13 No-Fuss Fall Accessories

Summer, it’s been real. But I’m making room for autumn. The warm-hued makeup palettes and 5-layer outfits are just as exciting as the pumpkin-flavored menu items and brand new season premieres. (C’mon, Shonda Rhimes!) While I revel in fall fashion, I think certain accessories can seem a bit impractical. Wide-brimmed wool hats are romantic, unless you’re sitting behind one during your 9:00am lecture. And suede booties are just asking to be rained on. For that reason, I’ve put together a list of accessories that are easy to find, easy to style and easy on the wallet. 

Poolside Chillin’: My Favorite Plus-Size Swimsuits

Can you believe it’s already July? Insane, right? That means that unless you live in an awfully warm area, your days by the pool are numbered. Still, I thought I’d share a roundup of my favorite swimsuits for women with curves.

While there are quite a few online shopping destinations dedicated to plus-sized women, the amount of sites that offer swimwear are few and far between. I probably won’t be sporting any swimwear this summer—that’s a self-love/body positivity conversation for another day—but I hope that I can help make the search a little bit easier for some. (Comment below and let me know where you shop for curvy swimsuits, or which piece is your favorite!)

 

Shopping List: Spring & Summer Style

Ah, spring. Flowers are blooming, school years are winding down, and my allergies are on full blast. But, in between refills of Claritin-D, I had time to put together a little style collection. Here are some of the ways I would style my favorite spring and summer trends.

Queen of Color: Zim Ugochukwu

Spring Break for me is just around the river bend, which doesn’t mean much because I’ll be spending the week at home—probably in sweatpants—as usual. But since discovering Travel Noire, I have become fascinated with the idea of international jetsetting. While my bank account won’t permit any flights overseas any time soon, perusing the pages of Travel Noire has pushed me to think beyond our borders. 

I Love You Like XO

St. Valentine’s Day is upon us once again, which, for many, means romantic dinners, bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolate from a special someone. For me, it means a few bottles of red wine and a funny movie with friends. No matter your relationship status, V-Day is a chance to show off your most lovable fashion choices. Here are mine, along with my picks for some pretty impressive gifts, either to yourself or from your boo-thang.

Suit & Tie

  I was playing around with my camera and my (extremely poorly lit) basement room and thought I would share. I love a good jeans-and-blazer combination. I added to this one a button-up blouse, flat black boots and cateye glasses for a simple, no-fuss, business casual look.

The Love Below

This past week, much of the Midwest was frozen solid in a record snow storm. Wind chills reached the negative forties. Entire bodies of water turned to ice. And I had to scrape what felt like pounds of snow from on top of my car. But the weather got me thinking: what are the best wardrobe choices for subzero temperatures? I know the obvious choice is down-filled snowsuits that zip up to your eyelashes. But is there a way to be cute without being cold?

Aud Lang Syne

I know I’m a bit late, but I had such a blast this New Year’s Eve! I wanted to quickly share what I wore.

Silver & Gold

Merry Christmas, all! I hope your holiday was full of good food, hilarious family, amazing music and unforgettable presents. Mine sure was. I didn’t leave school until the 24th, so I was overjoyed to finally be home. And I thought I would share what I wore on this particularly holy night. My outfit was simple, comfortable and festive all at once. And I paired this natural style (a day-old, pinned-up, bantu knot-out) with red lips. I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas.

Baby, It’s Code

On this particularly gloomy day, I thought it best to rock some cool tones. This velveteen blazer is one of my favorite thrift store finds ever, because I love the deep violet color and plush fabric. And it fits me like a glove. I layered the blazer over a simple white shirt from Target, with knit paneling at the collar. The dark jeans are from Old Navy. For jewelry, I opted for my favorite silver necklace (H&M) and a simple silver watch (Nordstrom).