The Devil Wears more than Prada...

Growing up in a house full of humor, I was often referred to as "El Diablo". I know, I know.....like was she evil or something? To that I say perspective my friends...PERSPECTIVE. The story begins in my adolescence. As a toddler, I had a stuffed animal named "Dinky Devil", which went with me everywhere. Just think of Lamb Chop, that was basically my ace boon coon up until 1st grade. Being enrolled in a Catholic private school (hey Our Mother of Mercy family!), you hear the devil quite often especially if you're left-handed, mischievous, or the lunch lady. Every nun/teacher accused the devil of being in something exactly like Kathy Bates in one of my favorite movies The Waterboy (1998).  I've already mentioned 'devil' more than I would like to right now, and I'm only a third of way through the story, so perform 5 Hail Mary prayers before proceeding to the rest of this story.....1.....2....3....4....5...ok proceed!

My father jokingly always called us "The Children of the Devil", and we would respond "what does that make you then, the devil right?" This joke usually followed after one of his four daughters would make a smart remark. At some point, my little sister-Catherine, was learning Spanish from somewhere (I'm making it seem like she was talking to random people lol but it was probably my dad teaching her). Any who, she started calling me "El Diablo" when she would see me executing my art of schemes. These were experiments, missions, or artistic creations that usually resulted in disciplinary action. I had no trial by peers, no judge, no jury, just guilty lol. At some point, I just started telling my parents what my honest intent was, and they wouldn't believe me (similar to the boy who cried wolf but backwards). Even when I was lying I would smile, and even when I told the truth I smiled. The crazy thing is I got such a kick from telling the truth I kept at it. Either way my sister continued to call me " El Diablo" because weaponizing the truth is just as devious....

Fast forward to today, and I think my mindset for when I dress is devil-sharp! I mean have you been watching shows like Lucifer or Supernatural.....the devil is definitely stylish. Which might explain why my closet is so full of sin....as in splurges from boutiques, discount stores, and beyond. My vices definitely stem from my mom. Her closet was a safety hazard, I think it fell on me twice. The coat rack from Big Lots can only hold so much weight before that metal gives out. Then her upstairs closet somehow collapsed on me while I was retrieving a hat box......#aflac. Just make sure you have insurance before you go in her closet folks. I try not to let my closet get that far gone by purging (future blog) as my Aunt Cleta likes to do.

A lot of people aim to dress devil-sharp by buying designer everything. This is style, but not your style. Somebody already did your work for you. I want a piece from the runway, but not the entire wardrobe. Give me the purse from Prada, the sundress from Ross, the glasses from Torrid, and the sandals from Steve Madden! You do not have to buy $1000 worth of clothes to look sharp. Honestly, you just saw your favorite celebrity post an entire Gucci outfit (that was probably rented or loaned) and now you're about to splurge rent money for a 15 second trend. Not cool.....not at all when you can achieve the same looks for less. Shopping for me goes in this order: basics at Walmart or Target, then trendy pieces Citi Trends or Rainbow, and finally New York & Company or Macy's. If my photography sessions are booked for a month straight, I may even hop in Nordstrom. Most of my clothes are things I like for example: prints, patterns, bold colors, and exciting cuts! So when I'm not following a trend I'm on Pinterest mapping out my next slay. ALWAYS start executing your vision with clothes from amazon.com. This may be risky if you don't know your size or fabrics, but who cares? Prime returns are worry-free! From accessories to outfits they magically have what you're looking for in the cheapest form. Which brings me to frugal shopping...everything comes with a price. With frugal shopping comes the low expectation of quality. If you paid $5 for a dress, and got 2 uses out of it before it disintegrates in the washing machine....that's a win! My thought process is 'well if i'm only going to be wearing it once', no biggie! From amazon go to your trusted boutiques and browse for something extravagant to top it off with. When you finish making your El Diablo (devil-sharp) outfit with items from high fashion to flea market tag #CREOLECHRONICLES to be featured, and receive some social media love!