A Diva State of Mind

Last week I shared with you the Duracell commercial featuring the NFL’s first legally-deaf player Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman. After his commercial aired, Coleman was tweeted a letter from the dad of twin nine-year old girls who are also legally deaf. After responding to their letter, Derrick Coleman surprised the girls at Good Morning America studios. Not only was he there to meet them, but also presented the twins and their family with tickets to the Super Bowl!

I can’t help but smile while watching this video So priceless!

The Super Bowl is this Sunday, February 2nd at 6:25pm on FOX.

While women have asked what to wear to Brunch For A Cause this Saturday, I figured the guys would like some inspiration too.

Fellas, while you could wear a sweatshirt and Jordans to brunch, I encourage you to try other options! You don’t have to put on your Sunday best, but you can experiment with prints, boots, sneakers other than Jordans and accessories like scarves (yes men wear scarves).

This first look is for the guy that likes a simple outfit; no fuss. This is an outfit I’d definitely style one of my clients in for brunch. Pair black jeans with a nice printed hooded. In case you get hot and want to remove the sweater, wear a printed tee or long sleeve shirt underneath the sweater. It’s more interesting than a plain black or white tee. Complete the look with high-top sneakers, a black belt and watch. Don’t forget your to spray on your cologne!

This second look a great casual winter outfit. Switch things up and put on corduroy pants instead of jeans. Pair the pants with a printed sweater or cozy knit cardigan like the one below from J.Crew.  Layer either piece with a chambray shirt. Shy away from sneakers and complete the look with brown combat boots, which is a little edgy. or pair the look with Clarks Desert Boots. To show off that nice watch, slightly push up the sleeves of your sweater and shirt.

If you love wearing sport coats and blazers but don’t want to look like you’re going to work, wear them with jeans! Pair a navy blazer with light jeans or a grey blazer with dark jeans. Add a long sleeve shirt underneath the blazer and have fun with accessories by adding a printed scarf (I was inspired by these looks here.) You can wear casual shoes like Clarks; a great alternative to dress shoes and more dressy than sneakers.  If you’re not a fan of casual shoes, pair this look with sneakers like converse or Polo high top sneakers.

Fellas, would you wear any of these outfits?

If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet for A Diva State of Mind Presents: Brunch For A Cause! please get yours today at http://brunchforacause.eventbrite.com. It’s going to be a great time!

It’s that time of year again!! January 26, 2014 marked the 56th Grammy Awards and our favorite stars were in LA for music’s biggest night.  Like last year, the red carpet choices were more toned down than years past. There also didn’t seem to be as many artists walking the red carpet as they have in the past. However, there were enough starlets on the red carpet to determine who had the best looks of the night.

Here are my best dressed picks:

Chrissy Teigen & John Legend

Can we crown them the hottest couple of the night on the red carpet?! Chrissy Teigen shined in a strapless Johanna Johnson gown while accompanying John Legend.  The R&B crooner wore a perfectly tailored Gucci navy tuxedo. Did you catch his performance of “All of Me” at during the show last night? I love that song!!

Ciara

Now that her pregnancy is no longer a secret, Ciara can show off her baby bump! She rocked her best accessory in a Emilio Pucci gown on the red carpet. She completed her look with soft makeup. She’s so cute pregnant!

Amber Rose

Last year Amber Rose was one of my favorites on the red carpet. After all, she was 9 months pregnant and still able to rock the red carpet in a simple black gown. This year, she made an entrance in a Naeem Khan gown. She is snatched!! Did you notice she covered her tattoos?

Colbie Caillat

I almost missed seeing Colbie Caillat walk the red carpet. I looked up just in time to see the top of her dress and knew that it was a show stopper. This Ezra Santos dress fits her like a glove! If you think the front is hot, check out the back. When it comes to this dress, it’s all about the details!

Tamar Braxton

Red was the color of the night for Tamar Braxton as well. I’m a fan of Tamar but I was not a fan of her Soul Train Awards performance outfit. However, for the Grammys, her Michael Costello dress was a hit and she definitely redeemed herself! She looked gorgeous. She kept the jewelry to a minimum, allowing the dress to really shine against her glowing skin. This is probably the best she’s every looked. Werk Ms. Braxton!

