Making a Crop Top Work For You: How I Conquered My Fear of Belly Exposure

Every woman has insecurities about their bodies, and mine is and always will be my mid-section.  No matter how hard I work out or how many diets I do, I just can't seem to find that happy medium for my belly. (See my Eat Clean Challenge post for more deets on how despite my insecurities, I slimmed my mid-section down) So lately, the crop top trend has made a fierce comeback and they are being spotted everywhere. I would always see them on everybody and think, "That looks cute for them...but not for me."

Standing with my girl Mindy Loll, top luxury consignment seller for Ebay (left) / Photography by Crystal Chatmon

So fancy this...I'm in H&M browsing and I spot this really cute and flowy crop top in white.  My brain starts to go 90 miles a minute on how to style it. So I pick up a pair of high-waisted shorts and head to the fitting room to see how this "trend" would fare on my taller frame and wider mid-section area. The high-waisted look was definitely key. It covered just enough of my belly to keep my most secure lower belly covered but revealed just enough to make the trend work for me. It was sexy and classy all in one...not revealing too much.

Photography by Crystal Chatmon

The next night, I head out to the Ese Azenabor fashion show with some of Dallas' most stylish...and I decide to try the darn thing out.  I ended up pairing it with my striped Limited high-waisted skirt and pops of coral with my necklace by Stella and Dot. It was a hit!  I received so many compliments.  Now I'm rummaging through my closet to find more high-waisted shorts, pants, etc. so that I can wear it again. (Check out my write-up of the Ese Azenabor fashion show here...amazing!)  

Me and Dallas media personality, Vanna Collins / Photography by Crystal Chatmon

All that being said...take a risk!  You may find yourself thoroughly surprised.  Make the trend work for you! For most of us, all we will need to do is pair the crop top with a high-waisted bottom...and for those who have bodies like Jillian Michaels...well, you can definitely sport a low-waisted bottom and expose the entire mid-section. Not me!  All that to say, I've conquered the crop top...I wonder what I can conquer next...the body con dress????  Hmmm......

Mindy Loll and I

Color Collision: Latino Fashion Week at Sisu Uptown Resort

I was honored to be attending and covering Latino Fashion Week on May 1, 2014 at Sisu Uptown Resort in Dallas. So what do you wear to an event that is outdoors, coined "fashion week" and surrounded by a swank and posh pool?  Well here's what I came up with.  I wanted to be colorful, vibrant and cool. I engaged in a little peek a boo action with my bra peeking through my sheer blouse--but all is fair in love and fashion right? Fashion is fun, fearless and all about taking risks. I topped my look off with this colorful and flirty bauble necklace by Prima Donna and I was just one big explosion of color--but they all ended up complimenting each other nicely.  I recommend trying these types of blends out if you tend to be timid with colors...you might just surprise yourself.

Studded Blouse: Daniel Rainn - Nordstrom Rack, Belt - The Limited (old), Floral Cream Skirt - The Limited, Peep Toe Pumps - Fergie Footwear from DSW, Bauble Necklace by Prima Donna, Earrings by Shop Jami / Photo Credit: Thomas Garza Photography

A closer look at my Prima Donna bauble necklace! / Photo Credit: Thomas Garza Photography

Left: Cesar Rolon, Co-Founder of Latino Fashion Week and me / Photo Credit: Thomas Garza Photography

Not So Nautical

The trend right now for spring and summer is everything nautical. From navy colors to stripes, I'm seeing tons of nautical-inspired fashions everywhere. Last week, I bought two skirts from The Limited which currently has a huge selection of blouses, skirts and dresses that flow well with the nautical trend. My outfit below started out nautical with my skirt but then I paired it with my cognac colored Via Spiga sandals and cognac belt and then it veered off into a completely different direction. Add in my mustard Brahmin bag and I'm everything but a nautical inspiration.  Oops!  Guess I'll just have to give the nautical look another try, another day.  But for now...I got a TON of compliments on my outfit and especially on my gladiator sandals...so I guess it was a hit after all!

My nautical meets gladiator look: Flower Necklace by Stella & Dot, striped tank from Nordstrom Rack, striped skirt from The Limited, belt from Nordstrom, gladiator sandals by Via Spiga, mustard shoulder bag by Brahmin

Fashion for Compassion - Love Thy Neighbor

Several days ago, I attended my first Muslim fashion show.  The title was called "Fashion for Compassion" and it was geared towards fashions for the modest and conservative woman.  As I got ready for this event, I ignorantly thought that this was going to be like all Dallas fashion events so I got dressed to the nines in high-waisted shorts from Urban Outfitters, a low v-necked blouse by The Limited and studded ankle-strapped heels from Nine West.  Little did I know, one of my many life lessons was lying ahead of me.

Medina Bib Necklace - Stella & Dot, V-Necked Black Blouse - The Limited, Polka Dot Pleated High Waisted Shorts - Urban Outfitters

Studded Ankle-Strapped Heels - Nine West

Upon arrival to the event, I exited my car and entered the event only to be one of the few with excess skin exposed.  Most women were adorned in embellished tunics and floor-length dresses with their heads covered by some of the most beautiful scarves I've ever seen.  Quickly my idea of what was "dressed to the nines" or what was "beautiful" began to change.

I have NEVER committed a fashion violation, as I always adhere to the recommended attire for the event so this was the first time that I needed to be apprehended by the fashion police.  Could it be that I was too self-absorbed to have actually thought that I would have needed to be more modest for this event?  Could it have been that I was too vain to think that at a Muslim fashion event there would still be American-influenced fashion principles, where at times the less clothes you wear the more beautiful or accepted we are?  In that moment, feeling embarrassed was an understatement.  I'm a fashion writer for SEVERAL publications, so committing a fashion violation is not something that I do...but in that moment I was forced to reflect.

Fashion for Compassion, Dallas Contemporary 6/1/2013; Photo Credit: Leah Frazier

Fashion for Compassion, Dallas Contemporary 6/1/2013; Photo Credit: Leah Frazier

As I watched the fashions come down the runway, I was moved to tears.  These women were the epitome of elegance and beauty.  They were confident, vibrant and shining from the inside out.  I wanted to be that woman.  How is it that they were covered from head to toe but some of the most beautiful women that I have ever seen?  They were being seen without being seen (if that makes since.) This is entirely backwards from everything that has been ingrained in my head for all of these years.

Fashion for Compassion taught me above all, compassion and respect for other cultures; that the old saying "Less is More" is so true.  These women were stunning--only showing the outlines of their faces and leaving much to be desired; but this in itself made them goddesses and some of the most gorgeous women I have encountered.

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous... ~1 Peter 3:8

This event started out as just another fashion event that I was covering but literally within hours changed my perception of beauty and what it meant to love my fellow sisters as we all look to achieve the same goals and aspirations for ourselves.  It taught me to step outside of myself, my culture, my spirituality and my lifestyle to embrace others and their quest for self-expression.  Now more than ever, the phrase "Love they neighbor" has taken on a whole new meaning and as I progress through life in this world of fashion and dating, I can rest easy knowing that modesty and conservative approaches with style can speak louder volumes than anything I could have ever imagined.