Living in the city of LA for over nine years, I’d like to believe I'm an honorary native. While holding true to my NorCal roots, there is a part of me that will forever consider LA home. One reason I love this town so much is because of the effortless style and creativity most of its residents seem to have. For people living in this fashion capital, individual style is all about what’s hot and making it your own.
Every city has a culture that offers a unique perspective when it comes to clothing and how style adapts to the surrounding environment. Inspired by everyday people when on the streets, I had to get the latest on fashion girls' radars. From trench coats to platform sneakers and everything in between, these are the must-have items women in LA are most excited to wear this season.
Long Line Trench Coat
Courtesy of Erica Marche
Longline trench coats are a forever classic everyone should own. Designed in a variety of colors and prints, there are endless styles to choose from. For a classic approach, investing in a neutral-toned trench allows for a range of versatility and more options to be dressed up or down. I’m loving this ultra cool-girl look paired with nylon tights, chunky boots, and a classic button-down shirt.
Bottega “Outline” Shades + Grey Mer Boots
Courtesy of Kandace Banks
Courtesy of Kandace Banks
“Two things I’ve recently bought that I’m obsessed with are my Bottega 'Outline' shades and a pair of Grey Mer boots that I found on Farfetch. I bought both as a birthday present to myself, and I wore them on my birthday trip to Paris. I’ve been wearing them both nonstop and they have a sentimental value every time!” - Kandace Banks
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Move Hi Sneakers
“I’ve had my eye on these shoes for a hot minute. I normally take a bit of time to jump on the latest trends just to get an idea of versatility in terms of what things can be paired/styled with, durability and cost. Since I’m already so tall I have larger-sized feet and they’re also flat, so getting an idea of how they fit (narrow vs. regular vs. wide) is critical for me.
"However, Converse typically runs a lot larger in size, so I wasn’t as hesitant to make this purchase as I’ve been with other shoe brands in the past. The pair I bought is super simple, yet have that extra oomph I look for in a casual yet chic shoe. I know I’ll be wearing these throughout the rest of the Fall/Winter season!”
Jazmine Woolfork (@jasminewoolfork)
Schutz Maryana Pointed Toe Boot
“I am loving the Southwestern influence! This Schutz boot is perfect to style for casual day looks and I love that it can be dressed up for the night as well!”
Straight Leg Pants + Leather Layering
Courtesy of Karrington B.
Finding the perfect pair of denim can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack, however, once you find the right pair we slowly begin to live in them. One item Karrington can't get enough of this season is straight-legged pants. Spice up a classic look by opting for a frayed denim design for a cute indoor rendezvous. Pair with a silver heel and lightweight jacket for a casual-chic aesthetic.
Courtesy of Karrington B.
Next on this LA native's list of what to wear, is leather on leather. If one layer isn't enough, add a second to achieve this bold look with attitude. Get into Karrington’s leather skirt topped with a matching lightweight jacket for an ultimate west coast look.
To get your fashion fix and to stay up to date with the latest trends, check out the xoNecole Style section here.
Featured image courtesy of Kandace Banks
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While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
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The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
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Here are a few tips to ensure you're having the best remote work experience and you're able to truly tap into why you chose to pursue remote work in the first place:
1. Set an alarm for when it's truly time to stop working.
If you're paid to work a certain number of hours, set reminders of when those hours are complete for the day. It's very important that when you do this, you're managing your time working at home well, and getting tasks done in an efficient way. Once that alarm goes off, no more responding to emails or finishing up projects. It's done and gone. Once that alarm goes off, stop what you're doing and take a walk, go out for happy hour drinks, or plan to attend that networking event so you'll feel a bit less isolated working remote.
After being remote working for almost a decade and finding myself still feeling the same Sunday Scaries as I'd felt while working a 9-to-5, this step really helped me to not only set boundaries with myself but with the people I work for. They'd know they wouldn't get any interaction from me after kindly signing off on Slack because I literally would shut down my computer for the day and not open it again until it was time to basically "clock in" the next day.
