What to Wear to your Anniversary Dinner

Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.

I’ve missed you guys and I’ve missed writing on my five-year-old blog. I’m back with a new post, and this one is special because I got to collaborate with my friend Tatiana Vergnaud. She’s the one who took Sidney and my picture for the magazine Jamais le Mardi a few months ago. Tatiana is a gorgeous redhead, she’s always smiling, and more importantly her talent is just I N C R E D I B L E. She chose to do the photoshoot in front of the Historical Courthouse of Lyon, and I felt like a Greek goddess.

Event: Anniversary Dinner with Sidney

Before I get into the fashionable details of this outfit, let me just say that I am so blessed to have Sidney in my life. It’s been two years, and we are still just as smitten as on the first day. To mark this special occasion, Sidney made reservations at this beautiful chic restaurant in Lyon 6e, called Le Théodore. The food was delicious and the environment was cozy. We absolutely loved it.

© Le Théodore

Before the dinner, I was pretty nervous because I had absolutely nothing to wear. I needed something chic, comfortable and sophisticated, so I went straight to Zara.

I tried on a lot of outfits, until I thought to myself, “Wait a minute. The easiest outfit to wear on a fancy date, is a chic jumpsuit!” Twenty minutes later, I was trying on this beautiful number and making my way to the cashier.

If you have nothing to wear, wear a JUMPSUIT ! It’s basically a top and a pair of trousers sewn together, leaving you with a glamorous one piece.

Because the jumpsuit is very chic and minimal on its own, I wanted to add a fun touch to my outfit. So instead of a handbag, I chose to wear a robot box from Zara. Yes a robot box, you read that right. You’ve probably seen it in Garde Robe’s BLACK GIRL MAGIC photoshoot, but I also hijacked it for this event. YOU GUYS ISN’T IT PERFECT?!

Finally, I chose beige sandal heels by Glaze to finish off the look so that the only contrast to my outfit would be my robot box.

 

Also, this is the first time I’ve shown you my full blown afro that I’ve been taking care of for the past four years. Tatiana knew exactly how to capture it, and I’m in awe.

All pictures were taken by Tatiana Vergnaud (on instagram, @tana_vrgnd). Show her some love, because she is absolutely lovely.

Want my look? Check these out!

Jumpsuit: $99.90 at Zara
Robot box: $69.90 at Zara
Heels: $40.00 at Asos
Lipstick: $4.80 (ON SALE RIGHT NOW) – “Mama” at Colourpop

Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by subscribing to Breakfast with the Beatles. Click on the ‘Follow me by Email’ button on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out Garde Robe an international street-style blog by Sidney and me.

Black Girl Magic – SPRING Editorial ’17

Editors’ note: This Spring season Garde Robe has a story to tell. The story of the Black woman’s journey towards emancipation, self-acceptance and liberation. It’s time to celebrate women of color, just as we are. Our curly, kinky or wavy hair we wear as our crown. It’s the symbol of our journey from the moment we cut our damaged ends as we free ourselves from the shackles of society, up to the moment we catch our reflection in the mirror and declare “I am free at last.” Black Girl Magic is our dedication to our mothers, our sisters, our daughters and friends.

Models: Anlia Charifa, Mélissa Mary, Dominique Elenga, Françoise Petulay
Stylism: Sidney Lafrontiere, Zahra Louise-Julie, Fabrice Farnier, Lamine Gueye
Photography: Sidney Lafrontiere & Zahra Louise-Julie
Make-Up: Sofia from ‘So Beauty Institut’
Hair: Zahra Louise-Julie

THERE ARE MANY MORE PHOTOS, click here to see the entire editorial by Garde Robe: Black Girl Magic – SPRING Editorial ’17

© Sidney Lafrontiere & Zahra Louise-Julie 

Vintage Bomber Jacket + Fishnet Tights + Wax Print

Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.

I took a break from studying for my finals to head over to the Annual Vintage Fashion Market (Marché de la Mode Vintage) in Lyon this weekend. For the occasion, there were three things that I really wanted to wear: Sidney’s vintage bomber jacket he got in Camden Town, my fishnet tights from ASOS and my Burkinabè wax print scarf from my mom. I had worn all three separately, but the same way I get food cravings, I get fashion cravings. If you add having a bad hair day to the mix, this is what I came up with:

Event: Vintage Fashion Market in Lyon

My favorite thing about this outfit is how well the colors go together and how different each piece is. Starting with the bomber jacket: Sidney and I went to Urban Outfitters in Camden Town (London) last October and we found this beautiful thing. Its soft, silky material is perfect for the warmer weather.

Oh yes, and that Russian badge gives a fierce military touch to this ensemble.

