Collage Clothing Lounge

Across Patterns and Time

Animal Print Bodysuit - ASOS Tall (Tall bodysuits HERE)/Shoes - Smash Shoes/Pants - Collage Clothing Lounge/All jewelry - Candid ArtPhoto Credit: LaKeela Smith

Animal Print Bodysuit - ASOS Tall (Tall bodysuits HERE)/Shoes - Smash Shoes/Pants - Collage Clothing Lounge/All jewelry - Candid Art

Photo Credit: LaKeela Smith

This outfit is a testament to many things...

1. You don't have to buy something new to rock a new and exciting outfit. These are all pieces I have owned for some time remixed in to a fabulous fit. I can't tell you how many compliments I received. If you want a new look, it's often right there in your closet.

2. Try everything on! I saw these pants at the Collage Clothing Lounge in Oakland and thought what we all think while shopping in stores...there is no way those are gonna be long enough. I tried them on anyway and I am so thankful that I did because there are some of my favorite pants! You just never truly know until you try.

3. Ignore the RULES. If you let some people tell it, mixing patterns is wrong and furthermore tall women shouldn't wear loud colors or patterns because it draws more attention to them. Pish to the posh! SO FAR from the truth. Wear what makes you feel best, Give them something to stare at hunni! Don't let anyone limit your style and how you express it. From neon to patterns, don't let anyone hold your style back because often times they are afraid to express theirs themselves. Society, get away from with all that!

What I wish for you is freedom. Freedom in what you do. Freedom in what you wear. Freedom in what you feel about yourself. You are exceptionally beautiful inside and out and I want you to show the world your strength and self-love in every single way that you can whether it be in your style, walk or words...

Live out your purpose, live in your purpose and freely show the world who you are!

Blue Baby

First of all...my makeup artist Nikki Notarte is a rock star! Not only does she slay my makeup, she also took these killer photos and captured the video that I edited. I mean...talented much!?! As always, thank you my friend.

Now for the juicy stuff...can you believe how amazing this tall crop top is? It's from the TTYAxLTS capsule collection and I love it! It also comes in blue and will go with anything. Lucky for you, it's on sale for $35 right now. I suggest that you cop it immediately.

I paired it with this blue midi skater skirt from Collage Clothing Lounge. You may have seen me wear it with one of our Strength In Numbers Playoff t-shirts. Thus, it's just as versatile as the crop top. It's a midi but I wanted it short so I chose to wear it high-waisted.

I added a yellow clutch because yellow goes great with blue and the black pattern on the clutch just tied everything together.

Now, you know I didn't forget about the shoes. I bought these babies 2 seasons ago and they are one of my favorite pair of heels. Unfortunately they were gone but Smash Shoes has a great option in sizes up to 13. I wore them in tan (size 12) HERE.

Now that you have the deets, I want to hear from you...what do you think about the video? Should I keep doing them with the outfit posts? Please let me know the real deal. Trust me...my tall feelings won't be hurt:-)

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INSIDE OUT

Some women believe the lie that you must wear as little clothing as possible to be sexy...this is so incredibly far from the truth.

Now, there may be those times where a little dress or short shorts are appropriate (you have seen me and will see me wear both on this blog) but you don't have to show skin to be sexy. Showing the silhouette of your figure underneath chic threads can be one of the sexist statements you could make.

Take this fit. Everything is covered and nothing is tight but I will challenge anyone who tells me it's not hot. It's layers, oversized fit and delicate body chain all create a balanced look that is comfy-haute. The trick is to not go too oversized. If the clothing gets too frumpy you will get totally lost in it. You always, in any situation, want to wear the clothes and neva eva eva eva let them wear you.

More importantly YOU supersede any piece of clothing that you can put on. I don't care how amazing the piece is, if you do not feel good...nothing will look good. Stand tall, embrace everything that makes you beautiful and always shine from the inside out.

Black Sand

I don't care how you are dressed or what you are doing, when you see a beautiful beach at sunset, jump out and take some pictures. Without a doubt, that should be one of the rules of life.

Now that we have that settled, look at this tall dress! Not only is it a true midi, it also has long arms and a crazy cut that is very flattering on our long frames. While It is stunning on it's own, I also wear it in a lot of ways. Now, I know what you are thinking, that low back isn't appropriate for all looks Alicia. You are right. It's not by itself. But I have worn this dress to work with a blazer and went super casual with a belted sweater. It's an excellent tall foundation piece.

Now the shoes, you have seen these before but I am pretty enamored with them...we are definitely booed up right now. They are from SMASH Shoes which is a brand of shoes that only makes sizes 10-13. I am super impressed with the brand, have worn the shoes many times and am a bonafide fan. I can't wait to try more options from them.

I finished the look with a tribal inspired red hot clutch with some subtle frosting. With the cut of the dress, your back is a beautiful statement piece so no need to over accessorize.

Back to the whole run out on the beach at sunset thing. Do it. Seriously, do it. Stop staying in the same lane day in and day out. Live a little. Love a lot and thank Him tirelessly.

Easy as 1, 2, 3

My favorite local boutique is the Collage Clothing Lounge.  It has a little bit of everything for everybody.  Occasionally there are even pants long enough for us (I know, shocking).  The other day I picked up an incredible pair of tye die palazzo pants that literally drag on the ground (don't be surprised if you see them in a future post).

On the same trip as the palazzos, I found some super comfy, cropped biker pants. I am all about getting the bang for my buck so I played around with them a little to see what looks I could come up with. It's amazing what you can do with some simple changes.

Let's start with the work look. You want to dress up the pants a bit (because we all don't have casual Friday's) so I opted for a collared shirt.  I went sleeveless because it's summertime but any collared shirt will do.  The key to this look is selecting a top that is long so that it's office appropriate.  Put on a belt to polish everything up, slip on some nude heels, grab a bag and you are ready for your 9 to 5. Frosting tip: you can keep your accessories simple when wearing a bright color.

SHIRT/BELT/PANTS - Collage Clothing Lounge. SHOES - Vince Camuto (size 12). BAG - Windsor Store. RING - H&M.

Now for the laid-back, nerd alert, daytime look. Again, I used a pop-of color with the neon Tall is Beautiful shirt by ME (purposeful, shameless plug:). Throw on a cardigan, some glasses (totally optional but I LOVE a pair of fake focals), and some statement flats (a tall girl loves her glitz). Done. Frosting tip: don't be afraid to stack bracelets on your everyday watch. It's like a swatch watch on steroids.

PANTS/CARDIGAN - Collage Clothing Lounge. GLASSES - Target. BRACELETS - Forever 21. WATCH - Windsor Store. SPARKLE FLATS - Payless

Alright. It's time to fierce it up with the 'going out look' (could I be any more boring with the title). Clearly, I am big on the pops of color and absolutely love the back of this top.  Put on some sky highs (i.e. tall heels) and you are good to go. Frosting tip: do it big! There is no need to hold back on the accessories for a night out.

SHIRT/PANTS - Collage Clothing Lounge. EARRINGS/BANGLES - Charlotte Russe. NECKLACE - Forever 21. CLUTCH - Vintage. SHOES - Nine West.

Well, that's my 3-way (for the record, the ONLY kind I will ever participate in). What would you wear with these cropped biker pants? 

Photo credit: Doug-Ho (HkoPhoto)