Black & White: Chapter One

Pants: ASOS // Shoes: Baby Phat // Top: TJ Maxx // Hat: Thrift Gift (Thanks Virginia G!) // Jacket: ASOS // Lips: NYX Matte Red 

I've been talking a lot lately about finding inspiration. Most recently this past weekend, I was asked about inspiration by a fellow writer over a glass of whiskey. "What makes you feel motivated?" they asked. In my reflection, I've thought about how a new year gives us many different chances to seek what makes us feel motivated, happy and fulfilled. For me, joy in life is defined by living your truth and continuing to create yourself. I think fashion gives the daily opportunity to create ourselves and showcase this continual creation to the world. It's an outlet for experimentation, inspiration, and affirmation of who you are. I'm motivated by the opportunity fashion provides us to showcase this, and was thus, motivated to write this post, wearing my favorite style staple, a black & white ensemble. 

So while I don't believe things in life are always black and white, I do believe a great outfit can be. In tune with this mantra, I created a theme for this week and styled various looks in my favorite color combo. My first look, pictured above, pays tribute to not only my fave b&w, but to pieces that I feel genuinely happy in, and that express my personal style. SEE: BLACK AND GOLD DUNKS. 

Hope your year is off to a wonderful start my friends, and remember that while many black and white styles are great, life is really most beautiful in color. 

xx 

SJB 

*Photos by the lovely Brandi Whitlock

New Year, New Joys

I'm not big on your old-fashioned resolution-making. I am big, however, on introspection and bettering oneself throughout the next year and into the great beyond on this journey we call life. I think this can be accomplished through thinking about where you want to go over the 365 days, but by also reaffirming the things that you like about yourself and what makes you YOU. 

For 2015, I set goals for myself by vowing to do (or keep doing) things that make me happy. And part of that is still figuring out more and more things that bring me joy and how I can share that joy with others. I hope to worry less, write more, perform continuously and spread love continually. I like to break down my overarching goals into small practices throughout my every day life. For life is not about finding yourself, but about creating yourself. And hey, we're all a work in progress, babe. 

So cheers to you, my friends, may your 2015 be a year that you celebrate, embrace who you are, and dress for the occasion. 

xx SJB