Why skinny jeans are dead

Recently, a Tik Tok trend went viral discussing how Gen Zs want to cancel the wear of skinny jeans, but as a Millennial, I might have to to agree with them. There is no doubt that when skinny jeans first grew popularity, they were a revelation. They accentuated the butt, elongated your legs, and were high-rise, so before you attack me, here are my reasons why. 

Yes, skinny jeans were once an outfit stable but let's be real, skinny jeans now just make me look lumpy, stuffed and overexposes my body's problem areas. Not to mention that skinny jeans have largely been non-existent on the runways for several seasons now, and no matter what I pair them with, the proportions somehow always just feel all wrong. Another factor that led to the demise of the skinny jeans is the dreaded jeggings. As soon as they started to mix the denim with too much stretch, it just became trashy. Yes, the fabric is extremely comfortable but, so are sweats. Not to mention, that the materials you find in your typical pair of skinny jeans or jeggings is unrecyclable and deeply bad for the planet. 

Now I know, I am not the only one that feels this way either. The truth is, as we get older and our bodies change, showing off our curves or wearing tight clothes is no longer a big priority. I am now in my thirties, and I worry more about feeling sexy rather than showing too much. I prefer to invest in feeling comfortable rather than being in some tight jeans. Sadly, Millennials need to move on from their skinny jeans phase and begin to buy bootcuts, straight legs, wide legs and baggy styles which are classic alternatives to swap out your skinny jeans with. 

*See examples below

How to take #OOTD pictures

How many times have you scrolled through Instagram and seen girls take these awesome #OOTD pictures? If you follow me, then you know I love posting mirror OOTDs, so much that I have a highlight dedicated to them. When it comes to actual OOTD pictures, you do not need a glam squad, or a professional camera to get a really great shot. I wanted to share 10 of my personal tips to getting an Instagramble shot of your OOTD. 

FIND A LOCATION

I like to take all my outfit pics in front of plain white walls. This keeps the focus on my outfit, keeps my feed cohesive, and allows my outfit's colors, textures and details to pop. It seems like a lot of effort but it is actually not, look around your neighborhood and you will notice how many plain white walls there are. Often times, I will be driving to work, the mall or home and notice so many spots for OOTD pictures around me. When all fails, I like to use my garage door as the background. 

LIGHTING

Even if you have your entire picture, pose, props and outfit planned down to the details, lighting can make or break the shot. Natural light is best for #OOTDs and selfies too. I like to have the light in front of me and try to avoid having too many shadows on my face. Another factor is choosing the right time to shoot your shot to avoid being too bright or full of those unwanted shadows. 

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Often times, people ask me how do I pose so naturally, and the truth is that for every good picture there is about ten silly faces. Nailing just the right pose can be hard. I like to practice in a mirror so I know which poses work best for each outfit and my body type. Try to remember the poses that make you look and feel your best. Learn your best sides and most flattering angles. For example, I am only 5 feet tall and have very wide hips, so I avoid pictures that are straight on, I like to angle my hips and rest all my weight on the foot not facing the camera. Another tip to elongate your body is to create triangles, whether with your arms or legs. 

HAVE SOMEONE HELP

People are usually surprised to know that a lot of my pictures are taken by my mom, dad, or my bestfriend. Often times, what I like to do is take a pic of them first, lining up the shot exactly how I want it to look. I show them the picture, we swap places, then it is easy for them to recreate the shot easily. This comes in handy when you want an exact shot done in a certain way. Often times, I show an inspo picture at the same exact spot to make it even easier to recreate. Another tip, is having whoever is taking your picture talk to you to achieve those cute effortless candid's. My bestfriend will say things like walk, twirl, look left, and make me laugh, to achieve different shots. It might feel ridiculous at the time, but a laugh makes for a great picture. When in doubt go for a hair flip. Trust me, anything is better than a forced smile or an unnatural pose.

SET TO SQUARE

If you plan to upload your #OOTD directly into Instagram, use the square option on your phone or take the picture with enough space to crop it into a square. That way you’re sure to have all the details in your final shot, because how many times have you had a great shot but you have to choose between your full head or your shoes. 

TRY DIFFERENT ANGLES

Is your straight on picture just not working? Try taking some from a little above or a little below. Different perspectives make a huge difference. Recently, I have started to flip my iPhone upside down when I want to look taller, or I am trying to achieve that perfect kick picture. 

TRY SITTING DOWN

There is no rule that says the picture has to be standing up, so try a seated pose from time to time. I especially love them because they make my legs look longer, if I pose my legs slightly towards the camera. 

TAKE A TON OF PICTURES

Have whoever is taking the pictures keep snapping all while you’re making small, slight movements. This will give you a nice variety of pictures and poses to choose from. How many times has your body looked amazing but you smile is a little off? To avoid this, make small changes with every click, this gives you more options to choose from. 

DONT FORGET DETAILS

Do no wrap your mini shoot without getting a few pics of your jewelry, bag, and shoes so you’ll have even more gorge feed. Recently, my bestfriend took an up-close of my top and the shot was gorgeous. 

EDITING 

Once all the hard work is done, the fun process begins. I personally love editing my pictures and playing with the different colors in the shot. The reality is that no matter how great a camera you use, no lens is better than the human eye. Therefore, I like to use either Lightroom, Snapseed, or VSCO to enhance my pictures, which also helps you create a cohesive aesthetically pleasing feed. About a year ago, I learned how to make my own presets in Lightroom, which makes editing a 1, 2 step. Once I select the pictures I like, I import them to Lightroom and simply apply the same preset to all, which makes it easier to narrow down to the ones I want to post. 

