Forget the Mommy Guilt, it's a new day
Want to step out in style this Spring? Then check out these four fab looks from Secret Celebrity and Soft Comfort! I became a fan when I reviewed a pair of Secret Celebrity boots for our cold weather travel fashion feature, so I thought it’d be fun to also share some of their styles that are suitable for somewhat warmer weather. 😉
Which one of these Spring looks is your favorite?
Ruth E. Carter at the Los Angeles World Premiere of Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER at Dolby Theatre on January 29, 2018 in Hollywood, California.
We gave you a first look at the costumes in Black Panther last summer – and now that we’re just one day away from the movie’s release on Blu-ray & 4K, we’re pleased to share a special chat with Black Panther costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who gives a fascinating in-depth look at the process behind creating the costumes for this film.
AN INTERVIEW WITH COSTUME DESIGNER RUTH E. CARTER FOR THE IN-HOME RELEASE OF MARVEL STUDIOS’ BLACK PANTHER
The in-home release of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther is packed with bonus material including deleted scenes, outtakes and never-before-seen featurettes. The highly-celebrated story of a young African prince named T’Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman) will be available Digitally in HD, 4K Ultra HD™ and Movies Anywhere on May 8 and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, DVD and On-Demand on May 15.
To celebrate the in-home launch of the mighty Marvel movie, we talk to acclaimed costume designer Ruth E. Carter to uncover her inspirations behind the iconic outfits of Black Panther…
Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER
T’Challa Conceptual Character and Costume Design Sketch
Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter
Concept Artist: Keith Christensen
©Marvel Studios 2018BLACK PANTHER: THE PALACE OUTFIT
“T’Challa is part of the royal family of Wakanda. He has royal blood and he is inheriting the throne from his father, so he has a huge responsibility on his shoulders. That’s why his outfits always have a tailored feel and a sense of royalty. The embroidery on his palace piece was taken from some Nigerian embroidered tops we discovered. When you look at T’Challa versus Killmonger, T’Challa is the guy who went to private school and Killmonger is the guy who went to public school. That’s how I look at the two characters. They are worlds apart from each other.
“On the astral plane, T’Challa wakes up to greet his father and their ancestors in a white embroidered tunic. All the embroidery patterns were taken from various cultures around the world. I’ve had people from Pakistan look at the embroidered pattern on the white tunic and say, ‘Wow, this looks exactly like the embroidery in our culture.’ In that sense, I feel like the dream sequence is one that most people were thrilled to see because it relates to so many beautiful embroidered patterns in different cultures. It represents royalty that you find all over the world.
“Most of T’Challa’s costumes have some form of cultural significance to them. The purple vest that he wears has a little Nsibidi language on the vest. We painstakingly chose the embroidery pattern with help from [Black Panther director] Ryan Coogler.”
Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER
Black Panther Conceptual Character and Costume Design Sketch
Costume Design and Art: Ryan Meinderding and VisDev Team
©Marvel Studios 2018BLACK PANTHER: THE SUPERHERO COSTUME
“Marvel’s design group – who work on all the superheroes – sent us a sketch for Black Panther’s superhero costume. That’s what we used to create our piece. The superhero costume is made from eurojersey, which has a four-way stretch. The fabric comes to us in white, so we have to completely dye it black and then we print on top of it – but the ink of the print also has the ability to stretch.
“Nowadays, every superhero suit seems to have a small pattern that creates a texture on their suit, so I was excited that there was an opportunity for me to include a surface treatment to Black Panther’s suit. Within the design, you can see some veining of a Wakandan language that circles around the suit – but I put a small triangle in between the line-work. I call it the Okavango pattern. The Okavango print, in combination with the veining, helps the piece feel like the roller prints you see in so many African patterns and printed fabric. Now, he’s not only a superhero, but he’s also an African king.
“The costume is actually a true catsuit. There are separate gloves and boots, but the suit itself is a catsuit that Chadwick [Boseman] wears. There is a silver muscle suit that goes underneath it, which makes it look like you can see the vibranium shining through. That’s why we made the muscle suit in silver. After viewing the Man of Steel, I saw that you could see the steel suit underneath his superhero costume, so the muscles look like they are made of steel. I thought to myself, ‘Well, Black Panther’s main suit is made of vibranium, so let’s do that.’ There’s a hidden zipper that goes straight up the back of the costume. You put it on just like you would put on a pair of pantyhose. You’ve got to move it up and wriggle into it. We also added a zipper to give Chadwick the ability to go to the bathroom.”