Taylor Swift

The older she gets the better dresses we see Taylor Swift in at award shows. She showed off her modelesque figure in a Gucci short sleeve fitted gown with a crystal mesh overlay and crystal gemstone details.  This fits her like a glove.

Chrisette Michele

What I like about Chrisette Michele’s look is that it’s unexpected. It’s the Grammys. This is the one time where attendees can experiment with their wardrobe choice. I was actually surprised to see so many people wear long gowns so when Michele showed up in this Etro outfit, it was refreshing.

Miguel

Miguel is one who definitely stays true to his style. He graced the red carpet in Saint Laurent. Had this been anyone else, this probably wouldn’t have worked, but he pulled it off. He’s such a rock star.

Kevin Hart

While he was singing “I woke up like this” during his interview with E! I was memorized by Kevin Hart’s textured Lanvin jacket. He paired the jacket with a black button up and black pants, allowing the jacket to play center stage. And it’s tailored perfectly! Fellas, invest in a tailor!

Katy Perry

Many people didn’t like this Valentino dress.  And at first I was like “hmmm.” But the more I look at it the more I think it is perfect for Katy Perry. We know she likes to wear things that are different, so this is right up her alley.

Did you watch the Grammy Awards? What did you think? Who was your best dressed?

Pics: The Fashion Bomb & Hollywood Life

Many have asked for suggestions on what to wear for Brunch For A Cause this Saturday. The dress code for a Saturday afternoon charity brunch in the middle of winter should be casual chic (we’ll save the sundresses for this summer). Have fun with color and textures; pairing looks with boots or booties.  Regardless of what you wear, you should look well put together.  Below are four outfits to serve as inspiration when you’re going through your closet Saturday morning to select an outfit.

Since it’s still ridiculously cold outside, all of the looks feature winter items (sweaters, boots and fur). The first look is an easy one to recreate. Pair your favorite skinny jeans with a long sleeve shirt and fur vest. If you don’t have a fur vest, you can pair the top and jeans with a blazer or add a printed scarf to add visual interest.  For those who love heels, pair this look with heeled booties. If you want to take a break from heels on the weekend, pair this look with flat black boots. Since the color palette is so dark, add a pop of color with bright lipstick and your handbag.

You may find that you wear a lot of black and grey during the winter months. Brighten things up my wearing a cream sweater with green cargo pants (or skinny pants). If you think you’ll be too hot wearing a sweater, especially after you have had a few mimosas, pair the green pants with a cream blouse. Layer the look with a fur vest which can be removed.  Although they are lighter than black and grey, colors like cream and green are still neutrals so you can add a pop of color with a bright statement necklace. Keep the makeup light and natural.

This third look is inspired by a client appointment I had last week. While going through my client’s closet, I found a sweater dress and put together a similar look like the one below. I told her it would be perfect for the charity brunch. This is a great look for the woman that isn’t big on heels but still wants to look chic. This is also great for women who are bigger on the bottom. The blazer and scarf bring the eyes up and help balance the lower half of the body.

Pair your favorite sweater dress with a blazer. Instead of wearing a necklace, switch things up and add a printed scarf to break up the solid colors. I know what some of you are thinking “do all of these colors go together?” Yes they do! Grey, navy and brown are all neutrals so they mix well together. Because they’re neutrals, you have the option of wearing any color scarf and handbag. Complete the look with blue eyeliner, blush and a nude pout.

This final look is the ladies who love to rock a sporty chic outfit. We all know that leather joggers were very popular last year. And since leather is becoming a staple, this style of pants will be around for a while. Pair your leather pants with a printed sweater.  You have the option of wear booties or wedge sneakers. Dress up this outfit with accessories like stacked bracelets and your favorite watch. Complete the look with a dark polish (I love wearing dark nail colors in the winter)! This is a great option for those days where you just don’t feel like wearing jeans or a dress.

What do you think of the looks? Have they sparked some ideas on what you plan on wearing to brunch on Saturday?

If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet for A Diva State of Mind Presents: Brunch For A Cause! please get yours today at http://brunchforacause.eventbrite.com. It’s going to be a great time!

