Collaborations – Ensemble of Elan

Damsel in This Dress

Go back in time and ask any of us at five years old where we wanted to be in twenty years,

I guarantee it would be right here.

Wearing a couture gown,

Modeling alongside a stallion

for a lavish photoshoot.

As we would have then,

we adorned ourselves with flowers,

And held hands as we smized

and slayed before the camera.

We felt glamorous and beautiful and powerful

Even as the wind whipped our faces and the mud soaked our shoes.

It didn’t matter.

We were exactly where we wanted to be.

Laughing. Loving. Creating.

XOXO,

Sabrina, Hannah, and Emily

Photography by: Hannah Hall

Edited by: Hannah Lewter

Clothes by: Romas by Linda Rowe Thomas

Winter Outfit Ideas That Are Anything But Dreary

Are you in a winter fashion rut? (Don’t fret, it happens to the best of us.)

By the time mid-January rolls around and you’ve exhausted the number of sweater and jeans combinations you can throw together, what on earth are you supposed to wear and feel amazing in?

We’ve got you.

Throw in a Pop of Color

Many people tend to gravitate towards neutrals in the wintertime, but you don’t have to wait until spring to start rocking your favorite hues!

Pull that brightly colored sweater out of your closet and wear it with pride.

Lavender is Pantone’s color of the year, so you might want to get a head start by wearing this shade before you start seeing it everywhere.

Wear Something Metallic

Yeah, yeah, we know you’re wondering how we can consider an almost entirely gray outfit to be “fun”, but let us prove it to you.

The key here is adding something metallic, like these sneakers.

The eye-catching metallic combined with the on-trend plaid trousers and an edgy beanie makes this look unconventionally exciting.

Rock Your Spring-iest Embroidery

Embroidery has been going strong for a while now, and it isn’t poised to slow down anytime soon.

So, look forward to spring by wearing your favorite embroidered pieces now!

A pair of embroidered booties or an embroidered leather jacket adds a fresh touch to any outfit (and will remind you that spring isn’t far away!)

XOXO,

S & H

Sabrina’s Wearing:

Hannah’s Wearing:

T’Neria Ransom’s Wearing

At Long Last, An Ensemble For You!

We started Ensemble of Elan almost a year ago, and our intention was never for it to be just a blog.

We always wanted to do something more and provide our fans with a tangible way to join in on this experience with us.

Over the course of 2017, we learned that starting a business takes a lot of trial and error. We began by offering a wardrobe creation service where we helped clients clean out their closets, alter their current clothing items, and find new ones from our original collection. That did not last long, so we then thought about starting a clothing rental service where fellow fashion bloggers could rent clothes for their photoshoots.

Long story short, neither of those ideas turned out to be feasible because they cost too much money & effort, and we could not make it profitable and keep it affordable.

So, we decided to go back to an idea that was simple and relatively inexpensive: an online clothing shop.

We launched our debut collection last Friday, and we will be releasing new items on a weekly basis. Almost all of the clothes we are wearing in this shoot are from the collection (Save for the metallic coat. We did not have a warm enough coat in our collection for the below freezing temps, so sue me -S).

We hope you love these pieces as much as we do, and please let us know if there is anything else you would like to see in the shop!

Xoxo, S & H

Photography by: The Gray People

Editing by: Hannah Lewter

Hannah’s Wearing:

Sabrina’s Wearing:

Happy Holla-Days: Style Tips For The Season

The season of sequins, velvet, and faux fur is upon us, so don’t let this once-a-year opportunity pass you by without unleashing your inner glamazon. Here’s how!

Go Monochrome

You don’t have to wear a crazy color to make a bold statement this holiday season.

If you are someone who tends to flock to neutral shades, kick those neutrals up a notch with texture and intricate details.

This outfit is all-black, but still maintains visual intrigue with the embroidery on the jacket, the velvet texture of the jacket and pants, and the mesh socks.

Black is (and always has been) the new black.

Be Extra

If you pick up an oversized sequin blazer at the store and think, “This is too extra,” it probably isn’t extra enough.

