Today on The Mod Little Melanin, I’ll be showcasing another one of my favorite online boutiques, Red Dress Boutique! Red Dress is a boutique based out of Georgia that sells affordable fashions for less. They offer a range of fashions, from comfy pajamas, to casual t-shirts, and even dresses that are perfect to wear to a military ball. The piece I am sharing today on The Mod Little Melanin, is a piece I had been eyeing for weeks, with no special occasion to wear the look. However, after realizing that my family was throwing a going-away party on my behalf before relocating to my new city, I knew I had to purchase this jumpsuit!

The Can You Believe This Cream Jumpsuit is a hot seller on reddressboutique.com, and is available in a few different colors, including cream, white and blush. I purchased this gorgeous jumpsuit in cream, as I felt that cream would be a suitable color that could be worn from spring through early fall. In my opinion, this jumpsuit is true to size, and the adjustable, tie back top is perfect to give each person the fit they desire. The ruffled top helps to provide modesty at the top of the jumpsuit. I added a tan bandeau underneath, as the jumpsuit is backless. 

When wearing this jumpsuit, you want to ensure that the focus remains on the ruffles of the jumpsuit. For this reason, I choose to wear statement earrings, and an assortment of statement rings on my fingers, skipping a necklace. Many boutiques offer a variety of statement earrings on their websites. However, they tend to be slightly overbudget for a broke medical student. Instead, you can find gorgeous statement earrings at Walmart by their trendy up-and-coming brand, Time and Tru. Most of the jewelry within their collection is under $5.00, and they offer a variety of pieces for each person’s fashion taste.

To complete this look, I added a pair of gladiator sandals that I’ve had in my closet for a few years. They’re a purchase from shophopes.com, and are my favorite heels to wear during the summer months. A bold red lip was the key to complete this look. My lipstick is available from Miss A for only $1.00! You can purchase my lipstick, AOA Wonder Matte Liquid Lipstick in the shade “Doll” at shopmissa.com!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin

​This week I’m continuing my series highlighting my favorite online boutiques to shop at! My next look also comes from Magnolia Boutique that is based out of Indianapolis, Indiana. As I’ve previously stated on The Mod Little Melanin, maxi dresses and jumpers are my go-to pieces to wear in the summer. They’re simple to style, and easy to wear when you’re unsure of what to wear. You can dress them up or dress them down simply by changing a few accessories. 

For this particular look, I choose to keep my accessories to a minimum, as Kansas City summers are hot, and metal accessories and the sun do not necessarily mix. Instead of draping my arms in jewelry, and rings, I choose to wear a straw fedora hat that I purchased from H&M for only $3.00. Hats have always been a popular accessory in my closet and seem to be making a comeback in the fashion world. Many hats on popular websites range from $10.00 to $25.00 and can be even higher on boutique websites. What’s my tip for finding hats at affordable prices? Purchase your hats at the end of the season! Straw fedoras, and other colorful hats typically are marked down at the beginning of September, while winter hats in warm colors and thick fabrics are usually marked down in early February. 

Although the maxi dress I am wearing is no longer available on indiedressboutique.com, many similar maxi dresses are available on the site. You can even purchase your favorite pieces with Afterpay so that you can wear your new outfit now and pay later!

The key piece to completing this boho inspired look are the mules I’m wearing, that also happen to be from Magnolia Boutique. Mules are the perfect shoe to wear in the spring, summer and fall. In the summer, they’re great to wear with a maxi dress, or a simple way to dress up a basic t-shirt and jeans outfit. The mules I purchased are no longer available, but I’ve linked a similar pair that are available on the website! 

In the coming weeks, I plan to post a flat lay of how to easily transition this look, and a few other summer looks into fall! Be sure to sign up for emails from The Mod Little Melanin to make sure you never miss a post! 

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin