Made U Look: Spring Forward into These 2014 Fashion Trends

Source: CelebBuzz.com

It may be hard to believe, but soon we won’t be playing hopscotch with unshoveled sidewalks and wiping salt off our combat boots before they eat away at the faux leather. I’m glad I don’t have to let go of my layers just yet, but spring can’t be but so bad if it means I get to rack up the Bill Me Later balance I spent all winter paying off.

Last time this year I was filling my closet with skater dresses and wedge sneakers.  Luckily some tried and true trends are still hanging in there for 2014, but there’s also a few new styles that should be making an appearance in your closet as soon as that groundhog stops stalking his shadow:

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Made U Look: Christmas Who? 10 Reasons Why Fall is the Most Wonderful Time of The Year

I’m usually overjoyed to see the summer go, since cooler temps mean I get to cover up my non-existent calves in dark demin skinny jeans, knee boots, bulky sweaters and one of my favorite accessories: scarves. But to be honest this summer wasn’t so bad. I realized that body con dresses were made for my body type as long as I lay of the Redd’s Apple Ale and I got through most of the summer days in wedge sneakers, flowy tank tops and leggings and midi dresses. It was nice having summer as my side chick. but my main bitch fall is back and still the baddest.

Fall is the season where I feel fashion and beauty is at it’s best.  Layering allows me to test my creativity with different colors, textures and patterns and my face has less enemies since sweat, bugs and heat are less of a threat.  And let’s not forget that the fashion Gods have smiled upon us and finally allowed H&M to provide on-line shipping. So get that Bill Me Later button ready, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Here are just a few of my fall favorites:

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Made U Look: Shift Dresses

Remember that Body-con dress I told you I lost my mind and bought in my last post?  Yeah well there’s a reason I’ve avoided them.  I’m a tiny girl, but apparently the bottles of Yellowtail Rose’ that were a regular part of my “I Survived Another Week Working at a Non-Profit” celebrations every weekend and the stomach pudge I seem to have developed didn’t get the memo.  Before my supervisor puts me on baby bump watch, I need to invest in some Spanx.   In the meantime, a new trend has come to my rescue: Shift Dresses.

Shift dresses are like shirt dresses, but will get you less stares in public since you actually look like you have on clothes.  Simply put,  a shift dress has straight lines and doesn’t hug your frame or cinch at the waist.  Classic shift dresses, my favorite kind, are sleeveless, knee-length and usually have a high-collar or boatneck.  They have a “mod” feel to them made popular in the 6o’s by trendsetters like Audrey Hepburn and Mia Farrow.  The updated versions come in a variety of colors, sleeve types and hemlines.

What I like most is that it works well for most body types.  Usually my itty bitty body type will drown in anything that’s not fitted (Learned that lesson the hard way.  Thanks, Old Navy), but shift dresses complement every figure from the skinny bitches to the big girls.  Here are just a few of my faves:

Mixed Stripes Shift Dress $22.80 @ Forever21.com

Jagged Stripes Shift Dress $29.50 @ agacistore.com

Mod Art Shift Dress $27.90 @ LoveCulture.com

Colorblock Dress $19.90 @ LoveCulture.com

Made U Look: Onesies

Source: NecoleBitchie.com

If it wasn’t enough that I have to repeatedly be subjected to Miley Cyrus dropping it like it’s not twerking in this godforsaken unicorn onesie, I come across this picture of Ciara, whom I feel is desperately just trying to find any way to stand out as my man Charlemagne would say in a “Beyonce/Rihanna world”.  So before this crime of fashion gets out of hand, allow me to state that this onesie trend is NOT cute.  Like not even kind of.  These onesies are equivalent to pajama jeans or wearing scrub sets when the closest you’ve been to a hospital is being treated for accidentally cutting your slashing your thumb with a potato peeler: They all look like you didn’t try.

Source: DisneyDreaming.com

Onesies made it to this edition of Made U Look because they will make people stare for all of the wrong reasons.  As some of you may know, I love shopping UK fashion sites and that’s where I first came across this dreaded moment in fashion that we will be looking at like “WTF was I thinking?” come next year (kind of how I won’t feel about all the wedge sneaker collection I am hesitantly building).  Trust me, you will regret this nostalgic moment in trying to make your Garanimals into Gaultier.  And unless them bitches have slippery footies that we can burn holes through while we fake ice-skate across the carpet, there is no damn point in wasting your money.  Like shiny foil-like bubble jackets circa P. Diddy and Mase, velour sweatsuits, popping your collar and harem pants (Who is responsible for repeatedly trying to make those damn things hot outside of Hammertime?) this shit needs to stop now before it gets out of hand.  And while we’re at it avoid these things too.

