Its summertime y’all! Ok, fine, we’re in Jamaica and its dang near summertime all year long…but with summertime comes lots of new fashion trends and LOTS of reasons to wear them! Dresses are my favorite wardrobe item, from summer dresses to cocktail dresses to fancy dresses that I really don’t wear that often…I love them all. You know what goes great with a breezy, cool summer dress? Some gladiator sandals! I gotta admit, I’m always looking for a reason to wear flats out! Heels are nice and sexy and all but sometimes a girl just wants to be comfortable! Well a gladiator brings the cute with the comfortable and makes me feel great about wearing my cute dress with flats out to a party. You know ladies…its never cute to be out at a party dancing the night away with your shoes gathered at your feet. Wear some flats! Wear some wedges! Or get some heels that you feel comfortable in! They do exist, i have 3 pairs that I swear by and wear out dancing all the time cus their so comfortable (secret? they’re platforms…but thats another post)

I must admit when I first saw the gladiator trend I was not having it…but just like the ombre trend, it grew on me and now I love it! Sometimes you have to wait for a trend to evolve and take on a personality of it own, as the gladiator style has now taken on a variety of shapes and styles making it virtually impossible to not find one you like. They come in stilettos, wedges and flats, with thin straps, wide straps or a combination. Here’s a few I found that I liked from Nine West, Piperlime, Bakers and even Payless. The ones above are from Bakers and I absolutely love them! Are you feeling the gladiator trend?

Me likey, but these high ones…not so much.

So maybe you’re not the type of person that wants to be in bright patterns from head to toe… Not feeling the bright dresses, pretty skirts and silky tops? Maybe you need a little nudging…come on…dip your toes in the water. Speaking of feet…that’s the perfect place to start with this trend if you want to warm up to it. Nordstrom has the CUTEST selection of this bright trend that will go well with your neutrals, or maybe a bag? Anyone of these are sure to make the most boring err…i mean simplest of outfits pop with pizazz, catch an eye and turn a head! Yeah man, start small…by summer you’ll be bold and beautiful! The Jamaican colored pumps above are by Gwen Stefani’s line LAMB, you know Gwen loves her some Jamaica. I love them even though Khia definitely ruins them for me here .

Tifa is a fresh face on the dancehall scene where more and more ladies have been on the fast rise recently, giving the men of dancehall some company at the top. She has a few dancehall singles currently burning up airwaves and she’s quite busy these days shooting videos and promoting her new singles. She began singing, dancing, acting; performing in general from a very early age and toured many international cities extensively as a part of the Ashe Performing Arts Ensemble based here in Jamaica. She’s known to many as "the girl with the bruk foot" because her leg’s didn’t quite come out like the rest of us but that didn’t hinder this active performer’s abilities at all. Currently she’s working on her debut album, "Sex, Love and Lies" to be released in european and Japan markets. I asked Tifa recently where she shops because her style is always fresh and she told me she really didn’t shop much in Jamaica, so I took her to a hot new store in Mall Plaza HWT to dive deeper into her style.

Irie Diva: Describe your style for me

Tifa: Well, I’m really a tom boy at heart, love flats and sneakers, jeans jeans jeans, I have probably 40 pairs of just plain blue jeans no patterns or anything, love jeans! I went through the sneakers obsession as well I had every pair of Jordans, all the Nike, everything. You won’t really catch me in stilettos but I’m more androgynous now, I’ll wear thick heels or wedges, love 60’s inspired clothes, love ruffle sleeves and tights, love metallics, love lime green, yellow, gold, black, love punk rock looks, anything that most girls wouldn’t go for, I love! I love looking different.

Irie Diva: So do you keep up with fashion trends?

Tifa: Not really, "mi jus wear wah mi like" anything that fits my body and looks different.

Irie Diva: Where do you love to shop?

Tifa: I love shopping in the Village in New York and I love Philly, no tax! I buy alot of jeans, love Seven jeans, Diesel, True Religion, love Guess. I don’t really shop much for sneakers anymore, they don’t make them nice again. I love Coach and D&G sneakers but sometimes I don’t bother cus you know is a one wear, you get pictured with it you can’t really wear it again.

Irie Diva: Tell me how you like to dress when you’re going all out, like for stage

Tifa: Well I highlight nice features I have like I’ll wear alot of low cut tops or shorts to show off the sexy but I dont’ do too much at once like if I’m low cut I’ll wear pants or if I’m in shorts or skirt I wear a fuller top. Its like sexy meets….is like a sexed up Aaliyah look, you remember she was kinda tom boy first "mi nuh so full inna di ting" [she's not quite as tom boy with her style] I like to match up everything and I try to keep my make up light, I guess I don’t really need much, I’ve been blessed with nice features so I’ll just wear maybe a little glitter to make my eyes pop and keep it light unless its for film.

