NYFW - MP Fashion Runway Show

Attending fashion week - even just as a spectator on the street - is something I've dreamed of doing for years. This year, I was fortunate enough to be invited by local Detroit designer, Mila Pershyna of MP Fashion to attend her show for the Plitzs Fashion event, whose goal is to highlight a diverse and creative, yet affordable group of designers. The event showcased a range of designers from all over the world and I was honored to sit front row for each of their shows (thanks, Mila!).

At a time when so many designers are outsourcing their manufacturing to other countries, MP Fashion is a line of contemporary women's fashion that is all made in the US. Each piece is unique and distinctive, but extremely wearable. Comprised of mostly separates, the collection maximizes versatility. I love all the textures and the play on volume that really make Mila's pieces special. Even a simple pair of camel pants are given new heights with a slightly slouchy feel and asymmetrical waistband.

Check out a few of my favorite pieces below and follow MP Fashion on Instagram to see her full collection.

Thanks again to MP Fashion for inviting me - I can't wait to add a few pieces from your collection to my own wardrobe!

Photos by Leonid Tikh of LT Studio

Obsessed with these pants

This look is amazing - I might need this  

Mila and Ms. AWB US 2015, Sheryln Fox

Best dressed guests - especially that yellow caped jumpsuit!

Me and Sherlyn

Me and Mila, pre-show

Romp Around

I’ve seen a lot of closets and observed a lot of women’s habits around getting dressed. And one thing I consistently see is women not utilizing everything in their closet (myself included). Which means one of two things. First, she has too many clothes. Clothes that don’t fit. Clothes she doesn’t like. Clothes that are outdated. Or second, she’s grabbing the same outfit combinations day after day. Either because she’s too busy to plan or she's stuck in a style rut.

The women who don’t seem to have this issue are women who have created a capsule wardrobe. They reduce their closet to about 30-40 pieces total and that’s what they have to work with. That means they are keeping only pieces that fit, they love, and can be mixed and matched with other closet pieces. Usually they have a cohesive color scheme and they are confident in their personal style. The women who do this - and do it well - amaze me.

One day I hope to be one of these women.

I definitely gravitate towards the same outfit combinations - they usually involve neutral colors and stripes. But since I’ve stopped shopping for fast fashion (and also drastically limited all other shopping), I’ve really started to appreciate the under appreciated items in my closet. Most of those items involve prints and colors, two things I tend to buy a lot but not actually wear a lot (note to self for when I master my capsule wardrobe).

But without being able to stop in at H&M for a quick impulse outfit, I’ve started to actually wear the bright and bold pieces already hanging in my closet. I bought this printed romper last summer and didn’t wear it once. Not a single time. It sat hanging in my closet with the price tags on long after the return period had ended. It was 15 bucks at TJ Maxx and like most impulse buys, I didn’t need it, but made the purchase anyway. And because it sat for an entire season without seeing the light of day, I challenged myself to wear it this summer or let it go. So I wore it. And loved it. And wore it again. And now this crazy little printed romper is a go-to summer piece. even if it doesn’t make it through another season (you can’t expect much from a $15 polyester romper).

What are the reasons you aren't maximizing your closet? Could you ever see yourself attempting a capsule wardrobe? I'd love to hear your thoughts. And if you ever need help getting your closet in shape, I'm here to help.

romper: old tj maxx

clutch: stella and dot (similar)

sandals: old 

cuff: nomad collective

ring: kendra scott

The Ethical Mother's Day Gift Guide

I can't speak from personal experience (unless you count my dog, which most of you won't), but being a mom is tough. It's a full time balancing act that makes you all look like superheroes. Seriously, I can barely balance my life with my dog's life. Whether you are a new mom or your kids are all grown up, you deserved to be spoiled a bit.

So in honor of all you moms out there, here are some of my favorite gifts that take the appreciation beyond flowers and a card. And feel free to forward this to your partners, kids, friends, etc. who may be lacking in ideas.

1. Bath Salts: Kids can be stressful. Give the gift of relaxation with some bath salts. And if you want to take it a step further, throw in a gift certificate for a massage.
2. Leather Passport Case: And - if you’re really wanting to spoil a mom in your life - plane tickets, with or without the kids.
3. Earrings: When you have young kids, dangly earrings are a dangerous accessory. Keep the earlobes safe with these glitzy studs she can wear everyday.
4. iPad Case: Technology is a staple in most women's lives - whether it's watching cartoons with the kids or doing work on a business trip. Avoid cracked screens and spills with this distinctive case.
5. Scarf: For the mom that likes to accessorize, scarves are a stylish gift - and one that doesn't require you to guess her size.
6. Every Mother Counts Tote Bag: 100% of the proceeds of this bag goes to support Every Mother Counts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother. Plus, it's pretty damn cute.
7. Necklace: Not only is this handmade necklace beautiful, but the company also supports empowerment for women, so you can feel good while looking good.
8. Handmade mug: There aren't many moms I know who don't savor a cup of coffee in the morning. Give her a handmade mug (or if you're artistic, make your own) along with her favorite coffee to elevate her morning experience.
9. Cookbook: Whether she’s a master chef or a takeout queen, let her have fun in the kitchen with a new cookbook. And if you really want to score some bonus points, cook her an actual meal from said cookbook.
10. Closet Cleanse: Shameless plug here, but nothing is more relaxing and rewarding than having an organized closet full of clothing that are loved and fit. Mother's Day is a great opportunity to give her the gift of a clean closet.