My mom gave me some beautiful wax print scarves from Burkina Faso. This one is my favorite design because of the vibrant colors, so I decided to wear it with the outfit. It’s also a great way for me to style my hair when I don’t feel like detangling it. I chose this particular style because it’s vintage!

Yes, you guessed it. Those are my fishnet tights peeking out from under my customized destroyed jeans. I purposely destroyed these jeans for this very purpose. I love fishnet tights and find them especially edgy under ripped denim.

I customized these black high-rise jeans from New Look by taking a pair of scissors and cutting the knees out. Then I made a slit on the upper thigh of the right leg and then another slit at the back of the upper left thigh.

Finally, I wore black sock boots from Zara to accentuate my legs.

Want my look? Check these out!

Scarf: starting at £3.90 on African Fabric.co.uk
Destroyed Jeans: $49.00 on Asos
Bomber Jacket: $129.99 at Urban Outfitters
Fishnet Tights: £11.00 at Calzedonia
Boots: $29.99 at Zara
Lipstick – Sin : $17.00 at Mac Cosmetics

Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by subscribing to Breakfast with the Beatles. Click on the ‘Follow me by Email’ button on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out Garde Robe an international street-style blog by Sidney and me.

Valentine’s Weekend in Paris

Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.

Two weeks ago, Sidney and I went to Paris for the weekend after Valentine’s Day. Though we had a few Garde Robe meetings to attend and photo shoots to do, we also had a wonderful time being tourists. We ate at my favorite Mexican Taqueria (taco restaurant) so far, called El Guacamole in the 10th arrondissement, we walked along les Champs Elysées (and took a few street-style pictures!), we took a lovely evening stroll near the Notre Dame cathedral with my cousin, and witnessed a bride and groom taking their wedding pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower. By night time, we were dining at a cute Italian restaurant in the 18th arrondissement and went to la Bellevilloise and danced to soul music until dawn. During the weekend, we stopped by Le Comptoir Général for some rum cocktails and great music. More and more happened, and we had a lovely time.

Event: Valentine’s promenade in Paris

Anyone who knows me can confirm that Hilary Banks is me and I am Hilary Banks. If you don’t know who that is, then go back in time to when you were a kid in the 90’s, grab the remote control from whoever was hogging the TV and switch the channel to NBC. FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR, in case you are still clueless, is the best TV show that you can get your 90’s fashion inspiration from. Be it Hilary Banks and her perfect matching hats and suits, (both) Vivian Banks’ shoulder-padded dresses, grown-up Ashley’s hot crop-tops or ALL of Will Smith’s outfits, look no further. The entire Banks family (minus perhaps Carlton) should be your go-to source for fashion. With the 80’s and 90’s making a comeback on the runway, I knew that I had to get a bright blazer with shoulder pads like Hilary or Vivian Banks. I did very successfully and found this gorgeous red Marks & Spencers blazer that I got at a thrift shop here for THREE EUROS.

I wore this blazer recently to an interview with black sock boots & a crisp white shirt. I’m sure it worked wonders (the interview was successful) but I preferred to walk around Paris in a stylish and comfortable outfit. That’s why I opted for these white Nike Air Huarache Ultra sneakers (paired with long white socks for the cold) that Sidney gave me for Christmas. Also featured in this sexy outfit is my favorite city bag from Zara.

Again, because I was going for a comfortable look, I chose to wear these dark wash mom jeans from Pimkie and a tight-knit grey turtleneck from Jennyfer.

Finally, to match my crimson red blazer, I wore my Milani Cosmetics Devotion #14 lipstick.

Want my look? Check these out!

Blazer: $2025 on Net-à-porter (find a similar one in a thrift shop like I did, that will be 100x less expensive!)
Turtleneck: $12.99 at H&M
Mom jeans: $57.13 on Asos
Sneakers – Nike Air Huarache Ultra: $115 at Nike
Bag: €9.99 (sale) at Zara
Lipstick – 14 Devotion : $9.00 at Milani Cosmetics

Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by subscribing to Breakfast with the Beatles. Click on the ‘Follow me by Email’ button on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out Garde Robe an international street-style blog by Sidney and me.

WIWTW: Styling a vintage trench coat with a statement purse

Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.

Last week, I went thrift-shopping with Sidney and we bought about 10 pieces: coats, blazers (including a Marks & Spencers blazer with shoulder pads!), and dainty silk shirts – FOR ONLY 30 EUROS IN TOTAL. If you do the math, this means that we paid about 3 euros per coat. This beautiful trench is one of them, and I decided to wear it to our Garde Robe interview with NinkiMag. (I’ll tell you more about that once the video is out, but we got interviewed by a streetwear magazine based in Lyon last Sunday!)

