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:

The things Southern girls do for @LillyPulitzer#LillyforTarget pic.twitter.com/PDA3ODCTWg

— michelle christine (@michelleox) April 19, 2015

If I had to hazard a guess, that’s the location on Staples Mill. (I recognize the parking lot. Don’t judge me.)  Richmond is exactly the type of city I would expect would go mad for Lilly and leave me with a fairly robust selection of Altuzarra, (Holla if you hear me clearance section!) but I didn’t expect my Lilly loving ladies to go QUITE this hard.

I can’t front. I DO NOT GET IT. I’m not a great Lilly Pulitzer fan myself but I don’t appreciate being robbed of my ability to get this (y’all know I’m a sucker for a jumpsuit!):

Did you go Lilly crazy? Did you try but get punked instead? Do you just NOT GET IT? Let me know in the comments!

The post Did You Go Lilly for Target CRAZY? appeared first on The Right Style.

I so rarely remember to take photos of my outfits, so I’m treating you a ‘lil bit, showing you what I look like without a sweater and a beanie.

Crop tops never went out of style for me; my stomach has been hanging out freely since 1985. I grabbed this one in two colors from H&M last summer. I paired the short shirt with a knit sweater vest (I’ve worn it death for years!) and one of my favorite pairs of jeans. The jeans are also an old school classic with an equally old school label. They’re FUBU. [insert laugh track here] They harken back to the days when most denim seemed to be not quite that and have more structure than most “true” denim. They are stretchy and have a perfect medium rise and I bought them two sizes too big and ended up with a perfectly hip slung, elegant, boyfriend jean. I bought them sometime in college, probably around 2004. I couldn’t find the jeans I wanted, so I made them. I spent most of this day sitting so I could finally find the justification to teeter around in these beautiful, blush suede pumps from Zara.

The outfit was really second fiddle to my other production that day…my return to YouTube! This first video is worth the watch:

What is your favorite part of Spring? Are you as over being cold as I am?

The post Spring is Here, and Spring Style has Sprung! appeared first on The Right Style.

I saw her business and her success and KNEW that I could never do that. So, for years, I ignored it. I use the products and have pretty great skin as a result, but when people asked me the inevitable question, “What do you use?” I would tell them Beauticontrol and REFER THEM TO MY MOTHER.

I was sabotaging my chances to consider even being a success because I crossed the possibility off the list.  I was terrified that if I actually opened my mouth and told people what I did they would throw eggs at me and push me off a street corner. I was living in a state of constant fear of success.

A wild, out-of-control fear of success held me back. What’s stopping you from living your dreams?
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Three years ago, almost exactly actually, I had a brainstorm. I have always loved to write but had only applied the skill to journalling or A+ papers. I would start a blog about my business!

When people asked me what I used on my face, I would say “Beauticontrol” and then send them to my blog and they’d be so inspired that lightning would strike and they would buy my stuff! I bought the domain TheRightStyle.com, wrote some stuff and prepared for insta-magic.

Needless to say, that didn’t happen. I abandoned the blog for a while and slunk back into my old habits and updated my blog only when I sorta had something to say. But everything changed July of last year. I went to my first ever Beauticontrol national conference. Eleven years after I started my “business”, I found my spark. (Eleven. Over a decade. Oy.)

I went right back to The Right Style. I rebranded the business. I developed a mission statement. I actually TOLD people what I did. I started to write with confidence and use that design degree I spent so much money on.

The Right Style and Beauticontrol have helped me find my voice and helped me reconnect with old friends. I’ve helped women start their own businesses and coach a team of women who have become like a second family. I have monetized my blog and discovered amazing resources. (I’m talking about you, Regina.) And recently, because of this blog, I have gotten my very first job as a writer.

My mom is still doing her business, is still beautiful, is an amazing leader and is still killing it on a regular. But I don’t compare myself, anymore. The Right Style helped to show me that there’s another pathway to success– and that’s all me.

What’s holding you back from your dreams? Do you have a fear of success too? What are you going to do to make a change?

