Layering is an everlasting trend of the Autumn/Winter months. It saves you time, money and gives you an adaptable look that is perfect if you live in a climate where the temperature changes drastically throughout the day.

Recently, the popular 90's trend of layering spaghetti strap dresses and jumpsuits over tees has regained popularity in the fashion world. Here is my take on the reoccurring trend.

I started with a denim, culottes jumpsuit I purchased from Old Navy for $2.00 back during the summer. In the summer months, I opted to wear this jumpsuit alone with a pair of tennis for a sporty look. In the Autumn/Winter months, I decided to layer a flannel button down shirt underneath the jumpsuit for warmth.

I felt the flannel shirt alone, gave the look too much of a "farmer" vibe, so I layered a burgendy, faux fur-like jacket from H&M over top of the entire look. I purchased this jacket a few seasons ago, and this was [sadly] my first time ever wearing the jacket. This is a reoccurring theme in my closet, if you put out all of the pieces that still have their original tags.

To complete the look, I added a pair of navy blue booties and accessorized with gold accessories. Autumn/Winter styles do not have to look drab! Incorporate color into your wardrobe through your accessories, shoes and handbags!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

Happy *Thanksgiving!

*A day designated to commerate the hypothetical (feast) between Native Americans and Pilgrims. In which the Pilgrims brought diseases, thoughts of slaughter...which eventually (unfortunately) became the slaughter of the Native Americans to the "feast." Leading to the unfortunate loss of Native American lives, the forced removal of Native Americans from their sacred lands, the devastating Trail of Tears and Wounded Knee.

On this Thanksgiving, I ask that we please acknowledge the hardships that those of Native American descent have faced at the hands of this country's government for centuries, and still continues today at Standing Rock. I stand with Standing Rock. The people of Sioux Nation deserve to have their voice heard, and their concerns addressed. The land of the Native American people is sacred ground, that should not be disturbed. Americans would be in an uproar if we decided to place a pipeline through Arlington National Cemetery and dig up those graves, so why is there no concern for Native American land?

The Dakota Access Pipeline has the potential to contaminate the water supply of the Sioux land, and was "rerouted" from its original location (through a predominantly white neighborhood) once concerns were raised about the potential damage to their water supply. So why is the same concern not being applied to the Native American line?

Please consider contributing to the cause at Standing Rock, several links below will be of assistance.

Standing Rock Wishlist

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ls/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_9qRnybRQHT9F1/156-9674496-4876454?ie=UTF8&lid=18FR1AGDPWZLC&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_9qRnybRQHT9F1&ty=wishlist

Ways to Support Standing Rock

http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/news/a19020/support-standing-rock-dapl-protest/

Outfit Details (I want the focus of this post to remain on Standing Rock and not my outfit, therefore outfit details will be listed below)

Jumpsuit - H&M ($20.00)
Fur Vest - Stein Mart ($20.00)
Boots - JcPenny ($15.00)
Gold Choker - H&M ($3.00)

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin

I love mixing prints and patterns to create a cohesive, one-of-a-kind look. The key is to pull prints, and patterns from the same color pattern in order to pull the look together.
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\nMy focal point of this look was my blue ombre, faux fur vest from Rue 21. My close friends know fur has a special place in my heart, and is pretty much all I wear in the winter months. I wanted to draw attention to the top of my outfit, so I added a navy striped top from Oldnavy. In t-shirts, I prefer to purchase men's shirt because they are thicker and tend to last longer with multiple washes.

I paired this look with overalls, as a way to dress up my overall look. Overalls can be worn year-round. In the winter, pair overalls with a long sleeve shirt underneath, or add outerwear overtop. I prefer to add faux fur to dress up an overall look! I completed the look by adding a pair of navy blue booties from Target.

Style Tip: As long as your patterns and prints are within the same color family, your outfit with blend well!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin

When I started The Mod Little Melanin back in January, my goal was to create "mod" looks that would appeal to the masses. My heart and soul of fashion lies in the trends of the 1960s and 1970s. I began this blog by highlighting boho trends, and how they could be incorporated into your everyday wardrobe. In honor of my early blog days, I'll be dedicating a few Fridays a month to boho looks.

​This first look features a few popular 1970s trends, suede, bell bottom pants, clogs and fringe. My focal point of this entire look was the fringe kimono, I purchased from H&M. This kimono was a part of the H&M Coachella collection that was out earlier this year. For this reason, everything underneath the kimono was black. On bottom, I am wearing a pair of suede, bell bottom pants from Target that I found on sale for about $8.00. These pants are more of a kick-flare style (on me at least) and stop just above the top of your shoe, giving a complete 70's vibe.

My shoes are also a find from Target. I watched these shoes get marked down for months until they were $10.48. As I've said before on The Mod Little Melanin, I refuse to pay full price for anything that I purchase. If it ain't on sale, it ain't for me! Clogs are not made for walking however, and I highly recommend that you don't wear these shoes for long walks at the mall, or a stroll from one side of your campus to the other (personal experience). The best thing about clog shoes, is that they can be worn year-round, just added a thick sock in the winter or wear them barefoot in the cooler months.

​Complete the look with a floppy hat! Unfortunately, I am not allowed to wear hats in buildings on campus and had to get creative with a bad hair day. This hairstyle is done by placing a headband around your head, and tucking the hair around the rubber band part of the headband, creating a super easy updo!

