Lollapalooza officially kicked off yesterday and is going on through Saturday! To close out Lollapalooza Week on The Mod Little Melanin, here is my favorite look I styled this week! It is perfect for everyone and can be switched up and styled in so many ways, depending on your style.

The key pieces of this look are from H&M! What I love most about both pieces is that they are both super easy to transition into the fall. This kimono style, sweater is a part of H&M's festival inspired collection (not the Coachella collection) and is the perfect boho piece to add to your closet if you are unsure how to incorporate bohemian vibes. To tone it down a bit, style it with a pair of black jeans or if you're feeling risky liquid leather leggings. I found this kimono sweater on sale at H&M for only $7.00, originally $34.99.

I choose to style this look with a faux leather mini skirt from H&M. How do you make a leather skirt boho? Luckily, this skirt is covered in fringe in front and in back, and is the perfect boho piece! This skirt was also on sale for $7.00. To wear this skirt as a transitioning piece into Autumn, style it with tall knee or thigh high boots, or add tights underneath it! Underneath my kimono sweater, I am wearing a simple black tank top from Oldnavy that was on sale for $1.00 last year. Today at Oldnavy, similar tanks are available for $2.00.

My accessories included a bolo tie choker in burgendy, to incorporate the colors of the kimono into my look. I am also wearing chunky, gold hoop earrings. If you're looking for the perfect summer bootie, I suggest these flat open-side booties from Wet Seal. They are super comfortable and are trending this summer. I purchased mine at Wet Seal last year for only $4.00, but since most stores are already transitioning to Autumn apperal, you may be able to find them on sale. I completed the look with my black, faux leather fringe purse from Forever 21.

Festival season is nearly coming to an end! But boho looks are here to stay year-round on The Mod Little Melanin! Stay tuned for looks inspired by Afropunk Festival in late August!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

I've voiced my opinion several times on cultural appropriation in the fashion industry and marketing world. The tank I am wearing in today's Lollapalooza inspired outfit is an example of that form of exploitation of cultural aspects for monetary gain. The print on my tank is inspired by a dashiki, a popular article of clothing common to West African cultures, and does not deserve to be mass marketed by white owned clothing stores in order for white executives to gain money. Previously, I've called out stores such as Urban Outfitters for doing just that. Today, this call out is to Forever 21. Cultural clothing doesn't deserve to be worn by those who are not apart of that culture. I know this is a touchy subject for some who don't believe Black Americans should wear African inspired clothing, but the only difference between those born in Africa and those born in America is that we (Americans) are unable to trace our roots because our ancestors were captured from their homeland.

That being said, I've been wanting a dashiki printed shirt for quite sometime now, but was leery of purchasing from an IG boutique that I wasn't familiar with. I was thrilled and at the same time disappointed to find this shirt at Forever 21. I was happy because the shirt I had been praying to find for a lesser price somewhere was now suddenly available, but disappointed that big business was making money off of a cultural aspect. This shirt was on clearance, so thankfully it was the only shirt available for purchase (I checked the section up and down to be sure). This shirt was on sale for only $6.99, and was originally priced at $24.99. If you do come across this tank in Forever 21 stores, please do not purchase it if you are not of African descendant.

Dashikis are known for their colorful patterns. This tank is filled with bright blues, oranges and soft shades of tan, all outlined in black. I wanted to incorporate color into my outfit. I choose an orange button down skirt from Wet Seal as my bottom piece for this reason. I purchased this skirt in May during Wet Seal's Last Chance Sale. It is technically an autumn piece, hence the deep, rich color.

For this look, I choose trendy pieces to accessorize the outfit, in an effort to keep my focus piece as my tank. I am wearing a thick, velvet choker from Forever21.com. It is likely that this choker is also available in store, however, if you live in the middle of nowhere, Kansas, like me you will rarely find trending pieces in a store full of flannel button downs and cut off shorts. My hat is also from Forever 21 and is a velvet, fedora hat. Unless you want to look like Al Capone, never pull your fedora all the way down on your forehead. Instead, allow it to rest on the back of your head, like mine in the photo. If you're looking for gladiator sandals like mine, I suggest, Shophopes.com! Currently, they have gladiator sandals available in the sale folder for 50% off!

This is also another perfect look for August's Afropunk Festival in Brooklyn, NY. More info to come on that in late August!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

If you need an outfit that screams nothing but gaudy festival vibes, this look is for you!

