I’m Having a Moment with Black

If you’ve been following this blog for awhile now, prior to the last couple of months, you could probably count on one hand the times I’ve worn black boots or carried a black bag.  The first 3-4 years of the blog I pretty much always wore taupe, brown, or grey booties and boots….and I most often carried some shade of a brown bag (taupe, cognac, whiskey, etc).

I’m not sure why, I was just never drawn to the black options that were out there.

I also preached (and still do) that it’s okay to mix black and brown together.  Just like with mixing metals, I feel like mixing black and brown together makes things more interesting.  And I will definitely continue to do this.

HOWEVER.  😉

Lately.  I’m definitely having a moment with black.

Give me all the black boots and black bags.

What caused this shift?  Well, here’s how it happened…

A couple of months ago I teamed up with Vince Camuto, and they allowed me to pick a pair of boots and a bag to be sent to me.  Since I already had several pairs of brown toned boots (that I LOVED) and a brown bag (that I LOVED), I decided to go out on a limb and try the black options.

So, I got THESE BLACK OVER THE KNEE BOOTS (now on sale!  and an extra 25% OFF with EXTRA25) and THIS BAG.  I really liked both of them, but it was the boots that I started reaching for CONSTANTLY.  And when I say “constantly”, I mean “CONSTANTLY“.

Here are just a handful of looks with the boots over the last couple of months.  Now, I could have worn any of the below looks with brown boots too…and the outfits would have been plenty cute.  BUT DANG, I loved how the black boots and black bags dressed the outfits up and added some serious SASS!

And then when I wore this next outfit, I realized that I was now a big believer in the power of black accessories.  I realized there was no doubt that black accessories dress up an outfit and make it more chic.  Now, a year ago I would have for sure worn this black sweater with brown boots and carried a brown bag.  And to be clear, I will still that do.  But if I need to be a little extra sassy, I’m going to bring out the black.

The team at Vince Camuto sent me this studded cross body for Christmas, and I might have squealed when I opened it.  #okayidid  And can we talk about for just a second about how I got a completely unexpected GORGEOUS bag in the mail?  Now, THAT’S a good mail day!

twist front sweater / earrings / studded bag care of Vince Camuto/ jeans/ black over the knee boots care of Vince Camuto ON SALE

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

 

So when the team contacted me again and asked if I would be interested in partnering up with them for the next several months, I couldn’t say “YES!” fast enough!

This time they allowed me to pick 3 things (WOW!), and I went for:  this bag, these studded booties, and these studded sneakers.

Today I’m going to show you several looks with my new goodies!

Let’s start out with the booties and the bag…..

I planned the outfit, and I thought the booties and the bag gave the whole look a real edgy vibe, and I loved it!

I think this flat lay gives you a really good look at the booties, so let’s talk about them for a second.  Is the heel high?  YES.  But these booties somehow manage to be incredibly comfortable.  I have a pair of taupe booties from the Anniversary Sale (with a heel), and although I love them and wear them frequently, in no way would I describe them as incredibly comfortable.  BUT THESE REALLY ARE!  The little studs add some sparkle and make them special. the cut out at the top of the bootie is extremely flattering (and sexy!), and I love that the stacked heel is a wood tone (so it does provide a little contrast).  They are true to size and an all around great little bootie.  And did I mention comfy?  #becausetheyare

More on the bag in a minute.

black v neck sweater / earrings / $12 necklace  /high waisted jeans  /bag care of Vince Camuto/ studded booties care of Vince Camuto

As you can see, I paired them with a simple black v neck sweater (everybody needs a great black sweater that they love) and my new pair of high waisted jeans.  (Now, if you remember from a previous post, I LOVED everything about these jeans except the rip below one of the knees.   Per a reader’s suggestion, I’m going to take them to Nordstrom and have them add a patch behind the rip.  I will report back as soon as I do so, but I’m wearing the jeans A LOT with the rip….so it might take a bit).  🙂  I’m 5’4″, and the length and the stair step hem of these jeans makes them perfect to wear with booties.  In fact, I wouldn’t even mind them being a little bit shorter to show off a bit more skin between the top of the bootie and the bottom of the jeans.

