She Rocked It: Leather Trend

Happy Monday Fashionistas! We hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving. We certainly did. What did you wear? We'd love for you to share it by emailing thegatheredlady@gmail.com or tagging us on Instagram @ TheGatheredLady.

As for today, I'll share a personal style victory- Rocking Leather. I've always loved leather for it's expensive appeal and ability to be hard and feminine at the same time. Sometimes it can be hot and bulky, but because of the flood of leather designs, I was able to take a classic skater-cut leather skirt and make it chic and classy.  I accessorized with a leather hand-clutch purse and a vintage white blouse. Do you like? Then show me how you can rock it too!

Leather Trend from Fall 2013 Runway

Fashionista Feature: Queen Aftan

Happy Friday fashionistas! It is our pleasure to feature none other but our Atlanta fashion affiliate, the illustrious Queen Aftan for your fashion inspiration. Aftan is 27 year old self-described "southern girl" born and raised in New Orleans and currently located in Atlanta Georgia. A truly accomplished renaissance woman, we love Queen Aftan not only for her bold, versatile, and fashion forward style, but also her faith, service, talent, and entrepreneurship. 

But aren't you wondering how she got the "Queen" title attached to her name? Aftan founded Music Uniting Sisters Initiating Courage, Character and Care (M.U.S.I.C.).  This program came about after she was bit by the “pageant bug” in 2002. The pageants she competed in all had a set platform and focus but none of them affected her in her personal life. She had always noticed young ladies carrying themselves as less than a queen with low self-esteem, and she was determined to fix that problem. She teaches and encourages young ladies to be queens at all times, think as queens, to call themselves queens and require the same of others. The company is now known as I AM A QUEEN ROYALTY PRODUCTIONS, LLC. Aftan, of course has a collection of crowns... don't you love it? 

The good news is we can all be queens! And even better, ATL fashionistas can support her empowering and uplifting mentoring events for young ladies like the "All Hail the Queens" event this Saturday. Invite a young girl you know and make an impact. But just before you do that, let the fashion stylings of Queen Aftan make an impact on your wardrobe! 

 

1. Describe your fashion style in 5 words. Big, Fun, Vintage, Glam, Royal

2. Who are your favorite style icons? Tika Sumpter, Kerry Washington, Jessica Biel, Emma Stone and Jennifer Lopez

3. Finish this sentence: I can’t help but buy more _Betsey Johnson Anything_ for my _Collection_.

4. Surprise! Impromptu interview with interview for Essence Magazine in 2 hours! What do you wear?  A bad shoe accompanied by a hot pink waist accentuating dress, chunky jewelry, an understated clutch and crown brooches at my chest.

5. Favorite stores to supply your fashion habit? H&M, Marshall's, Ross, TJ Maxx and many thrift stores.

6. Best fashion advice you live by? "A bad shoe can make any outfit"

7. Worst fashion mistake you ever made Wrong undies :(
8. Secret fashion look you wish you could pull off? A sheer sided dress! Might be too much for the people to handle lol!
9. What traits make up a gathered lady to you? A "gathered lady" is poised, well put together, understands who she is, knows her worth and presents classic beauty at its height. Which do you have? I humbly yet confidently believe I have a sprinkle of them all! :)
10. Favorite childhood fashion item you were obsessed with? I loved all of my mother's shoes even when I wasn't allowed to wear heels and I couldn't fit them.

Love what you see? Know someone else perfect for a fashionista feature? Great! Email or facebook us and let us know about it. If we like what we see, we'll share! 

Fashionista Feature: Gathered Lady Danni!

Today, for your reading pleasure, senior contributing writer Danni spills and answers 21 questions!

1. Name/Age/City? Danni. 30s are the new 20s and that’s all I have to say about it. New Orleans, Dirty South represent.

2. Describe your fashion style in 5 words. Bohemian, cultured, edgy, fresh, colorful!

3. Who are your favorite style icons? Janelle Monae, Jill Scott, Gwen Stefani, Michelle Obama, Jennifer Hudson

4. Finish this sentence: I can’t help but buy more shoes for no reason whatsoever.

5. Surprise! Interview being featured on Ellen in 2 hours! What do you wear? Polo Ralph Lauren floral ruffled silk dress, white swing jacket, Sam Edelman gold t-strap stilettos and gold accessories.    