I based my enitre look around this black, crochet dress from H&M's Coachella collection. This collection was specifically designed for Coachella Valley's largest music and arts festival, and was full of color, prints, and a variety of fabrics. While Coachella is long over, you can still find pieces from the collection and now affordable prices. This dress was originally $34.99 and was marked down to $10.00 when I purchased it. The dress features has a high neckline and features a crochet, floral pattern throughout. This style of dress was popular during the late 60s and early 70s, and fully embraces a hippie look. I styled my dress with a tank and biker shorts underneath, but can't wait to style this piece with velvet bell bottom pants as the season transitions to fall.

I styled my dress with platform, clear jelly sandals. Jelly sandals have been trending for quite some time now and are the perfect shoe for your summer wardrobe. If you aren't comfortable with the "child version" of the shoe visit DSW! They have a variety of jelly sandals like this pair, heels and open toed flats.

To accessorize, I added chunky hoop earrings and stacked a chunky, gold bracelet on my wrist, as well as several gold rings. I added this season's trending necklace the choker to complete the look. I purchased this choker in a pack of three from Wet Seal for only $2.00. My rose gold, mirror sunnies are also from Wet Seal were purchased 2 for $7.00.

I had a ton of fun styling this look and loved the odd stares I occasionally received while out and about. However, the stares and weird looks are always ignored by me and I'm guaranteed at least a few compliments no matter what I'm wearing, thankfully.

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

It's Day Two of Lollapalooza Week on The Mod Little Melanin! The key to today's look is comfort with style! When you're attending a music festival, you're gonna be on your feet most of the day, so they last thing you want to wear is something fitted and uncomfortable!

I started with a dress I had purchased from H&M for only $10.00. The dress was apart of their Conscious Spring Collection and I had been eyeing it for weeks. Originally, it had been priced for $34.99, but is currently marked down to $7.00, if you can still locate it in stores. What I love most about this dress is the vibrant, geometric print throughout the look. It adds character to the look and allows the dress to become a look that not everyone would feel comfortable wearing (I always try to buy clothes like this). This dress features a high split on both sides of the dress and has a V-neck neckline. I felt comfortable enough wearing the dress without anything underneath. However, if you don't feel the same I recommend adding a pair of black biker leggings underneath. You can find them at Forever 21 for about $3.00.

When styling this outfit, I wanted to include boho/hippie vibes to the look because the dress reminded me of an outfit that would have been worn to Woodstock in the '60s. For this reason, I added a large, faux feather necklace to the dress. I wanted the necklace to compliment the boho look rather than take away from the look. Don't try to be trendy with this dress and avoid adding this season's necklace, the choker. I added large, chunky hoop earrings that were also popular during the 1960s, to not take away from the look. Remember the key to music festival looks is comfort, therefore, I added a pair of lace up, gladiator sandals I purchased from a shoe store in Birmingham, AL. I have seen similar shoes from Wetseal.com. A cute summer bootie shoe would also look great with this dress, however, when you live where the heat index is 107, boots are not your summertime calling.

The key to this look was my hair. Straight hair would have been too drab for this look. My roller set hairstyle, refer to my Instagram for styling details, best suits this look because of the messiness of the style. It also provides the look with character. 😉 This look would also be perfect for Afropunk Fest. If you don't know what that is, you'll find out in August on The Mod Little Melanin!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

Wanting Yeezy Season Two shoes but not made of money? Today's post is made for you then! Yeezy Season Two shoes start at around $900, but all of today's dupes are less than $60! In this post the original shoe is the top shoe, and the dupe is the bottom shoe. All dupes are from Ego Shoes and can be purchased from Ego.co.uk.

Perspex Heels

For lack of a better phrase, perspex heels are the modified and widely accepted version of exotic dancer shoes. The clear heel of the shoe and clear straps allow for the shoe to be versatile in your wardrobe. These shoes have the potential to become your summer staple shoe as they will literally go with any outfit! (Seriously!) You can dress this shoe down by rocking the sporty chic trend (i.e. sweat pants and a hoodie with heels and lace statement socks) or wear these shoes for a night out at the club. The Ariana Strappy Sandal is available in clear, black and pink for $40.00. If you're feeling adventurous try the glitter heeled version of the shoe.

Perspex Boots

Remember those tennis shoes we all wore that were see through? Here is an updated and more mature version of that shoe! The perspex boot is completely see through. Ego Shoes sells the shoe in a variety of colors, including clear, black and light pink. They even offer an open toed version of the boot. If you're feeling the need to take a fashion risk with the boot, add a statement sock. The Kardashians always pair this boot with their sporty chic style. Visit Kylie Jenner's Instagram if you need some fashion inspiration. You can find the Tasha Clear Perspex Ankle Boot on Ego.co.uk for $52.00.