Now let’s talk about the bag.  I ADORE THIS BAG.  It’s gorgeous leather and buttery soft, it’s a great size (I was afraid it was going to be too big, but I was wrong), and I love the shape of it.  And do you see the zippers on the side of the bag?  I love the look the zippers give, but you can also make the bag smaller or larger by utilizing the zippers.  It also comes in a taupe color, but if you choose the black, you can also choose if you would prefer gold or silver hardware.  You know I’m typically a gold girl, but you also know I don’t shy away from mixing metals, so I chose the silver for the bag!

There is a zip top closure (I love having the option of zipping my bag closed), and you can wear it either over your shoulder, or you can use the long strap to wear it cross body.  Another great feature is that the interior is lined with a lighter grey patterned fabric, making it much easier to find things in the bag than if it was lined with black.  There is one large zippered pocket inside and two smaller open pockets. 

It is really a beautiful bag, and I highly recommend it!  I know it’s a bit of a splurge, but you won’t regret it.  This could be your GO TO bag for years to come!

For size reference, I’m wearing a small in the sweater, a 27 in the jeans, and a 6 1/2 in the booties (all true to size).

black v neck sweater / earrings / necklace  /high waisted jeans  /bag care of Vince Camuto/ studded booties care of Vince Camuto

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

 

The bag fits comfortably over your shoulder (as you will see in a minute), it looks great in the crook of your arm (seen above), and I love the hands free option with the cross body strap!  If you don’t like to wear your bags cross body, you can easily take the strap off and store it in your bag or your closet.

blush leather watch care of Mon Amie / gold and blingy bracelet

For the next look, I really went all out in the black department.  I chose a black sweater (with some white detailing) and a pair of black jeans!  I loved the look and thought it was very streamlined and chic!

Wearing the same black booties and carrying the same black bag, I just styled them a bit differently.  I don’t think I’ve ever done a head to toe look in black, but I thought it was a fun change!  And let’s be honest, the white detailing on the hem and the sleeves really helped break it up.

For size reference, I’m wearing a small in the sweater (I did not size down like the site recommends) and a 4 in the jeans.  As you can see, the bag looks great both over your shoulder and in the crook of your arm.

sweater / abalone earrings / black jeans (plus size jeans)/ bag care of Vince Camuto/ studded booties care of Vince Camuto

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

 

For the last look with the booties, I paired them our much beloved shift dress (that comes in tons of colors and is only $46!) with them!

shift dress / necklace / earrings  / studded booties care of Vince Camuto/ leopard clutch

And here I am in the outfit!  It would obviously look a bit better if my skin wasn’t BLINDING white right now, but you get the idea.  I had to size up to a medium in this dress for the chest area, but I wish the rest was a small.  I think when I take my jeans in for the patch, I’m going to take this in to get it taken in and hemmed a bit!  It’s a really great dress and a wonderful staple to have in your closet. The black (and the other darker colors) aren’t see thru, and they don’t require a slip!

shift dress / $12 necklace  / earrings  / studded booties care of Vince Camuto/ leopard clutch

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

 

And before we move on to the sneakers, let’s check out some other great black shoe and bag options!

 

 

These studded sneakers were my other pick for this month.  They were a bit out of my comfort range, but I’ve been seeing cool sneakers everywhere (they are very “IN”), and I wanted to give them a try.  I’m so glad I did!  Here I paired them with the same simple sweater and jeans I wore with the black booties above, I just made the outfit more casual with the sneaks!

black v neck sweater / earrings / necklace  /high waisted jeans  /bag care of Vince Camuto/studded sneakers care of Vince Camuto

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

 

So let’s talk about the studded sneakers.

Y’ALL.  I LOVE THEM.  They are true to size and OH SO COMFY.  They are sporty, but still mange to be totally chic because of the studded accents and the perforations.  I mentioned on Friday how they are I think they are a super fun alternative to a Converse…although I will never stop wearing those either.  (FYI:  I do think these are quite a bit more comfy than my Converse, so if that’s a reason you’ve never purchased Converse for yourself, you might want to give these a try!)

I showed you the following two looks on Friday’s post, but I thought you might want to see them here again! I’m wearing a small in the top and a 27 in the jeans.

hoodie  / earrings /high waisted jeans / studded sneakers care of Vince Camuto

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

 

And with one of my favorite fleece tops…

fleece side tie top / earrings /high waisted jeans / studded sneakers care of Vince Camuto

So, that’s it for today y’all! A huge THANK YOU to Vince Camuto, for sponsoring this post!

Sound off in the comments…have you always been partial to black?  If not, has this post convinced you that you need to give it a try?!?

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