SHURI: THE SILVER DRESS
“When we first meet Shuri in the movie, we learn that she is bored with tradition. She designs the new Black Panther suit and she’s the head of the Wakandan Design Group, so I knew it was important that we really try and think outside the box for the character. Not only did we need to think outside the box in terms of what Marvel was doing with nanotech and vibranium, but we also needed to contextualize what it meant and what it looked like to be forward-thinking.
“When we see Shuri at the airstrip, she talks to her brother and he teases her about having to wear a traditional costume at Warrior Falls. Then, when we see her at Warrior Falls, she says, “Can you hurry up, people? This is very uncomfortable.” I feel like that [dialogue] allows audiences to understand the character. She’s saying, ‘I know I am a princess and I know there’s a place for tradition, but I’m moving on from that.’ She also tells that to everyone when we first meet her in the lab, too.
“All these costume sketches give a general direction and a feeling for the characters. With Shuri, we wanted to show designs that feel young and vibrant. I really wanted her to have vibrancy and freshness, and pop colors. There’s an interesting story behind the silver dress. We never get to see the dress in the movie because it was designed for a very specific scene, which was cut. However, we had already designed the silver dress with silver leggings.”
SHURI: THE ORANGE OUTFIT
“It was a big challenge for me to come up with a wearable lab outfit that would fit the character of Shuri. She’s the young designer genius of the Wakandan Design Group and she’s very forward-thinking, so I don’t see her wearing a standard lab coat. At first, I started to poke around at some of my favorite designers. I looked at Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh and Stella McCartney, because I feel like they are always thinking ahead and they are always coming up with ideas that are very unconventional. I was heavily inspired by Stella McCartney’s ability to recycle fabrics, and the idea of taking recyclable materials and creating new fabrics – and that’s when I decided that Shuri’s lab look should be a simple dress with an overlay.
“I decided that the overlay would a type of material that is protective, cool and fun. I felt like it should look like it was made from recyclable fabric or recyclable materials. The first dress we see Shuri wear is a white dress with a mesh overlay. Overlays look like they are protecting the fabric that’s underneath, or they create a story of their own, so most of her costumes have these protective layers.
“When we see Shuri in her orange and white outfit, the overlay is an organza-looking fabric because you can actually see through it. It has a long zipper at the back and it’s shaped like a sweatshirt, so her sweatshirt overlay is part of what gives her the protection. When it comes to the leggings in the orange outfit, we were trying to come up with a fashion idea for Shuri. We ended up using a jumpsuit that had stitching lines in it. As a matter of fact, I found a jumpsuit online and the stitching lines looked like a panther face. It was a black jumpsuit with flared legs, but we ended up cutting the jumpsuit so that it would have a straight leg design. If you look at stills from the movie, the white stitching on the jumpsuit is amazing. I mimicked the lines in the orange vest that she wears. The vest is made of neoprene, which is a fabric that we use a lot when we’re thinking of future fabric.”
Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER
Dora Milaje Conceptual Character and Costume Design Sketch
Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter
Concept Artist: Keith Christensen
©Marvel Studios 2018OKOYE: THE DORA MILAJE
“Okoye is the head of the Dora Milaje, and when I created this outfit I wanted to bring more of the story of the Dora Milaje to the costume. I made the reds and the oranges really vibrant because we only have a few members of the Dora Milaje in the film. In total, I think there were only eight – but I wanted the eight Dora Milaje to feel like 10 or 20 women. That’s why I chose vibrant and imposing colors. The beadwork is inspired by the Maasai, the Himba and the Turkana tribes. They all use this beautiful, vibrant red and the intricate beadwork always has meaning behind it. For example, the more beads you stack on your neck, the more desirable you are to the opposite sex. Overall, I wanted the costume to look like something that would be passed on or handed down. I wanted there to be this feeling that it would be given to you with such pride and such ornate handiwork of Africa that it was a privilege and an honor to receive the uniform.
“Early on, we made a decision to cover the Dora Milaje from head to toe. Since that was the idea behind the costume, it also needed to look beautiful. We were not challenged to show skin because we wanted to make the costumes so beautiful that it enhanced the beauty of a woman without showing her flesh.
