look 30: break em' off blue.

i’m so happy with the way that my suit game has been coming along over the past few months, and i owe a large portion of the styles that i have to express. this month marked the start of our 2019 partnership, and as soon as i saw this blue beauty on the site, i fell in love.

wearing: express men slim light blue cotton-blend stretch suit, asos sleeveless mesh
sweater vest, boohooman x quavo clear belt bag, nike react element 55s.

💎 “i call this color break-em-off blue.” 💎

at the start of the year, wearing more suits was a key style resolution for me, and i think i’ve been doing a solid job so far. of course, i have to do it my own way, so i kept things cool with a mesh sweater (gotta love that spring breeze) and some sneakers. and for a little touch of street edge, i threw on this clear belt bag from the boohoo x quavo collaboration earlier this year. i think i like how it came together.

breaking down the look.

by now, you guys know how important a strong color combination is to me, so for this outfit, i wanted to find the perfect hue to work with this fun pastel suit. i played around with a denim shirt and other shades of blue, but in the end, nothing worked better than this tan match-up. the lighter tones blend together nicely, and i think they’re so right for the season (those blue skies, ya know?). plus, i got to rock my new nike reacts—which is perfect, because i’m really trying to get back to my sportier roots.

summer in the city with k-swiss.

summer style can get a little tricky (especially when another new season is just weeks away)... thinking about the weather, the occasion, the mood. are you doing too much? not enough? there's so much that goes into it. lately, my routine has been all about breezy button-downs, bare arms, and sick sneakers—and thankfully, they've made beating the heat so much easier. with that said, i linked up with k-swiss to show you guys how to kick things up a notch, whether you're roaming the city streets or taking in the view on a sweet rooftop. check it out. -j

the streets

wearing: k-swiss gen-k icon knit sneakers, dickies floral print summer shirt, asos man mesh t-shirt and denim with piping detail, reclaimed vintage cap.

as you go through the season, there's a simple combo that's totally on-trend and super easy to rock, no matter your personal swagger: 

start with a fresh summer shirt (also known as cuban collar shirts, revere collar shirts, or, in layman's terms, printed button-downs). go for tropical visuals—think florals, palm trees, seaside iconography, or any funky graphic that fits your vibe. here, i layered mine over a mesh t-shirt, but don't be afraid to wear it by itself with a few buttons undone for maximal heat control.

next, break out a trusty pair of jeans. i've been in love with piped pants lately (referring to the striped details on the side), so this style from asos is a personal fave, but remember that distressed and deconstructed denim is also super relevant right now.

finally, finish up with a breathable shoe that's made for the warm temps. k-swiss's new gen-k icon knits are super comfy, and the asymmetrical design adds hella cool points to your overall ensemble.

the rooftop

wearing: k-swiss gen-k icon sneakers, asos man tank top and printed trousers.

who doesn't love a good rooftop shindig, right? exactly. keep it cool—literally—by rocking a crisp, clean tank. personally, i'm all about solid-colored styles. they give me old school calvin klein vibes; plus, you can switch things up and make the lower half of your look do the talking. which leads me to the showstopper of this 'fit: a bold statement trouser that commands attention and adds a touch of summer fun. here, i called on a couple of tropical critters to help me get the job done. disclaimer: it's really important to keep the rest of the outfit simple when you're playing around with in-your-face prints like this one. one always-right trick for that: bright white sneakers. as you can see from the k-swiss gen-k icons, they're hella fresh without taking the rest of the ensemble too far over the top.

click here to peep more fresh styles from k-swiss.

this post was sponsored, but (as always) all opinions, content and tips are my own. -j

elements of ss17.

the first day of summer... it's easily one of the best dates on the calendar and also serves as the perfect chance for me to finally drop a special project i've been working on over the past four months. keep scrolling for more.

[a preview of what's inside]

if you've followed along with my work since my [tnn] days, you probably remember my elements of spring/summer and fall/winter trend reports. if you didn't, long story short: they're visual guides to the biggest and coolest trends hitting the streets season to season. fast forward to my J.XYZ days, i wasn't sure if it was something i'd carry over to this new site, but thanks to a little inspiration from my interns, we put our heads together and started brainstorming. from that point, i got busy conceptualizing, styling, and shooting six special fashion stories that allowed me to flex my creative muscles and stay busy in the best ways.

this guide is a passion project that's about style, art, and imagination. i hope it'll not only get you pumped for some of the key style statements that are relevant this season, but also encourage you to do your own thing and [create]. why? just because you can. enjoy. -j

not seeing something? give it a sec—there's a lot of good stuff to load. 😉