No One On The Corner Has Swagger Like Us

         On July 18th I had the pleasure of seeing M.I.A. at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto. I had never been to a real concert before and I was super excited, especially because I absolutely love Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam (Known as M.I.A.) and I love to support a fellow Sri Lankan. I absolutely love that she incorporates her Sri Lankan heritage into her art and that she shows her eccentric personality in her outfits and music.

          The night started off with a DJ set, who did a good job getting everyone in a dancing mood, though my group (my sister, and two friends) encountered some extremely odd people that should not have been twerking. Next up was the opening act, a rapper named LE1F; He wasn't terrible but it went on for too long and there were some provocative dance moves that were a bit awkward. M.I.A was the reason I went to the concert, so unless Drake or Jay-Z were opening for her I could've gone without an opener. #letsbehonest #sorrynotsorry. Don't get me wrong he was good, but it was hot, sweaty, smelly and I just wanted to see my girl M.I.A.

          When LE1F finally went off stage the crowd went wild and started chanting "M.I.A!! M.I.A!!". The lights went dim, her beautiful set backdrop lit up, and we could hear a traditional Sri Lankan song all around us; We didn't know where it was coming from, if it was live or pre-recorded, but it was lovely. Then, at approximately 10:15pm, M.I.A made her debut to an eager crowd of screaming fans and began with "Only 1 U".

          I mentioned earlier how M.IA.'s style is eccentric, always a juxtaposition of textures and shapes, and that night she didn't disappoint; Her outfit was on point, and of course only she could get away with it- plus for 37 years old with a child, she looks amazing. She wore a lot of gold lamé, a shorts and shirt ensemble first with intricate trim and details, then an oversized gold lamé t-shirt. and her backup dancers either had baroque patterned pieced or army inspired outfits. Even though we couldn't see her shoes from our spot in the crowd, I'm sure M.I.A. had some cool sneakers on since her footwear choices are always dope.

          She performed some of her classic songs like "Bucky Done Gun" and "Sunshowers" and for her encore she sang "Galang", "Paper Planes" and "Bad Girls". She even brought out a huge bouquet of white roses and threw them to the crowd. I proudly fought for one, unfortunately it broke during the struggle to get it and I got the stem and the other girl got the rose -_________-. At one point, M.I.A. asked a Tamil to come up on stage and had them break a coconut, a Hindu tradition, then she played her last song. And with that the show ended; It was a phenomenal experience. M.I.A. is an amazing entertainer and I would, without a doubt, see her live again and again.

What did I wear?

Gold foil baroque patterned dress- H&M $19.99
Black suede wedges - Payless $40
Black & gold leather purse- XSRE $50
Assorted jewelry from Forever 21

My inspiration for this outfit? M.I.A. of course.

Shine Bright Like a Diamond

Christmas time doesn't have to mean red & green, it can just mean adding a bit of holiday shine to your look.

This is the outfit I came up with for the Christmas party at my office, and it was a big hit. Here's a breakdown of what I wore:

Black blazer (not pictured), $19.95 @ H&M

Black & gold glittered tulip back top, $17.80 @ Forever21

Material Girl black & white vertical/horizontal stripe skirt with a back seam, $9.99 @ Macy's

Black suede platform pumps (not pictured), $29.99 @ Payless Shoe Source

Gold arrowhead necklace set, $5.95 @ H&M

Various bracelets from different Forever21 sets 

Gold etched square studs from a set, $3.80 @ Forever21

Black stockings (not pictured), $4.95 H&M

So I shared my look, now it's you're turn; We'd love to see what holiday inspiration works its into our reader's ensembles. Let's all get into the spirit together! -  J

Just Catching Up With A Friend

How cute are we?

       
          Before my vacation I met up with one of my best friends, Fayola, who I haven't seen in practically forever. We both love fashion, and might I say both looked cute so I thought "Why not blog about it?". 
          
           I'll start off with my outfit... I'm wearing a turquoise-green top from Garage that I got from a friend so I have no idea how much it costs. My pants are the ones I bought a few weeks ago from Forever 21 for about $25. I wore a beaded necklace with blues, greens and brown that I got from Mandy's in New Jersey for about $7 and two simple plastic bangles that I've had since I was little. I then matched the entire outfit with the black peep toe flats  that I bought recently at Payless and my big black H&M bag, since I planned to be out all day.

          Fayola's black shirtdress is from Forever 21 and cost $22.50. Her lovely coral wallet, from Hong Kong, adds a nice pop of colour and her other accessories are from a variety of retailers. Her earrings are from a pack of 2 for $6.50 from Spring, her watch is from Guess, her small beaded bracelets are from H&M and her beaded bangle was a gift. She's also wearing a Pandora charm bracelet and a long Tiffany heart tag chain (love this). What a cute summery outfit. Love it!

C's Newest Purchase

Black Peeptoe Flats by American Eagle from Payless Shoesource