Spring Refresh

Spring is the perfect time to refresh - and not just your wardrobe. For me, it means coming out of hibernation and organizing all areas of my life - from my closet to my business (and everything in between - health, exercise, spring cleaning, etc.). 

My first area to refresh? This blog. You may have noticed some new changes here at The Closet Confessional, which admittedly, were way overdo. I started this blog in 2012 and haven't updated or changed a thing since. What can I say, change is hard. 

Like my own personal style, the new layout is simple, clean, and streamlined. No fuss. Now let's just see if I can apply those characteristics to the other areas of my life...

What are you hoping to refresh this spring? 

top: zara (similar)

jeans: zara

heels: similar

clutch: target (similar)

chocker: vintage from eldordado general store

Travel Diary - Yucatán Peninsula Part 3: Tulum

Our third and final stop on our Yucatán roadtrip was Tulum (see part 1 and part 2). I wanted to spend the last half of our trip here so we could just relax and escape the hustle of the larger cities. Tulum is a design nerd's dream. Every restaurant, hotel, and shop is artfully done. Four days wasn't nearly enough time to explore every nook and cranny, but it was the perfect way to end our vacation.

Where to Stay:
- We stayed at Coco Tulum, where we had our own little beachside bungalow. Amenities are pretty sparse (but who needs amenities when you have the beach outside your door), and the bathrooms are communal, so if sharing a bathroom is not your thing, you should probably look elsewhere.
- I looked into staying at Coqui Coqui, a perfumery/small boutique hotel, but they were unfortunately booked. The design of the space is minimalistic and beautiful, so be sure to check out the property and perfumery even if you decide not to stay here.

Where to Eat:
- Everywhere! Seriously, all the restaurants we ate at were amazing. Fresh food, homemade cocktails. incredible ambiance - you really can't go wrong in Tulum.
- That being said, our favorite place for drinks was at ARCA and our favorite meal was the Argentinian steakhouse, Casa Banana.
- If you're looking to be on the beach, we had a great experience at Las Estrellas, which was a short walk down the beach from our hotel.
- Posada Margherita was an amazing beachside breakfast spot. Fresh juice is pretty easy to find in Tulum, but the portions were massive here.
- Hartwood is the restaurant that we repeatedly read about. Every single review said to go here. But unless you show up before they open their doors, you won't get a reservation. Honestly, with all the other incredible meals we had, I don't really feel like we missed out.

What to Do:
- Nothing. Not to say there isn't plenty to do - everything from kite surfer to exploring the ruins and cenotes, but we enjoyed having no agenda or schedule. We played a lot of cards, walked the beach, and ate fantastic meals.
- If you are hoping to be more active, check out the Tulum ruins, which are cliffside and overlooking the coast.
- The Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve is just south of Tulum and great for bird watching, kayaking, or generally exploring nature.
- Shop! Like the rest of Tulum. the design of the open air shops in town are on point. The quality of the shopping - although limited - was amazing, but expect to pay more.

Travel Diary - Yucatán Peninsula Part 2: Mérida

The next stop on our Mexican road trip was Mérida (catch our first stop here). On our way into town, we stopped at the most famous Mayan ruin in the Yucatán, Chichen Itza.

Named one of the new seven wonders of the world, the scale of the ruins is quite impressive, but both B and I preferred the quieter and more intimate Ek' Balam. Showing up at Chichen Itza was a little bit like showing up at Disney Land. Tour buses crowded the parking lot and vendors lined the walkways of the ruins - and we beat the rush by showing up at 8:30am. Still worth the visit - especially since it was on our way to Mérida - just be prepared for a crowd.

The actual city of Mérida was a dream. A colorful city, full of historic architecture and culture. Great food, great music, great streets for strolling. We only spent a couple days here and didn't have any set agenda, but thoroughly enjoyed wandering to discover the city's gems.

Where to Stay:
- Rosas y Xocolate was one of my favorite hotels I've stayed in. Aside from the fact that everything is pink and they specialize in chocolate, the best part of the hotel was the private outdoor bathtubs so you can bathe under the stars.

Where to Eat:
- Rosas y Xocolate was rated one of the best restaurants in the city and lucky for us, was steps away from our room. For a more romantic setting, request a table in the courtyard. To be where all the action is, sit out on the patio over looking the street.
- I honestly don't remember the names of the other places we ate - we tend to just stumble to places that look good and usually get pretty lucky. We really didn't have a bad culinary experience in Mérida.
- Wherever you end up eating, try the cochinita pibil (slow marinated pork), the local dish of the Yucatán. It comes in all sorts of varieties and is always made a little differently, but I am still craving the cochinita pibil tacos.

