Start Over Police: Appearances Matter: What Your Clothes Can Say Abo...

Start Over Police: Appearances Matter: What Your Clothes Can Say Abo...: Being that the holiday season is winding down and that I have consciously opted to forgo wearing traditional Christmas colors, I finally re...

Appearances Matter: What Your Clothes Can Say About You

Being that the holiday season is winding down and that I have consciously opted to forgo wearing traditional Christmas colors, I finally relented and decided to wear some red today, sort of like a last hurrah! Although I've worn a similar look, this time, I decided to make the red be the focal point of this outfit. By wearing a black Fruit of the Loom crew neck tee with my black rinse &Drain low-rise, slim-fit denim by H&M, and black leather Nunn Bush lace-up derbys, I created a perfectly clean canvas that would make anything not black pop. For today, that was my bright neon red skinny suspenders by Levis.

What draws me to this look is that this outfit shows personality, albeit simply. Everytime I pass people who frequently wear tacky, dangling accessories, over-the-top, loud, ostentatious prints, non-flattering clothes, I can not help but think they are drab and just do not think highly of themselves. Despite what other people would say, appearances matter. We live in a society where, as my friend Kit Kat wisely noted to me, people judge you within the first ten seconds of meeting you. You may be a kind-hearted altruist and philanthropist, but dressing like a slob, at first glance, people will think otherwise. Bottom line: Your clothing choices can enhance your personality and image!

Today's look is a super casual outfit that I would never dare wear to work (because it is too unprofessional). Black tee paired with black denim screams boring and blah. However, with just one simple accessory, I changed jazzed up the outfit by adding a hint of personality to it. Now, it's no longer plain and dowdy, but the pop of color makes it stylish and says that this might actually be a fun person!

"Smokes and Mirrors" to Create the Illusion of Height

Last night, my bestie Kit Kat and my new friend Te, went to hang out at the Americana at Brand in Glendale and the Galleria. Such an outing required me to dress up in what is now one of my favorite looks, a look that I finally got to pull off and a look that incorporated pieces from all the places that I frequent for clothes. Although others were dressed up in more traditional colors, I stayed true to myself by deviating away from the reds and greens and invoking the "Ice Prince" look by gravitating towards tints of blue and gray. Here, I am wearing a low-rise, slim-fit trousers from H&M, an extra slim-fit 1MX blue button-down from Express, a gray 1" width skinny suspenders by Levis, and a gray slim necktie from axcess with black leather derby shoes by Nunn Bush.

What I love about this look is that I took seemingly simple pieces and styled the "heck" out of it, essentially, in the words of Joe Zee, creative director of Elle Magazine, used "smokes and mirrors" to create the desired illusion of adding height to my diminutive stature. I loved the low-rise pants because it forced me to stand up straight, improving my posture and gait. They also elongated the torso, again adding illusion that I was longer. The suspenders did two things. For one, it created a vertical line accentuating the height. It also, by rule, which I am tempted to break one of these days, precluded the use of a belt. Using a belt would have created a focal point around the waist area, and therefore preventing the seemingly continuous body. By not wearing a belt, I did not divide the upper and lower halves of my body. Moral of the story: I made my clothes work for me!

Start Over Police: Why Suspenders Are a Must

Start Over Police: Why Suspenders Are a Must: Here's a preview of what I like to consider my take on "geek chic." Taking inspiration from the stereotypical corporate executive, I spice ...

START OVER KING: Music Corner: Should artist dumb down their lyrics...

START OVER KING: Music Corner: Should artist dumb down their lyrics...: It is apparent that these days consist of music that does not require you to say much. I believe that it has its place but music that actual...

Why Suspenders Are a Must

Here's a preview of what I like to consider my take on "geek chic." Taking inspiration from the stereotypical corporate executive, I spice up the traditional "power banker/professional" look by replacing the suit pants with black H&M cargo shorts, rolling up the sleeves and unbottoning the top two buttons of the white slim-fit H&M button down revealing some skin, and completing the look with the black suspenders by Dockers and leather derby shoes by Nunn Bush.