“What God has revealed to you will happen! Don’t downgrade your dream to match your reality. Upgrade your faith to match your destiny! What you believe will come to pass!” - DeVon Franklin

When I saw Devon Franklin post these words, I felt like I needed to pause for a second and have a talk with Jesus.  Like so many of you, I’m ambitious and I have taken the time to really think about the things I want to accomplish career wise and personally. I think over the past two months, I’ve really been able to identify my purpose. But living your purpose is easier said than done.

I’m going to keep it 100%. I struggle with both faith and fear. If you’re faithful that God will make a way, you can’t be fearful that things don’t work out. I’m no perfect Christian and while I continue to work on my faith and strengthen my relationship with God, I sometimes catch myself downgrading my dreams. Well if a fashion career doesn’t work out, what other industries could I work instead? I’ve searched online for jobs in other fields knowing in the back of my mind, I still wouldn’t be happy if I was in another position that wasn’t related to my dreams.

But Franklin’s message is a reminder that my actions reflect my lack of faith. I must upgrade my faith! Whew! Talk about a walk up call. It’s up to me to continue to be faithful and steadfast. God didn’t place these dreams on my heart just for fun. I must practice being patience, faithful and prayerful that the work I do now is not in vain and the life He has set for me will come to pass.

I pray that all of us who struggle with fear set it aside and upgrade our faith; knowing that the dreams revealed to us will become reality. Amen.

As much as I love scarves, I’m not very creative in the way I wear them.

Wendy of Wendy’s Lookbook created a great 4.5 minute video on how to wear scarves in 25 different ways. I remember seeing this video a few years ago when it first came out, and I was reminded of it when a client asked about different ways to wear scarves. I definitely need to bookmark this video!

If you grew up hearing or saying the word bama, a term used by DC area natives, you can now tell people not to be a bama via a Don’t Be A Bama collection of tees and sweatshirts.

I’m a fan of graphic tees and sweatshirts. I’m always looking for new ones to add to my wardrobe so when I checked out the site, I knew immediately that I had to have a tee (I’m considering a sweatshirt too). I’m from the DC area so I grew up hearing and saying the word bama.  While the design is simple, I think it’s clever that someone thought to make a collection out of the word. Don’t Be A Bama offers short sleeve tees, long sleeve tees and sweatshirts in a variety of color combinations; many of which pay homage to your favorite sports teams.

Here are just a FEW of the pieces available. You can expect to see me walking around in a tee this coming spring. I really need to figure out which color combination I want; there are so many options to choose from on the website!

The tees and sweatshirts are available for men, women and children. Prices range from $12-$40. Click HERE to check out the collection and purchase tee or sweatshirt. You can also purchase items from Don’t Be A Bama collection at Sports Zone Elite locations.

Bama - A person who lacks style or swag. A hater, a bully or anything negative

Pics: Don’t Be A Bama & The Jasmine Brand

To date, $150 has been raised to support Safe Shores via ticket sales and donations. But I know we can do much better than that!

Last month I had signed up to co-host a charity happy hour. The guy who was coordinating the event had submitted a proposal to a venue. I had called him a week before the scheduled happy hour only to find out that he hadn’t heard back from the venue after attempting to reach them multiple times via phone calls and emails. I’m not one to do things last minute so instead of scrambling to host the happy hour somewhere else, it just didn’t happen.

So while I sat at my desk that afternoon, the idea to have a charity brunch came to mind. Since I and so many others love brunch and I love giving back to my community, why not combine the two? That day, I literally came up with the name, a list of restaurants to consider and a date. I ran the idea past a few friends who loved it, so I moved forward with planning my first Brunch For A Cause.

The feedback has been great since I started promoting the event. Folks love the idea! However, that excitement hasn’t translated to many ticket sales and that makes me nervous. I know a lot of people, my friends included, are waiting until the last minute to purchase tickets (y’all like stressing me out don’t you? Lol).  I also know people can be forgetful and I worry that if they wait until the last minute, they’ll forget all together to get  a ticket. I often wonder, if “so and so were promoting this, it would probably sell out by now.” But I know I can not compare myself to others. It’s unfair to me; after all “comparison is the thief of joy.” But I can’t help it sometimes. *shrug*

I envision Brunch For A Cause becoming a signature quarterly event (speaking it into existence); it can not only serve as my way of giving back to the community, but also  encourage others to be involved and make an impact as well. Especially for those who may not have the time to volunteer as frequently as they’d like.

