

As a fashion writer and stylist, I enjoy keeping my finger on the pulse of the biggest outfit trends that come along each season. However, what's noticeably different this year is, people can't seem to get enough of their favorite summer 2021 aesthetics. Even as winter slowly makes its way into our lives, it seems the trends from early in the year are simply here to stay. As we get a taste of colder weather, I'm loving the transition of my summer favorites into the most coveted fall looks.
One of the ongoing trends of the year, two-piece matching sets made a major comeback this summer and are anticipated to continue indefinitely. From prints on prints to solid neutral tones, the ease of a pre-coordinated look is seriously unmatched. Personally, I'm not always in the mood to create an entire outfit, at times it's the lack of energy and creativity that leaves me questioning whether or not to leave the house. With a matching set, the work is already done, leaving the simple task of choosing which accessories to adorn for the day.
Keep scrolling to check out the effortless sets that I'm loving this fall.
Black and White Matching Sets
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
For this black and white zebra print cropped satin set, I paired a faux leather blazer to complete this fall look. Not wanting to overdo it, I wore a simple black mule to keep it simple yet chic. Accessorized with a fun statement earring, this is a perfect look for a night out any time of year.
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
From Summer to Fall
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
I bought this two-piece set this summer with hopes of transitioning this look into fall. Like matching sets, cutouts are another trend that is here to stay for 2021. While it's still sunny skies here in LA, for those experiencing slightly colder weather opt for an oversized cream blazer and matching boot to keep stylishly warm.
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
The Matching Midi Skirt
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
For the more subtle yet fashion-forward women, this is the perfect look that keeps on giving. I love that this set is not only a match made in heaven but both pieces can be worn interchangeably with other items from my closet. The side laced skirt details along with the scrunch cropped top are two great pieces to add to have within my wardrobe with the potential of being worn multiple times in various ways.
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
To get your fashion fix and to stay up to date with the latest trends, check out the xoNecole Style section here.
Featured image by Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
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Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
Tracee Ellis Ross Is Still Living A 'Robust' Life Despite Sometimes Grieving Not Being Partnered
Tracee Ellis Ross sat down with former first lady Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson for their IMO podcast to have a candid discussion about dating, marriage, and family. At 52, the beloved actress is single, but is still open to finding her person. However, she realizes that she has to navigate dating differently, describing herself as a "unicorn."
“I’m a very unique sort of unicorn of a woman, so it's gonna take a unique person,” she explained. "And in the meantime, I've really learned how to live my life and enjoy it and not sit around waiting."
Calling herself a "choiceful woman," she has had to push against culture norms and found that many of her experiences with men around her age were challenging due to the toxic masculinity they had been raised in. Many of their views about relationships conflicts with how she lives her life, so she tends to date younger.
“It's not just that I'm older. I’m also very embodied. I am a full, very whole person who knows myself, who is in charge of my life and who lives a very full, just robust life," she said.
Regardless if they're younger or older, Tracee has made it clear that she isn't settling and won't be in a relationship for the sake of having a partner. Even when loneliness creeps.
“As much as grief does surface for me around not having children and not having a partner, I still wouldn’t want the wrong partner. At all, I’m not interested in that. You have to make my life better, it can’t just be ‘I’m in a relationship just to be in a relationship,” she said.
Fans have watched pieces of Tracee's life played out on social media and TV. Just one look at her Instagram, you see that the black-ish star lives her life to fullest and it's filled with fashion, family, and all-round fabulousness.
"Even though the grief does emerge, and that comes, and I hold that, I think of what I’ve done. I think I woke up every morning trying to do my best. I didn’t wake up one morning and be like I’m gonna mess this day up. So I must be where I’m supposed to be.”
She added, “And sometimes I think of all of the things I’ve done—the courage that I’ve had to have, what I had to learn to how to navigate as a single person with no one to hide behind. It's built a really beautiful experience around me and I have incredible friends."
The Black Mirror actress has spoken about dating before and has always stated that she doesn't allow singleness stop her from living her best life.
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Feature image by Raymond Hall/GC Images