the language of my fingertips

When I was younger I didn’t think dipping fries into a chocolate milkshake was going to taste all that great, in fact I thought it was disgusting. But when I tried it two years ago, I was like “HOLY SHIT THIS TASTE AMAZING” Who would’ve thought the two combined would tastes so great. And just like milkshakes and fries people have their doubts about pairing up different patterns on clothes. Who says Polkadots cant be paired with stripes or floral with cheetah print? NO ONE! It can be done and its actually rather fun when its done well. Here I paired my aunts Kimono with my H&M floral grandma dress, my cheetah print Maddens, my favorite supreme beanie and then laced up one leg. I added the fur accent to give it another layer just for fun. This is a trend I do all the time and I’m quite open to getting even wilder with the prints.

Monochromatic, one color getups hit the runway during the spring and it surely is a trend amongst the high end brands. I love all one color outfits, and it tickles my tummy when its one color down to the shoes and accessories. I love wearing all white outfits and I thought I take it a step further with sporting the look with a bright red. I had a pair of my favorite sneakers on (whom I wish to be getting another pair of but in a different color), my aunts red lacey thigh highs, a sweater dress I pinned up and wore as a skirt, a silky turtle neck, and my aunts hand made embroidered blouse (it was made in japan!) I wanted to do some flips and twirls, the outfit had me feeling all flowy and elegant. I think it was the color, red seems to have a positive, mood boosting effect on people.

Denim on Denim on denim. About a year ago denim jackets caught wave and soon everyone had one or many! Levi’s, a denim company, came out with a bunch of Denim jackets and it seemed like everyone owned a Levi’s denim Jacket. I personally love the all denim look and have wore it a bunch of times but slim on the layers. The layers add dimension and send the eye into a frenzy, thats something I love. This getup made me want to hop on a motorcycle and ride away. With a Kriss Kross touch I turned my baggy, Bleached-by-me, denim shorts around. That is actually something I really, really want to rock one day. I think I need to get some pants made especially for me that have the back pockets on the front because whenever I put my pants on backwards they never button! :( In all I loved this look because it’s something many can get away with without getting laughed at on the train.  

Bonita Applebum you gotta put me on. Hey Bonita glad to meet ya. For the era who was dominated by baggy, oversized clothes, the celebrities during the time did not sleep on their style. Think of style icons like Run DMC and Kid ‘n’ Play. It’s interesting how a trend that was a fad ten, twenty years ago can make a come back hard. And just like the 80’s, the 90’s has made a big comeback quick! I reiterated the 90’s look with my mom’s Adidas track jacket, my 1994 old navy sweater, my best friends Suns Cap, velour pants, and my 20^th anniversary Reeboks. I added hard candy yellow lips to the look to keep relatable. I felt kind of funky and wanted to bop my head and pump my head to the imaginary beat in the room. This style isn’t to far fetched for me, I’d sport it any day.

Sir yes Sir! Army Fatigue has made it’s premier into pop culture with a huge, gigantic bang! I see it everywhere now. I kept it original with a full on army fatigue get up but I included a dash of kai. I revamped the jacket for my birthday by adding chains to the jacket closure and tied it up corset style in the back so that it fit my body. I also cropped and cut a cute detail in the front. I tied by boots up real snug remembering the movie ‘Miracle at St. Anna’ and how the American soldiers wore their boots. Interesting enough my pants, which I got from this funky store called ‘Reminiscence’, aren’t from the American Army, they’re from the Czech Army! I probably wouldn’t wear a full on Army fatigue look on an average day but most definitely during a Nerf gun war ;) (which I have quite often with my brothers).

Grunge, inspired by the homeless of the New York City Streets, I layered on as much as I could without looking like an Eskimo trying to keep warm in Alaska. My black hat which was labeled “A very Ugly Hat” in the store that I bought it from was perfect for the occasion. This style of dress is one that I’ve seen sweeping through the youth. Oversized sweaters, ripped tights and worn out boots have been making a trend with the resurrection of this 80’s style. The simplistic attitude of the outfit makes it very wearable. When I showed my dad these set of pictures he said he loved the outfit which in all says it’ll would be pretty cool if I rocked this style. I mixed it with a bit of sexy by taking off the top half of the grey romper and wearing it by the bottom only.

Inspired by Menswear my semi monochromatic look is filled with quirky details. My bow tie, made by me, is built out of Lego Bricks (it’s off my jewelry line!), my hat, which is an item from my Aunts closet, is possibly from the 1930’s, and my shoes are Jimmy Choo (I spent 60 bucks on those bad boys made possible by his collab with H&M). This look reminded me a circus hosts outfit which in turn allowed me to feel reminiscent of Andre 3000. So while shooting I felt a bit goofy and I kind of wanted to jump up in the air and click my heels. My striped shirt shirt, which I bought my Freshman year from Filenes Basement, went perfectly well with the gingham capris I bought at a goodwill in Queens. The suspenders tied up the whole look and gave it that ‘POW’ I was looking for.

Lets get the keys to the Porsche and take a stroll down the Beverly Hills. The upper-class women of the 1940’s inspired this romantic look. My champagne glass of apple juice was there to amp up my silk romper, pearls, feather shawl and my sky high Steve Maddens J My hat and my lace gloves we’re items of my great aunt, Mimi Vaz born in the 1920’s, who lived to be a beautiful Renaissance Woman. I had history sitting on my head and wrapped around my hands which definitely made me feel a bit important but as the theme called for I aimed to look relaxed. This style that I’ve seen on other females has taken a more modern twist but still upholds that upper-class look. It kind of felt like dress up putting this outfit together which was very fun, though I wouldn’t sport this style of dress. 

Lieutenant Bussant reporting for duty! Soilders gear, known as army Fatigue has turned into a huge trend but now its time for the big guy to get some shine. With original patches, and a nametag, (it’d be creepy if this Donelly guy is no longer living, and I own his jacket) I snatched this genuine Army jacket from a wonderful thrift shop on 14^th street between 7^th and 8^th avenue. When I walked through the door it was hanging on a rack exposing it’s beautiful physique to the world could and it sent me into a gasp. It had spoken the most beautiful language and I had to get it. You see, if something speaks to me ill buy it because I know not everything that I see in stores has that effect on me, in fact that rarely happens. Paired with my mothers thigh high boots this look made me feel strong and powerful. I think the only thing missing was a vintage beret… hmm.

Mama India, Mama Africa. Taking it back to the Motherland with authentic Indian and African wraps that my father bought on various trips around the world. The ‘Native-to-my-country’ look is coming in full force in the past year, from what I’ve seen. It’s beautiful to see the youth embracing their culture, hopefully its not all surface but also within. Growing up, my father has always kept my brothers and I aware of our Indian sides with cooking authentic Indian Meals, teaching us Indian practices, and buying us traditional Indian clothes. During the summer, Sari’s are my thing! This was my favorite look because it brought me aback to when I used to wrap my hair Alicia Keys style, now that I have no hair my options are limitless. It was fun sitting in the mirror twisting the fabric all different kinds of ways to see which one I really liked. I’d most definitely rock this look with a little twist; try adding some preppy touches to the outfit!