The Fall of Summer

Well party people it's that time again, when warm summer days give way to fall's cooler temps. On one of the last warm days I anticipate I'll see until sometime in 2012, I wore this to indulge in some fleeting summer awesomeness.

I love the blues in this dress. It's such a fantastic and airy option. It makes me sad that it will soon be relegated to the back of my closet.

 

I

Looking for my pocket. Don't worry, I found it.

I accessorized with some super cool vintage finds. The way the bracelet reminded me of how the belt interlocks. And I dig how the bracelet doesn't take up weight visually since it's transparent - so it doesn't weigh the dress down.

This was right before I got dizzy. 

 I will miss summer, but I'm totally ready for fall ya'll. Bring. It. On. Let's just hold off on the snow.

How are you reveling in the last days of summer?

Dress: Thrifted
Belt: Vintage
Lucite Bangle: Vintage
Shoes: Aldo

Don't forget about Fashion Forward, K? K! Details HERE!

Birthday Night

I recently celebrated my birthday very low-key like with a few friends. We went to dinner at my favorite bbq spot to get something fantastically delicious...more on that later. Since it was a quiet evening, I decided to keep it simple too...

My necklaces. I enjoy elephants so I doubled up on 'em.

I added the tribal print skirt to add some interest, but I kept it pretty minimal. I wore some of my favorite shoes, my Rachel Rachel Roy wedges. They are fantastical. 

You know what else is fantastical? Cornbread from Rudolphs in Minneapolis. No matter what I order there, I must, must get cornbread. It's yummyness in a pan!

An acceptable birthday cake substitute.

Not sure who or what I was giving the stank face to...

All in all it was a good birthday. Excited about my new year! What do you do to celebrate your birthday?

Shirt/Necklaces/Cuff: Forever 21

Skirt: Heartbreaker

Purse: Target

Shoes: Rachel Rachel Roy

Don't forget about the Fashion Forward event!! Click HERE for details!

For Better or Better: Fashion Forward Edition

This is where things get awesome. The Fresh Factor is more than just a style blog, it’s a way to give back and support some creative and cool peeps (I’m aware that no one has said “peeps” since the 90s, but work with me here). This post features our first volunteer opportunity (Saturday October 15th!!) and some helpful hints now that fall wedding season is upon us. Do you know what to wear? Me neither! Here’s a little something I thought might be dope to wear to nuptials according to some great advice from an awesome friend of mine, Faith O. Folayan – owner and lead planner of Urbane Montage - an amazing wedding and event planning company. Take it away Faith!!! 

Autumn begins this Friday. Living in Minnesota you can already feel the change in seasons. Arriving with those changes are invites to upcoming nuptials. Now that you’ve saved the date, it’s time for gift shopping. As you stroll through the mall or online shop it hits you, “What am I supposed to wear?” You’ve stored away the sundresses, linen pants, sandals, and such; summer is no longer with us. Fall weddings.

Fall affords more style choices than any other season. Wedding attire can vary depending on how formal or informal the wedding may be. Not sure of the attire? Invitations tend to set the tone of the wedding; at times the couple includes the attire request.

Fashion constantly changes but use your best judgment as far as location (indoor or outdoor venue) and the formality into consideration. Still unsure of what to wear to the wedding?  Below are a few tips I’ve gained along the way and wanted to share….

Don't try this at home! 

Consider:

~Layered options
~Peep toe, closed toes or flats
~Gravitating towards earthy tones

Avoid:
 ~Jeans 

~Garments that will get caught in the wind
~Anything too sheer or revealing
~Black or beaded attire for a Dressy-Casual wedding
~Nothing too constricting for dancing
~High heels that will sink in grass (or, dare I say, snow)

*White Rule: I personally think you will never upstage the bride, however being that it is fall and rich bold colors are in there’s no need to wear white to the wedding.