Tifa has just wrapped the video for "Dem Gyal Sittn" which is a rhythm by popular producer Suku of Ward 21 and features a number of our hot dancehall ladies. She’s quite excited about it, letting on that the video had a high budget and will be quite different from our norm, featuring Japanese animation. Dem Gyal Sittn has been getting alot of airplay here and overseas, keep posted for the video soon.

Tifa was quite the trooper as we rummaged through the racks of Alexxya in Mall Plaza (Constant Spring Rd. St. Andrew) to find some hot picks. The assistant matched the outfits with some shoes from the store and a blushing Tifa exclaimed "that’s too girly" when he picked out some gold jewelled stilettos. She was up for it tho and picked out her own pair which were quite cute! Here are Tifa’s picks from Alexxya and check out her latest video "No Tinky Winky" below. I am just loving that gold ruffled dress! Are you feeling it?

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Thanks much to Alexxya for accomodating us! Check them out in the Mall Plaza (876)968-3330

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When you visit Jamaican shops, pick up some hand painted earrings and gucci sunglasses . Whether its shoes, jewellery or bags, you’ll find all sorts of items cheaper than you imagined! With a wide selection of watches, you’re bound to find a watch that you’ll love. You can even purchase a telescope for at least 50% less than the regular price!

Coming off my last article about breaking matchy matchy rules, I thought I’d explore another hot trend this season, the fact that the deep rich jewel tones I love and speak about so much are hot items for colour contrasting. We first saw these lovely colours showing up as small touches to our outfits making the hot grey trend pop, then we saw them making statements as solid colour dresses and now we’re mixing them all up! This trend is very high fashion and will make you stand out at this years office christmas party. Wear a purple dress with green shoes or a navy blue dress with red! If you’re the type that likes to be a little more subdued you can still be very trendy by adding just a pop of colour to your little black dress, like a glittery sandal or an emerald green pair of pumps, or by wearing a tank thats embellished but black, trendy and subtle at the same time! Below Holly Robinson Peete looks graceful matching a bright red dress with an animal print and Tracey Ellis Ross goes trendy pairing a pale yellow dress with purple peep-toes.  Eva Longoria is smashing in yellow and green, Cameron Diaz does a pop of red and Reese Witherspoon is bold in red and yellow. I’ve also paired a few of my own below to get your creative juices flowing.

Here are some pieces that I found that can give you the same trendy effect with just using one piece, whether by one bright dress/skirt paired with subdued pieces or an outfit highlighted by outstanding shoes and/or bag.

Items: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9  a, b, c, d, e, f

Well not really but quite close. Do you remember these absolutely adorable shoes I posted on back in August? Well I found them!!! Fashion Mania in the Pavillion Mall (HalfWayTree, ST. Andrew) has these too-cute-for-words polka dot shoes that come close enough in style. Their # is 876-920-1225 call them up and ask them what size they have because they didn’t have them left in my big ‘ol size :(  If you buy them please please please lemme see a pic!

Anyway moving from HWT, I went to spend the better part of my afternoon with my dear friend Stacy from Shimmer and my good ‘ol taste buds had to go and pick out the most expensive shoes in the store to like. They are too cute and with the embellishments on them I would be hot on that trend! Check them out below. I have a great Shimmer spread coming up, got some great pics of what’s hot now AND I’ll let you in on what will be “wearing” this Christmas! Stay tuned!

Droooool…. today’s “out of my reach” is brought to you by my blog surfing and spotting these fantabulous Gucci shoes over at Habitual Beauty Normally I like to stick to my sites that have shoes that are at least pocket friendly, cus window shopping can be so painful. But I couldn’t help going over to the site and checking out these shoes. Shoes are definitely the key to this Diva’s heart and my heart definitely sang out when I laid eyes on the wide array! I chose to focus on mainly pumps today, the shoes that you can spice up a work outfit with. Oxfords are the new “it” shoes right now and the Gucci ones pictured above spoke to me. I couldn’t answer it’s call though, at a whopping US$995 all I could do was say hi!

Of course I went in search of more affordable Oxfords to appease my appetite and stumbled upon a few other items that were fabulous in their own right and much more pocket friendly. You can click each image to be taken directly to the product page.

Brit Bran in Lane Plaza always has the cutest shoes! I swear every time I go in there I want to buy at least 3 pairs! And they’re so pocket-friendly too! So last week I went in and I saw these absolutely adorable open-toed sling backs….in a pistachio colour I tried them on, they were too cute! But where in the world would I wear them to?!?! And what with!

Well you know this diva would be rockin’ them to work all glam-ed up in black, white, khaki or gray with accessories to match my new shoe…while most people would probably reserve them for weddings, dinners and other formal, churchly events… but they’re just too cute for that! Tell me if you share my love for these shoes and where you would wear them.