Source: Chictopia.com

They are just all kinds of wrong.  You’re not edgy.  You’re not Rihanna. You just look like you spent way too much money on leggings that highlight your cellulite courtesy of Rainbow.

Made U Look: Mint Condition

While I’m anxiously awaiting for the peplum trend to die an ugly death, I’ve become quite fond of a particular color. Now y’all know when I stray from black, grey and white it’s kind of a big deal and I found yet another color to join yellow as one my faves outside of the neutral zone. It turns out mint is not just for bad breath, it’s actually quite refreshing for your wardrobe and very flattering on brown skin tones. And the good news is that it’s one of the coolest colors for this spring, so you’re sure to find it on everywhere and everything. Check out some gems I’ve got on the wishlist (some pieces are more “aqua” as opposed to “mint”):

Forever 21 Neon Toe Ballet Flats $16.80

Forever 21 Essential Polka Dot Georgette Dress $24.80

Flying Tri-Colors Sky Blue Color Block Dress

Lulu’s Hearts-ichord Mint Green Long Sleeve $28.50

Lulu’s The Envelope, Please Mint and Peach Clutch $36.00

GoJane Crochet Accent Shift Dress $43.20

Made U Look: Skater Dresses

Source: TheYBF.com

Allow me to introduce the latest of the guilty pleasures and the shameful reason I have been skinny-dipping into my savings: Skater Dresses and UK Shopping.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am dreading to see fall and winter go because those are the seasons my style loves the most.  Between pea coats, knee boots and skinny jeans, and layers of neutral tones, cold weather was made for my closet. I was dreading shopping for spring. I still have childhood resentment towards my skinny calves which look awkward in shorts, so I limit myself mostly to dresses, jeans and tank tops.  I guess I’ve always felt my creativity became stifled when the weather turns warm.

But thanks to the fashion gods over at Boohoo.com and Misguided.co UK, not only have I become obsessed with skater dresses, but the overseas sites I’ve found them on.  So why are they called skater dresses?  With their A-line hems and silhouettes of flirty fabrics, skater dresses are meant to resemble a commercial take on the costumes worn by figure skaters.  Skater dresses are usually composed of low necklines, high hemlines and a flared out waistline.  The dresses are meant to be fitted but with plenty of movement and the best part: They’re flattering to most figures, from the petites to the big girls.

So after adding several to my online shopping cart with the hopes that my items would stay there until pay day, I came to the conclusion that when it comes to fashion the Brits just do it better. Although Boohoo.com is my fave, I’ve browsed other retailers across the pond including TopShop, Missguided, Lipsy and Miss Selfridge.  One of the biggest pros of overseas on-line shopping is that you’ll find cute styles that everyone and their mama won’t be wearing when you pass them on a city sidewalk near you. Take a look at some of my favorite skater dresses as well as some tips for shopping abroad without even boarding a flight:

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Made U Look: My Undying Love for Hennes & Mauritz (H&M)

There’s a reason you can usually find several H&M stores within blocks of one another in most metropolitan cities.  They’re simply dope.  When I came across the Thought Catalog post, How to Shop H&M in 20 Simple Steps, I instantly sent it to all of my friends.  Because they are all well aware that sending me to H&M is like sending a fat kid to the Tastykake factory.  And at least once they’ve been dragged through Times Square, Center City Philadelphia or the King of Prussia or Neshaminy malls as a part of my deep-seeded plan to visit all 2,800 stores throughout the world.  Because they all really do carry something different.  There is no reason every girl (and some guys) shouldn’t have at least three items from H&M in their closet. Check out 10 reasons why you should be shopping with Hennes and Mauritz (and 1 reason it may be hard for you to) accompanied by ten items that I have my eye on for Spring 2013.

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Made U Look: Follow the Yellow Brick…Bucket Bag

If you’re a member of my inner sanctum, you’ve probably at one time or another harassed my choice of limiting the selections of my wardrobe to white, grey or black.  One of my style icons is  the slick-tongued Tabatha Coffey of the brutally honest Tabatha’s Salon Takeover.  “The reason I wear black is because it does make people look professional…I like black. It’s easy and I work more than I play so I wear black all the time,” she once mentioned in an interview. Tabatha taught me that you don’t necessarily need color to add a little bit of personality to your wardrobe.  Through a variety of cuts, prints, lengths and textures, her outfits were always unique, sexy and edgy.  The color black in my opinion is the epitome of elegance, refinement, sophistication.

