One of the few items I can reliably thrift are belts. Amidst the skinny mini pleathers, I can find soft leather and heavy duty steel. I typically rely on “men’s” but have been fortunate to find less utilitarian options in “women’s.” Here are a few and how I’d style them.

CLASSIC

ITEMS: Tee – Jungmaven | Jeans – Secondhand

CHAIN

ITEMS: Jacket – 69

CIRCLE

ITEMS: Dress – Two Days Off

I have an on and off relationship with bracelets. Unlike my staple watch, I’ve often become annoyed with how bracelets get in the way when I’m writing or typing. The issue was more due to the type of bracelet I was wearing. Chunky, statement pieces are better for when I’m up and about and my wrists won’t be resting on a flat surface for very long. But thinner, flexible types? Those are just right!

1) Pandora Charm

This was a splurge after I finally secured a full time job. These never interested me before, but I began seeing them on customers in person and decided to look into the popular brand. I love sterling silver and snake chains are really comfortable, but I’m not necessarily into charms. That was until I saw the letters and thought I could spell out my name. The in between spacers are sterling as well from etsy. It matches everything and is such an awesome reminder to remain true to myself.

2) Steel Bangles 

These aren’t sterling, but decently made stainless steel.

3) Small Beads

This was from an etsy shop that offers different sizes which I appreciate. It can be a little tricky to put on, but once there it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing anything. Love the shine it provides.

Forever my favorite, this Fall brings with it new opportunities in my career and getting the chance to wear nicer items more regularly.

BOXY, ELBOW LENGTH TEES

LOOSE BUTTON UPS & SHACKETS

OVERSIZED BLAZERS

TAPERED JEANS & PANTS

CHUNKY FOOTWEAR

Here’s how I style a few of those pieces!

I’ve finally figured out how to style loose jeans after years of overcoming the skinny jean indoctrination of my teens!

BALANCED

I achieve this by wearing a cropped length top and elevated shoes (like platforms.)

ITEMS: Top – Sotela | Shoes – Nordstrom Rack

BOXY

Pairing like with like results in an intentional oversized ‘fit.

ITEMS: Top – Secondhand | Shoes – Secondhand Simon Miller

MATCHY

I love making a statement with a matching set!

ITEMS: Duster – Nordstrom | Shoes – KLAW

Every once in awhile a “trend” makes many more options available of something I already loved. Silver has been my favorite metallic for years and it’s an even more ultimate neutral than white. So excited to style these for seasons to come!

LOOK 1

Sandals – nordstrom | Dress – Secondhand & self dyed | Belt – Secondhand

LOOK 2

Tabi Flats – Mary Lo | Tank – Dizzy LA | Pants – Selfmade

LOOK 3

Mary Jane Sneakers – ASICS x Cecile Bahnsen | Blouse & shorts – Secondhand

Now that my hair is “condensed” I can wear fun bucket hats with ease!

1 – Hat from The Wrap Life | Robe from Block Shop Textiles

2 – Hat from nordstrom rack | Button up – Secondhand

3 – Hat from The Wrap Life | Top from Two Days Off

I really enjoyed maintaining the plants and making the yard look nice last Summer, but I didn’t really have the most suitable items to wear. Instead of risking getting my nice linen stained, I decided to put together a specific capsule I would need for the season. See each listed below.

OVERALLS

I had such good fortune at a local thrift store finding both of these for under $20!

BLUE TEES 

4 were thrifted, 1 I never wore so I moved it from my main closet.

CAMEL TANKS

These were all ones I already had.

YELLOW BUCKET HAT

This is the perfect sunshine color and really soft/comfortable to wear. Bought last year.

CLOGS & BOOTS

The garden clogs were bought last year and the Blundstones I’ve had for years but stopped really wearing because they aren’t the most supportive. They work well if there’s mud though!