                                                       

Dressy Casual		Semi-Formal		Black Tie
Him	Her	Him	Her	Him	Her
~Wool Suits ~Sweater & tie underneath a blazer ~Navy blazer with Charcoal pants ~Dark Grey or Navy suit with a mid-tone or bright tie that coordinates	~Printed dress ~Skirt and  sweater set ~Suit with bright color and rich fabrics ~Accessories to highlight colors of your outfit	~Dark suit, white shirt with a contrasting earth tone necktie ~Blazer & Slacks with tie Layer with blazer	~Chic Cocktail dress ~One shoulder dress ~Rich textiles & luxe fabrics ~ Dark colors: Navy Blue, Plum, Purple	~Tuxedo ~Creative Black Tie: Black shirt or collarless white shirt. Layer with vest  or cummerbund	~Formal floor length grown ~Jewel Tones: Emerald green, Ruby Red Layer with shawl ~Beaded accessories

I loves a good peplum!!

Thanks Faith! As soon as I saw this dress I fell in love with the print. It was a little long and a little large, but those were quick fixes. The colors and cut of the dress make it an amazing multi-season and, apparently, wedding friendly find! Yay for multi-tasking!!

I did this wedding themed post in honor of our first event, volunteering for the Goodwill/ Easter Seals Bridal Revival on October 15th from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. I'll be there, Faith will be there, you should be there! Find out more details here and email me at K.Mo@thefreshfactorgc.com if you would like to roll with The Fresh Factor crew to volunteer!

So what do ya say? Are you ready to be a factor and get your volunteer on?

Photography courtesy of : K. Diarra Photography.  Click here to check out his work!

Dress: Vintage (from Everyday People) 

Shoes: Aldo

Bracelet: Vintage

Earrings: For Love 21

Would you like your charity/store/designs to be featured? Click here for more information.

Specs Part II - Mixing is Spec-tacular

I told you it was one of my favorite accoutrements (such a fancy word!). I have donned my glasses again and engaged in a little pattern mixing too.

 

There is a lot going on here (zippers, cheetah print, stripes, flowers, sheer) but somehow it works for me. Sometimes it's fun to mix it up a bit.

I'm clearly saying something of vast importance. Don't interrupt. 

I like the way the pattern is understated but still visible under the sheerness of the tank. For some reason the pattern on the tank goes perfectly with the animal print. Don't know why, but why ask why?

I like to mix things up with my wardrobe whether it be patterns, or new and vintage, high and low... Also, I enjoy other good combos, such as warm french fries with ice cream (you gotta try it ya'll) or ramen noodles and a glass of milk (is that weird? It is isn't it.). Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a little randomness.

Please share some of your favorite combos with me. (I'm just hoping someone has a weirder one than me...)


Jacket: H&M
Sheer Top: Heartbreaker
Tank: Heartbreaker
Jeans: Forever 21
Glasses: The Icing
Shoes: Aldo

Specs and Heiruspecs

I had the pleasure of seeing Heiruspecs in concert. They were dope. Super dope even. If you haven't heard their music get on it.

Photo: Bryan P. Joyce

I was in a funky mood so I decided to go with one of my favorite accessories, my hipster specs.

I love good music. Events like this give me extra inspiration to express myself in my style. I was feelin' funky, so I went with it.

Holding up the wall for a moment.

Being surrounded by people who bask in creativity and being in the presence of talented folks is an awesome thing. Good music, good people, recent purchase (skirt)...what more could you ask for?? (I know, I know, you could ask for lots of stuff, it's just an expression smarty-pants...jeeze).

In what ways do you express your creativity?

In this photo I'm: a) amazed; b) terrified; c) awkward - Hint: the answer is always  "C"

Black Tank: Target
Pink Tank: American Apparel bodysuit
Skirt: Boxing Kitten
Shoes: Jessica Simpson
Cuff: F21
Glasses: The Icing
Clutch: Target

Transition Time

Happy Fashion Week and Happy Fashion's Night Out!

As we transition into this magical time, the blog is also transitioning. New name, new look, and soon, new domain. If you are experiencing any difficulty clicking on this and that, please be patient. Everything should be all good in the next couple of days.

Go forth and fashion!

...And by "Need," I mean Want

As I was browsing through some fall fashion, I found a veritable cornucopia of random fantasticalness I need in my life. Maybe you need it, too? Please, enjoy.

What are your must-haves for fall?