encourage and remind  you all to fearlessly embrace your creative and artistic spirit because it is your beautifully  unique stamp in this world.  Thank you for stopping by and reading.

Lots of love,

Salisha .  

Discovering Houston

Hello lovelies! I hope everyone is well. 

This is my first blog post since my husband and I moved from Minot, North Dakota to the city of Houston, Texas.  Considering we relocated to our new hometown in May of this year, I am still pretty much in that transitional stage of getting acquainted with my new environment.   Houston, is  a  culturally diverse metropolis; boasting  of  awe inspiring skyscrapers, acres of strikingly picturesque gardens and  magnificent historical buildings and museums.  So seeing that Houston  provides lots to do and places of interest to visit,  I intend to immerse  myself and experience its many offerings as  an attempt to learn and adapt to my new hometown.

 In light thereof,  for my first fashion/personal style blog post as a resident in Houston, I decided that Discovery Green Park will be the perfect backdrop. I purposely chose this location  because I found the name, ‘Discovery’,  emblematic and fitting with my theme of learning more about  Houston. The aforementioned park  is a lively 12 acre oasis situated in the heart of downtown Houston.  And what makes this place a gem,  is that this charming space  provides that perfect balance of a lush, vibrant green space  whilst harmoniously co-existing alongside an urban setting.  

For my day at the park,  I knew  that I will be doing lots of walking and exploring so being comfortable yet stylish was pertinent . I therefore donned  an on trend  stripped, light blue midi dress with a classic A-line silhouette. The light weight cotton material and the loose fit of the bottom part of the dress made it the perfect piece for staying cool in the Houston heat while the design guaranteed  movement.    Despite the functionality of my apparel, it was the details incorporated within the design of the dress that appealed to me the most.

The ruching pattern on the bodice  added a bit of  texture and character to the dress. In fact, this style trend of the 90′ s and early 2000’s is currently having a fashion resurgence so we will definitely be seeing more clothing having ruching.   In respect to the neckline on the dress,  I felt that the broad neckline (boat neck) gave a touch of sophistication and  glamour to the outfit. To further enhance and  complete my look I decided to utilize the raffia/straw trend by accessorizing with a handled basket  bag, raffia material statement earrings  and a pair of  tanned straw wedges. These woven appurtenances coincided with that casually chic look I wanted by adding that fun and easy going vibe to my outfit . As a matter of fact, accessories are an  important and versatile aspect to any outfit because of its  power to create many looks.  Therefore, for those times I may want to wear this dress for a more polished and refined appearance, I will switch the wedges for heels and  the straw accessories for dainty and finely detailed jewelry.  

This concludes my blog post. I  really hope you all enjoy this blog post and thank you for reading. 

 

Lots of Love, 

Salisha


 

My Fargo Fashion Diary

Hello dear hearts! Pretty soon we will be celebrating the start of a new year. Personally, I  feel like this year passed by in the blink of an eye, needless to say I am truly grateful for my 2017 journey of  happy times, challenging moments  and life lessons I was meant to learn.  Having said that, I am looking forward to all what the universe may  have in store for me in 2018 with an optimistic attitude,  a joyful spirit and courageous heart.

Although the new year promises new adventures,  I intend to  continue some of my favorite ventures, one of which is, going on road trips and visiting other towns in North Dakota with my husband, Ahamad. Since migrating to North Dakota I have grown quite fond of going on long drives on the open road as part of my quest of exploring and learning more  about this place I call, home.  So far, these road trips have shown me  that  a wealth of knowledge lies in both the journey and the destination.  For instance, during a road trip from Minot to Bismarck, I noticed the presence of  numerous astronomic wind turbines constructed on the landscape along Highway 83 and it was after seeing this I learnt that North Dakota is one of the leading states in wind power generation. 

So in the spirit of learning more about North Dakota,  the hubby and I  went on a 4 hours road trip from Minot  to the city of Fargo. The city of Fargo is perhaps the most populous and diverse city of all of North Dakota. Therefore, as with any richly diverse  metropolitan places, the city of Fargo offers a multitude of entertainment activities ranging from informative visits to  historical museums and contemporary  art galleries   to attending more dynamic activities such as live concerts. 

On this trip to Fargo, my outfit reflected  my penchant for color. In fact, I seemed to be  more inclined to adding pops of bold and bright colors to my outfits during the cold, wintry months. This affinity for vibrant colors can perhaps be attributed to my Caribbean spirit. In this instance, I wore an on trend,  mustard color cape jacket which I layered over my heart patterned sweater.  The cape like sleeves  design can be traced to the early 1930s but its popularity has surged in recent times with it being  incorporated in dresses, jumpsuits and jackets. The allure of the cape is based on its modish and elegant silhouette. Alongside its aesthetic appeal, the cape jacket is a versatile piece of clothing.  For instance, it can be worn in every season and be styled in several ways depending on your outfit.

In my case,  I thought it was best  to wear my cape jacket with a pair of  purple straight cut pants for that  casual, chic look  while I was out and about exploring downtown Fargo. At a first glance  I love how the solid bold hues of the cape jacket and the pants complemented each other thereby paying homage to the fashion concept of color blocking.  The cape jacket also provides  a fresh alternative to wearing heavy winter coats on those rare winter days when  the temperatures has increased and  it is not bitterly cold. Needless to say it is still wintertime, it is therefore  imperative to wear layers to guarantee being warm and  protected against the cold winter chill.  

To elevate the look of my outfit I decided  to create the illusion of  a statement collar on my cape jacket. I achieved this by layering  it over a blouse which has detailed collar. Styling pieces can therefore be a creative venture to produce your own personal and unique looks. To bring my outfit together and to complete my  look I wore ankle boots. 

This concludes my blog post. Thank you for stopping by and reading.  

Lots of Love, 

Salisha