“The Dora Milaje wear neck rings and arm rings that are inspired by the Ndebele [people] of South Africa. Ryan Coogler wanted the armor to feel like jewelry, so I brought a jewelry designer on to the project. All the necklaces that are worn underneath were handmade. Okoye gets to wear gold because she’s the leader, but all the other Dora Milaje wear silver. Usually in filmmaking, you don’t want anything to have too much shine – but we left the shine on the Dora Milaje because it looks magnificent.”
Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER
Nakia Conceptual Character and Costume Design Sketch
Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter
Concept Artist: Keith Christensen
©Marvel Studios 2018NAKIA: THE HIJAB AND THE CASINO DRESS
“Nakia is a war dog. She’s an operative; a spy, so she has the most looks of everyone in the film. She goes undercover as a Nigerian captive in the hijab, but then I had to quickly get her out of the hijab and give her a costume that looked like she could’ve been hanging out in any city in Africa. She had to look like she could walk down any street and blend in. When we see Nakia at the airstrip, we see her in jeans and a flowy top and a scarf. Then we see her at Warrior Falls in her traditional costume for the traditional ceremony as the River Tribe’s primary fighter. Then we see her in her casino dress. She has a lot of different costumes.
“Nakia’s more traditional outfit is inspired by the Surma and the Suri people of Africa. Nakia’s tribe are fisherman, so some of her designs are based on different cultures, nations and people of Africa who live near the water. Hence Nakia’s tribe is called The River Tribe.
“There are lots of history books with photos of Surma children who have flowers and sticks that they adorn their bodies with. That was the main inspiration behind Nakia’s traditional costume – but we also needed it to look like she was a warrior, so we gave a cross-body harness to go over the top.”
NAKIA: THE CASINO DRESS
“Nakia’s casino dress was based on a Kente pattern. When we see her in this dress, it’s very ‘Bond Girl’.
“We used the simple line-work from the Kente pattern and we had it printed on the same type of eurojersey that we used for the Panther suit. Once we had an all-black dress printed, we hand-painted it so that it would have an ombré effect.
“The ombré green paint has a little fleck of metallic in it, so when you see Nakia walk through the casino, the dress illuminates in different areas. She also needed two very long slits in the dress so that she could fight.”
Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER
Ramonda Conceptual Character and Costume Design Sketch
Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter
Concept Artists: Ryan Meinerding and Team
©Marvel Studios 2018RAMONDA: THE QUEEN OF WAKANDA
“This sketch illustrates our initial inspiration for the character of Ramonda, but we ended up losing the ropes in the design. We wanted to make Ramonda her own Black Panther Queen, so I looked for fabrics that had a sheen and a print, as well as fabrics that look like they have a tiny quilted pattern. I loved the idea of the designs of a 16th century Queen of England, but I really wanted her to be the Queen of Wakanda. This is the mother of Black Panther, so she had to have some strength herself.
“Eventually, Ramonda’s costume was retooled. We made it out of fabrics that I felt were superhero-like, but she has a classic shape to the dress. At first glance, I felt like she needed to look unmistakably the queen, so she has a classic queen look. This kind of anachronism is important because she also represents tradition and the Wakandan past.
“We 3D-printed Ramonda’s crown. We also 3D-printed her shoulder piece. I gave Ramonda this shape that you would see on royalty back in the 1600s and the 1800s. I love this look.”
M’BAKU: THE JABARI TRIBESMAN
“M’Baku is inspired by the Dogon tribe of Africa. Ryan Coogler really wanted M’Baku to wear a grass skirt, so I searched around for inspiration. I saw a grass piece at The Metropolitan Museum of Art [in New York] and the way it was toned and painted felt strong and manly, which I liked. The Dogon wore grass skirts during their ceremonies, but they were bright pink and bright green. Instead, I had to come up with a grass skirt that I felt would look like a traditional grass skirt worn in Africa, but also have the coloring that could be believable for warriors and for men. I decided to put a leather sheath underneath the black skirt because they are mountain-dwellers. They live in a cold climate; in the mountains where there is lots of snow.
“The original M’Baku character was called Man-Ape and his costume design was inspired by the silverback gorilla. There are still some elements of that in the design we see on screen. We used faux fur, but I found quite a few different pieces to apply to his shoulders. We attached the faux fur with refrigerator magnets so that it wouldn’t shift around or move from his shoulders. In that sense, we thought it would feel like it was the fur of the silverback ape.