Event: Garde Robe’s interview for NinkiMag

This trench, you guys, is just one of the best things I’ve ever bought and worn. I’ve always wanted a Burberry trench (this one is by Claude Havrey) because of their elegance and length, but they were always so expensive. This one, I found in a vintage shop in Lyon called Emmaus, for only THREE EUROS!!!! I decided to work my entire outfit around this trench, because I wanted to be 100% classy.

Chokers have been really in this season and I love how this gold one from Pretty Little Thing adds metallic sophistication to my black turtleneck from Zara.

And then there’s my favorite bag from New Look that I got this summer in Dubai. Its citrus-themed color block design is perfect when you want a statement bag to upgrade your look ! Plus it’s big enough to put just about anything from your computer to your heels inside. (Yes, this is an important factor for me because when I go out in cute but torturous heels, I like to keep a pair of sneakers in my purse just in case. I don’t believe in suffering to be beautiful. How are you attractive when your face is clearly wincing with pain?)

I don’t know who I think I am but I am totally flipping my hair in this picture.

Finally I wanted the entire focus to be on my trench, bag and choker, so I wore black dress pants from Zara, and my favorite black booties from Zara. 

And in case you were wondering who did my hair, I met an amazing hairdresser called Anaelle who does beautiful box braids (and a lot of other hairstyles) for very cheap prices. She was so professional and braided my hair in 4 hours (though it usually takes 7). So if you’re in Lyon and you need your hair done, comment below and I’ll give you Anaelle’s contact information!

Want my look? Check these out!

Trench coat: $91.00 at Asos
Choker: £6.00 at Pretty Little Thing
Turtleneck: $29.90 at Zara
Pants: $39.90 at Zara
Boots: $49.90 at Zara
Bag: £27.99 at New Look
Lipstick: $6.00 at Colourpop

Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by subscribing to Breakfast with the Beatles. Click on the ‘Follow me by Email’ button on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out Garde Robe an international street-style blog by Sidney and me.

 

Urban Chic Hiver Editorial

This season, Garde Robe presents our latest editorial Urban Chic Hiver. Matching sophisticated elements with street apparel, we’ve featured our favorite trends and pieces from Menswear Fashion Week FW 17/18 as inspiration for your winter wardrobe.

Visit Garde Robe’s website for the rest of the photoshoot: Urban Chic Hiver Editorial.

WIWTW: Styling Timberlands in Chicago

Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.

Over Christmas break, my sister Safiya and I got to spend some time with one of our brothers Roshan, in Chicago. I had never been there before so I was really excited to discover such a huge city. I loved it so much and I would be ecstatic to go again. Apart from meeting some of the most down-to-earth and interesting people I’ve ever met, I visited Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor (my artist sister insists that I call it as such, but most people know it by its nickname ‘The Bean’). Downtown Chicago is beautiful and the skyline is breathtaking. As an overseas American who hasn’t visited much of the USA, I felt like a tourist, taking in every mesmerizing scene in front of me.

 

We met some pretty cool Uber drivers but we also did a lot of walking. And you know what’s made for walking? ‘These boots’. (See what I did there?)

Event: Sight-seeing in Chicago

 

Raise your hand if you’ve ever wanted to buy Timberlands but saw way too many people wearing them. *raises hand* I’m a part of this group, but then I changed my mind: they’re comfortable, they give an urban edge to everything, and they really were made for walking. I got them in just the right color for Christmas: the original yellowish ones, because they really just go with everything. I have enough black shoes in my closet, so I wanted something different from my own wardrobe.

I wore my light blue mom jeans from Stradivarius (I got them on sale for €10.00 when I was in Dubai this summer!) and my all-time-favorite sweater by Puma. This is not just any Puma sweater. This is a chunky, 90’s cut, sweater from Rihanna’s collaboration with Puma “Fenty x PUMA by Rihanna”, that I got in a beautiful shop in Milan called Minus More Much. It’s one of my most favorite things to wear because it’s so unique. I personally haven’t seen anybody else with it though I’m sure there are many other Rihanna fans walking around with it somewhere. Idc, this is my favorite sweater in the world. It’s comfortable and the gold shiny “9” at the front gives my outfit an athletic feel.

Because it was pretty cold in Chicago, I got to wear my puffy padded jacket from H&M. You can’t really see how well-shaped it is here, but gives my entire look some volume.

You already know my black faux leather pouch from Zara, but here are my gorgeous Timbs.

In the midst of this photoshoot (taken by Safiya), two guys tried to ask my sister to prom. When she proceeded to tell them that she doesn’t live in Chicago, one of them even offered to buy her a plane ticket and fly her out for prom. He was so serious that he decided he should take our picture, and I promised to share his photography skills on my blog so here you go, sir:

Credit: Unknown guy who asked my sister to prom in Chicago. You know who you are.

Want my look? Check these out!