You know how style influencers turn every head in the room when they walk in?

By being extra.

Embrace your love of the extravagant, and you will be sure to have all eyes on you.

Remember Stay Warm

Don’t make the mistake of putting together a charming dress-and-booties outfit and forgetting to think about your outerwear.

Take it from an expert, you will freeze to death and not be able to enjoy your outfit at all.

Spring for an on-trend coat, such as one with faux fur, that will make your outfit even more glamorous (and cozy).

Wear Something You Wouldn’t Otherwise

The holiday season is the time to buy those wide leg, velvet pants that you know you’re probably only going to wear once. Because if those pants are truly amazing, once is enough.

The key is to not hold back on that outfit if you have one shot to make it work.

Jazz it up even more with a sparkly mini bag, chandelier earrings, and a plunging top for an unforgettable look.

Hannah’s Wearing:

Sabrina’s Wearing:

Rickei Jackson’s Wearing:

Sydney Mullins is Wearing:

Photos taken by: Nicole Morgan

Edited by: Hannah Lewter

Maximalists Unite: Color & Pattern Mixing Edition

You always hear about minimalism with its capsule wardrobes and neutral color scheme, but what about maximalism? The philosophy behind it is that ‘more is more’ (as opposed to ‘less is more’), so we teamed up with the queen of color and pattern, Georgie McCarthy of The Style Transplant, to bring you our favorite maximalist looks.

Sabrina always gets mad at me because I love black. I love to pair black on black. It’s so chic and minimalist, but Sabrina always reminds me that it just looks so flat, so I have (begrudgingly) started incorporating more color into my wardrobe.
The color red has always been an emblematic one for fashion, from Cindy Crawford’s 1991 plunging Versace gown at the Oscars or Bella Hadid’s sexy silky red dress with a startlingly high slit. It’s fierce, rebellious, and definitely not a color for the faint of heart.

When it comes to making a statement, red is the quintessential declaration of female power.

For my look, I played with an analogous color scheme (colors that blend well because they are closely related). I paired my cherry red midi skirt with a dark maroon cropped sweater, then I used a black leather jacket and black patent booties to balance out the red. You can find unique color combinations by simply matching colors to their neighbors on the wheel! All in all, don’t be afraid to play with color, even if you’re more of a neutral clothing lover like me.

-H

Pattern mixing is all about having fun and pushing your creative and personal style boundaries.

I use pattern mixing as a way to drive myself and my style to an unexpected and more playful place. You really have to think more consciously about putting two patterned pieces together, as opposed to the ease of a plain t-shirt with black jeans.

My favorite way to mix patterns, whether it’s in my artwork or in my personal styling, is to combine florals–like my blazer–with more geometric prints like stripes, plaid, or gingham–like my skirt. This makes for a surprising juxtaposition of which not many people would conceive. For fall pattern mixing, in particular, I recommend playing with those dark florals and autumnal plaids, for an unexpected fall twist.

-Georgie McCarthy, Fashion Blogger

I’ll admit, I’m still a pattern-mixing novice. I most frequently stick to neutral, solid-colored clothes with an occasional splash of pink or red thrown in. But, I’m really trying to branch out of my comfort zone and incorporate more pattern mixing into my looks because the bloggers and influencers I admire most are the ones who can flawlessly make two entirely different prints look they are a match made in heaven.
Georgie is definitely one of those bloggers. I was inspired to buy this multi-color floral pattern shirt because I’ve spent the last couple months admiring how she melds color and pattern together to create outfit masterpieces.

The best pattern-mixing looks effortless, but you can only get to that level through trial and error.

I tried this shirt with plaid trousers, a striped mini skirt, and red embroidered trousers before I settled on this cropped pinstriped pair of pants. If you are trying to freshen up your wardrobe by mixing patterns, don’t be afraid to try multiple outfit combinations until you find the one that feels just right. (Trust me, you’ll know it when you feel it.)

-S

Hannah’s Wearing:

Also, be sure to head over to The Style Transplant to check out Georgie’s take on the collaboration, where we discuss the benefits of the blogging community!