The post How Fear of Success Almost Stopped Me Cold appeared first on The Right Style.

1. The Honorees
2. The Music
3. The Fashion
4. The Sisterhood
5. The Message

The Honorees.

First of all, take a look at these categories, y’all! Star Power. Rock Star. Shot Caller. Living Legend. Social Humanitarian. Change Agent. There’s nothing to be scared of when people call you these kinds of names.

• Star Power award winner, Jada Pinkett-Smith quoted her, “Afro-Futurist” daughter, Willow and addressed that Deadline article.
• Shot Caller Ava Duvernay talked about the “light, camera, action” that she uses to govern her own life and saluted the beautiful black woman filmmakers that came before.
• Dr. Helene D. Gayle accepted her Social Humanitarian award with flawless grace and shared words from her mother that sound strangely familiar: “You have a good brain and a big mouth, now use them.“
• Principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, Nadia Lopez, was shot to well-deserved fame after my favorite Humans Of New York kid, Vidal, called her his biggest influence. Now a little over two months have passed and the kids of Brownsville’s Mott Hall Bridges are going to Harvard and Principal Lopez is on stage accepting the award most fitting for a Change Agent like her.
• Cicely Tyson is a Living Legend. But we already knew that.
• Erykah Badu, my soul sister, is a Rock Star. I was all here for her speech and digging her deep groove as she wove “Master Teacher” and “Soldier”. Check this right here.

The Music.

And that brings me to the music. Nothing touched this medley by Lalah Hathaway, Faith Evans and Fantasia.

The Fashion.

The following images are entitled: “YAAAASSSS!”, “Werk.”, and “Killin’ ‘Em!”

The Sisterhood

We live in a world with too much Love and Hip and Real Housewives of Atlanta and not enough of alla that. Seeing beautiful sisters including the First Lady of the United States (!) on that stage celebrating each other and celebrating all of us in our uniqueness moved me in a way that I have not been moved in a long time. Seriously, this was me last night:

So… I just spontaneously started crying when Michelle Obama started to speak. That’s power. That’s why #BlackGirlsRock.

— KerriEstellaGrinnage (@kerriestella) April 6, 2015

The Message

Black Girls Rock is more than just an awards show, it’s a movement. Black Girls Rock is a no-profit dedicated to the development of young Black women, teaching them to serve, to be leaders and innovators. By expanding a young woman’s worldview today, the organization is making sure that we have strong Black women to lead us into the future. And that, my friends, is why Black Girls Rock will rock the world…today and hopefully, forever.

The post 5 Reasons Why Black Girls Rock Rocks the World appeared first on The Right Style.

Marie says this about herself:

I often say if Tony Robbins, Richard Branson, Oprah and Jay-Z had a love child, it would be me. That’s because I’m part business strategist, part marketing maven and part spiritual ass-kicker with a side of hip-hop swagger.

Though Tony Robbins is NOT my jam, I am a huge fan of Virgin, Lady O, and Beyoncé’s husband. (I am the child of a Robbins-enthusiast, and his voice gives me flashbacks to hours of audiobooks and being admonished to “release the giant within”. I was 8, Kyle. Let me live.) But Marie calling herself the love child of these three seems so very right on. She has the vision and humor and sense of purpose that I admire, and I have gotten so much from just hearing OTHER PEOPLE talk about her. I got into Marie a little over a month ago, just as she was ramping up the enrollment process to her famous B-School.

Haven’t heard of B-School? What? WHAT?! What exactly are you doing with yourself?! Please read up here. I’ll wait. :: Cue “Jeopardy” music:: B-School is an eight-week online video-based training program for entrepreneurs who are motivated to take their business to the holy grail of levels– the next one. I got wind of the B-School buzz through my favorite bloggers network, Bloggers Like Me. When I say the ladies were going wild, I mean it. Those who had previously attended were urging the rest of us to scrape together our pennies and get on the bus. Those of us who hadn’t attended before worked themselves up into a lather, trying to scheme our way into Marie’s world.

