To Belt or Not To Belt

A properly deployed belt can make all the difference when wearing an outfit, not just clothes. And, while most times my belt game is en flique(that's the French spelling on "on fleek"), I went back and for with this ensemble... first up the belted version:

I like how the belt gives shape to this looser silhouette, but is it too much? And/or is it kind of unflattering?

Now unbelted:

These is a bit more casual, but still has impact. Again, I'm wondering which is the more flattering/fetching version?

Detail Shots:

Which do you prefer?

Belted

Unbelted

vest-Violeta(similar here), shirt/bracelets(similar here)/belt(similar here)-Banana Republic Factory, culottes-J.Crew(similar here), loafers-Sole Society(similar here), necklace-Le Tote(similar here),

I'm going back and forth on which version of this outfit I like best. I rocked both during my day at work. Kept things belted for the morning and then let things loose after lunch. What say you?

Also, these navy silk culottes are to die for(!!!) and I got them on disgusting discount at a random J.Crew. If you follow me on instagram you may have already seen this:

YEP! That's a saving of over $300!!!! Plan on seeing these babies again, they will be my fall/winter culotte this coming season.

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40 Year Old Cottagecore

dress-Anthropologie(more options here ), sunnies- DIFF Eyewear , necklace- Benevolence LA , bag-- Shiraleah , sandals- Born I first became aware of Cottagecore earlier this summer and found it to be an aesthetic I can appreciate and find aspirational , but was not necessarily a style that aligned with my wheelhouse. Well as I've been growing my hair during covid quarantine and having picked up this dress as seen here , I felt that I was ready to tackle #cottagecore here on my 40th birthday!!! Yep, that's right today I turn 40 (but I don't look it). And while it's been a year like no other, I feel excited for my next year, decade, chapter of my life. I think it's fair to say I'm done having babies and ready to move on from the chaos of very little children to the chaos of big kids. I no longer feel like I have something to proof in my work, writing, sense of self. I'm just going to enjoy and be grateful for the many blessings of family, friends, health, a...

Gift Guide Part 3--Literature

So far I've covered beauty products and socks in this year's round of gift guides, which are prefect gift categories for the coming winter. To add to that list--reading! Here are a few books from my Books Worth Reading Pinterest board, first up--poetry! James Allen Hall's "I Liked You Better Before I Knew You So Well" from the CSU Poetry Center I LOVED Hall's 1st book Now You're the Enemy , which won awards from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Lambda Literary Foundation, and the Fellowship of Southern Writers. So this is on my personal wish list to read here during the snowy days to come. Anthology from Mason Jar Press "The Black Ladies Brunch Collective’s Poetry Anthology, Not Without Our Laughter , is a collection of humorous and joyful poems, riffing on Langston Hughes’s novel Not Without Laughter . It explores topics of family, work, love and sexuality. The women of BLBC believe, like Hughes, that even in these ...

Rent the Runway to the Rescue

So after the semi-disastrous dress vote from last week I took the stiletto by the heel, aka reserved this Slate & Willow dress from Rent the Runway for the wedding in July. Slate & Willow I had my eye on this as a possible outfit for the Tilda Swinton event I attended last month (fancy I know!) But, ended up going pretty casual since it was just a film screening. An AMAZING screening, but not a dressy affair nonetheless. Anyway, this striped sheath has so many good reviews from a variety of fellow renters in all shapes and sizes, I didn't see one unflattering user pic, so I'm fairly confident this frock will serve my needs come July. And here are some pics of former rentals over the last few years: Nanette Lapore Elie Tahari Elie Tahari Robert Rodriguez Halston Heritage Interesting in renting something for yourself here this summer, use this link , to get $20 off your first rental. You're welcome!

Outfits Not Just Clothes

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