They have them in black as well…if you want to go the boring route Well…they are patent leather so you’d still be hot in the black since patent is so in. Make sure you’re rocking a patent leather bag as well.

Now for your purple fill of the day…these pointy-toed numbers would round out my pick of my three must haves from Brit Bran this week. Too hot! I’m a size 9 for all my generous, sweet, kind, readers out there Their number is 876-906-4086 if you’re not sure where Lane Plaza is. As always, remember to mention you saw them here at Fashion Over Style!

Its been raining for a while in Jamaica now and this morning I woke up to extremely heavy showers. What’s a fabulous diva to wear?!? Rain should not stop our cuteness ladies. I saw an elderly lady in her rain boots out and about today and joked how I should have some of those. I was asked what I would do with them once I got to office. Well, there are some fabulous pieces you can put together to brighten up a drab, rainy day.

Jamaicans are not known for wearing boots and are often ridiculed for wearing boots in such a hot climate. But these boots, they NEED to be a part of our tropical climate wardrobe. I hear a common question being asked “what do I wear with my rain boots?” Rain boots are chunky and can take away from a fabulous outfit OR they can be the highlight!

Today I’ll put together some fabulous wears for the rainy day. First of course, a little lesson in the type of fabric thats best for you people with the funky feet or those who aren’t on there way to work in an AC-ed office but in a warmer space. You’ll want to get a waterproof/breathable shoe, so that the water will stay out and the sweat can escape as well. These “are defined as fabrics that will withstand over 1000 millimetres of water pressure without leaking, whilst allowing water vapour to pass through. Their most common use is in outdoor sports clothing and single wall tents, because of their ability to allow sweat to evaporate while remaining impervious to rain. Fabric construction…directs water away from the body [and] can be used to keep the wearer dry, rather than membranes, coatings or laminates. This means that perspiration can be moved away from the body more effectively as both liquid water and water vapour can be directed.” Learn more from Wikipedia.

These boots ladies are from Gore Tex, a company that specializes in this waterproof/breathable shoes. with descriptions like “Stuart Weitzman’s Elemental Boot will keep you looking good and feeling comfortable all [season] long.
It is made with a waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX® lining for breathable comfort and complete weather protection, even under the wettest conditions.
The side zipper makes on and off a breeze, while the rubber sole keeps you steady ” I am sold!!! Men they have you covered too:

Of course I looked at shoes more for the office but you can check out the website for shoes for outdoor activities as well.

Now on to brighter colours! Now us Jamaicans, are not coat wearers neither…but come on! A rainy day is the perfect day to infuse a little nothern style into our wardrobes and get away with it. Park the glad wrap looking raincoat, wouldn’t you look absolutely stunning stepping into the office in this gorgeous trench coat? Step it up a notch by opting for red!

No wet worries for you with those babies on.

One of my many annoyances is having to wear pants in the rain because the feeling of the wet pant foot against my ankle…. eeeewwww! Back to my fabulous boots, any excuse to pop them on. Keep your feet warm in style with these Marc Jacobs boots, as you see they are in a variety of this season’s “it” colours to make your outfit pop and keep you nice and dry. Match them with your favorite coloured accessories over neutrals (pants, capris, skirts or dresses will look great with these boots!) and you’re good to go. Notice the heel is stacked so no worries for slipping in puddles, yet still fashionable.

Of course rain boots have gone through many transitions now and so you can find a fun one for any occasion. Thanks to I Am Fashion for some of these boots below.

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Ladies go “green” with these bags made from recycled rubber, waterproof and eco-friendly too! Bags from Vulcana.net

Last but not least, a hat for you hat lovers… this fedora by Searle is water-resistant and will help keep your “do” banging and dry.

So because of the imminent move in the very near future, I’m keeping all my hot, new, local stuff under wraps to be revealed on the new blog. Tho its burning me up so! Meanwhile, I thought i would rant a little more about my obsession with what some may deem odd shoes. Hey I just like to be differently cute! I still want to keep it Jamaican tho so I’ll tell you where I find my cute selection of flats…keep reading.

I popped into a bargain store the other day that normally has some nice, pocket-friendly work basics and I wandered around to their shoe section. Hey, you never know where you’ll find a treasure you know! And indeed after much browsing through the stuff I found these absolutely gorgeous peep toe shoes! the were black and white striped and i couldn’t stop running through my wardrobe dreaming up all the possibilities. I didn’t get them because it was a cloth material and were already beginning to look grungy. But they were so cute! I couldn’t find the image online but how cute are these? (found on odgirl)

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Many people think its weird that I have Frederick’s in my favorite online store list, but come on…they have some of the sexiest shoes! Can you not just imagine doing a sexy lap dance for your man in a pair of these?

Or maybe play a cute game of dress up in these?

They take a while to update their stock of shoes…but i keep checking for updates, sexy shoes will be the death of me! Oh yeah…their lingerie ain’t so bad either