B-School wasn’t feasible for me this year, but Marie’s weekly web series, Marie TV is my jam. She speaks from her heart and in this latest episode speaks to how a leader can speak to their team’s hearts, as well.

Take the 5 Love Languages quiz and figure out how you can integrate them into your life. I value “Quality Time” and “Words of Affirmation” which might very well be why this post is so damn long. Marie Forleo and her webseries, MarieTV is my TRS Pick of the week.

The post TRS Pick: MarieTV appeared first on The Right Style.

I got a particularly epic product haul this week. I’m talking I placed an order for a little over 150 dollars retail–8 products–and I got 7 products F.R.E.E. Yes, girl!

Oooooooh. Preeettttty.

So, this is what I ordered:

1. Skinlogics Foot Creme, On Sale!, $14.50
2. New! Smoky Eye Pallete, $25.00 (I snagged two)
3. Skinlogics Clear Purifying Scrub, $20.00 (See that slick rebranding?)
4. Skinlogics Clear Deep Cleansing Gel, $22.00
5. BC Color Nail Treatment, On Sale!, $9.90
6. BC Color Top Coat, On Sale!, $9.90
7. BC Color Nail Lacquer, $9.00

And I got alla this for FREE MONEY:

1. BC Color Eye Perfecting Pencil, Regularly $14.00, free with Smoky Eye Pallette (so I got two!)
2. Mini Resurface Spa Microderm Apeel, Bonus with $75 order
3. BC Color Translucent Powder, Regularly $35.00, Bonus with $150 through February 17th!
4. Large Powder Brush, Regularly $12.00, Bonus with $150 through February 17th!
5. Nutri-Rich Moisturizing Body Satin, Regularly $34.00, Bonus because I’m awesome. Seriously, it just appeared in my cart.
6. White Pearl Cosmetics Bag, Free with purchase of any two Skinlogics Clear products!

So for my BeautiControlling ladies, I highly suggest that you get your butts to ordering. It’s February and you freaking deserve it. If you want to know more, you know what to do. Hit me up in the comments!

What’s your best “smart shopping” experience?

The post February BeautiControl Product Haul! appeared first on The Right Style.

The elements that made Bruno’s outfit retro and hilarious could easily be translated into a sophisticated but eclectic workday style.

The result:

Armani Jeans white sleeveless blouse, $230 / Emilio Pucci one button blazer / STELLA McCARTNEY slacks pants / Ted Baker patent shoes / Yellow gold jewelry / McQ by Alexander McQueen print scarve / Rag bone white crown / Gucci eyewear

 

Trading the baggy undershirt for a sleek sheath, the shapeless salmon blazer for a structured magenta jacket, and the multiple gold chains for a layered gold necklace takes the look from masculine to undeniably feminine. Though I cannot guarantee your job security if you try to sport that scarf underneath your fedora, let me know if you try it. I love a good laugh.

Go get your hair done and get ready for the freakin’ weekend!

 

Take me home, Bruno! Get “Uptown Special” available on iTunes.

 

 

The post Let Bruno Mars Uptown Funk Up Your Day Job appeared first on The Right Style.

Obama: “I have no more campaigns to run.”
Republicans: *applause*
All: *laughter*
Obama: “I know because I won both of them.”

But the real star of the night (for me, my mother and my sister, at least) was First Lady Michelle Obama’s fly suit. The grey, nubby suit was perfection on Mrs. Obama and seemed to be made to be worn by a powerful, self assured mother of two— gasp! I had seen that suit before! Michelle was channeling the other First Lady, Alicia Florrick.

Ok. Alicia, played by the luxuriously-browed Julianna Marguiles, is a fictional character. She lives inside of the television and fabulously-armed Michelle is a real person. But I insist that this was a coordinated plan to unify the strongest woman on TV with one of the strongest women in America. Sisters in Style. Michelle and Alicia forever.