What to Do: 
- Plan to be in town on a Sunday. The city shuts down several of the streets surrounding the main plaza and fills the square with street vendors and live music for one big party.
- Check out Chichen Itza or some of the other lesser known Mayan ruins in the area. There are quite a few.
- Skip the taxi and grab a horse and buggy to transport you around town.
- If horses aren't your thing, rent a bike. And if you like your biking to be a community experience, join in for La Bici Ruta, the Sunday ritual where several of the main streets close down and bikers gather for a slow roll style stroll.
- If you want to take a day trip for some non-resort beach towns, it's only about a 30 minute ride to the coast.

What Not to Do:
- Rent a Camaro convertible. Sounds lovely in theory, but the chances of you being confused for drug dealers and pulled over at a police check point and asked to exit your car while 4 officers with rifles thoroughly search your entire car and all your belongings is high.

Tips:
- See above's "What not to Do."

Travel Diary - Yucatán Peninsula Part 1: Valladolid

Recently B and I took a 10 day vacation where we roadtripped around the Yucatán Peninsula. When it comes to vacations, I'm a type A planner and B likes to show up and see what happens. To me, planning the trip intensifies my excitement, giving me something to look forward to in the weeks leading up to the vacation. For him, it's a bundle of over planning stress. In order to satisfy both our needs, B gave me full reign of the entire vacation planning, meaning he had no idea where we were going or what we were doing until we showed up at the airport.

For this trip, I wanted a mix of adventure and relaxation and I wanted to stay under our agreed upon budget. After researching several other locations, I ultimately landed on a road trip through the Yucatan for a perfect mix of unknown adventure, history, culture, and beaches. After a one night stay in Cancun, we headed to Valladolid. Lots of people love Cancun. I am not one of those people. So we chose to stay near the airport and on the beach at the Westin. We had a great room that walked out to the ocean and were able to avoid the craziness of the downtown center. We are not typically resort people (often preferring off the beaten path locations and accommodations), but after a day of traveling it was really nice to enjoy a bit of luxury at the Westin.

After a good night's rest, we got up and began our road trip, heading to Valladolid. I knew very little about this town, beside it being close to several of the ruins and cenotes. There's not a ton to do in this historic town, but it's a great central location to explore the surrounding attractions. We also enjoyed a lazy afternoon stumbling upon the town's cenote (cenote Zaci - literally in the middle of town) and searching for the perfect tacos.

Headed to Valladolid? Here are my recommendations and tips:

Where to Stay:
- El Mason de Marques is where we stayed and had a great experience. It's right in the middle of town, which is great starting off point for exploring.
- Hotel Zentik Project is where I originally planned to stay. It is outside of town (so having a car would be helpful if you stay there), but the place looks amazing and sits on top of an underground pool cave.

Where to Eat:

- We had an amazing dinner in the outdoor courtyard of our hotel, El Mason de Marques. The food is great and the atmosphere is romantic. 

- La Cantina is a great little casual restaurant on the plaza. Perfect for afternoon tacos and beers. 

- Conato 1910 is an Italian/Mexican fusion restaurant with lots of vegetarian and vegan options. The place doesn't look like much, but the food was fantastic. 

What to Do:
- Check out the Mayan ruins. Ek' Balam was appealing because it's one of the few ruins you can climb on and really explore. It also is less known and had very few tourists (compared to other ruins which were overrun with tour buses full of people. More on that in the next post.).
- Swim in the cenotes. These underground caves are amazing. Go early when no one else is there so you have the place to yourself. We went to the cenote near Ek' Balam and it was totally abandoned (it's a mile and a half walk to get there which seemed to deter other visitors).
- Take a road trip to the northern coast. See the flamingos in Ria Lagartos. Bring cash! There are no ATMS in town (or anywhere nearby) and the boat rides to the lagoon are cash only. We learned this the hard way and made the drive without enough money to actually see the flamingos. All was not lost though. We had an amazing lunch of fresh seafood overlooking the water at Ria Maya.
- If you go up to the northern coast, head east and check out the salt mines and pink lagoon. It's pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but it's a beautiful drive and seeing the water turn pink from the salt mines is fascinating.

Tips:
- If you rent a beater convertible and the rental company offers to upgrade you for free to a Camaro, politely decline (unless you like lots of attention).
- Keep a bathing suit in your car as you travel around. You never know when you'll stumble upon a cenote and want to take a dip.
- Have cash on hand or research where the ATMS are, which seem to be lacking outside of the main towns throughout the peninsula.
- If roadtripping around, bring a playlist and auxiliary cord for tunes. Definite mood booster on long car rides.
- Show up at the ruins and more popular cenotes early to avoid the crowds. It makes a huge difference in the experience you'll have.

Stay tuned to see where we head to next!