100 Years of Black Fashion

Finally, a look back at 100 Years of Black Fashion. It certainly took long enough.

The following video was produced by @BuzzFeedCocoaButter

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100 Years of White Fashion

100 Years of White Fashion

fash·ion —ˈfaSHən/noun: a popular trend, especially in styles of dress and ornament or manners of behavior.

How do you define your sense of fashion? Do you have a stylist? Do you count on your significant other or best friend to help you look your best? Do you flip through the pages of Vogue Magazine, or do you watch for the latest trends of your favorite celebrities on the red carpet? Most of us just roll with the fashion trends that's presented to us by trusted designers.

However, when I came across Mode.com's 100 Years of Fashion: Gals vs. Guys while scrolling through social media, I was a bit disappointed that the models and the style only gave a view point of the white race.

What about 100 Years of (__'fill in the blank'___  ) Fashion: Guys vs. Gals? 

Make no mistake, the video was insightful and actually quite educational. The 1990s fashion throwback was nostalgic. However, it just would have been better if it was culturally balanced. 

If you have a couple of fashion throwbacks that spans over the course of 100 years from a different race, please e-mail them to @TCsViews. 

Top 10 Posts Readers Loved in 2015

(Remember this? This was the old banner for Artz of Culturez)

As you can see Artz of Culturez went through several minor changes in 2015. First, I got rid of the blogspot extension. Then I swapped the letter ’s’ to the letter ‘z.’ I also posted an armature head shot of myself on the home page so you can put a face to the ideas that fill up the pages of the blog.

Related Story: 2014 Top 10 Blog Posts for Arts of Cultures

Some of the new ideas include, Artz of Culturez TV, Diggin’ in the Crates, and Empty-Nest Chronicles. However, I couldn’t help but notice that when I created the Money Culture tab and filled it with personal finance postings for Money Method Mondays, the page views went though the roof. Turns out readers want to know more about how to handle their finances.

Fashion Friday: Vintage Purse Sighting

(Kim's Vintage Purse)

You see this leather hobo purse on this woman’s shoulder? Well, I fell in love with it. Unfortunately, it’s not available in stores anymore. Turns out, Kim bought it at an estate sale for $5 somewhere in Florida.

I’ve never gone to an estate sale because I always thought the items were going to be priced way out of my range. Garage/yard sales are more my thing. I try to get up early on a Saturday morning and stroll until I saw the signs. "Yard Sale: At 123 Elm Street." I would also hit the thrift stores and vintage shops. However, I never came across any purse that I fell in love with like the one Kim now carries.

Empty-Nest Chronicles: The $50 Corsage

My son, who is my youngest child, is a few months away from leaving the nest. For the last couple of weeks we've been preparing for the joyous event by celebrating his 18th birthday, suiting up for his cap and gown, selecting housing for his college dorm and breaking the bank for his senior prom.

Ah, the senior prom. Suit, tie, shoes, socks, haircut, prom tickets and portrait packages can all add up to a hefty bill. The last thing I wanted to do was spend $50 for a corsage. Yes, you read that correctly. I wrote $50 for a corsage. That's what I spent at a floral shop last year when my son went to the junior prom. I later learned that everyone ends up taking off their corsage after pictures and before they hit the dance floor.

This time around I skipped the local floral shop near my corporate job in the city and I found another way. 

Fashion Friday: Glorious Gray

(Lounging in Glorious Gray: Full description below)

The color gray is a shade that shouldn't be ignored on your fashion color palette. Nor should it be saved just for the winter. Gray can and should be worn year round.

A few weeks ago one of my friends made an attempt to reprimand me for wearing gray in the spring season. "But if you pair it with a bright spring color like yellow, gray can work you know," I politely fired back. 

Whoever said gray is only to be worn during the cold months is wrong. And I don't care if Anna Wintour has it written down in the fashion law books of Vouge magazine. We can wear gray anytime of the year! (No disrespect, Anna.)

There are several shades of gray to choose from ... 50, if you ask my favorite dominate fictional character Christian Grey. I tend to pack away my dark gray items until winter sets in and I keep my lighter shades of gray in my daily wardrobe year round. During the winter months I pair my dark grays with red, deep purple, and the color that goes with just about everything 365 days of the year - black.

Ah, but it’s springtime and summer is about to creep in any day now, which means that the dark side of the color palette will not always work but the lighter side of the complementary color wheel will. My personal favorite colors that mesh well with the lighter shades of gray includes: yellow, turquoise, gold, light blue, off white, lavender and magenta.

Do you see it? Do you see that gray is the color for all seasons? Great! My job here is done.

Share how you feel about gray occupying your closet year round in the comment box. Or if Instagram is where you share your fashion habits, tag me in your gray looks at @TCsViews so I can check it out.  

