#askthenotoriouskia

Shanae writes...

Hi Kia,
  
 My name's Shanae im from Brooklyn and my 21st birthday is coming up very soon (JANUARY 4TH 2013 TO BE EXACT). Anywho im completely buggin out because i have yet to find an outfit, im low on funds, and im confused about what i should wear. BTW for my birthday im going to dinner with my boyfriend, and then im going to the club with my family. (Its Aspen social club btw if you wanna come im inviting you lol ). anyways, what do you think i should wear? should i wear a dress even tho its January? should i wear two diff outfits to dinner and then to the club? omg help lol

Hey Shanae, thanks so much for your email. HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY!!! You only turn 21 once so go all out. Personally I think you should wear a dress, a nice long sleeve dress would do if you're concerned about the cold weather. If you're coming home after the dinner with your boyfriend and then going back out I would suggest two separate outfits. On the other hand one outfit for the night should suffice, this way you're not trying to find two separate outfits or somewhere to change. Forever 21, Asos.com, and Missselfridge.com all have really nice affordable dresses. I've also attached an image board I created for some inspiration. I hope this helps and happy birthday <3

Peace & dopeness,

Kia

***Send all your #askthenotoriouskia submissions to: thenotoriouskia@gmail.com***

Dope Since 1986 x Unorthodox Clothing

Dope Since 1986 has now teamed up with Unorthodox Clothing and now offers the indie brand on their site.

Unorthodox was conceptualized in 2006 and produced its first collection in 2010. Unorthodox is a lifestyle brand that incorporates real life events with street subculture. Its inspiration is a blend between New York’s street culture & Southern California’s suburban culture. The perspectives of these two urban centers make a hell of a brand and portray individuality like no other brand available. Unorthodox was created for the individual, the person that doesn’t want to follow trends and fads but love to create them. The imagery and creative visuals Unorthodox specializes in are thought provoking and were chosen specifically to spark conversation. Unorthodox Clothing is a unique clothing line that focuses on the concept of being an individual. Expressing one’s thoughts through fashion is a trend we strive to uphold. “Dare to Be Different” is our Motto and that we are.

With Unorthodox Clothing's "dare to different" mantra combined with the free from conformity, out of the box mentality that Dope Since 1986 preaches the sky is truly the limit !

Living for the present & the future don't exist

Hurricane Sandy came through like a woman scorned and completely devastated the city of New York. I welcome you to the useful ramblings of my head during the 48 hour period that I was without power. Enjoy!

11:55am Wednesday October 31, 2012 - The power has now been out for about 36 hours. I'm sitting here with only the light from my iPad illuminating the room; in fact I'm actually typing this on my iPad. No Tv...no Netflix...no Internet....cell phone - dead. ABSOLUTELY NO POWER. All I have at this point is my iPad, 85% battery left, my iPod, 70% battery left, & my brain...although i haven't eaten yet, I'm at least at 90%. It's funny how clutch Apple products are. I've listened to "White Dress" by Kanye at least a dozen times just thinking........

[puts iPod on shuffle...lets mix it up a bit]

12:15 pm - My life is constantly evolving, changing, & being put into perspective. Not because I may specifically want it to but most likely because it's God's will....I've accepted it & because of this I've adopted this "live for the moment" ideal. I'm not sure where my life will be 5 years from now or even 5 days from now BUT I do know where my life is right now and I'm gonna make it the best damn moment of my life.

I'm kinda like a bird...a free spirit. I try to not be so consumed with stress & problems....I just go with the flow and hope for the best. It's gotten me through 26 years of life so ehh I guess it works.

(At this point I'm just being random....welcome to the ramblings in my head....I'm so damn bored I don't know what to do...just me and my thoughts. I usually like being alone, I welcome it with open arms but this right hurrrr sucks! )

12:32 pm - I don't have time for dull or unhappy moments. If you're not helping me progress you're holding me back and sorry but you gotta go. I have no time for dead weight. I have somewhat of a selfish way of thinking but at the end of the day all you really have is yourself so why not make sure YOURself is taken care of first? Not even when it comes to material things, they stay in the moment, you can't take them when you leave this earth, but I'm talking about mentally & emotionally. Nobody should be holding you back from achieving absolute happiness. Remember happiness is a state of mind. You can be in the most effed up predicament possible but have that peace of mind....things can always be worst and somebody out there will always have it worse than you so stop feeling sorry for yourself, get up & make moves!

iPad - 82%; iPod 50%...gotta make this quick

[typing that gave me some motivation & inspiration to write out a to do list...and then to do a quick blog for The Red Tag Society, be back in a few]

12:56 pm - "tired of living day to day like every thing's alright, every night just one thing on my mind, just waiting on that moment, just waiting on MY moment...."