“M’Baku is the head of the Jabari tribe, who are woodsmen. They believe in wood as opposed to vibranium, so it was important that his armor looked like it was made from heavy wood. We also added carvings to it from the Dogon tribe. We then had the actor [Winston Duke] stand in the fitting room and we designed all of the strips and straps that he uses to hold this heavy armor. When you combine the Dogon look with the heavy wood, this really sealed the deal to show how this tribe was very different from Black Panther.”
Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER
Zuri Conceptual Character and Costume Design Sketch
Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter
Concept Artist: Phillip Boutte Jr.
©Marvel Studios 2018ZURI: THE SHAMAN LOOK
“Zuri is our shaman and our priest. When we first started to talk about Zuri, we realized that he needed to represent all people of Wakanda; all the different tribes. We used every part of Africa to tell the story of Wakanda, so Zuri’s costume is made up of every aspect of Africa.
“In his finished piece, Zuri has North Africa – the Tuareg – reflected on his sleeve with little silver amulets. He wears a beaded tabard down the front, which is a part of the language of Wakanda. You will see these tabards on other people as well, although Zuri has his own tabard that’s inspired by the Turkana.
“Zuri also wears an avagado, which is from Nigeria. It’s similar to a big caftan that Nigerian men wear. Over the top of the avagado, we created a stripped poncho, which is made up of 300 little silk tubes. We draped the tubes around his shoulders and into the back as part of his traditional cloak at Warrior Falls. He’s made up of all people in Wakanda, so he’s not based on one specific area.”
Pick up your copy of Black Panther on Blu-ray & 4K tomorrow, May 15th and get hours of exclusive behind-the-scenes content looking at the costumes and much more!
Jai and I have had a very busy 2018 so far: We spent a month traveling through England and Iceland on our “Euro Honeymoon”, where we had did some once-in-a-lifetime sightseeing, spent time with my UK side of the family, and attended two wedding celebrations with my relatives who were unable to travel to America for our wedding. It was incredible in so many ways – and it was also a little different from your typical honeymoon, so I was a little stumped when it came to packing. Newlyweds are usually packing bikinis to jet off to some tropical location, rather than bundling up for the cold climates on our list! I wanted to find clothes that would keep us warm while still looking cute and honeymoon-worthy, so I put out a call for ideas and was pleasantly surprised to discover some of the best travel-friendly, cold-weather-suitable pieces I’ve ever come across! With many Americans planning to travel for the Royal Wedding this month, and Iceland becoming one of 2018’s most popular travel destinations, I wanted to share my travel-tested recommendations to keep you stylish and snug on your cool adventures!
One of the most incredible moments of our trip was when we saw the Northern Lights in Iceland. It was truly a bucket list moment and we were so lucky to have gotten a glimpse of them! It was also the coldest moment of the trip – actually, of my entire life! Our tour took place late at night, and we followed the lights to two different locations, getting off the bus in remote spots with nothing but snow and rock surrounding us. We would stand outside admiring the lights and taking photos, and then quickly run back on the heated tour bus to thaw out! What struck me is how the cold would sneak up – I would feel fine one moment, and the next instant, it would hit me like a freight train. My (Gloved!) fingers got so cold that they went numb to the point of being very painful – I’d never experienced that one before. All this to say, I was very grateful to have found so many fashionable and WARM clothing options to bring along on the trip!
Jai wearing his RAVEAN Heated Jacket in Liverpool
His and hers coats
Jai and I instantly fell in love with the his-and-hers jackets we received from RAVEAN. A stylish, warm coat is hard to find, so I was thrilled to see the sleek look of these classic black windbreakers. But the best part? These jackets are heated! Powered by a 12V Lithium Ion Battery that fits snugly inside a pocket, you can control the temperature level with a button on the jacket’s collar. The battery also works as a mega phone charger, which is seriously awesome! These heated jackets were so wonderful to have during many frigid days on our trip.
Beeb in her RAVEAN Heated Jacket
Exploring Haworth
Full disclosure: We did experience a malfunction on the battery pack on one of these jackets. RAVEAN were great about replacing the battery and we haven’t had any further issues; it appears to have been a fluke defect.
Layering is important for staying warm in frigid conditions. SAXX make a line of activewear and undergarments for men that are perfect for layering and designed to comfortably retain warmth, such as the Blacksheep Boxer Brief and Thermoflyte Long Sleeve Top.
