Black, White, Grey, Denim and Metals to Accessorize... this is pretty much the life I lead and that of so many others. Believe me I've tried prints with colors but it is always forced and to be honest quite uncomfortable, it's like the bright colors burn my skin! Haha ok not that serious I do like to dabble every now and then but for the most part my closet has a running theme. There are also a few benefits to keeping a simple and minimal wardobe, such as; reinvention of looks, timeless pieces, and it can also be a penny saver! Really, all of this just from having a monochromatic style? The answer is YES and I will show you how. 1. Work With What You Have! I love creative minded people...they can look at something and see beyond what the average eye can see. It is because we visualize what we want and then find ways to make that happen. I literally go into my closet and see the same color wave everyday, yet I want each look that I wear to be different from the last so some may see a challenge but I see an opportunity to have some fun! This usually means grabbing some scissors, accessorizing things differently, or even just giving a piece of clothing a new purpose. After all is said and done you have created a new look with the same items you already had, plus no one notices since you do not have any distinct color or print that can be recognizable! 2. Always Keep a Staple in Your Closet! What is a staple item? This is a garment that you can pair with almost any look at any time and generally will never go out of style! Examples of these are; your favorite leather or denim jacket, a 'Go To' pair of Jeans, or even a simple black bag that can be worn with everything. It is a necessity in every girls closet but when you have a minimal wardrobe then it becomes a requirement! You have to be able to use your staple item over and over again that is why it is crucial for when purchasing one you invest in something of great quality! Think of it as an investment for future awesome looks to come! 3. Be Stylish Not Broke! I look back at when I was a few years younger and I remember all of the countless times I went shopping but then soon after I grew tired over the items I've purchased or even questioned why I bought it in the first place. The reason is that back then I was trying to be someone I am not, I wanted to follow the crowd and copy looks that I would see my friends wearing. In doing this money literally burned through my hands and was wasted on things that I did not even keep for a year. I seriously used to be a shopaholic until reality kicked me in the ass! Not only do I not have to shop as much because of my creative minimal wardrobe but I can also garantee myself that when I do purchase something, it will last in quality and in style thus leaving me with extra money to do other things like Travel! Each Item from the outfit posted came from a different store and different time of the year yet I created a look that not only blended well together but also is relevant to the styles we are currently seeing. My next few posts are going to be different examples of monochromatic style, minimalism, and my favorite staple pieces. So keep a close eye out for those on my instagram (@viededrea) but until then I will see you dope humans later, I hope you enjoyed this!
PHOTOGRAPHY: CARLEEN LANA INSTAGRAM: @CARLEENLANA / @CARLEENCAPTURES
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Yesterday I had the pleasure of being invited to Phoenix Fashion Week Runway Beauty Forecast Event! It is a private event that consists of bloggers, photographers, models and TV Broadcasters, along with sponsors from Leidan Mitchell Model Citizen, Sonatas Restaurant, Clever Koi, and Central Wine. The whole event is based on the upcoming Phoenix Fashion Week runway show occurring on October 5th - 7th and their partnership with the Leidan Mitchell Model Citizen Salon. They will be the official hair sponsors for the Contemporary Show on Friday night at PHXFW! The Salon is located in the urban streets of downtown Phoenix and hidden in between a boutique wine bar and edgy restaurant. The wine bar is called Central Wine, it is actually attached to the salon and is only divided by a small hallway. Wine and a fresh blow dry, like seriously how cool is that? Right across from the two is Clever Koi Restaurant, which can be seen through big glass windows while sitting in a salon chair, talk about serious people watching. [LOL] The food that they had provided was outstanding but the one thing that stood out to me the most was the Vegetarian Fried Rice! I seriously could have eaten a whole bowl of it and been completely content with life! I have never been there to actually sit and dine but you best believe that is now added to the list. Sonatas Restaurant was also a sponsor at the event, they are located in north Scottsdale and specialize in European cuisine. I actually worked there for a short while during their first few weeks of opening. The restaurant is huge and absolutely gorgeous, with amazing food and drinks to match! On the other side they even have a small coffee shop/ juice bar that opens up early before the restaurant so that the yogis next door and local businessman can grab their morning dose before their day starts! This place is great for an afternoon lunch or a romantic date night, so I would highly recommend you go and try them out. Besides the food and wine, the absolute best part of the evening was being able to mix and mingle with bloggers and influencers that are interested in the same things you are, so that from there relationships are built and future projects may emerge. The Top 40 Models of PHXFW attended the event along with a few veterans from previous years and may I say everyone looked amazing. The core team of Fashion Week; Brenna Moses and Dynelle Rodriguez along with the Director Brian Hill, really push to make fashion a leading force in Arizona and with each year that comes by they get closer and closer to achieving that goal. I am lucky that I have had the privilege of being a part of that team for five years now and have learned not only about the fashion industry but about myself as well. Overall the event was a success and I had an amazing time. Keep an eye out for future events to come I will definitely be letting you guys know so that you can have some experiences of your own. Slay and Stay Fashionable My Loves!
