For a hot beautiful afternoon in NYC, I had to wear something casual and fresh for the weather. The inspiration behind this outfit was the Valentino spring 2016 Collection. I don’t know about you, but I love prints. Prints bring so much life, color and creativity to your outfits. The craft of using different cultures in fashion is the result of stepping out of cliché looks and travel the world through your wardrobe. Although African tribal theme is known to be risky in fashion because of “cultural appropriation,” it never fails to awe the audience.
I chose to go for a casual tribal look at an affordable price. New Yorkers know that in the summer, the weather gets so dry that we seek to wear heat-free clothes. Like Jay-Z and Alicia Keys explain so perfectly in their duet Empire State of Mind, “New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of.” We live in a “concrete jungle” because of this city’s beautiful cultural diversity. This city has given me the confidence to step outside my home without feeling weird about wearing over-the-top accessories and exotic prints.
I found a way to get the perfect, hot afternoon city look by wearing a bold print bottom and finishing everything else with lighter classic pieces. Everything was purposely kept simple because the tribal print is more than enough accessories. The shorts material is made up of 100% rayon fabric and feels so silky. They’re high waisted with boxed pleats at the top giving it a nicer fit. As for my top, I kept it basic to not distract the uniqueness of the shorts. This top has a v-neck cut to give you a more flirty, yet sophisticated look. The sandals are pair of faux leather lace-up espadrille with a wedge doubled sole. The shoes are the same sandals from my second post. I simply can’t get enough of them; they’ve become my go-to summer shoes!
To finish off my look, I added a lot of African inspired bracelets on both wrists. On my left wrist, I had on a bold giraffe, symbolizing the beautiful savannas of Africa with a combo of gold bangles. On my right wrist, I had white ceramic bangles and a brown and gold bracelet, matching the square and rectangle prints on my shorts. For my earrings, I also wore the same earrings from my first post. These earrings are similar to the African Egyptian pyramid shape matching the geometric shapes of my tribal shorts. My makeup was kept natural and hair was slicked into a simple bun to maintain the simplicity, yet dramatic look. If you guys haven’t realized how mostly everything worn relates back to the tribal prints; like I said before, they are more than enough accessories!
If you’re ever concerned about wearing bold prints, don’t hesitate, work it! You make a fashion statement without having to prove it. Wherever you are, whether it’s New York City or another state, make it your concrete jungle!
Get My Look: 1. Top. 2. Bottom. 3. Sandals. 4. Bangles.