2. Schedule your "me time" on your calendar as if it's an important meeting.
Self-care appointments are indeed important, so give them the respect they deserve. Block out times in your calendar when you are fully off to do something that affirms how much you care about yourself and your own well-being. It could be something as simple as a morning walk or as grand as a spa date. Put it on your calendar and deliberately take prioritizing balance seriously.
I now have times and dates blocked off where I do not take meetings, and I instead do things that I love. As a remote worker, you can have a conversation with your employer or manager and find ways to make the time you have work not only for them but for you as well.
And no, this is not a "lunch hour" situation. Your lunch hour should be all about satiation and nutrition, not squeezing in appointments. Find ways to set aside time for fun or other wellness activities that are non-negotiable, even if it starts soon after your work day is over.
3. Create a peaceful playlist, set a timer, and meditate.
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These have been a game-changer for me over the years. Whether it's on Spotify, Amazon Music, or YouTube, I often listen to gospel, motivational speeches, ambient noise, prayers, or jazz and zone out during lunch or another short break during my work day. I set a timer to ensure I'm not getting too caught up in the relaxation, and I take in good vibrations. Listen to an audiobook or find some other auditory distraction to get you out of your own head, off of the computer, and into some peace and relaxation.
It's easy to feel isolated and get into an overworking habit when you're working from home (or even from paradise, as I often do---with a beach as my office) because you're able to simply get ish done. If you're like me, once you're in a groove, you can literally sit and crank out ideas, tie up loose ends of a project, answer 100 emails, and still have time to spare to do even more work. Before you know it, that "groove" has turned into a nonstop session of staring into a screen, and you've totally forgotten to breathe, take breaks, or to be sure you're using your time wisely.
These peaceful breaks re-center your mind and offer a reminder that while remote work is a privilege and pleasure, we must be mindful of balance.
4. Be deliberate about making plans with loved ones, acquaintances and friends.
When working remote, it's easy to become a bit of a hermit, especially when you're super-comfy in your loungewear, and your routine is pretty much set. You don't really want to get too comfortable with this because as much as remote work can feel quite lonely, you want to be sure you're not contributing to the loneliness by default.
Invite your friends out for coffee, lunch, or brunch. Start taking the steps to get social, and find other remote workers to connect with via coworking spaces or events. I once found myself feeling super anxious and out of it and realized it was because I was spending too much time working alone and not nurturing relationships with others.
Solitude is a great thing, within reason, and while one might loathe the annoying things that come with office work---like chatty cubicle mates, a manager constantly over your shoulder, or commuting costs---we still need to interact with others for our mental sanity and career advancement. Decompression isn't always done alone, and sometimes we need to vent, find support, or at least be able to talk to others in person, outside of a Slack message or Zoom call.
5. Use the tech tools at your fingertips.
Use that ScreenTime option on your iPhone to track how much time you're spending using your Slack, email, or other remote work-related apps. Download a few good productivity apps that remind you to take breaks, be mindful of your time, and schedule wellness appointments like 24Me or Clockify.
I love to work smart, not hard, since life is already hard enough. If there are ways to use tech to force me into better managing my self-care and time, I'm definitely here for them.
6. Talk to a therapist or coach to figure out how to lean more heavily into self-care.
Sometimes we can have all we need to truly tap into decompression and balance but we might feel overwhelmed with figuring out just what that looks like for us. This is where a good therapist or coach comes in. Even if you choose to only talk with them just to come up with some effective tools for creating balance in your life, it's a win.
These professionals can help remind you why you need balance, pinpoint triggers, and suggest ways you can tailor a plan for your own well-being that works for your unique needs and lifestyle.
For some of us, taking steps to balance out our work-from-home life includes really unpacking how and why we might need to make some adjustments and improvements when it comes to systems and boundaries and pinpointing what truly makes us happy.
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