Photos by: Kristen Soileau
Outfit: Sparkle and Fade Pleated Chiffon Skirt in Rose (Urban Outfitters) <– SALE alert, Gold Polkadot shirt (Gap), Blush and Metallic Sneaker Wedges (Available in stores at Jcpenny’s ), Mini Mac clutch in Sand (Rebecca Minkoff)
Jewelry: Pave link bracelet (J. Crew), Gold Cluster Renegade bracelet (Stella and Dot), Two-tone watch (Michael Kors),
Good Morning readers, today is the day! I hope you like these treats because you know it isn’t party for me without some cupcakes. Now, you know I really wasn’t joking when I said that we’d be celebrating this entire week. I can’t believe that it’s been a whole year since I first launched Haute Off The Rack. This has truly been one of the most amazing and eye-opening years of my life. I pushed myself to new levels and accomplished things I only dreamed I could do. I am so proud of myself for sticking to my goals and making it this far, but believe me when I say that by no means was it easy. It took a lot of coffee, sleepless nights, determination, passion and of course the support my family, friends and readers. Now after a full year of blogging, I think I can safely say that all of my hard work has finally started paying off especially since Haute Off The Rack was just featured as one of New Orleans Top 10 Fashion Blogs on GoNola.com. You can read the article here at New Orleans Top 10 Fashion Blogs.
I have a quote that I’d like to share with you that got me through those occasional tough days where I found myself wondering why I had even started a blog and if I even had a chance of making it in the fashion industry.
“Forget all of the reasons why it won’t work and believe in the one reason why it will.” -Unknown Author
For me that reason is passion. I believe that if you are truly passionate about something in life, you can achieve things you never thought possible. I have a passion for teaching people how to incorporate new fashion trends into their style and helping women feel confident in what they wear. This blog allows me to do both of those things as well as help new designers promote their brand, which in turn is so rewarding. I hope to one day be a well-known and dependable wardrobe stylist or write for a prominent fashion magazine, and I have faith that this blog will help me get there. So today I encourage you to step out of your box and start working on something that you’ve always wanted to do, but didn’t feel like you had the perseverance or determination to do it. That actually reminds me of another quote:
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” -Earl Nightingale
So readers, I challenge you to raise the bar and turn those dreams of yours into reality. You just might surprise yourself. Speaking of surprises, I have some exciting news coming up for Haute Off The Rack. Make sure to check back next week!
By the way, what are your thoughts on how I styled these metallic sneaker wedges? I figured that since this is a new year for Haute Off The Rack that I would try out a new trend. I personally love the idea of sneakers hidden under such a chic and elegant skirt paired with a T-shirt. I think the sneaker wedges give this look a quirky and unexpected twist. What do you think?
P.S. Thank you again to everyone who contributed to making this such a fabulous first year for Haute Off The Rack!
Have a wonderful weekend!