And it's almost here...so close I can taste it. These dreams need to start really materializing. I'm tired of being patience saying "I'm up next, my time will come." Nah, my time is now.

I refuse to be out worked.

I tell myself this every morning when I wake up, right before I go to sleep, & and anytime I feel "lazy." There's always somebody out there working harder than you, trying to take YOUR spot...remember that. Every time I think of that I can help but think about that "sleep is forbidden" quote from Diddy - "Sleep is forbidden. Seconds can not be wasted. Once time is lost, you lose & losing is for losers"....or something like that. It's basically saying there's no time to be wasted, whether you're literally sleeping or consuming your time with things that aren't directly putting you in the direction of achieving your goals - wasted time.

1:09 pm - Stay hungry. Stay humble. If you don't remember anything else, remember that. Nobody likes a cocky person who thinks hard work doesn't pay off. We don't want your handouts over here.

2:05pm - I feel like I'm always preaching to you guys but I'm not, I just want y'all to be great.

Completely forgot it's Halloween until some kids knock on the door screaming "trick or treat." Trick or treat, really? We don't even have power but we're out tricking & treating....you see how our priorities are all screwed up.  I guess the show must go on, huh?

4:31 pm -Still no power. You gotta think though, this is what peace & serenity is all about. No vibrating cell phone every 2 minutes. Yea peace

This was a much needed escape from the outside world, though a part of me is crying for the Internet. We live in the age of technology &'its times like these that make you realize how much you take for granted. This is definitely God's way of stirring the pot & telling us to WAKE UP! This can all be gone within a blink of an eye so lets not waste time. God is a funny dude.

4:51pm - thinking about the last few months & how my life has changed....yea God is a funny dude but he's the homie. Many doors & chapters have closed but just as many have opened. Blessed. Thank you God.

It's crazy how we're always asking God for something or praying he gets us out of a situation but how often do we just thank him just bc? Rarely ever. He holds us down but it's rarely reciprocated smh 

Me at The Weeknd concert this past weekend

*blows dust off album cover*

Exactly a year ago to date I started my YouTube channel and I never really thought I'd be11,000+ subscribers strong only a year in...sheesh that's a lot of damn people. I'm not sure if I shared this with you guys but  I started my YouTube channel (and online store) after I broke my ankle and was sentenced to my bed for 2+ months of bed rest. It was truly the most depressing experience ever. I went from doing it all to nothing at all; I realized there's only so much Gossip Girl you can watch before you realize how annoying Blair's voice is. Anywho, during this time I became an avid YouTube lurker, mainly hair and makeup....I was instantly inspired. If these chicks can make videos and lots of people watch them, why cant I? I turned something negative into a potentially great idea. This would be my avenue for expressing my passion while I was unable to leave the confines of my room. I started to draw inspiration from new areas like Tumblr & YouTube....seriously what have I been missing. If you dont take anything else from my story please take this: never give in. If you are truly passionate about something nothing on God's green (sometimes brown) earth can stop you or hold you back. Take me for example, I refused to let my current circumstances get the best of me and used it as motivation when most would just give up and succumb to their predicament. Breaking my ankle didn't define me so why should I allow that to keep me from doing what I loved. Sure I had to dig deep and think outside of the box but it sure did pay off. So yea a few clicks later and viola, I had a YouTube channel.

Not to get to deep and sound like I'm a guest on Dr. Phil but this experience was life changing....it seriously opened my eyes and put my life into perspective. Thank you Jenny Butler from tackling me and consequently causing me to break my ankle :)

Consequently its been 6 months since I actually posted on here...it's hard to keep track and update all these different social platforms; definitely is a full time job. I received an email today about joining a network on YouTube and this is what motivated me to finally after months update my blog. If I truly want to have a influence on this world I need to focus on many different avenues. Relevance is key. I want people to constantly see my name and face and wonder who the hell I am.  Rihanna is a great example of this...her work ethic is impeccable, hands down the most hard working female in the game. This chick is constantly on tour, you can't lurk a blog without seeing a picture of her, and her songs are always playing on every radio station. Everybody should want to model their work ethic around hers, I know I am.