Coat: $32.01 or €29.99 at H&M
Sweater: $105.50 at Asos (I can’t find the exact same sweater unfortunately)
Jeans: $49.00 at Asos
Timberland boots: $170.00 at Timberland
Pouch: $29.99 at Zara
Lipstick: £5.99 or $7.36 at New Look

Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by subscribing to Breakfast with the Beatles. Click on the ‘Follow me by Email’ button on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out Garde Robe an international street-style blog by Sidney and me.

Ideas for a Last Minute Holiday Look

It’s CHRISTMAS EVE already ! 2016 has gone by so fast, it’s crazy to think that it’s almost over. I found out a few months ago that I’d be in Chicago for the Christmas holidays, and here I am, in Chicago. Walking along Michigan Avenue, I came across Bonobos, this classy men’s clothing store. When I saw those tailored suits and sophisticated dress pants, my first thought was: Sidney (my sweetheart) would totally wear this. Most people would prefer not to buy clothes for their significant other, but when your S/O is more into fashion than you are, and when he looks THIS good in a suit, why not?!

So now that you have a last minute Christmas gift for your partner, what are YOU wearing? Here are some of my favorite holiday looks to help you sleigh (get it lol) this Christmas season:

Cozy Caroling

 If you’re planning to stay indoors with your family or partner, sipping hot cocoa. This one’s for you.

Sparkly & Sophisticated

I’m not a huge fan of sequins, so I would totally wear THIS outfit for a holiday party that requires shiny gold attire!

 

Extravagant Eve

When in doubt, be extravagant. Flaunt your favorite part of yourself: legs, toned abs, cleavage or shoulders.

Underneath the Mistletoe

If you’re spending Christmas with your S/O or going to a NYE party with your beau, burgundy red is always romantic.

 

Minimal Magic

 Sometimes you just want to wear something minimal and sophisticated. Black is a great go-to, and opt for bare shoulders for a sexy twist.

Something Blue

Surprisingly blue is this season’s best color. Did you know that the color blue has also been proven to get you the most likes on Social Media? Yep. Wear blue for your holiday photos.

 

White Christmas

And finally… you can never go wrong with an all white outfit for Christmas. Be like Queen Solange Knowles and wear a white gown with gold highlights (and a natural afro if you have one!) like she did on her wedding day.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year !

WIWTW: Winter Stripes

Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.

A month has gone by and I no longer wear t-shirts under my coat without a sweater on top, like a naive little girl. Now I’ve realized it’s cold, and after two weeks of being sick, I went out to buy a warm sweater or three.

Event: It was really cold

I think that the most important part of your winter wardrobe should be your outer clothes (as in your coat, scarf, gloves, etc) because the key to staying warm and stylish is fashionable layering.

Between Autumn and Winter, there are really good sales on pieces that are usually expensive, like coats and sweaters. I found this boyfriend coat at Promod, a chic French clothing store. It’s actually navy but depending on what I pair it with, it can look dark grey or even black. I got this one 50% off because it was on sale!

Stripes are back this season, so I decided to get a minimal “statement” scarf at New Look. Because it’s black and grey, it goes with everything and it’s the size of a small blanket so it’s very warm. I got 10% off with my student card!

Unfortunately you can’t really see, but I’m wearing faux leather pants from Zara, that I’ve been dying to show you in a WIWTW. They are comfortable, high-waisted and instantly turn any outfit classy!

And then I got this comfortable (feels like cashmere) camel sweater from Zara, along with three other cheap-priced sweaters. I chose to wear this camel coloured sweater to lighten up my winter outfit and compliment my brown lipstick from New Look (10% off with student discount).

And I love these Zara sock boots! Kanye West’s Yeezy collection made sock boots popular this season. I especially adore this trend because I have very thin ankles that usually float around in regular boots. Sock boots are designed to be tight around your ankles, making your legs look thinner and longer. I also got this faux leather bag from Zara to match my shoes.

Want my look? Check these out!

Boyfriend Coat: €99.95 or $104.07 at Promod
Sweater: $39.90 at Zara
Pants: $29.90 at Zara
Bag: $49.90 at Zara
Boots: $49.90 at Zara
Scarf: £6.49 or $8.05 at New Look
“Mocha” Brown Matte Lipstick: £5.99 or $7.43 by New Look

Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by checking the Fashion section on my blog weekly :) Subscribe to Breakfast with the Beatles by clicking ‘Follow me by Email’ on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out our blog  Garde Robe by Sidney and me, entirely dedicated to street-style.

WIWTW: Street & Pink

Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.

I am the most feminine girl you will ever meet. My favorite color is pink. (I collected porcelain and Barbie dolls when I was little.) But I also love comfort, especially in Autumn. And what’s more comfortable than men’s clothes? So I mixed the two and created this:

Event: Fashion Blogger’s Launch Party