The Essential Black Pants

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I love my skirts and dresses, these pieces are the "defacto" feminine wardrobe pieces. While yes, it's quite predictable to find dresses and skirts in any woman's closet, pants are the unknown. Nowadays, most women wear pants but less than 60 years ago women were not allowed to wear pants, it was seen as great disrespect to husbands and men everywhere. Wearing pants said to the world that women could be just as independent and tough, and men were intimidated by it. Fortunately, the movement happened and now ladies everywhere enjoy wearing pants to work, to the park, to school, at home and everyplace in between. I don't know how I could survive without the use of my jeans, trousers, capris, and pants! It's just an absolute necessity to life in 2016 and beyond. What is even more needed to build the perfect wardrobe, are black pants. Even if you're not a self proclaimed pants girl, having a few essential black pant styles will ensure you'll be comfortable and stylish. Don't be so hard on the black pants, they're in everyone's closets and only need a bit of love! 

A Few of My Favorite Things

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I have to say, it really feels like the holidays have snuck up on me! In the blink of an eye, Christmas is here and me being such a busy bee, I tend to leave gift shopping until the last minute. It's a hassle I love to endure because giving during the holidays is my absolute favorite thing. Between seeing my friends and family light up with smiles, ear to ear is the only thing I could ask for, of course figuring out what to gift can feel like the "end all, be all!" Which is why, this year I'm boiling it down to my favorite things in the theme of comfort, convenience, and style.

Party Shoes

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Can you believe it's almost the end of 2016! This year is coming to a rapid end, why not go out in style? New Year's Eve is upon us, which means frantically finding the dress, figuring out where to party, who to party with and who to kiss at the midnight call, but what about the footwear? I find that a lot of my friends leave the shoes as a forethought which is quite a shame since shoes often create the conversation.  I too, fall into that grouping on occasion. This year i'm forcing myself to think of the shoes first and build the outfit around it. I have compiled a few of my party favorite selects for you to ponder about! 

Multiple Layers

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Recently, temperatures have dropped to major unbearable degrees in the northeastern states, via the polar vortex's path. It's so cold, you may not even want to leave home, but then you realize that's not a good enough excuse to call out of work! The next best thing is to dress practically and functional, but should you sacrifice your style for it? Lately I hear a lot of my friends saying, "It's too cold to try and look cute," I honestly disagree with that statement. One should never have to forfeit their style to face old man Winter. Sure you may have to shelve out certain pieces from your closet in favor of the boring fleece and clunky winter weather boots but all you need to do is think strategically. The winter season just means to think more creatively when getting dressed because in the depths of winter, great style is very possible!

Luscious Lips During The Polar Vortex

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Honestly readers, is there anything worse than chapped lips? The itching, the burning, the peeling, and the fact that lipsticks, lip stains and all of the sort just don't look good with chapped lips. No thanks! We all experience it, as soon as the weather dips to extremely low temps the skin on our lips dries up immediately. No matter how much water we drink, it's almost inevitable but not impossible! Every year I prepare myself for the harsh weather ahead with my secret weapon, Fresh Sugar Scrub! 

2016 Musical Review

Illustration by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Can you remember the last time you replayed a song.. 10 times over?! Tunes that made you sing out loud and forget that you are in public, songs that fill you with inspiration to achieve your next best project.  I've had that feeling plenty of times this year. 2016 has been filled with many new songs worth repeating over and over again. As a freelancer, I feel it's important to have songs surround you while you're working, creating, thinking, and drafting. Music is a big source of inspiration for me, sometimes the right beat or lyric sends my mind into a creative spiral after a long drought. This year new music was in abundance and here's my list! 

How To Win The Holidays

The holiday season is the one time of the year when it's totally acceptable to buy that big ticket item. Nothing can quite compare to the payoff of finding that perfect gift for someone or even yourself! Impassioned bargain hunters unite, it's your season to find the best of the best at a fraction of the price. It's easy to get caught up with all the percentages thrown in your face, 20 percent, 30 percent or even 40 percent can seem overwhelming at first but I'll share with you my tips on staying sane and getting the best deals during the holiday season.

Give Mindfulness

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

In your best moments, confidence is an easy despondency. Conquering goals, having great health, and setting good relationships with friends and family, conflict free. It's as if the universe has your back. Then of course there are those times when it feels like the exact opposite. And lately, it's quite easy to fall into that feeling especially since Election day, the slump is real folks! For an entire week and a half my office has been so gloomy and retired from work and concentration. No matter how badass we are, there are those moments in life that seems to take every little bit of you to go on. And at those times it's like the universe is conspiring against you. Of course it's not the place that anyone wants to be in because you lose your power and what makes you, you. The one thing that's been helping me at those moments is my gratitude. Yes, you can't take total responsibility for some circumstances, just remember that giving wellness always helps to shift your focus. With Thanksgiving here, it's the perfect time to journey into empowerment through gratitude. 

Date To Day

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

We all have those stashes of dress in our closets that we wear on special dates and events, the slim hugging, micro mini, or cut out embellished type of dresses. While beautiful and intriguing on their own, sometimes you think about stretching out the use for it because we're not always going on a hot date! I've recently experimented with a few of my slinky dresses and got a good response. Check out how I turn my date night dresses to perfectly acceptable day outfits! 

Fall Winter 2016 Must Haves

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

This season is full of so many surprises from random holiday parties, office outings, election night and so much more! The best way to stay prepared is by keeping up with the latest must have trends this Fall/ Winter season. Stay in the know by being on point with your fashionable choices, this way you can ensure that you always stand out! Here are a few of my favorite pieces this season....