I have been dreaming of the warm all year long so now that it’s finally here, I’m excited to wear these comfy essentials. Not strictly a capsule, but more of a core vibe I want to showcase this particular season.

WHITE COTTON BLOUSES

LIGHT & MID WASH DENIM

BLACK LINEN

NEUTRAL FLORAL

CREAM TOPPERS

MARY JANES, CLOGS, & SNEAKERS

Here’s how I style a few of those pieces!

Finally thrifted a sweater vest! See how I style it 3 ways:

LOOK 1

OTHER ITEMS: Button up – 7115 by Szeki | Leggings – Boody | Sneakers – KLAW

LOOK 2

OTHER ITEMS: Blouse – Eliza Faulkner | Pants – STATE | Boots – Secondhand

LOOK 3

OTHER ITEMS: Dress – 69 | Shoes – Birkenstocks

Each year I find myself in the 6 month stretch of winter here in MI. The snow & cold are unavoidable, so one small way I bring in some brightness is by intentionally matching my gloves to my boots.

I always opt for leather as they are much warmer than the knitted variety, and I recently picked these snow boots up from Poshmark. The silver is neutral, but pops against the darkness of the season.

Another fun duo to match are a hat and scarf. They could be from the same set, or a similar color/print.

Basically your goal is to cut down on decisions if you have to rush out to shovel or bundle up during a storm. Ease in dressing for the cold may not be as simple as the heat, but it is doable and can be enjoyable too!

Light wash vintage Levi’s have been a forever wishlist item for me.

I’ve been fortunate the last few thrift trips finding a mid wash pair and mid-dark acid pair. Too long of course, so I cut a raw hem on one and cuff the other. Since I only look for “men’s” styles now (vintage “women’s” are all made for pear shapes and caused literal pain when I tried to wear them in the past) it’s hard for me to find ones that are actually high enough in the front.

I was so pumped to see these with my measurements on poshmark.

The price! ($27)

The color!

The rise!

The BOOTY!

Here’s how I modified these vintage Levi’s to really make them mine.

BEFORE

REMOVED EXTRA LENGTH

As is often the case, these jeans were far too long so I started by cutting off several inches. I made sure to leave an extra inch to allocate for the hem I would be sewing later.

TAPERED THE LOWER LEG

Due to my leg shape and narrow hip-span, straight legs often look like wide legs on me and give a “trunk” effect. I decided to taper these and keep the original inner side seam. This tutorial was quite helpful.

DISTRESSED THE HEM

Though I typically like to keep the original hem on jeans, the taper I did made that a bit harder to do this time. I made the hem portion smaller to fit, but that removed one of the side seams, so I realized it would look odd attached to the jeans. I also noticed a stain on one of the hem portions that didn’t wash out, so I just decided to sew a new hem. Once that was complete, I took my electric nail file to help add some distressing and make them look more worn in.

And now I have a great fitting pair of levi’s to style with many outfits!

AFTER

So you all know red has been my fav color for years now. I still very much love red, but actually see it as more of a “neutral” in my wardrobe and have been wanting to have another accent color to play with. 

Enter bright yellow! 

There’s something undeniably happy about this sunshine hue and I love how it looks with not only red, but black, white, and my other main colors: camel & light denim.

So far I have some yellow accessories and I finally found a bright gel polish after YEARS of searching. 

Here’s how I’m adding yellow into my fall wardrobe.

Summer is probably my least favorite season in terms of style whereas Fall is my forever champion. When it’s very hot, I wear as little as I possibly can at home. If in a work setting, I focus on loose silhouettes and lightweight fabrics. Once it cools down, I am ecstatic to start layering again.

September is still quite warm now (thanks climate emergency) but I am able to add in more Fall elements as the season progresses. Here are some ways I transition from minimal looks to maximalist creations.  

JEWELRY

As I mentioned earlier, I wear as little as possible when it’s hot. Though I have been rocking minimal silver studs and my Africa pendant, those are it. Recently picked up this chunkier chain which I think will look great with button ups and turtlenecks later in the season.

