Naiomi's blue windbreaker stands out as the outfit's focal point; Ombré braids done locally for $180

Milk tea — I’m one of its biggest fans. Any night of the week, you have a good chance at finding me fulfilling a craving at a tea spot on Convoy. On one such night, I made my way to Up 2 You Cafe, where I ran into Naiomi Sounds, an R&B singer-songwriter originally from the Bay Area.

Naiomi’s bright energy was reflected in her bright blue windbreaker (Target, $30). Underneath, she wore a white tank top with the Lightning in a Bottle logo (online, on sale for $12) — it’s a music festival held annually in Buena Vista Lake, CA. Her bottoms were a pair of new black leggings she received as a birthday present from her sister, and the black helped her white Fila sneakers pop (Journeys, $65).

“Sometimes, I’ll wear a really uncolorful outfit so that I can wear bright earrings or a bright jacket,” the singer explained when I asked her what inspired her outfit that day.

I commented that her golden braids stood out too, and she replied, “I feel like it gives me a whole new identity! I was meant to have blonde hair.” Naoimi had just recently gotten her braids done by a stylist named Mimi in El Cajon (Braids Plus, $180).

Accenting her outfit were three stone bracelets (all gifts), as well as a stone necklace ($2) she acquired from a street vendor while walking along the beaches of the Gili Air Island in Bali this past summer. On her right hand, she also wore a small sun- moon-and-waves gold ring that her mother passed down to her.

When asked for shopping tips, Naiomi offered up thrifting as an alternative. “You can get good quality stuff for very cheap. I could go to Target and buy a pair of jeans for $20, or I could go to a thrift store and get 3 pairs for the same price — and they could be nicer than the Target pair.”