One of the highlights of our trip was the opportunity to celebrate our wedding with family in the UK who were unable to be with us in person during our US wedding ceremony. One of our challenges while packing was finding nice, suitable outfits that wouldn’t take up too much space in our suitcases – so I was thrilled to discover Bluffworks!
Bluffworks are a men’s clothing line that boast the first “Travel Suit” that I’ve ever seen. This men’s formalwear set includes dress pants and shirts with a matching, sharp blazer available in a variety of classic colors – and there’s something very special that makes these pieces stand out. All three components of the outfit are truly wrinkle-free! Jai received a Gramercy Blazer and Pants in Gotham Grey, paired with a Meridian Dress Shirt in Peak Blue Tattersall. He threw them into his suitcase, then shoved them into a smaller backpack after we got to England so that he could bring them along to my aunt and uncle’s house for a weekend. He pulled them out, put them on, and I took the photos you see above. NO IRONING! NO WRINKLES! I was truly stunned – I’ve bought Jai “Wrinkle free” shirts before that still require some level of careful hanging or quick ironing. Not with Bluffworks! Meanwhile, I had to borrow ask my aunt where her ironing board was so that I could iron the pretty dress I brought to wear myself. I pointed at Jai’s suit and told her that it had come all the way from America with no ironing, and she was absolutely amazed!
But wait, there’s more! Bluffworks suits are also MACHINE WASHABLE! Every other suit that either of us have owned in our lives has required dry cleaning. I can’t believe how truly “Wash and wear” this suit is, because it looks like a million bucks – like it was tailored to Jai. And yet, there is no ironing, no fuss, and we can throw it into the WASHING MACHINE to clean it – talk about easy maintenance while you’re traveling!
In addition to that, this suit is not bulky and folds up easily in your suitcase – another huge plus. Their clothes also feature hidden, zippered pockets for securely storing items such as wallets and passports. Jai’s suit was not only ideal for wearing at our wedding celebrations, but the shirt and pants were also great mix-and-match pieces for wearing casually, which gives fantastic versatility when you’re traveling and need to make efficient use of your suitcase space.
As someone who travels for work constantly, I am hoping that someday Bluffworks will come out with a line of suits for women, as well! As someone who wears business suits on airplanes all through the year, I would be over the moon to find something like Bluffworks that you could wear on a plane, toss in your suitcase, and still look put together and wrinkle-free – and then toss into your washing machine when you get home!! (Don’t even ask how much Dryel I go through in a year…) Not to mention the extreme lack of pockets in women’s suits! Bluffworks, there is a huge untapped market for your amazing suits and I can’t wait to see what new products you will bring out, especially in the ladies market, hint hint! 😉
When you’re traveling, you’re naturally going to spend a lot of time on your feet tromping through airports and sightseeing. And when Jai and I are in Europe, we opt to take advantage of public transportation rather than going through the extra expense and hassle of renting a car – which means that we do a lot more walking in England than we do in America. This requires shoes that are practical, comfortable, and also warm – which is no easy feat to find in women’s shoes, never mind one that is also stylish! So I was very pleased to discover Secret Celebrity, a brand designed to give you the Hollywood look – no matter where in the world you may be.
I packed a pair of their Serendipity hidden wedge sneaker/booties into my suitcase, and they served me very well! Whether you’re walking through Brontë country or making your way over volcanic rock in Iceland, these boots can keep you comfortable, cozy, and cute! In fact, when I was unpacking my suitcase, my family noticed the boots and commented on how nice they were. So if you want celebrity-caliber compliments while wearing a practical shoe, you need Secret Celebrity!
Afternoon at Victoria Park
Getting into the swing of things
What are your travel essentials?
Being a mother is the one of the greatest fulfillments for a woman. As mothers, you spend sleepless nights and uncountable hours to keep up with your demanding life. Every night when you tuck your children into bed, an angelic smile crosses your lips; this is what constitutes the most beautiful moment for a mother.
But in the daily churn, mothers tend to forget caring for themselves. It is imperative for you as a mother to save some love for yourself, one which will give you a sense of energy and happiness. With the Mother’s Day approaching fast, what better way to treat yourself than a worthwhile gift? You would surely be ushered with gifts from your child, but how about quenching your desires and picking up a glittery personalized piece of jewelry that you might like.