Knit Ankle Boot

Knit boots are coming back in style thanks to Yeezy's line! This shoe fits tightly to the calf and will pair perfectly with the kick flare denim trend that is popular at the moment. I would pair the shoe with Kim Kardashian-West's staple outfit a fitted neutral colored (khaki, beige or black) jumpsuit, and a long overcoat in a coordinating color. The Anushka Knit Ankle Boot With Wooden Heel is available in beige, khaki and black, and can be yours for only $46.00. Khaki is also referred to as army green.

Thigh High Knit Boot

Similar to the ankle boot, the thigh high is fitted to the leg. The shoe will look best with a mini skirt or dress and can be a staple in your fall/winter wardrobe. Leggings can also be worn with these boots if you find you have enough space in your boot for a pant. Mrs. Kardashian-West was recently seen wearing the boots in khaki with a fitted, khaki skirt and coordinating khaki bodysuit. The Rivea Cut Out Heel, Open Toe Thigh High Boots are available in khaki, black and beige. Currently, the only available color on the website is black, but the other colors should restock soon! I plan to purchase a khaki pair once the boot restocks! You can own these boots for $60.00.

This website recently had dupes of the Yeezy Boost tennis shoe! The shoes were available with a special sale of 2 pair for $50.00. The dupe is currently sold out, but may be brought back in the fall when Yeezy Season Three is released.

If you're looking for Yeezy fashion dupes, search through my June archives for the posts from my Yeezy/Kardashian Week!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

I've been promising a shoe dupes post for a few weeks now and all of my shoe dupes have finally arrived at my house! All of my shoe dupes are from Ego Shoes (Ego.co.uk) and Public Desire (publicdesire.com).

Creepers

Puma Creepers are a shoe that was popular in the '90s, and recently gained popularity again thanks to Puma's collaboration with Rihanna. The Creeper sold on Puma.com and Puma stores sold out within minutes despite their $140.00 price tag. I'm not a big tennis shoe wearer, and knew the only way I would wear a pair of Creepers was if I found affordable shoe dupes. Thanks to Ego.co.uk, I was able to score a pair of Creepers for only $12.99 with free shipping! Ego Shoes has a variety of Creepers in various colors. While the only difference is that the shoes don't have Pumas signature stripe, you can hardly tell the difference between the real and dupe shoes. I order a pair of beige, suede Creepers from Ego Shoes because they were most similar to the original and were a neutral color, allowing me to get more wears with the shoes. Follow Ego Shoes on Instagram at @egoofficial to see more of their shoes!

Trainers

My grey trainers are dupes of Nike Roshe Run tennis shoes. While the original shoe isn't quite that expensive (I've seen the shoe as low as $75) I still refuse to pay that much for a tennis shoe which won't get much wear in my wardrobe. I paid $12.00 for these trainers, and they are quite comfortable! Originally, I only purchased them for the sporty chic look that has been trending, but see myself trying to mimic popular Yeezy/Kardashian looks in the fall/winter with these trainers! The shoes are from Ego.co.uk and are unfortunately all sold out now. Keep your eye out for Yeezy Boost dupes on Ego Shoes website, the shoes were available for 2 pair for $50.00, but I missed out on the deal.

Fenty Slides

Another Puma and Rihanna collab shoe, the Fenty Slides were a shoe that I still have yet to get my hands on. Originally, I was planning on DIYing the shoe with a faux fur boa and a beach slide shoe, but once I came across a dupe of the shoe on sale on Publicdesire.com, I decided I needed to make the purchase! You can purchase dupes of the Fenty Slides for only $28.99 on Publicdesire.com in black, white, pink and baby blue. Rihanna is always seen sporting the pink pair, which is why I decided on the pink pair. I had the opportunity to compare the dupe to the real shoe, and they are identical from the sole of the shoe to the way the fur covers the shoe and the way the sandal is formed. The only difference is the lack of the Puma logo on the top of the shoe. These slider dupes are so comfy they feel like slippers. I've been told by a few that they resemble slippers too, but we'll just assume they aren't up to date on all of the shoe trends.

I know some people are all about the logo and the brand, but I feel it's silly to be so into a logo that you aren't willing to branch out from the crowd and wear what you actually like. Tomorrow I'll show you were you can find Yeezy shoe dupes for the low-low!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

My outfit of the day for yesterday was loosely inspired by teeny boppers, Grease and '50s fashion.

I always try to be best dressed whenever I go somewhere, no matter where I go, even if I'm in a rush to get ready. When I am in a rush to get ready, I have several outfits that are go to outfits, meaning they are easy to throw together in a short amount of time.

I based my outfit around this midi skirt from Oldnavy. I've posted this skirt on The Mod Little Melanin a few months ago, but styled it in a different way. The best thing about this midi skirt is the metallic silver color. It's super easy to transition from season to season, by adding boots and tights in the winter. This skirt can also be dressed up by adding a blazer and heels or dressed down with sneakers (see yesterday's Styled by Mod). I purchased this skirt for less than $5.00. Midi and maxi skirts were the skirt of the 1950s.

