Fashion photographer and original gangster Bill Cunningham once said:
"Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life."
Your style speaks for you before you ever introduce yourself.
As girl bosses, it is our job to make sure that our style staples exude confidence, strength, and distinction. Though women are intrinsically stylish and we find a way to make things our own, women of the melanated persuasion kick it up a notch with all types of sass and class.
No matter your style, every woman needs full-proof pieces that will withstand time and the evolution of trends. While you may think your 20-somethings won't end, they will. And you need to be ready!
We found one of our favorite humans dripping in all of the perennial pieces a girl needs in her wardrobe. Lifestyle blogger, Kyrzayda Rodriguez, has a true passion for passion. She provides us beautiful content through on blog, Kyrzayda.com weekly. Her story is beyond inspiring and her transparency is humanizing. Above all, this woman promotes self-love and enjoying the skin you're in. Dressing the part is a testament to that.
Check out the indefinite classic items you need in your closet by the time you turn 30 by clicking through the gallery below:
1.Elegant blazer
Blazers are a quick way to make any look stylish. This velvet number is quite alluring.
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You can dress ballet flats up or down. Most importantly, they are essential for a career look.
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No matter the color or style, pumps will always be a pillar of a woman's wardrobe. The versatility is unmeasurable as you can rock them with everything.
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Leather material is everlasting and a leather bag can instantly add a grown woman vibe to your outfit.
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Our girl, Kyrzayda, bossed up with her version of the tailored suit. But you can get a nice suit from T.J. Maxx or Express and take it to your local seamstress to make it just right for you.
JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.6.Diamond earrings
If you want a clean look, invest in diamond earrings.
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A nice blouse can go a long way. Pair it with a pencil skirt or high-waisted pants and you are good to go.
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The weather can play a major role in your style. When the weather is cooler, be sure to have a long trench coat in your closet.
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There's nothing sexier than a woman in a little black dress. You can never go wrong wearing an LBD on a date or for a night on the town with the girls.
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Accessories can make or break an outfit. With a nice watch, you are sure to look and feel like the boss you are.
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There is nothing more classic than a white tee. Dem Franchise Boyz even made a super popping song about it. Style it up with some flashy boots or kill it with some sneakers.
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I love a good denim jacket because it is multi-purpose and you can find really vintage jackets at the thrift store.
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Motorcycle jackets give you an edgy appeal like no other jacket. Throw it over your shoulders and you will look as chic as any fashion blogger.
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You especially need a classic white button up before you turn 30 because it is the pinnacle of fashion. They are perfect for interviews making for a polished look.
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Having a striped shirt in your drawer means that you are ready for whatever. The pattern ordains a clean but fun vibe.
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What better way to make a statement than with a fly ass coat?
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The good thing about perfect fitting jeans is that you can find them in different styles. Opt for a pair of bell-bottom jeans like Kyrzayda or get super comfy with a pair of boyfriend jeans. With places like Old Navy and Fashion Nova at your fingertips, there's no excuse not to have this staple.
JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.18. Black pants
Black will never go out of style. Black pants will also never let you down. They are an essential career staple and they are a great addition to an all-black outfit.
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You have to love a good pair of booties. The intentionality of booties transcends different styles.
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Lace bra = grown as f*ck. When you see a woman in a lace bra, you know she has her ish together.
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Midi skirts give just the right amount of pizazz in any setting.
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Virtually the most casual yet classic staple, white sneakers are immortal for what they do for your wardrobe.
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If you are a woman on the go, you most definitely need a tote that can hold your work and beauty goodies.
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We all love donning sunglasses for those late night runs to Target. They are so necessary to have for any function serving as a faultless accessory.
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For those bad hair days, you need a wide brim hat on ready.
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This has to be one of my favorite staples because I wear them with almost every look. Single strappies provide a simple yet elemental appearance.
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Duster coats will have you queening the streets of your city. They are perfect for the fall months.
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No need to steal your mom's silk scarf - get your own!
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Shopping for the perfect bathing suit can be a nightmare but once you find "the one," you are made.
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In any case of your job or career, as a woman, you need a power dress to show everyone that you mean business without sacrificing your personality.
JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.What are some staples you think every woman should own?
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As an adult, beauty would continue to occupy a significant portion of her life. “I worked in places like Temptu, L’Oreal, Glossier,” N’Diaye-Mbaye told xoNecole. But there was still a nagging feeling inside of her of wanting to capture the beauty she was exposed to in her mother’s shop as a child. “You know what? Lemme try this crazy thing,” she said.
Enter: Ami Colé.
Ami Colé Powder
Ami Colé is the makeup brand N’Diaye-Mbaye founded as an homage to both the Black women she was surrounded by in Harlem and her friends. “I wanted to create something simple that most of my girls were wearing and things that I saw growing up in Harlem,” she said.
While the industry has seen strides in inclusivity over the past few years, there’s been a dearth of products and cosmetic lines dedicated specifically to people with darker complexions, with Black women being left with little to no options for skin-matching coverage. With a boom in brands in recent years that have put Black beauty at the front and center of its mission like Range Beauty, The Lip Bar, and of course Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, suddenly a new dilemma emerged for people like N’Diaye-Mbaye who wanted to launch their own makeup brands.
“It was very difficult not only to get access in terms of people answering your emails,” N’Diaye-Mbaye said of her early struggles in trying to get funding from financiers for Ami Colé. “People would say: ‘Well Rihanna has a brand, why would you need another brand?’”
It wasn’t until the racial reckoning of 2020, when N’Diaye-Mbaye said that investors became “a little bit more sensitive and sensitized to where they sit on the spectrum of equity,” that she was finally able to fully fund her company. N’Diaye-Mbaye officially launched Ami Colé in May 2021. Before launching, N’Diaye-Mbaye said that she surveyed Black women to see what customers wanted from a beauty brand.
“By the time we launched, we knew exactly what type of makeup look, makeup style this customer was going for,” she said. “We knew what shades she was using already and the new products she was missing or how to make her makeup routine just more simple.” In addition to their makeup products like the popular lip oil and foundationless base products, Ami Colé offers items like incense and N’Diaye-Mbaye said they’re even hoping to expand to fragrances in the near future. “We're always challenging ourselves to think about Ami Colé as a lifestyle,” she said.
“We're always challenging ourselves to think about Ami Colé as a lifestyle.”
In their first year of sales alone, Ami Colé brought in $2 million in revenue, proving that there is space for more than just one Black beauty brand to thrive. When I asked N’Diaye-Mbaye if she ever felt like giving up through the arduous process of trying to get her dream off the ground, she said: “My parents are from Senegal and came here with no playbook, no internet, no security. They were able to come here and kind of forge to this new chapter and era of our family and a generation.
"So, whenever I do feel discouraged – which happens a lot, I'm only human – I think back to what people before me had to do to make sure that I can even have the option or the blessing to even create my own plan. So I never quit."
Since the story first ran, Ami Colé launched in Sephora across North America, and BeautyMatter projects the brand will close 2025 with an expected revenue range of up to $10 million. The brand also made things official with L’Oréal’s BOLD fund in 2024, and even crowdsourced a "Brick Red" lip oil treatment earlier this year.
Featured image courtesy
Originally published on November 8, 2022