6. Most expensive item in your closet? My wedding dress! Closely followed by my Spanish handmade eel skin black boots.

7. If a natural disaster wipes away your entire closet except for 3 pieces, what would you save? I’d save a relative the stress and voluntarily commit myself, seeing as I’ve already been through this! I’d save my Michelle Obama Vogue Cover clutch, my pink glitter Ivanka Trump heels, my indigo leopard Carlos Santana heels.

8. Favorite stores to supply your fashion habit? TJ Maxx, Buffalo Exchange, Macy’s, Eloquii, Goodwill, Asos, Voluptuous Vixen, Forever 21, Dirt Cheap, Hudson’s Treasure Hunt, Target.

9. Best fashion advice you live by: Do not buy anything that does not make you look and feel fabulous at the time you try it on! Bonus: Shop all the time. That way, you can cherry-pick amazing items and build a wardrobe, while cleverly avoiding shoppers panic when you need an outfit for a special occasion. You will also avoid spending too much on clothes at one time.

10. Worst fashion mistake you ever made? Oh there were so many! The worst was probably: overalls. An unfortunate pot-belly creating lapse in judgement that occurred over and over in high school/college. With one strap fastened I might add. Farmersonly.com poster girl!

11. Favorite childhood fashion item: Pink nikes! I was Cheetah of the Thundercats! Zoom zoom!

12. Secret fashion look you wish you could pull off: Babydoll dresses. They morph on me to a feedsack-tent-fatty-bib-thing. It’s supernatural.

13. Fill in the blank: If I were small chested, then I would wear tops and dresses with shelf bras.

14. What traits make up a gathered lady to you? Which do you have? Gathered ladies are empowered women with a defined identity, unapologetically aware of themselves, protective of themselves and their rights and choices, and fearlessly making decisions in pursuit of their goals. Whatever gathered women do or try, they go hard. They also play hard, love to learn, and love to share their experiences and interests with others. Lastly, gathered women have a lot of respect for themselves and whatever fashion they choose, all of these values are apparent. Many women, including myself, have all of these traits.

15. Favorite asset to accentuate? How? I am an *ahem* generous hourglass, and I love to wear anything that defines my shape while showing my “amazing” (I hear this all the time) legs! This means that I am the queen of foundation garments, belts, and other waist-defining and fat-roll-control techniques. Need to put a 187 on some dimples? Holla at your girl. 

16. How do you dress your body concerns? I make sure to cover that cleavage. Boobs as big as mine are always on display. I own a lot of foundation garments in different styles, configurations, and levels of control to pair with different outfits. I also try NEVER to lose my waist in an outfit, or wear billowy, long things with busy patterns. That way lies MADNESS!

17. Best fashion steal you snagged? Donna Rico bubble cocktail dress for 6$... also I have been given some amazing fashion items from a high fashion friend of mine with the same shoe size-- eel-skin Spanish boats, Donald Pliner boots.

18. Which celebrity closet would you love to raid? Jennifer Hudson!! Raiding her closet would make me feel goooooooood! *sings Nina Simone*

19. Lazy day- what are you wearing? Maxi dress and sandals all day... 

20. Fashion trend you want to go away? I’m going to need the leggings as pants trend to end IMMEDIATELY. The 0.4% of the population that could pull it off aren’t even the offenders. Let’s display those lady lumps with some style, please.

21. How has your culture influenced your fashion style? I’m New Orleans born and bred, but I’ve also travelled the world and lived and worked internationally. I love to incorporate patterns and colors from the cultures I’ve experienced. I’m also a Southern girl, so I set great store by dressing up for occasions--church, formals, cultural events, high tea... name it, and I’ve got an outfit for it. 

