"HOLY LEATHER & SKULLS, BATMAN!" -Jamila Pierre

So last week it was toss up between which outfit post I was going to put up first, the #VelvetySchoolGirlRealness obviously won (I just could't wait to share that skirt, or the look).

This week we have the runner up, it's another take on a casual outfit for me. Usually my casual outfits rest upon some type of jean bottoms, a unique Tee, my boots of life, and some casual (but still awesome sauce AF) outerwear...depending how chillis Willis it is outside. As much as I love my pantalones, I LOVE dresses & I do dress a dress somewhat down...often.

Just when I was thinking about posting this look, a fellow foxy babe (Fatshionpeepshow) posted hers and I was like, "HOLY SKULLS & LEATHER, BATMAN!!!" #LikeMinds #Twinning

Stina Scott of FatshionPeepshow.bogspot.com

I got this dress in the summer time during one of Torrid's Haute cash sales, and I took my ass right into the store in my neighborhood to see what they had to offer because to be honest....lately (more like at the time) they hadn't done good things for me in a hot minute. I immediately found a slew of dress with a skull and floral print all over them, varying in color and pattern size of course. This was the only one that I kept going back to after trying them all on, the color was the best, the pattern was IT, and it helped that my hat (as pictured) went with it.

DECISION MADE!

The only down side was that it was a bit too big on me but not noticeable enough to make a negative impact on my look. The material is soft and cool to the touch, and it literally flows in the wind (it's as if this piece was begging on it's knees for anchor pieces).

I threw on this fast fave, leather jacket from the AVA & VIV line at Target, and my handy dandy studded belt (to break up the print of course), my clickity clack when I walk (boss AF) life boots, and the hat that sealed the deal on me purchasing the dress to begin with.

I gotta admit I'm a sucker for juxtopsition, so mixing hard and soft, pairing things down, or even wearing sequins so shiny that spaceships can see you...just so you can go to the grocery store at nine in the morning. I love the unexpected, I love mixing things that you wouldn't think would pair well, I love the idea of a flouncy dress worn with a leather jacket a studded belt, and a biker boot.

What I'm Wearing:

Hat was gifted man moons ago.
Necklace from the wholesale district in NYC. $3.50
Leather jacket from Target.com. $37 (On sale from $)
Dress from Torrid. $25.98 (On sale from $)
Belt from V.I.M. $7 (Similar HERE)
Boots from Charlotterusse. $15 (On sale from $45)

"Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshiped and fondled like a priceless diamond."

- Hunter S. Thompson

There has been a considerable amount of suck going on in my personal space these past couple of months (and by months I mean just about two years), not to even mention what's been going on outside of the little bubble I call life. This world is filled with some pretty wicked ISH (this isn't news...I'm aware), and as of late the number of wrong is tallying up higher than that of what is right. Yes, I can sit here and play pretend and act like I haven't spent many days pondering the fate of humanity and (in a much "less important" in the grand scheme of things) the fate of myself and where I am headed in my near future much less my distant one. I have to admit that sometimes I struggle with being a part of things (socially that is) when there is so much going on around me that needs to be fixed (I admittedly have a Superman complex I can't seem to shake and have had it from as young as I can remember). It makes me want to turn everything off (social media, blog, all things "me-centric", etc...), rip off my work-shirt like Clark Kent, and fight the woes of the world...including the ones I face that are of my own.

To be honest I've been so physically ill due to my spinal headache crapola on top of all the weight of the other BS that is going on (that people like to pretend that isn't going on), I've felt kind of helpless in the act of supermanning these woes (see what I did there...I made a funny)**CUES SOULJA BOY'S MUSIC**.

Look, this isn't meant to be a downer post, I just needed to/ wanted to get & KEEP it REAL with you for minute. But there is a happy ending (that's what she said), so read on.

Every time I find myself second guessing what it is I'm doing, whether the contribution is big enough (hell it may very well not be), I try and remember that I am but one person trying to make a dent in this vast world filled with a shit ton of obstacles that are geared towards making people hate each other and hate themselves. If I could just get but one person to smile, laugh, not feel alone, to feel accepted, or to feel open to a new possibility...then maybe my "pea-sized" contribution could ripple effect into something bigger than me...bigger than that person.

And trust me, even with all of the prospects of that and glasses being half full, to it potentially overflowing with bountiful blessings, I still found and currently find myself surrounded by barrels of suck.

But then...

The past couple of months (and by couple of months I mean weeks) something happened. It's not as if my thought process has changed, nor has my situation...really nothing has changed....except the energy that is surrounding me. Despite all of the suck remaining the same, the vibration and its echoed voice (that only my inner most being can hear and feel) is speaking a different language. Let me be clear: my views, my thoughts, my outlook, my reality has not changed, but there is this almost palpable static surrounding my life force, that's the best way I can explain it. So naturally, I must accommodate. It's the most interesting sensation, truly, and I can't exactly pinpoint the slight shift in energy or how or why, I just know that I must move with it or be mowed down by it.

I'm still struggling to find a way to make a solid change in this world though, it's a process, so many ideas swirling through my ever gear shifting mind (it's like a never ending notepad to which I scribble upon on a constant basis...restlessly). Just know that there are a few things in the works that are not only meant to add to the world we live in (whether they lean on the side of awareness), and there are also things in the works that will open things up for people to have a little more fun in a time where and when things are....well...not so fun.

ON TO THE FASHION! (THAT WAS LONG WINDED I KNOW)

So when I put this outfit together I wanted it to reflect a whole "Panama"/ "Cuba"/ "San Juan", yet still New York Vibe. The first thing that came to mind once I slipped on my sunnies and popped on my fedora was "Gadzooks, I'm totally Hunter S. Thompson Vibin' it, with this "Rum Diaries" essence all up in through here." It was literally the first thing I said when I revealed myself to my main Bish (who was acting photog for the day), "I'm totally Hunter S."

And As I stood there posing, ready for my close-up, I began to think about Mr. Gonzo Journalist himself and his outlook on life. Though most of it was induced by bouts of LSD episodes and Ether laced adventures, there was much merit to his thought process and the science he dropped (not that any of it is new or hasn't been regurgitated by every motivational speaker from here to west buba @#!$, but there's merit none the less). And for a brief moment a smile came across my inner self because I felt like the chain of events, the theme of the outfit, and Mr. Thompson's words came together in perfect harmony just to place a hand on my shoulder, with a nod of approval, allowing me to exhale.