A Fashion Story

Let’s Tour Historic Downtown Durham Part One

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I am excited to present this week’s segment of A Fashion Story for two reasons: a) We’re going to tour historic Durham (my first venture into travel blogging) and b) I’m featuring snippets of my first vlogging adventure. Exciting right?

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Downtown Durham, aka the City of Alchemy and Medicine used to be a complete and total mess (Okay, so I probably added the Alchemy part, but keep reading and you’ll find out why). The abandoned cigarette factories smelled terrible and looked bad. Graffiti covered walls were all over the area. Beggars and hookers walked the streets. I kept thinking I had stepped into an episode of one of those old shows my mom used to watch called Miami Vice.

The whole area was filled with shadiness and this small town wasn’t equipped to deal with such things. And then something magical happened. The city’s government hired an engineer to turn the area into a place worthy of its historical roots. I hope you enjoy part one of our tour historic Durham adventure.

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The area we’re exploring once belonged to cigarette giant Lucky Strike. Folks say you could even smell the tobacco from miles away. As you can see, the area no longer has stained walls and workers clocking out for the day. Hints of tobacco are long gone, and I enjoy meeting my friends here for weekend social pow wows.

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Instead, Durham’s new American Tobacco District springs to life with the sounds of lively waterfalls (like a hundred of them), restaurants for every taste bud, and art work that I plan to feature in many posts to come. Million dollar condominiums that once housed the tobacco giant’s factories now hide pieces of artwork created from the recycled items of an era long gone.

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The transformation of Durham’s new Central Park area from abandoned tobacco factory to one of the most beautiful areas in the United States was almost magical. Which is why I’ve added on the word Alchemy to describe this new Durham. Even Burt’s Bees has decided to take up shop in this new dreamland. See the doorway there behind my head?

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I was super excited to explore this gorgeous place and was equally excited to wear the outfit I’m sporting in this photograph. Be proud of me as I am still on a colorful roll. However, I’m still much more comfy wearing misted pastels and earthy browns over the brighter colors. I also need to make mental notes on how to put away my phone during photo sessions. I’m a blogger, the phone is my crutch. It’s how I keep in touch with all of you. So, for now… LOL

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Shop the Look:

  1. Marled Open Front Cardigan $14.00 CharlotteRusse.com
  2. Slub Kint Boyfriend Tee $14.00 CharlotteRusse.com
  3. Mid-Rise Cropped Jean Leggings $59.90 Express.com
  4. City Classified Bonzi Chain Decor Flat Sandals $29.99 Amazon.com (Similar to my Zigi Sohos)

This outfit features one of my favorite handbags of all time. No kidding. This gorgeous gem by Kathy Van Zeeland will never go out of style. I’ve had this one for almost three years, and the shell still looks brand new. This handbag is very good quality with an affordable price tag attached to it.

I bought this one from a large department store years ago. You can now find Kathy’s bags at your local WalMart. Both the cardigan and the slub tee are products of Charlotte Russe. The cropped jeans were a steal from Express, and the shoes are a pair of Zigi Soho sandals in a style that was super duperly popular last year. I posted a similar option for you all to drool over in the Shop the Look links above the gallery of photos.

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You see, even those of us who claim black as our happy color can step out of the comfy zone every so often and try something new. Especially with all the gorgeous shades of pastels and taupe available in this year’s color palette. And when you add in a backdrop of rich history, waterfalls, art, and great food, of course, then I believe that’s what a fabulously good life is all about anyway.

The Photographer in Deep Thought While Planning His Next Shoot

The Photographer in Deep Thought While Planning His Next Shoot

I hope you enjoyed the tour!

**The post A Fashion Story Tour Historic Durham first appeared on Live Well… Be Fabulous!**