Ello Lovies, I have to say the best thing about having a British accent in America is that I can get away with so much more than your average person. This week I had an interesting experience in my dressing room diaries…a customer I’d styled once before in the luxury brand I run my business through came in & apologized to me! This doesn’t happen often by the way but I was happy to accept it..she was apologetic because when we first met she spent over $7,000 with me then a little bit after that, I saw all of it trickle back into the store in returns via her assistant!

As she apologized, I told her I had been confused by her returns, she seemed to like it all at the time. She said she’d had 2 glasses of wine at lunch before she’d originally come in to shop & everything I’d shown her looked amazing however, when she got home it just didn’t anymore…I responded by asking her if she’d had any drinks today in which she replied “no” then I further stated that was great as I get to meet the real her! She looked baffled by my comment then begrudgingly agreed..she then went on to spend a quarter of what she had before. Golly Gumdrops!

This week I wanted to showcase Velvet as we’ve started getting new inventory for fall & what a great piece to feature than a burnt orange velvet dress. Yummy! Formal velvet is indeed a trend for Fall 2017. According to Elle Magazine “Designers are still crushing on velvet, but this season they’re cutting designs from the rich fabric for jewel -tone Formalwear”  (Getty, Imaxtree)

The best thing about this item is that you don’t have to wait until winter to wear it if teemed up with the right accessories. I’d go with a nude open toed pump, colorful embroidered bag & statement earrings for a look fitting these summer nights as you can see.

Save option is this gorgeous dress by the brand Privy, privately privileged. It was only $15.90 if you can believe it & the color as you can see is to-die-for, it was beaucoup stretchy when I tried it on. If your just looking for a throw-a-way piece get it, you certainly get what you pay for. The clutch is from Gucci, suede pumps J Crew to add a mix of texture, Earrings are nude vintage sunflowers from Etsy ($9.99, can you say STEAL!) & Mac Lippie Velvet Teddy.

In addition, for my medical device wearers it doesn’t minimize your device so show it off!

Splurge option I found 2 gorgeous options from some fun designers, Alice & Olivia & A.L.C. Both depicted in my looks have different advantages. The Alice & Olivia Alexis Ruffled velvet dress at $330.00 does accentuate your waist & keeps your medical device hidden should you want the option. Ruffles are on trend & the texture is so soft. The heels are from Jeffrey Campbell, the clutch is Valentino (resort 2016, bite me I still love it 😉  the Fragrance is Roses de Chole.

The A.L.C Annex Velvet Midi dress $695.00 is also softly textured, longer in length so for my curvy girls it is more flattering & will hinder your self-consciousness even though it does look like PG13 lingerie! I teamed this with Stuart Weitzman strappy heels, clutch was from Sweet Couch.com & Chandelier earrings Kate Spade New York .

Save Vs Splurge Summary: I like to mix high & low end items to complete a look. Not everything has to break the bank, you can make a “save” outfit look like a splurge outfit by just adding one “key” item. Here it was the purses! Stay tuned to see what i do with denim next week…New blog post will be up on Wednesday & every WEDNESDAY. Catch you next time lovies.

Cheers & Best Wishes,

Afi Like Taffy A.L.T