Finally!!! You would not believe the struggle it was to get back to my blogging. My mindset was that I wanted everything to be perfect before I relaunched but then I soon realized it wasn't the blog I was trying to make perfect, it was me. So I took a step back and did some reflection...First I needed to find my voice, create my audience, figure out who and what kind of viewers I wanted to talk to. Next I told myself that if I was going to try this again it needed to be one hundred percent ME! From the outfits I wear, the way I speak, to even opening up and letting you guys into a bit of my personal life. Don't get it twisted though y'all can't know everything because then you'd just start being nosey. [ LOL ] Lastly, I wanted my blog to serve a purpose...Yes it's about fashion, food, and fitness...but it's also about sharing my experiences with you all, sending out positive vibes, and creating a place where you can interact with me such as collabs, questions, suggestions, etc. I will say that none of this could have transpired without the help of my New but amazing friend Carleen Moreno. She is the one who takes all of my photos and my blogger in crime [LoL] How we became friends is for another post but for now just know that she's the fire behind the lens! I could go on and on about how happy I am to finally take the plunge to do something that's scary, very competitive, yet the one thing that I am truly passionate about, but I will spare you guys the five page monologue and show you through each future post that this is way more than a hobby it's my Life! So without further ado welcome to VIE DE DREA! BOHO HIPSTER VIBES!! So if you follow me on my Instagram account ( @viededrea ) then you would know I say quite often that I do not have a style I have a mood. The choice of my outfits usually are determined when I wake up in the morning, have a big cup of coffee and then walk into my closet. I visualize what I am wearing in my head and then pick out the pieces to achieve the look, this saves time and a lot of mess! PANTS: I have had these black pants for quite some time now but that is why I love them so much! They have been transformed into many different looks not to mention they are super comfortable! I purchased them at Zara for around thirty dollars, but it was a while back so I am not sure they have the exact style. Don't worry I did my research Dolls and I have a list of places you can visit to find something similar! www.boohoo.com www.forever21.com www.hm.com www.prettylittlething.com ADDICTED TO THE BARGAIN! I have realized that I cannot shop unless the price is a steal. Why? Because I love the thrill of finding great quality clothes that are stylish and trendy for sometimes half the cost. It's almost like a treasure hunt that never ends! TOP: So the thing about this top is one, it's a size large, two it's from Pacsun, and three I bought it at Last Chance for five dollars! I loved the fact that it was two sizes two big because it adds drama to the top the way it hangs low on my back and sides, plus there are endless possibilities when you have a great quality staple item hanging in your closet waiting to be reinvented! It's nice and cool for this Arizona heat but trust me when I say this bad boy will be rocked under a leather motorcycle jacket for the fall and winter months! www.fashionnova.com www.wantmylook.com www.zara.com www.hm.com MAIN ATTRACTION I am not the one to set out to shop my whole wardrobe at Forever21. not that they don't have cute things but my style doesn't always match up. Except for the time I recently stumbled upon this gorgeous cuff! I was trying to find a last minute bracelet that would go with an outfit I had in mind and I was limited on time. Conveniently there is a Forever21 right down the street from where I live. I ran in found the first silver cuff that I felt would work and dashed to the line. While waiting to be called next my wander over to the most beautiful and unique cuff so i instantly snatched it up before anyone else could admire it! The best part was, it had made its way into the sale bin! I paid a whopping three bucks for it. Ugh let me tell you i stumble upon the most amazing things when I am not even looking and that's what makes it so special. I hope you all enjoyed my first post back from going MIA! I'd like to give a huge thanks to Carleen for pushing me to shut up and just do it! Everyone please follow her personal and professional accounts, she's your girl if you want to take your blogging photos to the next level. Have a great night my loves and we shall chat real soon!
@carleenlana @carleencaptures |