Jewelries are every ladies personal favorite and helps add a touch of flamboyance to your entire look. Let us help you make a worthwhile pick today; read along:
· Dress up your fingers with spectacular rings
Gone are the days of wearing traditional rings. You can now get adventurous with your rings. It’s time for you to step out and try something funky and trendy for those beautifully manicured hands.
Go for a glittery solitaire set in rose gold or those finger-impression personalized rings that are worth a thousand smiles or even those designer pieces with your name engraved in it; the choice lies in your hand.
· Earrings that oozes your personality
Earrings have also followed the trend of personalization. With a dangling stud or your favorite rhinestone, you can get the earrings personalized with initials. Not to mention, those monogram earrings which are the hot favorites this season.
Get them in any style, and they will help complete your look. Be ready to sport a new style, whether it is studs, rings or danglers; they will all help incorporate an element of personalization to your look.
3. Let your look echo beauty with stylish necklaces
There is not a single form of jewelry that catches the attention of your surrounding than a stylish neck piece. This mother’s day, flaunt a name necklace or a monogrammed one and shower yourself with some much-needed self-love. My Name Necklace catalog offers you all you desire for. It’s the one-stop-shop for elegant personalization.
4. Bracelets that make you shine
A delicate string around your wrist further adds to your feministic demeanor, in the most stylish way possible. With so much to pick from, a personalized bracelet is a delight in your jewelry box. Right from bangle bracelets with an engraved name to letter charms dangling along the wrist, bracelets ensure that you complete your look.
Conclusion
Self-love is limitless; right from some tiny materialistic indulgence to taking a day off relaxing under the warm sun, a mother deserves it all. As gorgeous as you are, you deserve every bit of love and care for you to go above and beyond your limits to offer comfort and care to your beautiful family.
This Mother’s day listen to your heart and gift you
We are collaborating with our favorite bloggers again. This time, the main blogger is Whisky n Sunshine. She is working with Macy’s in Oregon and the new Macy’s Backstage store, it sounds like a great store. We love Macy’s. We have quite a few of them and they are all amazing! So check out her blog post and see what you can win below!
The new Macy’s Backstage store in Oregon is in the Lloyd Center in Portland and is one of only four on the West Coast. It’s the newest off-price shopping experience in the West open on April 14th. That’s tomorrow!!!
If you enjoy finding great fashion at great prices, Macy’s Backstage is for you. It’s 17,600-square-feet of easy shopping offers one-stop shopping with a great selection of fashion-forward merchandise for men, women, and children, and includes an expanded assortment of beauty brands, jewelry, designer handbags, shoes, luggage, gourmet foods, home décor, pet supplies, toys, kid’s shoes, electronics, workout gear, and more. Trends are prominently displayed with direction on how to wear and all merchandise is on the floor.
Check out the incredible Tahari bargain Jana from Whisky + Sunshine scored at Macy’s Backstage!
One lucky reader will win a $100 Gift Card to Macy’s Backstage to shop for their own new spring outfit or home décor makeover. Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Ends 4/26 1159 pm PT.
We received a gift card to visit Justice and try out their new clothing from Mackenzie Ziegler by Justice. Our opinions are our own.
My little dancer loves her acting classes right now. I’m sure I’ve mentioned a few times that she takes about 12 hours of acting classes a week.
These classes involve 3 – 4 hours of dancing and a few hours of singing. During the past month they have worked to combine all three and while she does these things she needs to be comfortable. And of course, if you know my daughter comfortable also means fashionable. She has always had a gift at combining outfits to create the most stylish looks and the clothing from Mackenzie Ziegler at Justice allow her to do just that.
Justice is the #1 destination for all things tween girls. Justice is Zoe’s favorite store, any time we go to the mall she wants to check out what’s new. We’ve joined their points program and she got a free gift for her birthday. And we’re so excited about the newest collaboration with singer, dancer and former Dance Moms star, Mackenzie Ziegler.
Justice and Mackenzie have teamed up to launch another fun line that Mackenzie helped design herself. And we love all the fun colors. I love how everything mixes and matches, and Zoe even matches it with other Justice fashion!
Samples provided.
This Fall, we’ve been delighted to try some more clothing from Jojo Maman Bebe. As usual, their collections offer classic styles and whimsical accents. The quality of each and every piece of clothing is superb, and I don’t use that word lightly. I know that my daughter, Juniper, can really wear these pieces. They aren’t the kind of clothes that a parent might feel has to be reserved for special occasions for fear of them being ruined. I can easily machine wash them (I follow the tag instructions for washing and drying) and know that they’ll come out looking just as good as new!
