In a world of cats and bunnies for Halloween, dare to be different! Put down the $5.00 cat kit and get creative with your Halloween costume ideas! Here are a few of my ideas for last minute, DIY Halloween costumes.

Everyone (or maybe just myself) has a ridiculous amount of animal print clothing in your closet. For this costume, you will need leopard/cheetah print clothing. The key to making this costume successful is pairing together as much leopard/cheetah print together to make a gaudy, party animal look!

For this look, you will need a black dress. My dress can be worn on or off the shoulder, just as her dress in the video. Stack several silver necklaces ontop of one another to recreate her iconic necklace. Lastly, add a large oversized fedora out to mimic her now iconic Formation pose. Braid your hair in two long plaits to complete the look. The key to pulling this look off successfully is by nailing her video look, that way you won't need to do something silly like...blackface.

The below costume ideas are bonus ideas that I unfortunately did not have all of the proper accessories to create the look, and half of my wardrobe is back in Kansas.

This costume is incredibly simple! All you need is a black jumpsuit, or a pair of black leggings and a black tank or top. Add a pair of heels, or thigh high boots, and complete the look with a pair of cateye sunglasses. The party store sells a pair for a Catwoman costume for about $5.00.

The key to pulling off this costume is being over the top. I would create this costume by wearing a pair of highwaisted, skinny jeans and a dressy top, such as one that ties in the neck. Add a knee length faux fur, or real fur coat, and a pair of thigh high boots. Animal print boots will best create the perfect Cookie Lyon costume. Top off your look with a large fedora hat, and adding a ton of accessories.

Of course I won't be wearing any of these costumes, or else I wouldn't be sharing the idea with you 😉

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 🎃

Now that the temperature has changed where I live, I can finally begin to wear some of my warm Autumn clothes instead of tank tops and flip flops going into November. Here is a quick rundown of one of the looks I wore when a medical school admissions counselor came and spoke at my university.

The base piece for this look was my green plaid pants that were a find on Oldnavy's sale rack for $1.99. (You ever want to know how to bargain shop, come shop with me.) The pants feature an array of colors including yellow, green, white, navy blue and black. To add color to the look, I paired the pants with a navy blue button down shirt I found at Forever 21 for $3.99. On this particular day it was cooler than usual, so I added a black "fur-like" cape over the outfit for warmth. This cape was a find at Forever 21 last winter for about $10.00.

If you've been doing the math the cost of this entire look was only $16.00. If you include the shoes I am wearing, the cost of the look goes up to about $21.00.

A few of my friends have taken advantage of my style services over the past few months, and I would like to remind readers that I do offer styling services for your event, photoshoot, etc, known as Styled by Mod. Until the end of the year (December 31) I will be offering this service for free to continue to build my portfolio to offer this service on a higher level at some point. To take advantage of this opportunity, please send an email to [email protected], including your name, contact information, the date of your event, any ideas you have for your "look" and any additional information I may need to know. Please keep in mind that I am a graduate student, and finals are rapidly approaching. With that being said, please inform me at least three weeks before your event if you would like to be Styled by Mod.

Thanks!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

Going out tonight, and need an easy, look to throw together? I've got you covered! Here's a look that is perfect for date night, or a night out with the girls!

Start with a jumpsuit, any color, style and fabric will do. My jumpsuit is from Charlotte Russe and is a dark chambray jumpsuit. It features a high neckline, ties at the neck like a halter and has an open back. What I love about this jumpsuit is that it has bell bottom legs, which instantly gives it a boho, 70's vibe. The bell bottom legs give this jumpsuit the opportunity to be dressed in a casual, daytime fashion, as you will see later this year on The Mod Little Melanin.

With the temperature dropping by the day outside, pair your jumpsuit with some sort of matching outerwear. I added a longline, faux fur vest in cream from Forever 21 that I purchased for free during their buy one get one free sale. You could also pair this look with a long sleeve faux fur piece, or a long line trench coat in a neutral color such as nude or khaki.

I added a pair of navy blue boots to complete my look, as it was chilly the night I wore this look. But it could also be styled with a pair of open toed shoes. If I hadn't have worn close toed boots, I would have chosen a pair of peep toe booties. To add more color to this look, I completed the look with a burgundy tassel crossbody purse, and added a pair of large gold hoop earrings.

Happy Saturday!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