22 Gift Ideas From Black-Owned Beauty and Fashion Businesses

22 Gift Ideas From Black-Owned Beauty and Fashion Businesses - Allure Magazine

22 Gift Ideas From Black-Owned Beauty and Fashion Businesses - Allure Magazine
8 Fashion Trends Everyone Searched For Nonstop in 2020 — and We Still Love Them - POPSUGAR
Katie Holmes Won Street Style This Year - Vogue

22 Gift Ideas From Black-Owned Beauty and Fashion Businesses - Allure Magazine

Posted: 18 Dec 2020 12:08 PM PST

The pandemic's serious economic impact has been brutal for a lot of businesses — Black and minority-owned businesses included. Many of these companies have been brought to the forefront this year, thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement. There's no better time than now to celebrate the goods they have to offer and share our favorite products with loved ones. In these last few weeks of the year, we can shop with intention, help many of these small businesses regain some stability, and gift ourselves and loved ones some great products while we're at it.

Don't know where to start? Not to worry, we've done the work to help make your shopping experience easy. Whether it's artisanal handmade shea butter from Nigeria or carefully crafted gold bracelets made in Brooklyn, we've got a gift for every person on your list. Yes, this includes your ride-or-die best friends, your hip mom who is now on Tik Tok doing every dance challenge imaginable, and even your sibling who secretly idolizes you but will never admit it — there's a present to fit the cast of characters in your circle in this gift guide.

All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

8 Fashion Trends Everyone Searched For Nonstop in 2020 — and We Still Love Them - POPSUGAR

Posted: 18 Dec 2020 09:37 AM PST

It goes without saying that 2020 turned out to be a much more casual year than most of us anticipated. With widespread stay-at-home orders, we saw a rise in search for oversize joggers, stretchy pants, and cozy tube socks. But if you're anything like us, you know that though comfort is life, it's still cool to appreciate the season's current and upcoming trends. We of course took note of what the "cool girls" wore to the (virtual) fashion shows and, more importantly, in their living rooms.

We did some research and partnered with a few of our favorite online retailers to see what trends we shopped for this year. With the help of Stephanie Nelson-Roberson, SVP and head of buying at Shopbop, and Celenie Seidel, senior womenswear editor at Farfetch, we rounded up the pieces everyone seemed to be in the market for this year, because they still have staying power through 2021.

"[During] this time of year, cozy knits are always a hit. Oversize sweaters, embellished cardigans, and cable-knit pullovers are essential for feeling [both] festive and fashionable!" Stephanie said, adding, "Printed tops — think gingham, floral, and geometric — are guaranteed to add a pop of personality to any look. I especially love this Ulla Johnson Pippa Blouse, for example. Floral prints paired with puff sleeves and ruffles give this blouse the perfect feminine feel!"

Seidel from Farfetch summarized our approach to 2020 shopping perfectly: "Undoubtedly, 2020 has seen a seismic shift in our collective shopping habits. With our lifestyles changing so drastically, there was a collective realization around being ill-equipped to function comfortably within the framework of our new reality. Significant time spent at home, with nowhere to go, has seen our customers gravitating noticeably towards loungewear, activewear, and knitwear, all speaking to our need to seek comfort during uncertain times."

As we round out a year that most of us never could have anticipated, we thought it'd only be right to share the items that were searched for and highlight some of our favorite examples in case you want to stock up for 2021.

Katie Holmes Won Street Style This Year - Vogue

Posted: 18 Dec 2020 06:10 AM PST

As 2020 comes to a close, we're declaring it now: Katie Holmes was the best-dressed celebrity on the streets. That's not to say she was the flashiest, or wore the most buzzed about labels, though. Instead, we mean that Holmes, who turns 42 today, completely nailed the fashion vibe of 2020. Namely, being comfortable but somehow still put-together at the same time. She toed the line between aspirational and relatable perfectly. She rarely stepped out in sweats, the garment of the year, instead turning to classic wardrobe staples that struck the balance between being comfortable and chic. In a year where dressing down was all but a mandate, she still made casual look cool.

Dressing in 2020 was a total challenge in itself. With nowhere to go or to be seen, it was easy to put fashion aside in favor of cozy sweats or PJs. But knowing that the paparazzi lingered at every street corner, Holmes put in the extra effort for her city-outing ensembles—and it paid off. Even so, she never looked over-styled or ridiculous: her outfits were fashion-forward, but never flashy or tone deaf, considering the current moment. (Her stylist, Allison Bornstein, played a key role in this.) She even made pieces such as Bottega Veneta's trending (and tricky) square-toe mules look completely casual and effortless by wearing them with a Canadian Tuxedo.

The key to Holmes's winning style this year was its accessibility. Almost every item she wore was ultra-wearable—even if it was from a designer label, you could likely find a less expensive iteration. Her shoe game especially nailed this idea: you didn't find Holmes teetering around the city in stilettos, rather flat styles from Birkenstock, Le Monde Beryl, and even Sorel snow boots. The star often favored affordable ready-to-wear pieces, too. This year alone, she wore clothing from Mango, J.Crew, Gap, and other labels that have accessible price points, proving that good style doesn't have to mean a major splurge. Essentially, Holmes did what so many other stars don't, which is wearing outfits that us regular folks can actually emulate at home. Not to say that her outfits were basic—but compared to the out-there fits from trendsetters such as Bella Hadid or Kylie Jenner, Holmes's style is less aspirational, and more rooted in reality.

Meanwhile, a budding romance also did Holmes some fashion good in 2020. On multiple occasions, she was spotted out with new boyfriend Emilio Vitolo Jr., and the couple complemented each other in sleek coats or blazers. But the best part about Holmes's fashion moments this year? From the get-go of the pandemic (we're talking March and beyond), she was an early adopter of masks. You never caught her once without one on the streets. She even experimented with them, too, wearing a tie-dye mask from Barriére and sleek black styles from evolvetogether, among other styles. Safety and style—it was 2020's winning combo, after all.

Below, some of Holmes's best style moments from the year.