We received the following from the Fall/Winter 2017 Nightwear and Outerwear collections:
Your child will be sure to stay cozy this season with these fabulous pieces from Jojo Maman Bebe!
Oh, holiday shopping! Are you dreading the crowds? Cringe at the thought of hustling from crowded store to crowded store? Why not save yourself the hassle this year, and find fabulous gifts for every woman on your list from 7 Charming Sisters? You know I’m a big fan of their jewelry, which was the creation of seven women who had been colleagues for years. They created seven different lines of jewelry inspired by each woman’s personality, from edgy to bohemian. Because their jewelry represents every type of woman, there is a gift for every lady on your holiday shopping list! And it’s a purchase you can feel good about, as 7 Charming Sisters is dedicated to helping those with disabilities find jobs; many handmade pieces are created by those with intellectual disabilities who earn commission. Learn more about 7 Charming Sisters and see my top holiday gift picks in this fun video:
These are the pieces featured in the video:
Save 15% off your total order (excluding sale items) at 7CharmingSisters.com by using promo code: MomStart15
This post is sponsored by Justice.
My daughter has starting spending over 12 hours of her week every week in acting classes. At least four of those hours are dedicated to dance. So we have found that she is in need of more dance clothes and her favorite place to go is Justice. As a mom, I love the way the clothing at Justice fits her. She is comfortable and dressed appropriately. Having a slender tween body we often have issues finding clothing that fits her mid area while being long enough for her. Which again is just one of the reasons why I LOVE Justice. 
But the biggest reason for both of us would be the fun and lively options they have with their partnership with Mackenzie Ziegler. Mackenzie Ziegler is a singer and dancer that used to be on Dance Moms. Her line “Mackenzie Ziegler for Justice Active” is the perfect selection for active girls. 
We love her clothing line.
The prices on the collection range from $6.90 to $29.90 offering a wide assortment of mix and match options that are perfect for any budget. Along with this amazing new line, Mackenzie created a new song and video called “Perfect Holidays” it’s all about embracing the holiday spirit and sharing love with people you care about during the holidays. You can watch it here:
The line is now available nationwide at Justice stores, on-line and you can even shop from your phone on the Live Justice App. You can also create a wish list which I’m going to make sure that Zoe does for her grandma. Her grandma is coming here for Christmas and will more than likely just take her to Justice and buy some clothes for her, but if I know my mom and I do, she will want to show up with something too. This is the easiest way for Zoe to share with her what she wants. It’s really easy to do.
I just downloaded the app to my phone and found some really great holiday fashion items. Their clothing is so age appropriate from active wear, lounge wear, to everyday wear to dressy.
Justice clothing is the #1 destination for all things tween girl, and that’s all my daughter wants for her Christmas gifts this year is either clothing from there or gift cards so she can pick out her own outfits. And we recommend this gift for all tween girls.
If you’re looking to update your man’s wardrobe with some new pieces for fall, then you’ll want to check out the Gap’s new collaboration with Gentleman’s Quarterly. This limited-edition collection of menswear features three of GQ’s Best New Menswear Designers, who created mini-collections exclusively for Gap+GQ. This line blends function with fashion in pieces ranging from sweaters and button down shirts to denim and tee shirts, as well as outerwear and accessories.
Meet The Designers:
Ami (Paris, France)— AMI’s Alexandre Mattiussi draws inspiration from the streets of Paris, turning sportswear and streetwear on its head. The result is the definition of modern French style.
United Arrows and Sons (Tokyo, Japan) — United Arrows and Sons, the brainchild of Motofumi “Poggy” Kogi, is the driving force behind Japanese fashion, bringing together refined tailoring and cutting-edge casual-wear to create an entirely original attitude.
Kinfolk (Brooklyn, New York) — Founded by Jey Perie, Kinfolk is the heart and soul of the Brooklyn creative class, creating streetwise clothes with an edgy sensibility. Inspired by workwear and urbane archetypes, their clothes are easy and relaxed and coveted by those in the know.
The pieces range in price from $29 to $299, making them accessible to any guy who wants to bring some globe-trotting style to his wardrobe. Gap+GQ is available online and in select stores and will only be available for a limited time, so get a jump on your holiday shopping for him today!
