I doubted that I would be able to keep up with my blog or anything fashion related during my doctorate program, but in the name of self-love, I’m proving myself wrong. I refuse to spend the next three-and-a-half-ish years of my life feeling/looking like a frumpy mess. I believe, whole-heartedly, that we must dress for the life we want and that we must let our outsides be an expression of our insides. You deserve to feel good about the way you look. You deserve to wear clothes that you LOVE. You deserve to feel amazing, every day. Fashion, for me, is self-love. It’s taking good care of myself. It’s showing up for myself and feeling pretty even if I am just fighting traffic and going to class or going to the grocery store and seeing clients. It’s not vain or shallow. It’s an expression of my truest self. It’s my creative outlet.
It’s art.
It’s showing the world who you are and what you want. For me that often means a style that is sort of feminine and fun with a touch of hippie. For you it’s likely something very different. I think it’s important to let my style resonate with who I am on the inside. Have you heard a song that touches your soul? That makes you feel like someone else on this planet knows what it feels like to be alive – to be you? Fashion is kind of like that. The right outfit resonates to a deep place instead of me and matches me. It’s like it vibrates at the same level I do.
Some outfits make you feel consistent, congruent and like yourself.
I heard this closet-clean-out suggestion the other day: My good friend, Jennifer, was interviewing, the author, Tess Whitehurst on the radio. Tess suggested to go through your closet while songs that resonate with you play. We all have various sides of us, but I imagined playing my Self-Love Playlist on Spotify which are my favorite fun/happy/I-am-obsessed-with-life songs (i.e. the songs that represent the life I want and a side of myself that I want to have full expression). Tess suggested that you take everything out of your closet, and as you go through the items, and only put back in things you feel good in, that match your heart.
My personal rule has always been that at least four times a year, I must throw out anything I do not love that also does not serve me. If I don’t love it but it serves a purpose OR I love it, but it serves no purpose, I keep it. If it does neither – I toss it. (Click here for this and 14 other life-changing tips.)
I believe that donating/selling all the extra stuff you’ve held on to send a message to the world that you are ready for more and that you know that there is enough to go around. I believe that there is enough out there for me and that no matter what happens, I will have enough. For me, holding on to random crap feels exactly the same as holding on to the mentality of lack that I had for many years. I choose to keep only want I love, giving someone else that chance to love what I no longer do, giving me the opportunity to earn as I sell, giving to others things they need as I donate, and clearing space in my closet to be able to see and be grateful for what I have.
I hope this inspires you to do a closet clean out that feels good to you and make room for the kind of style, year and life you desire.
My Fall Style: hairpieces, faux fur, faux leather accents, mala beads, wine as a color, winter white, winter white, winter white, lots and lots of gold, little rings, houndstooth, and as many statement pieces as possible.
To making space for the kind of style, year and life you desire and deserve,
For your fashion post this week, I give you My Week in Outfits, Make-up, and Hair Pizza.
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Friday
Upon landing in Tulsa, Drew and I headed to a little spot called The Phoenix that I’ve been dying to try. I loved the atmosphere, the sandwiches, the veggies and humus, and the yummy drinks! I was in even in love with the pink couch I sat on! It’s in the Pearl District, right outside downtown Tulsa and you must go!
As Drew and I went to explore after lunch, I found this pink building that was the exact same color as the pink couch we had lunch on and that made me HAPPY! 🙂
When I travel I always wear either leggings or stretchy denim, like these floral pants from Forever 21. Throw on a v-neck or cotton tee and flats and you are traveling ready. For colder days, add in a scarf and a jacket. My v-neck is from Wal-Mart and my flats are Steve Madden.
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Saturday
Brunch is my favorite meal of the week.
On this Saturday morning at the Stone Horse, I opted for these Ugg Boots, H&M sheer button up, Michael Kors faux fur vest, and my Michael Kors bag with a top-knot, of course.
To make your hair look like that and love your life more in under 60 seconds, click here. You really should look.
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Sunday
I’d like to show you my Sunday outfit, but there isn’t one. Unless a tee shirt and leggings count (which it sometimes does, but in this case really doesn’t – trust me). So instead here is the homemade pizza drew and I made. Mine has tofu and a little cheese with artichoke hearts. His has seven kinds of pig and all of the cheese in the world.
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Monday
Back in Dallas. Monday was just a rainy day of just seeing a few clients, drinking green juice and happening upon an old bedside table that I am going to paint and turn into something amazing for my house.
This is my make-up. Pink lips and black cat-eyes made me happy.