This may sound like I’m begging and maybe I am. I have no shame doing so! As you all have been so supportive of my blog and styling business, I humbly ask that you help me make my charity vision come to life. With your help, Brunch For A Cause can make a major impact in the DMV!

I hope you’ll join me on Saturday, February 1st—> http://brunchforacause.eventbrite.com. The last day to purchase is Wednesday, January 29th.

<3

Seattle Seahawks running back Derrick Coleman is the first legally deaf offensive player in the NFL. He’s also teaching us to trust the power within in order to achieve our dreams.

In the new Duracell commercial, Coleman shares his story of overcoming football setbacks: being picked last when playing football with peers, bullying, communication issues with coaches  and not being selected in the 2012 NFL Draft.

But those setbacks didn’t stop him from pursuing his dreams. He’s now set to play with his team in front of the NFL’s loudest fans on Sunday in a game that will determine who will be headed to the Superbowl.

Moral of the story: Trust Your Power!!

My line sister Shontadra hit me up on Twitter yesterday and asked for outfit suggestions. She has a lunch date right after a Saturday chapter meeting. We are required to wear business casual clothes to our meetings. Since my LS will be going from meeting to lunch date without having time to change, I put together some business casual looks that are professional but would also do a great job showing off her figure, while leaving something to the imagination of course!

Shontadra reminded me last night to keep in mind that her body top is bigger on top. She has large “girls” so the key to creating the ideal hourglass shape is to deemphasize the top half of her body with wrap tops & dresses and bring attention to the bottom top half of her body.

If you love wearing dresses and don’t currently have a wrap dress or faux wrap dress in your closet, I recommend you purchase one ASAP! This style of dress is flattering on all body types. For a woman who is bigger on top, the v-neck neckline actually deemphasizes the chest and holds the girls in place. If the neckline was too high, it would make a woman’s check look bigger. If a woman is bigger on the bottom, the v-neck would bring attention to the top half of her body. The fabric of wrap dresses skim over the hips so whether your bigger on top or bottom, it doesn’t add volume. For someone with a boyish frame, a wrap dress helps create curves. And the wrap effect across the midsection snatches that waist and hides the midsection, helping to create an hourglass shape.

If you want to trick the eye, find a printed dress like the Diane Von Furstenberg one below. The eye doesn’t know where to look when a woman wears a printed dress, essentially helping to camouflage problem areas (i.e midsection).  Complete the look with fabulous boots, a grey bag and neutral makeup. Save the smokey eye for an evening date.

Shop wrap dresses here:

More Karen Kane…

The second look takes up the sex appeal a notch but is still very appropriate for a meeting. Pair an animal print skirt with a blouse. Animal print is treated as a neutral, so while I used a black blouse for this look, any color will work. Specifically fushia, red, colbalt and coral. For Shontadra, I’d recommend a top that doesn’t have pockets on the chest. As mentioned above, the goal for her is to balance the top half of the body, so I’d recommend wearing color and/or print on the bottom half of her body to bring attention away from her chest. Use accessories and lipstick to add a pop of color. Of course if the temperatures drop, this look and the wrap dress outfit can be paired with tights.

You may want to wear pants instead of a dress or skirt. That’s fine but shy away from the typical black dress pants. That screams “I’m going to work.” Remember, a date follows the chapter meeting so you want the outfit to be business casual but also fun and flirty. The cream top on the right will work for women who don’t have a large chest. A collar that high and in that color may actually make a women with a large chest look bigger on top. For someone like Shontadra, I’d again recommend a top that doesn’t go all the way to the neck.

Finalize the look with pointed toe heels to elongate the body. If you aren’t too worried about height and rather break up the preppy look with some edge, opt for a bootie instead. Seal the look with eyeliner, mascara and blush.

Shontadra, I hope you have a fun on your lunch date! Let me know what outfit you put together for the special occasion.

What do you think of these looks? To see more looks created for various occasions, check out my Style Gallery.