Fashionista Feature: Gathered Lady Charity

Today, we're continuing our interviews with The Gathered Lady staff with 21 questions for our lead editor Charity! 

1. Name/Age/City? Charity Scott. 25. New York City.

2. Describe your fashion style in 5 words. Classic, adventurous, self-possessed, confident, easy.

3. Who are your favorite style icons? Audrey Hepburn, Solange Knowles, Eartha Kitt, Diana Ross, Halle Berry and my mom!

4. Finish this sentence: I can’t help but buy more shoes, shoes and, uh, shoes for my closet.

5. Surprise! Impromptu papparazzi photo bomb in 2 hours! What do you wear? My snug multi-colored Ali Ro dress, L.A.M.B. over-the-knee boots and a really big bracelet. Maybe a blazer.

6. Most expensive item in your closet? Not exactly sure, but I think it’s my Feraud evening gown.

7. If a natural disaster wipes away your entire closet except for 3 pieces, what would you save? My brown suede Prada wedges, my cowboy boots and my Michael Kors animal print trench.

8. Favorite stores to supply your fashion habit? Off 5th, TJ Maxx, J. Crew, thrift stores.

9. Best fashion advice you live by: Dress the body you have, not the body you want. Bonus: Never leave the house without mascara!

10. Worst fashion mistake you ever made: Probably this bubblegum pink dress I bought in college… I only wore it once and thank God there are no pictures.

11. Favorite childhood fashion item: When I was a little girl I loved hats. Brightly-colored brimmed hats tilted slightly to one side. I wore them on Sundays with cream anklets and satin gloves I couldn’t keep clean. I still love a good hat, and am currently shopping for a pair of leather opera-length gloves to go with my favorite suit.

12. Secret fashion look you wish you could pull off: High-waisted pants. Love ‘em… too much booty for ‘em.

13. Fill in the blank: If I were a man, I would wear carefully tailored single-breasted suits and handmade oxfords.

14. What traits make up a gathered lady to you? Which do you have? Generally, I think it’s all about balancing confidence with realism. In fashion, that means knowing how to take a chance and try something new, but also having a clear idea of which silhouettes and trends work for you. In both fashion and life, some days I do better than others, but I usually feel like I have a pretty good handle on things. It’s a constant effort to continue to grow as a person, to work to reach the next goal, to try to learn something new, to find my next favorite pair of shoes. As long as I keep moving forward, I can be happy with where I am.

15. Favorite asset to accentuate? How? My curves. I have an hourglass figure, so I like to emphasize it (and give it structure) with blazers. I push the sleeves up so I don’t look too done.

16. How do you dress your body concerns? Lately, my arms have been bugging me, so I’ve been favoring flowing tops as well as oversized sweaters and blouses. These work best when they show off a little skin around the neckline. I pair them with skinny jeans, feminine, but understated jewelry and sky-high, chunky heels. They can also be belted or layered, so it’s a pretty versatile look.

17. Best fashion steal you snagged: I got my Prada wedges for $100… 90% off!

18. Which celebrity closet would you love to raid? I don’t know if we wear the same size, but I would love to get my hands on Rihanna’s shoes.

19. Lazy day--what are you wearing? My black, fitted maxi, a chunky sweater and cowboy boots. Or an oversized off-shoulder shirt, skinny jeans and cowboy boots. Basically whatever’s clean and my cowboy boots.

20. Fashion trend you want to go away. Are glassless glasses still a thing? If so, it needs to stop. Even if the glasses aren’t functional, they should pretend to be.

21. How has your culture influenced your style? Early on, my love of fashion made me seek out magazines and books on the subject, which had a direct influence on my personal style. Other things--such as growing up in the church, travelling, following hip-hop, living in New York City--have had a less straight-forward, but still important role in how my sense of fashion has evolved. We're constantly consuming and processing information, so it's inevitable that external forces will have an impact on everything from our political opinions to our personal tastes. It's all about putting a unique twist on all of the things that inspire you.