I’ve been asked recently for my fav eyeliner picks! I mostly use Benefit Black Magic – Black Liquid Liner. My favorite lip colors are Dior #444 and #752, but Cover Girl Fairytale #405 and Spellbound #325 recently entered my life when I forgot my make up on my Christmas Caribbean adventure and have been surprisingly wonderful additions. I have on Spellbound in this picture.
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Tuesday
Tuesday meant Winter White for the Coast to Coast Challenge girls. I didn’t ever get an outfit pic, but this is me on my way to meet a client. This winter white coat definitely made my day.
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Wednesday
Sometimes (very very rarely, but sometimes) I wake up and blow out my hair and then go do things with my life with clean hair. This was one of those days.
Dress is Audrey, boots are Uggs, Jacket is from a little shop in Florence, Italy, necklace is from JC Penny.
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Thursday
Anyone who loves their home city as much as I do knows that you have to represent. While in Tulsa, the manfriend and I set out on a quest to every t-shirt shop around to find a shirt I would love as much as my Don’t Hate the 918 shirt.
Tulsa has a surprising amount of t-shirt shops and it was quite an endeavor, but eventually I found this one. A nice person at shop that I can’t seem to find via Google (I think it’s Hometown Tees? Between Mama Joe’s and the Max in the Blue Dome District?) found it in the back for me and let me buy it even though it wasn’t for sell!
So on Thursday I sported it for Graphics Day with Coast to Coast Challenge. If you don’t know what the C2C Challenge is you definitely need to stop and click here right now.
I wore it with my black skinny J-Brands, the leather jacket from Italy, and my nude Louboutins. I hate to do this to you again, but if you haven’t read about how I bought my first pair of Loubs, you may really need to stop what you are doing again and click here, but only if you are interested in creating an amazing life for yourself and shifting every perception you have that says you don’t have enough of something to get what you want of everything.
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Friday
For a bonus outfit (and to make up for the pizza), I give you an eighth outfit! Friday, I wore this great shirt that I got FOR FREE at Buffalo Exchange when I went to sell old things that I no longer loved. You sell things, they give you money, you buy new things… beautiful.
I believe that you must get rid of anything that you do not love and that no longer serves you. To read more about that and other ways to clean up your life in the areas of Health, Romance, Money, and Relationship, click here!
So I wore the little sparkly shirt by Sanctuary Clothing, with my black skinny jeans, black pumps that were given to me when I interviewed Vince Camuto (read that interview here), some little silver Wal-Mart earrings and this green Nila Anthony bag found at Ross.
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Remember to Create Outfits and a Life that You Effing Love.
When one opens a shoebox containing the work of Vince Camuto they will find the following words inscribed beneath the lid:
“I’m passionate about creating a product that women really want… infusing great style, comfort and unparalleled value, for every stage of her life.”
Based on the time I spent with Vince Camuto this weekend, I’d say this is an accurate reflection of his life and work.
AF: So, I intended to research you earlier this week, but I was graduating with my masters so I was, well, busy. I actually finished everything up yesterday! So this morning I turned to Wikipedia.
I of course knew that you were a co-founder for Nine West and was well aware of the brand that bears your namesake, obviously. But as I started reading I found out so much more: You developed the BCBG Max Azria and BCBGirls footwear lines, launched brands for Dillard’s such as Antonio Melani and Gianni Bini, have created lines for Banana Republic and Lucky Brand, designed for Jessica Simpson’s line, and have partnered with Tory Burch to create the Reva flat which is literally the most popular ballet flat in the world.
I found myself thinking, this man is literally responsible for a large majority of my shoe collection. And here we are now for a runway show for this season’s Vince Camuto collection.
VC: Yes, it’s been good. We started with quality shoes at a great value. Now we are putting it all together and focusing on the lifestyle. We are really proud of that. We have a full ready-to-wear line and have introduced a denim line called TWO. We now have 27 categories for women. The brand has really grown. I think we’ve been able to do this because we have what women like: an approachable designer with a fashionable product at a good price, using beautiful leathers.
AF: Out of all of this, what are you most proud of?
VC: [Personally…] My children. Seeing my kids grow. I have one that is in the business now. He’s 23 and has a great eye and I’m very proud of him, but very proud of all the others too. I have a younger one and older ones. We’ve got them at all different stages. To see the development of my children makes me very proud.