I love this look because of the suspenders. I think they are a timeless and classic fashion accessory essential to men and women's wardrobes. In an article from GQ, suspenders can be used to create black-tie looks, but depending on the style and design, it can be added to a punk outfit as well. Essentially, suspenders are a versatile accessory. Just a word to the wise when using suspenders: Wear suspenders with confidence and beware the style. For this look, due to the amount of skin showing, one has to exude confidence when wearing this look. You will get people looking. Also, this look could have also been costumey if I didn't roll the sleeves or unbutton the shirt. Because suspenders have been around a long time, its use could make one's outfit look like they stepped out of the Great Depression era, or a member of a New York gang from the 1950s.

All I Want For Christmas Are Suspenders

It was a fun shopping day with my grandparents that culminated with a spontaneous outfit change with the stylish gift they bought me for Christmas!

Today, I had no intentions of going out and I was set on lounging. However, my grandma wanted to go Christmas shopping for my grandfather and mother. Since I had nothing better to do and there was shopping involved, of course the obvious response was: "I'll get dressed!" Because this was such a sudden request, I did not have much time to think of something fancy to wear. Consequently, I went with a casual stylish classic: jeans and a tee. If I went out with just the white Hanes crew neck tee with the black low-rise, slim-fit denim from H&M, that would have been "blah!" To amp up the style factor and to inject the look with my own personality, I accessorized the look with a black and gray checkered H&M vest and gunmetal tinted Bulgari sunglasses.

However, this was just the first look!

Our first stop was J.C.Penney. my grandmother said to me to find anything that I want and that will be my gift. I was stunned. She said that it would be better to ask me and buy what I wanted instead of them trying to guess what I would like. Besides having my student loans paid off, there was one other thing that was on my wish list: suspenders. Suspenders were in style this past summer, and I didn't really catch on until I watched "America's Next Top Model All Stars." Tyra was working the suspenders. I thought to myself that I can rock that look! I can rock it as part of my "conservative with an edge" and "geek chic" staples! I found two sets of Dockers suspenders in black and blue and my grandmother bought them! With accessories in hand, I couldn't wait to wear them. After leaving the store, I replaced the vest with the black Dockers suspenders! Here was the look that I rocked the rest of the shopping trip! I can't wait to find more suspenders, especially skinny ones!

In short, today was awesome! Love you grandma and grandpa!

Start Over Queen: Single's Corner: Christmas Parties Solo or No?

Start Over Queen: Single's Corner: Christmas Parties Solo or No?: The holidays are swinging away, along with the Christmas shopping are the company parties. If your single it is OKAY...I REPEAT OKAY to go ...

Fashion Corner: Plain Is Plain Polo A Pain?

It's rare for me to wear plain polo shirts for a super-casual look. However, today was an exception. Again, continuing on the theme from yesterday of "Ice Prince," my holiday spirit was exuded through tints of blue. Underneath the black military track jacket with white piping from Express, I wore a fitted blue polo shirt from H&M. The pants were my second go-to H&M low-rise, slim-fit distressed denim from H&M with the Levi's belt. Yes, again I did use the same pair of jeans from yesterday. Although they were the same, bottom line, I'm maximizing the use and cost of those jeans. If they work, they work! They'll get dry-cleaned when I get to them!

Start Over Police: Fashion Corner: Wear Color Once A Week People!

Start Over Police: Fashion Corner: Wear Color Once A Week People!: New Year's is around the corner and tradition has it for one to make resolutions to live by. I am not one to join the bandwagons often, h...

Fashion Corner: Wear Color Once A Week People!

New Year's is around the corner and tradition has it for one to make resolutions to live by. I am not one to join the bandwagons often, however, ever since I added color to my wardrobe, I reconsidered. With all of the compliments that I got, it was really an easy decision to make the following resolution for 2012: "I need to wear color at least once a week!" 

And so these past few weeks I've started that transition with a week of style I penned as "Splash of Color Week." It started out with wearing hues of red and brown to show my Thanksgiving "spirit." For Christmas, I decided to follow suit. While it is traditional, and stereotypical to wear red or green, I took a different approach. Christmas reminds me of icy bitterness and cold weather, for which the color blue comes to mind. As such, my outfit for today highlighted that "Ice Prince" look. Today, I wore a a white H&M shirt with a distressed blue slim-fit, low-rise denim, accessorized with a black belt by Levi's and an argyle blue skinny tie from H&M. This is my way of celebrating the holiday without being in your face about it! I'd have to say, I actually love this look!