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Outfit: Lounging in Glorious Gray

Gray high-rise skinny jeans: Urban Outfitters 

Stripped gray & yellow long sleeve cotton shirt: The Gap 

Combat boots: Nine West  

Yellow purse: orYANY  

Fabulous Shades: Style Haven Boutique  

Earrings: Forever 21 

Hair: Beauty House of TamYams ~ Natural Curls constructed with Cantu Leave in Conditioner, pure African Shea Butter, and natural coconut oil 

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Related stories:

• All in the Color Palette 

• Lovin’Yellow 

Fashion Friday: Lovin' Yellow

(Day at the Office Outfit: Full description below) 

Yellow is not the color for everyone but when paired with the right colors and style, yellow can brighten up anyone’s spring day. 

I’ll admit that I saw the color coming for several months now. During the fall of 2014, I noticed different shades of sunny side up peeking out here and there. But it was the spring fashion 2015 fashion shows that really put my fashion intuition to rest. Take a look at Lubov Azria, Delpozo, Diane Von Furstenberg, Michael Kors and Herve Leger’s spring collection to see for yourself. 

Unfortunately, TC’s Clozet isn't flushed with high-end lemon colored threads from 2015’s spring catwalk, but it is filled with a range of designers from various boutiques, trendy retailers, vintage shops, discount high-end retailers, and pre-owned apparels from my fashionista friends. 

This week's Fashion Friday outfit has a mix of yellow, green and gray. Yes, gray. I've been told that gray isn't a spring color and it’s more suitable for winter. When I checked the law books on fashion, I couldn't find anything that said I had to pack away my gray garments for the spring. (More on that in the next Fashion Friday post.)

So, are you lovin’ yellow as much as I am? Share your comments and pictures below. If Instagram is more your style, tag me in your sunshine looks at @TCsViews so I can check you out! 

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Day at the Office Outfit

Pre-owned Cardigan: British mail order retailer Boden ~ Acquired from my friend Kim. 

Gray ¾ in sleeve top: H&M

Pleated Skirt: H&M ~ As you can see ... it has pockets!  

Shoes: Nine West ~ You’ll see me in a lot of shoes from Nine West because, well, they are my favorite brand. I’ll write a blog post on them one of these days

Earrings: My friend left them at my house a few years ago, and they've been in my possession ever since.

Prescription Glasses: Warby Parker

Hair: Beauty House of TamYams ~ Natural Curls constructed with shea butter, coconut oil and EcoStyler gel

Related stories: All in the Color Palette

Fashion Friday: All in the Color Palette

(Day at the Office Outfit)

Depending on the shade of your skin, you can pull off wearing almost any primary color. As you can see I've got quite a few colors in this spring day at the office outfit.

A colleague of mine has been trying to encourage one of his fair skin co-workers, who I will call Drew, to break out of wearing solid black all the time. I then informed my colleague that Drew may have to find a color palette that suits her because spring colors like yellow, orange and certain shades of pastel blue will make her look washed out and may clash with her blonde hair.

I even have colors that I'm hesitant of wearing. Midnight blue, coffee brown and eggplant are colors that makes me look drab. However, I try to brighten dark colored outfits with accessories from earrings, to fashion statement necklaces, multi patterned socks and right down to the shoes! Who says you have to wear black shoes with every dark outfit?

So what colors on your palette makes your complexion pop? Share your comments and pics below. If Instagram is more your style be sure to tag @tcsviews in your posts.

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Day at the Office Outfit

(Cardigan Tag)

• Belt: Style Haven 'Vintage' Boutique
• Cardigan: I totally forgot... But here's the tag I found inside
• Dress: Forever 21
• Shoes: Nine West Outlet
• Earrings: H&M
• Hair: Beauty House of TamYams - Natural curls constructed with Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding 

2014 Top 10 Blog Posts for Arts of Cultures

It’s been quite a year for Arts of Cultures. 

The blog started out with stories about emerging artists in the multicultural art scene, with the likes of Maeva Fouche and Miki Turner. 

It then branched out and gave tips on how to build your art career. Whether you’re a painter, author, singer or a member of any part of the creative world, there was a tip just for you when Art Tip Tuesdays were posted. 

And as issues in American culture started to become the main topic of conversation on social media, digital news and everyday chit chat, Arts of Cultures peeled back the layers and shed light on controversial discussions. From Shonda Rimes being called an Angry Black Woman to ongoing talks of how social injustice continues to be a problem in America when it comes to people of color and the human race.

Trending Retro Fashion: The Return of the Pin Roll

Have you noticed that men urban fashion has been tapered with hints of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s fashion? Take a look around and you’ll see that pants are starting to fit a little more snug in the waist and even tighter in the ankles. Allow me to explain.

Cashing in on Braids

Braids have made a come back and it's the hottest trend? This is news to me, because I didn't know that braids left the hair scene. Nor have I seen a trend of braids break out on social media. Have you?

Well, CBS Sunday Morning discovered that braids are hot on the red carpet and on the runway. But what about around the way? As far as I'm concerned braids never left my neighborhood. I still style my own hair in braids... you know the two braids cornrowed back and off to the side. And yes, I do them myself.