[Professionally…] I’m also very proud of our people. Our business is very people oriented. We have a lot of women working in the company, and I truthfully think there is a women’s movement going on right now. Our company consists of women who are mostly 25-35. They have a great energy, good fashion sense, and are incredible business-wise. I love working with them. Sometimes it can be challenging, but I don’t mind a strong woman. My wife is a strong woman, you know.
AF: It sounds like you can really appreciate this type of woman.
VC: At the end of the day if you’re in the fashion industry and you are a man, you have to be able to communicate and find out what women are looking for. You can’t be stubborn or have blinders on. So we talk to women all the time. I come to events like this and I talk to women, I listen to them and we find out what they want. I learn so much this way.
AF: How has this affected your creative process?
VC: We try to create a cohesive look within ourselves to serve what these women want. We are not just a ready-to-wear brand or a shoe brand. We have the entire look at a good price and that’s hard to come by. It’s what the American woman wants: a great style, at a great perceived value, and with consistent quality.
We are always listening. We knew they were going to like the moto-boot. It’s the big look this year, as we predicted. Our moto-boot called the Winchell sold out at Nordstrom. And we’re buying more into this. Booties are very big. We love the ankle boots and the short boots; they look cool. And with the weather being sometimes warmer in Texas you can wear it now and keep wearing it. Lower heels look cool with the current clothing. You can take the bootie or the low pump and wear it with tight pants or a dress for a change. Not everything has to be high heeled.
It’s unbelievable, you know, women all know and all like the same thing at the same time. How you guys do it, I don’t know. Truthfully that’s a woman’s thing. How does that work? And how can we plug into it?
AF: Well for me, I’ll be feeling something, and wanting it strongly and looking for it. I can’t always find it in stores when I want it, but once I do find it I blog it, tweet it, instagram it, and facebook it.
VC: Some of you advance it. You tell the rest of the women.
AF: And social media is causing trends to happen faster because we all know what one another is wearing instantly.
{at this point Vince and I were told we were out of time}
AF: One last question. My blog focuses on being an empowered woman, finding your passion, and doing what you love. How did you know that this is what you were going to do with your life?
VC: You know I started out working in a very expensive women’s shoe store in New York. What wasn’t there to like? I met with all the beautiful women. I was on Fifth Avenue. I was into the ascetics and beauty. Right style. Right atmosphere. I learned about the fashion.
AF: I’d assume you’d have to make yourself into a business man to do all that you have done?
VC: I was born in Manhattan and grew up on the lower east side. I did take some business courses along the way, but I had street sense and I loved fashion.
AF: And the passion just grew?
VC: And the passion just grew. I love it more than ever before.
Consider Me Completely Inspired.
Xo,
Amanda Frances
A big thank you to Melissa and Dillard’s for this opportunity.
While I don’t regularly post celeb pics, I do consider the purpose of amandafrances.com to post inspirational content.
And since I am complete taken by these Translucent and Crystal Stud-Embellished Silver Metallic Leather Christian Louboutin Pumps that Emma Stone wore last night to The Spider Man Premiere, I felt it appropriate to share.
After a little OoOoing and AwWing around the web, I became even more obsessed with this gold and lace version… like dying-with-love type of obsessed.
Leave it to Christian Louboutin to combine plastic with crystal studs and change my life.
Consider me inspired.
And while you’re swooning and wishing for a pair, read this post about how I got my first Louboutins.
2015: This is one of my very favorite blogs. I wrote it during grad school. I was nannying part time, coaching part time, and trying to make shit happen. This story was my very first attempt at intentional manifesting a certain amount of money for a certain heart-felt endeavor. I had been manifesting my whole life, but never a certain amount of money for a certain thing. In the 2 and a half years since I wrote this, I have built a profitable business that beyond supports me, multiplied my income sevenfold, gone on lots of amazing trips, done lots of cool shit, and bought even more expensive shoes… but I love this simplicity of my very first attempt at putting the “God has my back” feeling I knew was true in my heart into the form of quickly bringing people, things, and opportunities into my life to support my desires. I hope you enjoy.
The right pair of shoes may actually be able to change your life.
I remember the first time I saw a pair of Christian Louboutins. I also remember the first time I googled them and discovered that they cost, what seemed like, a bajillion dollars-ish. I then put this desire into the “someday” category of my dreams.
Why don’t we believe that the universe and all that is good will conspire with us to find a way to help us fulfill our desires? Why do we think we can’t have what we want?
I think there are three main reason.
1. We have created reasons why we can’t have what we desire.
These are called limiting beliefs.
