V-Day Look: Mixing Masculine & Feminine Elements

Mixing masculine and feminine elements is a method of styling I like to dress with often.

In a similar way that opposites attract, wearing both masculine and feminine elements in your outfit makes it more interesting.

Examples of feminine elements are the color pink and a vintage style purse in this outfit.

Other examples are florals, pencil skirts, and dresses that emphasize the waist.

Examples of masculine elements are tailored blazers and vests, buckled boots and button up collared shirts.

While men can incorporate some feminine elements in their wardrobe like the color pink and floral prints, women can wear more silhouettes than men. We’ve got skirts, dresses, and more styles of tops to choose from in addition to all of the menswear silhouettes we can wear. We have the best of both worlds :)

Wear for day or a casual date:

Styling tips:

• Start with an item you love that will be the main character of the outfit. I chose this pink scarf.
• Next create the rest of your outfit. Since I want the scarf to stand out, I chose all neutrals for the rest.
• Choose silhouettes that enhance your body shape, like a pencil skirt.
• I chose a v-neck tee to keep the outfit casual. V-neck tees and shirts are the most universally flattering since this shape elongates the neckline, making you look longer and leaner. The v shape is also like an upside down arrow that draws attention to your neck and face.
• Since the pink scarf and pencil skirt are my feminine elements, next I added the masculine ones: the blazer to make the outfit more sophisticated, and boots to make it casual.
• Choose a blazer that nips in at your waist and buttons comfortably without stretching the fabric. Though the one in my outfit is an open style without a button, before I bought it I made sure it would button comfortably if it had one.
• There are styling tricks for all body types for which shapes, colors, and proportions will best flatter you. If you have concerns or questions about this, consult your Stylist. If you’re looking for one, holler and maybe I can help.

What I wore:

Scarf: gifted

Blazer and pencil skirt: H&M

Tee: Nordstrom Rack

Boots: MIA

Happy V-Day styling, and as always, Love Yourself and Feel Beautiful! Thanks for reading, stay tuned, and in the comments tell us what you like to wear for Valentine’s.

I Am Not My Hair: Cancer Conquering Confidence

Today I’m talking about “I am not my hair” from my book 8 Values of a Cancer Conquering Personal Stylist: How to Love Yourself & Feel Beautiful.

Watch me talk about it in video here.

The reason I want to share with you about I am not my hair right now is because I just started losing my hair again. I was growing it back for a year, it was coming back, and it was almost looking normal.  And now it’s getting thin again. It’s because I’m taking a synthetic drug. I don’t think anything natural would make a person’s hair fall out.

What I’m discovering is we’re not defined by our hair. It’s just part of our physical being. What defines us really is what’s inside. What’s inside our hearts, what’s inside our heads, what our values are.

It’s part of our packaging though, of course, our physical self. It’s our visual business card, part of our marketing. I just heard recently that people judge the cover of a book before they read what’s inside. And this is true because we live in a visual society. It’s important to align who you are on the outside with who you are on the inside by dressing for your body type, lifestyle, and personality.

Bottom line is a person’s character is more important than their visual physical self. India.Arie, one of my fave musicians even made a song about it.

I don’t share with you my story for pity or for sympathy. I share my story to share the truth so you know what’s going on and maybe you can relate with me. Maybe you’re going through something similar, maybe something more intense. Maybe just hearing my story is impacting you or will impact you for the better.

I love my hair no matter what length it is. And if I lose it all again, if I have to shave it off again because I’m losing so much so fast, then so be it. I’ll just put my headscarves on again or I’ll just rock a bald head. It’s just hair. It will grow back. And if it doesn’t, then it’s ok. It’s just hair.

Another thing I want to share with you. I read this in the book Wisdom to Wellness by Maureen Minnehan Jones: People who have physical illnesses, there’s a soul discovery attached to it. It’s your soul giving your body a signal, a message. The one that’s attached to cancer is related to judgement. This is a broad term and can apply to many things or aspects of a person’s life. It’s something I’m experiencing and going through.

People who are conquering these mothers of physical illnesses...it’s an amazing character development, boot camp, roller coaster! Physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, everything! You experience life and then put on top of that a physical illness- goodness gracious! There is definitely some pressure going on that coal to reveal the diamond that’s there underneath.

A little bit of this roller coaster I’m experiencing has to do with faith and trust. Faith and trust in yourself that you will conquer whatever you’re going through. And also faith and trust in the experts that you’re relying on to help heal you, with whatever methods or treatments they give you.

And then there’s patience. Pretty self explanatory.

And love and happiness and all of the positive, great emotions that there are. The more that you feel these for yourself, and the more you stay positive, the more life opens up and the better life can be. And when you have a physical illness like this I’m finding it’s so important to stay positive and to see the silver lining and to see the light at the end of the tunnel and focus on that. That’s really what’s gotten me through to where I am today. I’ve gone through a lot. I’ve been in and out of the hospital and feeling very sick for the majority of a year and a half. My journey is about two years long right now and I just thank God that I have the energy that I have now and I’m at the health level I’m at now.

I consider having cancer, conquering it, as a blessing. I know that I will conquer it because I’m stronger than it. Because I’m smarter than it. I know that I have so many people to impact and lives, people to touch. So I know I’m not going anywhere for a long time.

I want to know in the comments: What’s one thing you’re going through in your life, and also one thing you’re learning from it, whether it’s positive or negative. Focus on that silver lining.

Thanks for reading, stay tuned, I love you all, and let’s connect on KacieMay.com and see how we can collaborate.

P.S. Oh, and f.y.i., a few days before I wrote this and shot the video, I had a breakdown. I cried. I called loved ones. I want to be healthier already. I know I’ll get there. I let it all out, emotions, talking, writing, as I do habitually, then I told myself it will be ok. And I believe myself. I’m human. I fall, then I pick myself back up, get my game face on, and conquer!