I refuse to be out worked.

Peace & Dopeness <3

H is for High-Waisted

and its not even my birthday!!!


Greetings dolls & gents!!!

Check out this quick little tutorial on how to transform a pair of trousers into some high-waisted shorts. Peep the finished product below....

Its springtime and summer is almost here, its time to start getting creative with your winter clothes...stay tuned for more videos on how to do exactly that!!


making the world more dope one post at a time...

Peace & Dopeness!

OOTD: Preppy Chic

Bridge over troubled waters, ice in my Muddy Water...

Greetings & Salutations!!!!

I know its been foreverrrrrrrrrr since my last post, I'm not going to make empty promises and say I'll do better and I really wont, I'll just say I'll work on it lol...definitely check out my youtube channel in between blog post, I guarantee you will be equally as satisfied. 

So this post is dedicated to another Outfit of the Day! I guess I finally fell into this whole youtube culture - its very addicting, not just with making videos but watching them as well. I find myself spending countless hours at a time watching youtube videos on an array of subjects (mainly fashion, hair, and skin).  Definitely educational. Youtube without a doubt saves me a lot of money, I learned how to do my own hair & makeup from youtube. I also learned better hair and skin practices.

Anywho lets get to this edition of OOTD featuring a Preppy Chic swag! As I stated in a previous post I work in an office so my attire mainly consist of "business casual" which is super broad. Some people may see it as boring but as you can see from the above video it can be very fun and funky, you can always let your personality shine, dont feel limited by dressed codes or restrictions....see it as a benefit - it allows your creative juices to flow, you get to think outside of the box and experiment. For me business casual means anything goes except jeans, sneakers, sweats, shorts, leggins (as pants), and thats pretty much it for me. Everything else can be dressed up. My style in general is pretty much all over the place and that definitely transforms to the work environment as well, just not as wild lol. One of my coworkers told me I remind him of Denise Huxtable lol I definitely took that as a compliment, not only is she gorgeous, she's extremely fashionable and unique. If you've lived under a rock for the entire 90's and do not know who Denise Huxtable is, heres a quick lesson: 

I can see the resemblance a bit lol I definitely pull inspiration from various places, more subconsciously than consciously....I guess my style is embedded in me, I couldn't change it if I wanted to, and I wouldn't change it for the world....its me!

Making the world more dope one post at a time...

Peace & Dopeness!!

man.up

 

The Art of Menswear!

There's something about menswear tailoring that crafts a strong silhouette, and on a woman, it's more powerful - it sends a message & makes a statement. The "borrowed from the boys" style isn't new - we seen it, loved it, hated it, & wished it would die in the late 80's early 90's with the emergence of funky teen sitcoms, but today's menswear offers something a bit more elegant and defined. Women can still be sexy, feminine, and show of their curves all the while bringing a masculine flair of structure & precision.

Menswear on women is all about creating the right silhouette. A baggy blazer paired with loose trousers can turn a menswear look south in a heartbeat. Fit is numero uno!!! - probably the most important aspect of grasping the concept of menswear. Nothing loose or baggy...a defined waist & perfectly hemmed pants.

The button-down (or button-up) is an ideal piece. It can be mixed and matched with any texture, print, or fabric. There are infinite combinations, build your menswear look around it. I like it best with the sleeves pushed up above my elbows. Button-downs/ups can be masculine, androgynous, & feminine all at the same time + + +.

Overall menswear can actually be quite liberating. Channel your masculine energy and create looks that are suited for the office and for play!

Making the world more doper, one post at a time!

Peace & Dopeness!

from.nothing.2.something

Cinderella'd you girls, from nothing to something...

Greetings!!

First things first HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! 2012 is going to be a wonderful year, I can feel it!

Anywho, check out this video on how to alter your clothes without a needle and thread. As noted in the video, often times when you go to a thrift store you will rarely find something that is your exact size, so its important to know how to alter your clothes to fit your size & your style. A belt is the simplest item you can use to transform a blah piece into BLAOWWWWW! 

I hope you guys found this video helpful, stay tuned for future videos, & subscribe if you haven't done so already.

Making the world more doper, one post at a time!

Peace & Dopeness!