Have any looks you want to see featured on Boho Fridays? Email me at themodlittlemelanin@yahoo.com!

​- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

Beyoncé's Lemonade essentially set the world on fire earlier this year, sent popular chain fashion stores into producing "Lemonade" inspired clothing for the low. I was lucky enough to be able to attend and purchase an authentic "Lemonade" shirt. However, this is the next best (and affordable) thing.

My "Lemonade" shirt is from Rue21.com (purchased for $3.00) and says "Sipping on That Lemonade." I paired it with my black and white plaid pants from Oldnavy, that were around $2.00. I've worn them a few times on The Mod Little Melanin and they're completely versatile.

For warmth (though I have to force Autumn looks because I live in a warm climate) I added a metallic bomber also from Forever 21. I choose to mix prints for this look to create a "punky prep" look. The key to pulling off this mixed prints look was to make sure the color black was incorporated into both the top and bottom of the outfit.

In a few weeks I'll show how to mix prints of several look!
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- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin

Another DIY coming your way! This DIY is off Kanye West's Yeezy "sock" boot. These knit boots (shown below) run for about $900. Learn how to make this DIY, and you will be able to make the "same" shoe for no more than $10. This DIY was inspired by @thenuvogue on Instagram.

You will need a high heel pump of your choice, and a pair of socks.

Step One: Take your sock and slide it over the entire pump.

Step Two: At the heel of your pump (now covered by your sock) cut a small slit directly behind the heel (at the top) so that the heel of the shoe will slip through the hole and the so k can be pulled up.

Step Three: Once you have pulled the sock up, you're finished! You have now created your DIY Yeezy Sock Heel.

Tips: This DIY works best with a long sock. I recommend using a crew sock, or longer. I also recommend applying sandpaper to the bottom of the heel to give the shoe some traction when walking.

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

It's my first "edition" of a Style Guide on The Mod Little Melanin! Through this format, and Styled by Mod, I hope to be able to reach more readers and inspire more daily looks! This look is perfect for Autumn!

Here are my recommended steps to recreate my look. Start with a denim bottom. I am wearing a boyfriend jean from Forever 21 that I purchased for around $10.99. Next, add a sweater for your top. My sweater is a flowly, trapeze sweater from H&M that I purchased during a Black Friday sale for $14.99.

For a cooler temperature, add your choice of outerwear. Create a "grunge" look by adding a oversized denim jacket. Windsorstore.com is the perfect place to find such a jacket. I choose to layer my sweater with a faux fur vest from Forever 21 that I was able to get for free in a buy one get one free sale.

Complete your look with a bootie! My booties are from Wet Seal and were purchased in the off season (Summer months) for $8.00. My favorite place to find affordable booties is Windsorstore.com (I promise they aren't promoting this blog post). Their shoes are always incredibly affordable and last well throughout multiple seasons. Windsor stores are physically located throughout the midwest.

Readers of The Mod Little Melanin; let me know if you would like to see more step by step style guides on The Mod Little Melanin!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

Patches on clothes, think 90's grunge style, are trending this season. While patches are often sold in bulk for a few dollars, pre-patched clothing at the store is ridiculously pricey. I recently saw a patched, grey crewneck sweatshirt at a popular store being sold for $30.00, while the sweatshirt looked like a Hanes crewneck that could be purchased at Walmart for $5.00 with patches ironed on. Stay trendy for less with my easy DIY! Keep reading below for details!

You will need patches (iron-on, sew-on or pin-on) will do, and your desired article of clothing that you wish to patch. I am using pin-on patches that I ordered online from Shoppriceless.com for $3.00. This package came with three pins that are fairly large. I choose to use pin-on patches so that I could always remove them if I wanted to create a different look, or use them on a different article of clothing.

Depending what type of patches you are using, your application method will be different. I simply pinned the patches on, and I was done within a few minutes! If you choose to use iron-on or sew-on patches, be mindful of how you wash your clothing, to ensure the patches do not come off in the wash. (I recommend turning the clothing inside out, and washing on delicate.)

Enjoy your DIY!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋

It's the final full month of my first semester of graduate school, and I'm trying to balance studying, homework, classes, blogging and just all around be great! Here's a short and simple blog post showcasing an easy way to transition pieces from your summer wardrobe into Autumn (because where I live I need a jacket somedays and flip flops the next).

My dress is a bodycon dress from Missguided.com, that I purchased back during the summer on sale for around $4.00. It's a bit short (or possibly I'm just tall), so I tend to always pair it with leggings, tights, knee high socks. If you follow Kylie Jenner on Instagram, this is actually the same exact dress she wore and posted on her page. The original price of the dress was $24.00, so it is definitely a steal if you are trying to dress like a celeb.

On a chilly day, I added an oversized denim jean jacket to create a grunge look with my blog. My jacket is vintage, but similar jackets can be purchased from Windsorstore.com. To create the illusion that the dress looked longer, I paired the look with a pair of thigh high, tan boots from Shophopes.com that I purchased on sale for $11.00. I limited my accessories for this look to keep with the grunge theme, and opted for a bolo choker, and gold buttom earrings.

Transitioning your wardrobe into Autumn with layers, etc. is the best way to save money and stay on trend year round!

- Chelsea Nicole, The Mod Little Melanin 💋