My Beyoncé top has also been previously seen on The Mod Little Melanin, in a different way. This time, instead of tucking the shirt into my skirt, I tied it up in the front, which was a popular trend with high waisted midi and maxi skirts in the 1950s. I purchased this shirt at The Formation Tour, but you may be able to purchase it online.

Saddle shoes (the black and white lace up shoes) were the shoe of the 1950s. Sadly, I can't find my pair of saddle shoes (they're somewhere in a box in the basement). Thankfully, I was able to find a pair of shoes in my closet to pair perfectly with this look. My lace up flat is from Forever 21 and was purchased for less than $10.00. They are black and white and have cutouts on each side of the shoe.

My accessories are anything but 1950s inspired. I'm wearing a black beaded choker from Icing and a pair of round, black earrings.

It's easy and fun to dress in a similar style to various fashion decades if you use a bit of your imagination when rummaging through your closet!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

So I typically despise basic apperal and avoid solid clothing at all costs. But with casual apperal becoming the norm, I've decided to on occasion give basic apperal a chance in my wardrobe.

I started this look with a loose, navy blue, swing dress from Oldnavy that was on sale for $2.00. I ended up purchasing this dress in several colors since the deal was so good. Swing dresses are a super comfy dress to add to your summer wardrobe. You can dress the look up or down, and wear it on multiple occasions. Just yesterday, I wore this dress to church and layered it with kimono to dress it up.

To dress down the look, I wrapped a flannel around my waist. This style of wearing a flannel or denim shirt is trending. It's a great way to get wear out of your long sleeve, button down shirts throughout the year. This flannel is from Rue 21 and is a part of the Wild Blue x Sadie Robertson (of Duck Dynasty) Collection. I purchased it on sale for only $4.00. What I love most about this flannel is the uniqueness of the shirt. Not only does it feature flannel material, it also is trimmed in chambray at the sleeves, buttons and collar.

If you're keeping tabs on my outfit, the total thus far for this look is a wapping $6.00. To incorporate the colors of the flannel into the outfit, I added a burgundy bolo tie choker to the look. This choker is similar to one of the chokers I featured in last week's blog titled, Look What's Trending: Chokers. You can purchase the same choker on Forever21.com for only $3.90. My shoes are gladiator sandals from Shophopes.com, and can be purchased on the website for $33.99.

I've noticed that I've posted a red, white and blue outfit on The Mod Little Melanin weekly almost. I don't always dress in red, white and blue, but when you are a KU alumna, you own quite a bit of crimson and blue for gamedays! 😉 #RockChalk

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

I adore prints and textures and incorporating them into my wardrobe. "Tribal prints," as deemed by Vogue magazine are trending this season. I prefer not to use the term, because it contributes to cultural appropriation and whitewashes cultural aspects of the associated printed pattern. I wouldn't describe my printed jumper as tribal print, but see it as having more of a floral print that is repeated in unison throughout the piece to give it a distinct look.

My jumper is a piece I've had in my closet for a few years. I purchased it at Macy's during one of their summer sales for only a few bucks (I'm a sale driven shopper, I rarely pay more than $15 for anything that is currently in my closet). This strapless jumper features a cropped, ruched leg and is cinched in at the waist to add shape to the piece. I paired this jumper with a pair of lace up, gladiator sandals.

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

The sporty chic look (adding a pair of sneakers to high end apperal) has been trending for quite sometime now. It has grown in popularity from celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and my favorite Rihanna. Today, on The Mod Little Melanin, I'll be showing you one way to rock the sporty chic trend with this season's hottest items!

I started with a chambray culottes jumpsuit from Oldnavy. This jumpsuit was regular $25.00, but I was able to find it on clearance for only $3.25. I featured this jumpsuit on my Spring Denim Trends post on The Mod Little Melanin a few months ago. This jumpsuit is super comfy and super soft. It's completely versatile and and can be worn year round. In the winter, I plan to layer it with a turtleneck and a pair of midi boots. I can practically live in this jumpsuit with all of the styling possibilities.

To give it a sporty look, I added a pair of trainers that I purchased from Ego.co.uk. I'll go into more detail on the shoes next week on my Shoe Dupes post, as well as how you can purchase the same shoe dupes. These trainers were only $13.00. I finished off the look with a red bandana, neck scarf, a stack of silver arm bracelets and large silver, hoop earrings.

I plan to style these trainers in multiple ways this summer, fall and winter, so be on the lookout!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