I hope my tips can help any girl or guy, who often struggles to create OOTD content. Let me know if you have your own tips and tricks, I am always looking for new ideas. 

Budget & Bougie

Let’s be real, we all want to look classy, expensive and well put together, but, often times our wants don't meet our wallet's need to stay green.  

While I believe that some expensive fashion items scream wealth and individuality, I also know some tips for looking bad and bougie on a budget. This post is not about how to show off that you have money but rather how to look expensive, powerful, and put together. 

Before we go on, you may be wondering why do I care to look more expensive? For me, dressing to look more expensive is less about trying to impress other people and more about feeling confident, well put together and polished everyday. Ultimately, when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you attract positivity into your life. In fact, studies show that dressing well, does in fact effect our performance and makes us feel better about ourselves and more confident. So, here are a few tips to looking more expensive. 

1. Wear all black

2. Dress Monochromatic

 

3. When buying basics, stick to black, white, gray or camel tones.

4. Always wear the right size.

5. Avoid wearing distressed or ripped jeans.

6. Add gold jewelry to elevate any outfit.

7. Presentation is key, always take care of your clothes by ironing, washing and steaming them properly.

8. Only splurge on pieces that are inter-wearable to create a volt of staple pieces.

9. Avoid wearing too many labels and mixing labels. You don't want to be a walking ad.

10. Invest in quality over quantity. Do we have nothing to wear or have we spent too much money on high quantities, rather than high quality pieces? 

11. Wear a structured bag.

12. Keep good personal hygiene.

13. When in doubt simple is better. 

I hope these small tips are helpful enough to make subtle changes in your day to day outfit selections and always remember to ...

dress for the life you wish to live. 

Let's talk shoes

Do you love shoes as much as I do? Then, let’s talk about it. I wanted to share my favorite shoes I have collected throughout the years, as well as mention what I personally believe are my worst buys, what brands to splurge on and when to find the look for less. For a person scared of heights, I tend to wear pretty tall heels, so my first honorable mention go to my holy grail shoes, the Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Sandals. I have them in various colors, heel heights, and textures. 

These beauties never disappoint or fail me, if my feet had soulmates these would definitely be it. If I could be the spokesperson for these shoes, I would do it for free. These are completely worth the splurge and a great investment to any shoe collection. Often times, you can find many of them on the resale market (I prefer The Real Real) for half the price. Even though, it may seem like I am being completely bias and opinionated on these shoes, I do have two disclaimers. I have found and so have many owners that the heel on the different textures vary in sturdiness. For example, my suede camo pair are super sturdy and I am 100% sure I can run a marathon in those, as compared to my patent leather navy pair. In that pair the heel feels loose and wobbly like it is going to break off, but, once tied tighter the problem is fixed. Another opinion is based on the wedged version of the shoes, although just as beautiful, they are extremely heavy and the sole is very flat and hard. None the less, if I could be a shoe it would hands down be these. 

My next opinion might be a controversial one but someone has to address the elephant in the shoe luxury world. Christian Louboutin are the most uncomfortable shoes I have ever bought, owned, and worn! I repeat, Christian Louboutin are the most uncomfortable shoes I have ever bought, owned, and worn! Has it stopped me from buying more pairs? No, but I have also begun to understand which styles are more comfortable and bearable. So I am going to share which I think are worth the buy and which to run from.

NOs!

New Very Prive

So Kate

Jonatina

All the shoes mentioned above for my foot, are too tight on the toes, too flat and just plain hurt like what I assume child labor feels like. The soles are also extremely slippery making the shoes even harder to walk in. In my personal opinion, the Jonatina are my biggest disappointment, even though my close friend swears by them. I find that the heel gets stuck and ruined very fast, the closure is a pain to close and the clear material has burned the side of my foot. 

*Now, I want to share one buying tip that I have learned to use and I want to share. When buying expensive shoes, yes try them on of course walk around, call your mom, and twirl all you want but most or even all shoe departments stores have carpet. When you try them on and walk on carpet, yes of course the shoes feel amazing but let's be real, we do not walk on red carpets for a living, therefore, the next time you are trying on shoes and you are about to buy them, try to find some bare floor. You'll thank me later. 

YES! YES! YES!

Highness

Loubi Queen

So Kate Booties

When it comes to these three, I believe not only are they classic and beautiful shoes but you get the best for what you spend. The highness may seem scary and though they do not make them anymore, the added height from the platform makes them painless. On the downside but the added height calls for a skilled walker. 

Next up is my favorite flats and sandals worth the splurge. Both the Gucci slides and the Chanel espadrilles are my go to when it comes to running errands. The Gucci slides are lightweight and feel like a dream, whether at the beach or going shopping, but when I want to look more put together, the Chanel espadrilles are a classic statement piece and worth every penny. 

So, when should you splurge or shop the look for less? Now I am no one to separate love at first shoe, but, when it comes to a fast fashion trends, shopping the look for less is your best bet. Most of my big splurges have either been classic statement pieces, things I have always dreamed of owning or things I have bought to celebrate milestones in my life. Fast fashion trends are things that are HOT HOT HOT but come and go faster than you can spell cold. For those instances places like ZARA and Lulus are your best bet for getting quality items for less that have the same aesthetic. I hope my opinions either help you or at least make you laugh. 

XO Mimosas and Pumps