RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FASHION DIVA

I've been sitting here all day trying to figure out the topic of this blog. Now in my comfy Hello Kitty pajamas, hair in a ponytail and sipping a cup of cream soda....I figured I'd just compose my inner ramblings and hopefully it results in some sort of sense to those who read it. I tend to type in the same manner in which I speak - so for those reading who know me personally, you will enjoy this regardless -- it is the truth. I toyed with fashion do's and don'ts but I have been there and done that. Then I thought about doing a piece on how to wear sheer clothing - one of this summer's hottest trends that almost everyone has all wrong.....then I thought about doing something on appropriate summer office attire. Yeah so let me just write about why all of these things come to mind. I am the first person to say there are no rules to fashion. I mean that no white after labor day theory and never wear black to a wedding - yadda yadda woo woo woo. There are exceptions to every rule - and a lot of these so called rules were made up by uptight older socialites that deemed themselves fashion authority. I'm over that stuff. But you do have to keep one rule in fashion etiquette prominent: Wear appropriate attire. What is appropriate is based on your body type, age and the place to which you are wearing said attire. _______________________________________________________________ Right now everyone is wearing high-low dresses -- the ones that are short in the front and long in the back....I have seen them with sandals, flips flops, skips and even boots. Rock it how you want it but please wear your appropriate size dress AND underwear. I shouldn't be able to see every bump and lump in the dress and if the front is just about up to your womanhood -- Honey, the dress doesn't fit properly. Sorry. Let's bring that to your maxi dress....there are many styles but the most common is the cotton one. A maxi dress can be casual enough to use as a beach cover up and it seems to be everyone's go to all purpose attire....if you're old enough to remember the "house dress" that your mama or grandma wore. That's the all purpose dress they'd throw on to go to the store, walk down to your school, wear around the house in case company came over....that's the equivalent to a maxi dress these days . Everyone wears them - so its no longer trendy. BUT it's comfortable. You have people wearing them so long that is sweeps the floor ... sweeps the side walk ....when they wear it which is nasty. Put a hem in that already or wear the damn dress with heels or wedges. If you're gonna wear flip flops with it then do something about the length or stop being so lazy that you don't want to try it on in the store to see if it's too long for you. I'm 5'3" -- everything is too long for me and I loathe trying on clothes in stores but I do what I have to do so that I look decent. Maxi dresses also come in dressier fabrics. And still you have women wearing them everywhere - with everything. I don't suggest wearing a satin maxi dress to an office. You will look like you are going to a wedding or cocktail party ---you can't then throw on that same classy maxi with a pair of flip flops and go to the movies. And speaking of flip flops....UGH. I get the comfort thing but you can't wear them with every thing and you can't wear them everywhere. They are definitely not appropriate for work unless you plan to change out of them and a big EWW to those who wear them outside in the rain. I can't imagine how good it can feel with rain water between your toes, along with the bugs, dirt, broken matter and debris all over the side walk getting onto the bottom of your feet. The same $1 flip flops you wear to the beach cannot be the same ones you wear to work or to Billy Bob's cocktail hour. Not a good look. They do make classier styles. The spandex dress has made a comeback and everyone is wearing it ....even Big Bertha and she is wearing it with a thong 3 times too small. Stop it. And grandma, stop it. Just because you still look good for your age does it mean you are supposed to wear what the young whipper-snappers are wearing. With age comes the fashion wisdom to dress age appropriately....and dress responsively. My Big Beautiful Divas , I don't care how much weight you lose, until your body is all the way right don't assault anyone's eyes by trying to wear a bodysuit, one piece anything, leotard or cat suit. Everyone that tells you it's hot is just laughing behind your back and saying to their friends "Girllll, did you see what she had the nerve to wear". Glad your confident but don't try so hard for people to notice you. Let them notice you for the right reasons versus the wrong reasons. Keep that with you for general purpose ....I'm telling you now, be sexy by being appropriate in your attire and in the way of which you carry yourself. _________________________________________________________________________________ Now ladies --- I have to go in once again on the leggings. I mean yall wear em all the time and even at the club. Half the time you wear them without panties with everything jiggling, every dimple waving hello, shirt too short and all. OR you wear them with undies that are too small--cutting into your booty cheeks or creating the illusion of a thong because it's so far up your butt that is what it has become.... or the leggings aren't really leggings, they are tights so they are so sheer we can see the color of your undies. Not to mention some women hike the leggings up so high they create that nasty camel toe -- or don't pull em up far enough now we have to see crack or extra belly rolls (because most do this then wear a short shirt with the damn leggings). Now help us all that these printed leggings are the thing now and everyone and literally their MAMA wants to wear them - everywhere. If you wanted to know the latest fashion trend you used to be able to just walk into the club and see it -- not now. Everyone is in leggings and they shop at the same stores for shoes -- so the trend there is non-existent too. I mean you will find ladies in shoes they can barely walk in , and they are standing around the dance floor hating on the ladies who can. That hasn't changed. And how I wished someone made instructions on how to wear the sheer trend -- just a hot mess times infinity with ladies in too small bras wearing a sheer shirt or ones wearing them to work without a tank or cami underneath it....and even if they wear that look to the club, do I really need to see your C-section scar - is that ever appropriate? Nope. ________________________________________________________________________________ Boston was voted one of the worst fashionable cities --- and I find that is because there are so many faux pas that it overshadows the stylish, extra fly, hot, trend setters that put on for our city but damn ladies. Alright I'm done. I have said what I've had on my mind . If it makes sense , if it's helpful, if you agree or disagree (if you disagree it's usually because you are guilty of something I've said and won't own that you may need to STOP IT)...I can only present my best fashion foot forward and this diva just calls it like she sees it and like she doesn't want to see it.

With that said - peep the pics on this blog. These ladies know how to work my designs at any size, with style and they both are oh so appropriate! Model Shirley Jones of Brooklym, NY and Plus Size Model Alicia Jarvis of Boston, Ma for Nilanjo! Fashion Ent. Make Up by VERO of Perennial Make-Up. Photos by D.A.H. Photos. Check out our latest promo and events at www.nilanjo617.com on our Events page