60 Minutes

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Did you know that an hour is more or less 4% of our day? That is why every hour counts, and making sure to use it wisely is of the utmost importance. My gym time is sacred, when I'm there I want every minute to count because I have goals that I want to reach and things that I have to do each day.  There are so many thing to factor in like commute time, the post- sweat rinse, the prep time... and suddenly working out can take up quite a chunk of your day. Over the years I have found that 60 minutes is all I need for my on-the-go lifestyle. If you can succeed at making the most of your time, you can achieve the benefits of a 90 minute workout or longer in just 2/3 of the time! The key is to monitor your rest periods and go with a plan. 

Her.

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

What turbulent times we're currently living in. From chaos to unpredictability, this election season is definitely one for the books, and yet the choice for president has never been a difficult one for me this year. I believe in someone with a comprehensible resume, someone who spent most of their life and soul to helping out others, and someone who understands the infrastructure of politics, inside and out. I have been in a position before in which I was a hiring manager, resumes are a big deal and the right one makes all the difference. For me, it's quite obvious to choose the candidate with the background that matches the description and fills all the prerequisites needed for the coveted position. This is just one of the many reasons why I'm with her!

Old Hallows Eve

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

For one day of the year, anyone can dress up and act like someone or something else and get away with it. What a thrilling concept it is to wake up and fashion yourself like Marilyn Monroe, Chewbacca, or the ever so popular Harley Quinn and then to take on that character's persona. Who hasn't thought of being someone else for a day, to get the feel of what it's like to walk in their shoes? I have, it's nice to think of what this person or thing does for a full day.

Wedding Chic

Painted By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about weddings and not because of me but because my best friend is getting married! Hanging out with her and all of the bridesmaids just remind me of how beautiful and magical weddings can be, from the venues to the decorations. Best part about weddings of course is the wedding dress! Who knew that there were so many styles of wedding dresses, up until recently I figured that there were only two styles and boy was I wrong! The dresses have a way of making the woman appear like queens and princesses of far away worlds, the drapery, the lace, the long train, the massive amounts of tulle and the list can go on. The same can definitely be said about Julie Vino's Fall 2017 Napoli collection! 

Sneaker Head

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Transitioning from season to season is hard, between editing your closet to have more seasonal pieces to making sure your home looks and feels holiday appropriate there's just so much to do! As a warm weather dweller, living somewhere with temperate patterns can take some time to adjust even after years of living there. Between saying goodbye to flowy summer dresses and sandals to turtleneck sweaters and fleece lined boots can have your mind in a daze. I've even found myself wearing the trusty white sneakers I wore all summer long into the fall season without realizing that it's totally time to put them away. Let's face it, our summer appropriate sneakers have seen much better days. No need to worry, this season there are some new trendy sneaker styles to bring on the heat when things get pretty chilly! 

Vested

Photos by Derrick Hogue

At the dawn of a new season, there's always those few days or even weeks in which it's a bit cold at times and then the temperatures suddenly rise throughout the day. That's exactly how the Fall season is here in the northeastern states! I would much rather prefer the days stay warmer than colder but that's not being realistic. On days like such, I try to layer smartly, my secret to staying cool and warm is simply a vest! It's a piece that's often overlooked but essential to all of our closets.

Think Pink

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

It's October, a month in which can mean many things for people like Halloween, autumn, midterms, cooler temperatures, rich hue tones, layers, heart health, etc. One of the most significant things that October means to me is breast cancer awareness, the time of the year to honor the brave women who suffer and/ or have suffered from this life- threatening disease. Statistics state that more than 200,000 women everywhere are diagnosed with this cancer, every year. I find it important to highlight and take a moment to touch upon this topic because I've personally seen what this disease can cause on a human body, how it can strip a woman's confidence in a matter of hours. It's unfortunate that something so devastating is becoming a common thing, that's why I believe it's important to help bring awareness to the cause and what better way than with our most loved products in pink hues to support breast cancer awareness. 

Safety Measures

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I'm a suburbs girl, I've spent most of my youth living outside of Philadelphia. The part of town in which you need to drive to the nearest plaza or mall to fetch your goods and have a yard big enough for a pool or two! It was what I was used to and accustomed to. So much naivety stems from this sort of lifestyle, I love my parents and family for shielding me but upon entering adulthood and moving into my own nest, in the city, I noticed a stark difference. Imagine living in a world where we didn't have to look behind us when we walked down the street or put a club on the steering wheel of your car. Not to make the adult world sound dire and scary but there are people out there that want to cause harm and we have to protect ourselves and find ways to prevent them from happening. Not living with the family meant adjusting to these new differences and coping with reality, from boxing lessons to traveling with friends but I always felt like I needed something else too. I've recently been using the solution for my woes with Wearsafe.

Bra-blems

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Everyone knows how great it feels to wear good fitting clothes, no slumps, no gaps and no bumps! When your clothes hug you in just the right way, it gives you confidence you never knew you had. But sometimes we overlook the fit of our most basic and first layer, bras. A bad fitting bra can ruin any outfit and cause some embarrassing moments, a conversation starter that no one asks for! I myself, have a love- hate relationship with bras, I've even given up on wearing "real" bras and reduced myself to bralettes and sports bras to avoid any visible panty lines. 

The Fashion Subcultures

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Fashion is subjective, it is what you make it. Fashion is a form of art, that allows us to creatively express ourselves and show our personality without saying a word at all. Fashion speaks volumes, which is why I love it. Fashion allows me to set myself apart from the rest, I certainly believe that my individual style is my "eternal identity."While I will always love checking out fashion shows and what's being worn on the runways, the "urban catwalk" is where it really is laid out. Street style has evolved over the years and it has also created many different pockets of cultures. I've recently come across Style Tribes: The Fashion of Subcultures by Caroline Young, it shares so much insight into the various and many communities over the past century of fashion worldwide.