Limiting beliefs are usually founded in the concept of Not Enough (not good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough, not rich enough) and sound like: “It must be nice to have what she has… I just wasn’t born into a family that can buy me that… I’m not pretty enough for a guy like him… I’ll never be able to get into a school like that… etc”
Limiting beliefs stand in the way of all that we can have, do and be.
So instead of saying “I really love these shoes and have coveted them for 4 years, but I don’t have that kind of money” – I put ‘Nude Hidden Platform Louboutins’ in my journal on the same list as ‘Change the World’ ‘Ride an elephant in Bali’ and ”five new clients by x date”
It is NOT about having stuff – it is about removing the belief system standing in our way of having what we desire: job, relationship, some sort of opportunity, or even shoes.
2. We don’t know what we want.
Sometimes, being a girl, I kind of want everything. So when I decided to I wanted these particular kind of shoes I really had no idea which pair I would get first. There is more than one pair of Nude Hidden Platform Louboutins, apparently. With a bit of online research, however, I was able narrow it down to two pairs. And once I visited a store it was painfully obvious which pair of shoes were the ones for me.
It doesn’t matter if we are talking about a man, a career, or a shoe – start the process of getting clear about what you want.
3. We don’t know how to attract what we want.
Here is the simplest way I’ve heard it up (via Gabby Bernstein): Assume the energy of that which you desire.
Feelings (inspiration, passion, etc) produces energy. When you feel something deeply and strongly and with all you of you, you attract more of that to yourself. What you put out, you get back. Walk around with super low energy, while not believing anything good will happen to you – and that’s exactly what you’ll get.
Assuming the energy of that which you desire means feeling what it would feel like to already have what you want.
What did I want? Cuoio Leather New Delic Christian Louboutins. How would it feel to have them? Effing amazing. I decided to start feeling effing amazing about the shoes I didn’t have yet.
How could I get them? Buying them. How would it feel to buy them? Like someone who had plenty of funds to buy fabulous shoes. So decided to feel like money was no big deal and the effing amazing shoes would soon be mine.
Desiring something, removing your limiting beliefs, and believing you can have it doesn’t mean it’s handed to you. It means you put yourself in a place where you are not being overwhelmed by the idea that you can’t have what you want.
I wrote it, I imagined it, I felt it, and then I just relaxed. Everything suddenly felt really simple. Over conversation with friends, I realized that if I save x number of dollars a week for just 8 weeks, that I could march my happy ass to the Christian Louboutins Boutique in Highland Park Village and pay in cash. I had been putting money aside for a trip that had been cancelled, so that started my savings. Out-of-no-where a very sweet friend sent me a little bit of money. Then I saved a little. Way sooner than I expected, I had what I needed to get what I wanted.
And buying them was completely as delicious as I would have imagined.
I have never been this satisfied with a purchase in all my life.
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So here I am sitting in Highland Park Village wearing my shoes, blogging, having just come from a major opportunity that was on the same list in my journal as the Louboutins.
I love my new shoes. They add height, class, confidence and sass.
They adjust your posture, hug your feet and provide the perfect amount of toe cleavage.
I love the way they look, smell, and feel.
I feel fantastic in them.
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We all have a fearful, negative, crazy part of our minds. We all have limiting beliefs that try to tell us that we don’t deserve and will never get what we want.
I regularly ask God (higher being, inner guide, or whatever name fits for you) to help me see things differently – to not see things will limitations through the eyes of fear, but see opportunity and good fortune through the eyes of love.
Our fears will always be there, attempting to weight us down, but we have a choice.
Even now, I could probably slip into an ,”I should have spent this money somewhere else. This was not a good decision. I’ll only have one pair ever. My shirt is from Target. I have not made enough month to deserve this. I still want to get a PhD and I’ll be in school for ever. Blah Blah Blah.”
Or I can think, ” I did it. I did it. I did it. I did it. Yay! I love love love how this feels. I feel amazing and I expect all kinds of amazing shit ahead of me. Eff yeah.”
And as I put out this positive, high-level energy – I know am attracting more awesome-ness to myself.
So how can the right pair of shoes change your life?
It’s simple: You feel fabulous in them.
And feeling good is part of our life’s work.
If you want to know more about this manifestation-stuff, including my 9 stop process for receiving anything you desire, check out my Money Mindset Make-Over course! Woot!
Shoes transform your body and attitude. They transform you physically and emotionally. – Christian Louboutin
For me it is very important to be happy… Designing is a great thing alone, but the great thing about designing is to bring happiness. – Christian Louboutin