Michelle Obama is on her Alicia Florrick tonight — and I am here for it. (cc: @emilynussbaum, @SPBVIP): pic.twitter.com/XL8wsMeBhq

— S. Alexander Smith (@SAlexanderPhD) January 21, 2015

I am in negotiations to have this suit, well the jacket, really, as my very own. You can match me and get the jacket here.*

*Update: It looks like the jacket has sold out in the 20 minutes since I started this post. I am actually crying real tears.

The post Michelle and Alicia: Sisters in SOTU Style appeared first on The Right Style.

I had my reasons for going hard in the paint for Selma.

1. Harpo Films. Oprah executive produces it? I’m there.
2. Common. I’m afraid that if I have to explain this to you, than our relationship may be in trouble.
3. Carmen Ejogo. I don’t have any explanation. I just kind of love her.
4. David Oyelwolo. British accent. Beautiful man.
5. Ava Duvernay. Read this article, dare yourself not to cry and then you will have my explanation.
6. An amazingly compelling and heart-wrenching true story.

The movie could not have come out at a more opportune  time. 2014 brought a lot of pain particularly in the heart of minds of many Black Americans. Violent reactions from those sworn to serve and protect brought upon Black boys and men committing either minor offenses or occasionally, just living their lives, has become an unfortunately commonplace scenario. Revisiting the events of Bloody Sunday at this point in history was, for me, almost too much to bear.

As I’ve talked about before, fashion has always been political in the African-American community, and in Selma, the appearance and dress of the characters played an essential role of conveying not only the times but the sensibilities of the people represented and their ideology.

Costume designer Ruth Carter intentionally dressed Common’s James Bevel in the denim overalls that were generally found worn by the younger and more radical members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She chose to dress this one character in denim in order to pay homage to the history, but not distract from the story.

Coretta Scott King, played by my girl Carmen, was always dressed beautifully, both as a representation of the real Mrs. King’s elegance as well as a representation of many of the Black women of that era, where dress and grooming were of the utmost importance in a world where they, at times, have little control.

Having worked as a costume designer  and being an image consultant myself, the power of costume on stage and screen is not lost on me but after reading the words of designer Ruth Carter, I’m looking forward to re-watching and re-visiting the costumes with my new context. Read Carter’s interview with The Root here.

Have you seen Selma? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Movie Style: Selma appeared first on The Right Style.

I have always wrestled with this. It’s not that I’m not aware of what I’m good at– I’m pretty self-reflective– it’s just that unless explicitly asked, I’m not going to tell you about it. This aversion to tooting my own horn has held me back throughout my life. Seriously, who’s going to tell you how amazing I am if I don’t? (I kid! A little.)

Though I am not trying to take myself to Donna Meagle and Tom Haverford levels (seriously, I can’t believe this is the last season of Parks and Recreation. ), I am taking the time to promote myself and my business and treat my doggone self to success!

Daily Worth is self-described as “the leading financial media company for women.” After stumbling on to the website right before the close of the year, I’m willing to believe them. If you’re not reading Daily Worth every day, then you’re missing out on some truly insightful content.

When I found this amazing article, 6 Steps to Embracing Self-Promotion, I knew it would be wrong to keep it to myself. Here’s the rundown:

1. Change Your Thinking: Gotta get that mind right.
2. Be Yourself: You know what they say about everyone else already being taken.
3. Find the Right Audience: You can say all you want, but it matters not a bit if you’re talking to the wrong folks.
4. Focus on Your Why: When it’s real to you, it will be real to others.
5. Know Your Value: You is smart, you is kind, you is important. KNOW it. OWN it. Don’t let yourself or anyone else steal your shine.
6. Give, Then Ask: Show your heart. Provide value. Then when it’s time to make the sale, you’ll have no problems going for it.

Read the full article now, read the rest of the entire website later.

Hat tip to the Daily Worth for the list.

What are your self-promotion struggles?

The post Embrace Self-Promotion: 6 Easy Steps to Getting Out There appeared first on The Right Style.