Fashionista Feature: Gathered Lady Bree!

First things first! We sat down and interviewed our very own Gathered Lady staff to share their fashion lives. Check out our 21 questions for founder and co-owner Bree Jenkins! 

1. Name/Age/City? Bree. 25 on repeat. From New Orleans. Living in Los Angeles.
2. Describe your fashion style in 5 words? Feminine, trendy, vintage, flirty, colorful, sophisticated-- I know that’s 6!
3. Who are your favorite style icons? Coco Chanel, Solange Knowles, Kelis, Audrey Hepburn, Gwen Stefani, Victoria Beckham, Khloe Kardashian, Rihanna, my bff, cousin, a few aunts, mom and sister.
4. Finish this sentence. I can’t help but buy more gold accessories for my jewelry menagerie
5. Surprise! Impromptu interview with Vogue in 2 hours! What do you wear? Black leather pencil skirt, cream and sheer blouse, floral blazer, D&G strappy heels, and gold accessories
6. Most expensive item in your closet? MK leather purse or vintage black and gold sequin jacket
7. If a natural disaster wipes away your entire closet except for 3 pieces, what would you save? Good Lord- Provided I can save some accesories first: vintage black and gold jacket, "cats in pajamas" comfy pj shirt (sentimental value- it's been through hurricanes, cross country moves, break-ups, and sick days), vintage catsuit
8. Favorite stores to supply your fashion habit? Loehmann's, Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Runway Boutique, Goodwill (select cities), H&M, Forever 21, Buffalo Exchange, ASOS, Nasty Gal, Fashion Q, CrossRoads, Fashion District in LA, Ross, Marshalls, JCPenny, Target, and RichBitch
9. Best fashion advice you live by? Don’t work with it if it won’t work with you.
10. Worst fashion mistake you ever made? White/grey snakeskin pants with matching blazer in high school. Soooo ostentatious and ridiculous. I was doing the most.  *cringes*
11. Favorite childhood fashion item? Mardi Gras beads to make tons of pretend necklaces and jewels.
12. Secret fashion look you wish you could pull off? Crop top shirts with low rise jeans. I don’t have  it like that.
13. Fill in the blank. If I were small chested, then I would wear NO BRA MOST DAYS!
14. What traits make up a gathered lady to you? Which do you have?  Gathered ladies are stylish, sophisticated, like nice things, fun, intelligent, successful, down to earth, cultured, and classy. I’m a work in progress, but I have traction with most of those qualities, so I’m going to cop to being a gathered lady. I think everything you wear should be tasteful. It can be funky, trendy, masculine, sexy, sultry, cutesy, or any other fashion style, but it should always ring of taste!
15. Favorite asset to accentuate? How? I love to make my curves pop. Good undergarments, forgiving fabrics, good fit, colors, and cut help for an expensive look. Also, I love things that are right on the border of “too-short, but she has fierce legs, so it’s all good!”
16. How do you dress your body concerns? An eagle eye for detail. I don’t buy anything that doesn’t work with my body to make it look good. That’s the first and best line of defense. Why have a bunch of stuff in your closet that makes you work to wear it, when you should wear it because it WORKS!
17. Best fashion steal you snagged? High fashion waist belts- 3 for 75cents. Yes, you read that correct... it’s this place Down South. No ambiance, but CRAZY hit or miss finds. And you can get a major hit.
18. Which celebrity closet would you love to raid? Any of the Kardashians. Beyonce or Solange. Gwen Stefani
19. Lazy day- what are you wearing? Stretchy striped cotton/lycra dress with tights and riding boots, messy high bun, and gold hoops.
20. Fashion trend you want to go away? I wish all things Nikki Minaj fashion-inspired would die a fast brutal death. She looks kray.
21. How has your culture influenced your style? I’m a city girl at heart, so I like a little flashiness with my clothes. My black girl culture loves color &  big earrings. My family is full of women with multiple closets, so fashion is in my blood!

 

Stay tuned for posts on our other Gathered Lady staff Charity and Danni!