But even I can admit that black can be misinterpreted as boring, lazy and on occasion my style has even been referred to as “goth” (I guess a gal can’t enjoy the absence of color, spikes and leather without pulling out some Marilyn Manson and some good old-fashioned brooding and self-pity). So for the summer I’ve decided to reactivate my “punch of color rule” through my newest obsession: yellow purses.  Take a look at some of my favorites:

Forever 21 Vibrant Tote $24.80

GoJane Two-Tone Buckle Clutch $40.30

BCBGeneration Regina Satchel $89.99 (Zappos)

L.A.M.B. Geo Applique Satchel $396.00

Marc Jacobs Pretty Nylon Lil Tate $178.00 (Bloomingdales)

Steve Madden Danity Satchel Handbag $65.99 (6pm)

Made U Look: Jeffrey Campbell Hidden Wedge Sneakers

I’d like to introduce you to the man that will have this broad broke by the end of summer, Mr. Jeffrey Campbell.  Ok so maybe not the actual man, but the absolutely fabulous footwear that is a result of his edgy and sexy creativity.  You may already be familiar with Mr. Campbell, if you ever seen these things:

I wasn’t exactly a fan of “Lita”.  They managed to look quite cute on contemporary clones discovering their inner hipster, but I wasn’t convinced they weren’t taken from the pages of “The Crucible”.

But his wedge sneakers…now this is something I can get into.  You know how you see a shoe, and it’s like price is not even a concern, because you just need to have them in your life. (I’m cracking up because I just had to spell check the word “hoe” into “shoe” which would have taken this post in a completely different direction.)  Anywayz, I have completely fallen head over heels for Campbell’s genius that is “Edea” as well as some other favorites which are a mix between Saved By the Bell, rock and roll and costume design on a Ridley Scott set.  Take a look at some of my fav’s:

“Edea” RevolveClothing.com $225.00

“Teramo” Karmaloop.com $206.00

“Gio” Solestruck.com $199.95

“Venice” Singer22.com $170.00

Made U Look: Fall, Courtesy of H&M

H&M is one of my mandatory stops every time I hit the mall.  What I personally love about H&M is it’s ability to make being stylish and trendy affordable and not overwhelming and pretentious.  Their fall collection is complete with traditional cozy sweaters and military style jackets that will keep any gal cute and maybe even a lil’ warm.  Here’s some highlights:

Imitation Leather Skirt

An affordable version of the Louis Vuitton Leather skirt that I fell in love with at the end of summer. At only $24.99 it’s a steal and comes in my trademark color, grey.

Imitation Leather Pilot Jacket

A $24.99 edgy combination of sexy and sleek.

Double Breasted Military Style Coat

A military look that I don’t think I’ll dread seeing in my closet in 2011. At $49.99 it’s available in dark grey, black, and if you really want to make a statement, bright red.  Lil’ Red riding Hood would be one stylish bitch.

Double Breasted Jacket

What can I say? I’m a fan of the double breast, especially at $39.99 and available in grey and black.

Hounds tooth Jacket

Hounds tooth that would make Keri Hilson proud, and at $39.99 it’s “turnin me on.”

Wicked Wall Street

So remember the scene in “Home Alone” when Kevin McCallister gets separated from his family in the airport and goes to follow a man who is wearing a coat that is similar to his father’s?  I LOVED that coat.  It reminds me of Wall Street almost instantly and drips sophistication.  Now you can afford something similar without having to get paid like a broker.

College Co-Ed

I tried on this jacket in the store and for some reason it instantly reminded me of walking to the library completely across campus for frozen coffee before class.  Not the warmest thing in the world, but perfect for fall.  At $24.99, where do I sign?

Belted Poncho

H&M Poncho

Sexy, warm, camel.  Need I say more?

Chiffon Dress

Floral Chiffon Dress

If you love ruffles as much as I do, then you’ll love these delicate numbers at $14.99

The bad news:  If you’re a United States Citizen, you cannot shop online at H&M just yet. The good news: H&M is located in most major malls throughout the country, but if you want to window shop in the meantime visit http://www.hm.com/

Happy shopping!