The Right Style

6 Things You Must Do to #Festival at 30: Made in America Edition

Guys. GUYS. I’ve got to take a minute and keep it real real with you all for a minute.

I went to the Made in America Festival this weekend.  Yes. That’s it. That’s what I wanted to tell you.

Made in America is a festival sponsored by Budweiser and Jay-Z and is in its 4th year, taking over Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway for Labor Day weekend and turning it into an extreme and always epic two-day outdoor musical extravaganza.

I love a good festival (remember the Richmond Jazz Festival in August?) and Made in America is no exception. I’ve danced and sang along to Janelle Monaé and Kanye and Kings of Leon, thrashed around to Danny Brown and Odd Future and swayed to Jill Scott and D’Angelo. But something felt different this year. This year, I felt old.

I’m a young 30– no kids, single, down with the millennial lingo du jour– but I am also, let’s say, at least 5 years older than the average MIA Festival attendee. I’m here to share my wisdom of how to hang with the young ones but still act your age.

  1. Be comfortable.

 

Crop top: H&M or similar. | Overalls: Target or similar | Sneakers: BP by Nordstrom or similar

 

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Richmond Photographer Brings Men of the City Together for A Look at the “Classic Man”

Photographer Connie McGowan knows the power of having a strong network. After transitioning into creative and event photography full-time after years as a nurse, Connie knew that she needed a project that showcased her skills as a creative.

“Men are rarely photographed. They usually hate taking pictures and I wanted to change that. I wanted them to relax from their hard work as providers, showcase their personal style and have some fun!” McGowan says. Thus, the “Classic Men of Richmond” shoot was born.

McGowan put out the call for models via social media. “To identify the men, I posted a promo flier on Facebook in January and then again in June and July. I wanted men of different ages, races, backgrounds, career fields, etc.” She did her homework, researching her potential models and making sure that they fulfilled her vision of the quintessential ‘Classic Man’. McGowan says, “My definition of a classic man has nothing to do with clothes. It has to do with my top 7 non-negotiables: INTEGRITY, confidence, chivalry, humility, creativity, spontaneity and definitely a sense of humor. Without those attributes at the end of the day all you have are thread and useless fabrics.”

The #ClassicManofRVA has integrity, confidence, creativity, & humor. What is your definition? #TheRightStyle

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Kohl’s Does Designer: Milly for DesigNation

Milly for Kohl's DesigNation

Target isn’t the only game in town when it comes to the discount designer collection, though you’d hardly know it if you shop according to media buzz. Discount department store, Kohl’s stays relatively under the radar when it comes to promotion of their specific collabs, a fact that I view as a blessing– it just means MORE FOR ME! Don’t sleep on Kohl’s DesigNation; it has definitely helped make Kohl’s a worth destination.

Kohl’s debuted the Milly for DesigNation capsule collection this spring, making it the sixth designer collaboration under the DesigNation umbrella, that began in 2012 with Narciso Rodriguez. Collabs with Thakoon, Derek Lam and most recently, Elie Tahari, followed.

Take a Look at Kohl’s: Milly for DesigNation

Milly for DesigNation at Kohl's

I love Milly for the vibrant and playful use of color and pattern, and this collection is supposed to transport you to a whimsical day spent lounging in Capri. I stumbled on it quite by accident. I needed a dress for an event I was going to be attending with my family. My mother’s directives were clear: you had better look nice (duh!) and after-work business attire was recommended. As my job requires little more than nice jeans, that meant it was dress up time!

Kerri Estella in Milly for DesigNation at Kohl's

I wanted an outfit that was colorful and sophisticated, playful but not outlandish for an office setting. I kept my makeup vibrant but day-to-night appropriate, pairing a colorful (dusky purples–“Mulberry”, “Chocolate” and “Ballet” Color Impact Shadows— as nudes and Liquid Perfection Eyeliner in Black) but neutral eye with a vibrant lip ( “Magenta” HydraBrillance Lipstick paired with Beauticontrol’s Sheer lip color in the frosty “Electric Purple”).

The vibrant sheath scuba dress has a figure-skimming cut and features a black exposed zipper, giving the sheath a bit of edge.

Milly for DesigNation

Photo: Kohls.com

The event was a huge success. My forever friend, Ronald was in town to be the keynote speaker and inspired the entire audience. Even though I’ve known him since I was six and THOUGHT I knew his story, listening to him inspired a new direction for me too…I’ll be revealing more about that soon!

He and I had a blast exploring the location, a place that is near and dear to our hearts. What is now the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center at Hull used to be Clover Hill High School– our good old neighborhood high school got one hell of a makeover! We had a bit of an extended photoshoot and Ron’s skills with the iPhone caught me and this dress in perfect, playful action.

A photo posted by Ron Forbes (@ronforbes) on


Are you a fan of designer collaborations? What is your favorite collab and what are you looking forward to in the future? Are you planning on shopping Milly for DesigNation?

Met Gala 2015: Skin is In?

On Monday, the fashion, music and Hollywood elite, got together and threw themselves a little party. The Met Gala, as this little soiree is known, is referred to as “The Oscars of Fashion” and is the annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. If you’ve ever wanted to get a teensy bit outrageous with your sartorial choices, damnit, this is the night to do it! And this year, three of today’s biggest celebs decided that they were going to basically wear the outfit they were born in– their birthday suit. Skin was ALL THE WAY in at the 2015 Met Gala.

On Mondays, we go naked. Met Gala: Skin is in?

Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé Knowles, and Kim Kardashian at the 2015 Met Gala.

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Did You Go Lilly for Target CRAZY?

Let's get #LillyCrazy!

Lilly-mania has come and gone. Well, it kind of had to; the widely-anticipated Lilly Pulitzer collaboration with Target sold out in mere MINUTES. Target has set a high standard with their previous designer collaborations: I started paying attention during the Isaac Mizrahi for Target years (one of my favorite dresses of all time is from this line, a line that shuttered in 2008!) and since, I have snagged amazing pieces from Missoni, the CFDA/Neiman Marcus collection, Thakoon and Proenza Schouler.

But Lilly. Oh, that Lilly Pulitzer! The furor! The (hilarious) outrage! Lilly Pulitzer, the late design queen of Palm Beach ladies who lunch, found her way into arms and shopping carts of women everywhere Sunday morning. Or at least, she was supposed to. The eagerly anticipated collection appeared online, had the Target site going kablooey by 3am and was entirely gone by 10am. 

This was the scene in good old Richmond, VA:

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