As we enter into a new season, changing fashion’s tone; I’d like to take the time to reflect on a few of summer’s  fashion highlights: bright florals and distressed denim.  If ever you needed a clothing item to take a ‘look’ to the next level for summer 2018, either bright florals or distressed denim would do the trick.  When styled separately, bright florals and distressed denim are great transitional pieces for Fall.

 Styling Distressed denim

Distressed denim usually gives any outfit a bit of an edge, which could land anywhere on the scale from casually edgy to chic and edgy.  It’s essentially the difference between pairing it with flats and a tank bodysuit, or a blazer and dressy blouse with heels.  For this look, I opted to go for a more chic and edgy look.  Mixing the bright floral blouse and distressed denim which are  on opposite ends of the dress code scale is a great way to have fun with the items in your closet.  If I may divulge a little secret, this is a blouse I would normally wear to the office.  Apart from the beautiful bold print and colour, I love the fact that this blouse has shoulder pads.  This particular blouse is from the Zara summer collection, but they have the same print in a different colour  which you can shop right here.

The distressed denim worn is an old favourite of mine from American Eagle and happens to be my first pair of  distressed denim, thus holding a special place in my heart.  With any pair of jeans, I tend to go for ones that have a mid to high waist, as my build is more on the curvier side.  Currently I’m eyeing distressed denim from Express and Nordstrom Rack.

Personal Summer Highlight

This summer I took a mini vacation to see my grandmother in Jamaica who turned 99 this year; a milestone in itself.  Spending time with her was truly the highlight of my summer.  To witness her moving around freely, taking a shower, combing her hair and dressing herself with no help was truly remarkable.  While I was there, not a day passed without her listing the name of all her 15 children.   I sensed that while she knew and understood that there were things she would forget; she never ever wanted to forget her children.  Sometimes she would look  at me as she called each one’s first and middle name and I would give her a smile and nod, so she’d know  that she remembered that all.  That in itself truly warmed my heart.

I’d lay in bed with her each evening, listening to her tell stories of when she was a child.  Though she’d repeat the same stories over and over again, I never grew tired of hearing her share them with me, it was literally music to my ears.  In those moments, I felt like a child again.  One morning, I walked into her bedroom as she was about to comb her hair and took over from her.  It felt good to do something as simple as combing my grandmother’s hair.  I could go on and on about the time spent with her, but I’ll cut it short and say that the time spent with her was simply priceless.  There is no money in the world that can give you that kind of joy and happiness.  Needless to say at the end of the visit, I cried; not in her presence but when pulling out of the driveway.

I told her that I’d be back next year to see her for her 100th birthday and she told me several times that she wouldn’t be there.  After insisting that she wouldn’t be there several times, she finally conceded and said she’d be there if the Lord gives her the go ahead.  That being said, I am confident that grandma will be there when myself and the rest of the family celebrate her birthday next year (2019) in Jamaica.  So that my friends was the highlight of my summer!  Never mind that I stayed at a boutique 5 star  hotel in Jamaica after spending time with my grandmother, none of it could compare to the time I spent with her.

Shop the Look – be Alerted of Price Drops

Be sure to check out my last posts to the Gingham Trend and One-Piece Swimsuits to see a few of my vacation looks from Jamaica.  As always I’ve linked similar items for you to achieve this look, which you can now favourite to be alerted of price drops.

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