Watches have actually been one of my favorite accessories for years (and useful too) so now is a great time I like to start wearing them again.

SOCKS

One of my favorite style elements of a look is to see an unexpected pop of color or pattern from socks. They’re not only functional to help stave off the chill, they’re fun too. I think they’re cute with derbys and mary janes in Spring, but in Fall I go for more practical sneakers or boots.

DUSTERS

Love when a piece is versatile and can be worn multiple ways. I like to keep on wearing lightweight summer dresses open as dusters once things cool down.

Now that Summer has arrived I’m excited to spend a lot more time out in the sunshine! Though I’d place myself more in the “overdressed” category, I knew it’d be useful to have more casual items that could handle the dirt and wet of Summer. Whether going for a long walk, bike ride, or up north, I think these items will serve me well for many years to come.

For daytime clothes, I’m sticking to a simple tank + shorts formula. The muscle tank silhouette protects my décolletage and upper back from the sun while the open arms allow for airflow.

For nightime and cooler weather (and to protect against bugs,) I’ve included tennis shoes, long pants, and a thin topper.

Next I have accessories I’ll need like walking sandals, sunglasses, a sunhat, and fanny pack.

A bathing suit for water time.

Then I have essential toiletries. Lip balm, tinted sunscreen for my face, regular mineral sunscreen for my body, hand sanitizer, and natural bug spray.

Last but not least is nutrition. Water, snacks, and my vitamins in a portable case which all fit in the fanny pack.

Though the majority of the time I prefer pants, and shorts when it’s really hot, I’ve grown to enjoy the versatility of dresses. I focus on these specifics: 

-Midi length

-Boxy, flowy cut

-Made of natural materials

This combination has become integral to my warm weather style. With the addition of leggings and long sleeves, I can make them work for winter as well. I can see midi dresses being a part of my signature style for years to come. 

Until next time, stay Sheek!

-Shekinah

Every now and again, I find myself in a style rut. It seems surprising that one of my favorite activities (personal style) would be subject to boredom. But it happens, especially when I’m getting sick of the current season (typically due to the long winters, but right now it’d definitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) Thankfully, I’ve found ways to find inspiration during down times like this.

Reorganize your favorite pieces

Sometimes you can just remember what you love to wear, other times tracking the exact wear count of items helps. Whichever method, decide what your favorite items for the current season are and lay them out.

Seek out looks that feature those items

My favorite source of inspiration is Pinterest but you could look on Instagram as well. The point of looking for outside inspiration is to challenge your creativity with the pieces you already have. You could make boards for certain seasons or categories. I used to have just one main style board that I always went back to when I felt uninspired, but I recently made one specifically for Spring.

Browse through stylish people’s posts

Take some time to look through your favorite people’s outfits. Even if they live in a different climate or have a different lifestyle, chances are you’ll like a way they put something together and can translate it to your own wardrobe.

Play & Plan

With those favorite items for the current season, try on different combinations and take note of which looks make you feel good. Once you find a few, that may help you get through the slump without necessarily feeling the need to shop for more.

Look ahead

If you’re in the transitional time between seasons, now would be a good time to think about what’s coming up. Take an inventory of your closet to see if anything needs to be mended or purged if they no longer fit comfortably. Follow the above 3 steps, but this time I’d suggest you make a moodboard for the next season as well. This can help you create an overall feel for what you’d like to wear soon.

If you find that you’re missing a few items or need to replace some of those purged items, make a wishlist. You don’t have to have specific brands in mind, but I do suggest being as specific as possible on details of the item so that when you do go shopping you won’t settle. Try to compare items from different places before buying. Read reviews and look for recommendations in the community. This may save you time & money down the road by avoiding lower quality or ill-fitting items you won’t enjoy wearing.

Until next time, stay Sheek!

-Shekinah